The knit has hit the fan

FOs: Serpentine Mitts & Purl Beret...

2009-02-09T00:59:00.003Z

Last FOs of 2008.

Pattern: Serpentine Mitts by Miriam L. Felton
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Baltic Sea (.5 hank)
Needle: US 1 / 2.25 mm Susan Bates aluminum DPNs
Time: 1 week

Pattern: Purl Beret by Isabelle from Purl Soho
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock Multi in Baltic Sea (.75 hank)
Needle: US 2 / 2.75 mm Clover bamboo DPNs
Time: 2 weeks

Notes:

I finished these in November before things got really crazy at work. I knit the mitts a little tighter since my hands are fairly small, so they're nice and snug. Usually my mitts and armwarmers are a little too loose. The beret is nice and floppy but the brim might be too loose. I'm thinking about getting some elastic thread and weaving it through so it stays on my head better.

Overall, these two projects were quick and simple, and they got quite a bit of wear for a few weeks before freezing temperatures hit.

FO: Caps Scarf...

2008-10-14T01:37:00.004+01:00

It's hockey season!

Pattern: My own--Washington Capitals Scarf
Yarn: Cascade 220 wool in red and blue (1.5 hanks each), Vermont Organic Fiber Company O-Wool in natural (.25 hank)
Needles: US7/4.5mm KnitPicks Options
Time: 2 months

Notes:

- Failed Ravelympics project (but at least it was done in time for the start of the regular hockey season)
- First time double knitting
- First time doing substantial duplicate stitching

There are a few things I would do better if I were to do this over again. For starters, I'd use a lighter yarn. This scarf is thick and heavy, and it turned out wider than I would have liked. I'm also not quite sure about the quality of the duplicate stitching. Other than that, I'm pretty happy.

I'll definitely take what I've learned from this project for a Montreal Canadiens scarf. And since the Habs are #1 in my heart, it'll have to be *just* right. =)

FOs: Tuxedo Shirt and Baudelaire...

2008-08-19T01:47:00.004+01:00

A bit of catch up.

Pattern: Sleeveless Tuxedo Shirt by Theresa Schabes from Interweave Summer 2007
Yarn: Jaeger Java; 4.5 skeins
Needles: US3/3.25mm Susan Bates Silvalume circs
Buttons: La Mode buttons from Exquisite Fabrics in DC
Time: ~1 month for knitting, another 2 months before I finally got buttons and sewed them in.
Mods: Shortened the body a bit and lengthened the straps since I wasn't sure if I had enough yarn.

Notes:

I finished knitting this in June, got the buttons soon after, and it was another couple months before I got around to finishing. This top didn't really appeal to me once the knitting was done, even after blocking. As a result, I kind of lacked the motivation to finish. I finally got around to sewing the buttons and weaving in ends this weekend and now, I love this top. I will definitely wear this quite a bit. Amazing what those finishing touches can do.

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Pattern: Baudelaire by Cookie A. from Knitty Summer 2006
Yarn: Koigu KMP in royal purple (2 hanks)
Needles: US1/2.25mm Susan Bates aluminum DPNs
Time: 1 month of commute knitting

Notes:

I *heart* this pattern, and I *heart* these socks. I've done the usual cuff-down socks, toe-up socks with short row heels, socks on DPNs, socks on two circs, and I've decided that toe-up socks with gusset heels on DPNs are my favorite technique. Normally I get bored knitting socks but this is my second pair of toe-up with gusset/heel flap. They maintain my attention, and they don't take ages to complete.

And, of course, I like almost anything that's purple.

---------

I've also been crazy enough to join the Ravelympics. Well, at least I'm crazy enough to knit a reversible Washington Capitals scarf in the the style of soccer scarves. BTW, did I mention I've never done double knitting before? And that I have a crazy work schedule? And that I'm totally making this up as I go along? Yeah...

FO: Wing Top...

2008-05-28T02:24:00.004+01:00

Pattern: Wing Top by Kate Gilbert, Interweave Knits Summer 2007
Yarn: Berroco Ultra Silk (5 balls)
Needles: US9/5.5mm KnitPicks Options
Time: 2 weeks
Mods: Omitted last set of decreases around the bust to make it ~31" instead of 30"; adjusted for row gauge difference in the body.

Notes:

I bought the yarn from Stitchy Witch in a recent destash. It's really soft and drapey. Definitely a yarn that needs to be swatched and washed as it fluffs up pretty well. I did knit this a needle size smaller than the ball band recommends even though my tension tends to hit slightly tighter than ball band gauge. I noticed the drap and knew the fabric would be floppy, for lack of a better word. I probably could have knit the 30" size as is but when I didn't like how the swatch looked when I stretched it a couple inches so I took out the last set of decreases to make it 31".

The top stays up pretty well. The loop through which the scarf is threaded is pretty snug, which makes a pretty sturdy strap. This is definitely a top I could wear dressed down with jeans or dressed up with a nice skirt. I also think the neutral brown color works nicely with the unique construction of the top.

My parents just came back from trip to Hong Kong, so I'm expecting some yarn goodies soon. As a result, I've been working through stash knitting up the projects I've had in the queue as well as finding projects for the leftover yarn that's been marinating since the original projects were completed. I'm currently using the leftover yarn from Orangina (yarn from Mom's *last* trip to HK) for the Sleeveless Tuxedo Shirt from Interweave Knits Summer 2007. Hopefully I'll have enough yarn but I have a couple ideas of how to improvise.

FOs: Tilted Duster and Lace Ribbon Scarf

2008-05-23T22:17:00.004+01:00

Pattern: Tilted Duster by Norah Gaughan from Interweave Knits Fall 2007
Yarn: Mission Falls 1824 Wool (12 skeins)
Needles: US9/5.5mm KnitPicks Options
Time: 1.5 months
Mods: Only used 3 buttons instead of 4--Two nice ones on the outside and a clear, inside button

Notes:

I *heart* this duster. It's so soft and cozy. Just right for my heavily air conditioned office. About halfway through the skirt, I realized that I originally intended to make the 36" size (this one is 32") to accommodate layering. Now I have two extra skeins. Given how warm this is, I'm okay with the smaller size because I'd only wear it over a T-shirt.

Pattern: Lace Ribbon Scarf by Veronik Avery from Knitty Spring 2008
Yarn: Spinning Yarns in "Mulberry Bush" (1 hank)
Needles: US4/3.5mm Addi Turbos
Time: 2 months of commute knitting

Notes:

I love how this scarf turned out. The whole time I was knitting this, I didn't realize that the colors were making a zig-zag pattern. I noticed it when I laid it out to dry after washing. It's about 8 feet long. Also, way easy to memorize for mindless commute knitting.

FO: Drops Eskimo Jacket...

2008-03-22T23:15:00.003Z

Smurfy.

Pattern: 103-1 Jacket in Eskimo or Silke-Alpaca with A-shape by DROPS design
Yarn: Gjestal Naturgarn No. 1 (5 hanks)
Needles: US11/8mm KnitPicks Options
Time: 2 weeks

Notes: I *love* this jacket. As I was knitting it, I wasn't sure how the smurfy blue would look, but the color grew on me. Very easy, quick knit and very cozy. There are some parts of the pattern that are a bit vague, but as long as you keep notes on where you are and what you're doing, it works out.

I'm trying to work my way through my immediate queue (i.e. the projects that already have yarn for them) and, by extension, my stash. On the needles at the moment is the Tilted Duster. The pieces are going pretty quickly, but I imagine the skirt will slow down progress. Venezia has been stalled mainly because I'm color-worked out. I'm hoping to get back into it soon, but it doesn't look too likely at the moment.

In the not-so-immediate queue, I've added Coraline by Ysolda. There's also a familiar link in the pattern. It's nice to know that something I put together can be helpful.

FO: Wren...

2008-03-10T01:18:00.002Z

Pattern: Wren by the Berroco Design Team
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool in Leaf (4.5 skeins)
Needles: US5/3.75mm Addi Turbos; US7/4.5mm KnitPicks Options
Time: ~6 weeks
Mods: Made the sleeves longer

Notes: I finished this the middle of last month and only got around to blogging about it now. I'm kind of meh with the end product. Ultimately this cardi will get quite a bit of wear because of its simplicity. It just didn't quite turn out the way I'd hoped. I think the biggest issue is the collar. I knit this a size bigger (I was exactly the smallest size) for layering purposes. Maybe that's the reason why the collar seems so big? I'll also need to find something to secure the front. I'm using a cable needle in the photo.

Currently working on the Drops Eskimo jacket with a chunky, smurf blue yarn I got from Springwater Fiber Workshop's Superbowl sale. It's a pretty fast, mindless knit so far and I still have enough for another sweater. only one week into it and I've already got the body pieces finished. I'm about halfway through the sleeves (working both at once) now.

FO: Squirrely Swedish Mittens...

2008-01-20T21:18:00.000Z

My WIP pile is now down to two.

Pattern: Squirrely Swedish Mittens by Elli Stubenrauch (Elliphantom Knits)
Yarn: Schoeller & Stahl Fortissima Socka in green and pink (1 skein each)
Needles: US1.5/2.5mm Addi Turbos
Time: 3 weeks, on and off
Mods: Knitted hem, added braids, fewer snowflake repeats

Notes: I started using this long tail CO method for knitting a hem on Venezia. I like it so much that I used it for the mittens. Provisional cast ons tend to take me a few tries to before I have something workable, which gets tiring, so I'm glad that it's possible to pick up and knit together stitches from a long tail cast on edge. I also added braids to the cuff using this tutorial. It was slow to work on the first mitten but by the second I breezed through those rounds.

My gauge was a little off, probably because the needles are a tad larger than called for. The colors are nice, but they're not very "me". I'm going to find a friend I can gift these to.

FOs: Boteh and Monkey

2008-01-16T22:34:00.000Z

Trying to make up for lost time...

Pattern: Boteh Scarf by Kathy Merrick from Interweave Crochet Spring 2007
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Red Rover (2 hanks)
Hook: F/5/4mm Boye aluminum
Time: 1 week
Mods: Gauge was tighter than specified so I crocheted 4 extra triangles for a total of 20 to reach the desired length.

Notes: My first real crochet project! I figured it out sometime last year, mainly because I really liked the Boteh Scarf. The yarn was originally knit into a mini Sarcelle that just turned out too short. It makes a nice Boteh, though. This was an easy pattern to crochet (note: there is errata for this) and made for nice instant gratification.

And I finally got the Monkey off my back...

Pattern: Monkey by Cookie A. from Knitty.com
Yarn: Southwest Trading Co. TOFUtsies color #722 (1 skein)
Needles: US1.5/2.5mm DPNs]
Time: 5 months
Mods: Altered pattern to be knit toe-up, short row heels, knee-length (because the yarn would not end), increases for calf shaping

Notes: These are *finally* done. I pretty much got tired of their unfinished state and the slow progress due to making them exclusive travel knitting, so I devoted some time after the Boteh Scarf specifically to finishing these socks. I wanted to use up as much of the yarn as possible, which is why they're toe-up and knee length. One skein of TOFUtsies goes a long way (I wear a US 7 shoe in case anyone was wondering just how far). I still have a bit left over but that probably would have taken me closer to the knee than I'd like.

For the calf increases, I basically added a couple stitches per lace repeat over four rounds, which enlarged the overall lace pattern (i.e. each repeat has 4 rounds of eyelets originally, this went up to five after increasing). I also knit the ribbed cuff about half an inch longer than called for.

For some reason the color pattern on the second sock flashed instead of striped until I started the calf shaping. This one feels looser than its mate so maybe my gauge changed slightly for the first half and then tightened up. I did knit half of this second sock while on a couple hours of sleep and jet lagged. The latter half I did at home. Oh well. I'm just glad these are finally done.

FO: Fireside Stocking...

2008-01-08T02:04:00.000Z

I haven't posted since September? Seriously? Oops.

Pattern: Fireside Stocking by Kate Gilbert from Interweave Knits Holiday 2007
Yarn: Dale of Norway Svale in white (2), dark purple (1), light grey (1); Nashua Handknits Creative Focus Cotton in purple (1), navy (1), blue (1)
Needles: US5/3.75mm Denise Interchangeables
Time: 1 month
Mods: Lined the inside, knit niece's name in top, used fabric scraps for hanger

Notes: I started this mid-November and finished it mid-December. Early enough to mail out to my new niece. I wasn't too picky about the yarn selection. Just went with something that was a similar weight and in the colors I wanted, which is why I used two different brands of cotton. The pattern was hard to get into at first, but once I got the hang of it the knitting was a breeze.

For stability, I lined the stocking with a striped cotton fabric in similar colors.

My best hand-sewing job. Ever. Still wish I had a machine, though.

PROJECT UPDATE!!!

After knitting all the pieces for the hooded jacket, I realized that I wasn't in love with it anymore. I was pretty sure I wouldn't wear it, either, so I frogged everything. The yarn will be turned into Wren.

I am nearly done with the Monkey socks! I have one sock done, and I'm halfway through the second sock. They're taking a while because I've been knitting them while traveling only. And they go up to my knees.

I have two sleeves and a bit of the body done for Venezia. I'm liking my decision to do it in three colors:

For instant gratification and because I was inspired by a week of sub-freezing temperatures, I knit a Squirrelly Swedish Mitten. Note the singular tense. I'm a little color-worked out at the moment. I plan to get to the second mitten after finishing my next instant gratification project:

The Boteh Scarf. I figured out how to crochet at some point last year. Now I'm putting it to good use. I frogged my Sarcellette after I came to terms with the fact that it's too short. The yarn makes a nice Boteh Scarf, though.

Hope everyone had a Happy New Year, and I'll try to update this more.

FO: Bonnie...

2007-09-26T23:09:00.000+01:00

Finished before the end of Project Spectrum despite a few set backs.

Pattern: None. Inspired by a top worn by Faye Dunaway in Bonnie and Clyde
Yarn: Jaeger Aqua in Bugle, 7 skeins
Needles: US5/3.75mm KnitPicks Options; 3mm crochet hook, cable needle
Other: Jacquard Procion MX dye in lilac
Time: 1 month

Notes:

I had some trouble figuring out the smocking. I knit about three swatches and still had to rip out the back (first piece I knit) when the method finally occurred to me. I had the right idea in my last swatch but tweaked it when I reknit the back. I posted a tutorial earlier this month on how to do the smocking. I forgot to mention that the number of stitches to cast on are an odd multiple of 5+3. The odd multiple (e.g. 7x5 or 13x5) is important for symmetry.

The math wasn't too difficult to figure out until I got to the sleeves. In the end, the sleeves are a tad more fitted than in the movie picture. I say this because in the photo, the smocking is relaxed rather than stretched. The only way I could get this effect was to increase a lot after knitting the smocked band, which would have made the sleeve much too baggy. I also worked a single crochet edging around the neck.

Sleeve detail

As you can see, I overdyed the top. When I washed it (by hand with mild soap), some discoloration occurred on the sleeves. A very noticeable hot pink stripe went halfway around both of them. Since I've washed items in the same manner before with no problem and it only happened on the sleeves, I might have gotten an unlucky skein. There are other possible reasons. Anyway, I was tired of knitting on this and I wanted to wear this soon so I did a bit of research on dying cotton. I ended up getting some Procion MX dye and tried dying for the first time ever. The end result isn't as even as I'd like but at least you can't see any blatant discoloration. The top is now a shade darker, which I kind of like. I'll call this a success considering it was my first time.

I might make another one sometime in the future. Probably with a softer cotton or drapier plant fiber. I tend to avoid wool for short sleeved tops meant for spring and summer. Next time I'll make the bottom of the body about and inch longer and maybe I'll even figure out the sleeves.

For now it's back to the Vogue hooded jacket. Both sleeves and one front are done. Currently working on the other front and then I'll just have the back and the hood to do. I'm also going to try to get some more progress on Monkey. After the hooded jacket, I plan on finally starting Venezia from last fall's Interweave and either Baudelaire or the Entrelac Stockings after Monkey.

