Cavallo Point

My mom's shawl is done! I used a lighter yarn than called for, but it still blocked out a full shawl and not a shawlette. I hope my mom likes it!

The first and second pictures show the color the best. The yarn is silky soft with and a fantastic color. Actually, it was the only yarn I paid full price for in my order, and it was definitely worth it.

The pattern was a great travel knit. I memorized the pattern on the seventh or eight repeat, and I never tired of it. I was actually going to add a few more repeats since I had more yarn and liked the pattern so much. I followed the pattern in the end, and I would definitely use this pattern again.

Back Again

Wow, so much for having time to post this summer! I won't bother to go into depth about ALL of my WIP's. but real quick here's one FO that I've been hugely proud of!

Not the best pictures, but it's my second sweater ever! And the first to require seams! Ahhh that feels good...The pattern is Inishturk from Lion Brand Yarn, and the yarn is the recommended Fisherman's Wool. I chose Natural, though, instead of Oatmeal, since I had already used that for my first sweater. For being so cheap by weight, this wool is awesome. I love the texture, stitch definition, everything.

The pattern's gauge was kinda funky, though. I would have needed size 11 US needles, and the swatch was like a loose net. I went down to size 8 US, and just made it two sizes larger with the original lengths for the size small. It came out a tad wider than I expected after blocking, but I knew it was going to be huge anyway. The smallest chest measurement would have given me 4-5 inches of ease. But according to the new Teen Vouge, oversize knit sweaters are totally in. Sweet. And this kind of traditional garment is classic and timeless, so I'm not super concerned.

And here is my current WIP. It's become a little all-consuming, not gonna lie...

It's the Bayerische sock from See Eunny Knit!. Belgian cables with twisted stitches. Gorgeous. I used size 0 US dpn's, and Lion Brand Sock-Ease in Grape Soda. Not exactly high-end, but it's cheap and hard-wearing. Love the pattern, love the first sock.

 The only pattern error I saw was in the toe shaping. At the very end, It says to knit Row 2 6 times to decrease from 40 stitches to 16, but that would mean knitting even for six rounds. It's supposed to be knit row 1 six times.

That's all for today, but maybe I'll actually post occasionally for a little while? Yes?

Partial Luck and Substitution

Alright, so after some debate I finally decided to knit my year-three-and-up Harry Potter scarf from Lion Brand Wool-Ease, in Gryffindor colors for now and maybe another house once I recover from the ribbing coma. But my paycheck has a week or so to show up, so I've been knitting this scarf only in my daydreams. I thought about it all the time--the stripes, the rib, the fringe, how it would wash. Then the other day when I was antiquing with my Grandma Helen and my sister, I was thinking extra hard. Wishing and hoping for Wool-Ease. How much would I need for the main color? Four skeins? Certainly the contrasting color would only need one. Wool-Ease...Wool-Ease...Wool-Ease...I paused in one of the little booths to peek in an old trunk. Rug kit, embroidery...oh my gosh NO WAY! What did I find?

Four skeins of Wool-Ease, for $7.20. That's only $1.80 a skein, folks! Granted, it's not the right color for any kind of Hogwarts house scarf, but I think I've found something to divert me for a good long time while I wait. After a search on Ravelry, I pulled up the Gwynedd pattern from Knitty winter 2008. It's a gorgeous reversible cable scarf, super thick to hold up against winter winds. It's sure to take quite a while, but I figure it'll be the perfect landscape to try out this new technique on, and get an awesome result at the end of it!

Two Gifts Done!

I handed over the completed Tridactyl gloves to Bonnie last night for her 15th birthday. She had been asking for fingerless mitts, but I couldn't have her know what her present was! There had to be SOME surprise! But she loved them, and they'll serve her well on the bench.

I thought this pattern was pretty original, and the wave pattern kept it mildly interesting, although it was still kind of a zone-out meditation project in some parts, so it was cool for watching movies.

