Knitting in the 'burbs

New Year's Eve Rogue Roses Socks

2012-01-01T13:00:00.018-06:00

It could be said these socks have been in progress for over a year and a half. I had started them in April 2010 but had to rip them back when it turned out that they were way to small. I was knitting too tight even for the larger size of the socks. I recast on in October 2011.

The leg for Sock A and B is 48 rows (4 pattern repeats). I started to knit row 49 and knit to two stitches before a marker indicating the beginning of purling. Then I continued with steps for creating the heel. I knit 5 pattern repeats (60 rows) on the foot. Then I started the toe decreases. The toe decreases were 1.75 inches long. I’m not sure this added enough length. I may need to knit another 6 rows of the pattern.

I finished the first sock and began knitting the second. After finishing 1.5 pattern repeats of the Sock B, I realized that I hate the way the lace pattern looks. Sock A had the yarn overs occurring by knit stitches and the Sock B has them appearing really close to purl stitches. This is causing the lace effect to look really sloppy compared to the other sock. I’m going to knit Sock A again, so the lace part occurs like it did with the first. So the socks will not be mirror images. It’s just two of the same sock with the pattern on the right side. Oh well.

Christmas 2011

2011-12-26T12:52:00.011-06:00

Interweave Knits Subscription
The Knitter's Book of Wool: The Ultimate Guide to Understanding, Using and Loving this Most Fabulous Fibers by Clara Parkes
Colorwork Creations: 30+ Patterns to Knit Gorgeous Hats, Mittens and Gloves by Susan Anderson-Freed
All Wound Up: The Yarn Harlot Writes for a Spin by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

Completed Simple Noro Sock

2011-09-08T15:57:00.011-05:00

30th Birthday

2011-09-03T12:47:00.023-05:00

I received many lovely presents for my 30th birthday but since this blog is devoted to knitting, I thought I would mention those that are most relevant to it.

Two large Chic-a Quick Draw Bags (colors: cherries and strawberries), Knitting Daily TV Series 100 - 400 DVDs and Knitting Daily Workshop: Inside Intarsia DVD with Anne Berk.

I have several Blue Sky Alpaca Pretty Cheap Project Bags in colors tangerine, turquoise, berry and purple. They retail for $7 compared to the $25 for the Chic-a Quick Draw Bags. The cheap project bags are made of muslin and feature a bird motif on the front. The quick draw bag is made of cotton that is double fabric. The outside fabric is polka dots and the inside is a single color. The bottom of the bags feature a vinyl fabric that is patterned. The inside also features a pocket. It's really important with the cheap project bags to not leave any small needles uncovered. I found one of my bags with a rather large whole from a size 2 dpn that I had been using for a sock.

Now, I think I'd like a Chic-a Single Yarn Keeper to keep my pesky balls of yarn from flopping about.

Simple Noro Sock

2011-07-17T14:36:00.007-05:00

When we were doing the road trip to Disney World, I started on a pair of simple knitted socks using some Noro Kureyon Sock Yarn that I had purchased at the 2008 STITCHES Midwest. Yarn tends to linger in my stash for ages before I'll use it. I'm trying to break my hoarding tendencies and use up yarn that I have purchased. I'm not allowing myself to purchase any new yarns unless they are truly unique. As in, I'm not going to be purchasing any Cascade 220 at this year's STITCHES.

I've just completed the first sock of the pair. Picking up the stitches to turn the heel lingered longer than I had originally anticipated. I really did not want to go through the effort of turning the heel and knitting the foot. It took two months just to complete this one sock and I have another one to go. I'm hoping I can get it wrapped up in maybe a month.

Prep for STITCHES Midwest

2011-07-15T12:24:00.004-05:00

In preparation for STITCHES MIDWEST from August 26-28, I've been knitting swatches. As a 30th birthday present to myself, I'm taking the following classes:

Custom Fitting Existing Patterns with Lily Chin - Friday
Design Your Dream Sweater with Leslye Solomon - Saturday
Crochet for Knitters Eckman with - Saturday
Round Up! 4 Ways to Knit in the Round with Beth Whiteside - Sunday

Two of the classes I'm taking require a total six swatches in terms of homework. The class with Lily Chin requires the most swatches and they reflect a variety of needles, yarn weights and stitch patterns. It seems it's to illustrate how using various needle sizes can augment the drape and texture of the fabric. As well as how stitch patterns can augment a fabric knit with the same yarn and needle. It should be an interesting class. I'm grateful that I completed Level 1 of the Knitting Guild Association's Master Knitting Program because I feel prepped for this.

Hippity Hoppity

2011-07-04T15:35:00.028-05:00

This is the Bunny Blanket Buddy from Lion Brand Yarns. I knit it in Lily Sugar'n Cream (colorway: Toffee) with size 8 and 10.5 needles. The face is embroidered in Blue Sky Alpacas Cotton so that I was only using machine washable cotton. The head is stuffed with blanket batting. I was afraid polyfill would poke out through the stitches and considering the head isn't knit very tightly, it definitely would have. It's a free pattern that can be found at the lion brand yarn website. It used only 15 grams / 25 yards of yarn. I have a coworker who is having her last day next week and wanted to be sure that I give her something for the little boy that's about to enter her family.

What's most am zing about this little knit, is that it's knit entirely in one piece. One piece, in terms of arms, head and ears. Seriously, that is really, really clever. There's no way anything is going to come off and harm a baby. I loved that the head is knit using the double knitting technique. With the use of slip stitches on both even and odd rows you are knitting the front and back at the same time. I was doing a brand new technique to me without even realizing it. The ears are knit by casting on and binding off additional stitches. In order to stuff the head, I had to place the stitches associate with the front and back on two separate needles so that I could get the batting in. It worked out splendidly.

Overall time to complete (includes embroidery)...4 hours. Not bad for a gifted item.

Felted Slippers

2011-07-02T22:24:00.020-05:00

I started on a pair of French Press Felted Slippers in May. While I was able to knit all the pieces in 2 days, I was rather slow going on blocking and sewing them together. I like to take my time...as in I really hate seaming. Hate it! Little did I know, that your seams will disappear in felting and so it doesn't matter if they aren't very good. They only need to lay flat.

The buttons are from Happy Owl Glassworks. I bought them ages ago maybe 2008) at the Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago. I'm not sure they even sell buttons anymore. They set me back $12, which I'm almost positive is more than I paid for the two balls of yarn it took to make the slippers.

Kitchen Scale - Yarn Scale

2011-06-30T20:09:00.002-05:00

I didn't realize how handy our digital kitchen scale could be. My husband uses it to help control food portions. I had some used yarn balls where I couldn't tell how much yarn was remaining for other projects. I switched the measumrent to grams and placed my ball on the scale and with a little math was able to discern how many yards I have available. I now know how many grams/yards I have my disposal for countless balls of Cascade 220, scraps from sock yarn and more recently (shown here) Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino. I have enough Cashmerino to make the Vine and Leaf Beret featured on the cover of Vogue Knitting Fall 2009. That'll be the first fall knit.

Simple Noro Sock

2011-06-27T22:09:00.000-05:00

I started knitting this during the road trip to Disney. This knitting project has, honestly, sucked. I knit a full three inches on day one of the trip after having cast-on 68 stitches. I placed the tube on my leg and realized this would never, ever work. So, I ripped out. I re-cast with more stitches and all appears to be going well. But I'm still on the first sock and haven't yet turned the heel. As any knitter could easily see, I have no passion for this project. We'll see what happens with it.

I'm not convinced I would ever buy Noro Kureyon Sock yarn again. I have high hopes that I can make the pair matching. But by having knit on size 2.5mm needles and cast-on more stitches I'm not convinced that it's possible.

Disney World - You're the BEST!

2011-05-27T20:22:00.013-05:00

It's a Small World...indeed. Even smaller the second go around.

It was scary the first time and still scary on the fourth!

Muppets. 3D. Miss Piggy as Lady Liberty Fountain. Heaven.

On Safari, checking out some rhinos.

Still traveling through the sub-Saharan.

To infinity and beyond!

Deutschland Cookoo Clock.

Bring on the vikings!

Cocktails in France: Grand Marnier slushie and Grey Goose Lemonade.

Sake in Japan.