FO: Totoro Hoodie...

2007-09-21T04:00:00.000+01:00

Done with the "deadline" knitting and the package has been sent off just in time!

Pattern: None. Used instructions for ears from Hello Yarn's Totoro Bonnet.
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Pure Cotton-Blue (4 balls), Ecru (0.5 ball), and a bit of Beige
Needles: US7/4.5mm and US8/5mm circs and US7/4.5mm DPNs for the ears.
Time: About a week.
Other: Fits 6-12 months old; 10 inch zipper in off white.

Notes:

I originally wanted to make a grey Totoro hoodie but couldn't find any cotton yarn in the right color. Crazy skin allergies run in the family so I decided to stick with 100% cotton until we knew for sure if the baby could handle an animal fiber. The knitting was easier than I expected. I thought I'd run into trouble with the fronts because I had to knit the color sections separately and seam them together, which meant calculating the raglan shaping for the white part and factoring in the seam stitches.

The hood was pretty basic. I picked up stitches as if I were knitting a collar, increased evenly throughout one row, and continued knitting for about eight inches. Then I divided the stitches over two needles and grafted the top of the hood together. I did a bit of short row shaping in the center just before the end of the hood to make the back rounded instead of pointy. I opted not to put a face on the hood because the shape of the hood makes the placement difficult.

The zipper was not as painful to install as I'd expected. In fact, it's by far my best zipper installation. I can hardly sew to save my life but everything just worked out this time. The center /\ even matched up perfectly.

This is probably one of my favorite things I've knit so far although I think I've exceeded my cuteness quota for the year. =)

FO: Felted Clogs...

2007-09-16T16:07:00.000+01:00

Two down, one to go on the deadline knitting.

Something comfy for a mom-to-be.

Pattern: Felted Clogs by Bev Galeskas from Fiber Trends
Yarn: Cascade 200 Wool in navy, 2 hanks; Cascade 220 Heathers in blue, 1 hank
Needles: US13/9mm Denise Interchangeables
Time: 3 days and forever to dry

Notes: Nothing much to say about these that probably already hasn't been said. Quick and easy pattern. Great for instant gratification. I felted these in the sink instead of in the machine. Seemed like a waste of electricity to run the machine just for these and it worked out okay (although I did work up quite a sweat). I did have to throw them in the dryer for 20 minutes to shrink them a little more. They took forever to dry. Then I realized I should put them in front of a fan, and that did the trick.

I'm currently blocking a baby hoodie, which is the last thing I need to get done before I send out this package. I'm still waiting for a zipper that I had to order since I couldn't find one short enough.

Just have pictures of the back and fronts for now.

Tutorial: Smocking...

2007-09-07T01:42:00.000+01:00

Originally I was going to knit the front and back pieces of Bonnie without any waist shaping and go back with a needle and extra yarn to create the smocked section as demonstrated on Knit Lit. However, I knew finishing the pieces like that would take forever given my bad relationship with sewing or anything resembling sewing. Then I found this video on how to knit smocked ribbing, which gave me an idea for how to do the smocking for Bonnie. (Excuse the photo quality. Today's lighting wouldn't cooperate.)

The stitch pattern I'm using is *K1, P4* K1.

1. Slip knit stitch (K st) to cable needle (CN).

2. Slip 4 purl stitches (P sts) to right needle (RN).

3. Slip K st to CN.

4. Slip 4 P sts from RN back to left needle (LN).

5. With working yarn, wrap 2 sts on CN twice.

6. Knit 1 st from CN.

7. Purl 4 sts from LN.

8. Knit remaining st from CN, and purl next 4 sts.

Repeat.

Bonnie will need to be set aside for a little bit. I have an unexpected deadline on a couple projects.

More purple...

2007-09-05T21:42:00.000+01:00

Right after I finished the Mystery Stole I started my version of the smocked top Faye Dunaway wore in Bonnie and Clyde.

I'm done with the back now and have just cast on for the front. I'll post a tutorial on how I did the smocked section once I reach that part.

I've also finally gotten some of my books and magazines (the rest are still stored at the parents' house), so the queue is active again!

FO: Mystery Stole 3

2007-08-28T04:51:00.000+01:00

This has been done for a few days.

I like wearing it the first way better.

Pattern: Mystery Stole 3 (Swan Lake) by Pink Lemon Twist
Yarn: Jaggerspun Zephyr Wool-silk in violet; about 1.25 ounces (a bit more than 1 50g ball)
Needles: US3/3.25mm Addi Turbo Lace circs
Beads: 8/0 seed beads in transparent amethyst
Time: 3 weeks

Notes:

I had a lot of fun participating in MS3. Loved the beads and I'm not really a bead person. Probably because there weren't that many in the design. The pattern was also well written and pretty easy. Not a first lace project but I think it's fine for someone who's knitted lace at least once. Laying flat, I'm not too crazy about the wing but I really like how it looks when worn. I prefer it with the wing over the point, though.

Clues 6 and 7, Charts I-J. The wing.

This was also my first time using Addi Lace needles. Love them. The tips are smooth but not too slippery, the join is the smoothest join I've experienced, and the tips are pointy but not so pointy that they leave my finger calloused (like the KnitPicks Options do).

Caught up...

2007-08-11T05:21:00.000+01:00

Finally got myself caught up on the Mystery Stole. Clue 3 took one day like the first two while the bigger Clue 4 took a couple days. Since I was caught up by the time Clue 5 was released I decided to take my time with it and finished on Wednesday.

While I waited for the sixth clue, I frogged the Ribbed Tofutsie. It's now going to be Monkey by Cookie A.

You can't really see the lace pattern although I'm not sure if it's the colorway doing that or the kinks in the recently frogged yarn. I've modified the pattern to be worked toe-up in order to use as much yarn as I can. I'm more or less working backwards. I used the Magic Cast-on to cast on the number of toe stitches left at the end, flipped the chart upside down with a couple minor adjustments, and I will be knitting a short row heel.

I'm going out of town for a week so this will make good travel knitting. I'd take the Mystery Stole if it weren't for the beads.

Late start...

2007-08-03T18:30:00.000+01:00

I finally started Mystery Stole 3 and have been able to complete a clue a day so far.

Clues 1 and 2. Just started Clue 3 today when Clue 5 was posted and the theme revealed. I think I'm going to go ahead with the asymmetrical stole rather than make it symmetrical. It's all in the fun of not knowing what I'm knitting, right? I could always make another one and in a more appropriate color for the theme although it does look quite nice in violet.

Speaking of which, at least I started this round of Project Spectrum on time. =)

I'm also ridiculously fascinated by this teeny crochet hook I'm using, and it's not even the smallest hook in existence! Totally put my macro skills to the test.

Size 13/0.85mm hook with 8/0 Czech seed beads in Amethyst

FO: Sarcellette...

2007-07-31T18:10:00.000+01:00

Just in time for the PS switch...

Pattern: Sarcelle by Kristi Geraci (knitanon.com)
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Red Rover; 2 hanks
Needles: US3/3.25mm Susan Bates 32"/80cm circs
Time: 2-3 weeks
Mods: 42" long, 12" wide, worked up to 5 pattern repeats instead of 7

Notes: I bought the yarn on sale at one of the LYS's and got the last two hanks of this colorway. I didn't want socks and Sarcelle was the only thing that I thought would work with the yarn. So instead of a full-sized Sarcelle, it's a little Sarcellette.

I originally started this on US5/3.75mm needles but after the first hank, I realized I wasn't going to get the minimum number of repeats I wanted lengthwise. I frogged and went down to US3/3.25, which I like the result of but I think I should have gone with US4/3.5mm.

I really enjoyed this pattern and plan on making the full sized version once I find the right yarn.

I would be starting MS3 right now if I hadn't have decided at the last minute to use beads. I'm now waiting for the teeny crochet hook I ordered. Should be here soon but in the meantime I'm working on sleeve #2 of the hooded jacket and admiring my Habu Tsumugi. The LYS didn't have anymore but I found a place online that had what I needed on sale (and only a few left). I got a couple more cones just to be safe, so I'll be working on the Forest Path Stole once MS3 is done.

FO: Isabella...

2007-07-23T22:37:00.000+01:00

A very belated green Project Spectrum knit.

Pattern: Isabella by Jordana Paige from Knitty
Yarn: Sirdar Country Style 4-ply in sage, 1.5 skeins
Needles: US3/3.25mm Susan Bates circs and Inox Aluminum DPNs
Time: 1 month
Mods: Folded picot hem while knitting, omitted third eyelet row in front, worked a few decreases along upper edges of lace for slightly rounded neckline, folded armhole hem and bound off simultaneously.

Notes:

This was not one of the more exciting knits I've had. I don't hate the end product--I know I'll wear it, but I don't love it, either. I had planned on working the picot edging at the armholes using the crochet method but the LYS misplaced the size I needed when I reserved it (it was at another location originally). I couldn't find the correct size hook, millimeter-wise, anywhere else,not so I just gave up on the idea of a crochet picot edging and just knit them. The reason I wanted to crochet it was to avoid having a bulky seam. I minimized the bulk by folding the hem over and attaching the edge while binding off.

The LYS had a sale over the weekend, so I decided to check it out. Plus, I had store credit from the hook that never appeared. I didn't intend to buy anything, except for lace weight yarn if they had any I liked. I seem to have trouble finding lace weight in stores and generally have to order online. Anyway, I came out with three cones of Habu Tsumugi in green.

I've always wanted to try Habu yarn and I've always wanted to knit a silk shawl but could never justify the cost. Yay for sales! I have enough knit knit most triangular shawl or rectangular stole patters. However, I have my heart set on knitting the Forest Path Stole with this. I've been intrigued by the idea of lace entrelac for a while but couldn't really imagine knitting this stole until now. I am short one cone (450 yards each/1350 yards total), though. I may have to call the LYS and ask if they have more at the other locations (I picked up the last three in sight), or I could make the stole smaller. Considering my size and how large the stole looks, it wouldn't hurt.

In other news, I got my Ravelry invite. I'm whereskat if anyone was interested. Interestingly enough, I just signed up early last month and forgot about it until last week when I saw that you could check your place in line. I'll be slowly building it up.

FOs: Wicked and Pea Pod...

2007-07-13T19:38:00.000+01:00

Posting is still slow.

Pattern: Wicked by Zephyr Style
Yarn: Lion Brand Cotton Ease in terracotta, 3 skeins
Needles: US7/4.5mm KnitPicks Options, US7/4.5mm Inox aluminum DPNs
Time: 1 week
Mods: Decreased 12 stitches (4sts/dec rnd) for waist shaping rather than the 10 stitches (2/dec rnd) suggested.

Notes: This is the first time I've knit a top-down sweater for myself (I knit a child's size for the Dulaan Project) and was fascinated by it. Not really fascinated by the process so much as the ability to try the top on as I went.

The top zoomed by pretty quickly since it's mostly stockinette in the round on worsted weight. The Cotton Ease is nice to work with. The fabric feels a bit bulky but luckily it doesn't look bulky when wearing.

Pattern: Pea Pod Baby Set (pdf) by Kate Gilbert
Yarn: Ella Rae Silkience in teal, ~3.5 skeins
Needles: US6/4mm KnitPicks Options
Time: 1 week

Notes: Originally I was worried that I'd be short on yarn. I bought the yarn thinking I'd make Trellis from Knitty only to realize that the pattern noted the gauge in the cable pattern while I assumed it was stockinette. So I chose the Pea Pod cardigan instead and hoped for the best since, according to *this* pattern's yardage, I was short nearly 1 skein. I ended up having about 1.5 skeins leftover after the cardi, which I ended up using for the hat. I'm not normally into sets but I don't really like having excess yarn laying around, either.

The Silkience is probably the softest cotton yarn I've ever felt. It's really smooth, although a bit splitty, with a strand of silk thread running through to give it a bit of a sheen. The baby set survived the washing machine in a lingerie bag. I decided I wouldn't try low heat in the dryer. It's a 6 month old size so shrinking wouldn't have hurt but I think I'll leave a note to the mother-to-be about that possibility.

Leafy buttons to go with the leafy lace.

I'm still waiting on the crochet hook so I can finish Isabella. The LYS, which has three locations, thinks they must have misplaced it during an inventory trade so hopefully I'll get it soon.

In the meantime, I finally started knitting the hooded jacket from Vogue Knitting Holiday 2005. This has been in my queue for how long? I think this will be a long term project since I don't have a need for a knit wool coat at the moment.

This is the left front. I have one sleeve done, which sort of doubled as a gauge swatch. Once I finish with this piece, I'm going to set it aside for this:

Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Red Rover. I picked up (the last) two hanks at another LYS. I didn't really want socks so I decided to use it for a scarf or little shoulder wrap. I think it wants to be Sarcelle, something that's rectangular and knit on the bias (I'm not a fan of drop stitch patterns, which rules out Clapotis). Of course, this means that the purple Zephyr Wool Silk I was going to use for Sarcelle needs a pattern.

Good thing I joined Mystery Stole 3. I thought I was going to use black lace yarn for this but I don't really want to buy anymore yarn at the moment. As I thought more about it, and looked at some of the progress pics in the Yahoo group, I realized that purple would work quite well. Plus, I have enough. I'm going to wait until next month to decide for sure. By then, I'll see more pictures *and* it'll be appropriate for Project Spectrum.

Catching up...

2007-07-01T19:28:00.000+01:00

I've been doing a lot of knitting but not a lot of updating.

FO: Dulaan Project

Red hats: Basic double crochet hats, Patons Wool-Ease in cranberry, G/4.5mm hook
Red sweater: Basic top-down raglan, Patons Wool-Ease in cranberry, US6/4mm & US8/5mm needles
Purple socks: Basic cuff-down sock, Sirdar Country Style DK in heather, US4/3.5mm needles
Blue hat: Basic knit hat, Sirdar Aran with Wool in denim, US8/5mm needles
Blue scarf: 2x2 rib scarf, Sirdar Aran with Wool in denim, US7/4.5mm needles
Time: Projects worked on and off since January. Mailed out June 18th.
Notes: Not much else to add except that I learned how to crochet (sort of) by watching various videos on the internet.

A couple would-be FOs if only I had the materials for finishing.

Isabella for which I'm waiting for a crochet hook so I crochet the picots for the armhole edgings (instead of the knitted version as called for).

And the Pea Pod Baby Set from Interweave that needs buttons.

While I'm waiting, I started Wicked from Zephyr Style in Lion Brand Cotton Ease in terracotta.

FO: Print o' the Wave...

2007-05-29T22:29:00.000+01:00

Successfully moved across the country and finally finished another project.

I'm still trying to figure out how to wear it.

Pattern: Print o' the Wave stole by Eunny Jang
Yarn: KnitPicks Shadow in Jewels Heather, 2 hanks
Needles: 32" US3/3.25mm Susan Bates Silverado circ, 24" US3/3.25mm Inox aluminum circ, US3/3.25 Inox aluminum DPNs, 32" US2/2.75mm Susan Bates Silverado circ
Time: 2.5 months

Notes:

I started this in early March and just finished it a few days ago. Progress was stalled while I moved and got settled in my new place, so I still consider it a Project Spectrum piece.

The lace patterns for the body and edging were easy to memorize. It was just the size of the stole that made it take so long to finish. I only had a few yards of yarn left, so I'm glad I went down a needle size. That and it would have been huge if I'd used the suggested US4/3.5mm's.

---------

I finished the first of my Tofutsie socks before the big move, but I haven't had the motivation to work on the second sock. Instead, I started on Isabella from this spring's Knitty with some yarn I had in the stash. It'll be a nice summer top, especially for the weather here.

I don't have all my knitting stuff with me. Well not my books, magazines, and half my stash, anyway, so I need to rethink my upcoming projects list. Although I suppose this would be a good time to get caught up on Dulaan knitting. I only have two items knitted so far.

