favourite new thing

i have been striving to match my stash to hat patterns to start my new crop for winter 09-10.

here is the first newcomer of the season!

Green & Twisty
#04 Cabled Beret
designed by Debbie Bliss
published in Debbie Bliss Magazine #01

knit in approx. 3 skeins of Elsebeth Lavold Angora (60% angora, 20% wool, 20% nylon color "lime") on size US 5 and US 7 needles.

started: 08.06.09
finished: 08.08.09

i bought this magazine for this pattern, and i bought this yarn to make this hat. that was last fall, and somehow it never exactly made it to the finish line last hat season. i corrected that after i cleaned and sorted my stash bins and realized my oversight!

this may be the perfect finished hat. it combines most of my favorite things... green, cables, bunny fiber, and a beret shape. if it smelled like coffee and made me look thinner, i would never take it off.

like most Debbie Bliss hats, this one is written to be knitted on two straight needles. i dropped 2 stitches from the cast on and knit it in the round because i am lazy and i admire Elizabeth Zimmerman. i also decided to knit the ribbing in 1x1 rather than 2x2 because berets in a 2x2 rib always seem to stretch out too much for my taste. finally, i knit one or two fewer rows of ribbing to ensure that i not run out of yarn.

i had plenty of yarn, and i realize now that there was no need to work fewer rows because when i dropped the 2 extra "sewing-up" stitches, i worked 124 fewer stitches in the body of my hat than the original. it seems silly, but when i thought about that, it sort of blew me away. working the hat in the round saved me having to sew the seam and saved me knitting 124 more stitches. when i see that in writing, it looks like a lot.

now i need to take more pictures of my newest finished projects!

i have readers?

hi. i know you are still out there. well, at least i do now!

yesterday i saw 3 of my favourite knitters when i dropped into the shop to buy some wool wash. i got the mini-catch-up and they sent me home with wool wash that somehow one of them bought me (i am still trying to determine to which friend i owe a coffee!).

in honor of knitters and knitting friends, this post is all recently completed work. i was on a roll of creating things that have to live in a vacuum until they go to their new owners. after a bit of that, i turned selfish and began to make a few things for me.

first, some crochet!

Autumn Triangle
aka "Floaty Fall Scarf"
designed by Susan Jeffers
published in Crochet Today! Sept/Oct 2009

crocheted in 2 skeins of Koigu PPPM (100% merino wool, color P337) bought at K+S=B, with a size F hook.

started: 08.08.09
finished: 08.10.09

i never buy this magazine. never. i always hate the projects, or i like... one. maybe. this month i bought it for four projects. wow. go Crochet Today! i barely changed the pattern either! i just worked 15 fewer rows to make a smaller scarf with the quantity of yarn i had on hand.

i am on a stash yarn project kick, and i have enough stashed sock yarn to make about 12 pairs of socks. i am not as prolific when it comes to sock knitting as i am when it comes to sock yarn loving. now i am on a mission to find projects in fingering weight yarn to use my sock stash.

this is trickier than it sounds because i like hand painted sock yarns, but i am typically opposed to variegated garments and accessories. this scarf really fit the bill for something that looked good in a variegated yarn, used fingering weight, and is wearable.

i have already worn it! AC in meetings is brutal to me, so this is the perfect. can't wait until fall when i can wear it with my vintage brooch collection.

Licorice Allsorts Cowl
aka "Dragonfly Fire Cowl"
designed by Mia Valcarcel
published at her blog

knit in 2 skeins of Claudia Handpaints Fingering (100% merino wool, color: John B.) on size US 7 needles.

started: 08.11.09
finished: 08.12.09

i have been told that this does not look like red licorice allsorts, and in the picture i would tend to agree. in person that is what the colors remind me of. maybe i am just hungry!

this is incredibly fun. the Claudia's is bouncy and sproingy and doubled up and knit on a larger needle, the yarn is even more yummy. and soft! and it is a cowl! what more can one desire in life?

this was another project for stashed sock yarn. i like the doubling of this yarn because it blends the colors more than the yarn worked single. big bonus in my non-variegated book.

Eyelet Spiral Socks
aka Anastasia Socks
designed by MintyFresh
published at pepperknit.com

knit in 2 skeins of ShibuiKnits Sock (100% merino, color "Orchid")purchased at K+S=B, on size US 0 (zero) addi tubro circular needles.

started: Christmas 2007
finished 08.18.09

this is officially my longest running WIP. i have completed 98 other projects since i started this pair of socks. among those other projects are another pair of socks, two pairs of slippers, and two pairs of bootees. obviously it was not that i opposed knitting for feet. these just got off track.

i put them down (1st sock done, 2nd sock being imagined) when my cousin announced her pregnancy. i then knit a lot of her little boy, christmas gifts, blah blah blah. it gets harder to pick up a 2nd sock when you have had too many reasons to knit gifts instead.

last quarter i knit a different pair of socks on the train to the school. i decided this quarter i had to knit the 2nd of this pair, and my work commute is perfect. because the Red Line has had so many issues and delays, the 2nd sock was my saving grace. it proved a fine companion when i was in a day-long professional development session last week.

now the question becomes, more commuter socks? i am considering these.

coming soon: more sedately colored projects.

finishing--i can still do it!

believe it or not, i can still finish my yarn craft projects. it take a lot to get me going, but when i just bite the bullet, accomplishments abound!

these are a pair of bunny slippers that i have wanted to make ever since i bought the pattern in September of 2006. i scoped out the yarn at the shop in March of 2008 when started working there, and i started them in April 2009 because we finally put that yarn on clearance and i had to buy it before it was gone. the crocheting took about 3 days. obviously the sewing up took a bit longer. ahem.

but they are done! next!

i finished this baby blanket yesterday. no baby to give it to right now, but i am sure the perfect one will present itself to the world and demand to be kept warm. this is a small one--about the size of a receiving blanket. i have doubts that i could have made it much bigger because it was worked in mostly fingering weight yarns with a little sport and dk thrown in here or there.

i love all the colors. for some reason i just cannot exactly capture them in a picture. ah, well!

garden...

