Honeymoon Armwarmers

I wanted to make my new hubby something special for Christmas to thank him for all of the lovely yarn we purchased on our honeymoon (and for hours driving around a strange city in search of yet another yarn shop without a complaint). So I picked a special yarn that I chose simply because it was local to Oregon. Ta-da! We have his & hers fingerless mitts!



Project: Honeymoon Armwarmers
Source: Dashing (Knitty)
Yarn: Imperial Stock Ranch 2ply wool in Heathered Teal, .75 skeins
Needles: US 6
Started: 12/7/07
Finished: 12/19/07
Comments: Good pattern; they fit perfectly and I didn't even swatch! I really liked this yarn and the color is so pretty (he didn't seem to mind the flecks of pink)!

Hat & Scarf

Project: Squishy Hat
Source: Crazy Aunt Purl, "Brangelina Hat"
Yarn: Misti Alpaca Chunky in Chartreuse Melange/ 7238, 1 skein
Needles: US 11
Started: 9/4/07
Finished: 9/7/07
Comments: I had this yarn for about a year before I found the perfect pattern. I love Misti Alpaca and this hat is so soft and squishy, perfectly packable and matches a whole lot of my Fall & Winter clothes. Just perfect!




Project: Vintage Velvet
Source: Scarf Style
Yarn: Muench Touch Me, #3646, 5 skeins
Needles: US 8
Started: 9/6/07
Finished: 11/3/07
Comments: I was a little torn on whether or not to felt this scarf because it was already very soft and drapey, plus I had read horror stories about unraveling. Everyone knows this yarn is cost prohibitive and I wouldn't have been able to afford more if something had gone awry. FYI- I scored my five skeins at half price! I'm so glad I did felt it though. It softened up even more, if that's possible and really tightened the cables and made them pop (as you can see from the photos). The scarf is very chic and feels oh-so-luxurious, I would really love to use this yarn again. Some specs: the color is actually the one pictured in the post-felting photos, not the blue-purple color. Pre-felting dimensions: 5"w x 55"l, Post-felting: 4.75"w x 50"l

Big Daddy Needs New Yarn!

Not anymore, to say the least. I picked up a few things at my LYS at their Thanksgiving sale, but check out the haul from my honeymoon! I had no idea I'd bought so much until I was taking the photos!

Portland has dozens upon dozens of yarn shops spread out all over, so we didn't even touch half of them. We did manage to make it to 5 stores, not too shabby (in 3 days!). Don't feel too bad for DH's patience, he's been known to knit occasionally and some of this yarn is his.

Of course I picked up some Kureyon, as well as yarn for 7 (!) pairs of socks, but I also tried to buy locally. In addition to Oregon wool, and specially dyed yarn, I bought some handspun that comes from a 90-year old woman!

I was extremely impressed with yarn stores in Portland. They average about 3 times the size of the ones here, are absolutely bursting with yarn and they carry enough varied things that you'd have to shop at 2 or 3. Plus, perfect LYS manners: ask you if they can help, then leave you alone and when you do need help, they were very friendly and down-to-earth. We even got free handmade glass stitch markers at one because it was our honeymoon! None of the snobbery that keeps me out of a lot of places.

These are the places we visited and I hardily recommend all of them. The ones with an * had a tad more variety in my opinion.

*Yarn Garden
Dublin Bay Knitting Co. (specializes in yarn from the British Isles, very fun!)
*Abundunt Yarn & Dyeworks
The Naked Sheep
*Close Knit

Finally, the months-overdue Harry Potter beret. Probably not worth all the build-up, but I did get my photo taken with Hagrid, Mad-Eye Moody and Snape (sigh) while wearing it!



Project: Harry Potter Beret
Source: Charmed Knits
Yarn: Plymouth Encore Worsted in #999 & #1382 (maybe 1/2 skein of the red?)
Needles: US 6 & 7
Started: 5/6/07
Finished: 5/10/07
Comments: Easy Peasy!

Wedding Shawl

So here are the details on my beautiful wedding shawl.

This was my first big lace project and I was plenty nervous. Miriam, the designer, was very helpful when I had questions and other knitters helped me through my first time blocking with wires and how to wash the delicate yarn. Thanks a lot!!