Disney World - Rest and Relaxation

2011-05-22T10:03:00.008-05:00

We drove straight thru Tennessee, Georgia and Florida on 5/21. We checked into a hotel right outside of Disney the night before and after waking up early, checked in at the Boardwalk. The Boardwalk is a lovely hotel, walking distance from Epcot and Hollywood Studios. I loved the Mickey Mouse bed towels on the bed. Just perfect

(The Boardwalk all lit up at night.)
(The lights go on for ages.)

2nd Stop - Equus Run Vineyards

2011-05-20T14:01:00.005-05:00

1st Stop - Buffalo Trace Distillery

2011-05-20T12:13:00.013-05:00

Our Vacation Begins

2011-05-20T03:34:00.003-05:00

We're taking a road trip vacation over the next couple of days. Destination: Disney World.
Mickey Mouse here we come!

Healing Hand(s)

2011-04-19T21:51:00.006-05:00

My sister recently informed me that her glovelets had a run in with a moth. The glovelets ended up with a hole in the mock cable pattern. I did my best to mend them and think I did decent enough job.

Before Picture:

After Picture:

Simple Skyp Socks

2011-04-18T19:56:00.001-05:00

After a few assertions that "you don't make me anything," I began knitting my husband Chris, some socks. I picked the Simple Skyp sock pattern by Adrienne Ku and Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock Medium weight in the colorway Manly yes, but I like it too!, which really showcases the stitches - great stitch definition! It's a lovely gray.

I decided to not pick up an extra stitch on both sides of the sock to continue with the skyp pattern. This left me with just three ribbed sections of the pattern repeat on the foot, instead of five.

STITCHES Midwest Registration

2011-04-06T20:34:00.018-05:00

STITCHES Midwest Registrations opened today. For the first time since I've been going to STITCHES, I'll be attending classes. I booked 15 class hours! I'll be learning lots of things: how to augment existing patterns for a custom fit; to design a sweater from scratch; introductory crochet (for knitters); and various techniques for knitting in the round. While I knit with dpns and circulars, I'm particularly interested in learning how to knit with 2 circulars and the magic loop. I bought Two-at-a-Time Socks by Melissa Morgan-Oakes a few months ago and I'm hoping this will give me the courage to give it a go. I've knit quite a few socks and each time I come down with second sock syndrome. That second sock just seems to take me twice as long to finish. What's equally awesome about this weekend is I'll be turning 30. The big 3-0. This is in part how I decided to accommodate the cost to go to classes. It's a present to myself. And, since I purchased classes at STITCHES, I decided I'd also partake in the WEBS (http://www.yarn.com/) anniversary sale that is going on this month and next month. I purchased:

2 skeins of Cascade Jewel Paints (Cherry Berry and David's Eyes)

4 skeins of Knit One Crochet Too Camelino (Honey)

2 skeins of Cascade Ecological Wool (Dark Ash)

3 skeins of Cascade 220 (Straw, Brown, and Charcoal Gray)

16 balls of Berroco Pure Merino (Storm)

I picture making owls (sweater by Kate Davies), some Amigurumi knitted toys (release the kraken!), and French Press Felted Slippers. For the slippers, I have some awesome glass buttons (picture to come), featuring red octopuses on a blue background, that I think would go really well with the Cascade 220 in the straw colorway.

Meet Henry. Henry Meet Everyone.

2011-03-02T17:11:00.006-06:00

I started a Henry Rollins "knitted action figure" back in 2005 after going to one of his spoken word shows. I had high hopes that I could quickly make this and give it to my husband. It wasn't meant to be a gift really because I can't do deadlines. But oh my, should I have had a deadline. Without one, this thing lingered in my UFO pile for four years. I had everything knitted up within a month or so but when it came to seaming, I just didn't want to do it. I hate sewing things together, which was the very reason why I knitted the Drop-Stitch Tank in the round. My seaming skills are lacking and it's a bit obvious when looking at Henry Rollins arms. I didn't sew the shoulder seam correctly and by the time I noticed, I had already picked up stitches for his head.

He was knitted with Tahki Yarns Cotton Classic, which is kind of a crisp yarn. I think he looks pretty good.

Noro Obsession

2011-02-25T19:51:00.006-06:00

So in total over the last month, I knit a striped scarf, a striped hat (twice - I had to reknit the striped hat after it was apparent it was too big), and a regular hat. All with Noro Silk Garden.

Curlicue Baby Blanket

2011-01-30T18:30:00.000-06:00

Shortly after learning a close friend was expecting her first child (started on September 3), I decided I needed to knit a gift. With this in mind, I purchased 10 balls of Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino in a Khaki-ish color at Stitches Midwest. On size 4 (thought they were size 6 - oops!) needles, I cast on for the Curlicue Blanket by Skruddevutt (found on Ravelry. The yarn isn't exactly a mom's best friend but it's so unbelievably soft with it's fiber content: 55% Merino wool, 33% Microfibre, and 12% Cashmere. It's machine washable but is unfortunately dry flat and cool iron. But it can be dry cleaned.

The top and bottom border is 13 rows of garter stitch (approximately 1") and left and right border is 16 stitches of garter stitch. It's a lovely stitch pattern. Because I'm using a Sport-weight yarn, this is going to be a large project to tackle. I decided that I wanted the blanket to be at least 30" wide and 30" tall and cast on 209 stitches. This blanket, that is if I count my swatch gauge correctly, will have approximately 60,000 stitches. Crazy.

As of November 6, the blanket is 18 inches tall (over halfway there) and 30 inches wide - and it's only at 5 balls. This is by far the most intense project I've ever undertaken. It has to be comparable to knitting a sweater, right? Since it's just a square, it's not as though it looks like it's ever growing.

November 21, the blanket is 22" inches tall - 6 balls.

CO on 12/18/10 and blocked the next day. The final measurements are 36" wide and 31" tall or if one wants to place the blanket the other way 31" wide and 36" tall.

Stripey-Stripe-Stripe-Stripe

2011-01-19T19:56:00.007-06:00

I cast-on a new Noro Striped Scarf this last weekend using the same yarn as the new Noro Striped Hat - Noro Silk Garden, 45% Silk, 45% Kid Mohair and 10% Lamb's Wool (colorway 275 and 267). The first time I made this scarf, I used size 7 needles and found that the fabric was too dense. I also cast on almost 40 stitches and found myself not liking the width over time. So, this time, I used size 9 needles and cast-on 25 stitches.

Striped Hat Part Duex...Too Big

2011-01-15T13:30:00.019-06:00

After losing my striped hat on Black Friday, I opted to knit myself another one. This time I used only Noro Silk Garden, 45% Silk, $45% Kid Mohair and 10% Lamb's Wool (colorway 275 and 267).

CO 106 sts.

K2 P2 for the first 1.5" (approximately 12 rows). First four rounds are in colorway 267. Next four rounds (5-8) are in colorway 275. Next four rounds (6-12) are in colorway 267.

Round 13 increase 6 stitches (total stiches 110) evenly. Alternate two rounds in colorway 275 and 267 for 6.5". (I also made a jogless stripe so the lines would line up.)

Start decreasing every round until only 11 stitches are remaining.

Sew tail of leftover yarn through the 11 stitches.

Oh my. Now that it's on my head I'm keenly aware that it is too big. This thing has no negative ease at all. One weekend, I'm going to rip it and knit again.

Black Friday, Sad Friday

2010-11-26T23:01:00.007-06:00

I went out with my husband and in-laws to do some shopping. Unfortunately in the process, I lost my striped hat (from the March 7th post). I stuck it in my pocket and it must have fallen out. I didn't realize it until we were already heading out. I went back into the store and took the same route I had taken while shopping but couldn't locate it. We're going back on Monday to see if their lost and found will have it. I'm not holding much hope in recoverying it. I hate you Carson Pirie Scott.

Not Enough Hours

2010-11-04T20:51:00.003-05:00

It's been really hard to put any time into knitting lately. I've been working overtime on many days or when not at work just thinking of work. The stress from this isn't really conducive to me knitting because I can't really fall into it. I find knitting to be really meditative but if I'm already incredibly tense then it's hard to start or concentrate on the act of knitting.