Day Sixteen
monday. the sun doth shineth.

finally. sun. my plants are happy because their soil is drying out nicely. everyone is looking a little perkier.

today i cut the bottoms off of some 2L bottles i emptied. after removing the labels, i placed them around my two pickiest plants--cantaloupe and honeydew. they were probably not hardened enough when i put them out and the intense force of the rain has been tearing their leaves. my hope is that the bottles will limit insects and keep out "angry rain".

Day Seventeen.
tuesday. i am tired all day.

at 6am a huge crack of thunder simultaneously woke up 90% of the DC metro area's population. we were all grumpy for the rest of this wet wet day.

i checked my plants briefly. if they could have given a planty finger, thy would have. at least i put those bottles over the two melons. they were not damaged by the storm. the 2nd round of pepper blossoms has fallen off, however. peppers are picky, and they are not getting their way.

good news: one pumpkin blossom has pulled ahead in the race and is bigger than all of its siblings.


Day Eighteen
wednesday. mixed bag.

when i trotted out to see the garden this morning, i was greeted but a pumpkin blossom that is getting orange! and bigger! i think it may open this weekend. speaking of blossoms, they are opening on the cherry tomato plant.

also, my Early Girl is rallying for the cause and the new growth has doubled in height since i took the last photo on sunday.

right now as i sit here typing this, thunder is rumbling outside. sigh!!!!

indoor gardening
allsorts.

all of rW's herbs have sprouted. mint is very tiny, but basil is forming a second tier if leaves and cilantro wants to be very tall. i think he is getting a little impatient for finished herb products, however.

i transplanted arugula over the weekend to thin it.... i think i did more harm than good. lots of sprouts around transplant sites are dying off, but the other guys are forming a second set of leaves. time will tell.

knitting for rW

rW has it really good. i am relatively clean. i can cook. and bake. and i knit for him. here are the latest goodies....

(note: he would take exception if i did not mention that the mutton chops seen in some of these photos were a temporary involuntary facial hair style. they are no longer with us.)

brownie
aka "men's rustic scarf"
designed by Joelle Hoverson
published in Last Minute Knitted Gifts

knit in Cascade 128 Tweed (7625 "camel", 7617 "grey", 7623 "coffee", 7622 "olive" 90% Peruvian Wool, 10% Donegal) purchased at K+S=B on size US 10.5 needles.

started: January 10, 2009.
finished: January 20, 2009.

i knit a black and grey version of this scarf for rW and gave it to him on our 6 month anniversary. it was the first cold day in DC. he loves that scarf and is trying really hard to wear it to death. so i made him another. this one is in colors to wear with his 1960s vintage camel dress coat and his 1970s brown leather/sheepskin mobster coat.

i like both scarves very much, but i think this one is going t hold up better for the long haul. the alpaca gets stretched out, and the wool is nicely bouncy with plenty of memory.

obnoxious new wave hat
aka "tychus"
designed by Brooke T. Higgins
published at knitty.com

knit in 1 ball Karabella Merino Superwash (winter white, 100% merino wool) and 2.3 balls of ACA Supreme Pure Angora (black, 100% angora) on size US 8 needles.

started: january 23, 2009.
finished: a few hours later.

rW loves to wear a hat. he owns many caps, but he only has a few knit hats, and i think that number has dwindled since he was given his first hand knit hat. i think i am spoiling him in this regard.

after i made my angora toque, rW wanted a black and white angora sweater. i told him how crazy that idea was and he agreed a hat was a better choice. his requirements: must be black and white. must be obnoxious.

i think this fits the bill.

the hat gets fuzzier the more he wears it, and when he is out in public people often have to take a good long look at the hat. mission accomplished.


manly muffler
aka "envy"
designed by John Brinegar
published at yarn ball boogie

knit in 2/3 of a skein of Lamb's Pride Burly Spun (BS-06 "deep charcoal", 100% wool) purchased at A Tangled Skein on size US 11 needles.

started: february 14, 2009.
finished: february 15, 2009.

another scarf.
i was making cowls, and rW really liked them, but i needed a more manly pattern to make him something cowl-like. i think that this works well in the deep grey and the bone buttons.

rW helped me pick the buttons, and i think they are one of my favourite parts of the project. they look rustic and old. this neck warmer looks particularly good with rW's motorcycle jacket.

muffins are tops

i made whole wheat muffins with raspberry jam centers. fast and delicious!

these are real muffins. not cupcakes masquerading as muffins. dense. very little sugar. satisfying.

and small!
i hate those oily otis spunkmeyer muffins the size of my face. these are two bites each. yum. yum.

let's see... and now something i crocheted. yes! crocheted!

Crochet Circle Mat
aka "quick! it is cold down here!"
designed by kittything

crocheted in 850 yards of various worsted weight cottons held six strands together with a size S crochet hook.

started: january 28, 2009.
finished: 2 hours later.

i made this to go with the bathmat i knit for rW when he moved into his new place. i picked up some more colors in the shower curtain i sewed for him and made this as the mat to step out of the shower onto. the knit guy has been transferred to the space in front of the sink .

this was super fast. literally 2 hours from digging the yarn and hook out of my stash to uploading the photos on ravelry. and it is cozy too! six strands thick and cushy, and it has held up well in the first washing.

more old projects to be reveled over time!

greenie

this is the wild aran set i knit for Collin for christmas. see, i told you the little cutie was making me a crazy knitting lady. still, this set is really hard to resist.

