Passion Knit Girl

Finished Yarn Fairy KAL Shawl!

2011-11-17T19:42:00.001-07:00

This was such a fun shawl to knit!

Thought I'd take a minute to upload a photo or two of the finished shawl. Loved knitting this one!

A Knitting Kind of Day (What Day Isn't??)

2011-11-03T09:49:00.000-07:00

A wonderful day to knit. I am off work today, and have a nice amount of time to knit this morning! I happen to be going along pretty well on my Yarn Fairy Mystery Shawl, just about 1/3 done with the final clue. I expect to be finished within a day or two, if all goes well.

How about that pink wall paper? We bought a house in May of this year, and I love it so much. BUT, that paper has got to go. It is a throwback to the early 90's and is completely covering every wall of the master bedroom. Even on the light switches. Too much. I never thought I would say "too much PINK"!! haha! But this is really bad. I probably won't have the time or energy to get to it until after the holidays are over, but I intend to strip it off and do something with the room to make it beautiful.

Let's see...what else has been going on? I have a job now, and yes, I am the one knitting in the breakroom. It is such a good stress reliever.

The Kitman Mystery Shawl (Koi) is over with, I downloaded every clue to my computer, but after casting on, I frogged it and put the yarn back in it's bag. I really have other shawls I'd rather be working on and think I will save that for now. I don't even feel the least bit guilty! And really, I can lay the guilt on myself like no other!

It was nice to hear from my friend, Judy, who left me a comment on one of the last posts. I'm surprised to see anyone still checking this blog, really. I had deserted it for so long! But it is nice to have everything going again. Even my camera seems to be cooperating with me this time. That is usually my biggest problem! I always think it would be a good idea to take a Digital Photography class for beginners, but where would I find the time? And how would I take that time away from my knitting? It's a scary thought!

Another KAL???

2011-10-13T09:04:00.001-07:00

I thought I would get it all together for another KAL I joined the Koi Rama Mystery KAL by Kitman Fugueroa Designs. Her beautiful shawls are done in sock yarn and the lace is stunning on all her patterns. I plan to make more of them, for certain. This one has wrapped stitches which is a technique I have never done before. I will be sure to write about that when I get to that point in the pattern.

I purchased some rather inexpensive yarn for this, since my Mom and I were shopping that day in Las Vegas. We went to Michaels and I picked up this Kroy sock yarn in a charcoal grey, and since the pattern calls for beads, I bought 2 vials of some very pretty pewter color beads to use on this shawl.

Now to cast on!! This shawl is knit from the bottom up, so casting on is going to be a process! (330 stitches!!)

Done with Clue 2

2011-10-12T12:51:00.000-07:00

Yes, Clue #2 was a quick and enjoyable knit! I finished it this morning after a horrible night of sleep (or rather no sleep) due to a shoulder problem I have had for years. The problem, involving a station wagon, a bag of groceries and a hubby who through no fault of his own accidentally slammed the hatchback door down on my shoulder when I was leaning in the back to pick up some more grocery bags, has left me with occasional pain in that shoulder. So last night I put the heating pad on and tried to ease the pain. It seems better today, but have you noticed that I haven't quit knitting. hmmmmm

Ok, so this picture isn't the greatest. How can I post inferior pics on the blog? Well, the color may be off, but you can still see the pattern, and since I am certain that most readers I have had in the past have since moved on to more wooly pastures because of my year long hiatus, I am going to post it anyway!

After doing some cleaning this afternoon, I think I will pick up one of the other KAL's I'm working on and knit some more. Maybe put on Craftlit Podcast and listen to chapter 3 of Dracula! Yaaahaahaahaaa! (insert wicked laughing sound here) Have to say, Dracula isn't exactly my usual genre of Lit, but I am enjoying it so much. You just never know about people! Even yourself! :)
~Renée

Another View

2011-10-09T20:37:00.001-07:00

Found another...

There she is in the middle. Enjoying her handiwork!

PS...I wonder if she used Emily Ocher's Cast On?

A Pi Shawl

2011-10-09T20:33:00.002-07:00

Not a big post today, but I was organizing my photos on my computer and came across this beauty I took a few years back in Washington. What a work of art. I used to find these type webs in the bushes or trees around our house. Here in AZ, I haven't found this type of web anywhere. Spiders here are very different from their lacemaking cousins in WA.

Just wanted to share the beauty.

I have a clue!

2011-10-07T10:56:00.001-07:00

The first clue, that is, of the Yarn Fairy KAL is done!

The red yarn is looking sort of a lipstick pink, rather beautiful, I think. It is beautiful yarn and so soft and lovely. I am looking forward to the next clue, which is coming tomorrow!

This was a fantastic car project. I went to Las Vegas with Hubby this week, and since this pattern is fairly simple and involves no beading, it was lovely car knitting. We stayed at Harrahs, and had a view of the Volcanos going off at the Mirage, I believe. I don't know. We used to live in Las Vegas, so the Strip holds no real attraction for me, I just enjoy visiting Mom, who still lives there. And Danny was there on business. But here are some night photos of the lights for you!

It may be the first time we drove down the Strip in more than 20 years or more, but when you live in Vegas, you spend more time avoiding the Strip than actually going down it!

Supplies for KAL

2011-10-01T11:28:00.001-07:00

Like I said yesterday, I have my "way" to do a KAL. This is one thing in my life that I can say I am organized about. Maybe it is only because I have so many projects going at one time and it would be complete chaos if I weren't organized. Whatever the reason, here are my supplies for the Yarn Fairy KAL, which begins today.

Notice that my folder this time is in perfect harmony with Wendy, the Yarn Fairy's chosen name!! Also, there is my yarn that she and her pixies dyed just for me. It is not exactly pink, rather a light to medium red dye. Love it!! My magnetic board complete with magnets. I will set my chart up on this and put one of the magnets over the line I am knitting. I used to do it the other way, placing the magnet beneath the current line I'm knitting from the chart. Problem was, it is easier to "read" my knitting if I can see the previous few lines of knitting as I go. That way if I encounter a problem, I can find it and correct it more quickly. Usually any problems I find in my lace knitting are due to forgetting a YO. Easily corrected without tinking back. (Get it? "Tink" back?...yeah)

My knitting needles are there, a size 4 ChiaoGoo 40 " circular. Last is the highlighting pen. I like to fill in the chart as I complete each line. That way if my magnet gets knocked out of place I still have my place marked. I learned this the hard way. But lets not talk about that! LOL

The only other thing missing is my first chart, which will fit inside my folder!

Ok, now that my organizational weirdness is out, I will get to knitting!
~Renée

edited later:
Forgot to mention my little stitch markers, I like the kind that are slim and continuous rather than the "split" kind that can catch on such thin yarn...also, I am only a few rows in, but have switched to a size 3 needle, since I like the look of the fabric much better. I am such a Loosey-Goosey knitter.

KALs or Knit A Longs

2011-09-30T10:17:00.000-07:00

I love a good KAL. The first one I ever did was Kelley Petkun's (with Knit Picks) when she did the Knitter's Almanac, such a classic of a book that was brought to us on angel's lace knitted wings by Elizabeth Zimmermann lo so many years ago. Kelley had decided to knit through the book in a years time, much in the style of the book Julie and Julia. I hopped on board that train, and knitted two of the projects very happily before getting bored. I will someday come back to the Knitter's Almanac on my own and will enjoy several more projects I'm sure.

Other KALs have been of lace shawls, there seem to be an endless amount of lace designers out there just itching for us to buy their patterns, knit their shawls in knit a long fashion. I love it, but have never finished a shawl in the time allotted for the pattern release. Usually the clues are given one week at a time, and by the end of 5-6 weeks or so, you have a complete pattern. Here is the completed 1st weeks clue of the Fall Mystery Shawl I began last weekend:

I am enjoying it, Renee's shawls are beautiful, yet uncomplicated to knit. This one is a triangle shaped shawl.

The first thing I do when I join a KAL is to designate a simple paper folder (I buy cute ones in the school supply aisles of Walmart or CVS or wherever). I print out my receipt for the pattern and stick it in there. I also use the pockets of that folder as I go to save any other receipts I accumulate such as for the yarn, the beads if there are any, I like to use a thin magnetic board with magnet strips for placing my charts on, so I put that in there, too. I find those at JoAnn's in the cross stitch section. Then I wait for the KAL to begin. As I get the charts for the clues, of course they go in the folder. I can make notes to place into the folder if I want, such as any problems I come across or info from the other people who may be doing the same KAL. The idea online is that other folks can join you in knitting the same item and we help each other along with encouragement. We can share problems we encounter in the pattern and get help from the other's who have more experience or have worked out the problem for themselves! This is often a pleasant way to meet other knitters, also. At least to "meet" them online, right? :)

Today I have many things on my to do list, and haven't done a one of them, so I had better get off of the computer and get something done around here!

Still going...

2011-09-28T05:05:00.000-07:00

Like that bunny with the drum, I am still going! Since I love my new swift so much, I decided to make yarn cakes of all my sock yarn that was in hanks. So, got out the big tub I have it in, and got to work yesterday! Yesterday morning yielded this:

Three 1300 yd hanks of laceweight, 1 hank of 880 yd laceweight, and various and sundry sock yarn hanks....all turned into little muffins!!

Went and ran some errands, went to my dr appointment, went to work where they were offering free flu shot, more errands, then home and back to going round and round with this pile as a result:

Guess I'm addicted! But that is a good addiction. Next time I'm digging through my sock yarn stash, I will grab some of these little yarn cakes to use. Some of this yarn I have had for years! But I keep reaching for the yarn that is already skeined up whenever I'm beginning new socks. I haven't really purchased much in the way of sock yarn in the past couple of years and yet I still have so much of it. This is really only a drop in the bucket. I should really be ashamed, right? Lets just say I'm fully prepared for any sock knitting emergency!!

Swiftly we turn...

2011-09-27T05:48:00.000-07:00

Got a new yarn swift yesterday! I ordered it from a place on Etsy called Woodstockcrafts.

With it, and my trusty ball winder, I created this:

This is the yarn from Goddess Knits that is for Mystery Shawl 25. The colorway is called Quarry. Brings Mr. Slate, Barney and Fred to mind, doesn't it? I have wanted a tabletop swift for quite some time, and when I saw that this one was only 29.95 plus shipping, I decided to get it and then gift my old umbrella swift to my daughter, Lizzie and her hubby. I know it will have a good home there with them. I was surprised by the size of the package the swift came in, a long tube probably 5 feet long that was packed so well to keep the pieces of the swift safe from any bumps or damage. It comes completely disassembled and takes all of a minute to put together. I can take it apart and store it easily when I'm finished with it. I really appreciated the smooth parts that didn't snag my yarn at all. Made with care! Now I will be shopping Etsy for a nice sewn storage bag for it, so I won't lose any of the pieces.

I have so much to do today..it is my day off and I have a long list of things I need to do. However, like any good day, I think it will go better if I begin it with a nice cup of Starbucks and a little knitting. I hear the beep of the coffee brewer telling me to "come and get it"! Bye!

Me again.....a year older

2011-09-25T16:18:00.001-07:00

It has been over a year since my last lame post, I know, but here I am again. Once in a blue moon I turn up, like a bad penny!

New shawl beginning today: the Fall Mystery Shawl 2011. It is another Goddess Knits kal. I finished MS 18 (will post photos another time) and the MS 19 is just over half done (photos another time). Today, I have pics of the yarn I will be using for FMS2011.

This is Knit Picks Shadow in the colorway Opal Heather. It is kind of a gray with flecks of blue and pink, to make it sort of like opal. I like it, so I am naming the shawl "Autumn Opal"! I bought some pink beads with pink lining from Artbeads.com. They turned out to be perfect for this yarn!

I think that this shawl will move along faster that the others have, although, much like the overconfident idiot I can be, I signed up for 3 (yes, that's THREE) other KALs that are starting soon. I will share about them when they begin.

Thankfully, I finally got my camera to sync up with my new computer. Usually what keeps me from keeping up with the blog is:
1. lack of knitting
2. lack of time
3. computer problems
4. anything else

Hopefully, I will be more reliable with the blog posts. I hope to be, anyway.

It's a New Day

2010-09-01T10:22:00.006-07:00

A new day, a new month. A new start on the Mystery Shawl 19. This is my Crochet Provisional Cast On, just knitting up stitches into the back loop of the crochet chain.

The yarn is "Just Our Yarn" in "Almaza", which is a 100% tencel yarn. I bought it at the Madrona Fiber Festival in 2009. I am hoping that the shawl will knit up better in this yarn. I could have gone down a needle size or two in the KP Gloss, but then my stitches would have been tighter and less lacy. I hate to be starting over, but sometimes yarn simply tells you what to do. And the Gloss was telling me it would like to be something else. Maybe some socks or a lightweight sweater. Don't know. It will tell me, but for now, it just told me that it doesn't want to be MS19!
This yarn is made of tencel. Wondering what that actually is led me to look up tencel in Wikipedia. I found it is a wood pulp product. Amazing! So I learned a little something today. My yarn resembles silk with it's soft sheen and the color is wonderful.
So, here is to new beginnings, fresh starts, do overs, second chances. I've been given many of them in my life and this is just one more!

It's a Mystery to Me!

2010-08-31T10:20:00.006-07:00

Working on the MS19 yesterday I got the feeling that it was too big.

You can't tell really from this photo, but it is a full 28 inches wide when I spread it out widthwise.

I thought for a while about changing something. Maybe a thinner yarn? Maybe smaller needles? I don't think so, though. My inclination is to simply go for it. I may need to order more yarn, however! :) I only have 3 hanks of the Knit Picks Gloss laceweight. At this rate, I'm sure it will take more. Just not sure how much more? This is all food for thought today. I am not far enough on the shawl that starting over is out of the question. I could do it easily. I simply don't have the decision making capabilities today, it seems!

While mulling over the knitting issue this morning, I am listening to podcasts. I finished catching up with the newest one I have found: The Anatomy of Knitting. Then I listened to The Kindle Chronicles with Len Edgerly. (This one is only making me drool over the newest Kindle...I need to be careful! Remember, my decision making abilities are severely challenged today. May not be the best time to make a $189 purchase!)

Speaking of purchases, how do you like the contraption I bought for my Ipod?

This was on clearance at Walgreen for only $7.49. It looks like something the Skipper had the Professor put together in order to make contact with civilization and finally "get off the island", but it works fine for listening to my Ipod without the earbuds. I have a nicer Ihome in the bedroom, but wanted something I could set up in the livingroom or kitchen. Maybe I should switch their locations since this one is so weird looking!

Well, my hair is finally dry. That means I need to get doing something today instead of sitting here at the computer. Later!

Our Josh

2010-08-29T18:26:00.003-07:00

Ok, here is my Son in Law, Josh. Evidently he has way too much time on his hands. And what does this say about me? I picked out those clothes he is wearing on the right! :)

Gotta love the boy!

Just Knitting Today...not much else

2010-08-28T17:55:00.006-07:00

Just thought I would pop in and post a photo of the MS18, I am just finished with clue #4 and began #5, which is the final clue.The white spot on the right of the photo isn't a moth eaten area. It is the strap from my camera as it hang down. Ok, so I'm not Jared Flood. My photos are functional but not necessarily stunning.

I began MS19 this afternoon, and only knit 2 rows so far. It was another shawl with a provisional cast on. I like the method of crochet for this, but instead decided to use EZ's description of her "invisible" cast on method. A bit more of a pain to get started, but who likes to do the same method every time, right? Nothing else to report, really. Just a nice knitting day and lots of time to knit. What is better than that?

Nother One

2010-08-16T13:28:00.003-07:00

Finished another little dishcloth. Working on these are fun. Kindofaddictiveyaknow?

Missing these girls....

2010-08-13T18:07:00.003-07:00

Missing Judy and Hannah, too! I am terrible about writing, but I think about my knitting (and cross stitch) buds a lot and this being Friday, they will be together having fun...sending good thoughts their way!