Drop-Stitch Tank: The Progress Made

2010-10-30T13:46:00.002-05:00

I'm working on a larger project that's going to be a gift and I'm a bit stalled on the tank top. The drop-stitch tank is now at the point where I should be dividing the front and the back to start making the arm holes. This is the first time I've knit a garment in the round that wasn't a hat and I'm not sure if I want to just divide up the stitches or if there is more I should be doing. After working on this for so long, I don't want it to have an imperfect appearence. Also, out of the six balls of yarn I had, I'm now down to two. It seems unlikely to be enough so I order two more skeins but they're not of the same dyelot and now I'm going to have to stripe the yarn to blend them together.

Yarn Belt Buckle

2010-10-15T21:56:00.001-05:00

Several weeks ago in Vogue Magazine, I saw an ad for a handmade, glass belt buckle that featured a ball of yarn. I had to have it and placed an order two weeks ago. And today it arrived!! I requested custom colors of opaque gray glass and red ink because the orginial glass color was opaque ivory. I'm not a fan of white. The maker is local to the Chicago area and you can find the website at http://www.kiku-co.com/. There are loads of other really cool buckles. If you're a sewer, there's a great buckle featuring a vintage sewing machine. That might be my next purchase. The other buckles I thought were interesting were the Camera buckle, Underwood buckle, and Robot buckle.

Like Magic

2010-09-22T21:44:00.004-05:00

"It's like magic," I tell my husband as I continued to darn a hole in my mom's handmade sock. I had made the sock out of 100% wool - a slight failure on my part - and they were suffering from a lack of nylon. The woman loved them so much she couldn't deem them to be special, napping on the sofa/chair socks. Oh no, she put them to work walking around the house (thankfully she did not wear them with shoes) and they worked the best they could. After a few months the heel developed a hole and it was in need of a mend. I used my brand new darning egg and the instructions on darning I found at Knitty (Summer 2008) to fix them. The darning egg came in my possession when I was buying my TKGA Master Hand Knitter Level II Program yarn at Knit Picks. I was completely astonished at how nifty it worked and felt quite handy/self-sufficient at the accomplishment. It's not that I don't look at knitting as an accomplishment but there is really something to fixing a hole that is well...more impressive. Unfortunately, I didn't take a picture of before or after. I'm sure she'll continue to wear them and more holes will develop, which couldn't make me happier. Thanks, Mom.

Drop-Stitch Tank

2010-08-24T19:41:00.003-05:00

I'm tackling my most difficult project to date, the drop-stitch tank from Fitted Knits. So far, so good. It's been really awesome. I had to go to a training all of last week, which included an hour-long commute in the morning and evening. I made a lot of progress. But my picture is pre-training. I'm converting the pattern to circular knitting, from flat pieces. I haven't exactly worked out how to leave an opening for arm holes or for the split-neck. I'm not even up to armholes at this stage so I'm not terribly concerned. And, from looking at photos from other people on Ravelry, I'm going to start on the split-neck further up on the chest. I'm not a fan of low-gaping shirts. In fact, I even stitches up a shirt from Banana Republic because I didn't like the gaping effect it was having.

I'm using Cascade Pima Tencel and it sheds as much as people say. But my goodness is it soft. This is a very pleasant cotton to touch, which is not something I can say of some other yarns. I speaking of you 20 balls of Rowan All Seasons Cotton, sitting in my closet - sigh. I do hate that I'm covered in navy, cotton fur after I've knit a few rows but I'm willing to accept it if it means I can bare to have it against my skin.

Leaf-y Scarf

2010-08-16T19:37:00.009-05:00

I finished the Backyard Leaves Scarf featured in ScarfStyle. Had I to do it over again, I'd use a nicer yarn. Cascade 220 is scratchy and this really calls for merino wool. But merino wasn't in my price point when I envisioned making this scarf, which was more like 2008 and less like 2010. This made me learn don't buy stash yarn you'll later regret. Just wait (i.e. save) and be happy with the product.

As for the project itself, I didn't enjoy grafting the two ends together but I did it and it doesn't look half bad. What doesn't look great though is that it looks a bit puckered and I imagine it's in part because the edge is both the cast-on and at an angle. Or perhaps I cast-on too tight. There's a lot of variables to try and narrow down what the issue(s) might be.

Cast On Anniversary Issue

2010-08-15T12:51:00.002-05:00

The highlight of participating in Level 1 of theTKGA Master Hand Knitting Program was having my name published in an issue of Cast On as a Program Graduate. Better yet, was when I showed my mom the issue and she beamed with pride.

Progress...I guess so.

2010-06-22T22:05:00.003-05:00

I finished the second cable sock yesterday. I'll now have socks for the fall. It's way too hot nowadays to even think about wearing socks. Since May, I've been in sandals.

The majority of my knitting time has been devoted to Level 2 of the TKGA Master Handknitting Program. It's really not easy. So if someone out there is looking for easy, pass this up. I think I finally have my lace and cable patterns written and will start knitting them soon. I didn't want to start knitting until I had a better idea of what the pattern would look like on paper. I had begun a swatch without doing this and had to cut it. Ripping wasn't an option because the yarn just clung to itself. I'm thinking of starting the mitten while continuing to work on the swatches.

I have knit the material for six swatches - they need to be blocked and seamed. But one of them it turns out will need to be reknit so it's really just five (5 out of 22). I didn't read up on seaming before knitting the K2P2 and made an error that won't allow for seaming - dammit.

But I also want to make my husband a pair of socks. The only knitted item I've ever given him was a K1P1 ribbed hat when I first started and well, I cast on an odd number without realizing that this would give me two knit stitches at the end of the row. He got an imperfect hat. I'd like the socks to come out better.

Cable Sock

2010-06-06T12:38:00.004-05:00

Only one sock...it still needs a mate. The yarn is Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted Multi.

I passed!

2010-05-12T12:15:00.009-05:00

I got word today that I passed Level 1 of The Knitting Guild Association's Master Hand Knitting program. Hooray! Below is my binder with all my material (swatches, report, hat, etc.).

I ordered Level 2 and have begun to work on the swatches - most of which are about seaming, which I loathe. I've knit six swatches (not seamed or blocked) and written my book reviews. That's the extent of my progress. I read on Ravelry that they're revamping the instructions so if I want to not use the new instructions, I really have to get this done in a year (by May 17, 2011). Unlike the first level, level two requires yarn of various weights and lots of yarn. I had to place an order with Knit Picks because I needed yarn for lace swatches, a mitten, an argyle sock and a vest.

Must Resubmit

2010-04-23T17:38:00.006-05:00

What did I find on my doorstep this evening? A package containing my TKGA submissions with committee reviews. It was better than I expected. They accepted my hat, even though I was minus an embellishment on the top (e.g. tassle, i-cord or pom-pom). Also, my hat appeared to have a stain but since my T-pins are new, I can only guess that the cause was my cat. She's a messy little Persian who loves to shake her head after every meal and she might have come into close range of my blocking board. Now I know to lock it out of harms' way.

I have to submit four new swatches, including #15, which includes writing out a cable pattern. The other swatches are 5, 6 and 8. My cable pattern had some pretty glaring omissions and didn't follow the instructions they provided. Two of the swatches need to be resubmitted because I put the decreases on the wrong selvedge edge. These will thankfully be easy to correct. And the fourth swatch had the wrong stitch so they provided a reference that I will follow to execute it. I think #15 will be the trickiest.

There are also six questions I have to re-answer. Some are easier to answer than others. Mainly because I'm going to have to do some more investigation because I'm at my limit on what else to provide. But that's the point to learn and progress.

The overall comments were I maintain my tension well with stockinette. My bind-offs and cast-ons can be on the tight side and cause the edges to curl. I often find myself using a larger needle-size to cast-off.

I'll work on the resubmissions this week and next and hope to have them in before May 1st.

Yarn Acquisition

2010-04-15T17:02:00.021-05:00

Somehow it slipped my mind to post my most recent yarn purchases. In January, I used a gift certificate to purchase Noro Silk Garden (used in the Noro Striped scarf I recently posted), and two lace yarns (Filatura di Crosa and Malabrigo).

More recently, I purchased the colorway "Manly Yes, but I like it too!" from Blue Moon Fiber Arts to make some socks for my husband. The yarnband says "Watermelon Tourmaline," which is really a crazy mix of orange, purple and green - colors that are indeed not manly nor a palette for him. But the yarn is correct and that's all that matters.