Irish Leprechaun
design by Dany Ribailler
published in Chic Knits for Stylish Babies

knit in Bollcine Dolly (5 skeins #602 kale green and 5 skeins #603 olive green, 100% superwash merino wool) purchased at K+S=B on size US 3 and 5 needles.

started: june 15, 2008.
finished: december 25, 2008.

this was such a cute little gift, but by did it take a lot of knitting. lets review all the pieces so one can fully appreciate how much knitting was done. i made: a pair of mittens, scarf, hat, sweater, and pants.

yes, i have knit cabled pants.
i have already admitted that i crossed over into a new area of knitting lunacy. what more do you want from me?

i will say that the pants are what really took it out of me. thy were a ton of knitting for their size, and you had to pay plenty of attention to it because while the stitches were not hard, getting the increases and cable turns worked out was tricky if distracted.

i made some modifications to speed up the product because i was up against a deadline of december 28 when i would see my cousin and her family. a few mods...

i joined the pants to knit in the round once i finished the leg increases and crotch shaping. the top was worked this way with a purl stitch to mark the seam at front and back.

i also knit the sweater in the round up to the armholes and then divided to make the fronts and back.

additionally, i knit the backside of the sweater only in double moss stitch rather than in the cable pattern as it was written. i did this for a few reasons... 1. it was faster. 2. babies spend a lot of time laying on their backs hiding their sweaters in car seats and swingy chairs. 3. if i spent a lot of my time reclining, i certainly would not want a lumpy cable pressing into my back.

were i to knit this again (and let's face it, i probably won't) i would make a few other changes to the pieces i knit early on in the process. mittens and hat would have both been knit in the round instead of seamed. i would probably have grafted the top of the hat closed as well, although i think the seam gives it some stability to make the tassels pop out at the sides.

overall, i am really happy with this one. obviously i started it before i got word that Collin was a boy, so i picked green, and i am hoping my cousin will out it on her other kiddos as they come along. who wouldn't love to see the sweater worn with pink or purple corduroy pants by a girl? or how abut those pants with a hot pink hoodie?

my cousin is not a very girlie girl, but her sister-in-law is, so i think my visions of this ensemble being pinked out will eventually come true if a girl comes along.

and now, the gratuitous picture fest... i have not figured out at this point if blogger will let you do a cut in a post, so bear with me.

no one uses dial-up now anyway.

pants! pants! pants!

rustic buttons

sweater. of delight!

i know, these are silly.

tassels!

knitting for me

i did a boatload of knitting for my family and rW in 2008, so i am being selfish for a little bit and knitting for myself. see, that's the thing... i have all this stash for stuff for me. i have to buy new when i knit for others. time to bust some stash and get some stuff knit up for me to boot!

River Twist Vest
aka Greenday Vest
designed by Mari Muinonen
published at Made By Myself

knit in Mountain Colors River Twist (2 skeins "Firehole River", 100% merino wool) purchased at A Yarn Shop in Marblehead, OH on size US 4 and 6 circular needles.

started: december 29, 2008.
finished: january 3, 2009.

let me say up front that this is a good pattern if you have some knitting experience and can use logic to fill in the blanks. the designer is from Finland and her english is good by not her first language. it is no harder to decipher than an over edited pattern in a knitting magazine.

pardon my colors.
it is very hard to take pictures of yourself. i used to be better at it, or at least i used to be happier with my self-photography.

this was really fast and fun, and it is cozy to wear, but were i to knit this again (and i may) i think i would make it longer and bring the neckline up higher for a more functional vest... probably in a more subdued color. this one is just a lot of fun and acts as much as an accessory as a practical garment.

this yarn is beautiful, and i like it so much in the ball that i plan to keep my last 20ish yards as a treat to pet and look at from time to time.

Rapture Cowl
aka Cassie's Cowl
designed by Thea Colman
published at Baby Cocktails

knit in Reynolds Rapture (1 skein charcoal grey 50% wool, 50% silk) purchased at K+S=B on size US 10 needles.

started: january 9, 2009.
finished: january 10, 2009.

fun and pretty.
i knit this from a skien of yarn left from my first sweater. i liked it then and i like it now.

the ribbed lace is surprisingly warm, and now my neck warming garments have chalked up another among their numbers. i have three favourite scarves, and i think i am wearing them out with my devotion.

i have another vest and a scarf on the needles right now. the vest is a fun knit, and the scarf is another fast one for rW. not that he needs a new scarf this week. he is in tampa for a conference.

jerk.
ha. just kidding.

goodbye sidebar

regular readers may note that in my sidebar i give myself a pat on the back and list the projects i complete in the given year. it is that time of year, and the sidebar needs to be reset because soon i will have a completed project in 2009.

so what did i make?

54 total projects.
5 were crochet projects.
49 were knitting projects.

i made..
11 pairs of mittens or gloves.
2 pairs of booties.
13 hats.
7 scarves/cowls.
4 items for the home.
7 adult size sweaters/tanks/shrugs
4 baby sweaters.
1 pair of baby pants.
2 neckties.
2 toys.
and 1 lace christening shawl.

and here they are....

(you can see photos for most of these projects on either flickr or ravelry and in the archives of this blog.)

completed 2008

• crochet


• the littlest browns hat (original)


• piggy (lion brand)


• froggy (lion brand)


• baby starghan (diva crochets)


• jessie's birthday cloths (x4)




• knit


• baby aran sweater (chic knits)


• baby aran pants (chic knits)


• baby aran mittens (chic knits)


• baby aran scarf (chic knits)


• baby aran hat (chic knits)


• OSU Slip stitch hat (original)


• OSU Center Square hat (knitty)


• beer gloves (son of SnB)


• floppy toque (vogue)


• spiral cowl (knitty gritty thoughts)


• expression scarf (yarn over manhattan)


• celtic knot christening shawl (improvised)


• cabled tam (vogue)


• angora booties (LMKG)


• aspen beret (pam allen)


• puffy vest (knitscene)


• unoriginal hat (yarn harlot)


• unshaped shrug (just call me ruby)