The Best Days Are the Ones When Packages Come

2010-08-13T14:34:00.003-07:00

Here is the latest:

Gloss Lace from KP in Ultramarine. This is for the Mystery Shawl 19, because I'm just not crazy enough as it is. Don't know if this one will have beads or not. I don't think that Renee has decided yet. Other things in the box are an extra set of #4 tips for my harmonies and a 40 inch cable, and some connectors.

The best days....yes. The BEST days are the ones when packages come!

18

2010-08-12T08:03:00.005-07:00

I've been working on MS 18 lately, trying to keep up with clue #3 so that Saturday I will be able to begin work on the new chart. Here is what I have so far:

I am enjoying it very much and I'm really appreciative of the time I have had to put into it. I am not what I would call a "slow knitter", but I am definitely not a "fast knitter" either! So for a mediocre knitter I am doing fine, I guess!

I signed up for MS 19 and ordered some yarn from Knit Picks. I will post photos of that when it comes.

On today's schedule: Dental work. Ugh.

Just Keep Knitting

2010-08-04T10:54:00.011-07:00

Today I finished the first of my "5 Dishcloth" project. I plan to make 5 of these for my kitchen. I don't know why I'm thinking just 5.

This is my big basket of kitchen cotton. I can't resist buying it when I see it. It is so cheap, and pretty. I actually had two baskets until last winter when I knit bunches of dishcloths for folks. But I only kept a couple of those for me, and all my other ones are worn out. I began making them ages ago and still have the first ones I made. They wear like iron, even with daily use. We got talking about the Ball Band Dishcloth at knitting last week, and it made me go have a good discriminating look in my dishcloth basket I keep under the sink. To be honest, some of these old faithfuls should be retired. So I came up with a plan to make more even though I am in Shawl Mode*. Well, after I get tired of making this pattern, the Diagonal Knit Dishcloth by Eloomanator, I may move on to a different one. I'd like to make a GiNormous stack of new cloths.

Speaking of shawls, Victoria is coming along, I am only 8 repeats from finishing the inner part of the shawl, which is a lovely diamonding.

Here she is on Saturday, the two of us (Victoria and I) were waiting for my Blackberry to announce the email I get from my Yahoo Groups Mystery Shawl 18 that gives the next clue for the week. Waiting, knitting, waiting, knitting,waiting...knitting.....

Finally it came later in the day. I tell you, in a mystery kal, the anticipation of those clues really does keep you going!

This will be a half hexagon shawl, as you can faintly see the three sections in this photo. Too bad lace always looks like nothing but a pile of string while the actual knitting is taking place. Here is a better detail of clue #2 nearly done. I'm about 8 rows away from the last row in clue 2.

So that's what I've been knitting this week. I am looking very longingly at a pattern I found while browsing on Ravelry the other day, Drops Knitted Slippers. These look so cute, and when I looked through all the 90 of these that are being knitted or have been knitted by Ravelry knitters, it made me drool! Just a simple pair of slippers can get me like that. I really have startitis I think. I am also going to sign up for Mystery Shawl 19, since I am enjoying 18 so much. Crazy, I know. Methinks lace is addictive.

So I am going to go and knit now. I certainly have enough to keep me busy. Maybe I will knit on the patio this afternoon. Lila sure likes being in her favorite spot out there while I knit.

* Shawl Mode definition: Can't stop knitting shawl after shawl, also cruising Ravelry for new patterns for shawls, buying lace weight yarn for shawls yet to be knit, looking daily at all my lace shawl patterns and putting them in order of knitting importance. Signs of Shawl Mode-sitting with lace shawl in progress and needles in hands with dreamy look on face. If you see someone in this hypnotic state please don't interrupt them or disturb them. It is similar to Sleep Walking and may be dangerous. :)

All You Knit is Love

2010-07-27T08:21:00.005-07:00

Saturday I got my Yahoo Groups, clicked on the Mystery Shawl 18 Group, and downloaded the first clue for the shawl by Renee Leverington. She had sent out the first clue, and though I had company this weekend, I was able to begin just a few rows. This morning I finished the clue. Let me say this: I love the yarn.
I love the beads.

I love the pattern.
Love, love, love. All you knit is love!

Good Knitting Week

2010-07-25T06:44:00.005-07:00

Checking in to say that this week has been a good knitting week. I worked some on the socks I'm knitting, and also on "Victoria". It has been rainy and stormy. I love sitting out on the patio, knitting and listening to the thunder and rain.
I have had a lot of company in town, last weekend my Mom, her hubby and my brother. This week my best friend is here with her hubby. Lots of going and not alot of knitting, (Lisa doesn't knit!) but I fit just enough knitting in to keep me from withdrawl symptoms. Meanwhile, the shopping is fun!

Lazy Day

2010-07-19T17:26:00.009-07:00

You know, some days it is just nice to lay around. Obviously Lila was in the mood for a lazy afternoon, and so was I. This is what I did:

The beginnings of another new project, The Victoria Shawl from Victorian Lace Today. I have had this book a long time. My copy is the first edition, which is riddled with errata, unfortunately, but I figure I can find the corrections online, so I haven't replaced my copy with an updated one. Too much money, right? For the price of replacing my book, I could easily knit one or two of the projects! This pattern is written for garter stitch, but I like the look of stocking stitch better here, so I am purling the even rows instead of knitting. Some knitters would call me crazy, I guess. I really don't mind purling however. Maybe it is because I am a thrower, not a picker. I don't know. Got this yarn at A Good Yarn, remember? It is Knit Picks Shadow in Foxtrot and so far I am in love with it. It has such a pretty stitch definition, soft and heathery. The cast on row is just some alpaca yarn in my left over bits. I did a crochet chain and picked up the stitches so I could use them later when I get to doing the edging. The edging of this shawl will be done with the Kid Merino I got the same day.
We had a "winding session" the other night...this is Danny, my hubby and Lila winding up the yarn for my upcoming participation in the Mystery Shawl 18 group.
The smug look on my face is because I knew how his arm was gonna feel after winding 1300 yards of laceweight! My darling hubby is a good sport, isn't he?

Happy Knitting!

Finally Finished

2010-07-18T17:36:00.007-07:00

The Mystery Stole 4 (see July 8th post for links), otherwise known as Serendipity designed by Georgina Bow. Only took 2 years, but here it is! Ha! Photos taken by Corinne. Reluctant model? Moi.

I am very happy with it, and enjoyed it after all. The two halves were grafted together "sock-style", which was quite an ordeal, dragging 4 yards of wool through each stitch, but I felt quite clever once it was done. Kinda like the feeling I had after giving birth. Worn out, but proud!

A Clapoti At Last

2010-07-14T19:47:00.005-07:00

The Clapoti. ( I would post a photo here, but am having trouble with the image upload feature of Blogger for some reason)

This is a pattern I have meant to knit for a very long time. It is from an old Knitty (Fall 2004), so it came out right about the time I was learning to knit. I was still probably shopping for yarn in Michaels and JoAnns, and feeling guilty about spending what I thought of as the "big bucks" on Lion Brand yarn. I still remember the first time I bought Cascade 220, and thinking:

"Wow!! $8 for a skein of yarn! Should I or shouldn't I? It is Peruvian Wool....that makes it special and worth it, right?"

Then that little guilt voice inside said, " But you really can't buy yarn that costs so much. After all, you will need 2 of these! That is a whopping $16 dollars!!! And this isn't even in any sort of skein or ball! How will you knit with it all loose like that?"

I was taking the train from Tacoma to Portland the next day and wanted to knit while riding along. I had a scarf pattern I wanted to try to knit and I was determined to knit it with that "fancy" Cascade 220. So, I ignored the practical voice, the one that said,

"There is a sale on Lion Brand Wool Ease at Michaels! It's a more reasonable $2.49 a skein!"

After all...I had crocheted for years on afghans made with Red Heart yarn, simply because I didn't know that other type yarn existed! At that time the idea of paying more than $1.49 for yarn was scandelous to me.

Well, when my little argument with myself was over, I did buy that Cascade wool in a "respectable" off white, and took it the next day on the train. What I didn't know is that it would have been perfectly wonderful had I actually rolled it into a ball instead of laying the hank out on the seat beside me in a big loop and trying to knit the scarf from it that way! No one had told me anything about hanks of yarn, I guess. My beautiful yarn got all tangled up, and after having to untangle it, I finally realized that I needed to roll it into a ball.

When I think of all this now, I laugh a bit, but I just know that some new knitter out in Knitterland is thinking the same way as I did back then and wondering where this new hobby will take them. Let me tell them gently, softly and oh so sweetly that

THERE IS NO TURNING BACK NOW...YOU HAVE ENTERED THE KNIT ZONE AND CANNOT GET OUT. Nor will you ever want to...also you should know...Cascade 220 is only the beginning!!!!

The One About Socks, Tails and Big Feet

2010-07-11T08:18:00.010-07:00

This morning I finished the first sock of a pair that I am knitting from the wonderful Fleece Artist yarn. I bought it at Hilltop Yarns (East) in Bellevue, WA. It was stashed for quite a time, while waiting for it's turn to be knit. I love this yarn so much, but I am nervous about having enough to finish the 2nd sock, since I wear a size 12 shoe. That's right. 12. Twelve. So you would wonder if I would think twice about starting socks for myself with only 349 yards of sock yarn, right?

For this sock, I cast on 64 stitches using US size 2 dp needles, knit 10 rounds in k2p2, then began knitting each round in k3p1 all the way down the leg. When the sock was 7 inches long, I did a standard heel flap (slip one, knit one, purl back) then turned the heel using size 1 needles to make it a bit sturdier. Switched back to size 2's and picked up the stitches for the gussets, and was off to the races. Down the foot, keeping my k3p1 pattern on the top of the foot and stocking stitch on the bottom. This morning I did the toe decreases and kitchenered the toe. I always do my toes the same, decreasing every other row until there are 32 stitches total, then every row until there are 16 stitches total. With 8 stitches on each of the two needles, I weave the toe. This gives me just the right shape toe for me.

I am really impressed with toe up socks, and also with socks that use different ways of making the toe, such as a star or a rose, etc. But I haven't really done any of those. Seems like my ways of challenging myself haven't included the variations of sock construction methods. At least I have to say, thus far! Maybe one of these days I will explore more sock strategies and develop myself that way. For now, I am content to keep things pretty much the same unless my pattern calls for something different. For instance, I always use the same cast on for my socks. I can say that I use it nearly exclusively for all my knitting as well. The Long Tailed Cast On was one of the first cool things I taught myself when I decided to be a knitter and I love it so much that I use it most all the time. Unless a pattern calls specifically for something different, I resort to the Long Tail. Once in a while I learn a different one for one reason or another, but then I'm right back to using the Long Tail Cast On. I have to say that this morning, the LTCO worked out perfectly.

Just the right amount of tail left over! Doesn't always happen, let me tell you! Especially the first time! I just had to do a little dance after that happened today. So did the Pink Sheep! Gotta think of a nickname for her...not Pinky, though. Maybe Rosie. She reminds me of those little animated computer "pets" you can get for the sidebar of your blog. Lot's of knitting blogs have them.

Well, anyway, at least I am started off on sock number two. Let's hope there will be enough yarn to finish it with! Remember--size 12's? And yes, just so you know, big feet run in my family. I think my brother is a size 17 or 18. And no, I have never knit him a pair of socks. I think he understands. Get it? UnderSTANDS?

Sorry..couldn't resist. Until next time, keep knitting!

This Weeks Yarn Haul...er...Binge!

2010-07-10T17:37:00.009-07:00

First was the delivery of my yarn for the Mystery Shawl A Long 18. This is a Yahoo Group that I signed up for that begins on July 24th. There is still time to get signed up if you are interested. Hope that link works. Anyway, Renee from Goddess Knits has designed the shawl for it and I am so excited to start a new project. Shawls seem to be the thing for me this summer, so why fight it? I ordered the yarn from her shop, where you can also look at all her previous patterns and purchase them if you are so inclined. Beautiful work, so I am sure that this new one will be worth it! My yarn is beautiful, although I had to adjust my plan a bit. I ordered the Garnet colorway and thought it would be a red color, but it is this beautiful Chocolate Brown. She offered to exchange it for me, but I decided to keep it. Corinne suggested I use a turquoise color beads with it, and I think that will be beautiful.

I was in Flagstaff two times this week, and bought yarn at Purl in the Pines yarn shop there. Some beautiful Cascade Alpaca Laceweight Color #1410, a dusty rose, and also a hank of Cascade Heritage Handpainted Sock yarn in a wonderful grey colorway #9922.

As if that weren't enough, we went to downtown Prescott today, enjoying some rainy weather.

While we were down there I "had" to stop in to A Good Yarn, because I knew they had a sale on Laceweight and sock yarn. Just to make sure that I don't run out of lace projects (grin)....I bought some. OH MY Gosh! This is kind of scary when it is all put here for the world to see. Did I really buy More Yarn? Well, here is the last of it:

The purple color is Knit Picks Shadow in Foxtrot and the Crystal Palace Yarn Kid Merino in color #4680, a lovely lavender. The pink alpaca/ llama/sheep (can't figure out which it is) I bought to display on my yarn shelf at a pet store downtown called The Pet Depot. It is actually a dog toy complete with a "squeaky" inside! The Envirosax bag I found in a little boutique called Hop Sing. I have wanted one of these bags for a long time. They fold up to a teeny tiny thing that fits inside your purse. Love it! I would love to order one of their sets that come with a pouch that holds 5 bags. One of these days...although after buying so much yarn recently, I am definitely on a smaller budget for a good while.

I will be good.
I will be good.
I will be good.

Serendipity (Mystery Stole 4)

2010-07-08T09:50:00.003-07:00

Way BackWhen, I began a stole with the Mystery Stole 4 group on Yahoo. I made the mistake of buying Malabrio laceweight to knit it with, and wasn't really happy with it. The yarn is soft as butter, and will probably feel great once it is knit up and around my neck, but in the meanwhile, it catches on my dry hands, and is simply too light to feel comfortable to knit with. This is MHO only, mind you. I am sure that lots of knitters love it.

Anyhow, after catching up and finishing all the UFO's in my knitting baskets, closets, bins and bags, there was the poor little wadded up thing, half knit and patiently waiting for me to pick it up again. I think I heard a slight wimper from the plastic bag it was in. (maybe it was simply gasping for air)

Long story short, it is a tribute to my talent at laying guilt trips on myself to say that I am nearly finished with the thing now.

I had nearly just thrown it out a few times, especially when I was cleaning out my craft closet in order to pack and move from Washington. But every time I came close to letting it go, something stopped me.

Now that it is nearly done (I have only chart #5 to go and then the big weaving session),I am glad to be finishing it. Of course, you will have to check back with me AFTER the weaving to see if I stick with that opinion. The stole, which is now available as a pattern by Georgina Bow Creations on the Pink Lemon Twist Blog, is knit inward from each end, meeting close to the middle and then the two sections are woven together. Georgina is sweet and the pattern is really well written. She was very helpful to the group, and I am pretty certain that she would give support for her patterns. It was the first lace shawl pattern I ever used beads with and her instructions for that were impeccable. The pattern, called Serendipity, is now sold together with a matching sock pattern.

According to Georginas' Websters New World Dictionary, Serendipity is an apparent aptitude for making accidental fortunate discoveries. Evidently my discovery is that finishing this Mystery stole is not only a "Mystery", it's a Miracle!! And in the end, one that I am glad of!

Four for the Fourth!

2010-07-04T12:55:00.010-07:00

This was on the door at the first Knit Shop I ever went to in Phoenix yesterday. Not exactly a successful shopping experience! Danny planned a trip to Scottsdale for us, mapping out 4 yarn shops for me to browse in. Four Knit shops is a perfect way to celebrate the Fourth of July! Isn't he a sweetheart?

The second shop was open, but closing! It is called Knitting In Scottsdale, and they are going out of business! So I snagged (sorry for using the "s" word) some great deals there, including this pretty yarn for Corinne to make a scarf from:

They had a "free stuff" pile in a back room, so I added to my bouquet of needles that I have on my knitting book bookshelf!