I think this pattern is perfect for a beginning lace knitter. It's pretty straight-forward and the charts are easy to read. The yarn is the softest thing I've ever touched and I wish I could drape myself in it all the time. When knitting the shawl, I often stopped for minutes at a time to pet the yarn! The yarn also seems much sturdier when knit up. I only had breakage once and that was when I was pulling from the first center ball I had wound. I do tend to wind too tightly.

This is definitely my most loved of all the things I've knit. I'm extremely proud of it too!

Now for lots more photos!





Project: Seraphim Wedding Shawl
Source: Mim Knits
Yarn: Lobster Pot Lace Weight Cashmere in Salt Rose, 1.5 skeins
Needles: US 6
Started: 8/1/07
Finished: 9/5/07
Comments: I left out one repeat because I'm so short and also because I was worried of running out of yarn. I had plenty of yarn left over and the shawl ended up being only slightly shorter than the one the pattern calls for. This shawl was knit in secret and my sweet husband ended up being very surprised (he's my #1 knitting fan)! I only hope I can figure out how to wear this often.

Back from Break

I've mostly been on a knitting and blogging break for the past few months because I was planning my wedding. Now that the wedding and honeymoon has come and gone, I'm going to try to get back up to date. I have lots of new yarn to post, fun projects and plenty of knitting to do. In the meantime, enjoy this shot of my first big 'ol complicated lace project. Oh, my luxurious wedding shawl, how I do love thee so!

Yo, I Love Alpaca!

Project: Yo, Drop It Scarf *modified*
Source: Stitch 'n Bitch Nation
Yarn: Misti Alpaca Chunky in #3681 (Hot Pinkish, hard to photograph)
Needles: US 13
Started: 8/11/07
Finished: 8/12/07
Comments: I changed the amount of wraps and the beginning and ends of the scarf. Nice, fast project.


I still have a few more projects to photograph, including the HP Beret, of course, and another alpaca project. Photos to come soon...

Summer Dishcloths

Project: Ballband Dishcloths
Source: Mason-Dixon Knitting
Yarn: Sugar 'N Cream in Light Blue & Jewels; Red, Strawberries 'N Cream, & Patio Pinks
Needles: US 7
Started: 7/18/07 & 7/24/07
Finished: 7/23/07 & 7/26/07
Comments: It wouldn't be summer without more ballbands!


Project: Dragonfly Dishcloth
Source: It was from a blog called PurpleDuckie, but it appears to be missing now
Yarn: Sugar 'N Cream in Hot Purple
Needles: US 7
Started: 8/2/07
Finished: 8/4/07
Comments: Pretty!

Missing FOs

Well, as I previously mentioned I've been a tad busier than usual and have not been knitting much, nor have I posted photos of most of my projects from the summer. So this post is more in the "get thee up-to-date" style.

New Baby Knits Group Shot

Hat

Project: Kids Swirl Ski Cap
Source: Knitting for Peace
Yarn: Knit Picks Swish Superwash in Dublin & Jade
Needles: US 7 & 8
Started: 7/26/07
Finished: 8/1/07
Comments: Easy hat to knit, it's flat, so there is some seaming to do. It really expanded when I blocked it.

Baby Sweater

Front

Back

Close-up of buttons

Project: Baby Baseball Tee
Source: Knit 2 Together
Yarn: Knit Picks Swish Superwash in Dublin & Jade
Needles: US 4 & 6
Started: 7/2/07
Finished: 7/25/07
Comments: I made a few modifications, namely leaving off the pocket & mittens and just knitting stripes randomly. I like how the stripes look and the difference in the front & back, but all of those stripes made for lots & lots of ends to weave in. Annoying, of course. Pretty easy, straight-forward pattern.

Blanket

Close-up of Rightside Pattern

Close-up of Reverse Pattern

Project: Baby Lydia's Blanket
Source: My Design with Fancy Diamond Pattern from Harmony Guides Vol. 2
Yarn: Knit Picks Swish Superwash in Dublin, 8 1/2 skeins
Needles: US 7
Started: 5/8/07
Finished: 6/15/07
Comments: I really like the yarn, easy to care for, has great stitch definition and is soft & warm. My only problem with Knit Picks is that most of their skeins really should have more yardage. I really liked this stitch pattern also, it's textured without being bumpy. Oh, and the Swish blocked very well.