• harvest mittens (vogue knitting)


• foliage hat (knitty.com)


• super mittens (weekend knitting)


• beaded cable mittens (cabin fever)


• baby mittens (sassy stitches)


• eyelet cowl (sour cherries)


• FIN beanie (tikru)


• sweet girls hat (original)


• cabled shell (lion brand)


• silk seed stitch tie (lion brand)


• berkshire pullover (weekend knitting)


• unisex knock around sweater (weekend knitting)


• sock tie (koigu wool designs)


• rockabilly bathmat (improvised)


• ribbed tank (stacy charles)


• oh my! cardigan (plymouth)


• gathered pullover (interweave knits)


• rainbow hat (last-minute knitted gifts)


• sideways scarf (last-minute knitted gifts)


• cashmere scarf (last-minute knitted gifts)


• cabled mittens II (101 1-skein wonders)


• orangini vest (minnowknits)


• cabled mittens I (101 1-skein wonders)


• felted bowl (plymouth)


• classic cashmere bootees (erika knight)


• baby squash hat (101 1-skein wonders)


• store model toddler pullover (plymouth)


• jen's fingerless mitts (weekend knitting)


• purl beret (purl bee)


• deb's fingerless mitts (weekend knitting)




• knit + crochet


• luscious collar #2 (interweave)

being green

most of my recent knitting is of the stealth variety. i will be able to share it all next week, but for now i need to reach back to provide content.

i have been hanging on to this one for a modeled photo. it is really cute when worn, but i have not been able to take a good picture of myself wearing it. i think it is the sort of odd garment that requires seeing the whole person to not have a "whoa. what the...?"

PUFF-n-STUFF!

Himalayan Vest
designed by Katie Himmelberg.
published in Knitscene, Fall 2008.

knit in approx. 6 skeins of Manos Del Urguay Wool (#68 citric, 100% wool) purcased at K+S=B on size US 11 and US 8 circular needles and stuffed with 100% wool roving purchased at Just for Ewe in Marblehead, OH.

started: november 4, 2008.
finished: november 17, 2008.

i started this while watching the election returns. i needed something pretty straightforward because i was obviously distracted.


you knit this with a double strand of yarn on very large needles. this was a little tough on my hands, so while the knitting itself went quickly, i could not work on it for long periods of time. despite being knit almost entirely in one piece, this has a lot of finishing. there are only two seams (shoulders) but because of the construction method with the "chambers" that need to be stuffed to make a puffy vest. there are just a ton of ends that must be woven way.
i wear it with the front open, and you would not think the vest would be that warm, but when you take it off, you really notice a big difference. i like it because it keeps me warm, but i don't get too hot when i have it on.

i have some more vests in my sights for 2009. i want to get back to some sweater knitting for myself, but i plan to go into it slowly because i don't think i can have more sweater disappointment.

we shall see!

the most beautiful thing i have ever made

i don't even know where to begin on this one. i mean, some projects are just so intense and wonderful that you can't regard them in the same way you do say... a hat. or even a sweater for yourself.

that is more or less how i feel about this one. my Dad tried to ask me how much i would sell Collin's christening shawl for (of course. he sees most things in $.), and he didn't believe me when i said i could never sell this one. and i think that is true. i could be paid thousands of dollars to knit another one, but i could never ave sold the one right off my needles.

it means too much.
it has in it all my hopes for him, and his family. all the happy thoughts i had while making it, and all the frustration too. (all the sweeter for being a little bitter!) i think about the project and i think about all the great things that happened while i was working on it--my cousin's trip out to visit me on the spur of the moment, the oohs and ahhs from other knitters when i pulled out the piece in progress, how thrilled my cousin's husband sounded on the phone when he told me Collin had arrived, the compare and contrast my mum and i had with our various projects for the baby to be, the trip out for the shower.

probably best of all was the reaction from the proud parents when i handed it over. i love when i can make something that makes people happy.

Collin's Christening Shawl
based on the Celtic Knot Stole
designed by Sarah Kendra Hughs
published in I Dream of the Sea

knit in 5 skeins of Rowan 4-ply Soft (#376 "Nippy", 100% merino wool) purchased at K+S=B and knit on size US 4 addi Lace circular needles.

started: april 17, 2008.
finished: november 27, 2008.

if you want the complete glamour shots and work in progress photos, they can be viewed in the picasa album posted below. there are 2 mistakes that are visible in the final project, but they are relatively small. if you want to stay on my good side, you will keep them to yourself.

finally, here is the link to my ravelry page for the project. other ravelry members can read all about the knitting trials there.

Collin's Christening Shawl

"neck" is a funny word

there are some words that the more you say them, the funnier they sound and the more they seem to lose meaning as a word and just become a sound. rW and i were saying one of these words over and over again yesterday--'pointy'.

'neck' is one of this words.

obviously our shopping trip went poorly yesterday if the thing i am reporting is funny words we said, not gifts bought. gah!

SO!
things that go on necks.....

Serenade Cowl
designed by kittything
offered as a free pattern with yarn purchase at K+S=B.

knit in 2 skeins of Artful Yarns 'Serenade' (#6011 "Against All Odds" 70% pima cotton, 30% angora) on size US 7 needles.

started: october 22, 2008.
finished: october 24, 2008.

i whipped this up for the shop as a store model. we started carrying this odd cotton/angora yarn for scarves and needed something to show it. turns out, it is not that great as a scarf yarn
and it is mostly used as a very basic sweater yarn.

so i made a simple cowl. i like to think it as a scarf one cannot lose. pretty.

after i knit the cowl for the shop, i wanted one for myself.