Next on the list of Four Shops was Knit Happens, a shop I know I will return to. Here's Danny holding the door for me.
The look on his face looks very relaxed, considering I he was entering:

Which usually means he needs to cover his ears once I get to the "checkout"! The folks there at the store made him feel welcome and set him down on the sofa they have in the book room and let him watch tv while I was busy shopping! Much as I liked everything there and will probably go back and spend significantly in the future, I didn't buy anything yesterday.

On to the last stop on our trip, Arizona Knitting and Needlepoint. This one was a bit harder for us to find, but is an adorable little shop just crammed to the rafters with yarn.
That ended the whole tour for the day...and in the famous words of Aaaahnold, "Aaaahl be back!"

Another Shawl

2010-06-30T12:20:00.005-07:00

Here is the finished Clothilde!

What an easy and enjoyable knit! I want to keep her for myself, but we will see.
This one took 8 days, I think. What? Do I have nothing but knitting time on my hands? Seems like it right now, I guess. I'll enjoy it while I can.

It's raining here this afternoon. As much as I miss, miss, miss the rain that we had in the Northwest, this rain is very different. Desert rain is a lonely thing, pouring down desperately upon the dry land in torrents.

In Washington the rain clouds comfort and surround. They settle over the hills and over the lakes creating an ethereal mist. The rain is patient and calming. It has all the time in the world and is in no hurry. The showers are gentle even when it pours. Here the rain seems to be rushed as if the clouds can't empty themselves fast enough. The clouds stay high in the sky and thunder impatiently.

It is exciting and exhilarating...can't help miss Washington, though. The difference in this rain reminds me of the differences in my life. The newness of coming here and leaving the familiar behind. I have longed for rain lately, watching every cloud for signs of moisture, feeling dry. I am enjoying this rain, but not in the same way that I thought I would. The only thing that stays the same, really, is change.

A Cozy Spot

2010-06-29T15:57:00.005-07:00

My hubby worked to make me a cozy spot to knit this summer and I love it so much. Our apartment has a small patio balcony off of the Master bedroom. Danny and I put down outdoor carpeting and cute patio chairs and created a little place for me to enjoy. It has the morning sun so the hot afternoons are sheltered from the sunshine and so makes this little nook a bit more comfortable! Just perfect for sitting back, knitting and putting in my ear buds to listen to a book or podcast.

Not really a spectacular view...just the complex, but pleasant enough. The little angel in the shadow there is a gift from my Mom and Mike, her hubby. I have dubbed her The Knitting Angel and she is there to help me with any dropped stitches, etc.

Here she is with Clothilde, which I have nearly completed. I am on the 3rd repeat of the Spearhead lace chart, which was really only to be repeated twice. I just wanted the shawl to be a bit larger and lacier. (Is "lacier" a word?)

In my ears today is the Audibles download I got this month: Watership Down written by British author Richard Adams back in the day. I read it when I was a teen and am enjoying it now. It is about the adventures of a little group of rabbits. Not exactly Beatrix Potter, though!

2010-06-25T10:34:00.004-07:00

Started to make another Multnomah with some yarn from the stash, but as I got started it seemed to bore me. I instead found this pattern that I had favorited on Ravelry. It is called Clotilde and is a pattern designed by Kristen Hanley Cardozo. It uses the ever famous Gull Stitch that I used ages ago on my first Pi shawl. So it is very easy, but interesting enough to keep me going.

The yarn is Pagewood Farms Yukon sock yarn in Navajo colorway. I have two hanks of it, which means that I have two dyelots since Pagewood Farms doesn't have dyelots. I emailed them once and they said that if I ever want matching dyelot hanks, they can special order that for me. But regardless, I believe that if I just switch to the darker hank when I get through the lighter one, it will kind of "line up" at the bottom of the shawl and look like I planned it...kinda...sorta? Well, we will see. I do love this yarn and the colorway.

My computer makes this turquoise color look more blue than it is. It is a very nearly green turquoise that I love. The top photo shows it more true.

Saw this yesterday:
Momma Bird there is hatching a second batch of eggs, evidently. Her and Poppa Bird built this nest in the car port here at my apartment this spring and have already raised one family in it. Now they are back for more fun. I say this would make a wonderful Reality Show...2 parents with a whole lot of kids. Seems to be the formula, right?

Fun to Finish

2010-06-21T13:33:00.004-07:00

It is so fun to finish a project in only one week, right? Here is the finished Multnomah Shawl!

Daughter Corinne graciously modeled it for me this afternoon. I really like the way this little shawl looks. And so simple to knit.

Father's Day

2010-06-20T10:05:00.006-07:00

10 things my Dad taught me:

The Golden Rule

Golf is fun

Fishing is nice (especially when he put the worms on my hook for me)

Guitar

Be a good Samaritan if the opportunity comes your way

Appreciate Creedence Clearwater and John Hartford

Don't forget to say "I love you"

Do nice things for your Mom

To ride a bike

I am a Princess

This list could easily be 100 or 1000 things my Dad taught me, but rather than list them all, I will say that I am very grateful for the way he loves me unconditionally and has always been the type of Dad that isn't afraid to make sure I know that by saying it, by showing it and by living it. Thanks Dad! I love you, too!

Knitting at Starbucks

2010-06-19T10:14:00.003-07:00

Can it get any better? I knit at Starbucks with a few nice gals on Friday nights. I met them at the Starbucks just a few months after I moved down here, and they noticed the wonderful felted project bag that my friend Hannah in WA had made for me before I moved. They asked if I were a knitter, and invited me and Corinne to knit with them. Since then I have enjoyed having some friends here to knit with. Having my favorite coffee available while we knit is a great thing, also!

Last night I wore the Aeolian shawl to knitting night and showed it off a bit. Love wearing it. It makes me think of the book Confessions of a Shopaholic. If you have read that book, one of the cutest things about the story is the lead character, Rebecca, keeps buying clothes. She always thinks that the clothes that she buys are going to be her "trademark" and people will admire her and think of her as "the girl in the green scarf", etc. Maybe I will be "the girl in the lace shawl", right?

Zoning Out

2010-06-17T17:21:00.004-07:00

I really thought it would be nice after knitting the Aeolian Shawl to knit some garter stitch, right? And it is...I am loving it. But you know that expression? "Mindless Knitting"? I have been a bit too mindless.

Yes, those are live stitches there. The ones I have had to rip back a couple of rows twice now, because I can't remember to yarn over those two times in the middle of the rows. Only two little yarn overs. Then when I go to fix it without ripping back the entire rows, it stretches the yarn too much and makes it all wonky. UGH!

How is it that I can knit intricate lace without more than a couple of problems the whole time, but a garter stitch shawl trips me up twice already? I think I just zone out while I am knitting it.

Here is my Birthday Present, Lila. She is wondering if Mom is going crazy since I'm muttering to myself the whole time I am ripping.

A New Shawl...New Friends

2010-06-15T06:57:00.003-07:00

This is the Multnomah Shawl I began last night while at A Good Yarn in Prescott. The store has a Shawl KAL that began last night. I met some new folks that are wonderful Knitters and enjoyed myself very much. It is nice to have a shawl to work on that isn't too complicated. Something to enjoy without having to pay close attention, really. This shawl was already in my list of "shawls to do", and the store was featuring the pattern. The sample they have there is very pretty. I chose to make it from Elsebeth Lavolds Silky Wool in color 12.

Here is a photo of the progress I am making on the Mystery Stole 4, Serendipity.
You know, I am oddly enjoying this now. I had it in hybrination for a long, long time and really thought I may never finish it. I didn't like working with the Malabrigo lace weight, it's a bit like cotton candy. And I wasn't crazy about the pattern once it was getting along. But I have come to appreciate both and now I am just hoping that I have enough yarn to finish the project. I am well over half way done, but it is making me nervous since you knit both halves from the ends to the middle and then graft. I have nightmares about running out of yarn just as I need to weave the thing together!

I have had more time for knitting since moving to the Southwest. (No job yet) One thing that has done is given me more time for finishing things. I have had a longer attention span, and have been finishing all my UFO's. The Mystery Stole is the last UFO in my possession. Isn't that a hoot? So, 3 projects on the needles, and that is it! A new record for me, I think. I realized that I am more excited about knitting if I am finishing things. For a time there I think I was pretty "scattered"...having projects all over the place and in different stages. I didn't finish anything very often since I had so much going. Some knitters are really motivated by that, but I have found that I am better off with only 2 or 3 things on the needles, with only one of those projects taking the front seat.

Like a Broken Record

2010-06-13T06:49:00.000-07:00

Well, same old song...computer was pretty much dead. Thanks to a co-worker of my husbands, it is finally usable, but I still keep getting the Blue Screen of Death every now and then. Need a new hard drive, I think.

Anyhow, here is a couple of my latest accomplishments, knitting wise...

This is the Aeolian Shawl designed for Knitty by Elizabeth Freeman. Isn't she brilliant? It is difficult to see what color this is in the photos. It is a light sage green in Jagger-spun Zepher wool-silk laceweight yarn. I liked using it very much. Also impossible to see is the beading on this shawl. I didn't count, but according to the pattern, you use 2250 beads on it! (Felt like twice that!!) I chose a clear bead in order to create the impression of dew drops on spring leaves. It is stunning, but if I ever knit this pattern again, I think I will leave the beading off of the main part of the shawl and just add them on the edging. Here are some more pics...

A new skill learned from this adventure, nupps, which are like loose bobbles.

Here are some photos of another project finished this spring, the Cabled Confection sweater by Deborah Newton. Leisure Arts book pattern. I absolutely loved making this sweater for my Mom, who models it here. It is the first cabled sweater I have ever made. The pattern called for a very expensive mohair yarn, which would have been beautiful, but I say with enthusiasm, Thank God for Knitpicks!!! This is the old standby, Wool of the Andes yarn in Tidepool Heather and it couldn't have been more perfect for about $45 dollars. Whew!

Isn't she cute?

Well, guess this will do for now. I am really out of practice with blogging. Bear with me while I get it going again, if anyone is reading this. Thanks for checking back with me!

Back from Tacoma

2009-12-17T08:32:00.000-07:00

I went to Tacoma to visit my daughters and son-in-law last week. It was wonderful. We had a bit of fun celebrating an early Christmas and I went to each of their Starbucks stores and had wonderful coffee. I got a bit of knitting done, too.

The swatch for Mom's sweater is done. Don't have a picture...didn't take one (how interesting can a swatch be?) But here is a sock that I spent some time on.

I was a bit worried about maybe being a clutz and dropping the needles on the plane, but it was all good. While Corinne, Lizzie and Nicole (Corinne's roommate) and I were in the theater watching "New Moon" during my trip (yes, they conned me into it), Corinne pulled out a scarf she is knitting and in a quiet part of the movie her acrylic knitting needle dropped to the floor! A bit of panic, wondering if it would roll up under the folks in front of us, but no. It was safe at her feet. Just a little distraction, that's all. Next time Corinne...the word is...........Circulars!! Ok? LOL

In keeping with the Christmas spirit, this is an interesting shot of all My Favorite Things. Hard to see my new Samsung Rogue and my iPOD against the black desk, but they are there. My wonderful Kindle is there too. Danny gave it to me for Mother's Day and I love it!! The photo on my monitor is one of Lizzie and myself in Seattle when we went to the Burke Museum and then to downtown Seattle last summer.

Hello? This is me, is that you?

2009-12-09T05:59:00.000-07:00

Well, I was wondering if I would ever get back to blogging at all. With my last blog back in February, I really did think I might just give it up. My job had gotten to be "all consuming", crazy hours and high stress. When I was home the last thing I wanted to do is get on the computer. But finally we decided that I should just quit the job and move down here to Arizona. It was a tough year being apart from my hubby and I was glad to be here because we are able to be together again! We visited each other and texted and called every day, but of course that isn't the same! :)

Anyway, I came down here at the first of November and have been getting used to being in the Southwest part of the US again. I miss the rain and the Canada Geese, the coffee stands on every block, and Teriyaki in every strip mall. But I am growning accustomed to it here and have found it to be pleasing in many ways. (no traffic!!!)

Ok, gonna talk knitting now. Above is a swatch of the sweater I am going to knit for my Mom. She bought a book by Leisure Arts called Deborah Newton's Cable Collection . It has a beautiful car length hooded sweater in it called Cabled Confection. It is stunning all in Classic Elite "La Gran" yarn, a beautiful mohair. BUT too expensive for our budget. I am swatching (of all yarns) Caron Simply Soft in Lt. Country Blue. Normally, you know that I am a big yarn snob and would be buying something with natural fiber. But really, I think Mom will like this yarn, and it has a lovely drape that will feel somewhat light and soft as the original yarn, which has this angelic halo. Of course, I am swatching now, so Mom can get together with me and approve the yarn/color. I only bought one skein to swatch with. Figure I will have to buy about 7-8 of them for the sweater since it takes 22 skeins of "La Gran" (that would be a $200 sweater). That is 1980 yds. I am getting gauge with size 10 Denise needles, and hope that continues when I begin swatching the cables. So far only having done some stocking stitch.

Let's get reaquainted, shall we? Forgive me for letting the blog drop. I am thankful that I once again will have the time to devote to it! Also to knitting.

All thumbs!

2009-02-04T08:57:00.000-07:00

The first mitten I did, as I said, was way too small. I also had followed EZ's instructions for making an afterthought thumb by snipping a stitch at the thumb joint and exposing 13 stitches to place on needles. Then, picking up two more stitches on each side, knitted round and round on the 15 stitches to make a thumb. I didn't like the way it turned out. It pulled to the side and was uncomfortable. Some of that was probably the fact that the whole mitten was too small, but after doing a Ravelry search of the pattern, found that a lot of people were using a gusset created by Kathryn Ivy to place the thumb in the seam on the side of the mitten. I am using that technique now and am pleased with how it looks so far.

Began a shawl last night, also. I saw the book in Yorkshire Yarns, one of my favorite LYS's. It is Wrapped in Comfort: Knitted Lace Shawls by Alison Jeppson Hyde. The shawls caught my eye because they are very different from what you usually see in shawl patterns. They are shaped to drape in a lovely way around your shoulders in a similar fashion of EZ's Pi R Squared shawl. But these are rounded. Each shawl is absolutely beautiful. I finally bought the book for myself and enough yarn to make a shawl. I began it last night. It is the "Michelle's Shawl". Every shawl in the book has a story behind it of who Alison designed for. There is even a beautiful shawl that was inspired by 9/11.

I am using Pagewood Farm fingering weight hand-dyed sock yarn for this shawl. It is truly a beautiful color and lovely to knit. More on that next time.

I Want a New Glove

2009-02-03T16:25:00.000-07:00

A new mitten, actually. This is the start of a new one. My computer makes this yarn look very "red-violet" (remember that Crayola color?) but it is actually a very beautiful chocolate brown color. Cascade 220 #2403. Do you wish Cascade would begin naming their colors instead of numbering them? I kinda do. #2403 doesn't sound as delicious as "Chocolate Kiss" or "Chocolate in the Morning", or something like that. Regardless, Cascade 220 is one of the best go to yarns there is. Guess that makes it reasonable to forgive them for their lack of creativity when it comes to names for the wonderful fibers that are 220 yarn.

This is the famous EZ pattern that you seem to see all the time. I was part of the Elizabeth's Year yahoo group that Kelley Petkun at KnitPicks put together. It was based on the book by Elizabeth Zimmermann "Knitter's Almanac". I made it through a couple of the projects-a Pi Shawl, and the Leggings. But I never got to the mittens in the May chapter.

Well, having worn fingerless gloves through the majority of our Northwest winter, I have decided a pair of honest to goodness mittens would be smart. Enter this pattern. Mitered mittens. I like the way it looks, although I have to admit that I have been knitting and ripping for quite some time. I knitted a whole mitten that I frogged. It was way too small and since I wanted these for me, that wouldn't work. Frogged. The whole thing. Rip.