FO: Phildar sleeveless cowl...

2007-04-15T20:57:00.000+01:00

Pattern: 11 Pull sans manches (no. 458-T6-256); Phildar Special Twenty Automne-Hiver 06/07 (no. 458)
Yarn: Patons Divine in night sky; 4 skeins
Needles: KnitPicks Options US9/5.5mm & US10/6mm; US9/5.5mm Empress bamboo DPNs
Time: 1 month, on and off
Mods: Knit in the round up to armholes, picked up and knit the cowl and armbands.

Notes:

This was more of a fun knit--one of those trendy items that happens to catch my eye for some reason. I'm not sure how much wear I'll get out of this but if the cold weather keeps up, it'll be very useful. The top is really cozy. My mom even pulled the cowl up over my head and said, "Hey, you can use it as a hood if it gets too cold!" I also wanted to try out an easy Phildar pattern to see how I would do working from a French pattern. It's been a couple years since I've needed to use the language. A little out of practice but still okay.

I picked the Divine because I needed something that would be light and drapey for the gauge the pattern calls for. The yarn called for in the pattern is also a novelty yarn, which is part of the look that appealed to me, so I wanted to mimic the fuzzy aspect without crossing over to furry.

The pattern had you work everything flat in pieces--front, back, neck, and armbands. I noticed the Divine would be a pain to seem so I converted it to be worked in the round. I also picked up stitches for the cowl and armbands and worked those in the round. In the end, the only thing I had to seam were the shoulders.

--------

In other news, I tried wearing the tweed V-neck for a day. The baggy sleeves really got to me so I took care of that. I ripped out the top until I had the desired stitches for the upper arm and knit the sleeve cap. Then I cut off the bottom where I my first set of increases were, knit the bottom part of the sleeve to the desired measurements and grafted it to the upper part of the sleeve. It fits much better now.

I've also been working on a couple other items:

On the left is the Print o' the Wave Stole by Eunny Jang. I've had this printed out for a long time and only got around to knitting now. I had some KnitPicks Shadow that I bought to qualify for free shipping and a lot of time while taking care of some family obligations last month. I'm on the inner border now, and it looks like it'll be done by the end of the week.

On the right is a sock made from SWTC Tofutsies. I saw the yarn at the yarn shop and was intrigued. It's much softer and stretchier knit up than you would think. In the skein it feels like cotton string. I also really like the colors. I'm just winging a toe-up, ribbed pattern (the former to maximize yardage, the latter for interest). I think this will be a slow project, though. I only pick up it occassionally.

Times are busy. I'm in the process of moving to DC. I've never been, but I just see it as another adventure. At least I won't have trouble finding yarn shops, though.

FO: Tweed V-neck...

2007-03-06T21:19:00.000Z

Another one for Project Spectrum.

Pattern: My own
Yarn: Rowan Felted Tweed shade #131; 5 balls
Needles: US4/3.5mm KnitPicks Options and Susan Bates DPNs; US5/3.75mm KnitPicks Options and Inox DPNs
Other: 3x 1"/25mm buttons
Time: 2 weeks

Notes:

One ball of Felted Tweed seems to go a long way. I'm actually wondering if there was a typo on the labels for this batch because I can't find any shade cards, old or new, that have #131 although another, similar number looks very much like this colorway.

This pullover is another basic shape knit from the bottom-up in the round with some simple waist shaping on the sides. I placed an inch and a half worth of stitches on a holder for the neck band when I started the increases for the upper half. Then I worked flat for the rest of the body, dividing the fronts and back at the start of the armscye shaping. The hardest parts to figure out were the front and back neck shaping. The sleeves were also knit in the round to the sleeve cap, which was knit flat. Just to add a tiny bit of interest in the sea of stockinette, I worked purl stitches on the sides and down the inside of the sleeve to create a faux seam.

The sleeves ended up being a bit looser than I expected, but that's not a bad thing. The Felted Tweed feels a bit scratchy so I'll be wearing a shirt underneath. I actually suspected that would be the case, so I knit the body with enough ease for layering, anyway.

I don't know if anyone's noticed but I usually stick to a very basic structure when knitting without patterns (only exception was the Gucci-inspired cardi). I don't do any complicated shaping and I refer to notes from previous projects to figure out those numbers. I suppose this is why I will never be an actual pattern writer. Everything I make without a pattern is tailored specifically to my body and preferences in fit. I have no idea how I would translate that into a range of general sizes.

Next up is the Venezia Pullover from the Winter 2006 Interweave. Well, it will be as soon as my needles get here. In the meantime, I think I'll work on some destashing and Dulaan knitting.

Changes...

2007-03-01T21:36:00.000Z

The split neck raglan evolved into a V-neck pullover.

A ball of Rowan Felted Tweed can go a long way. I only used three for the body plus a bit of a fourth ball for half the neck band.

I changed my mind about making it a split neck raglan when I finished the waist decreases. It's now a V-neck with a vertical button band halfway down the front. I also changed it from a raglan to a pullover with set in sleeves because I personally think they're more comfortable. And for some reason, I have trouble figuring out raglan shaping.

I just started the first sleeve. Judging by the weather these couple days, I'll have plenty of knitting time.

FO: Gacci...

2007-02-20T20:29:00.000Z

As inspired by the Gucci found posted on knit lit.

Pattern: My own
Yarn: KnitPicks Andean Silk in slate, 5 balls
Needles: US7/4.5mm Denise Interchangeables
Time: 1 week
Extras: 7/8in (22mm) button

Notes: Another destashing project down. I still have nearly one ball of Andean Silk left, though. I wonder if that's enough to turn into a beanie or fingerless mitts?

I think the only construction explanation I have left is the collar. Originally I thought the stitches to the collar were picked up and workes as "K 2 rows, P 2 rows, K 2 rows", but that didn't look right. Then I tried knitting it separately as K3, P2, K3 for the length of the neck edge and sewed it on. This turned out more like I'd hoped.

I intended the sleeve to be less puffy than the inspiration piece but the rib hides what puff there is. After blocking the cardi, I steamed the top of the sleeves separately to flatten the ribbing enough for it to show.

This is going to get a lot of wear because I practically live in 3/4 and half-sleeved tops and I'm into layering.

-------

And now, a return to something blue(ish)...

Let's hope the math is right this time.

Reknit: Ballet Wrap

2007-02-17T01:15:00.000Z

The sash is finally shortened. It probably wouldn't have bothered me if I hadn't noticed a couple inches of the ends peaking out of the bottom of my trench coat one day. I think its weight helped drag it down. I shortened the sash by five inches on each side. It's long enough to stay tied but short enough that it doesn't get in the way of normal life.

In other news, I have one sleeve and the collar to Gacci to go.

I seamed up one side of the cardi and set in the first sleeve just to make sure it puffed the way I liked. Originally, I made the top of the sleeve cap twice as wide as it was supposed to be and used the one-over-two bind-off method. This didn't produce as much puff as I'd hoped for, partly due to the rib drawing the fabric in, and I found it hard to seam. I ripped back a bit and inserted a couple short rows and bound off by doing k2tog, k2tog, sl first stitch over, etc. This was easier to seem and I liked the end result much better.

The body pieces were much easier to figure out than I expected.

I knitted the pieces sideways starting with the body half. I increased over a couple rows for the armhole shaping before casting on the remaining stitches necessary for the entire armhole. On the back, I bound off the same number of stitches cast on earlier and decreased over the the last couple rows. The front neck shaping is achieved with short rows. I used the yarn-over method and ended up having to fiddle with the yo's on one of the front pieces so that the turning rows wouldn't be visible on the right side. Rather than reversing the shaping for one of the fronts, I simply reversed the rib. For example, If I started the left front K2,P2 I would start the right front as P2, K2. Then I can work the shapings exactly the same for both pieces.

FO: Lucky Red...

2007-02-14T20:55:00.000Z

Pattern: My own for Chinese New Year, so I'm calling it Lucky Red.
Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease in cranberry (5 skeins) and Patons Decor in burgandy (less than 0.5 skein)
Needles: US7/4.5mm and US8/5mm KnitPicks Options
Time: 10 days

Notes:

I may have mentioned before that I originally bought a bunch of Wool-Ease for another project that I never got around to making. I was able to use up three skeins on the vest for my mom but that still left 11. Now I'm down to three, which I'll probably use for charity knitting. The buttons on the front were from an old duvet cover. They had fallen off and, when the cover had worn out, I just never bothered to sew them back on (I probably should have taken the other buttons off for future use before getting rid of the cover, though). They worked out quite well for Lucky Red.

I had envisioned this as a wrap cardi with a cowl-like neck. My inspiration was a cabled cardi I saw while living in England that cost nearly £100. I think H&M had a similar one in all stockinette. I've spent the last year, on and off, trying to figure out how to replicate it. I'm not quite there although making this has given me a much better idea of what I need to do. The wrap cardi I was hoping for can wait a little longer.

This turned out to be more like a jacket than intended, but I like it. I think later on, when I have more time, I'll add a few more buttons for two rows of three on the front to take it all the way to jacket status. Speaking of buttons, I had a bit of trouble with the fabric pulling where the buttons were sewn. I ended up scrounging for a couple more to sew to the other side of the fabric (back-to-back), which more or less took care of it.

----------

The Ballet Wrap has finally been re-done and blocking. It really shouldn't have taken me this long since I was only shortening the sash. Speaking of which, I had over five balls of KnitPicks Andean Silk leftover from it that I couldn't figure out what to use it for. Now, 13 months later, I saw this post at KnitLit and thought, "I can make that!" I just hope I have enough yarn. I'm pretty sure I will since I'm not planning on making that sleeves that puffy.

I'm going to call it "Gacci" (gah-chee) because "gah" (or however you spell it) means fake in Cantonese. It will be knit sideways and shaping is minimal due to the ribbing. I think the only hard part is the neck shaping for the front pieces.

2007-02-10T07:04:00.000Z

The red cardi really did get done in ten days! I'm just waiting to throw it in with the laundry before blocking. It's knit with a synthetic blend and pretty sturdy, so I'm not too concerned with how I handle it. It didn't turn out exactly how I envisioned, but I'm still happy. It's very cozy. Pictures and specs to come.

I got back into my RIP, which I'm more motivated to work on now. I'm not quite feeling the Felted Tweed raglan I had to rip out a couple months ago as I need to recalculate everything (I noted the swatch measurements incorrectly). However, I just got yarn and needles for a project I've been eyeing since it came out--Venezia from the Winter Interweave. I'm really excited about this, and it will be one of my first Project Spectrum pieces.

I'm not into a lot of different colors in one piece so I've decided to work it in three colors. I ordered some KnitPicks Pallette in bark, sky, and cream so the pullover will look something like this only the brown will be much darker:

Brown and pale blue is one of my favorite color combinations.

A sweater in 10 days?

2007-02-08T21:03:00.000Z

My Chinese New Year project is getting close to finished. I have all the main pieces, button bands, seaming done is just eight days! Right now I'm working on the collar. Just have buttons to sew in after that.

The button band was a bit of a challenge. I wanted a doubled fabric for more stability--I don't really like the way buttons pull at single layers of fabric sometimes. This was my first time trying double knitting. I got a pretty good idea of how it works from the knittinghelp videos. Only problems were I had no clue how to cast on or pick up stitches for double knitting and it took me a while to figure out how to make buttonholes.

For the former, I found a tutorial on Stitch Diva. It didn't help me with picking up stitches but reading the cast on section helped. I ended up holding both the main and contrast colors together and picked up stitches. Much simpler than I expected. The buttonhole took some improvising. I finally decided to take a couple DPNs, slip the contrast color stitches for a button hole, and make them for each side separately. I plan on sewing the two sides together with thread later.

The second picture is of the inside. I bound off knit-wise on the wrong side, which resulted in a train track look. Not what I expected, but I like it.

CNY knitting...

2007-02-03T19:06:00.000Z

I've postponed Project Spectrum knitting for Chinese New Years knitting. While working on the grey blob that is my current RIP, I remembered that I still have several skeins of red yarn in the stash. It was originally for another project, which I've changed my mind about so it's been sitting in the stash for a while. I decided to use it for a project that I sketched last year but hadn't gotten around to figuring out, yet. It's more or less a wrap cardi--or jacket, rather, with a thick collar. It's hard for me to explain but hopefully it'll become clear in the next week or so.

I started this on January 31 and in three days of knitting have completed the back, the right front, and 2/3 of a sleeve.

I'm going to knit the left front last in case I'm short on yarn. Since this piece will be covered up, it won't matter much of the yarn is in a different dye lot. I'm also planning on making double knit button bands with the inside being a contrasting color (mostly to make it easier on myself).

Red, by the way, is a difficult color to photograph. The best results I had were using the flash in the sunlight and next to a window facing the setting sun with no flash.

FO: Widdershins...

2007-01-24T02:00:00.000Z

The fastest socks I ever knitted, and my first FO of the year!

Pattern: Widdershins by Brooke Chenoweth Creel (Knitty.com Summer '06)
Yarn: Koigu KPPPM in "denim/pink" (#P400)
Needles: US1/2.25mm Clover bamboo DPNs
Time: 1.5 weeks
Mods: Adjusted for smaller row gauge, increased up to 60 sts on leg.

Notes:

I found the toe-up with heel flap construction way more fascinating than is probably healthy. =P For the first sock I was simply figuring out the pattern, for the second I thought about how I could convert other sock patterns to be worked like this. I see much more sock knitting in the future now that I've found a technique I really enjoy.

My overall gauge was smaller than what was stated in the pattern. It didn't matter so much on the foot--it ended up being a perfect fit. I just had to calculate how long the gusset and heel came out to with my row gauge and knit the foot length accordingly. However, I was afraid it might be too narrow once I got to the calf, so I gradually increased up to 60 stitches up the leg. My mom loves the socks, and they fit perfectly!

As for my first impressions of the Koigu...Well, I'm personally not crazy about variegated yarn. I think I've only used it for myself once although I've used self-striping sock yarn for gift socks. Even so, they did a really good job with dying the yarn. I've also read that the base yarn for Koigu is from Louet, so I guess if I want some nice sock yarn in the future I could probably get it directly from them in solid colors.

Now, back to my reknit project...

Reknit: Ribbon Tie Cardigan...

2007-01-15T22:48:00.000Z

Which I'm still not happy with.

This was the first sweater I knit when I was still twisting my purl stitches. I got quite a bit of wear out of it and figured I may as well knit it again the right way. It looks much better than before (and the yarn was still okay despite being unraveled and re-used). The only problem is that in the year since I last wore it (I decided not to take much with me to school in England), my personal style and taste aged a bit as I got closer to going out in the real world and working in professional office settings.

Or as my mother puts it, I'm getting old. =P This cardi just isn't for me anymore.

This could pass as a child's cardigan, though. I think I'll include it with this year's contribution to the Dulaan project.

As for my current RIP, well, let's just say all that 2x2 ribbing isn't a lot of fun. Just to keep me from getting too bored I started a new, but small, project.

This is sock 1/2 of Widdershins in Koigu KPPPM for my mom. We went to a yarn shop a few towns over where I saw Koigu in person for the first time. I picked out a couple skeins of a deep purple for myself to try and told my mom if there was anything she wanted, she could pick out the yarn. She decided to go for socks in this pink/purple/blue colorway.

Re-knit 2007...

2007-01-02T08:20:00.000Z

Now that the holidays have officially ended with a 43-42 win by BSU in the Fiesta Bowl (go Broncos!!!), I can get back to the knitting.

I'm normally not one for New Year's resolutions, but this is about as close to one as I'll get. After re-knitting the Sirdar pullover for my mom, I decided to start the new year by re-visiting a couple older knits that either have some pretty noticeable mistakes (mostly from when I first picked up knitting seriously), I'm not completely happy with, or I never use and could use the yarn for something else. I'll still be going through my slow destash process but that shouldn't be too difficult considering the vast majority of my stash is leftovers. I've bought yarn without a project in mind on only two occasions and have only been gifted yarn twice.