The twisted rib cuff is extra tight, and should keep snow out. I think I'm going to try it out on my next pair of mittens for me-in fact, I'm kind of surprised I didn't try it before :P

I also finished Kelley O's bday hat, but I don't have any pics yet. I'll post one once I give it to her-I think the off white is going to contrast fabulously with her reddish-auburn hair :)

If at First You Don't Succeed...

Pomatomus may have kicked my butt once...

...but not this time!

I have since grafted the first sock shown, and started the cuff for the second one twice. For the record, it was not my own incompetence that caused the need for a do-over. There was a funnel cloud (good chance for a tornado) spotted touching ground near my village in Upstate New York (well, there is a first time for everything), and I attempted to work on the cuff while taking refuge in the basement. In the dark. Without a chart. Genius.

Regardless, I knit the foot a bit too long and thus shortened the toe, ending with 28 stitches to graft rather than 12. The stitch pattern is comfortably stretchy without falling down, interesting to work, and of course, resembles fish scales. How cool is that? This is the first project in a long time I haven't minded ripping back at all, it's so entertaining to whip up. I can't wait til I can wear the pair...

Xmas!

By now my family knows that anything knit related will be warmly received on Christmas-an of course, responded in kind :) Here's what I scored this year...

• Lion Brand Homespun in the Mediterranean colorway.
• Lion Brand Wool-Ease Chunky. One skein Oatmeal, two Charcoal, and an olive-y color I forgot the name of.
• An 11oz skein of colorful brushed yarn
• The book Cables, Diamonds, Herringbone on the construction of Fisher men's sweaters.
• $50 to my local Ben Franklin :0
• Two skeins of Red Heart Classic in white and an electric blue

Not bad...not bad...lol I already have plans for some of it! The Wool-Ease has already been turned ino half a scarf for my dad. The brushed rainbow is already on the needles for a knit Fall Shawl. It's meant to mimic the crochet version, and isn't the funnest pattern I've ever worked on by any means. I'm still debating whether to frog it or keep going.

Here you tell me...if you were working on a shawl with 75% of the rows being purled (ew) when you knit continental, and the few knit rows only contained ONE plain knit stitch each, and you loathe the pattern with every fiber of your being...but the picture really looks warm...what would you do? Oh, and the yarn doesn't frog well. But you don't have any square, rectangular, or circular shawls and want to give one a try. Well? Lemme know!

Let It Snow!!!

Hoo boy! The snow is here! We had to go to school, but left a little early to compensate for any busing delay. As is, plows can't keep up, cars are stuck, and the tree outside my window is barely visible. On the plus side however, a full foot of the fluffy stuff sure is pretty, and great for sledding once the storm abates :)

I had forgotten that in the back of the Chicks With Sticks books is always a few knitting patterns, and once I rediscovered this I started the Butterfly Socks with a denim multi of sock yarn, one of Emily's contributions. I also found some leftover turquoise Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino, and made a test swatch of the Edge-Anything Lace. I'm dying to knit up some Selbuvotter items, but I have yet to find any kind of dk wool in decent colors locally. Will have to go on Knitpicks and wait for the mail...

Anyway back to knitting gifts. Time is running out!

Lot's and Lot's of News!

Ok, for starters here's the promised Froot Loop pic.

I know you can't see the pattern at all, but we were rushing home from karate, and my recipient/model has started JV swimming and is too sore to stand for very long. Excuse the pants in the way, our uniforms were still on.

Anyway, I babysat my two younger cousins for two days so the oldest could stay at a friend's house, and as I sat on the couch with my first Monkey sock they all ended up bringing out various projects of their own. They all sat down with me, and soon were asking if we could start a knitting group. Later that day, I was chaperoning a trip to the yarn section of Ben Franklin, supervising the purchase of yarn and the appropriate needles, and doling out patterns from the library I am attempting to build.