Wound the yarn back up. Started again. Added 4 stitches. Went up one needle size to a US 6. Now I got off track a little. Instead of beginning with the k1p1 rib that EZ talks about, I did a garter stitch for 5 rounds. Very pretty, I thought approvingly. Knitted on for about 30 rounds. Well, the garter stitch did what? Some of you already know. It flared out like a bell around my wrist. I could have filled in for the church bells next Sunday, but instead.....frogged. The whole thing. Rip.

So this is the 3rd time. A charm, as is said. At this point, I figured I'd go for broke and use a k1b, p1 for 5 rounds. Looked good, but as I found out with the garter stitch, you have to get well into the mitering before you can tell if it will "hold in" enough to be a comfortable mitten shape. I am at the thumb shaping now, and I think it is going to work fine. So, now that I have found the perfect ribbing for the mittens, I am nearly sick to death of them! Figures.

Don't tell my husband!

2009-01-26T20:54:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share this photo with you.
Well, I can dream, can't I? Ok, everyone back to your knitting!

Coffee Icon

2009-01-22T16:04:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's me...with the silly look on my face, standing next to Howard Schultz, Starbucks genius. Nothing to do with knitting, excepting that Starbucks is a fantastic place to knit. I got invited to this special event that took place last night at the Starbucks in Lakewood, WA. About 50 people were invited...guess that explains where all my "extra" money goes....between Starbucks and yarn, my savings account doesn't have a chance! Love me my latté.

Anyway two of my daughters, both Starbucks Partners, as employees of The Mermaid are called, are jealous beyond belief. Their Mom got to meet Mr. Schultz in person before they did. Love it when we can make our kids realize that we really might be cool after all. Maybe I should have the picture framed or something.

This, of course, is the lovely and famous Noro Striped Scarf. Brooklyn Tweed, the Yarn Harlot and millions of other knitters, all knitting it and finding it irresistable. I am using both Noro Silk Garden and Noro Kureon. I like the way it is turning out. And they are right. It is addictive. I do have other projects, but can't seem to put this one down long enough to do anything with them. Mine is 33 stitches on size 7 needles, slip the first stitch of every row. Alternate the Garden and the Kureon every two rows. Simple.

How many pairs does this make?

2009-01-07T09:26:00.001-07:00

I have a favorite pattern for fingerless gloves. The Cableback Gloves by Karen Alfke. I bought it from the Churchmouse Yarn and Tea shop over on Bainbridge Island, WA about 2 winters ago. It is a simple pattern and I have made so very many pairs of these as gifts. Two different sizes are offered, three different cable designs. They are plain stocking stitch on the palm, and just a thumbhole. Ribbing on the top of the hand and a lovely cable down the center. Then attached I-cord on the top and bottom edges. My copy of the pattern had gotten so beaten up from carrying it in my knitting bag for two years, so I purchased a PDF pattern online this week. Offered on Patternfish (Linked above), it is a really nice way to buy patterns. Not only do you receive wonderful patterns, but they will email you with any errata from the pattern if it comes up. A very nice feature.

Oh! And to answer the title question? About 11 pairs so far that I can remember. Maybe more.

The Call of the Siren

2009-01-02T12:57:00.000-07:00

This is the French Press cozy I gave to Corinne for Christmas. I found the pattern in Knitalong. I have a thermal french press, or I would make one for myself. It is knit from yarn I bought at Ben Franklin that is called Katyil. 20sts=4 in. and in a colorway called Pansy Leaves. 70% wool and 30% soy. Very nice to work with, although a bit "splitty". There is attached I-cord all around the rectangle that is the "cozy" part, and then you lace a separate I-cord through the eyelets like shoelaces and tie it at the top. Easy! I think the pattern would look cute with some pretty cables, too. Or in a chunky yarn.

In the background of this next photo, you can get a glimpse of the wonderful Christmas present that everyone got me this year.

See that? I can be my own barista now.

That is Sirena. Just the most wonderful espresso machine. And believe me, the most appreciated. See, two of my daughters work for Starbucks. I am therefore the grateful recipient of many wonderous pounds of rich, dark coffee beans. Until now, I have been happy and content brewing them in my french press every morning. A glorious way to experience coffee and begin the day. I highly recommend it. However, for the past two years I have had my eye on Sirena. She is obviously named after the Starbucks Siren (mermaid) and has been living up to her name, calling out to me everytime she goes on sale at the store. Finally this Christmas the deal was too good to resist. With the added free coffee and they actually threw in a great burr coffee grinder, and my daughters Christmas discount and lovely Christmas money from my Mom-in-law, the daughters, my tips from work, etc...yes, it finally happened. She is mine, all mine. We can make wonderful lattés, mochas, americanos, and on and on. Pulling shots from my own machine.
Ok, enough bragging. Hope your holidays were happy.

Christmas Troubles

2008-12-21T13:03:00.001-07:00

Anyone else have this problem?

Merry Christmas!!

Finished the Maelstrom

2008-12-10T22:58:00.000-07:00

Well, here are the Maelstrom, a wonderful pattern by Cookie A. I got it from the Twist Collective, first edition, and enjoyed the knitting. I am disappointed in the finished socks, for obvious reasons. Look at the colors pool. Also, (this is my own fault), I should have used a solid or a semi-solid color to knit this very beautiful pattern. It is totally obscured by the yarns color changes. This is Socks that Rock in "Quiet Riot" and let's just say that it is not so very "Quiet", shall we? *grin* Fortunately for me, these socks will still keep my feet warm and comfortable. Lesson learned.

My knitting right now is consisting of various small Christmas things, and of course I am still working slowly on the MS4. Don't know when I will be finishing that. I am only just a bit more than 1/2 way done. Another project that I'm not very happy with the yarn. Hmmmm.

No real yarn shopping lately. For one thing, Danny is in AZ and it is more fun to go to yarn shops when I can drag him with me. (Don't ask me why, this is very puzzling. He is the Mugglest of Muggles when it comes to knitting) But also, there is the money aspect. I am trying to be good and use up stash. I hate to use it up, though. What if all the sheep in the world suddenly go bald? I am depending upon my stash to see me through just that type of crisis!!! One has to be prepared.

One more post with The Shawl

2008-11-22T20:54:00.000-07:00

I had to add these pics to our little collection. Lizzie and Josh took some great shots of the shawl (and Lizzie) on their honeymoon.

Ok, it's out of my system now. Aren't you relieved? Lately it's been hard to get on the computer. We moved. We ALL moved! Lizzie, of course, moved out when she got married in June, Corinne moved in with a couple of roommates, Danny moved to Arizona to begin his new job (I will go down there later on after he is established for a while) and Danielle and I moved into an apartment here. What a lot of work it was and so emotional. Talk about empty nest! We ALL flew the coop!

But Danny emails and calls every day to tell us about what he is doing there, and the kids come see me regularly. I am working a lot...we're fine, just lonesome for each other!

Knitting: I am working on a pair of socks from the Twist Collective, the first issue, called Maelstrom. Love them so far, but I don't love the yarn. It's my second pair with Socks that Rock and I didn't like the other ones either. So, I guess I'm an odd duck, not liking the yarn that everyone on the planet is in love with!

Maybe I'm doing it wrong. I think I need to alternate rows and balls of yarn to keep from pooling. But I am too lazy lately. Oh, well. Not to worry. I will still wear them.

That's enough for now. See what I mean? No time!

Happy knitting!

Clue 2 complete

2008-10-02T09:16:00.000-07:00

Here are my photos of Clue 2. I am now 1/2 way through clue 3, and will put them up when I get there. I am having a tough time finding much real quality knitting time, since I am packing up the house in my free time. Moving to an apartment means having to get rid of all the "stuff" we have accumulated over the years. How can 5 people collect so much junk? Since 2 of the girls are now out of the house, there are only 3 of us now. Danny got a job in AZ and so will move down there. I am staying here for a while, so it will just be 2 of us in the apartment-me and Danielle. How weird is that? Danny will visit often, flying back and forth between AZ and WA. I am keeping my job and that will help us get back on our feet after his long unemployment. (Since Feb.)

Anyway, all the details of our personal trek aside, Clue 3 is going great. No beads now, just smooth sailing through all the YOs and K2 togethers, etc. Love lace,don't you?

Here are the Ribbons

2008-09-23T16:59:00.000-07:00

I picked up the shawl from the fairgrounds today, despite the fact that my tooth is killing me. Really..killer toothache. I have to see the dentist tomorrow. Anyhow, here also is a photo of the adjudication , which to my disappointment didn't give too much in the way of helpful info. I did score 95% out of 100%, so I couldn't have missed first place by too much.
It says under cleanliness "a few iffy places on edge". I don't know if they were speaking of cleanliness as in dirty, or cleanliness as in cleaness of lines and patterns or blocking, etc. Guess I'll never know. Oh, well. I don't even know who does the judging. Hope it was a knitter, that's all. I'm sure it was. It certainly was fun entering in the fair and I will definitely do it again with another project. The best part was going down to the fairgrounds and finding where they had displayed the shawl and seeing that ribbon for the first time.

Ok, now, just for the fun of it, here is my daughter Corinne's guinea pigs, Lilly and Minerva. Cute in their little outfits. Such little hams for the camera.
Sorry girls...poor piggies only got machine made sweaters.
Happy knitting!!
Renée

Mystery Stole 4

2008-09-22T11:17:00.000-07:00

Just completed 1/2 of clue #1. (We have to knit it twice, since the stole is knit from both ends toward the middle and joined by grafting-yes, my old friend lace grafting)

Here it is for your viewing pleasure:

The yarn I'm using is Malabrigo Laceweight in Sealing Wax. Very beautiful with ruby red beads. I'm enjoying the pattern, designed this year by Melanie's Mom, Georgina. I haven't done any of the previous Mystery Stoles, but Melanie is of Pink Lemon Twist fame and was the designer in the previous years. Georgina is her Mom and designed this beautiful piece for this years KAL. Their patterns including previous Mystery Stoles are available for purchasing on her blog site.

The yarn I began with was the Shadow lace yarn from Knit Picks in the Oregon Coast colorway. It is such beautiful yarn and I'm certain that I will use it for something else, but I didn't like it for the MS4. I'm linking it for you, though, because this yarn is simply wonderful to knit with. It is smooth without being slippery, soft as butter (100% merino wool) and it has a halo to it when you knit that gives it a beautiful look without the hairy-ness of a mohair. Plus, it is only $2.99 for a 50 gr. hank. All that said, it wasn't the color I needed for this stole in order to make me happy. So, I reached into my stash and pulled out the Malabrigo. Big name yarn right now, you hear about it all the time. I bought it some time ago at Churchmouse Yarns on Bainbridge Is.

I had stashed a bunch of this pretty yarn which is softer than anything you can imagine and spun loosely. Problem? My dry hands. My hands are such a mess, dry skin and cuticles that are so embarrassing. Answer? Well, for the short term, I pulled out my St. Ives Apricot Scrub. Got my hands wet and then scrubbed with about a tablespoon of the stuff for a few minutes. Rinse, rinse, rinse, then lotioned with Vaseline hand and nail conditioning lotion. Long term, though, I went to Walmart and bought myself a present. I had been listening to the podcast "The Knitmore Girls" and Jasmine had said that she bought herself a Paraffin wax bath for her hands. I couldn't wait to get to Walmart for mine. I wanted one of these a couple of Christmases ago and when it didn't materialize under the tree, I just forgot it. Now was my time. I had some tip money left from last weeks tips and so I went for it. It will help the arthritis, too.
So there is my answer to knitting with Malabrigo yarn. Lots of hand pampering. This yarn was catching on every little spot on my fingertips. It will be better now. Here is another tip for the Malabrigo: it felts so easily. Just placing it in your knitting bag loose and letting it sort of bounce around sort of "felts" it with itself. It sticks to itself very easily. Solution? Place yarn in a sandwich bag or knit from the outside of the ball not a center pull. Very helpful to me.

Ok...thats it for today. Got my Wool Gathering in the mail and it's calling my name.

Keep knitting!

~Renée

Quite a While, I Know...

2008-09-21T08:18:00.000-07:00

Well, remember this?

Here is the shawl today...

Yes, that is a second place ribbon at the Puyallup Fair in W. Washington. I'm very pleased and proud. I am looking forward to receiving the adjudication paper (Judges opinions on my knitting) and learning how I can work at better lace knitting. I know that my grafting needs work, for instance. At least my lace grafting. Kitchenering a toe is easy....complicated lace patterns, are another! And try to find a book or website that has very much help with that!

Thought you'd like some wedding photos...we still don't have the "official" photos back yet, but these are some pretty good snapshots that someone took. That first one is Lizzie with her Josh and her Mom-in-Law and Dad-in-Law, Lynnette and Tom.

Then, our friend Jean and Lizzie holding the shawl, and the third pic is of the wedding party.. from left to right, Danielle, Corinne (Lizzie's sisters), Lizzie, Josh, Brandon (Best Man and Josh's cousin) and Jason, Josh's best friend from his band.

Lately I have been knitting on the Mystery Stole 4. I had gotten quite far into clue #2 and just didn't like my yarn choice or how the fabric looked. So I frogged and began again with some new yarn. I will post a picture when I get a bit further along. Maybe when I finish clue #1. Of course now I am behind the group, since Georgina the designer just released clue #3 on Friday. Arrrgh! Oh, well. It is not a race, just a fun knit. Right?

Glad to be "back"...I hope I can post more often now. Life has sure gotten crazy around here. But I miss blogging and since I got a new phone that takes great pictures, I'm hoping that will inspire me to blog more often!

Happy knitting!

A New Sock is Born

2008-08-05T06:55:00.000-07:00

Well, it's in the process, anyway. My Mom-in-law, Sylvia, bought me this sock yarn when I was down there in June. It's Opal Yarn, and the label is mostly German, so I can give few details. It is 75%superwash virgin wool and 25% polyamid. It's colorway is called Inspiration #1129. It looks so different when knitting it into a sock than it does in the skein. I love it. So cute. It was on sale at Mom's LYS. If you go to this Opal site, you can preview their new yarn colorways for fall (such as Harry Potter. They have one named Tonks, one named Ron, one named Dumbledore...and so on. Very nice and if you're a Potter fan, it's a lot of fun to knit socks named for your favorite characters.

So today I am knitting away on the sock and listening to the latest Knitmore Girls podcast. I love hearing Gigi and Jasmin gab about their knitting. If you want some fun, download their little podcast to your ITunes and give a listen. You don't need an Ipod to do it. Just download ITunes to your computer and you can begin downloading all kinds of nice knitting podcasts! I listen to so many podcasts. Danny bought me an IPod for Christmas and I use it everyday. As I have said, I knit at work on my breaks instead of watching the stupid TV that is always blaring in the breakroom. So I just plug my IPod into my ears and enjoy my podcasts or some nice music while I knit.

I finished the little Hug Me shrug. It is kind of funny looking, since a shrug is really just a big rectangle with arms formed out of the ends. But here is a photo:

I like the way it turned out and I hope I can get a picture of it on it's recipient someday. Speaking of pictures, still no wedding photos. UGH!! It's killing me that I don't have them. As far as the Shetland Tea shawl goes, though, I have a new plan. Lizzie and Josh are going to help me re-block it so it is nice and fresh and then we are going to enter it into the Fair!!! At least that is my plan. I have to find out the details about how and when. So more about that later.

Bye for now! Keep on knitting!

Hug Me!

2008-07-31T07:58:00.000-07:00

I have no pictures today, since my camera has disappeared. (I think my daughter has it somewhere) But I have a pattern to pass along. I am furiously knitting on a little "Hug Me" shrug. It is the most adorable pattern and was FREE on the internet. Don't you love free stuff? I like the blog I found it on: Let Me ExplaiKnit. Sara explains knitterly things. This little shrug is for a toddler size, but really, it would be a simple pattern to make in any size you wanted if you wanted.

I finished the plain grey socks and gave them to Josh. No word yet if they fit properly. I had forgotten how long I knit the foot on the previous pair I'd given him. I have also (seems ages ago) finished the Monkey socks. I haven't washed and blocked them yet, but they are sitting there behaving themselves, waiting for me to find time and inclination.