Update: Officially Under Review

2010-04-15T16:58:00.005-05:00

I was able to get in touch with the folks at The Knitting Guild Association (TKGA) and mail off my forgotten swatch. The submission was sent off to the Committee for evaluation on April 1. When I get the results back, I'll be sure to post them. Hopefully, it's nothing too labor intensive.

It's mailed!!

2010-03-26T19:35:00.013-05:00

And I forgot to include a swatch...

I have no idea what to do now. My husband mailed theTKGA Master Hand Knitter Level I package this afternoon and I came home to find swatch #10 on the floor, where I had been packing up the contents this morning.

New Striped Hat

2010-03-07T19:48:00.000-06:00

Striped Scarf

2010-02-25T20:18:00.005-06:00

I made a striped scarf with Noro Silk Garden (Silk, Kid Mohair and Lambswool) and Noro Kureyon (100% wool). The Silk Garden helps make the scarf a little less scratchy but really Kureyon is not something you want around your neck. It's great for a hat and gloves, which is what I will use for a striped hat (but in a different colorway).

The scarf carries the yarn along the right side so I had to block it to help alleviate the yarn pulling on this side, which made it look really lopsided.

Glovelets

2010-02-09T20:42:00.011-06:00

I made a pair of Glovelets for myself using the other ball of yarn intended for the first pair. I made a few modifications to the pattern. I made them shorter on the bottom because I don't like gloves to travel very far down my wrists. Since I was going to use them at work and outside, I made them a smidge longer, going up to my knuckles.

Sister's Glovelets

2010-01-14T20:21:00.009-06:00

Here is one in action:

They should arrive at her doorstep in the next couple of days. I hope she likes them and that they fit. With the extra skein, I've started a pair for myself. I'm making the cuff shorter and will make them longer on the top.

Treeling

2010-01-05T20:27:00.002-06:00

I made a Treeling from the book Softies by Therese Laske as one of my brothers Christmas gifts. It's adorable!!

Happy New Year!

2009-12-30T18:53:00.010-06:00

It's been a really good month. I was able to be off from work for a 1.5 weeks leading up to the new year. We had attempted painting our bathroom and gave up, calling a professional company to come out for an estimate next week. We went from sanding the wall to chipping the current and past layer of paint. And then...when we entered "OMFG the layer of paint attached to the plaster board (the wall) is coming off" territory, we decided it was much to complex a project for ourselves. We'll get an estimate on Monday.

Aside from this project, I've worked on a pair of Eric's Glovelets (found on Ravlery) for my sister, who bought the pattern ions ago but found she doesn't work well with double pointed needles and has never knit a gusset. It was a really quick knit and taught me that the thumb gusset on the Hurry Up Spring Armwarmers (in Stitch 'n Bitch Nation) have serious issues. The biggest plus is that when she bought the kit, it came with two skeins and it only took one to do the gloves (she has small hands and I did some modifications) so now I have enough to make a pair for myself. I used Frog Tree Alpalca Sportweight. It is some of the softest yarn I have used.

For Christmas, I received a few knitting gifts, including:

Subscription to Interweave Knits
Blocking Board
Fiber Fantasy Sweater Blockers
T-pins
Knit Klips
WEBS Gift Certificate

Blackbird - 6th Shipment of Socks that Rock

2009-12-15T20:00:00.007-06:00

As the name of the yarn states, this yarn is black. The colors range from black, grey, burgundy. It's a yarn that is just as easily an abyss/absence of color. Because I only knit one of the kits, I won't be renewing my membership. It's for the best really.

My new Formal Boot Bag

2009-11-14T21:28:00.022-06:00

I found it really tedious to back stitch the panel in place and will openly admit, I did a bit of a shoddy job. In the end, I found one spot that indeed had a gaping hole and so I dragged out more yarn and completed the panel. Since the bag and panel are wool, it's likely that over time they wll start adhering to one another as part of a felting process so I'm not terribly concerned. On Ravelry, I saw loads of knitters put in a lining, which now has me considering doing the same. I might put one in down the road (and perhaps a zipper too) but right now I would just like to cross the project off my list.

They're Finished!!

2009-11-14T21:03:00.008-06:00

Finally, the Queen of Beads...

Job Change

2009-11-14T20:38:00.007-06:00

I had a recent change in jobs and this has caused me to not post as frequently. I wasn't inclined to move out of state with my past employer (along with some other things) so I found a new job. While I'm still a fundraiser I'm no longer on the front lines and happy to be working in an office and environment with such highly trained staff. The most awesome part of this change is that I'm now mere minutes away from home. However, this also a challenge for me as a knitter. Whereas I used my knitting to pass along the time on my long commute, I'm now having to actually spend my spare time on it. And unfortunately for my large stash, I'm just not knitting as much. But I have finally gotten around to reading Knit Two. I'm going to post some items that have been lingering for months in my edit pile for weeks so bear with the strange time passing that may be mentioned in them. I just don't want to look at them anymore.

An Evening of Felting

2009-10-04T20:00:00.008-05:00

I spent tonight felting the Formal Foot Bag. It came out perfectly and roughly matches the dimensions in Bag Style. The bag turned out really well. It took an hour or so of being in the washer. After it dries I'll affix the bag to the leather handle I purchased from Homestead Heirlooms LLC at Stitches Midwest. I'm still working on the panel that needs to be attached to the front and back of the bag. I completed a few rows watching Watchmen but still have 6" left to go. I should have it finished next weekend. And maybe have the bag completed.

The news on my Queen of Beads socks is that there are no beads matching mine at the store. There going to send me some beads that are closest to them and I'll just use them to finish the rest of the sock. I'm not sure I care all that much at this point. and maybe if I un-knit some of the other sock and mix up the beads, it won't look so pronounced. Meh...no need to worry yet. I'll just have to evaluate the situation once I have more understanding of what I'm dealing with.

River Rocked - 5th Shipment of Socks that Rock

2009-09-28T15:47:00.017-05:00

This shipment arrived on Saturday, while I was taking a nap. I really like the colors in this yarn: blue, brown, purple, orange, red. Just spectacular. It is like looking at the color palette of a forest. This is both a color way and pattern I would have easily picked out in a shop.

I am still hoping that the Sock Club folks might have some leftover beads for my Queen of Bead sock. It turns out they used five different types of beads when putting together everyone's shipments. By my own calculations, after looking over the first sock, I'm short nearly 3 dozen beads. I'm not sure what I'm going to do if I'm unable to acquire more.

Formal Boot Bag

2009-09-20T12:02:00.003-05:00

Last weekend, I busted out the swift and ball winder. Three skeins of Tahki Donegal Tweed wound and I'm ready to start the Formal Boot Bag in Bag Style. The body of the purse is felted and a panel of stockinette and bobbles is added to add a little bit of flair. I have a really great black, braided leather handle that I picked up at Stitches Midwest that should go perflectly with the charcoal color. In addition to a lining, I might add a zipper to close the purse. As a big-city girl, I am not a fan of purses that don't close all the way.

I've also wound the Cascade 220 I need for the Master Hand Knitter hat project. In other news, I've worked the heel of the Queen of Beads socks and have realized I will not have enough beads for my sock. I added an extra repeat at the top of the socks, which was recommended in the pattern. My thought is that when it comes to a pattern and supplies, there should be enough to do the largest of the recommended pattern and well...there just isn't. I'm short 30 or so beads based on the other sock. Hopefully, I'll be able to find more from contacting the Sock Club folks.

Master Hand Knitter Progress

2009-09-16T08:53:00.004-05:00

As I reported a few months back, I signed up for the The Knitting Guild Association’s Master Hand Knitting Program (Level 1) and received my instruction package in mid-April. I knit five or so swatches on a size 9 needle shortly after the package arrived. But a few weeks ago I was looking on Ravelry and saw that members could queue the program in their project listings. Before doing this, I looked at other people’s submission and noticed very few knit with this needles size. So I opted to scrap the five swatches and start fresh. Over Labor Day weekend I cranked out 8 swatches and in the interim I’ve finished 15. The last one I have to work on is a “create your own cable pattern,” using some perimeters they provide on swatch length and width. This is a giant pain in the ass. The first swatch I knit came out to long because of the pattern repeat. The swatch has to be balanced so there is no having a half repeat of the pattern as the ending point of the swatch. I’m not sure how long this is going to take me so I’ve once again set it aside.