The current re-knit in progress, which I will call "RIP" from here on, is my first garment, the Ribbon Tie Cardigan from the Spring/Summer 2005 issue of Knit.1. The reason for this is because when I picked up the needles again after years of no knitting, I was purling through the back loop causing my stitches to twist. This was how I thought my grandmother taught me back when I was wee. Anyway, we can't have a cardi (that's still in use) with wonky, twisted stitches, can we? So I ripped it out a couple days ago and started working on the back. It looks much better so far. The tension's much more even, as well.

My next re-knit will be a relatively newer one: the Ballet Wrap from Interweave Spring 2005). The sash is just too long for my taste so I'm planning on making it a few inches shorter on each end. Good thing I saved my notes for this pattern.

There's also a Lopi pullover that I knit two summers ago but never mentioned. This is because the neck ended up too tight and I could barely put it on. This was also my first attempt at stranded knitting and grafting, the latter of which I failed miserably. I'll be ripping out the entire yoke (but not the body) and re-knitting the colorwork. Plus, I now know how to do the sewn bind-off so no more tight collar!

These are my main re-knit projects, which will take priority for now. Afterwards, I'll get back to knitting new projects and re-visit the accessories (scarves with twisted stitches and badly woven ends, fingerless mitts, etc.) on the side.

Speaking of new projects, it turns out I noted the gauge of my swatch for the split neck raglan incorrectly. Consequently, I had to rip out the entire body, which had me depressed for a while (so much knitting wasted!). Now the Felted Tweed has been wound into an uber ball (I used felted join method and couldn't find where each ball met) waiting for me to rebuild my motivation.

BTW, I've gone through four toilet paper tubes in six months, not to mention the time it takes to wind yarn by hand. Think it's time I invest in a ball winder? Then again knitters of yore had no such gadgets and still did just fine.

FO: Swallowtail Shawl...

2006-12-19T02:16:00.000Z

My one piece of Holiday gift knitting.

I'm not too creative with labels.

For Grandma.

Pattern: Swallowtail Shawl by Evelyn A. Clark (IKF2006)
Yarn: Sirdar Country Style 4-Ply in "sage." Less than one 100g skein.
Needles: US4/3.5mm Clover bamboo circs and KnitPicks Options
Time: 5 days

Notes:

This shawl was easier and faster than I expected. I wonder if part of it might be because the Peacock Feathers Shawl was my first lace shawl? It seems quite a few lace projects would be a piece of cake compared to that one. Only thing is the P5 for the nupps was a little hard to work. I ended up switching from my bamboo needles in favor of the sharper-tipped Options needles. That helped a lot but there were still a couple moments of struggling.

I made this with an acrylic/wool blend (mostly acrylic) since my grandma machine washes everything. She's never had much patience for housework, and it would be difficult for her to learn special washing instructions. It's a combination of age and a slight language barrier--As she gets older she uses a dialect of Cantonese more frequently that I have trouble understanding (I grew up speaking regular Cantonese at home).

I decided to make this a couple weeks ago while staring at the pile of stash yarn I've been working through for the last couple months. It occurred to me that the Swallowtail Shawl would be perfect for my grandma who is a very small woman and gets cold very easily. She won't drown in it, and she can drape it over her shoulders when she's playing mahjong or watching TV.

------------

Part of the reason for my lack of Christmas knitting this year is I had to reknit a gift I gave my mom last year. The Sirdar pullover was way too big for her because she was between sizes (what else is new?) and I went with the larger size. I finally got around to taking it apart and reknitting it in the next smaller size, which fits her perfectly.

I made the body a little shorter since my mom is petite. I also modified the sleeves by making them narrower and shorter. The flared style of the original was just too flappy.

I'm also in need of sweaters. A couple of my sweaters need replacing but things in stores are either not quite my taste or are too expensive. So I've been trying to remedy this.

Another bottom-up raglan in the round (one of these days I need to learn how to knit top-down) without a pattern. One raglan side will have a button band extending up along the turtle neck. There will be six buttons total. I could only fit four in when drawing the diagram. The turtle neck is meant to be worn unbuttoned for a split neck look. I just happen to be going through a button phase right now so the more buttons the better! =) The sleeves will be worked separately and sewn in so as to avoid really long rows of working back and forth. I also plan on double-knitting the button band for extra strength.

Finally found a project for the Felted Tweed.

FO: Brilliant Retro...

2006-12-02T20:48:00.000Z

It's missing the snaps but I'll call it finished.

Pattern: Brilliant Retro by Teva Durham (Interweave Knits Winter 2005)
Yarn: Patons Brilliant in "crystal cream"; 6.5 skeins
Needles: US5/3.75mm Addi Turbos
Time: 1.5 months

Notes:

It's finally done! While this cardi is pretty and sparkly, it's probably one of the more boring projects I've worked on. I think the combination of small gauge, lots of stockinette and ribbing, and a plain shape made it so.

After working on several projects requiring mods (and one without a pattern), it's nice to be able to knit straight from a pattern and not think about it. Normally I'm not into shiny materials, but I ended up using the yarn called for in the pattern because it was on clearance and I really liked the cream color. It reminds me of champagne when knit up. The fabric is actually nicer than I expected considering the metallic thread in it, but the yarn can be annoying to work with. The ends frayed easily so I had to tie a knot at the beginning and end of each skein. When I went back to weave in ends, I took some sewing thread and sewed up the ends to help prevent fraying over time.

The pattern description wasn't kidding when it said the cardi was close-fitting. I made a size larger and the arms are still skin-tight while the body is a touch looser than snug (this might be due to the ribbing in the back).

I also have no idea why I have so much of this yarn left over. I used less than what the *smallest size* called for even though I did not make the smallest size. I'm guessing the designer overestimates the requirements, but I wonder if part of it is just me since I always have an extra skein when I finish a garment.

-------

Not much new knitting to get done. I'm re-doing a sweater I knit for Mom last year that ended up too big. However, I did get some new goodies--the KnitPicks Options set.

The shiny, pointy tip and the join.

I bought a bunch of Addis in smaller sizes while in the UK as they are way cheaper than in the States (about £3 compared to $15-20 here) and got ~~spoiled~~ used to them. When I had an opportunity to use my Denise needles again, they just didn't feel right anymore. But since Addis are so expensive, I decided to give the Options set a try. They are very similar to Addis but not quite the same. They do feel slightly heavier but not really noticeable. I like the pointy tips and the cords feel the same although I might just be crazy but I think the Addis' cords are still more flexible. My other concern with the Options is that the thread (where the needles and cords are screwed together) will wear out over time. It's still a great deal, though.

FO: (un)Striped V-Neck Vest...

2006-11-29T00:27:00.000Z

Pattern: Striped V-Neck Vest from Vogue Knitting Winter 2004/05
Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease in "cranberry"; ~2.75 skeins
Needles: US7/4.5mm Denise Interchangeables
Time: 4 days
Mods: No stripes; knit to an unlisted size.

Notes:

I killed two birds with one stone on this project--something for Mom that she needed and destashed. I had originally bought a lot of Wool-Ease for another project that I changed my mind on so I've had it sitting in the stash for a while. This was a good use for it since it's a simple garment that my mom can just toss in the wash. Since this vest is meant to be a close fit, I had to do a bit of math to make it to my mom's measurements since none of the given sizes were a good match. As I noted before, it wasn't difficult since the construction is so simple.

I wouldn't make this vest again, though. Easy as it was (and Vogues labels it as "Very Easy"), the way the armholes are shaped are just...odd. I'm not a fan. But for its purpose, the vest works fine.

--------

In other news, I have sleeves!

The cardi will finally be ready to seam once they're done blocking.

Sidetracked again...

2006-11-21T08:44:00.000Z

The cardi's sleeves are on hold again...

But I have a good reason. My mom saw me wearing my argyle vest and asked me why I never made her a vest? I've made a couple sweaters (one of which ended up too big and is in the process of being taken apart and re-knit), a scarf, and gave her a pair of handknit socks. However, it turns out vests are the most useful garment for her to wear at work. Being indoors with heat, sweaters can get too warm but a vest is nice for keeping out the occassional chill. So mom's getting a vest.

It's the striped v-neck vest from the Winter 2004/05 issue of Vogue only without the stripes (she wanted something plain). My mom also happened to be between two sizes, so I did a bit of math to make it to her measurements. Pretty easy, though, as this vest does not have any waist shaping or use any remotely complex techniques. I've worked on it for a day and am more than halfway through with the back. Perfect mindless knitting while watching CSI: Miami. =)

FO: Wine and Roses Mitts...

2006-11-18T22:00:00.000Z

Pattern: Wine and Roses Mitts by Jolene Treace; Interweave Knits Winter 2006
Yarn: Peruvian Classic Baby Cashmere in "cashmere blue" (from Elann.com); ~1.5 balls
Needles: US2/2.75mm Clover bamboo DPNs
Time: 4 days

Notes:

This was a destashing project using the yarn I had leftover from the Union Square Market Pullover. I had just a bit less than three balls of the blue left and most of one ball of white, but this project ended up using half the blue (originally I thought if I ran out of yarn I could trim the mitts with white). So the destashing was only half successful.

The project was pretty quick despite getting confused by a couple of the chart symbols. I just decided to trust the pattern and it all worked out. Of course, part of the confusion was a result of how lumpy the lace was while knitting.

Quite a difference, no?

I would definitely recommend this pattern as a way to get rid of small amounts of leftover (fingering weight) yarn in the stash. It doesn't use much and I can imagine how you can add different colors to the edges or even stripe the cuff.

Time to get moving on those sleeves...

FO: Embossed Leaves Socks

2006-11-13T22:49:00.000Z

Pattern: Embossed Leaves Socks by Mona Schmidt; Interweave Knits Winter 2005
Yarn: Regia Silk in Loden (#70); 2 skeins
Needles: US2/2.75mm Clover bamboo DPNs
Time: 1 month
Mods: Did not break yarn after turning the heel; Worked leaf chart 7 times total instead of 7.5; Grafted toes.

Notes:

I had quite a bit of fun with this. The leaf pattern kept me interested, I really liked the way the heel was worked (although I did modify that part a teeny bit), and I love the toe. I'm not sure I would use the 1x1 rib method for casting on again as this came out rather tight. But since it still fit, I didn't bother to go back and fix it. I also reinforced the heel and toes with some nylon thread since I plan on wearing these around the house all the time.

I'm not a fan of breaking the yarn and rejoining on socks. It's something I try to avoid doing when possible, and on this pattern there really wasn't any reason to do that. I just simply knit across the heel stitches, picked up stitches down the left side of the heel flap, worked across the instep, picked up stitches up the right side of the heel flap, and knit the first half of the heel stitches onto the last needle. Just like any other basic sock.

I ended up leaving the last half repeat of the lace chart because it would have made the socks too long for me. I'm not sure if this is because my row gauge was off, but I know that it was spot on for the leg. Who knows?

Overall, this was a great pattern. I can see why so many people have made these socks. The yarn is also really nice, especially since it doesn't irritate my skin.

----------

The rational side of me says I should get going on the sleeves for Brilliant Retro. Unfortunately, having my size 2 DPNs freed up meant the rational side lost...

First of the Wine and Roses Mitts

On the bright side, these are going really fast AND I'm using up some leftover yarn that's been sitting in the stash for a year.

No second sock syndrome for me...

2006-11-10T02:43:00.000Z

I generally have a lot of trouble completing the first sock, but I make up for it in how much I like pairs. I just see the first lone, sock and immediately cast on for the second. It's gone pretty quickly now. I have the leg finished in just one day--I worked on it more since this photo was taken.

Besides, the wool I used for Hedera irritates my skin, so I ended up giving them to my mom who doesn't find them itchy at all. Now I don't have a cozy pair of wool socks to keep me warm this winter (the Norwegian and Argyle stockings are too thick and tall for wearing around the house).

Of course, where I gain motivation for second socks I completely lose it for sleeves.

I finished the back and fronts of Brilliant Retro a while ago. I've just been slow with the sleeves. I'm working both at the same time to prevent any "second sleeve syndrome" but am only halfway through with the cuffs. Yeah, slow. I'm hoping the cold weather will motivate me more into finishing the cardi up.

Colchique is pushed back even further now. I figured out a different project for the Felted Tweed in my stash and am working on the sketches and math for it. I've also been distracted with a few new magazines in my possession:

Three Phildar magazines (Twenty No.458, Automne 1 No.453, and Automne 2 No. 456) and the latest Interweave. My favorites are the motorcycle jacket from Twenty, the split neck sweater from Automne 1, and the swing jacket and asymmetrical cardigan from Automne 2. There are also several I'd really like to make from Interweave, but I think I'll put them off until next year. Well...with the exception of the Wine and Roses Mitts, which will also be a destash project.

Yeesh. It's gonna be a busy winter.

Progress thwarted...

2006-10-26T20:22:00.000+01:00

I had made some good progress on the ribbed section for the back of Colchique. Then realized that I knit where I was supposed to purl and purled where I was supposed to knit. In other words, despite having translated the pattern correctly, I still read the chart wrong while doing the actual knitting. The piece has been frogged, the yarn re-wound, and the project put away for a later date.

In the sidebar you'll see that while Colchique is back to 0%, a new project has moved up to the top of the list: Brilliant Retro by Teva Durham from the Winter 2005 Interweave. I found a bunch of Patons Brilliant on clearance at the LYS recently and thought, what the heck? I do need another cardigan. There were two colors left, "Crystal Cream" and "Radiant Red." I really liked the red but opted for the cream instead because it is more wearable on an everyday basis.

I also got a bit of sock knitting done on a recent trip to the Bay Area. I'm trying get around to finishing them at home but it's been a little difficult. Sock knitting is usually travel/commute/transport knitting for me, but I won't be getting any of that for a while. Besides, the shininess of the Brilliant is hard to say "no" to.

FO: Deep V Argyle Vest...

2006-10-17T00:45:00.000+01:00

Pattern: Deep V Argyle Vest by Eunny Jang
Yarn: KnitPicks Merino Style in Moss (3.5 balls) and Nutmeg (2.5 balls)
Needles: US4/3.5mm (24"/60cm) Addi Turbos and US4/3.5mm (32"/80cm) Clover Bamboo circs
Time: ~2.5 weeks
Mods: Adjusted for row gauge difference; wider waist.

Notes:

This seemed to fly by fairly quickly. The Argyle pattern is easy to remember, and the pattern was well-written and detailed. I matched the stitch gauge but my row gauge was about four rows off, so I had to go over the chart and make the proper adjustments.

I knitted the smallest size knowing that the fit up top was most important for this vest. However, my waist is not nearly as narrow as the given measurements. I figured I may as well adjust the waist shaping to my own measurements while I was doing the math for the different row gauge. I'm glad I did this because the fit around the waist is still snug (but in a good way) with an additional two inches. If I had gone ahead with the given measurement...Well, let's just say it wouldn't have been pretty.

I did make a couple teeny mistakes. They didn't really affect the garment and were easy to work around. I accidentally picked up two extra stitches on the first armband I knit. Since it was only two stitches and not even noticeable, I just fixed the rib pattern under the arm by purling four over the side seam. I also cast-on 11 stitches instead of 9 when setting the front neck steek. I didn't notice this until I was almost done knitting the whole thing. I ended up just securing the relevent stitches of the steek were it 9 stitches wide and cut out the entire middle section I didn't need. I probably would have just left it alone and not done anything "fixing" except the extra fabric I had to fold inside would have been too wide.

The fabric is really thick and would have taken forever to dry so I cheated. My parents have a rack you can put in the dryer plus an air fluff (no heat) setting. In fact, now that I think about it, I think the rack is called a sweater rack. Anyway, after soaking the vest I reshaped to the proper dimensions, lay it on the sweater rack, and let the dryer do the work. Normally if I have pieces or lace I pin them out. If I have an entire garment, I just take advantage of the fancy dryer. ;)

----------

I just started on Colchique. I'm using some Rowan Felted Tweed from the stash that my mom got me. I'm a little concerned that the cables won't show up well in this yarn but it's not a big deal for me. I mostly just want to get the yarn out of my stash but I have no idea what else I'd make with it. I'd also been wanting to make Colchique for a while but it's never been enough of a priority for me to buy yarn for it.