I have missed Knit Club for a few weeks now since my schedule at work has been changing constantly. I am frustrated at not being there and miss it greatly. Hi, girls, if you're reading this!

Ok, this isn't much of a post, but I have a dentist appointment in an hour, so I'd better get ready.

Here's a cool link

2008-07-23T06:52:00.000-07:00

I only have a minute, but wanted to pop in and post this link to a nice little online magazine. Their 6th issue is out and here is the link to it. Knit on the Net is a fun read and cute patterns. It is a UK production and I quite enjoyed looking at this issue. Thought you might want to have a look.

Day trip, new book...

2008-07-14T16:33:00.000-07:00

Took a day trip today. My hubby and I just had to get out of the house and go somewhere. We drove to Bainbridge Island and I got to visit Churchmouse Yarns and Teas, one of my fave knit shops. I took the socks I am knitting for keeping busy in the car while Danny drove.

These are my two at a time socks. Plain grey socks knitted with Fortissima Socke for Josh, my new son-in-law. He won't wear any socks but Plain Grey Socks. So here they are. And no, I am not knitting them on two cirular needles, or even one long circular needle. I am knitting them at one time on DPN's. The "old-fashioned-and-yet-comfortable-because-circular-needles-for-socks-drives-me-crazy-way". I really have tried. More than once. And it isn't that I can't do it. Even just the plain Magic Loop drives me nuts. I can do it. But do I want to? No. Let the knitting world make all of their socks on circs. I am resisting. And my daughters will tell you how hard it is to change my mind once I have made it up. *grin*

Ok, enough of sounding so defensive! So, I'm in the car, knitting. The perfect day. And 45 minutes at Churchmouse. I bought two small skeins of the Regia Kaffe Fasett sock yarn, in the Landscape Caribbean 4260 colorway. I browsed, picked up some tea for my daughter, Corinne, and also bought a book I'm quite excited about. It is Folk Knitting in Estonia by Nancy Bush. The book has beautiful projects in it, nearly all of them stunning colorwork-mittens, gloves, socks. Hilia's Mittens on page 75 are so sweet and so pretty. Also intriguing me are Anv's Christmas Gloves. I have never made gloves OR mittens, so it will be fun to pull this out one of these days when I am through with all the socks in my plans. Here is the "thing" that sold me on this wonderful book however. More than the patterns and the pages of history (which I always love to read in any knitting book) was an Estonian Folk Song titled Beautymaker. I won't type out the whole song here because of copyright, but here is one line: "Joy tucked between burdens." What a wonderful way to describe knitting. Of course, knitting can also be a joy "tucked" between joys. But when I think of the joy that knitting brought to me when I first had learned it, while I was still so challenged by the burdens that I had to bear, this song fits so very well and makes my heart glad.

Secret Desire

2008-07-12T08:20:00.000-07:00

I have an unspoken theory. It is my personal belief that everyone secretly wants to be a knitter. There. I said it. I have thought long and hard about this and yes, I believe it to be true.

There are several reasons I have for thinking that knitting is the secret desire of every person. For one thing, since I began knitting I have made it a habit to work on my projects on every break at work. Instead of sitting in the employee dining room, I like to sit in the break room, plug my Ipod into my ears and knit. I knit on socks, shawls, sweaters, whatever I am currently knitting gets spread out over the table as I while away my 30 minutes. This attracts a certain amount of attention as most of my co-workers are not knitters, but secretly desire to be one. They will walk by on their way to the smoking "porch" and sneak looks at what I am working on. Or openly check it out. Sometimes a brave one will sit down and begin asking questions. "What is it?" or "That looks complicated...I don't know how you do it!" or the classic, "I would never have the time to do that." (Never mind that they see me working at the same full time job as themselves-guess they think I sit around on my keester when I'm off work.) Then, most times, they get reminiscent about a knitter that they know and love...a grandmother, a mother, a favorite aunt. They speak lovingly about a knitted item that they treasure. See where I'm going with this? Deep down, they have the heart of a knitter. An appreciation for the time and effort that went into that sweater or scarf that their loved one made them. Deep down, they would like to knit.

When I give someone a knitted item, it is appreciated much. Non-knitters who receive knitting often marvel at it's complexity. Mind you, that means a simple garter stitch scarf. But I still remember those days when even the simplest knit patterns seemed like magic to me. (Come to think of it...they still do!) They wish they had the ability to make such a wondrous thing. And for one fleeting moment, they wistfully contemplate knitting in a way they never did before. Time seems to stand still as the thought is formulated in their minds.

"What if......?"

Then, almost as quickly as it came, the look is gone as they dismiss it as impossible, thinking, "I would never have time to do that!" But I know that deep down, they would like to knit.

Several times, I have inspired someone to take up knitting again. Perhaps they learned to knit as a child or teen, sitting at their grandmother's knee. They see me knitting and it get's them thinking about knitting again. Next thing I know, they are showing me their latest project, having a blast knitting a scarf or a pair of socks. You see, deep down, they wanted to knit and yet it was repressed for years. Only after being a witness to someone elses knitting were they set free. Deep down, they wanted to knit. (Yes, I know that this sounds a bit like Sleeping Beauty, but you must remember that Sleeping Beauty had been spinning when she fell into her deep sleep. That proves an "intent to knit" and I'm sure she was up and searching the castle for some fleece when she was awoken from her sleep! A knitter cannot be detered, even by an accidental hundred year nap!)

I'm sure you are thinking, "But not everyone knits. Some people never think of knitting. What about them?" Here is the thing. Knitting itself creates a peace of mind-a state of being that is enviable. When knitting, the knitter finds him/herself relaxing and allowing the troubles of the day to melt away. No, not everyone has found this out. Yet.

Many, many people are still searching for that kind of peace. They plug into music or watch TV. They play video games or walk the dog. But we who are knitters know that it is only a matter of time. One day, when they least suspect it, someone will hand them a knitted item as a gift and the wheels will start to turn. Because it is an irresistible force, knitting. Deep down...yes. Everyone wants to knit.

Monkey on the Fence

2008-07-04T16:41:00.000-07:00

The fence that divides our yard from our neighbors was the perfect place to hang the Monkey Socks today when I wanted to photograph them. I have been having fun knitting these socks once I got the yarn sorted out. It is such a fun and interesting pattern. The heel is sort of baggy.
I am hoping that it will block nicely and be a better fit. Here is a close up of the stitch pattern. My camera cooperated today! Yaaaay! Close-ups are usually not a thing I can accomplish!
Ok, this next shot is crooked so you can see a bit of the trees in my neighborhood. These trees are on the other side of our house, too. Even closer, though. So you can imagine my nervousness when there is a wind storm!! A big piece of one them fell into our backyard only a couple of months ago.
Other acquisitions....the cute knitting bag is from Josh and Lizzie. They honeymooned on the Oregon Coast and found this little basket bag in a shop there. Perfect for a pair of socks in the works! The mag from the UK and Charlene Schurch & Beth Parrotts' Little Box of Socks is a purchase I made today in Seattle when my sweet hubby and I went for a nice knitting drive. No, I didn't say I "knit and drive". He did the driving. I did the knitting. A knitting drive! Sounds more exciting than "a knitting ride", don't you think?
As soon as I get wedding pics, I will post them, I promise. The wedding was wonderful, marvelous and more. But I will wait to tell about it until I have photos.

Happy Independence Day, and happy knitting!!

PS....I linked The Little Box of Socks to Knit Picks for a reason! 40% off all books right now. Their big Summer Book Sale. And free shipping with purchases over $50. Need I say more? Now get over there and shop, people!

PS....sorry for the advertising. But whoa! Good deals like that can't be ignored, right? Right?

Monkey in the Middle of the wedding craziness!!

2008-06-26T14:45:00.000-07:00

Just a quick visit to the blog today...we are so busy getting ready for the wedding. But I took some pics of my current project "on the needles".
This is a "Monkey" sock, a pattern made famous on Knitty in the Winter 2006 issue. (Link here) Cookie A, the designer did a terrific job of making lace look exactly like cables, don't you think? I love the pattern so far, however I have had problems with the yarn I'm using.
The yarn is Socks that Rock by Blue Moon Fiber Arts in medium weight. It is a colorway called "Barney Rubble". First of all, it pools. R-e-e-e-e-a-l-l-y pools. See that pink? It is all pooled together in that one spot. The back of the sock is blue and yellow. The biggest problem I had with this yarn however, is its tendency to twist on itself. I wound it in to a center pull ball using my ball winder and started knitting. Before the cuff was done, it had twisted on a piece of itself and begun to tangle. I didn't realize the extent of what tangling was happening, though. I kept knitting and pushing the twist back into the center of the ball. Then I decided to pull the center of the ball out and rewind just that. Mistake. It was a tangled mess that took me about 1 1/2 hours of work to fix. And I had to cut the yarn in two places. Yuck! I have it wound in a regular ball that pulls from the outside now, so I shouldn't have any more troubles. Hopefully!
This is the little turtle stitch marker I got from Yarn Lust. Isn't he cute?

A Shawl for an Important Day

2008-06-01T14:53:00.000-07:00

I have been hard at work since February knitting a very important project. A wedding shawl. Josh proposed marriage to Lizzie in December and she said "Yes!" They will be married on June 28th at our church. Shortly after they became engaged, Lizzie asked me to knit her a Pi shawl that she would wear instead of a traditional veil. Of course I agreed. We began searching for shawl patterns that would work well for this purpose, finally settling on the Shetland Tea Shawl from A Gathering of Lace. The picture that convinced Lizzie was a photo of the completed shawl we found online by Knitabulous. This very nice person had substituted the Spider Webs and Diamonds pattern for the Diamond Madeira pattern that is in the original shawl. I corresponded with her a bit to find out where she had found the extra pattern, and low and behold, she had gotten it from the very next pattern in the Gathering of Lace book, which is a Sampler Stole. We decided I would add this pattern to the original, in order to make the shawl a bit larger. So, I was "off and running". It was February. I have been knitting lace like a Granny on steroids since then, barely stopping to breathe, hauling that shawl everywhere I went, praying that I didn't spill tea or Starbucks on it, hoping that I was a clever enough knitter to pull it off. Finally, on the last weekend in May, it was completed, and last weekend I blocked the thing.

The photo up top is the pre-blocking photo. It looks all small and shrivel-y. Now here are some shots of the "after blocking"...

I purchased Knit Picks "Bare" yarn for this project, and loved working with it. It took one whole 880 yard hank to knit all of the body of the shawl and a small part of the knitted on edging. I had ordered two hanks just in case, so I had more yarn to finish with. It is a lovely merino wool laceweight and was just right once blocked for the shawl. We wanted something that was heavier than a cobweb weight, but still delicate enough for wedding wear. After knitting the "horseshoe pattern" which is this one here at the bottom of the photo,

I got a bit worried about the size of the shawl, which I was knitting on size three circular needles. I changed to a size 4 and completed the shawl on those. It turned out to be about 69" in diameter when finished, which was a few inches short of what I would have desired, but still fine.

This is my second Pi Shawl and is much more "intricate" than the first, most of it being true lace knitting. I didn't use a lifeline, but only frogged back once during the whole thing, and that was because of the needle size thing, and only lost 5 rounds of work.

The funny thing is, having just finished this shawl and spent nearly 4 months on it, you would think I would be tired of it. But really, after blocking it, praying over it ( I wanted to pray during the knitting of it for an enduring and blessed marriage for my daughter and her wonderful Josh, my new son) I really was thinking to myself, "Gee, don't I have some pretty JaggerSpun Zepher Silk Wool laceweight that would look fantastic in this pattern? Hmmmmmm..." So you never know. I may end up knitting a fraternal twin shawl for myself someday!

If I have left out any info you'd like to know about the Shetland Tea Shawl, please leave a comment and I will be glad to try to give it in my next entry or email you if you leave your email address. Thanks so much to "Knitabulous", and to Meg Swansen, and of course, to Dale Long, the designer of this spectacular shawl. Lizzie's wedding will be all the more memorable because of you.

Blurry Socks

2008-05-27T14:45:00.000-07:00

Ok, that first picture is EXTRA blurry. I need a new camera (or a photography course, maybe). But you can get the general idea of the socks I am knitting. It is Cascades Heritage handpainted sock yarn in Isle of Skye Paint #9825. I bought it at my Ben Franklin and am very happy with how beautifully it knits up, however, it is a fine fingering and I am using size 1 needles, instead of my usual #2's. I guess the yarn I usually use for socks is a bit thicker. So these socks are going to take a bit longer than usual, but I like the colors. Plain "vanilly" type...no real pattern, just measured my gauge, and my leg, and cast on.

Yes, I have been slacking off when it comes to blogging again, but I have been knit, knit, knitting away. Next time I will share the big project I have been devoting all my time to. It was finished at last after 4 months of work, just this past weekend.

I got to knit this past weekend as I visited my Mom-in-law, Sylvia. So nice to sit and knit together. She is knitting socks and I wish I had had my camera with me since the cute pair she was working on were turning out so wonderfully. We also got to visit her knit store there in Crescent City, CA. It is called "A Perfect Stitch". Just a small small store, but I couldn't believe all the wonderful yarn they had managed to fit into that small space. Mom bought herself some great sock yarn and also made a gift to me of the yarns I had chosen! So you will see those yarns on the blog one of these days.

Meanwhile, I have been asked to reproduce a pair of socks that I knit for my Dad a couple of years ago. He wore them out finally, and needs a replacement pair. So it looks like socks are the summer projects for me this year. And since I just finished the shawl, (whoops! there is a hint...) I am ready for smaller projects for a while.

More about that shawl next time. Happy knitting!

Yarn Fix

2008-03-27T16:11:00.000-07:00

That's right. Got a yarn fix today. Danny drove 3 of us to Fancy Image Yarn in Shelton, WA. Myself, Danielle, and Lizzie. Corinne worked the early shift today so she missed this trip. What a nice shop! I was impressed from the moment I walked in the door with the beautiful colors I found. Most of the yarns are hand dyed by the owner, Myra Hansen. I bought a few skeins...

Got one more for Lizzie, and a cute bag for Danielle, too. My camera can't possibly do these colors justice. There were so many beautiful yarns and I will definitely go back for more when I can add some $ to the budget for yarn. In fact, Myra has a Yarn of the Month Club that would be so fun. She sends out a different DK weight yarn each month, each dyed especially for the Club members. During that month, the special yarn is also available for purchase if you wish to buy more. Fun! And at $179.40 for 13 months, you get a good deal on the skeins. (normally only $14.95, which is already a great price for 250 yards of hand dyed machine washable merino wool.) I bought a skein of this wool, in the red and gray colorway, also 2 skeins of her fingering wt. Couldn't resist the blue colorway...you know me!

When I walked in the shop, I was greeted by a cheerful woman who showed us around and Myra came in after while and even offered to wind up the skeins of yarn I was purchasing. If ever in or around Shelton, WA be sure to check out Fancy Image Yarn. It is a fun place with friendly people. And enough hand dyed yarn to make you drool!

Ties That Bind

2008-03-15T10:54:00.000-07:00

A big hello! Just thought I would "check in" before heading off to work. I want to thank those of you who have left me comments lately. I am surprised that anyone at all is still checking my blog after my "disappearance" and am so pleased that you are. So thanks to Tina and Jenni, and also to my knitting idol, Kelley! See the sidebar for their blogs and for other interesting and fun blogs to read. I have so many more in my favorites that I read regularly and need to make some time to add them here. One of these days soon, I promise. Thanks also to the FNKC, (Friday Night Knitting Club), who give me a hard time if I am not blogging! I need their encouragement! You girls are so great!

I have been working on more of the fingerless gloves for Mom (step-mom, if you will) She asked if I would make some for her, and also for their friend. So, a black pair for the friend are all done...

And the yarn that looks a bit like a Yorkshire Terrier there is SWS (Patons). I am using that to make Mom's pair. It is kind of weird to knit with. First of all, it is slippery. Not too bad though, since I am using my Brittany wood dpn's. Made from wool and soy, it has a wonderful shine and the colors are beautiful. But it isn't a twisted ply and therefore splits easily. I have to knit a bit more slowly as a result. It reminds me a bit of Brown Sheep yarn, but prettier.