Baby has been born and is doing well, hopefully she's enjoying her snuggly blanket. Now I kind of wish no one I know gets pregnant next year, that would be a first, but I spend every spring & summer slogging through bibs and blankets!

Socks for Dobby

Okay, so how good was that book? Obviously the best of the series, rightly so.

I can finally post my second pair of socks!



It's really hard to photograph this yarn. You can't really see the stitch pattern, even in the close ups. What's really funny is how the yarn seems to stripe in the photos, which isn't evident at all in person. Luckily I got to make these socks much longer than the last pair because I had 2 skeins and wasn't worried about running out of yarn. Let me show just how much I had left when I finished.

Only about 1 yard! Now I have a whole other skein to contemplate. These socks didn't really take as long as it seems because I took several months off between them to knit baby things. Each sock only took about 2 weeks. Here are the stats:

Project: Alternating 2x2 Rib Socks
Source: Sensational Knitted Socks
Yarn: Mountain Colors 4/8s in Wildflower (this is worsted)
Needles: US 4
Started: 3/14/07
Finished: 7/22/07
Comments: I didn't really have any problems with these. I still can't believe how straightforward sock knitting really is, especially with this book to help figure it out. Perhaps now I can contemplate some of those popular fancy patterns floating around out there. Lord knows I've bookmarked a ton from Knitty.

Buttonhole Bag

The Interweave Fall preview is up. I really like all of the warm, cozy projects. I think it looks better than the last few issues. Eunny's cardigan is gorgeous and why in the world is everything Norah Gaughan creates so damn cool looking?

In other news, you may know I have a penchant for entrelac, so I was delighted to combine it with my love of dishcloths in the garterlac cloth. However, this cloth has caused me nothing but trouble. I found it very hard to simply knit into the stitches themselves for one thing. The pattern is fairly straightforward and I do not fault the designer at all. I brought it on myself by apparently knitting too tightly and wanting to use 3 different colorways of yarn, thereby creating hundreds of ends to weave in later. Needless to say, the cloth made the forlorn yet inevitable trip to the frog pond last night. Adios amigo, may we meet again in better circumstances.

Here's a bag I'm not sure how much I will use, but I needed a quick, fun project to work on while watching Live Earth. The colors will just not photograph well with or without a flash, so this is kind of an approximation.

Before Felting:

After Felting:
Project: The Buttonhole Bag
Source: Mason-Dixon Knitting
Yarn: Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Bulky in Periwinkle, Fuchsia, & Turquoise
Needles: US 15
Started: 7/7/07
Finished: 7/8/07
Comments: Easy peasy, fun


I will be on vacation (in seclusion) for the rest of the week to savor reading Harry Potter. I shall return afresh next week with Harry hat photos & sock photos!

Go Go Federer!

Here's my recently completed Swiss Pride Hat that I designed exclusively to wear while watching Roger Federer win Wimbledon for the 5th straight time. He's an amazing athlete, watching him at his best is like ballet. I'm very proud of this hat because it turned out exactly as I envisioned it (it's the Swiss Flag by the way) and I conquered scary intarsia by just plunging right in. I also hear that the Mad Hatter is planning on making the same hat!



Project: Swiss Pride Hat
Source: My Design
Yarn: Plymouth Encore Worsted in #9601 & #208
Needles: US 7
Started: 6/29/07
Finished: 6/30/07
Comments: Intarsia, smarsia. I was nervous about attempting this colorwork without practicing, but it was a complete snap with no problems whatsoever. I thought I might have to do some duplicate stitching at the corners of the cross, but once the ends were woven in, it was fine. I did block the hat with a sample of Soak, which I really liked. The yarn is mostly acrylic, so it didn't do too much, but it does smell good! Poster Boy here I come!

I also blocked my Cotlin hand towel and the Soak worked wonders for it. The stitches are nice and even and it doesn't stretch out horribly like before. It feels a little softer and will probably increase with use. I can't say much for the slight pilling which will probably increase as I use it and toss it in the laundry, but I'll probably use the yarn again.

Lizzy, I would recommend Mason Dixon. It has a lot of things for the home, which I like, but if you want to look at lots of examples, check out the archives of the KAL.

Stay tuned for a very long list of things to do coming soon!

File under Finished

So here's my finished hand towel. I wanted to try out KnitPicks' new Cotlin yarn and this was the perfect pattern to use. It took me awhile because I stopped to finish the blanket and had forays into mitered squares.