Spiral Cowl
designed by Keri McKiernan
published at Knitty Gritty Thoughts

knit in 1.5 skeins of Malabrigo Silky Merino (#430 "smoke" 50% merino wool, 50% silk) purchased at Now and Then in Takoma Park, Md and knit on size US 5 circular needles.

started: december 1, 2008.
finished: december 5, 2008.

i started and then had to entirely rip out this project on the ride home from thanksgiving. i twisted the join and would have had a yucky mobius.

after i overcame the initial stumbling block, it went fairly well. i knit it at a first read for a play and then on the metro when rW had to borrow my car for a few days. i think it is excellent train (or bus, or tv) knitting.

were i to knit this again, i wold cast on fewer stitches because i think it is a little larger than i would like for keeping warm. i will say it works very well with a brooch or stick pin holding the extra fabric in place. and it looks nice!

the best things: the yarn and the edging. this is the extra yarn i did not use to knit the cabled tam. i loved it for the tam and i still love it for this. also, the edges are very pretty. i used sewn down picot "hemmed" edges. this was my first go at this technique and i think ti is very pretty, but i want more practice.

and finally, a scarf.

Go Diagonal! Scarf
designed by Sophia Kessinger.
published at Yarn-over Manhattan.

knit in 3 skeins of Plymouth Expression (#3326, 55% wool, 45% acrylic) purchased at K+S=B and knit on size US 11 needles.

started: december 2, 2008.
finished: december 6, 2008.

i am not a big fan of scarf knitting, but every so often, i will turn one out. this one is for rW's mother. i decided that she needed something happy and colorful for christmas, and i think this just about fits that bill.

this yarn knits up very fast and reminds me a lot of Berroco Foliage, which has been discontinued.


more holiday gifts revealed after the big day. i can't believe how quickly it is coming!

hop hop hop

i have a new favourite fiber: angora. it is warm, fuzzy, and comes from the cutest creature possible... a long haired bunny. i have recently knit two projects in this delightful stuff.

Bunny Toes
aka Angora Baby Booties
designed by Joelle Hoverson
published in Last-Minute Knitted Gifts

knit in 1.25 skeins of Spinnerin "Ballerina" (lipstick red, 100% angora) purchased at A Yarn Shop Marblehead, OH on size US 5 DPNs.

started: november 6, 2008.
finished: december 1, 2008.

these are incredibly cute, easy to knit, and take no time at all. i would have finished them the same evening i started them had i not run out of yarn. my gauge was correct, but i still ended up needing a little more yarn to finish

my mum was kind enough to get me a second ball at one of her local yarn shops. unfortunately the dye lots were different and the one cuff is a little off in color. i doubt the future baby who wears these will notice. if they do, then i have decided i don't like that kid or their parents who let their kid criticize a gift.

so there.


Bunny Flop
aka Floppy Toque.
designed by Cathy Carron.
published in Vogue Knitting, Holiday 2008.

knit in 12 skeins of ACA Supreme Pure Angora (ink black, 100% angora) purchased on Ebay and knit on size US 6 DPNs and circs.

started: december 5, 2008.
finished: december 7, 2008.

this hat is super warm. i love how fuzzy and soft it is, and i enjoyed knitting it as well. you work it from the top down and knit with two strands of angora held together. it is very dense and even thicker because the deep ribbing folds back on another layer of hat. delightful!

i really like the look of this hat, and i may make another one, but i would probably switch to brushed alpaca because angora is just a little too rich for my bank account. at least it would be if i tried to use it all the time!

proper topper: hats part II

the hat chronicles continue. i noticed something as i thought about my hat knitting some more. i tend to make hats in the last quarter of the year and there are very few that fall outside that period. funny, huh.


Unoriginal Hat
designed by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
published in the Yarn Harlot

knit in 1 skein of Malabrigo Chunky ("bobby blue", 100% kettle dyed merino wool) purchased at Now and Then on size US 10 DPNs.

started: november 13, 2008.
finished: november 13, 2008.

i bought this skein to be the pom pom and i-cord on the earflap hat i never knit out of the other skein of darker blue malabrigo. i had this pattern kicking around my queue for awhile and i thought it would be a good back-up gift to have on hand in case i can't find something better for the person i have in mind.

it is a fun and simple pattern. cables rock.


Gold Star Beret
aka "Aspen Beret".
designed by Pam Allen.
published in CEY #9092 Autumn, Book One.

knit in one skein of Lion Brand Woolease Thick & Quick (#189 "Butterscotch" 80% acrylic, 20% wool) on size 13 DPNs.

started: november 18, 2008.
finished: november 19, 2008.

the star stitch was very fun!
i started this when i was in dress rehearsals for Lord of the Flies. there was enough light spill from the stage that i could see the star stitches, but the pattern was easy enough that i didn't have to pay much attention.

the student actors thought i was a super star because they saw me knitting the hat on tuesday night and i wore it on wednesday.

were i to knit this again i would have gone down a needle size for the ribbing because it loosened up with wear and i have had to thread a drawstring through the ribbing and tie it in a bow at the back to keep the hat on my head. eek!


#09 Cabled Tam
designed by Jennifer Hagan.
published in Vogue Knitting, Holiday 2008.

knit in 1.25 skein of Malabrigo Silky Merino (#430 "smoke" 50% silk, 50% merino wool) purchased at Now and Then and knit on size US 5 DPNs and size US 4 & 5 circs.

started: november 14, 2008.
finished: december 4, 2008.

this project started with the yarn. i had. to. have. the smoke silky merino, and i bought enough for the bobbed tam also published in this issue of Vogue Knitting. then i decided the color was not good for the bobbles and switched to the cabled tam. the pattern calls for more yarn so i bought a third skein.

it turned out that i barely needed the second!

this hat is really beautiful, and the pattern is very good, although there is a small mistake in the last couple of rows of the chart. as enjoyable as it was to knit the tam, i will say it had a few tedious moments. most of those were centered around the rows in which every single stitch is cabled and you are working over 240 stitches in the round. those rows were blessedly few, which means on the balance, this was extremely enjoyable and gratifying to knit.

i call the project done, but i am pretty sure i am going to tear back the bind-off and ribbing and reknit it on size US 3 needles and for a few more rows to make a snugger band. this hat has a problem similar to the Aspen Beret.

one more hat to go!

put a lid on it: hats, part I

while i have been primarily devoting myself to complex gift projects that are running on deadlines, i have managed to squeeze in some other projects. almost all of these have been hats because they are very fast to make, and some of these have been skill builders to boot.

hats! hats! hats!