How I spent Friday night...

2006-10-15T02:32:00.000+01:00

1) Finished knitting the Argyle Vest.

2) Secured steeks.

3) Cut steeks.

4) Voila!

I found securing the steeks to be a little tedious since I have trouble working the hook. Plus I was impatient to get to the cutting. =P I don't own any small, sharp scissors but my sharpest pair, which are also my largest, worked just fine. Just have to be a bit more careful. Other than that, steeking is fairly painless.

Now on to the bands!

FO: Button-up sleeves...

2006-10-10T22:04:00.000+01:00

Pattern: My own; Based on a couple sweaters I've seen and a top from Phildar Tendances (Printemps 1, no. 443)
Yarn: Wendy Supreme Luxury Cotton DK in shade 1857 "Lilac"; ~3.5 balls (770yds/700m)
Needles: US4/3.5mm Clover bamboo circ and US3/3.25mm Susan Bates Silverado circ
Other: 8x23mm washable buttons
Time: < Four weeks of knitting.

Notes:

Since the aforementioned Phildar top was the only pattern in that issue that I really wanted to knit, I decided to knit the top without a pattern rather than buy the magazine.

There isn't much more really I need to say about the construction in addition to my previous post. I knitted a folded hem with a purl row at the fold so it wouldn't look so rounded. I also used a bit of short row shaping for the front neck and shoulders. Originally I had buttonholes in the front band but that wasn't stable enough for this type of top. Since they aren't meant to be functional, anyway, I re-knit the band without the buttonholes, sewed in the buttons, and tacked the bottom band to the sleeve on the inside for extra stability.

The most difficult thing to work out on this top was the upper arm and raglan shaping. I'd originally wanted the top to have a slightly loose fit but the sleeves ended up being fitted (although not too tight, fortunately). The math and measurements of the sleeves are probably the only thing I would tweak were I to make this again. Other than that, I am very pleased with my first stab at knitting a sweater sans pattern.

-----------

Right now I'm mostly concentrating on the Argyle Vest. I did swatch for the Colchique but since the vest is moving along rather quickly, I probably won't start on it until the vest is finished.

From swatch to WIP...

I swatched for this in the round on DPNs and created an alternating vertical stripe for a few stitches. I cut down the center of the striped stitches, washed the swatch, blocked, and measured. I found that my row gauge was pretty off so I've been re-calculating the pattern to make up for it. I also knit fewer waist decreases because the original waist measurement for the size I'm working is actually too tight for me.

Simplicity with a twist...

2006-10-06T07:58:00.000+01:00

I'm a fan of simple items with an interesting twist such as my current WIP, which I'm calling the buttoned sleeve top (at least until I figure out a more grammatically pleasing name). Basically, it's a seamless raglan knit in stockinette from the bottom up. The twist? The tops of the sleeves are button-up. The main problem I encountered was how to actually do the sleeves. The solution was to knit the body in the round, divide for front and back, then knit the sleeves "backwards" (i.e. the edges would be the top and the center would be the inner arm "seam"), join the sleeves to the body, and knit the front and back yokes separately flat.

Hopefully this diagram helps show the construction details better. The sleeves would be divided lenth-wise into front and back with the fold being at the bottom. The blue line marks how the front would be worked and the red line for the back.

Then a 2x2 ribbed button band will be picked up and knit along the neck and outer arm edges.

So what does this all look like in reality?

Left: The front completed. Right: The back.

Kind of funky at the moment. I had to take into account the button band so the circumference of the sleeves and the height of the yoke needed to be a bit smaller or shorter for the main part of the knitting.

And in case anyone is curious, the sleeve:

It's basically a rectangle (er...trapezoid, actually) with a few increases going up the center for some shaping. It also helps mark the inner arm "seam".

FO: Antoinette...

2006-10-01T21:53:00.000+01:00

I just moved back to the US and have been busy so posting has been rather slow. In the meantime, I have another FO!

Pattern: Antoinette from Rowan 39
Yarn: Rowan Cotton Rope in shade 063 "parma"; 12 balls
Needles: US10/6mm and US9/5.5mm Denise Interchangeables
Time: ≤ 3 weeks

Notes:

This was a very simple cardigan to knit--mostly stockinette with just a bit of mock cable rib for interest. I wasn't a huge fan of the yarn, though. I like the feel of the knitted fabric but it wasn't fun to work with. The plies were easily split, and I found it difficult to weave in ends without making it noticeable. The latter might just be due to the thickness of the yarn, though.

I knit the smallest size, which called for 12 balls and I pretty must used it all up. I had two feet left. I bought a couple extra balls just in case that I didn't use in the end, but I probably would have used a bit of one extra if I hadn't have used the Russian join for adding new balls of yarn.

Overall I'm pretty satisfied with this cardi. I just need to go back and fix a couple spots where the joins between balls of yarn is quite visible but that shouldn't be a huge problem.

--------

Next up: a cotton top with buttoned sleeves. I've been working on the sketches and pattern for a while now and finally got around to starting it a couple weeks ago. Another nice, simple knit but with a fun little twist.

I also just started the Deep V Argyle Vest because I can't seem to stay away from colorwork or new (to me) techniques. This time, steeking! I'm looking forward to it. (Note: I have a mildly destructive side to me so the idea of cutting my knitting and getting away with it intrigues me.)

More pending fall knits include Sarcelle by Kristi from Knitters Anonymous, a thick wrap sweater that I've been sketching, and this Phildar pullover (a.k.a. "Colchique") that I've been thinking about for months. The Colchique will depend on how the Rowan Felted Tweed I have in my stash looks in the stitch pattern, though.

I'm also thinking about the Embellished V-Neck from this fall's issue of Vogue Knitting.

However, I'm hoping to find photos other than the magazine before I decide to do it.

FO: Orangina...

2006-08-29T16:43:00.000+01:00

I'm on a roll.

Drying in the window.

Pattern: Orangina by Stefanie Japel (Glampyre)
Yarn: Jaeger Java (5.5 balls)
Needles: US4/3.5mm Addi Turbos; US3/3.24mm Inox aluminum circs
Time: ~2 months of on and off knitting
Mods: Joined front and back at base of armholes; went down one needle size for ribbing.

Notes:

This pattern is really simple and easy, which is great for "in-between" moments. I accidentally knit the lace part about an inch short--I knit the 36" side but for some reason, I must have looked at the 34" instructions when I checked for length. It's not too bad, though. My mom will be wearing something underneath, and she has a shortish torso so it should be fine.

I read in a couple places that a few people have gone down a needle size for the ribbing so that it draws in more rather than hanging loose. I can't really tell if it made a difference for me as the yarn has pretty much zero elasticity nor do different stitch patterns seem to produce very different gauges.

Yes, I finally found some info on the Java! According to the ball band, it should be a fingering weight (and it looks like it, too) but the wiseNeedle entry calls it DK. I swatched in four different needles sizes and I think it's closer to fingering. The fabric is just too open and floppy on US5/3.75mm needles. However, the fabric is also a little stiff so you can't really knit it at anything less than US3/3.25mm's, either. Anyway, the yarn was fairly coarse to work with, which did start to bother me after a while. Once knitted up, the fabric does have a nice and pretty sheen. I just hope it softens up enough after it dries.

In other news, I cast on for Antoinette. It's pretty straight forward stockinette in a chunky yarn on large needles (well, large compared to the needle sizes I normally use). Perfect for my multi-tasking habit.

The least cluttered part of my desk...

Read, knit, write, knit...

2006-08-26T00:21:00.000+01:00

Throw in job searching plus figuring out how I'm going to pack for the move back to the other side of The Pond and this pretty much sums up my life right now. Things are busy and stressful, but I still knit here and there to help keep from going crazy. (By the way, thanks for the nice comments on the argyle stockings! I really appreciate the feedback.)

I finally installed a zipper into Saranac, and it was my first time doing so. It wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be but it's not something I care to do again in the near future, either. I'm sure I've mentioned this before but I am simply bad at anything that involves a needle and thread. So even a small task such as sewing in a zipper is very frustrating. However, I took my time and I got some passable results. It's not perfect but the imperfections are unnoticeable on the outside. That's what counts, right?

As shown in the sidebar, I'm now halfway through Orangina (for Mom). I've mostly been knitting this at knitting group or while waiting for research documents to load into .pdf format for downloading. It's going by fairly quickly as the lace pattern is easy to memorize and my mom is much smaller than my dad (never making him a sweater again). I decided to join the front and back at the base of the armhole rather than at the beginning of the ribbed section. This will save me from having to seam the sides and cut out some purling time. I generally don't have any issues with purling (unless I'm knitting Continental style), but this yarn is a little difficult to work with, especially when purling long rows. Normally I wouldn't just work any lace garment in the round as the presence of seams would give it more structure. However, the lace pattern seems pretty sturdy and it's not a large piece so I'm okay with knitting it in the round.

I also broke down and bought 12 balls of Rowan Cotton Rope in "parma" that were on sale for less than £2 each. To be fair, though, I did buy it with a project in mind. I've been in need of a simple cardigan or two and was eyeing a couple patterns in Rowan 39--once I was able to differentiate between the, um, extra styling and the actual knitted garments, I noticed quite a few nice patterns such as Antoinette.

Of course, this doesn't really help me with my packing issues...

FO: Argyle Stockings...

2006-08-18T18:27:00.000+01:00

Inspired by Eunny and my impatience to wait for the pattern:

Pattern: The chart that Eunny posted; the rest I figured out myself.
Yarn: Dale Baby Ull in purple (1.67 balls/300yds/275m) and pastel purple (1.33 balls/240yds/220m)
Needles: US2/2.75mm Clover bamboo DPNs
Time: About 1 month.

Notes:

The first stocking took a while because I made a mathematical error that I didn't realize until I was halfway through with the foot. I had to frog the whole thing, go back the the drawing board (or in this case, sheets of graph paper), and start all over. The second was a breeze since I had the pattern down.

1x1 Twisted rib for the top.

The measurements I needed were multiples of 12 sts, so I did not knit a "back seam." I just decreased at the beginning and end of every couple rounds (I guess you can call this an "invisible" back seam). This created a tiny bit of a job between the decrease section, which probably wouldn't be noticeable in anything else but it stands out among the colorwork. Or at least it does to me. Blocking will probably take care of this.

I did the toe and heel in just the purple because I didn't want anything to distract from the argyle pattern. I used two strands, alternating every-other stitch, to make them thicker and stronger. I think the technical term might be tvåändsstickning but I'm not sure if I did it exactly this way.

While I generally like the end result of heel flaps and gussets, I don't really like the process, especially when I'm already dealing with colorwork. Instead, I decided to try doing an afterthought heel. Basically, once done with the leg, you knit about half the stitches onto waste yarn and continue knitting around in pattern for the foot and toe. Then you go back, pick up the stitches on either side of the waste yarn, remove the yarn, and knit around while decreasing in a similar fashion as the toe. I found that this heel also fits me really well and is very comfortable. I think I'll use it more from now on. Only problem is I still have a little trouble with picking up stitches on one side of the waste yarn, but maybe this will clear up once I try it on a single, solid-colored sock.

Originally, I thought knitting the sole in just pastel purple would look nice. I soon realized that this wouldn't work because I still needed the darker color for the top of the foot. Duh. So I charted out an upside-down "V" pattern that would look mostly pastel purple but still allow me to carry the purple around.

I love, love, love these socks. They're comfy, warm, and made to my measurements so they're a perfect fit. And, of course, I love the color (I love anything that's purple). I think I might make more.

Also, I'm thinking that the key to getting me into sock-knitting is colorwork. I really enjoyed making these and the Norwegian Stockings (despite all the frustration). Lace socks may also be addictive but I haven't gotten around to knitting them (I've only done one pair as a traveling project) enough to tell.

FO: Saranac...

2006-08-16T18:02:00.000+01:00

Pretend there's a zipper.

Pattern: Saranac by Rebecca Hatcher found on Knitty
Yarn: Sirdar Aran with Wool in shade Indigo (#0931); 8.5 balls
Needles: US7/4.5mm and US8/5mm Denise Interchangeables
Time: About 2 months
Mods: None, really, although I did have to buy a longer zipper. Either my row gauge ended up being bigger or the designer meant for it to zip up to the base of the turtle neck. I wanted it to go all the way up.

Notes:

This started out as a very plain, all stockinette pullover as a Christmas gift for my dad. Yeah, oops. I'd finished the body and realized I hated it so I started over with this pattern instead. This was a really easy knit and would-be quick if it weren't so big. It usually takes me three weeks to knit a sweater for myself, so I did a size comparison to help illustrate why this took me relatively long.

I don't think I ever want to knit a men's sweater again. That's the USM pullover I knitted early this year, by the way.

Now I just need to figure out how to install a zipper.

World Cup knitting...

2006-07-09T23:53:00.000+01:00

I did not participate in the Knitting World Cup. I did, however, get plenty of knitting done while watching World Cup games.

The backwards cowl top has been frogged. The fabric that the Jaeger Java makes is just too stiff, and I can't get a nice drape out of it. Instead, I'm searching for another sleeveless top pattern for myself. Since I only need a few balls of this yarn to make one, I had decided to use the rest for a top for my mom--Orangina to be precise.

Left: Four balls worth of Java compared to one. A tube of foam makes it seem like there's more yarn in each ball. Right: Oragina swatch.

During the World Cup Final tonight, I was knitting this:

I haven't been this giddy about a project in a while. Plus, it helped alleviate some World Cup frustration and disappointment. I can't be too sad when I've accomplished quite a bit of something I really like. I'm still speechless about that head butt, though Oh, Zidane! Pourquois?

Purple!

2006-07-03T15:15:00.000+01:00

This month's project spectrum color is my favorite, purple! I haven't knit much in this color recently simply because I've been trying to add some variety, and after a quick peak through my photos I realized that I never took pictures of all the purple projects I made when I got back into knitting. However, I did find this:

If you look closely you'll see some purple streaks in there. This photo was taken the same day I had my hair streaked in December 2004, which is why it looks so dark (it brightened after a few washes). It took four hours! I think my mom even liked it, although I'm sure my parents started wishing I would stop timing my trips to the stylist to coincide with family visits. No one ever knows what to expect. =)

I have a couple projects that I'm hoping to get to this month. I'm a bit behind on knitting now that it's time to write my dissertation. First is a pair of argyle stockings similar to Eunny's in Dale Baby Ull in two shades of purple that I brought from home. I'll probably use her argyle chart, but aside from that I plan on winging it. I think I'll try a solid, after thought heel and a solid toe. I just need to figure out how I want to do the decreases. Next is a top made from Wendy Supreme DK cotton in a lavendar color that I got a while back. I'm thinking of a simple, textured top with 3/4-length sleeves and buttons running along the top length of the sleeves. I've narrowed it down to three stitch patterns: blanket moss stitch, rice stitch, and plaited basket stitch (all these can be found in knitting.about.com's stitch library).

FO: Norwegian Stockings...

2006-06-26T00:06:00.000+01:00

Finally!

Pattern: Norwegian Stockings from Folk Socks by Nancy Bush.
Start/Finish: April 2006 to 23 June 2006
Yarn: Dale Baby Ull in neapolitan ice cream (ha!); approx. 2 skeins brown, 1.5 skeins pink, little bit of cream.
Needles: Clover bamboo DPNs size US2/2.75mm
Mods: Used tubular cast-on, shorter than called for (my leg isn't 15in. long), yarn sub, and grafted toes instead of drawing the yarn through the stitches.