The somewhat alarming thing that I learned is that I’ve not been casting on in a manner described in any book. I use a slip knot and then proceed to doing a long-tail cast-on. After learning that a slip knot is not traditionally used a in the long-tail cast-on method, I began using the “normal” method, except that when I’d start a new swatch I would always want to resort to my “strange” method so now I’m not sure which swatches are what. I’m going to do a little positive thinking and hope that the master knitter’s on the committee won’t notice my poor little slip knot at the cast-on.

It's a little lazy of me but I don't really want to spend hours re-knitting without being told to by the committee that’s it’s necessary. I know it’s not the best attitude to have but what is a self-taught knitter to do in this situation. Re-knit preemptively? No.

I did double-check my gauge and measured the swatches twice to make sure I wasn’t fibbing on the number of inches they want things to be. I haven’t been entirely lazy. Although, even there I had to look up how one measures gauge because I didn’t know if it was from any ol’ spot on the knitted stitch and well…it’s not.

This weekend, I think I might wind the yarn for the ugly, striped hat (the project for the program) and cast-on.

Stiches Midwest 2009

2009-09-12T22:33:00.015-05:00

It's amazing how many yarn stores you can fit under one roof!

I had the opportunity to visit several this weekend at Stitches Midwest. I attended the marketplace and walked out with an awesome braided leather handle for the Formal Boot Bag in Bag Style I plan to knit and 10 skeins of Noro Korchoran. I didn't really plan on either but the Noro is not something I really thought out. It was just too good a deal to pass up and thankfully, I do have a pattern that I can use. My in-laws bought me "Knitting Noro: The Magic of Hand-dyed Yarns" for my birthday, which is awfully handy right now.

I didn't have an opportunty to touch the Noro Korchoran until I was home and it's the softest Noro I've ever felt. Wool, angora and silk are an awesome combination. The colors are rust, red, tan, purple, and gray.

Cabled Headband

2009-08-22T09:54:00.005-05:00

This is a long post in the making.

Last month, I finished knitting the cabled headband knit with leftover Noro Tidiori. I probably should have made a test swatch but I wasn't thinking about the implications of what could happen should I not get gauge. Well...when I was finished I was three inches short of the desired length in the pattern. Since a headband is stretched over one's head, it's worked out as okay as it can. The viewer just sees more of the tangled string and less of the headband towards the back. At some point I'll hit up JoAnn's or another craft store and pick up some elastic band (in black preferably). I think I'd be more apt to wear the headband f it has an elastic backing, rather than tying string together.

On a more positive note, I finished knitting the Branching Out scarf using Crystal Palace Merino Frappe. There was a time many years ago when I had considered using this yarn to make the Spiderweb Caplet in Stitch 'N Bitch Nation. Nowadays I wonder what the hell was I thinking.

ADD

2009-08-16T18:53:00.010-05:00

I can't seem to stick with having one project at a time. I have several projects slumbering but I guess I have a compulsion to have two projects in actual motion. I started on the second of the Queen of Beads socks (about time!) while on my stay-cation. I'm working the heel and realized that I never wrote down how rows I knit to get the length. I'm going to have to count and measure and hope I come close. My second sock doesn't always match the first so this should be interesting.

While off, I also cast-on a headband using the leftover Noro Tidiori from the Clapotis. It's the Bamboozled pattern on Ravelry. I'm 63 rows in and debating whether to do another repeat of cabling as the pattern suggests or just go straight to the decreasing. I'm afraid I don't have enough yarn. I don't quite have a full skein but I do have some scraps from where the other skeins had knots.

In addition, I made some progress on the TKGA Master Hand Knitting project. I was able to go to the library and pick up some knitting reference books, which came in handy in answering some of the 17 questions. I also stopped by a LYS and picked up some white Cascade 220 for the hat I have to knit, which will be the next thing to knit after the handband.

Clapotis - Finished!

2009-08-09T16:34:00.017-05:00

Knitting Mags Fall 2009

2009-08-08T19:37:00.017-05:00

Guess what arrived last week? Fall 2009 Knitting Magazines - Interweave Knits, Vogue Knitting and Cast-On Fall. My subscriptions are coming up for renewal and I think I’m going to have to break down after seeing these issues.

This issue of Interweave Knits easily rivals that of 2008. The majority of the patterns in both issues are classic in their composition. I like to think that many of them would be as wearable 10 years from now as they are today. There are few patterns in here that I would not consider making and the one’s I have in mind for the future are:

-Farmer's Market Cardigan
-Nordique Swing
-Double Knit Hat (Bird on a Wire)

This issue of Vogue Knitting featured an article on going seamless. It offers a quick synopsis on converting flat knitted pieces to knitting in the round. It couldn't have come at a better time for me. I have a number of queued knitting projects that I've been putting off because they would require seaming. I still have a sweater from September sitting in a box waiting to be seamed. Hell, I'm not one for weaving in ends either. I always find reasons to put off the finishing require of most knitting items.

As a member of the The Knitters Guild Association, I now receive Cast-On (no subscription necessary). In the last two issues, I have realized I am not really the audience for this magazine. I might marvel at the complex knitting it takes to knit an intarsia sweater with various pattern motifs but I will never attempt to make such a garment. I honestly find them to be a bit busy and unappealing.

Mom's B-Day Present

2009-08-08T19:19:00.002-05:00

The cable footies I mentioned last month were a birthday present for my mom. I got really bored after the first one. While the simple cable keeps a knitter engaged, it’s a little monotonous. I ended up starting on a lace scarf so as to not give up knitting as a whole. I wrapped up both projects and have even worn the scarf to work a few times (of which only one person noticed was hand knit). My mom loved the socks and though it’s too hot right now to wear them, I’m sure they’ll keep her feet nice and toasty come winter.

Lastest Shawl - Clapotis

2009-08-06T21:32:00.001-05:00

I’ve been scouring knitty.com since 2004 and when the Clapotis pattern was released back then, I was there to view it. At the time, I made a copy and put it in my storage binder for online patterns. I had no idea years later I would come to knit it in Noro TIdiori. As I mentioned earlier, I impulsively bought four balls of this yarn on sale at a LYS but found that this was too small an amount to make anything I’d actually want to wear. So a few weeks ago I scoured the web trying desperately to find Tidiori in the colorway and dyelot (it having been discontinued). I finally came across some at The Woolie Ewe - the last bastion for Noro Tidiori.

The first skein went great. The second skein was cursed. Not only was it riddled with knots--I stopped counting at four--but it also had spots of being thread bare. Who wants that?! To say I was pissed is to put it lightly. I was enraged that a skein could be this horrible and become disheartened with the project’s ability to progress. Shawls that are 100 stitches across aren’t exactly forgiving when on stitch 40 you find that there’s not enough yarn to finish the row because you’ve just discovered it’s two strands tied together.

The remaining balls weren't as fraught with knots or bare spots so I carried along with knitting. I started almost a month ago and have wrapped up the knitting this week. All the stitches are dropped (so much fun!) so in essence it looks like a Clapotis. I still need to weave in the tails. Although I do like the end result, I would never use this yarn again were it still in circulation.

Garden Daze - 4th Shipment of Socks that Rock

2009-07-24T20:55:00.006-05:00

I received the latest shipment of the 2009 Socks that Rock Club over a week ago. In that time, the pattern and yarn have not grown on me. This entire package is not something I would ever choose to knit. For my taste, the colors are too bright and a little too reminiscent of a vegetable garden. Having not finished the first pair of socks (second sock syndrome is in abundance), I won't be getting to this any time soon.

Loved this!

2009-07-24T20:53:00.004-05:00

Winding Yarn Sunday

2009-07-05T10:38:00.002-05:00

I busted out the ol' swift and ball winder this afternoon. That was the best $100 I ever spent. I used to wind skeins using a nostepin and it was just far too difficult after a certain point. I wound three skeins of various yarns for a list of projects in my Ravelry queue: Cascade 220, Lorna's Laces Shepard Worsted Multi, and Blue Sky Alpalca's Dyed Cotton.

I just started on a pair of Cable Footies in One Skein by Leigh Radford. I've become an increasingly big fan of this book. The patterns are cute and who can argue with using only one skein. I've looked at the One Skein Wonder books and I can't say that quantity equals quality. All of the patterns in One Skein are easily recognized for their quality and uniqueness.

I'm thinking of giving the Footies away as a gift but haven't decided.