Foliage
design by Emilee Mooney
published at knitty.com

knit in 1 skein of Malabrigo Chunky (#98 "tuareg", 100% kettle dyed merino wool) purchased at Now and Then on size US 10 DPNs.

started: october 31, 2008.
finished: october 31, 2008.

i originally bought this yarn to knit an ear flap hat with a pom pom top and ties. as i started the hat, i discovered it looked awful in this yarn because it is too springy (texture, not season). i bought all of this color at the shop, so i couldn't get more to make something bigger than a hat, so i was on a search. i don't knit a lot of lace, so i decided to try this hat and see how lace in a chunky yarn looks. i like it. this is going to be a holiday gift to match the blue mittens i posted about a few weeks ago.

the construction was really cool for Foliage. you knit the hat from the top down increasing in the leaf lace repeat. fun.

FIN beanie
designed by Mari Muinonen
published in Made by Myself

knit in 1 ball of Jo Sharp Silkroad DK tweed (#409 "night" 85% wool, 10% silk, 5% cashmere) purchased at K+S=B on size US 5 DPNs.

started: october 21, 2008
finished: october 22, 2008.

i love this yarn, and i am a big fan of this hat because it has an awesome star decrease pattern on top. pretty straightforward hat that really shows off the tweed yarn.

yum!


Sweet Girl
design by kittything
available free with yarn purchase at K+S=B

knit in 1 skein of Schoeller + Stahl "Sweet Girls" (100% acrylic with silly ruffles!) on size US 10.5 needles.

started: october 4, 2008.
finished: october 21, 2008.

this is a store model to show this funny yarn we are carrying this fall. i am not into novelty yarns, so this is not my thing, but the hat design itself is cute. the top has an eyelet row and ribbon drawstring to close it up so a little girl can wear her ponytail through the top of the hat.

i know, adorable. speaking of adorable...


The Littlest Brown
designed by kittything
unpublished improvisation

crocheted in scraps of Frog Tree Merino (100% merino wool) with a size I hook.

started: november 6, 2008.
finished: november 6, 2008.

this is a hat for Collin to match the browns hat i gave his father last year for christmas. i made it from the scraps of the bigger hat. you can see father and son sporting their tasteful sports themed hats together on Collin's blog. this kid is amazing. he is cute, quiet, and already a prolific blogger!

lest you feel abandoned.

i have abandoned no one!
i have just been busy with a new show, meetings for winter projects, and the store. , yes... and the election! it was, dare i say, fun. i was reading a lot of commentary and listening to bipartisan speculation about the forthcoming administration. it has been pretty interesting, not to mention historic.

i have also been knitting some gifts and finishing up projects that were languishing at 50%. i have a current favorite... mittens!

here are four projects for your enjoyment.


Yellow Harvest Mittens
designed by Mari Muinonen
published in Vogue Knitting, Fall 2008

knit in 1 skein Manos del Urguay 100% Wool (color X "topaz") purchased at K+S=B, on size US 6 and 7 DPNS.

started: september 11, 2008.
finished: november 3, 2008.

these were a lot of fun, and they look great. i blocked them after this picture was taken, and they are awesome.

charts were good. bobbles are fun to knit (who knew!) and i have only one complaint. the pattern tells you to work the decrease area in stockinette but if you want continuity on the mitten, you need to be using reverse stockinette. i followed the directions exactly and realized when i was done and had blocked them that i should have been a rebel and changed the pattern.

live and learn, but i still love them. this is a project for me obviously.


Super Mittens
designed by Margrit Lohrer
published in Weekend Kitting

knit in 1 skein Malabrigo Chunky (color 98 "Tuareg", 100% merino wool) purchased at Now and Then, on size US 10 DPNS.

started: october 29, 2008.
finished: october 30, 2008.

these are a gift. i want to keep them. not really. i don't wear much blue, but they are super squishy and soft and this yarn was a delight to knit. this project continues to reinforce my love for the book Weekend Knitting

i was given the book last year for christmas, and i have made 6 projects from it so far. two of those were sweaters. not bad considering how ADD i get about patterns.

i made a hat to go with the mittens. i will share it later in the week.


Baby Mittens
designed by Kaitlyn Wong
published at Sassy Stitches

knit in half a skein of Artful Yarns Serenade (color 6211 "Against All Odds" 70% pima cotton, 30% angora) purchased at K+S=B on size US 5 DPNs.

started: october 24, 2008.
finished october 26, 2008.

i knit these for Collin. i started them when my cousin told me she was headed to the hospital because i needed something else to focus on... a movie was not cutting it. i finished them the day after he was born and they went off in a little birthday gift package with a hat. more on that later.

i modified the pattern to use heavier yarn. the designer calls for fingering weight doubled. i used a "worsted" that i consider especially light.