Notes:

I technically made three stockings. The first had been ripped out so many times that the yarn pretty much wore out. I decided to just leave the first stocking as is (I'll probably have to throw it out or use it for tiny projects) and start over. I found that my stranding worked out better by knitting the main color (brown) English style (my preferred method) and the contrasting colors continental style.

I really didn't like the way the heel was worked--so much cutting and joining (not to mention the ends I had to weave in later). I found purling in the stranding technique to be quite difficult although this may be because I have trouble purling continentally. Next time I make these (and yes, I'm sure there will be a next time!), I'll try using an afterthought heel. I didn't know how to make one until the stockings were almost done. The pink is also darker than I'd like, but I suppose that's the problem with ordering online. I would have preferred something paler but they still turned out okay.

Overall, I love my stockings. So cute and comfy. I found, on the second stocking, that it only takes me a few days to make one. I guess my struggles with it were a combination of getting my tension right and second sock syndrome.

More photos:

Back on track...

2006-06-17T20:51:00.000+01:00

This is where most of my attention has been this month:

It's a little hard to tell from the sketch (apologies for my inability to draw 3-D images), but this is a sleeveless, backwards cowl I'm designing. The yarn is the Jaeger Java that my mom got me in Hong Kong (it's now discontinued but for anyone curious, she found it at Nathan Woollen). I haven't been able to find any info on it aside from what's on the ball band (silk/acrylic/rayon). It has a nice sheen, and I thought it would be nice as a summery top with some sort of drapey element. However due to my lack of, erm, curves, cowl necks don't look very good on me. I've always like tops and dresses that used modest fronts and interesting backs, though. Plus I was a fan of Daniel V's 13th design (the cashmere cowl dress) on Project Runway.

I'm hoping to achieve a similar double layer look like Daniel's dress, but I'm not really sure the best way to go about it. I have a couple ideas that I'm going to try out. The hardest is how to make the layered cowl without adding width to the shoulders. I want the neck to be a little on the wide side so I'm thinking the edges of the cowl (where they meet the shoulders) will end up being the shoulder edges as well. So at some point, I just need to gradually decrease as I get higher to get the width I prefer.

FO: Hedera...

2006-06-17T19:46:00.000+01:00

After Dulaan knitting, rather than soldier on with my current projects I took a fun little break:

Pattern: Hedera by Cookie A. from Knitty.com
Yarn: Sunbeam St. Ives in "heather" (#3032); approx. 300yds/273m
Needles: Addi Turbo DPNs size US1-ish/2.5mm
Mods: Shortened heel flap.

Notes:

I originally started this late last month as a traveling project when I met up with a friend in London. I got about halfway through with one sock and forgot about it until I mailed off the Dulaan donation. It's a pretty quick and easy knit, and the pattern was simple to memorize. I would say it took me a little over a week to complete. Would have taken less except I had to go back and fix mistakes when I found out the pattern had quite a bit of errata. I also had a problem with the height of the heel given in the pattern. I tried on the first complete sock, saw that it was much too loose around the ankle (not to mention it looked funny), so I frogged back to the end of the leg. I ended up doing 16 repeats of the heel flap instead of the 24 for a total of 32 rows instead of 48. I also worked 16 lace repeats instead of 14 on the leg but that was an accident I decided to go with. That little bit of extra length worked out since I shortened the heel, anyway.

Admittedly, that's not a great picture I posted. It seems socks on feet, especially lacey socks, are rather difficult to photograph properly. I'm sure the lack of natural light (I live on the ground floor/basement of my dorm with a tiny window) and the unblocked state of the socks didn't help much, either. The thing about how I block socks is (well, for the very few times I've ever knit socks) is that I just throw them in wash with the rest of my laundry and then I lay them out to dry. Hey, I already find sock knitting enough of a chore, may as well make something a little easier, right?

FOs: Dulaan Project 2006...

2006-06-09T15:20:00.000+01:00

Hat
Pattern: None--based on basic beanies
Yarn: Sirdar Country Style DK left over from Sirdar sweater knitted for Mom for Christmas.
Needles: Addi Natura DPNs size US6/4mm

Socks
Pattern: None--referenced Socks 101 on Knitty.com.
Yarn: Opal Elemente left over from socks knitted for my brother and sister-in-law for Christmas.
Needles: Addi Turbo DPNs size US1-ish/2.5mm.

Scarf
Pattern: None--basic garter stitch.
Yarn: Lion Brand Homespun from an abandoned project.
Needles: Denise Interchangeables size US10/6mm.

Sweater
Pattern: None--based on what I know of Icelandic yoke sweater construction. Knit body in round, knit sleeves in round join sleeves to body, and continue knitting around for yoke and neck.
Yarn: Lion Brand Homespun from an abandoned project.
Needles: Denise Interchangeables size US10/6mm; Brittany Birch DPNs size US8/5mm

Notes:

I left my US10/6mm DPNs at my parents' house and the stores here don't carry anything higher than 5mm. I used my set of US8's and knit a little looser than normal. This worked out just fine.

This whole project took about two weeks to complete. Childrens clothing just really zooms by. On the sweater, it also helped that the yarn was much thicker than what I normally use.

I finished the last bit last night and posted the items today. Yay for helping to keep Mongolian kids warm and finding an excellent use for leftover yarn!

We interrupt our regular programming...

2006-06-06T21:24:00.000+01:00

All personal knitting has been on hold for the last week and a half in favor of knitting for the Dulaan Project. It's also somewhat of a de-stashing project in that I'm using up my leftover yarn and yarn from failed projects for which I don't have any use. So far I've knitted a pair of children's socks, a scarf, a sweater, and a hat. I just started a second pair of children's socks and, if I have time, I'll make another hat. Brenda Dayne of Cast-On, who lives in Wales, has offered to collect items for donation from the UK/EU and send them on to Arizona in one package. This means I have to get these done ASAP so they get to Arizona by the deadline.

FO: Peacock Feathers Shawl...

2006-05-20T14:18:00.000+01:00

Pattern: Peacock Feathers from Fiddlesticksknitting.com
Start/finish: End of March 2006-12 May, 2006
Yarn: Superfine Merino in Peacock, approx. 800yds/730m
Yarn and pattern source: Theknitter.com--they have great service and free shipping, btw.
Needles: 24in/60cm Inox aluminum circs size US3/3.25mm; 3mm crochet hook (I don't think there's a US size equivalent)
Mods: Used one needle size smaller than called for; yarn substitution; smaller finished size.

Notes:
In the pattern, the wingspan of the shawl is supposed to measure over 80 inches, which is huge. Being as short as I am, I really didn't think I could carry that. I also didn't like how "airy" the shawl looked in the pictures so I used a smaller needle size. I think this worked out really well. The motifs look much more defined, which is what I generally prefer with lace, and it's just the right size for me.

Unblocked, the shawl measured about 55 inches from tip to tip...

And after the magic of blocking...

It grew almost ten inches!

Since I don't really have any surface large enough to block on (I do like sleeping in my bed), I completely soaked it and pinned it out just to get it into the general shape and size. When it was almost dry, and almost time for me to go to sleep, I took out my trusty new toy--a travel steam iron. I steamed ironed the crocheted loop edging and lightly steamed the rest of the shawl. Then I draped it on my clothes drying rack to finish drying. Normally I like to do full wet-blocking the whole way but this was the next best thing.

Things I learned:

How to use a crochet hook. Before this, I only owned two crochet hooks: a size G hook from the early days of serious knitting to fix dropped stitches and a 2.5mm hook to fix dropped stitches when I started knitting a lot in finer gauges. I had never made a crochet chain of any kind, and when I got to the crocheted loop bind off I was at a bit of a loss. Thankfully the pattern came with clear, illustrated instructions on how to work the bind off. Only problem was the photos showed the person holding the hook in the right hand and the yarn in the left hand. I tried it this way, absolution could not work the chains with the yarn in my left hand, and ended up working the BO with both the hook and yarn in my right hand. I also found it awkward to hold the hook in my right hand although the yarn in my right hand felt fine. In short, I think I might be a left-handed crocheter...well, should I ever pick up crochet.

Reading my knitting. This isn't something new but it's a skill that I definitely improved on while making this shawl. One weird knitting quirk of mine is I have trouble using lifelines. Not really sure why. I mean, they're supposed to be helpful and I'm pretty sure my life would be so much easier if I used them. But something always goes wrong when I try to insert a lifeline into my knitting. As a result, I've become pretty good at frogging back and picking up live stiches after doing it so many times. Anyway, I really didn't want to frog back to fix mistakes when the shawl got pretty big so I took my small crochet hook and would drop a stitch or two in order to fix mistakes. This is kind of a headache with lace--you really need to figure out what that part of the repeat is supposed to look like in stitch form but I somehow got some sort of rhythm going. Thankfully, I would notice my mistakes about one or two rows past it so I didn't have to go down too far and usually they involved dropped YOs.

How one row can turn into two sides of a triangle with the center being the point. At first this seemed like magic to me but now I have the general idea. It's only the set-up rows that are still a mystery to me.

Something green...

2006-05-15T21:39:00.000+01:00

I doesn't look like I'll get any green knitting in for this month's project spectrum. I still have orange April on the back burner with some yarn my mom got me from Hong Kong. However, I just realized that my most recent acquisition is (are?) green...

I meant to get black ones in a similar style, but the green just called to me. Really. They said, "You want us...Buy us...We're on sale..."

They'll look great with a pair of Lovely Lacy Socks from the spring Interweave. In pink.

Flogging the proverbial horse...

2006-05-13T16:10:00.000+01:00

Episode 23 of Cast-On sums up this past month and a half of knitting pretty well.

First off is the Peacock Feathers Shawl, which I now call the Shawl Without End.

I'm on the edging now but it's so big that it takes me 20-30 minutes to work one row. When I went to my knitting group yesterday, I found that during the whole hour and a half I was there, I only finished two rows. A long way from the three stitches I started out with.

Then there are the Norwegian Stockings.

I had to completely frog it once because the tension was wonkey--loose in some places and tight in others. I spent a week away from it before restarting. This time my stranding was fine. I just happen to keep running into problems with the heel and foot. Once I *thought* I finally had it right, I realized that the pattern at the top of the foot was off center by one stitch. This one stitch was noticeable enough to me that I had to frog the foot, heel, AND heel flap. I think all these problems should be a sign that these stockings are not meant to be, but I just refuse to give up on them. Even if it drives me crazy.

Funny thing is, I started the Norwegian Stockings to keep me from going insane while working on Peacock Feathers.

Norwegian Stockings progress...

2006-05-04T10:00:00.000+01:00

Frogged.

*Sigh*

ETA: I've also been really unhappy with the yoked pullover I was making for my dad (and that was *supposed* to be a Christmas gift last winter). I looked through my readily available pattern sources (a.k.a. online and free), and decided on Saranac from Knitty. I'll start frogging and re-knitting after I finish Peacock Feathers and get halfway through another project.

Something's missing...

2006-04-30T11:43:00.000+01:00

While scanning the Interweave Knits Summer preview, I noticed something was not quite right. I scrolled up and down a few more times scrutinizing each photo until it hit me:

Where's the red head?

Varying my range of colors...

2006-04-24T06:43:00.000+01:00

As I've noted in my mini-bio, I learned to knit at a wee age but only got as far as many un-bound swatches. When I picked up knitting seriously, much of what I knit was in shades of purple. Purple was a natural choice as it is my second favorite color. Black is my favorite but I figured that since I owned so much black, it was time to branch out. This was about when I started adding more color to my wardrobe as well. At some point in this process, I noticed that I was adding mostly purple items and decided to start knitting in other colors. The next was red or colors in the red family. Now it seems I've subconciously noticed that I was adding way too much red to my wardrobe and yarn choices because I just realized that I've been knitting a lot of blue lately.

Hmm...

Purple-->Red-->Blue

Broadening my color horizons might take a little longer than I thought.

It's a dry April...

2006-04-14T09:21:00.000+01:00

Or at least it is here at home.

I'm halfway into my one month Easter holiday and have spent much of it catching up on a semester's worth of sleep. I'm also chugging through some projects I'd been wanting to do for a while. I came home to packages of yarn I ordered before coming home as well as some knitting books and patterns.

My top priority is the Peacock Feathers shawl from Fiddlesticks Knitting. This is mainly because I have no way of blocking this at school (not enough space). I'm knitting it with Superfine Merino in peacock that I bought from TheKnitter.com. I was going to do it in Zephyr Wool-Silk but they were out of the peacock color I wanted. Interestingly enough, I had originally wanted to get the Superfine Merino in purple but that color was out. It was available in the Zephyr so I ended up switching colors on the type of yarn.

I'm not a huge fan of really airy shawls so I went down a needle size to US 3/3.25mm. I'm also thinking about doing a simple, stretchy bind off instead of the crochet loop bind off used in the pattern. I'm really iffy on those loops and I think I'd like a smooth edge better.

About the same time I started the shawl, I also started the Norwegian Stockings from Folk Socks by Nancy Bush. I'm almost done with the first stocking after having to frog back a couple times. It's been a while since I've done any colorwork so the tension of my two-handed stranding was a bit uneven. I'm using Dale Baby Ull in chocolate, pink, and creme (or neopolitan colors). This has been my TV knitting for the most part and has been an enjoyable knit despite a difficult start.

Vacations are usually times when I'm actively working on more than two projects at a time. My third project is my big needle project to give myself a bit of a break from the finer-sized needle, and I'm counting it towards project spectrum for this month. It is a small messenger back in a three color tweed stitch (Cascade 220 in navy, light blue, and red-orange). Thing is, I'm not the hugest fan of orange, yellow, or golden type colors. Sometimes I like orange but I'm really picky about it. When I envisioned the messenger bag, I originally thought of doing it in two, nicely matching colors. But it seemed a little boring and that's when I got the idea to use orange as a third color to give the bag some pop. So far, I only have the bottom completed. I'll pick up the stitches along the edges and work the body of the bag in the round.

My parents came back from their trip to the Motherland (or Mother Islands?) and my mom brought back two bags of yarn. They stayed on the same street as Nathan Woolen, which worked out given her time constraints. Now, my mom knows absolutely nothing about knitting so she was really overwhelmed by the shop. She ended up picking two types of yarn that she thought were nice and were of fibers she knew I liked: nine balls of Rowan Felted Tweed in shade #131 (which I don't think exists anymore because I can't find a color card that lists it) and ten balls of Jaeger Java (which only seems to exist on eBay). I already know what the Felted Tweed will become but that won't be until the fall as it's a thick, merino wool. The Java took some thinking. It's a silk-rayon blend so I'm thinking something drapey. Possibly a sleeveless cowl? It's also in a type of orange color--again I'm picky about orange. My mom thinks it's rust; I think it's more of a coral but the color is definitely growing on me.

Sadly, my package did not arrive in time for my parents' departure for their trip so my mom didn't receive Pearl Buck until she came back. She does like it, though, and it fits unlike the last sweater I made her.

FO: Corinne...

2006-03-23T11:34:00.000Z

Of course, when I finished this last night I realized that a) lace garments require solid garments to be worn underneath and b) I do not own anything to wear under this dress. For photo purposes, I made do with a tank top and leggings.

Pattern: Corinne from Knitting Fog
Start/Finish: Mar. 17 - Mar. 22, 2006
Yarn: Jaeger Aqua in chrome (306); approx. 5.5 skeins (633yds/583m)
Needles: Denise Interchangeables sizes US9/5.5mm and US6/4mm
Modifications: Adjustments for row gauge difference; shortened skirt by 8in/20cm

Notes:

Gauge: The gauge given is measured over the parachute lace pattern. For some reason my stitch gauge was spot on but my row gauge was two times smaller than the one in the pattern. Rather than calculating the length measurement using 12 rounds as 10cm, I had to double that to 24 rounds to 10cm.