Self-Impsed Exile

2009-07-05T10:31:00.006-05:00

After injuring my back, it was difficult to resume knitting for hours on end. I took a week or so off after the baby hat. I've started seeing a chiropractor and have started to take longer breaks between my knitting so as not to put myself in any further discomfort. I have managed to stay busy.

In the interim of my last post, I've knit one footie and finished a lace scarf using two skeins of purple Laines du Nord Mulberry Silk I had in my stash. I bought this on clearance with no clear intention of what I would do with it. After scouring Ravelry, I settled on the FishTail scarf. The finished scarf measures 5 feet; a little short for my taste but it'll do.

I purchased 5 skeins of Noro Tidiori to add to my four skeins. I bought the first few skeins because it was on sale for $5 each. Looking back, it wasn't really the wisest decision to make but I couldn't pass up Noro or sale yarn. I saw a few examples of Clapotis (check out knitty.com) made with Tidiori on Ravelry and it reminded me of Missoni. With a lot of luck, I was able to find a retailer still selling the yarn, which became discontinued a year ago. At some point, after the footies and the mystery project, I'll start on a Clapotis. I really have to stop having incomplete projects laying around. All the UFOs I mentioned back in March are still lingering about the condo.

I'm still queued on the Queen of Beads socks, which means I have have two other Rockin' Sock Club kits sitting in wait. There's a new kit that will ship this month. I'm so terribly behind.

Umbilical Cord Hat

2009-05-31T13:43:00.007-05:00

So even though my shoulder and neck aren't exactly functioning normally, I finished knitting another baby hat. I chose the Umbilical Cord Hat from Stitch 'N Bitch for our neighbors new born. I knew she was due soon but it seemed to quickly creep up on me and low and behold her due date was last week. I hope he enjoys the simple little hat (that is when it's more appropriate weather).

Injured Knitter

2009-05-27T16:19:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, I pinched a nerve in my back so I'm a bit incapacitated at the moment. I attempted to knit but found it to be extremely unpleasant. I can't move my head very well without experiencing pain and that puts a damper on looking at one's knitting or pattern. Also, my left arm is pretty out of whack as well.

I'm relegated to only reading about knitting. I just started reading The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club. The first 30 pages are interesting but I'm hoping the story will start to pick up. I'm not sure how far I'll get now that I'll be taking muscle relaxers to help ease the strain on my neck, shoulders and back. I imagine not very far at all.

Pepe Le Plume - 3rd Shipment of Socks that Rock

2009-05-23T19:04:00.021-05:00

Yesterday my husband and I went to a Chicago Opera Theater performance. This totally screwed up my ability to review the third shipment of the Socks that Rock Club. Luckily, the members of the SRC Club on Ravelry were sharing photos that afternoon so I was able to get a glimpse of the pattern and yarn. I'm not someone who can wait for the big reveal. Christmas Eve is an angst-ridden day, not because I need the satisfaction of opening presents but because I can't stand a secret.

It's not a colorway I would normally choose but is very lovely. It's a mix of pink, purple, lavender and grey. I hope it knits up in a flattering manner.

The pattern is difficult to see in the photographs. It looks almost like a wavy lace pattern, and lace is more often than not, not easy to make out in darker colors. The squiggly effect of the socks is very whimsical. Having not finished the Queen of Beads, TKGA swatches and the mysterious project, I have no idea when I will ever get to these socks.

Ugh...14 swatches to go

2009-05-21T21:00:00.004-05:00

I began knitting swatches on Sunday and have completed two so far. I don't normally knit swatches before casting-on a project. I like to think that I will automatically obtain the gauge on the yarn label and refuse to check that assertion.

The first three swatches test your ability to increase evenly and unobtrusively, maintain tension and accurately measure the gauge. My K1P1/stockinette stitch swatch is not turning out all that great but I totally kicked the K2P2/garter stitch swatch in the ass. The K1P1 stitches are extremely large and look misshapen compared to the stockinette stitch. I can't tell if that's accurate to what they look like or not. I don't normally knit ribbing on size 9 needles, the size recommended for Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool. I'm going to leave the swatch alone. I've already ripped the swatch once, after knitting a few rows of ribbing. I imagine if the judges don't like it, they'll let me know n their review and offer recommendations on how to change it or at least offer a critique on what is wrong.

I haven't "finished" the swatches because I hate weaving in ends. My plan is to wait until I've finished knitting all of the 16 swatches to start on this task.

I also stopped by the library picked up some books listed on the TKGA Bibliography for the Master Hand Knitting Program so I can start answering the questions and work on the essay.

Finished the Children's Hat

2009-05-16T11:49:00.004-05:00

The children's hat was a quick knit. Perhaps too quick. I found a minor error in my hat. And, it was unfortunately something I didn't notice until the very end.

What happened exactly? My hat is missing a yarn over, trapping one end of the I-cord inside the hat. To overcome this absence, I just pulled the I-cord through a knit stitch. I know it might cause some undue pressure on the knit stitch but I don't really like the thought of ripping back most of the hat to knit in a yarn over. When I gift the hat, I'll warn the person of this error ("Don't take the I-cord out."). I'm sure they'll understand, whoever they happen to be. Since most of my friends and acquaintances aren't knitters, I'm sure they won't mind. Or so I am telling myself.

I'll definitely knit this pattern again. It's a quick knit and the end result is a very cute hat. I'm going to give it a go in Lion Brand Wool-Ease. I have loads of this yarn and need a means to get it out of my stash.

TKGA Progress

2009-05-14T19:40:00.003-05:00

There is really little in the form of progress. To date, I have :

Typed up the questions, and a few answers, in the TKGA Master Hand Knitter packet;
Looked up whether the recommended reference books are at my local library (many are so hooray!); and
Ordered/received recommended yarn, Lion's Brand Fisherman's Wool, in a cream color.

I know. It's really not much at all. I've just been so side-tracked with the other projects and work that I haven't buckled down to start the process. I plan to knit a few swatches in the next few weeks. That ugly, ugly hat is just going to have to wait until the end. I'm not a fan of i-cords and this poor hat has them featured on the crown. I imagine it's for whimsy but I find it unappealing. It reminds of a cartoon-ish version of Medusa.

This weekend I won't be doing much in the way of knitting. Tomorrow is my five-year wedding anniversary and we're planning on going out over the weekend. I've been looking forward to it for months.

New Project - Children's Hat

2009-05-14T19:29:00.003-05:00

I'm working on a stealth project and unfortunately since my intent is to give it away as a gift, I cannot post anything about it at this time. Also, I'm only half way done with the garment and am not really in the mood to comment on it, lest it end up like the Queen of Beads socks in that 50% complete limbo land that is UFOs.

I started on a child-size Children's Cotton Hat in Last-Minute Knitted Gifts.

I'm knitting it in the recommended yarn, Mission Falls 1824 Cotton, and I have very mixed feelings. I love that the yarn is textured. But I absolutely hate that the thin piece of yarn that is wrapped around the larger piece is broken in over a dozen of places. It really makes me sad that I purchased yarn that is this shoddy. It's a lovely orange-sherbet color and fun to knit with but who wants string hanging out every which way. I can't think this is the intent of the yarn manufacturer. I'm willing to give the yarn another shot but just based on this limited experience, I would never want to knit a larger garment with it.

Queen of Beads Update

2009-04-29T21:28:00.004-05:00

I'm never going to finish the second sock. Never. Ever.

I've tried casting-on a half-dozen times and even made it so far as to have gotten to the row where the piece is joined, only to have then dropped a stitch and been unable to pick it back up. At this time, I've given up.

I've started another project but am waiting to post on it.

Branching Out Lace Scarf

2009-04-29T21:15:00.008-05:00

After seeing this pattern years ago and adding it to my Ravelry queue, I started this project on April 21.

It took 30 pattern repeats and two balls of Crystal Palace Merino Frappe to reach 5-feet. I purchased the yarn years ago intent on making a Spiderweb Capelet from Stitch 'N Bitch Nation. Needless to say, I did not make the capelet.

The positive part of using this yarn is that for a wool yarn, it's quite soft from being merino. The downside is that with it being frappe, it is a pain in the ass to rip. By knitting stitches, the felting process starts. It made ripping back on rows with too many stitches a very annoying experience. And wouldn't you know, that all had to happen half-way through the project, which was not very motivating.