My sister is working on a shawl for our older cousin's baby, with some ambitious finishing for her consisting of backing the shawl and embroidering the baby girl's name onto the fabric. I didn't attempt that at her skill level, and although she refuses to acknowledge the fact that a quarter yard won't be enough to back the whole shawl, I'm proud of her for doing her own thing. I have a feeling she'll get into free forming as she learns more and more about garment construction.

The middle cousin was working on a rectangular shawl for her mom, with stripes of normal and reverse stockinette in kinky white cotton. She desperately wanted it over with and begged me to think of any way at all she could end it NOW. I suggested a doll blanket, so she happily cast off and handed it to my sis for her American Girl doll. She picked up a ball of sock yarn at the store, and with my size 2 US needles and a written copy of one of my patterns, she's working on a sweater each for her and her sister's American Girls.

The youngest had been knitting a simple potholder, a solution to avoid a whole scarf, but her yarn tangled and she cut it off. So at Ben Franklin, she grabbed two skeins of Grande yarn in white and navy, her school colors, and size 13 US needles for a striped school spirit scarf. (She also got some thick woolly tweed I'm unbelievably jealous of, and will have to buy at some point before it sells out).

I? Well...sock yarn for a change...haha I was restricted to two skeins each of different brands by my wallet, and had to pass up that gorgeous tweed :( I think I'm starting to understand that lecture I received from my mom before we left. Something about me never having money, and a yarn addiction...nope never mind. There's no way she was talking to me. She must have been on the phone with someone. I also finished one of the Monkey socks, and aside from varying tightness in my kitchener stitch that made for a wonky toe, they look fairly good. I like the lace pattern a lot, and knitting thought the back loops of the picked-up gusset stitches works better than I had expected. I could kick myself for not listening to that advice when I heard it months ago. The heel was giving me aneurysms for not being reinforced, but I think it would take attention from the lace and we wouldn't want that, now would we? Besides, tall-ish socks look funny in shoes. I prefer to bum around the house in them, where a reinforced heel isn't needed. I can only hope my friend agrees with me.

And by the way...Ugg boots are really comfy with hand knit socks for anyone interested. Just thought I'd throw it out there.

Finally!

Oh wow I finally finished the Froot Loop socks! They're going to one of my friends tonight at karate-I'll post pics once she tries them on. I wonder how my instructors will react...I brought my knitting to a karate tournament for something to do between my fight and the extreme fighting, and my sensei was totally and completely appalled. To this day he will bring up the fact that one moment I was making a girl cry to get first place in my division, and the next he saw me I was knitting a pink cell phone case. As he now says, "there's no KNITTING in karate!" Psh. How does he think those muscle shirts guys wear under their uniforms are made? Honestly. Some people...

Anyway after the marathon session that was the size 9 1/2 Froot Loop socks, I'm working on a pair of size 5 1/2 socks in blue-and-brown Lion Brand Sock-Ease. The pattern is Monkey from Knitty by Cookie A. for one of my other friends who's a pointe dancer and could use some TLC on her feet. Thankfully her feet are small-after how I dragged out the last pair, I'm in need of a quick victory.

So right-pics tomorrow or whenever this week, and...hopefully some pics of blue socks by next week. Wish me luck! Needles of fury...

New for summer!

I only have a quick moment to post before the meeting about next year's AP classes, but I am excited beyond belief...new, new, new online knitting stuff! The summer Knitty issue is out, and that alone is reason to cheer, for I have been faithfully checking the website every day and HUZZAH! I need check no more! On top of that Jacquelyn Landry's adorable Blithe sundress is out, and I must say it is in the top three choices of what to knit for my second niece's birthday (or whatever it is that you call your cousin's child). They live in England and her birthday isn't until September, so I'm not sure how practical that is, but it's so unbelievably cute. Maybe I'll use that as an excuse to knit a little cardigan to match! I can feel the gears turning...all I need is a magical yarn fairy to show up at my door and I'll be completely satisfied. (Hey, it never hurts to dream)! Ciao for now...