Pattern: This was a fairly simple pattern. The lace pattern was easy to memorize - only six repeats - and read. Although part of what made it easier to read the knitting was the cotton yarn. I could see the stitches clearly and note exactly what stitch did what in the pattern. It's also a fairly concise pattern. It only gives instructions for a size small. However, it would not be difficult to make adjustments for larger sizes. There were also a couple parts that could have used more details in describing how to work the pattern but it was generally simple enough that anything missing I could figure out.

Surpringly, this dress has worked out quite nicely. As I've mentioned before, I don't normally find knit dresses or skirts flattering, but this one is. I did decide to make it 20cm shorter, though. The original pattern has the dress going down to the knees on someone who looks on the tall side. Or at least taller than me. I considered only going 10cm shorter to accommodate my height (or lack thereof), but I decided on 20cm because that would make it short enough to wear with pants but not too short to wear alone. It ended up being about three to four inches above the knee depending on how much I move.

A note on yardage: If making the dress to the original length, I would recommend getting a bit more yarn than called for. While I did sub the yarn, the Jaeger Aqua matched the description of the yarn the designer used right down to the yardage (meterage?). I bought what was required and shortened the skirt quite substantially and still only had about half a skein (50m) left. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have had enough for the full length version.

My name is Kat, and I have a problem...

2006-03-20T14:47:00.000Z

I'm addicted to lace knitting. Admittedly, I don't have a lot of finished lace objects. I do, however, have a nerdy tendency to knit swatches of stitch patterns just to see what they look like. Many swatches. The majority of which are experiments in lace patterns. They end up getting taken apart, though. Partly because there's some anal retentive characteristic of mine that just cannot waste yarn. All yarn I have must go to something useful and something useful is usually an actual project. Sadly, I've not found any uses for my many swatches, yet. Another reason why I frog my swatches is because I might be a little ashamed of this nerdy tendency. Just a little.

Anyway, lace is probably my all-time favorite technique but I've been good about not burying myself in lace projects. For a while, though, I'd been drooling over Corinne from Knitting Fog. I can think of a couple reasons why Corinne might be a bad idea. First is that I've spent much of my knitting life tsking at knit skirts and dresses because they just don't seem flattering. I've tried on many knit skirts and dresses while shopping because, on the hanger, they all just looked so cool. Unfortunately, they don't look so cool on me. So there's one reason why Corinne might be a bad idea. The other reason is it's knit in cotton and that could produce some blocking problems.

So what did I do?

I started Corinne on Friday. So far, it looks really cool on the needles. Just needs to be steam-blocked like there's no tomorrow. Let's hope it looks really cool on me...

FO: Military Barbie Beret...

2006-03-14T23:14:00.000Z

Pattern: Nancy Drew/Speckled Beret by Kate Gilbert (Interweave Knits Winter 2005)
Start/Finish: Mar. 9, 2006-Mar. 14, 2006 (had to restart)
Yarn: Louisa Harding Kimono Angora (color 4); one 25g ball (124yds/112m)
Needles: Addi Turbo DPNs size US1-sh/2.5mm
Modifications: Unspeckled; used a different type of tubular cast on than called for; renamed Miltary Barbie upon seeing the pink camo patterning

More notes plus progress pics below the flip.

The pattern uses a tubular cast on described here, which, if I understand it correctly, leaves live stitches. The impression I get is that you run elastic through the cast on edge, but the pattern in IK doesn't say anything about that.

I neither wanted to use elastic nor wanted worry about how solid the brim was, so I restarted the beret (rather than frogging completely, I just started from the other end of the ball of yarn and frogged and knitted at the same time) using the tubular cast on that Anna posted a tutorial on. Only made a slight alteration for working in the round, which was to purl for four rows in the beginning before picking up and knitting stitches.

Admittedly I omitted a row here and there for this particular beret. Since the yarn broke a few times--I later figured that the breakage was because the yarn was worn from being worked and reworked--I would not have had enough to finish without joining another ball by a little more than ten inches. I didn't really want to join new yarn for just a few, short rounds so I just worked a few rounds less. Didn't affect the overall result as far as I can tell but that did show me that one ball of Kimono Angora is *just* enough for a hat.

I'll conclude with one final image and a thought:

Does this make remind anyone of those paint stands at the fair where you have a frisbee or piece of cardboard spinning on a wheel while you squirt paint on it?

Spring is still not coming along...

2006-03-12T02:30:00.000Z

And neither is the (un)Speckled Beret. I decided to unpick the waste yarn to see if the tubular cast on was actually done correctly, and the stitches on the cast on edge are live. I'm pretty sure I followed the pattern for the brim exactly, but I won't be able to double-check for at least another week (I let one of the ladies in my knitting group borrow the magazine for a look). All I have are some brief notes I scribbled down on where to make increases/decreases for the hat.

At any rate, I still get to frog angora. Fun times ahead! I'll probably end up referring to tubular cast on tutorials online and then working the beret pattern from there. Just to avoid another mishap.

In other news, I just realized that it seems like I'm on an Interweave kick what with all the projects from their magazines. In a way, I am. It's partly because all my knitting books are back home on the other side of the pond (magazines being much easier to transport) and partly because of the knitting resources I *do* have access to at the moment, Interweave is most likely to have things I'll actually wear.

However, I will be broadening my horizons soon. I've already cast on for a twist front top (my own pattern), which will be nice for spring. I will also be home for Easter holiday all of April, which is code for "I finally get to stock up on my stash and knit patterns from my collection at home." Along these lines, I'm sending my mom on a yarn hunt when she goes on her trip soon. I gave her a list with three yarn shops (could have chosen more but I decided to be nice) and types of yarn I'm looking for.

Waiting for spring...

2006-03-09T16:58:00.000Z

With something pink:

This is the beginning of the (un)Speckled Beret from the Winter 2005 issue of Interweave, which my Project Spectrum. I originally bought the Kimono Angora with the intent of making socks. Then I realized that I probably couldn't bring myself to wear angora socks so it is now on its way to becoming my first knit hat (took me long enough =P). The yarn is absolutely lovely to knit with--soft and doesn't shed--but it is on the delicate side. It has broken on my twice already and I'm even knitting looser than usual.

The beret pattern is a nice change from all the sweaters I've been knitting, as well. I am a little worried about the tubular cast on, though. I remember reading the tubular cast on tutorial on Amelia Raitte and the instructions given in the pattern do not really match up at all. So far, I can't really tell how the cast on edge stays intact once I remove the waste yarn on the hat.

FO: Pearl Buck Swing Jacket...

2006-03-07T23:47:00.000Z

She's finished and just in time. If I send it out tomorrow after class, my mom will get it in time for her birthday. =)

Pattern: Pearl Buck Swing Jacket by Kate Gilbert (Interweave Knits Winter 2005/2006)
Start/Finish: Feb. 8, 2006 - Mar. 7, 2006
Yarn: Jaeger Matchmaker Merino DK - Burgundy (655); approximately 1050yds/960m
Needles: Denise Interchangeables size US6/4mm
Modifications: Added hook and eye closure

Notes:

This felt like a fairly easy/quick knit compared to the Union Square Market pullover. I love the bracelet-length sleeves. Functional but won't get in the way. I think my seaming of the sleeves was a tad wonky at the yoke (had a bit of trouble there) but overall, I'm very happy with how this turned out. I hope my mom will be as happy with it as I am...she's the one who will be wearing it!

I couldn't find a zipper (I can't believe how hard it is to find a zipper in this town) so I resorted to sewing hooks and eyes to some ribbon and sewing that to the inside edge of the jacket openings. Let it be known here and now that I can't sew to save my life. The closure device was whip-stitched in because it was the only way I could sew invisibly (well, invible from the outside, anyway). One thing I didn't take into account when I measured the ribbon was that the edges stretched by about an inch longer after a bit of handling. It worked out in the end but I think for future reference, if I ever knit a jacket with a similar opening again I will sew in some ribbon or tape to help it keep its structure.

Things I learned:

Long-tail cast on has its use.

How to estimate the length of a tail needed for a long-tail cast on.

How cables work...sort of.

Things I need to work on:

Picking up stitches.

Seaming at intersections of pieces (e.g. where the sleeves met the back and yoke seam).

Sewing.

Nearly there...

2006-03-05T11:58:00.000Z

Sleeves and closure devices

I couldn't find the right type of zipper in the right color or length so I went with the alternative: sewing hooks onto ribbon and sewing that into the jacket. It's not perfect, mainly because the hooks have a tendency to shift a bit, but it will do. I'll ask my mom what she thinks and if she prefers a zipper, I can change it when I go home for Easter.

Also, the small sewing shop is having a sale on yarn. I did something that is kind of unusual for me and bought a few balls without having a project in mind (student budget and time constraints make it very difficult for me to really build up a stash). Anyway, I bought 1200m/1300yd of Wendy Supreme (100% mercerized cotton).

I think I'll be using it for a project that I've sketched out a couple times. It's light top with half-length sleeves and buttons running along the top of the sleeves. For a while thought I hit on a nifty idea. Then I found out that Phildar beat me to it. Oh well. At least the pattern will be my own. The Phildar top is from Tendances Printemps 1, no. 443. I would just buy the magazine but that pattern is the only thing I'd actually make.

Thoughts while working on Pearl...

2006-03-02T12:47:00.000Z

I have the front pieces finished and have gotten quite a bit done on the sleeves. I'm working both sleeves at the same time just to see how this method goes, and I'm pretty happy with it so far. In previous sweaters, I've noticed that I usually take about a week to complete one sleeve. On this it seems that I can complete both sleeves in the same amount of time as one sleeve if I work them together. Nice to know when you're on a deadline.

Another thing to note is that when I blocked the pieces, they seemed to grow when wet. Not sure if this has anything to do with the yarn or if it's my tension showing its ugly side when soaked, but it does shrink back to the correct size as it dries (thank God). I just pinned it loosely as close to measurement as I could get and re-pinned them a couple more times until they were the right size.

I'm thinking about adding an invisible zipper or hook closure so that the jacket will be more, well, jackety. I think my mom will also appreciate the ability to close the front. Not sure how sewing these in will affect the edging detail, though.

Progress, part deux...

2006-02-25T15:41:00.000Z

Top: Yoke and back; Bottom: Close-up of the pleat.

I'm using Jaeger Matchmaker Merion DK in burgundy. Pretty close to the recommended yarn but it was about £5 cheaper overall. Also, the place I was at didn't have any colors I liked in the Extra Fine Merino.

Progress...

2006-02-24T13:26:00.000Z

The Pearl Buck jacket is coming along smoothly. I joined the KAL over at A Bluestocking Knits a bit ago. It technically doesn't start until March, but I happen to have a deadline--my mom's birthday in mid-March. My parents will also be going on a trip shortly after her birthday and I think this will be nice for her to take along. So I've been working on this steadily for the last couple weeks (not counting the week I was in Amsterdam). I have the back, yoke, and left front so far. Currently working on the right front. This is definitely a nice project for learning how cables work. I never understood the technical aspect of cables but I think I'm starting to get the hang of it.

Also pulled out the pullover that was supposed to be my dad's Christmas present from under the bed and put it back on the needles. I figure if it's on needles, I'll be more likely to get around to finishing it. I'm actually surprised at how far I got before putting it down. I didn't realize that I had most of the body done already (just thought I had half the body done). So now I'm not too worried about getting it done before I go home for Easter Holiday. I may even be able to finish it in time to mail it home with the jacket.

I've decided on the type of yarn to use for my "inspiration" top. Well, almost. I've decided on Jaeger Siena. The local fabric store has just gotten in loads of cotton yarns (probably for the spring and summer), so I finally got a chance to see and feel the options. Still not sure which color. I've narrowed it down to cream, meadow, and phlox. Fortunately, this will be for the summer so I'm not in any rush to decide.

Inspiration...

2006-02-10T21:00:00.000Z

I don't know what's sadder: that I can't watch Project Runway or that I want to watch Project Runway. Either way, I've been following the series online.

On a recent episode, the challenge was "inspiration." Each designer had to go around the city, take photographs, and choose one of the photographed objects to base a design on. Quite a clever idea. And now I'm doing it.

I've been inspired by oriental fans. I already like pleats, I like hand fans, and I'll in need of something "summery" to knit soon, so lets see if we can put this together somehow. I already have main color in mind. I just need to figure out what sort of image I want. Flowers are an obvious choice but I was also thinking of a bamboo design as it's consistent with the oriental fan theme (one of my favorite fans is made from bamboo). Then there's the choice of knitting in the design, embroidering it, or duplicate stitch. This will probably depend on the look of the design I decide on (solid colored or outlined?).

Gah...

------------

Anyway, I've gotten some nice feedback on the Union Square Market pullover from a couple places I've posted it on. I think one of the virtues of this sweater, which I forgot to mention in the FO post, is that it can look good on anyone. As I noted previously, I'd been following the KAL before I started working on it and have seen the many finished photos, and they all look lovely.

FO: Union Square Market Pullover...

2006-02-09T23:30:00.000Z

Pattern: Union Square Market Pullover by Kate Gilbert (Interweave Knits Fall 2005)
Start/Finish: Jan. 12-Feb. 9, 2006
Yarn: Peruvian Collection Baby Cashmere from Elann - Cashmere Blue (1620) and Parchment (100); approx. 1000yds/915m MC and 150yds/140m CC
Needles: 24"/60cm Inox circular size US3/3.25mm; 32"/80cm Susan Bates Silverado circular size US3/3.25mm
Modifications: Adjusted for row gauge change on divided part of body; sleeves

Notes:

I hit gauge exactly when working in the round. However, when I divided for the front and back on the body, I found that my row gauge was looser (the stitch gauge was not affected, oddly enough). I'd been following the Union Square KAL for a while but thought it was too late to join by the time I decided to make this (turns out that I could have joined late). The KAL was a great resource, especially regarding the sleeves.

I, like several before me, modified the sleeve cuff so that it wouldn't be so wide. I cast on 76 stitches instead of the 92 in the pattern, knit the short row sections in pattern, increased evenly for the first half (to the elbow) where I worked the rest in pattern. I also made the sleeves about an inch shorter. I originally started the left sleeve with Prym DPNs (after a couple failed attempts at magic loop with provisional caston on another circ). Halfway through the sleeve, I got frustrated with the ladders that were occurring. I normally don't have a problem with ladders when using DPNs but then again, I normally use Addi or bamboo DPNs. I think the problem here was the combination of a lighter fabric and heavier needles. I ended up frogging back to one inch above the cuff and switching to magic loop (successfully) for the sleeves.

The buttons are from C&H Fabrics, a local fabric chain and more or less the only place to buy craft materials around here. I thought about looking for buttons the last time I was in London but then, I'm not normally too picky about my buttons. Either way, I really like the ones I picked up. I wanted something silvery but also natural-looking and got just that. I also cheated a tad on the button loops. For the sake of efficiency (and laziness), I took leftover lengths of the twisted cords from the first set of button loops and just attached them for the last set.

This is probably my best sweater-knitting effort so far. I've knit about four sweaters and of all four, I'm especially proud of this one. My seaming has improved a great deal from last fall, let alone from my first sweater a year ago. I also love the color. I normally prefer darker colors but the cashmere blue is nice and subtle for a sweater with such a unique structure. The fabric is light but warm (yay, alpaca!). This one will definitely be worn many times.

I must be insane...

2006-02-06T23:17:00.000Z

When I was living in Iceland last summer, I fell in love with Icelandic sweaters (a.k.a. lopi peysa). Subsequently I bought The Best of Lopi hoping that would satisfy my new love. However, it doesn't have everything I like that I remembered seeing just walking around Reykjavík (read: more modernized/trendy version/whatever you want to call it). I already knew that Ístex offered free patterns to download but not in English, so I usually just shrugged it off and decided it wasn't meant to be.

But then I looked at Ístex again and 'lo and behold:

I want this sweater. I downloaded the pattern and am currently in the process of translating it. With my very basic Danish skills and whatever Icelandic I may possibly have picked up (which is to say I have no skill in Icelandic) while living there. Luckily I know the process of knitting Icelandic sweaters--bottom up, in the round, attach sleeves onto circ once you know everything to the underarms, fair-isle yoke, and steek the front if it's a cardigan. So I basically just need the stitch count and shaping. The chart doesn't seem too complex so I think I'm okay there.