Project: Moss Grid Hand Towel
Source: Mason Dixon Knitting
Yarn: KnitPicks Cotlin in Fiesta Pink, almost 2 full skeins
Needles: US 5
Started: 5/12/07
Finished: 6/26/07
Comments: This yarn is pretty good. It's a blend of cotton and linen and I'm interested to see if it will soften with washing. The colors are very vivid, which I like, but I disliked having to pull out bits of straw(?), hay(?) at regular intervals. I'm pretty sure I was going to run out of yarn, so I left out one repeat. Before blocking the towel measures 18.75"L x 12.25"W. The finished product is a little stretchy even when dry, so I probably could have stood to go down another needle size, but the fabric does have a nice squish to it. All in all, I'd probably use this yarn again (ok, I'm already picturing bright purple & pink chevron stripes), but not for a garment. The cast on edge seems to be pilling a little already just from carrying the project around.

Recent FOs

More baby knits to share. I don't know where I'd be without my standard baby patterns.


Project: Umbilical Cord Baby Hat & Baby Bib 'O Love
Source: Stitch 'n Bitch & Mason-Dixon Knitting
Yarn: Bernat Cotton Tots in Jelly Belly & Sugar 'n Cream in Pastel Delights
Needles: US 7 & US 6
Started: 5/5/07 & 4/24/07
Finished: 5/6/07 & 5/4/07
Comments: Wonderful standby patterns. I wish I could get some feedback from the moms who used them. I'm never sure if the hat will fit or if they will use the bib when they have so many that are store bought.

On another note, I'm *this* close to finishing the baby blanket. Hooray!!

And while I've had this blog for over a year and my heading promises other crafty things besides knitting, I never seem to have time for other pursuits. That dry spell seems to be over... hopefully. Just take a look at the jewelry I made for my sister-in-law's birthday.



Pretty standard stuff really, but I'm pretty proud of the dainty, swingy earrings. They're the first pair I've made!

The Stash is Overflowing

I'm really running out of room for yarn. My rubbermaid tub has like a 2 1/2 foot high stack of yarn & WIPS & other layabouts on top. Anyway, I'm still pleased to add another skein of beloved Noro Kureyon!!! The color is 194 & it's a mixture of fushcia, green, red-orange & browns. This lone skein comes home to the stash courtesy of my squeeze, who stopped by the yarn store (!) on his way home from work to pick out the perfect colors for me & to see the delighted smile on my face. How thoughtful! He's a keeper (duh).



I finally got my act together & gathered all of my dishcloths to be put to use. I love them! I'm never going back to small, flimsy machine-made cloths again. Looks like I need to get cracking on summer cloths to fill up the basket spaces.

Too Many?

So I just finished reading the Yarn Harlot's newest book, Casts Off and I think it's her best yet. The idea of a travel guide to knitting is just brilliant! The only thing I really dislike about her books is how it takes absolutely no time to read them. I wish she could crank them out faster.

Last month I read Knitting for Peace, which is a gorgeous little book. It explains the history of knitting for charitable causes and includes descriptions of many present-day organizations and projects. It includes several patterns too. I found it very inspiring and have vowed to do more charity knitting from now on. I want to make something for every cause mentioned! I almost immediately cast on for a blanket square for afghans for Afghans and right after that started a cuddly little bear for Mother Bear Project. Sarah made a really cute one last year. I still have to embroider the face, but I plan on making more of them. I think I could probably complete an afghan square between every 1 or 2 projects and it would help to keep me sane and go to a good cause. I've been using up some stash yarn for these projects that are machine washable, leftover from the Jayne hat. I want to make more hats, but I'm thinking some rough Lopi would be better for the cowboys in space look.

Anywho, after making Two socks & Two mittens, I needed some quick no frills projects. Hence the blanket square, the bear, and the following.



Project: Leo's Lap Blanket
Source: Mason Dixon Knitting
Yarn: TLC Essentials in Cranberry, Butter & Persimmon, Lion Brand Wool-Ease in Brown
Needles: US 8
Started: 2/26/07
Finished: 3/1/07
Comments: This is for my elderly cat Leo. He is frequently cold, his claws are constantly out and he sits on my lap as soon as I sit down. The blanket is to protect my poor legs & clothes from anymore painful clawings, as well as to keep him warm when I'm not around. It's been in use for about a week and is already pretty ripped up itself. No matter, he likes it okay, as do the other cats. It's maybe 14" x 14", just big enough to cover my lap and fit most of their bodies. Crochet border to "finish the look".