Here also is a picture of one of my projects I did this winter, a scarf. The pattern was in last years "Knitting" page-a-day calendar. Berroco's Ultra Alpaca was used and it turned out very nice. Ultra Alpaca is a very springy yarn. I have used it before for a shawl and liked it very much. It is very affordable and Berroco created some lovely colorways for it, also. I used the Light Gray, since that is what I had in my stash, having picked up two hanks while shopping last year at the Acorn Street Shop in the University District of Seattle. Wonderful store, by the way. I make a point to drive up there and browse every so often. I always find something to take home. They have lots of yarns, including sock yarns, laceweight, specialty type stuff, and loads of "everyday" type yarn. They also have spinning stuff, needlepoint and embroidery stuff, needles, and friendly helpful staff.

That is my Great Grandmother's quilt in the background of the picture. I use it a lot when I photograph my knitting. It makes me happy that a grandmother I never knew (she died a few years before I was born) and who never would have dreamed of a thing called a blog has a little "presence" here once in a while. She pieced that quilt in 1940, and then never quilted it. I did the quilting in 1992, which again gave me a thrill, working on a project "with her". I knew a bit of how Natalie Cole felt when she recorded "Unforgettable" as a duet with her father, Nat King Cole. Just thinking of my hand quilting, tracing her own invisible "handprints" on the fabric, made each stitch special and each hour spent on the quilt enjoyable. It took me 6 months to quilt (it was only my second quilting project or it would have been a bit faster). I love the feather pattern and the sawtooth piecing of the quilt. I no longer quilt, knitting is the passion now. But I know that with each heel I turn, with every row of ribbing and each dropped stitch, my Great Grandma would smile and say, "Yes...I was also a Passion Knit Girl. Knit on, Honey, knit on!" Knitting, quilting, sewing, embroidery, crochet...it's in the blood of the women and men in my family. And is one more tie that binds us together through the generations.

Until next time, keep knitting!

Renée

Kool Aid Fun/ Superwoman Delusions

2008-03-07T16:16:00.000-07:00

Didn't "Kool Aid Fun" used to be the ad slogan for Kool Aid? I think so...

Well, it takes on a whole new meaning for me now, since I can combine my childhood love of Kool Aid (only an occasional sweet treat at my house when I was a kid) and my adult love of yarn.

I am signed up for the Mystic Light Shawl KAL on Yahoo Groups and decided to dye my own yarn for the project.
I bought the Knit Picks fingering weight Bare and some Kool Aid packets. At first I was going for yellow with a little bit of pink thrown in .

Then I realized that it was ugly. That's right. Ug. Ly. Like spagetti with strawberry jam smeared on it. So, I re-dyed it with Tropical Fruit punch. Perty. In the end, I wound up with a real tie-dyed look and it is perfect for the shawl. And just in time for the swatching, since the instructions just went up on the KAL (Knit a long).

Now I only need to find a way to knit 24/7 since I have so many projects going and one that needs to be finished by June. Why do I always seem to think I am Superwoman?

Countdown!!

2008-03-02T21:48:00.000-07:00

I have been hooked on Knit Picks podcasts for some time now, even before I got an actual IPod. I learned that I could download I Tunes and listen to the podcast online right on my own computer. So I began listening that way and then for Christmas this year, my dear husband got me an IPod. Hooray! Suddenly I had a wonderful way of listening to knitting podcasts and also audiobooks.

The long and the short of it, is that knitting podcasts are very cool. And the coolest, in my humble opinion, is Kelley Petkun's podcast. (KnitPicks) Love, love, love it. So, in tribute to Kelley, here is my "countdown".

Ten reasons why I want to be Kelley Petkun

10. Xena. Any dog whose name starts with "X" has to be cool!

9. Cool travel opportunities that involve knitting and have "built in" knitting time!

8. KnitPicks yarn at my disposal....drool....

7. Terrific knitting skills and the ability to teach them clearly to others.

6. Lots of knitting friends from all over the world

5. I would know how to spin.

4. The ability to wear orange and be happy about it!!

3. To be cute and small enough to knit myself sweaters that don't call for 25 skeins of yarn.

2. To be a "knitter who looooves books"! (Ok, I admit I have that one going for me)

and the #1 reason why I would like to be Kelley Petkin is: (drumroll........)

1. To have the ability to look at an ordinary gourmet kitchen spoon and think out loud, "Gee, this would make a great set of knitting needles!" And POOFF!!! It is!!

Yes, if you too love Kelley, be sure to check out her blog Yarn Rambles, listed in my sidebar. She is a lot of fun and inspiration and a terrific Knitting Sister!

hellooo?.....is this thing on? Check...one...two...

2008-02-23T18:45:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's me...back from wherever I've been. Don't know why I disappeared really. I have been right here, actually. Just figured I didn't have much to say about knitting that wasn't already being said. I am not an exceptional knitter, or an exceptional writer. However, I do enjoy both, so why not simply knit and write?

To get started, here are a pair of fingerless gloves I worked on for the past two days.
I have made this pattern before. In fact, I made about a dozen pairs last year for various peoples in my life. These ones are for me, though.

The pattern is one I purchased individually (not in a book) while visiting the Churchmouse Yarns and Teas on Bainbridge Island, WA. It is a design by A. Karen Alfke called Cableback Fingerless Gloves and is published by http://www.2ndesign.com/. The cool thing about this pattern is how neat the cables are. Karen gives 3 different cables to choose from. This one is the Wheatear Cable. Another cool thing is the I-cord edging. Gives you a very finished and professional look. Also strengthens the edges for lots of wear and tear.

I made this pair on 4 size 5 double points, although I must say that I tried to interest myself in doing them on 2 circs. I just couldn't make myself like the process, however, so went back to my trusty dpns. Maybe another time. This yarn is Highlander from Alpaca with a Twist in Hawthorne Pink.

I have been really sick for the past week, even losing 2 days of work and worse than that, missing Friday Night Knit Club!!! But these gloves were the perfect sickbed diversion. My regular knitting (a lace project) involved too much brain work for my feverish brain to handle. But now I am more clear headed and will be going back to it. I will have to fill you in on that project next time. For now, this is all.

"You Wouldn't..." (an off topic blog)

2007-11-01T13:53:00.000-07:00

Think of all the ways you can end a sentence that begins with "You wouldn't".

You wouldn't want to have the flu.

You wouldn't want to be caught in a tornado.

You wouldn't want to be carried off by flying monkeys.

You wouldn't want the airline to lose your luggage.

You wouldn't want your Weight Watcher leader to see you having that extra piece of strawberry cheesecake...after all your points for the day are used up.

Well, you get the drift. I am remembering today that even though most sentences that begin this way end up negatively, that is not always the case. My own husband "proposed" to me using those very words. "You wouldn't.......want to marry me, would you?" Thing is, I did want to marry him, but he was so very certain that I was too good, too beautiful, too wonderful, too va-va-voom, too smart, too fun and on and on...to ever want to marry him. Confident guy, yes?

To make a long story shorter, we were married. Twenty-two years ago today. And I can't imagine being happier with anyone else. I have never been caught in a tornado, or carried off by flying monkeys. The airline always has come through in the end, my Weight Watcher leader is nowhere in sight when I'm scarfing down cheesecake, and the flu...well...can't win them all. But I will always appreciate the two little words that no one really wants to hear. "You wouldn't". Those words were the beginning of a beautiful future together. And we are still living happily ever after.

Happy Anniversary, Pinky.

Love, Pinkie

Comment...I think that the Westinghouse refrigerator says it all. Some folks just have flowers to decorate the church. We used appliances.
Married in the Special Education Classroom at our church, next to the fridge. Real ambiance.
He looks kind of worried here, don't you think? And this was before he knew how much of a yarn budget we would be needing someday!

One month???

2007-10-20T11:03:00.000-07:00

Since my last post was on September 20, I couldn't let today pass without at least a paragraph! I don't have any photos, but have plenty on the way. I need to catch you up with what I'm doing these days. I am on the waistband of the leggings, have finished one of my pink socks, and after giving some hats to Ben Franklin for their chemo hat drive, have decided that this week would be perfect for working on some more to donate, since I have some nice pink Lion Brand Wool-Ease that I'm always wondering what to do with. I'm thinking about Novembers project for Elizabeth's Year. The Moccasin Socks look like a pretty quick knit compared to some socks I've knit in the past. If I could just have more time in each day...the common prayer of every knitter in the world.

I picked up a copy of the new Vogue Knitting Holiday 2007. Filled with dreamy projects. I'm dreaming of the Alice Starmore Oregon Autumn Cardi. Wow! Here it is on her website, Virtual yarns. Even if I were ambitious, talented and crazy enough to embark on that beauty, the cost of those gorgeous yarns exclude me from even trying.

So much to catch up on, but I'm leaving for work soon, so it will have to wait.

"Deadline" Pillow Finished

2007-09-20T15:03:00.000-07:00

The pillow for Ben Franklin is finished. I am working now on putting the pattern on paper. I just made it up as I went along, since it is such an easy project. Now I'm trying to type it up and it sounds more complicated than it is. Hope it doesn't scare off newbies. I will give the pattern in another post when it is complete. Writing a pattern isn't as easy as I thought. If a pattern this easy can be difficult, then how do those amazing designers who create complicated knitted sweaters do it???

The Diagonal Garter Stitch Pillow is made of import yarn, inexpensive and fun to play with for a project like this one. There were all kinds of colors and textures to choose from. I just chose 4 colors that would compliment each other and they worked beautifully. This pillow would look very nice in stocking stitch, also.

Having a blog sure illuminates to one when one's life is boring. I think sometimes of posting and then wonder, "But what will I write? Nothing is happening that anyone would be remotely interested in!" Work, knit, sleep, knit, eat, knit...sneak in a chapter here or there of a good book. (Right now is Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) No, my life isn't made of the extraordinary, but I have had enough drama, difficulty and crisis in my past to realize what a blessing the mundane can really be. So when it is ordinary day after ordinary day, I thank God humbly and say a prayer for those who are having dramas, difficulties or crisis right now. Hopefully, that does not describe you today, Reader and Friend. But if it does, please remember that you can endure just about anything for "a while". This too, as they say, shall pass. And even if it doesn't, as some of my own life has shown me, we can be all the stonger for having endured and fought the fight. To quote Elisabeth Elliot, one of the women I most admire, "Underneath are the everlasting arms..."

P.S. Since I brought up Elisabeth and suffering, I might as well recommend her most excellent book A Path Through Suffering. It was the book that helped and comforted me through my parents divorce, and other painful times of crisis and loss. As those times of hurt leave us feeling vulnerable and alone, I advise the thoughtful reading of it to any who are in need of encouragement and assurance during trials of any sort.

Leggings and Deadlines

2007-09-12T10:51:00.000-07:00

Working away on the Nethers. Going 'round and 'round. Making me a bit dizzy, but still kinda fun! The first picture is of the increases I'm doing on that back of the calf. The pictures are weird, since taking photos of black yarn is difficult for my camera, but the flash helped me to show a little of the detail. I'm doing a simple M1 to increase on both sides of two stitches on every third row.
Here are both legs. The longer one is a side view so you can see how those increases are working. I slid the long one there on some waste yarn that Josh had in his knitting supply bag and then tried it on Danielle. She sat on the floor with her leg in the air like a Radio City Rockette (should have took pictures of that, I know!) until her foot was falling asleep while I tugged and patted and smoothed and counted and measured. Poor girl. She didn't know what she was in for when I suggested these leggings for her! First was the indignity of the measuring, and now she realizes that the fittings will be numerous. She is a good sport, though, my Danielle.

I sort of volunteered (along with others in the Friday Night Knit Group) to complete a demo for the store. Fortunately for me, mine is a small project. But I have a *drumroll please*..............................DEADLINE! Now I know why the word deadline includes the word "dead". First Pi, where my "deadline" came and went, and now this. My deadline, because it will help me to confess it and be accountable, is September 30. Well. Doesn't seem too difficult to design a pattern, swatch it and knit it up. Two weeks. It is just a pillow. Nothing spectacular, because the yarn is beautiful and textured, and so it can be just a simple pattern. But why is working with a deadline so daunting for me when knitting is concerned? I must explore this facet of my personality. But then again, some things are better left unexplored.

On this day

2007-09-11T06:56:00.000-07:00

September 11. I want to recognize this day by reminding everyone to take a moment to reflect on their blessings, to cherish their country, to hold close their loved ones, to breathe deeply and to remember that there is a God who loves us.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

And do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Nether the less

2007-09-10T08:11:00.000-07:00

On my way out the door, to go to work this morning, but just wanted to pop in and show you what I've been working on since Friday. These are the beginnings of the leggings, i.e. "Nether Garments" from the Knitters Almanac. I am making them in black Knit Picks Swish, as Danielle requested. So far I casted on, knit 14 rows in garter stitch, then knit a bit, doing some increases for the calf and now I am about up to the knee. I will cast on the second leg today and bring that one to the same point before continuing. I love working with this yarn so far. It has a lovely hand and drape. If I must knit in black, at least it feels luxurious!

Ok, as I say toot-a-loo, I must thank everyone for all of your sweet comments and compliments on the Pi. How nice to hear your feedback. Again, thanks to all of you! And Mom, Pi is in the mail today! Love, love, love you!!!

Introducing...Pi!!!

2007-09-06T09:15:00.000-07:00

I've not dropped off the planet at all. I have had trouble finding time to blog this past week, but here I am at last. And here is Pi! After all the groaning and whining I have done, the shawl is completed at last and I have pictures to prove it. So those with dial-up, my apologies, but this post is very picture heavy. Be patient with me and wait for them to load, it is worth it, just as knitting Pi was worth it!

I began knitting Pi on July 3rd. I believe. I finished knitting on Saturday, September 1. Taken from the Knitter's Almanac, by Elizabeth Zimmerman, the pattern was supposed to be July's project. So I can safely say that EZ was capable of knitting at least twice as fast as I!!! Are we surprised? Here are some blocking pics to start the ball rolling. Josh took these shots.

The day after Pi was completed, Lizzie and Josh helped me put together my huge foam interlocking blocks, purchased for this occasion from Toy's R Us. I had envied the blocks that The Knitting Doctor uses for this purpose, and decided to try a less expensive version for now. I washed Pi gently like a baby, and rinsed and rolled Pi in a few towels. Then we went to work. I didn't have enough pins to pin out each and every loop on every scallop of the border, but it didn't matter. We used three pins per scallop and though it looked a bit weird while blocking, it came out just beautifully, and looks as if each space were pinned. Goal accomplished. Pi was stretched out to a wonderful 72" across. I didn't measure before washing, but this did stretch it significantly.
Here is Pi yesterday, lying around in the backyard, taking it easy.
Closeup of the gull stitch and also the border, which I found here. It is #46, Kilgorie edge. A lot of knitting around, but totally worth it, as you can see.
After knitting this project for the past couple of months I can say that it has taught me a lot of myself as a knitter, and a human being. This will be one project that will be remembered fondly and with joy. Long after it is shipped to my Mom as a Late Birthday Present, I will be thinking of Pi and the good times we had together. Thanks to the Yahoo Group "Elizabeth's Year" and Knit Picks Kelley Petkin for the help and support. The September Nether Garments are next on the list.

And now for the most fun: I had a photo shoot with Lizzie and Pi. For Pi's public debut, we went to the Tacoma Museum of Glass. We walked over the Bridge of Glass, and had a thoroughly wonderful time photographing Pi and observing the wondrous glass exhibited there. If you are ever in Tacoma, it is a worthwhile stop to make.

The Bridge of Glass spans Highway 705, that comes into the City Center in Tacoma. It is a walkway leading from one side of the highway, where the Museum of Glass and the Marina is, to the other, where downtown is. Here is a view of the bridge. And here are some views from the bridge.

Here is a glimpse of the marina, viewed through one of the glass displays, a reflecting pool with panels of glass.