"Beaded" Cable Mittens
designed by Shirl the Purl
published by Cabin Fever

knit in 2 skeins of Berroco Pure Merino ("kale" 100% superwash merino wool) purchased at K+S=B on size US 4 & 5 DPNS.

started: october 2, 2008.
finished: october 28, 2008.

these are a store model that is part of out holiday 2008 gifts display at the shop. they were fun to knit, and i love the color, but i think the mittens would have looked nicer in a wool that was a bit sticky and didn't have as much smoosh or softness.

i know, sacrilege to exchange looks for softness, but that is how i feel about it.

obviously the pattern is written to be beaded, but i decided to forgo beads because that is a technique many knitters have an artificial fear of trying.... and as a store model, it needs to appeal to the masses.

i also think these could be good for a man in a masculine color, and then the beads are going to be a no-go for most occasions.

looks out for more knitting updates later in the week.

tonight i have pledged to fix my mistakes in the shawl and get back to work on that thing. i really want to take it back to ohio on turkey day... even if i have longer, i feel anxious about it!

sweet life

i have been doing secret holiday knitting that the blog readership cannot know about (hi family peoples. what up.) so i will share a so-not-me project here today.

this is a store model for the shop. i designed the pattern to be given out with the yarn, which as you can see is sort of silly. i plan to see if i can knit a second one in a plain yarn for more long term use in the shop.

the details....

Ruffled Drawstring Hat
designed by kittything
free with yarn purchase at K+S=B

knit in one skein of Scholler+Stahl Sweet Girls (100% acrylic) on size US 10.5 needles. fits a toddler or young child (16"-18" head).

started: october 4, 2008.
finished: october 20, 2008.

i started knitting this and then realized i didn't have a real plan. so i set it aside, designed it out in my head and finished it in one sitting yesterday while watching the movie Airplane!.

because it is store model (needs to be easy to knit) and it the yarn is a little tricky, i knit the hat flat and seamed it rather than knitting in the round.

the ruffles are goofy. you make them by grabbing only part of the ruffled section of the yarn and knitting or purling only the edge. on the knit side, you purl the ruffles, on the purl side, you knit the ruffles. it is opposite in order to keep the ruffles on the right side of the work. strange.

the cute thing about the pattern (never mind the yarn) is the drawstring top. a little girl can pull her ponytail through the top of her hat. cute!

in other news...
i had my head shots taken on sunday (and had to miss a BBQ at my aunt's house for it! grr!) and they went better than the horror show in my head. hair and make-up was easy. she didn't lecture me about home hair dye or going to a dermatologist, so that was good.

photo shoot was also good. we will see how the pictures turn out. i think i was done up a little on the vintage pin up side, and my glasses were problematic with glare so i had to take a lot without them. but i am sure there is something i can use.

last night i made a favourite dish from my childhood--macaroni and cheese omelet! it is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. macaroni, egg, extra sharp cheddar cheese, fake bacon, salt, pepper, milk, frying pan. cook it. delicious.

prior to last night, i only have eaten it once since i went veggie. it is sort of bland without the bacon. now fake bacon technology has caught up and i was able to make it with the fakcon (as rW and i like to call it) and enjoy a slice of childhood once again. i also substituted in whole wheat macaroni.

i bet the whole thing could be made vegan, but i am opposed to soy cheese for personal reasons.

shower craft

saturday i attended my cousin's baby shower. for the forthcoming bambino, i made a few crafty gifts. not all of them were yarn craft, but there was some of that as well (as always!). first, something we have seen before.

bambino is a little boy, and he will have the cashmere bootees i knit a few months ago. i added a blue ribbon to each to make it a little more "boy" and to help prevent him from kicking them of his little feets.

at the shower we had to pass the bootees around because everyone wanted to touch the cashmere.

in addition to warming his piggies, i made something to adorn the bambino's nursery walls. jess liked the winnie the pooh gang a lot when we were little, so i decided to make some pooh themed wall hangings. these four little guys are about 2 inches tall in their frames.

very cute and super fun to make.
each one took about 2-3 hours to stitch and frame. i have not done a lot of cross stitch since 2000, so this was a big change of pace for me. i enjoyed it a lot once i got the hang of the technique again.

finally, i created a "least common denominator" craft--iron-on transfer. i was at jo-ann's a few weeks back and saw these iron-on transfers and could not resist. super cute on blue onesies. they were a pretty big hit

there may be more shower and/or ohio pictures to come.... BUT! i am entering tech this weekend, so updates will become sparse soon.

out of town

i am i ohio right now visiting with my family and attending my cousin's baby shower. right before i left, i finished my dad's sweater. about freaking time.

i know it didn't take me long to knit it, but it felt like a dog's age because there were so many unexpected mistakes in the numbers. i was following the pattern carefully, and then it stopped following itself. and there is no errata for this pattern!

boo.

the project...

i ::heart:: my dad
a.k.a. Unisex Knock-Around Cashmere Pullover
by Teva Durham
published in Weekend Knitting

size 44". knit in Cascade 128 Tweed (7 skeins #7622 olive green, 90% Peruvian Wool, 10% Donegal.) on size US 10 needles.

started: july 24, 2008.
finished: august 11, 2008.

let me start by saying that this sweater is beautiful. let me also say that i really enjoyed making it up until the last 20% or so. and let me conclude this initial assessment by posting my ravelry notes into the blog.

it had such a positive start...

i have started my christmas knitting. i work on this project around my boyfriend because i get distracted easily by our conversations, and this pattern is very simple.

i am considering modifying the sleeves.

07/27/08: finished both center panel sections. i have sewn them together at the side seams and picked up the stitches for the bottom of the sweater to knit in the round rather than picking up separately and seaming later.

me = lazy

i should not have been lazy. or i should have done a bit more thinking. i picked up the total number of stitches for both sides and knit them. well, if i had been thinking, i would have taken away stitches for the seams. two stitches on each side get used in the seaming, and i had no seams.... so my bottom section of the sweater flared out.

in the end, i decided to seam in darts on each side to reduce those stitches--flare taken care of.

07/30/08: finished bottom portion of the sweater body, picked up stitches for front body and sleeve increases.

08/04/08: finished the top front/front sleeves. i was knitting away and thinking “wow, this is taking a long time” until i looked at the reality of what i was knitting–the top of the sweater body and both sleeves at the same time. silly knitter, trix are for kids.

i am a little nervous about the collar looking good!

nd my nerves started at the right time. my knitter's spidey sinse was tingling because it got tough from here on out.