Interweave Knits Summer 2009

2009-04-29T20:37:00.017-05:00

As a subscriber to Interweave Knits (4 years proud!) and Vogue Knitting (as of Winter 2008), I started to think that perhaps I should write about the issues after I've had an opportunity to read and review them. I'm one of those people where if I really like the magazine, I keep them stored in magazine holders for years and years and years. Right now, I have four years of Interweave Knits sitting on a shelf -- Spring 2007 is by far my favorite issue! I just started filing my Vogue Knitting issues. I'm also a subscriber to Bust (whose editor is of the Stitch 'N Bitch fame - again, it goes back to my knitting addiction) with issues dating back to 2004 and would highly recommend this magazine to women everywhere, particularly those who enjoyed Jane.

Anyway, I just finished reading the Interweave Knits Summer 2009 issue. In having recently signed up for the TKGA's Master Hand-Knitting program, I'm very appreciative of the article, "Beyond the Basics: New Methods for Jogless Stripes in the Round." The hat that has to be completed as part of the program requires jogless stripes and I will definitely be reviewing this later on to make sure I get it right.

There's a bit of difficulty in how I think about clothing's use in my daily life. I have several tattoos on my arms and keep them generally covered while at work. I can possibly get away with 3/4 length sleeves but nothing shorter. This requires that most of my clothes have long sleeves so there's not many short-sleeved jackets or sweaters in my closet, as cute as they are in any given season. Although I can find knitted garments very appealing, I will likely not make them and am dismissive of them. If I can only wear something on the weekend, it's just not worth it to me. With that in mind, I look for long-sleeve sweaters that have enough detail to make me look somewhat fashionable or short sleeve sweaters that won't look "weird" with a long-sleeve shirt underneath.

The patterns I really liked from this issue were the the Grotto Wrap, Great Gatsby Dress, Ribbons and Lace Cardigan. I tend to like the frilly, more complicated garments when it comes to knitted attire. I think they're more visually appealing. The fitted form of the Great Gatsby Dress makes is very flattering and something I'd wear in the summer, on the weekend.

Lazy Sunday

2009-04-19T15:27:00.007-05:00

Someone's enjoying the rainy weather...

TKGA and Queen of Beads

2009-04-19T15:27:00.006-05:00

Yesterday was a great day! The weather was perfect, 70s and a low wind, celebrated my father-in-laws birthday, purchased some half-price CDs at Boarders, knit most of the foot to my Queen of Beads sock and received the instructions for the TKGA Master Hand-Knitting Program (Level One). Admittedly, in looking at the brief description on the TKGA PDF on their correspondence classes and the Master Knitting Programs, I felt this could be accomplished with little issue. However now that have the instructions in hand, feel a surge of doubt. The instructions are 16 pages long and are definitely reminiscent of government grants in the level of detail they are providing. Not one to back down from a knitting challenge, I'm taking the instructions in stride and thinking up ways to divide them up in a manner that makes them seem less daunting. I haven't exactly worked out how to do this but there's no way I can just go at it without forethought.

In other knitting news, I've completed one of the Queen of Beads socks.

Master Knittery Begins

2009-04-13T18:51:00.005-05:00

Something took over me this afternoon and before I knew it I was on the Knitting Guild Association website purchasing a one-year membership and the instructions for their Master Hand Knitting Program. I should get my Master Level 1 kit in the mail soon. Ever since I came across the knitty.com article about a knitter having completed the three levels (see http://knitty.com/ISSUEspring05/FEATframing.html), I've been intrigued.

I'm a little scared about the other two levels. I've never knit argyle socks or cared to try Fair Isle knitting. The very thought of an Aran or or Fair Isle sweater sounds more like punishment, than fun but I guess that would all depend on the pattern. I don't think I'll be at the Level 3 stage for quite some time. This will soon be my homework:

16 knitted samples: three swatches of ribbing and basic stitches and gauge, mirrored increases and decreases, yarnovers, cables and color change.
17 questions to research and answer.
One hat.
Two-page report on blocking and care of knits.

Can I become a master knitter and go to school once a week?

Swallowtail Shawl Finished

2009-04-04T23:09:00.009-05:00

I finished blocking the shawl this morning and it looks awesome. I didn't always feel this way about it. When I was done knitting and was admiring my work, I felt it looked very wonky. I think the four pattern changes and it's triangle shape lent to it being very tight right off the needles. Blocking it really made the lace patterns more pronounced.

I'm very happy with how it looks and lays. I'm quite proud of having knit it.

Progress on Swallowtail Shawl

2009-03-29T21:23:00.003-05:00

Over the weekend, I've worked through the third and fourth chart of the pattern. All that's left is the 10 rows of the fifth chart...not that 10 rows isn't enough. It takes me over to 20 minutes to work a row (what with counting and knitting the stitches). I'm hoping that if I work on it during the evening, I'll have the shawl completed by the weekend. I don't have blocking wires and will have to consider investing in them for this project. I'm not sure I want to block eyelets with pins.

Second Shipment of Socks that Rock

2009-03-28T16:21:00.006-05:00

My second shipment from the Blue Moon Rockin' Sock Club arrived yesterday and it is bountiful. Just look at all those goodies.

Swallowtail Shawl Progress

2009-03-15T16:39:00.001-05:00

I finished knitting the second chart of the Swallowtail Shawl - that's 84 rows completed!

After being at this for a month, I'm still far from being done...and it's getting more and more tedious. On this second chart I have had to rip back at least three separate occasions. When you're ripping back over 200 stitches that's a lot of time and effort being for naught. Still, I'm going to stick with it. I still think it's an interesting pattern and am eager for the final result. Pictures at this stage don't really do it justice so that will have to wait until the knitting and blocking are complete. I've found that if I don't count each row and at the halfway and end mark of the row, I invariably end up having screwed up. This last time, I ended up with two extra stitches and it caused me to rip out two rows of work - an hour of my time wasted.

On a side note, I bought a new phone and am somewhat enamored by it.

New Less Frustrating Shawl Pattern

2009-03-12T20:39:00.003-05:00

It's true that I have a diminishing attention span and I have mounting proof of it. At this moment in time, I have at least a half dozen UFO (unfinished objects) laying about my home:

Berroco Brea Bag
Stitch 'n Bitch Henry Rollins Doll
Rowan Ribbon Twist Honey Sweater
One Skein Petal Bib
Berroco Astrid Shawl
AlterKnits Felt Circular Coin Purse

With all of these items still needing much more time and devotion to complete them, I cast on a new project and began the Swallowtail Shawl. This lovely pattern can be found in Interweave Knits Fall 2006 issue. What is wrong with me that I can't keep my mind on any one thing. I think I enjoy the process of knitting but hate to have to do seams. Each item, but the bib, calls for either seaming or sewing of some fashion. The issue with the bib is that I am not familiar and cannot yet understand how you knit an icord onto live stitches. I imagine this will be sitting until the summer when it comes to me in a dream.

I think as part of my spring cleaning (in perhaps May), I should really hunker down and finish these items so that I might enjoy them or at least give them away so that others might.

But back to the shawl. It's turning out quite lovely. I'm knitting with Blue Heron Silk Rayon Twist on size 8 needles. It's not a quick knit but I still find the pattern visually appealing and the pattern repeating every six rows helps to keep ones attention span. I've been knitting the same pattern repeat for over 70 rows and still have a few left. This will be the first project I've ever done that calls for knupps. They sound like a royal pain in the arse. The thought of purling five stitches is something that can't be dwelled on so I'll just have to tackle them as they come up in the pattern. I hope it doens't cause too much pain on my wrists. I found knitting the hat from two posts ago very painful on my wrists.

Anyhoo, when I get far enough along, I'll drop picture.

Astrid Shawl Mishap

2009-03-12T20:38:00.002-05:00

It's truly amazing how quickly time slips by, particularly when caught up with knitting and work issues. I can't believe I started this project back in November. As you can see at the berroco website (http://www.berroco.com/ng1/ng1_astrid_pv.html), the pattern is a wide array of circles in various sizes that are grafted together to form a triangle shaped shawl. To date, I've finished all 25 small circles and 14 medium circles. There is still the matter of 13 large circles, which had me puzzled for weeks. I recently resolved what was confusing me about the large circles for this pattern and attempted to knit the first large circle. Only, I royally screwed up some where when knitting this thing. It's quite amazing how it unraveled and not in a pretty--pattern following--way. It's going to take me another try at knitting a circle to figure out how and where I went wrong.