Oh and yay, if I do go through with this, it will be my first time steeking. I'm actually looking forward to it. I think I'm mildly destructive--like I was one of those kids who was tempted to cut a handful of hair off (which I did last spring as a self-haircut), and I guess I'm one of those knitters who gets tempted to take chops at her knitting.

FO: Ballet Wrap...

2006-02-06T01:43:00.000Z

Pattern: Ballet Wrap by Norah Gaughan (Interweave Knits Spring 2005)
Start/Finish: Dec. 18, 2005-Jan. 10, 2006
Yarn: KnitPicks Andean Silk in slate (23519); Approx. 1110yds/1015m
Needles: Denise US6/4mm and US7/4.5mm circs
Modifications: Adjustments for different row gauge; shortened sleeves

Notes:

This was a very quick and easy knit--I would say it took me about two weeks for the actual knitting. However, I tend to get lazy when it comes to seaming so this piece wasn't actually finished until a bit later.

My stitch gauge matched the pattern, but the row gauge was off. Sometimes it matters, sometimes it doesn't. I would say that due to the way the garment is constructed, it does matter in this case. I had to cut out a couple short row sections on the sash and adjust for the length of the body.

I didn't care for the long, wide-ish sleeves in the pattern. I personally prefer 3/4, fitted sleeves as they make my hands and wrists feel freer to work. I ended up casting on 54 stitches instead of 66, worked the ribbed cuff for two inches instead of five, and only worked one more inch of stockinette before starting the increases in pattern. I cut off about seven inches from the total sleeve length (cuff to shoulder cap).

I used less than 11 balls of Andean Silk. I originally bought 16, two extra balls from what I needed because I'd read of a couple people who needed an extra ball or two than what the pattern calls for. Of course, since I did shorten the sleeves I had extra left over, but after some calculating I found that I probably would not have used more than the amount specified in the pattern if I did make the full sleeves. Well, each knitter knits differently, I suppose, but it's always safer to have more yarn than less.

Overall, I love this sweater. I've worn it twice so far. My only complaint is the length of tied ends of the sash. I originally wanted to make each end about four inches shorter, but when I tried working it out, I couldn't figure out where the extra length was coming from in the photos. It wasn't until it was finished and I tried it on that I realized that the slit in the back was why the ties were so long. That was a *smacks self* moment.

Now if only I can figure out how not to look stoned in photos...

Computer woes...

2006-01-18T18:56:00.000Z

The fan in my laptop stopped running so I won't be able to upload photos until that's taken care of. Hopefully within a week since I have photos going back to October that need to be uploaded before I run out of memory.

In happier news, the Ballet Wrap is officially complete--seamed and even completely dry from a last round of blocking. Also, as you can see in the sidebar, I'm well into the Union Square pullover.

A new year brings more knitting...

2006-01-11T12:56:00.000Z

Only now I can knit for myself. I'm 95% finished with the ballet wrap from Interweave Spring 2005. Just need to attach the sash, possibly block it (I steam-blocked the pieces before assembling), and it will be done. Pictures of the finished product along with the process and a review of the pattern will be posted soon.

Speaking of pictures, I will also need to post photos of the socks I knit for my brother and his wife for Christmas. They were well-received and now I'm mildly addicted to sock knitting. I'm definitely more into garments but socks will be nice as traveling projects. I found I can knit one sock during a trans-Atlantic flight so that works out perfectly.

My mom also loved the Sirdar sweater I knit her for Christmas. It turns out that her recent weight loss has put her right in between two sizes in the pattern and given that the top is supposed to be on the baggy side anyway, I could have gone a size down. I'll probably do some altering with the seams next time I'm home, but overall, the effort was very much appreciated.

Dad's yoked pullover did not get done but that's okay. His was a big and boring project but as long as I get it done by the time I go home for Easter holiday, it should be fine. Also knit two gift bags from Last-Minute Knitted Gifts for my brother's in-laws. Unfortunately, no photos because, well, they were last-minute. But I'm sure I will be knitting more of those bags in the future. They're quick, cute, and fun to knit.

As for new knitting, I have some really good sketches done of the cowl cardigan. I was going to use some fingering weight yarn I had in my stash but after some thought, I've decided that a DK or worsted weight will suit this piece more. So now I'm left wondering what to do with 1200 yards of fingering weight yarn. If I'm really that desperate to use it, I'll probably end up turning it into a giant, lace tablecloth.

I just received an order of yarn from Elann and have started swatching for the Union Square Market pullover from the Fall 2005 Interweave. Can you tell I like this magazine? Also bought the wool for the hooded jacket from Vogue Holiday 2005. Didn't bring it back to school with me, though. Since it's a jacket, I figured I can make it anytime and use it in the evenings or on breezy days, so that will be a sitting on my ass at home in April project.

And let me assure you all again, I will post pictures up. Soon. Promise.

2004 FOs...

2005-12-31T14:26:00.000Z

Note: These projects pre-date the acquisition of my blog. I hope to upload photos of some of these at a later date at which the relevent projects will be linked to.

October
Garter stitch key-hole scarf (no pattern) in Artful Yarns Legend(?). Christmas gift for Sister-in-Law.
Garter stitch scarf in Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk.

November
Windy City scarf from Stitch 'n Bitch in Mission Falls 1824. Christmas present for Mom.
2x2 rib scarf/belt in Trendsetter Yarns. Christmas present for cousin.

December
2x2 rib scarf in Patons Classic Merino. Christmas present for Dad.
Voodoo armwarmers from Knitty.com in Manos del Uruguay Wool.
Windy City scarf II in Mission Falls 1824 for myself. Slightly modified with a stripey pattern.

2005 FOs...

2005-12-31T11:30:00.000Z

Note: Most of these projects pre-date the acquisition of this blog. Photos and information provided where available..

March
Cosy from Knitty.com in Patons Decor in burgundy. Very belated Christmas present for a friend and first attempt at lace.

April

Pattern: Ribbon Tie Cardigan from Spring 2005 Knit.1
Yarn: Lion Brand Lion Suede
Needles: Denise interchangeables sizes US9/5.5mm and US10/6mm
Mods: Omitted eyelets, used clasp instead of ribbon tie.

May

Pattern: Katamari bag; my own
Yarn: Patons Astra

June

Pattern: Branching Out from Knitty.com.
Yarn: K1C2 Douceur et Soie in soft sunrise; 2 balls
Needles: US8 Clover bamboo straights
Mods: Horizontal pattern repeated twice to widen into stole size. Knitted for Brother's wedding.

Pattern: Branching Out
Yarn: Fonty Ombelle; 1 ball
Needles: US8 Clover bamboo straights
Mods: None

July

Pattern: Skull & Cross-Mallets armwarmers; own pattern based on the 2005 T-shirt design for the Croquet League I'm in). Clearer image here.

September
Lopi sweater from The Best of Lopi

October
Roman Stripe scarf
Pattern: None. Used Roman stripe stitch found on knitting.about.com and drop stitch edges.
Yarn: Wendy DK in Rainbow (1 ball).
Needles: Denise interchangeables size US 7/4.5mm
Start/Finish: October 2005

Pattern: Mesh armwarmers; none
Yarn: Wendy DK in Rainbow
Needles: Inox aluminum DPNs size US5/3.75mm
Start/Finish: October 2005

November

Pattern: Sirdar Breeze DK #8384
Yarn: Sirdar Country Style DK
Needles: Denise interchangeables size US6/4mm; Inox bamboo straights size 3/3.25mm
Start/Finish: October 2005-November 2005

December

Pattern: Basic sock pattern
Yarn: Opal Elemente
Needles: Addi DPNs size US1-ish/2.5mm
Start/Finished: December 2005
Gift bags (2) from Last-Minute Knitted Gifts for SIL's mom and sister.

A picture's worth a thousand words...

2005-12-07T20:34:00.000Z

I think this sums up my life quite well:

First complete sock and then some. And now, back to the essays...

I couldn't help myself...

2005-11-16T19:34:00.000Z

As soon as I got my DPNs in the mail, I had to start knitting the socks. Normally I'm good about not having a lot of projects on needles, but I was too excited. I never knit socks before, and I really wanted to try it ASAP. So far, I have the first sock of the first pair I'm making halfway done.

One down...

2005-11-13T17:27:00.000Z

After five weeks, the Sirdar sweater is done! Also, best seaming job I've ever done. Normally I suck at seaming. It's why I quit sewing. But I took my time and it turned out well. I used the Sirdar Breeze #8384 pattern and knit it in Sirdar Country Style DK in heather.

The finished product.

I've also gotten a couple inches into the yoked pullover. I'm using the Father and Son yoked pullover pattern (I can't find a link to it that works at the moment) from Knitting Digest only I'm doing it in one color.

The above photo also shows off my new little toy. This has freed up my other counter since I'll need it for other projects. I kind of left my DPNs at home and I don't want to buy any more so I'll be doing the sleeves to the this sweater at home. A couple other nice things about this counter is it doubles as a stitch marker, I'll remember to change the number since I'll pass it everytime I finish a row, and it was only £1. Good deal.

In other news, after thinking about it for almost a year I finally decided to get Interweave's Spring 2005 issue so that I can do the Ballet Wrap I've been coveting. The thing that really made me hesitant was the recommended yarn, Naturally Merino et Soie, costs about $8/skein so the cardi would end up costing over $100 to knit. Luckily, I found an alternative at KnitPicks--Andean Silk. Pretty much the same fibers only Andean Silk has the added bonus of alpaca and about the same guage. My parents let me get it as a birthday present. Definitely looking forward to going home for the holidays now.

Yarr...

2005-11-10T14:58:00.000Z

I ordered sock yarn from a major British online knitting store. Sock yarn was advertized as being accompanied by a free pattern. Received sock yarn today. Said free pattern is in German. It'd be nice if they, I don't know, specified this on an English website. Also, cannot knit socks yet because needles ordered for socks were not in the package.

So close, yet so far...

2005-11-06T17:40:00.000Z

I have 1/3 of a sleeve left on the Sirdar sweater and guess what?

Yep. Out of yarn. Will have to get another skein tomorrow. In the meantime, guess I'll have to work on this:

The two-color basketweave stitch scarf in the Colinette I bought at Loop. Darn.

Bah...

2005-11-04T17:41:00.000Z

After getting a good 16 inches done of the Colinette scarf in herringbone, I decided I didn't like it and frogged the whole thing. I just started a swatch/scarf in two-color basketweave and this is turning out much better. Had to frog it after the first time because US15 needles were just too big (even though the two-color basketweave makes a dense fabric, too). US13 seems to be the way to go so far. Will see.

On sleeve #2 of the Sirdar sweater. I pinned up the first sleeve and put it on. It may look ginormous but it turned out to be okay. So last sleeve and then put it together.

Also just started the really easy Mary-Jane slippers from the Craftster Forum using the leftover Wendy DK from my Roman Stripe scarf.

Knitting ADD...

2005-10-30T20:49:00.000Z

Broke down and started playing around with the Colinette. After a couple swatches, I decided to make my scarf in herringbone stitch. Man, this thing is dense. I've ended up using US15/10mm needles. Recommended size is US9/5.5mm. I think this is going to end up being a pull-through scarf because it's so thick. Also, I don't know if I'll have enough for a full scarf. We'll see. If this does, indeed, end up being a pull through scarf, I have three options: horizontal hole (easiest given it's hand-dyed), vertical (colors might end up wonky because it's hand-dyed), or pick up stitches and knit a little loop. The loop thing I've never tried. I know that SnB Nation has a scarf with a loop thing but I didn't bring any of my books to the UK with me. Also not sure how picking up stitches will work on herringbone. Anyway, I think what will happen is on the ends will be a 5x5 inch block in Peaches & Cream, 2.5 inches in Moss, 1 inch in Peaches & Cream, and everything in between Moss.

Still working on the first sleeve of the Sirdar sweater, but doing stockinette for so long and so much gets really boring. Hell, I even learned how to knit continental while working on this thing. I found that purling this way will probably be easier and fast once I get used to it. Knitting, however, is still really frustrating since I keep dropping stitches and my tension gets way off if I get into a rhythm.

Clan arans...

2005-10-30T11:23:00.000Z

This is really cool. Makes me wish I were Irish.

Continental knitting...

2005-10-29T19:16:00.000+01:00

I've finally figured out how to purl using the Continental Method. So far, Continental has proven to involve less hand/wrist movement for me. However, it's also way awkward and fairly slow-going. I think I have a severe lack of coordination in my left hand or something. I'll stick to the English Method for the most part, but it's good to know Continental for the times my right wrist goes wonky. Ahh, childhood injuries. At least my tension is pretty good either way, so far.

The Sirdar sweater is more than halfway done. The front and back are finished. Just need to do the sleeves and seam. I'm a tad worried, though. My first sleeve so far looks HUGE. I checked the pattern and it doesn't look like it'd be a big deal if I made the sleeves for the smaller size instead. Would just need to smoothly switch back to this side when shaping the raglan.

So just when I thought yarn shopping in London was going to be a lost cause (I swear, everything is Rowan or Jaeger in this country) I found my way to Loop in Islington. Not as big as what I'm used to but the variety is there. Frog Tree, Blue Sky, K1C2, Colinette, Laines du Nord, and more. I found some Colinette Graffiti in moss but they only had one hank left. Not quite enough to make a scarf, so the lady there suggested I find another color and do either a stripe patter or a border with the contrasting color. This resulted in me getting a hand of the same yarn in Peaches & Cream. They look nice together side by side so far but we'll see how they knit up together. The best part was they were reasonably priced. £5.50 per 100g hank of hand-dyed 100% wool. Rowan and Jaeger, I believe, sell their 100% wools for more (although I still want to get my hands on some Rowan Big Wool Fusion--those colors are awesome but pricey).

Us crazy kids...

2005-10-11T16:54:00.000+01:00

Monday at the local fabric shop as I was at the counter purchasing some yarn in heather (basically a shade of purple or violet).

Old lady next to me: *tsk* Young people these days. They always choose such wild colors.

I had to keep from bursting in a fit of giggles 'cause this young person was actually buying yarn to make a sweater for her mother.

Greetings and salutations...

2005-10-11T14:53:00.000+01:00

I needed some way of keeping track of my knitting, knitting ideas, knitting experiences, etc. and figured, why not start yet another blog? In any case, I won't be boring anyone on my regular blogs with my weird obsession with yarn fibers and knitting stitches.

Obligatory info post...

2005-10-10T22:52:00.000+01:00

Name: Kat
Age: Early 20s
Occupation: Student; job seeker; former library student assistant
Location: This is probably a longer-than-necessary answer but... Grew up in Idaho and it still is home in a way since I'm not permanently settled anywhere. Spent a few years in Seattle for college, lived in Brussels for a study abroad, lived in Iceland for an internship, currently in England for grad school, and after grad school who knows?

My grandmother, who lives in Hong Kong, taught me how to knit when I was wee but never taught me how to bind off. Either she never got around to it before the end of her visit or she just wanted to keep me occupied so that she could do her own thing. After knitting squares and rectangles on and off for years, I finally became a more serious knitter during college. A couple advantages to not knowing how to bind off until much later is that I was able to get my tension to near perfection and become an expert at frogging.

Quirks:

I rarely knit accessories. It's funny because I love accessories but unless they're scarves, I always forget to use them. As a result, I hold back on things like hats and gloves. They'll only sit around collecting dust.

Smiling in photos is an uncommon occurrence. I keep wanting to remedy this but it seems physically impossible. So for now, we'll just have to settle for me looking depressed or high.

I'm borderline obsessed with Scandinavian knitting, especially Iceland sweaters. Admittedly I only own The Best of Lopi and have only knitted one Icelandic sweater, but there shall be more to come.