08/06/08: i knit the collar last night, and it looked good, but despite carefully reading the directions, my collar is about 5 stitches too far to one side. in this bulky yarn, that is more than an inch! gah. i need to go back to being a sock knitter.

08/07/08: i fixed the collar yesterday and it is now in the correct spot. for the life of me, i could not make the pattern numbers work, so i just employed my old pal logic.

08/09/08: i knit the back following the instructions, and it is all sorts of jacked up. i cannot even describe the absurdity.

08/10/08: okay. i managed to fix the back by completely ignoring the directions and decreasing the sleeve stitches MUCH sooner than the pattern recommends. i did the 3 needle bind off written in the pattern, but it looks assy, so i am riping it out and redoing.

i have had such a hard time with the last haul on this pattern, but there is no errata on the pattern.

i am dubious.

08/11/08: sweater is done. drying from the blocking. pics to follow soon!

i ended up pulling out a second three needle bind-off and simply binding off the back section and sewing it to the back center panel. it looks much better.

as if the pattern problems were not enough, i was thisclose to running out of yarn!

my final problem with this pattern is the serious amount of extra yarn i needed. i am glad i bought two extra skeins because th pattern called for 660 yards for the size i made and my skeins totaled 896 yards. that is more than 100 yards over the amount called for with the next size up.

i used all but the tiniest scraps. i have one 4 yard piece and 4 pieces of yarn longer than 8 inches. the rest is the clippings from the ends.

08/12/08: blocked and photographed. thank you to rW for standing in as a sweater model.

in the end, i can say... i like the sweater. it is very pretty, and i hope my dad likes it and actually wears it. i can also carve another notch on my knitting belt. i have now officially knit a man sized sweater! yeah!

more when i return from ohio. maybe even some non-knitting craftiness.

blargh!

there is something seriously screwed about the pattern from which i am knitting my father's sweater. it was smooth sailing until i hit the final 25% of the knitting. then the pattern numbers stopped matching up in the book, and all sorts of chaos ensued.

the collar was in the wrong place, and then the backs of my sleeves and the back of the body suddenly became too long well before they should have been "done". i think i need a break from oddly constructed sweaters that are made all in one piece.

when you have to rip back, you have to rip back a lot.

let's look at a few things that were not headache.

froggy
designed by Lion Brand

crocheted in Berroco Touche (3/4 of a skein of green tea and scraps of bleach, 50% cotton, 50% rayon) with a tahki cotton classic embellishments with a size H hook.

started and finished: august 4, 2008.

this guy is super goofy. he takes very little skill to create, and he is a very fast way to get the crochet fix. he has other friends from the same set on the lion website, and i plan to give him some company. i may gift the frog and his future friends as a whole menagerie or parse them out to people over time. we shall see, but i am pretty sure he will not be mine forever.


piggy
designed by Lion Brand

crocheted in Mission Falls 1824 cotton (3/4 of a skein of #408 Foxglove 100% cotton)and mystery pink stash cotton and tahki cotton classic embellishments with a size H hook.

started and finished: august 5, 2008.

the pig was designed as a buddy to the frog, but i did a lot of modifications to the pattern to make him cuter (in my opinion). he has a real snout and a tail in my version. he also looks more like pig and less like a ball.... his body instructions are actually identical to the frog.

now you can see how much i modified him.

whew.
i feel better now. i think i may have it in me to put the stitches back on the needle and then... suck it up and deal.

i'm nice to my boyfriend

first the catch up.

long time no blog. i have been busy busy with starting the first 5 shows of the new theatre season, opening Marat/Sade (my final show of last season), helping on season selection for one theatre company, working at the store, teaching crochet class, seeing a friend whom i have not visited with since 2001, and completing the wedding gown i designed for another friend.

she is getting married today.

congrats to R. and her man D. i hope she feels (and looks) like a million bucks today, and even more than that, i hope they have a long and happy life together.

i may post a picture of the drawing of her dress after the big day is over. i will put a photo up once they get the professional shots back. that will probably be in a few weeks.

now the yarn projects.
while i have worked on many things, all my finished projects have been for rW, as this post title suggests.

rW's Rockabilly Bathmat (and Atomic Radios Shower Curtain)
designed by kittything

knit in many skein bits of random cotton from my stash (doubled) on size U.S. 10.5 needles.

started: july 3, 2008.
finished: july 9, 2008.

rW. moved into a new apartment on july 1, and he was blessed with a bathroom that had a manly 1960s pink tile renovation. me being that polly-anna, lemons into lemonade sort, i made him some accessories that made the place a little more his style.

it started with the atomic era radios shower curtain. i bought some yardage at the fabric store and sewed it to the correct dimensions and added grommets. voila! $20 bucks and an hour at the machine is much better than $40 and an hour at Linens and Things.

to go with the pink tile and crazy colored curtain, i took all the scraps of pink cotton in my stash and paired them with the black cotton bits and made a random stripe bathmat. very straight forward and a fast knit.

now that i have given it a chance, i think i would like to try crocheting a bathmat or other rug for myself in the future.

the other nicey nice thing...

The Great Green Sock Tie
aka Koigu Tie
designed by Maie Landra

knit in Hand Jive Knits Nature's Palette Fingering (1 skein NP122 "spring grass" 100% wool.) on size US # needles.

started: june 17, 2008.
finished: july 24, 2008.

this was a fun and easy knit. if i had been more focused, it would have taken me much less time, but this was tv watching, commuting, long meeting type knitting. whenever i had the right combination of silence and good lighting, this project got ignored in favor of the cables or lace haunting me currently.

one last picture to show some stitch detail....

finally.... remarkable things!

1. rW asked me to knit him this "sock tie". (!!!!)
2. he picked out the yarn himself with minimal guidance from me.
3. he wore it within 48 hours of completion, and he is already talking about "the next tie you make me...."

someone knows ow to get a knitter to make them gifts.