So after that, I ask you how many dishcloths is too many? I ran from the blanket straight into a dishcloth jag (thank you Harlot for that phrase). I was having trouble sleeping and was churning out an average of a cloth a day. Except for the monstrosity that is the Flower Petal. Here goes:



Project: Flower Petal Washcloth
Source: Weekend Knitting
Yarn: Lion Chenille Thick & Quick in Violet
Needles: US 6
Started: 2/26/07
Finished: 2/28/07
Comments: I hate this yarn and I cannot understand how people can knit with it. It was the first yarn I ever bought (also in 2 other colors) and it made me want to give up knitting before I had barely started it. I've never made anything with it and it is going straight to the Salvation Army next weekend. The cloth only took 2 days but it felt a lot longer. It was sheer will that got me through this. I believe it may have turned out much bigger than was intended. It is pretty soft, but it's so solid & bulky that I'm doubtful it will even soak up water.



Project: Slip Stitch Dishcloth & Double Woven Stitch Cloth
Source: Blossom Knitwear & Knitting Knonsense
Yarn: Sugar 'n Cream in Hot Pink & Red, SnC in Beach Ball Blue
Needles: US 7
Started: 3/9/07 & 3/11/07
Finished: 3/9/07 & 3/12/07
Comments: I love the Slip Stitch Cloth & will definitely use the pattern again.



Project: Eyelet Square & Swish with a Twist Cloth
Source: Knitting for Peace & Creative Knitting Magazine
Yarn: TLC Essentials in Butter & Snc in Cornflower Blue
Needles: US 7
Started: 3/2/07 & 3/8/07
Finished: 3/5/07 & 3/8/07
Comments: I love a cable dishcloth!



Project: Love & Shamrock Cloth
Source: Knitting Knonsense & Knitting Knonsense
Yarn: Snc in some kind of pink & emerald
Needles: US 7
Started: 3/7/07 & 3/10/07
Finished: 3/7/07 & 3/10/07
Comments: I like the idea of seasonal cloths. Now I need to find a bunny!

So five regular cloths & one giant one, that's enough for now...I think.

Just In Time

Well, I didn't mean to spend so much time away from the blog. I have been knitting some but lately I've been reading more often than knitting. Right after finishing my cozy little pair of socks, I casted on for some mmmmMalabrigo mittens that I had been wanting to do for awhile. My hands were freezing quite easily inside the house and since I've finished them I've worn them not at all, since it's been f@*%ing 80 degrees!

Anway, here they are. Very cute & cozy & super soft.



Project: Target Wave Mittens
Source: Interweave Knits Fall '06, also Knitting Nature
Yarn: Malabrigo in Cuarzo & Emerald
Needles: US 7 & 8
Started: 2/15/07
Finished: 2/25/07
Comments: The pattern was okay, they're knit flat so they have to be seamed, ugh! The sizes are children's and I made the largest for my tiny hands, but I did have to shorten the thumb way down. I look forward to wearing them some day. The best part is all of the leftover Malabrigo.

Socks!

Ta-da! My very first pair of socks. I must say I feel very accomplished. This is definitely the one knitted project I am most proud of. I didn't really have any problems with the pattern, it was very straightforward. Of course, I had knit that one practice sock that took forever. The first sock of this pair was finished in under a week and the second one took twice as long at least. Yikes! I really want to knit them two at a time from now on. They are pretty short because I was worried I would run out of yarn and of course I have lots leftover. I'm not sure of any ways to lengthen an item from the cast-on edge. Any ideas? Hopefully my kitchener stitch will improve, but I'm pretty pleased with the results. I will tell you, you need to knit socks, or get someone to do it for you. They feel so fabulous and massagey. Now I know what everyone was talking about.





Project: Baby Cable Socks
Source: Sensational Knitted Socks
Yarn: All Things Heather Sportweight in Cornflower
Needles: US 3 DPNs
Started: 1/21/07
Finished: 2/13/07
Comments: I love them! While I was knitting them, thinking that I would have a pair of hand-knitted socks at the end was an unbelievable feeling!