This is a large display of glass sculptured "flower vases". Beautiful colors. Here is Lizzie and Pi, next to a beautiful vase.

Here are some more glass photos. This is a small portion of the glass "overhead". As you cross the bridge, you walk through this covered portion, this glass is in the ceiling overhead, with the light shining through. Photos can't begin to do it justice.

The rest of the pics will be of Lizzie and Pi, save one. Enjoy.

A Little Shoppin'

2007-08-29T13:54:00.000-07:00

Just popping in: I got these today at Borders along with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The magazine Simply Knitting always comes with a gift...this time it is that row counter that looks like a sheep. It has a lock, too. That way I won't be accidently pushing the buttons if I remember to actually USE the lock. We will see.

The little bag can fit inside my knitting bag for work and has just enough room for me to carry a sock in progress with the needles. Perfect. I hate digging around for the needles in the bottom of my knitting bag and also things get bumped around and I have dropped stitches sometimes when I go to work on my project. Love that.

Cheating on Pi (A Confession)

2007-08-28T08:38:00.000-07:00

I'm cheating. Ok? Only 10 more repeats of the border on Pi, and instead of buckling down and doing it, I have been cheating. Sneaking around with a sock. You have seen it before. A knitter, perfectly happy and content with their project. Committed and enjoying a good knitting relationship suddenly gets the urge to "be bad". At first it was meetings in the car (previously discussed). Then, carrying the sock into work to have a little quick knit in the breakroom. Now, I have to admit to blatently knitting out in the open, in my livingroom, while Pi looks on, dejected and weary in it's knitting bag. Even taking pictures.

Forgive me, Pi. It's just that I have to have a break. I feel like the guy in the hot dog eating contest who has to choke down that last few bites. I just need some time to myself. Our time together is special. You have been faithful to me, I know. But a knitter needs some variety. Some spice and excitement. I will come back to you. I will. And the time we spent apart will help our relationship. Really.

Thinking about September

2007-08-23T07:10:00.000-07:00

I had some time for car-knitting the other day, stopping at the park with a hot cup of Starbucks. I can't carry Pi in the car anymore. Too cumbersome. So the little Waving Lace socks have been my companion in the car and also in the breakroom at work during my second break each day. It is so refreshing to work on something small.I am thinking about September. The Sept. project for Knitter's Almanac and Elizabeth's Year group is "Nether garments" or simply put, Leggings. I am really debating this one. I have some acrylic/wool yarn that I was tempted to use, but I have a sweater that I knit in that yarn and it lost it's shape ages ago and can't be tempted back. I really don't want to work on leggings and then have them unwearable in a short period of time. The other thing is, Danielle, who I am knitting them for wants black. Black. Black.

Boring. Leggings-'round and 'round with black. I'm not sure that I am up for it. Yet, I think the lessons in shaping the legs would be good for me as a knitter. Knit Picks Swish would work just fine for them and would be washable and soft. Hopefully it would hold it's shape better than the "Other Stuff". I'd have to order it. Well, you can see the quandry I'm in. After Pi taking me so long to finish, I don't know what to expect with these leggings. And the October project is definitely one I want to knit. So I will have to find time to finish the leggings in one month. I know. Famous last words...

Good Friends, Good Knit

2007-08-21T09:05:00.000-07:00

Does anyone recognize this sweater? If you have read my blog for a while, you'll realize that it is the Icy Blue Shell. You can look under the June and July posts if you can't remember it. Doesn't it look great? Now. Ask me if it's mine. Go ahead.

This beautiful and almost complete sweater has been knit by Nancy, my friend at the Friday Night Knitting Club ( I usually just say Knit Group, but the official name was taken from the book. Now I'll move on with the post quickly, since if I linger here I may begin whining about how much I wanted to knit this sweater and couldn't get the gauge right. But then, you know the story. This wonderful knitster above is Judy. No, she didn't put her shirt through the dryer and forget to remove the sock that got stuck to it. (hate it when that happens). Rather, she is wearing her sock as a badge of honor since it is the first one she completed! Now she is working on #2 and is fearlessly working round and round, knowing that in the end, she will have a perfect pair of warm socks to warm her tootsies. Behind her in the picture is Milly. Sorry...that is a terrible shot of her. I know she was saying something funny and encouraging to Nancy or Leslie in that moment. I just know it, because she is always full of ideas and fun. Milly works in the Yarn Dept at Ben's (Franklin) and keeps us in line as well. She has been knitting for years and years, and can do practically anything with yarn and needles as a result. Across the table from Judy and Nancy is the Mother/Daughter team: Jane and Leslie. Now these two have it all together. They are so much fun and full of new ideas and plans. Both of them are making projects to display in the store because they are so talented. Jane is holding up a wonderful knitted tote she made completely out of plastic grocery sacks! I wish you could see it up close. It is so adorable.
Leslie doesn't knit, but works on cross stitch and I must say she does the most delicate projects and beautiful work.
Right now she is working hard on these Christmas ornaments for a friend. If you notice the size of them next to the scissors, you can see they are tiny and just perfect for one of those small, little, itsy-bitsy Christmas trees.

Corinne and I make up the other Mother/Daughter "team" in our group. Here is Corinne working on her Hobo Bag. She found the pattern on my knitting calandar ( a different pattern on each page) and bought a bunch of different yarns and is knitting it up in lots of different colors and textures. So cute.

And of course, there I am. Working on what, you ask? Pi. What else.

A Little Pink Will Help

2007-08-17T08:01:00.000-07:00

Well, Pi is taking so much of my knitting time that I fear my blog is beginning to get boring every time I ~~whine~~ talk about it. So-o-o-o-o-o-o-o...

Here is a refreshing thing. The sweetest pink, actually named Blush. It is the prettiest color of all in Knit Picks Palette yarn. See link to Knit Picks in my sidebar. This is my ck-ing (car knitting) which I also carry in to work with me and have a little quick "knit" on my breaks. I would call that a quickie, but you all would think that means something else. Admit it, ok?

The pattern is from Favorite Socks. Lots of wonderful patterns in that book. I like this one by Evelyn A Clark called Waving Lace Socks. So adorable.
Tonight is Friday Night Knitting at Ben Franklin. I enjoy it so much. Wonderful friends, three whole hours of knitting. Who can beat that? I'll be a bit late, since I work until 6:30, but two hours of knitting is better than none. Now. Should I take Pi, or this cute little sock?

Endless Pi and an Apology

2007-08-14T07:53:00.000-07:00

Yes, this is what you think it is. Endless Pi. I don't remember being this dense before, but it has finally happened. My elevator didn't reach the top floor. My lights were on, but no one was home. My choo-choo train wasn't on the tracks. And any other sayings you can dream up.

Let me 'splain, Lucy. I finished the beautiful "Gull Stitch" portion of the shawl. Now to choose a border. EZ calls for either a crocheted border (that would have been completed in one day, most likely) or a "knitted on" border. Now, being the big headed sophisticated knitter that I pretend to be, I chose the knitted on. Knitting on a border means that you are working sideways around your shawl, just catching a stitch at a time and knitting it to the border you choose. So you knit away from the shawl, then knit back. And when you knit back, you catch one, just one stitch of the shawl on your needles along with the last knitted border stitch. That attaches the border to the edge of your shawl. With me so far? Well, Miss Fancy-Pants here chose a beautiful scalloped border, as you know.

Very pretty. Each scallop takes 16 stitches to complete. "No problem", says I. Famous last words. Here 1/2 month later, I am still working on this border. AND, I miscalulated. I had done math. BAD idea. At the end of the gull stitch section, where I was working on 574 stitches around, I had increased two stitches and then divided 576 by 16 to get 36. OK. I thought 36 repeats are do-able. Do you see my mistake yet? Never once did it cross my mind that for each of the 576 stitches I would have to knit TWO rows of the scalloped border. One row away from the shawl, and one row back, catching just one stitch of the shawl. So instead of 36 repeats, I would really be doing ...oh help me...more math.....36+36=SEVENTY-TWO!!!!!!!!!!!

So, here I am, knitting endless pi, shaking my head and wondering where my math teacher went wrong with me. Sorry, Mrs. Stewart. You tried.

Real Men Knit

2007-08-10T04:28:00.000-07:00

About a year ago, I "adopted" a son. Or should I say, he adopted me. Well, lets just say that he came for dinner one day and fell in love with my youngest daughter. Since then, he is over here almost every evening. I think it may have been the pizza....

Anyway, Josh has been lots of fun, is sweet to the whole family and treats our daughter with great respect and adoration. He is talented and fun to have around. But the nicest thing about Josh is the fact that he allowed Lizzie to teach him to knit. Ok, I had my own 2 cents to put in once in a while, too.

Yes, he is a bit crazy sometimes...
He refers to his method as "Extreme Knitting".

But we love him. Here are a couple of the hats he knit. Josh learned the "formula" for knitting a hat, and decided that patterns are not for him. He knits each hat without a formal pattern, just whatever design he can think up. He is fearless that way.

He adds this little feature to each of his hats...
Can you tell what it is? A little tail so he can tell where the back of the hat is.

He has given most of his hats away to friends or to Lizzie.

Here they are being silly...

Josh is a gifted bass player, drummer, guitar player, and singer. Check out his band, resDeus, and also Evergreen, which is Lizzie and Josh's music.

Most of all, he is just Josh. Fun guy and faithful friend. I'm glad he's around. With three daughters, it is sure nice to have a "son" around for a change, and Lizzie's sisters appreciate having a "brother" around, too. Someone besides Danny who will squash spiders and lift heavy objects when we need it. Josh certainly has been raised right...(us Mom's have to stick together)

Mary had a Little Frog.....

2007-08-09T14:28:00.000-07:00

Frogging AGAIN??? Is that all I do? Well, no-o-o-o-o, but I thought of how boring Pi is right now. I am on the umpteenth repeat of the knitted on border so there really isn't anything to report. However, my car knitting has been driving me nuts. ('Scuse the pun) A sock that looks very cute in my Favorite Socks book is not so cute in person. I knit the whole leg and had even knit the heel flap and turned the heel. That is when things went weird with this little sock. Suddenly, I could care less about whether I finished it or not. No passion for said sock. None. So I, who couldn't wait to get the Favorite Sock book, I who went to the knit shop on purpose to pick up some fun color of Baby Ull to use for the first socks from that book, I who cast on feverishly, anxious to knit a pair of socks in a pattern other than just my usual sock pattern which I got from Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's book "Knitting Rules", (easy but plain) found myself feeling less than enthusiastic...no...bored...no...ambivalent over...no...hating The Sock. Now you know how serious this is when I can use such a word to describe my feelings about a little innocent and unfinished sock. A sock still in the early stages of development like this is usually nurtured and cared for. But here is a peek at the first little frogging:

Poor little thing...all exposed like that. Well, it was over with fairly quickly and painlessly...

Notice the halo-like quality of the yarn in these pictures. Do you think that was just the camera? Or is there something about The Sock that I didn't know? Hmmmmm. Hey! What is that in the background of this picture?

I'm so fickle...
Well, it was over and done with. Here is The Sock, no longer a sock at all...just a harmless ball of yarn, waiting to become what it was meant to be all along, I guess.
Part of The Stash.

On the Edge

2007-07-30T17:30:00.000-07:00

Hello...seems like forever since my last post. Didn't mean for that to happen. Sometimes my knitting is going slowly, and I feel like I don't have much to talk about. Kind of some of those quiet days, you know?

Actually, it's been sort of a quiet weekend, but I don't mind at all. We had some cloudy days here in the Puget Sound area, and a bit of rain, but today the sun is out and glorious. So Danny and I went and washed the car (got "the works"!), shopped for some pants (didn't find any) and had some lunch. Just a nice day. The rest of the time this weekend and this afternoon has been spent trying to figure out and execute the border for Pi.

I was going to use the Cockleshell edging found in the book Knitting Around, by EZ. So, I posted questions I had about doing a knitted on border, etc. on the wonderful yahoo group that I've mentioned before..."Elizabeth's Year". Lots of helpful answers. Then, sitting down to test the pattern, I could NOT make it come out right. Something about the final row. It seems to stop in the middle of the row and leave you hanging. I checked Schoolhouse Press for corrections and couldn't find any to do with the Cockleshell Edging. Since I had been surfing online for edging patterns I had printed one out that I had found at Knitting-and.com. It is called Kilgorie edge and is very pretty. Looks very much like the Cockleshell, but the instructions were complete. (perhaps the instructions in the book were complete, too, but I couldn't figure them out) Anyway, here is a picture of my edging so far:

And another: Kind of blurry at the edges, but you can see what I'm after, right? I've completed 6 repeats...only 30 to go...sigh.

Knitting Bunny

2007-07-26T06:30:00.000-07:00

A little cartoon I found on youtube.com...since I don't have any pictures today, I thought some entertainment was in order.

Just thinking about knitting and how it has taken over...I mean...affected my life. For the better. I find it is so wonderful to always have something to keep my hands and mind busy. It is so calming and relaxing, and the Lord knows I need as much of that as I can get in my life. Each stitch is a prayer sometimes. It has given me some wonderful friends, especially the Friday Night Knitting Group. I have wonderful sweaters, etc. and so do my family. These are all simple basic things that knitting does for me...also is the fact that it connects me to the women in my past. Thinking mostly of Gram, who knitted for every new baby in the family and helped me take my first knitting stitches when I was small. (And didn't panic when I wasn't really interested...she knew the "bug" would bite me someday!) If you are reading today and this makes you thankful for knitting, please leave a comment for me. Just click on the comments at the bottom of this post. It would be lovely to hear your thoughts on knitting, even if you aren't a knitter. (I appreciated other's knitting long before I was a knitter!)

Hamster Pi

2007-07-24T10:05:00.000-07:00

Well, Pi is shaping up, although you'd never guess it from this picture. It still looks like a potato sack on the circ's. But I am on row 41 of Gull stitch, having done 10 repeats.
This is all the yarn I have left. After several more rounds of Gull stitch, I will use the remaining yarn to work a simple knitted on border instead of "casting off" the usual way. of sweaters and such. And surprise! Here is Corinne's pet hamster, Leela. She is exploring Pi. She liked going in the sack and poking her nose through the holes in the lace stitches.
Love...love...love...love...love! What do I love??? Jamieson's shetland wool! That's right! I had this in my stash and when I wanted a different yarn from the laceweight I had started with, I knew that my 11 skeins of this wonderful wool that was parked in my stash was going to be perfect for Pi, and it is.
Today is the perfect day for cleaning house as I will be soon going back to work. I have had lots of time "off" because of having a foot surgery that created a DVT(Deep Vein Thrombosis or huge deep blood clot), that created a pumonary embolism. All that said, it meant a number of surgeries and lots of recovery time (1 1/2 years!) and also lots of prayer. The foot trouble is still there, but finally I am able to walk around fairly normally! Yaaay! Anyway, going back to work is going to seriously cut into my knitting time, but I plan to carry it with me and work on my projects on my breaks and lunchtime as much as I can.

Just a quick note

2007-07-22T19:31:00.000-07:00

Just popping in to say:

This is why I love love love Interweave Knits. Get a look at their preview of the fall issue. I'm drooling over those beautiful patterns. Ok, now back to my knitting! Carry on!

7/21/07.....12:01 a.m.

2007-07-21T18:40:00.000-07:00

Well, it is time for a bit of off topic chatter. My youngest daughter, Lizzie, is an avid Harry Potter fan. So, today is a significant day to her, being the release of the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I got the brilliant idea for her and I to show up at Walmart at midnight in order to witness the spectacle of such a release and to purchase this last book of the series in record time. On the way to Walmart, we passed by the Borders people, standing in a mile long line...WOW! It takes such dedication to be a Potter fan. I could only muster that up for say,The Yarn Harlot. Anyway...