I swear one day, I'll finish this thing and I'll wear it with the utmost pride.

It's been a busy two weeks

2009-02-14T22:24:00.010-06:00

I finished up my flaming wave socks a few days ago. I don't want to gloat but don't they awesome?! They only took forever and a day to complete. It also turns out that I read the chart in reverse so they're not exactly like the pattern. I didn't realize that i was reading charts incorrectly until a few days ago. I learn something new everyday about knitting. Like the last pair I made, they were a pleasure to knit. The pattern gets stuck in you head so you no longer need it around all the time to repeat it.

As if the socks weren't enough, I also finished an unoriginal hat, courtesy of the yarn harlot's pattern on ravelry. This was a really easy pattern to knit (and this time I followed the chart correctly!). If I were to knit this again, I would use needles one size larger. I used Plymouth Yarn Hand Paint Wool on size 10 needles. It's a bit of tight knit, considering the recommended needle size for this yarn is size 15. I'm not sure of the color way as the yarn was a gift from a few years ago. I had originally knit it into a scarf but didn't like the scarf so I frogged it. There's still close to a full skein left in my stash.

I have another item to report on. I started the Rockin' Sock Club pattern and am now at the part where I work the heel cuff. I do love the colorway for this yarn and have found that knitting with beads isn't nearly as difficult as I had thought. I'm really glad that I haven't run into a knobby bit or part where the yarn is tied. It seemed lots of other people were encountering this problem.

Because of this project, I'm now very interested in knitting the Wild Clover Maxi Clutch pattern from Valley Yarns Stockbridge with beads. I had originally thought of not using beads.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T22:20:00.002-06:00

It's here!

2009-02-02T21:01:00.016-06:00

The package arrived last Thursday and it's just as awesome as I imagined. Not only did I get the sock yarn and a pattern but a nifty keychain (of both sock yarn and Rockin' Sock Club) and pin. I have attached my pin to my cubicle, as well as the the spare keychain of sockyarn. I've already had someone comment. It was more of "what is that?!" but still, it's got people talking.

Yesterday, I spent an hour trying to decipher how to get the beads on the yarn and finally succeeded. Now I just have to figure out what how to do a tubular cast-on.

Chris has been nagging me about not knitting him socks for weeks. I finally broke down and purchased some Cascade Fixation in black. Hopefully the color will satisfy him and since the yarn can be knit up on larger needles, it won't take me nearly as long. I couldn't buy just sock yarn so I bought a skein of Cascade 220 in magneta for a Two-Toned Ribbed Shrug (by Stefanie Japel in Fitted Knits) and two balls of Laines du Nard Mulberry Silk to make Candy Wrapper Sachets (by Leigh Radford in One Skein). The lavender I purchased over the summer is still very potent and will work well in the sachets. I really want to start getting into the habit of making little projects that can be given out as gifts--things smaller than hats and scarves.

Antsy-Pants

2009-01-26T19:10:00.005-06:00

I had a rough day at work so it was great to get the email from Blue Moon Fibers indicating they shipped my socks that rock. I am super excited for the shipment to arrive. I have to go out and buy a binder, lest the packages accompanying the yarn remain loose. How awful would that be?

I'm of the group of people where waiting to open Christmas presents is really arduous so when a club member opted to reveal the contents of the package, I can't deny that I went straight to the website and proceeded to view the pics. And let me just say, the yarn is lovely. Although now I'm kind of sad I purchased Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Potluck in a blue/green palette. Then again, can you have too many hand-knitted blue socks.

My other issue is that I am still working my way through a pair of Flame Wave socks. I'm happy to say over the weekend I made significant progress and have completed one sock. If I continue to knit at this rate, I should be able have the heel turned by the weekend. I'm 3/4 into completing the leg so I don't think this is me being too ambitious.

OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG!

2009-01-20T22:50:00.000-06:00

It's almost time.

I've been anxiously waiting and today...I got my username and password for the Rockin' Sock Club. Fantastic! I'm ready for my yarn package to arrive, which reminds me...

I went a little crazy this weekend at the local yarn store: Wool and Company (Geneva, IL). With reckless abandon, I went through almost my entire gift certificate, purchasing:

3 skeins of Tahki Donegal Tweed in Charcoal
2 skeins of Noro Kureyon
2 skeins of Lamb's Pride Worsted and 1 skein of Lamb's Pride Bulky
1 skein of Blue Sky Alpalca's Dyed Cotton
1 skein of Rowan Wool Silk DK

I do have plans for each skein so I'm off to a better start than normal. When I go on yarn expeditions, I tend to buy whatever is appealing which doesn't always work out with than making it into something. But with my stash being an ever growing beast, I don't know when I'll get around to these projects.

I'm still working on the Flame Wave socks from Favorite Socks, after having ripped back from the heel over Christmas. I choose the smaller size and it turned out to be too small for my feet. I couldn't even get them over my heel. It was quite sad and disappointing to have to rip back hours worth of work. In the end, I'll be able to wear them so it works out in the end.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-26T21:45:00.001-06:00

The weather managed to to relent for Christmas. It was a tad difficult to find parking in Chicago but otherwise the trip to both families went remarkably well. From what we experienced the city has not plowed side-streets so there were larger than expected snow banks. At least, there weren't any attempts to save spaces with chairs and other household objects.

I'm very excited by the presents I received this year; most are related to knitting. Here's a sampling:

- Two Pretty Cheap Project Bags
- Size 9 dpn (I'm working on the Astrid Shawl.)
- Small French Knitter (I hate making i-cords!)
- It Itches by Franklin Habit
- Picture Perfect Knits by Laura Birek
- Knit Too by Kate Jacobs (Friday Night Knitting Club was a great read!)
- Knitting Around by Elizabeth Zimmerman
- The Opinionated Knitter by Elizabeth Zimmerman
- Knit Picks Interchangeable Wood Circular Knitting Needles, size 4-11
- Subscription to Interweave Knits

I've already used the interchangeable needles to work on a pedal bib (found in One Skein by Leigh Radford). They're slicker then I thought they would be and not as blunt as the bamboo needles I own, which was very useful when having to p3tog. Their crayola-like colorway is what drew me to them. Aren't they gorgeous?!

Snow!

2008-12-16T23:12:00.002-06:00

The Chicagoland-area is a giant mess. Snow has been accumulating since early this morning. The news is reporting it will end this evening, leaving the morning commute open to question. At least, snow plows and salt trucks will have a better chance of clearing the streets. Right now with the snow still coming down, it's just unpleasant.

Our side street only bears the marks of car tracks and has piles of 3" and more along the sides. I expect it'll be more along the lines of 6" by tomorrow morning. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they plow before I head to the train station.

It's certainly not the best shot, but you get the idea of what it's like to be here -- cold, wet and desperately in need of cocoa.

2009 Blue Moon Rockin' Sock Club

2008-12-15T22:58:00.001-06:00

The website went live today and I was excited to be there when it did.

I was able to purchase a membership to the Rockin' Sock Club. It's definitely a large chunk of next year's yarn budget. While I have never participated in the club before, I have high hopes that it will be an awesome experience. I looked over last year's blog and the socks are gorgeous both in the patterns and in the yarn colors. I've only knit three socks so I'm sure receiving six packages over the year will prove to be quite the challenge.

I'm hoping to get through at least three of them over the year. I'll keep the blog posted as the kits arrive.

If anyone's interesting in join the Rockin' Sock Club (while supplies last), go to http://www.bluemoonfiberarts.com/newmoon/.

Yarn from the Isle of Skye and Blackberry Preserves

2008-12-14T19:45:00.001-06:00

It arrived!!

My dear ex-pat friend, Jill, who now roams the Scottish Isles, recently sent me a care package containing yarn and some jam. The package arrived on Saturday. I can't wait to dig into the homemade blackberry preserves that she grew on their allotment.

I went to my five-year college reunion and she gave me all these nifty Scottish tidbits. The most bizarre and tasty being Branston Pickle.

The yarn is called Elvincraft. A woman on the Isle of Skye hand-dyes the wool, which is a mixture of her own sheep and sheep from the Shetland Islands (also part of Scotland). Jill reports the Isle of Skye is "completely covered in sheep." I have to find a pattern that can feature the various colors in all their splendor.