O, how smuggly I felt as I drove by, grinning and feeling Oh! So superior to the poor Borders people. Nothing against Borders. I myself get LOTS of books there and have a discount card thingy. But not wanting to stand in much of a line, I thought Walmart was probably a better bet. We drove up to the Walmart and got a good parking place right in front. So far so good. Then we WALKED IN THE DOOR. People seemed to be congregating in the middle of the store. Kids with lightening bolts drawn on their foreheads. Little kids in their jammies. Big kids in their jammies. Adults with "Snape will Betray" or "Snape is loyal" stickers on their jackets. This was pandemonium, Walmart style.
I exaggerate. Actually, there it only looked at first glance like pandemonium. In reality, there were a lot of people, for sure. But they were all being good and having a GREAT time! The Walmart people were handing out jelly bracelets that had Gryffindor on them. Supposedly this qualified you to buy a book. Here is some shots of the line we were in.

Yes, we were about in the middle of the line as I took this picture at almost midnight. Back in the electronics dept.
These were the poor folks behind us in the line that stretched back to the far corner of the store and more.

Well, finally the big moment came, that stroke of midnight plus one. Nothing. A guy ahead of us yelled out, "Hey it's midnight! Give us the books!" Everyone else was quiet. Then, slowly, the line began to move. My bad foot gave a sigh of relief. After several more minutes, we were handed our book. The girl in the shower cap was handing out cake. They also had posters and the rest of the jelly bracelets...one for each "house.Then it was into yet another line, to get somehow to the checkout. Ok--I have to say here that it would have really been nice of them to open up a few more checkstands. And the folks that were in line with full carts of groceries, etc? I think they may have thought that through a bit more...but all in all, it went well. Here is Lizzie, happy to have her book and a poster for Danielle. The guy with the tattoo and the lady with the basket seems happy, too.All bagged and paid for by 12:40. Not bad, all things considered. And yes, on the way home we drove back by Borders. All the folks coming out of there looked just as happy as us. All's well that ends well. The only thing I would have done different? Hello! Brought my knitting into Walmart with me! I stood there in that line without so much as a sock to keep me busy! What was I thinking????

Speaking of socks, here is a peek at the Retro Rib Socks from Favorite Socks. It's slow going since I have spent most of my knitting time with The Pi. (I always think of National Velvet when I say that). But this is my new car knitting project, so I will be working on them more. And yes, (hanging my head) they are blue. I know. It is a sickness. Blue yarn seems to attract me like a bug to a porch light.

Sock it to Me!

2007-07-17T18:30:00.000-07:00

Here are the socks that have lived in my car for the past couple of months. I gave them to Danielle after the closing ceremonies (also known as the Kitchener stitch)

They look cute, and she was happy about them, but I don't like a couple of things. First of all, the gussets. I didn't pick up enough stitches of the heel flaps. Why I did that, I don't know. Not thinking. I don't remember driving and knitting, just parking and knitting. So really, I should have been completely focused on those gussets. I KNOW you think maybe I sneaked a few stitches in while waiting at a long light, but I really didn't. I am a cautious driver. I only think about knitting while I drive. That is perfectly allowed.

Here. Take a look.
The color is off on this one, sorry. But you can see how the gusset is stretched from too few stitches, and of course that made it shorter, too. Also, there are two bumped out stitches where a hole showed up and I tried to hide it.

Ok, enough whining about my shortcomings and on to the Pi.

This is how I'm doing with the Gull stitch, done on the 576 section of the shawl which is in reality 574 since I had to decrease 2 for the pattern.(# of stitches on each round)
Let me just say, I'm so grateful for markers.
I have placed them every 21 stitches in order to keep things in order and on schedule. I don't trust myself to keep it all straight otherwise. I should really be using a lifeline, too, but I have been able so far to fix any mistakes I have found.

Here is some trivia that doesn't really matter:

I'm a "Thrower". Just for anyone who was curious.

Pi in the Car

2007-07-16T18:44:00.001-07:00

I'm back! I've had so much going on lately, and had loaned my camera to someone, so didn't get any posting done. So today I took some pics and will show you some of my day.

It began when I got up early and drove over to the Peninsula with hubby. He was in a golf tournament in Gig Harbor today. I dropped him off, then went in search of yarn. Of course, I drove to Bainbridge Island and got to spend quality time at my favorite NOLYS (not so local yarn store)

Churchmouse Yarns and Teas is such an inspiration to me. Just bought two skeins of laceweight, since I'm trying to budget my yarn purchases, but it is beautiful. I will take a picture of it tomorrow, since I couldn't get the color right today. Ok, the next thing was lots of ck-ing (car-knitting) while waiting at the golf course for Danny

Yep, that's me, parked in a handicapped spot. Don't worry...I qualify. Had me some foot trouble that turned into a real mess last year. I'm doing quite well now, though. But it is still easier to use this.
Doctor and state approved, of course. Here is a look at Pi.
The color here is off...looks too red. It's really a beautiful brown, but I really am bad at using this camera.
Here it is looking like a deflated raisin. The circular needles are unflattering to a project in the works, but oh, how I love them!
Then, on the way home we pulled over when we spotted our neighbor here. He lives in the canyon about 4 miles from my house. He was out on the branch looking over the valley...probably thinking about what he'd like for dinner, making wonderful eagle sounds. Just looking at him makes me feel very patriotic!

Did you know that fish like Pi?

2007-07-07T23:06:00.000-07:00

This is Van Gogh.

He is a Betta and he loves me. I named him Van Gogh because of his beautiful color. He reminds me of the colors of Starry Night. He is curious about knitting (as most fish SHOULD be). Van Gogh likes the Pi Shawl.

I sat there in my chair next to Van Gogh today watching Pride and Prejudice (A&E version-all 6 hours) and knitted a total of 8,064 stitches on the Pi Shawl. That's right. That is what I call dedication. I am dedicated to the Pi Shawl AND Colin Firth!
(As most knitters SHOULD be!)

Well, I never said that I'm not crazy

2007-07-04T07:53:00.000-07:00

Well, these pictures aren't very good. Maybe something IS wrong with the camera. But anyway, you all are going to think I am crazy. "Why is this girl always re-starting her knitting projects?" Well, it is because I am not satistfied with knitting something that really isn't what I had in mind. So, here I go with the poor little Pi Shawl. Here are the beginnings of the "new" Pi Shawl. Don't worry. I didn't frog the other one. It is still on the needles, and I will finish it. But I realized that I needed to use a thicker yarn and do the plain shawl instead of the lacy one in order to keep up with the KAL since I have company this month for two weeks. So much easier. Remember, there is still the blue plain tee-shirt style sweater, and the socks, and the other socks, and the little matter of *******Icy Blue Shell*******

Camera, Action!

2007-07-01T21:30:00.000-07:00

Wow! I was having what I thought were major camera problems, (and what are posts without a few pictures) and my hubby just figured it out for me. What was the trouble? The thingy wasn't plugged in to the do-hicky. Yeah. Anyway, the camera is back to it's old self, so here is a shot of my newest attempt at cleverness:

Blogging is so much fun and I love it, but I have to educate myself about digital photography and computers. I am getting tired of having to ask Danny and the girls when I have trouble!

This is the very beginnings of a Pi Shawl. The pattern is from Elizabeth Zimmerman's brilliant book "Knitter's Almanac". I joined a Yahoo group that Kelley Petkun has begun this month. She has the Podcast on Knit Picks website and I love it. You can click on Knit Picks in my newly begun shopping list (to the right of my posts) and find info there on joining the group should you be interested. We will be going through the Almanac, which EZ brilliantly wrote so that each chapter has a project for a month. This month, is of course, the Pi Shawl, a pattern she designed based on Pi, a mathematical concept that I can't even begin to understand. However, it looks as if the pattern is pretty straightforward and I am glad to have the help of many knitters in the group should I need it!

Lizzie's project

2007-06-27T14:06:00.000-07:00

My daughter, Lizzie, is a knitter also. She has made scarves, hats, and fingerless gloves, a clutch, which she designed herself, and other various and sundry things. Right now she is working on a new project and I wanted to share it with you. It is fromRebecca magazine No.33.

Here are some pictures of her work so far:

A close-up:
Here is a picture of the hoodie in the magazine. It is Lizzie's first lace project. Pretty good, yes?

She is using the Lion Brand Cotton Ease, which seems to be really nice yarn. I am anxious to see how it washes. She bought four skeins to make the medium size hoodie in Taupe. Great summer project for her. Of course, that is, when she is not working on her gloves, her afghan, etc, etc, etc......(like mother like daughter...)

Diversion

2007-06-25T08:31:00.000-07:00

Maybe I am giving up. Maybe not. Maybe this is just a diversion. Haven't really decided yet. Chances are, I will someday complete the Icy Blue Shell. Meanwhile, I am using the Sierra yarn for something else. I found a plain vanilla pattern on the Cascade website for free, and am stocking stitching my way into contentment. Later, when I have my wits about me, and help (again) from Milly, since I loused up her instructions for adjusting the pattern for a 5 st. per in. yarn in a 4 st. per in. pattern, which I seem to not be able to get my mind around, I will try again for the Icy Blue Nightmare. I mean Shell.

Meanwhile, take a look at the sock I started yesterday.

Socks always have a calming effect, don't they? This is from the Favorite Sock book that has so many wonderful patterns in it.

I will eventually make them all, I am sure, but for now I have begun the Retro Rib Socks as a starter. The pattern designer, Evelyn A Clark lives here in the Seattle area and I've knitted other patterns that she designed.

One day I will tell you the story of the quilt in the background there. It is my Great-Grandmother's quilt. I have to have better pictures of it first, though. Another day.

Have you noticed something about me that needs to change? I knit too many blue things. WAY too much blue yarn. Posting pictures of my knitting on this blog has really emphasized that to me. I plan to make some changes in that as I purchase new yarn from now on. Thing is, I knit many things as gifts. And blue is sort of a safe "gift color". But I am really growing tired on the blues, if you know what I mean. What I need is some red. Some green. Some gray. Some purple. Maybe...dare I say it? Some yellow or even orange. Well, calm down. I haven't done anything yet.

Baby Sister

2007-06-23T18:19:00.000-07:00

I've been "babysitting" my younger sister this week. She is cute and blonde and well here is a picture...see for yourself:

That's Lizzie walking Misha at the park. She is a full size Pomeranian who is my sister by way of belonging to my Dad and Stepmom. Misha is staying with us while they are in Las Vegas. She isn't thrilled with that, since she is a dog that is terribly tied to her regular routines, but she is being polite about it and is putting up with us. She will just be happy when her servants return. Personally, I think she is simply hoping that I don't shear her and spin her fur into yarn. (I do think it would make a lovely sweater!)

Icy Blue...

2007-06-21T18:03:00.001-07:00

Picture this: Yes. I am brave, aren't I? Beginning the Icy Blue Snake...I mean Shell.

A g a i n.

This has been my only knitting today besides a bunch of swatches. Last night I went to Milly's knit class at Ben Franklin. She helped me with my gauge. Evidently, I knit way too loosely. My needles are always a size or two or three smaller than the pattern or yarn band call for and it is keeping me from being an effective knitter. It was definitely making this particular pattern difficult. So, there I sat for 3 solid hours, knitting in a very unusual (for me) way. It was 3 hand cramping hours, but I felt that I could do better afterwards. I went back to my own style of holding the yarn today, but have modified it to better achieve the fabric I need. I really appreciated the helpful hints. For one thing, I was casting on loosely. Too loosely. Didn't know that. I learned to knit from reading books. Some great books, some good books, and unfortunately, some not so good books. But it was helpful to have a real live person working with me a bit. And here is a real plus: Milly is so fun and patient. Really makes learning from her easier.

Successful knitting

2007-06-20T08:27:00.000-07:00

Contrary to the title of this post, I haven't had much in the way of knitting success lately. No, in fact, I have been quite unsuccessful. Well, that is overstating it a bit. I consider any knitting to be successful, really. That is one thing that keeps me loving it as a matter of fact. Even a project like the incredibly frustrating Icy Blue Shell teaches me something I didn't know before, and is therefore useful to me. This particular sweater is teaching me that I will have to knit for many more miles before I'll be the knitter that I imagine I want to be someday.

Meanwhile, I have other fish to fry. Icy is in the project bag, waiting for Milly to help me with my stupid gauge. The other fish? A lace scarf from Victorian Lace Today. This is a book published by XRX Books, the Knitting Universe people. You can do lots of fun things on their website, even "thumb" through some of their books.

This is the scarf, but I am afraid it is not working out. (More unsuccessfulness) Here is a picture of what I have so far. Unfortunately for me, the woman at the yarn store talked me into using Cascade 220 for this and it is too heavy.
How do you like that edge? Kind of nice, yes? It slips the stitches so you can pick them up later and knit the middle of the scarf at another angle. Very cool. Those Victorian women were way SMART!

"Hi" to Judy, my first known visitor who commented. Well, the first one that isn't related to me in any way. Except through the knitting "sisterhood", that is. Thanks for visiting, Judy!

Ok, one more little thing before I call it a post.

Yes. That is what you think it is. I found it at a yard sale last Friday and paid $20 for it. The pieces are in the plastic bag behind it. The answer to your other question is "No."

(I don't know how to spin. Heck, I don't even have a sheep.)

Froggy Went a Courting

2007-06-14T08:14:00.000-07:00

No pictures. Why? Frogging (ripping out) is a frustrating and complicated process. Ok, cross out complicated. Somehow, with all my good intentions, the size 5's didn't work in Reality as they did in "Swatchland". Swatchland, after all, is a special place where things seem to work out. In Reality, the yarn seemed to tighten up as soon as it was off the needles. Do I knit differently when I swatch? I used the circular needle method of looping around and using only the knit stitch to swatch since I would be knitting in the round. I swatched for several different size needles. I swatched wider and longer than I even thought was necessary. But did that matter? In the end, no. I ended up with 202 stitches, 4 inches of tight stitches. Well, it's only a sweater you say. You say, "Renée, you are a process knitter, right? Honey, this is part of the process!" I want to know. How can you say things like that in light of my obvious dilema? Ok, I forgive you. After all, you are putting up with a post that has no pictures of my failure.

Show and Tell

2007-06-13T15:57:00.000-07:00

Ice Blue Shell. I had gotten about 3-4 inches done on this and then re-measured my gauge. Uh-oh. I had done a gauge swatch (several) and gotten gauge somehow on the last one. How does that happen? You knit along and get gauge with size 7 needles on the swatch, then on the actual project you are suddenly knitting lucy-goosey. Ugh...anyhow, I frogged the whole thing, rewound the ball of yarn and began swatching again. Finally got gauge with my size 5's. That's right. Five's! I also switched to my Boye needles. I have the Boye needlemaster kit. It is wonderful and I use it as often as my Denise needles. I love both sets. I tried the Denise needles, but the plastic sort of makes the yarn drag with it having so much cotton and all. The metal needles just slide through the stitches like "but-ah". So, I have begun again and will show you progress when there is progress.

Meanwhile, here are pictures of my "twin" shawls. The pattern is from A Gathering of Lace by Meg Swansen. Called A Beginner's Triangle. Here is the first one I made from Jamison's Shetland Spindrift in Twilight. Love, love, love!! Here is Danielle modeling it for me:

This one took me longer, since I did so many projects at the same time. But I love this yarn. It is a shawl I would love to keep for myself, but I made it with someone in mind and I will stick with that. I really thought about her as I knit it and it would just seem to me as if I were keeping a shawl that didn't belong to me now. Tempting, but I think it is perfect for her. Can't wait to hear her reaction when she gets it!

A back shot and a close up of the stitch detail here:

After loving that shawl for each minute that I knit it, I decided to do another one as a gift for someone else. This time I chose a heavier yarn, since my recipient goes camping and I can envision her all cosy in her shawl during a cold evening. I made this one out of Berroco's Ultra Alpaca in color 6285. Why can't they all name the colors instead of just having numbers? This is a turquoise blue and has such depth. The pictures I take can't possibly do it justice. But here they are. It isn't blocked yet, but Corinne modeled it beautifully, don't you think?

Loved this pattern so much that it is hard to think of not doing another one, but really between A Gathering of Lace and my new book Victorian Lace Today by Jane Sowerby, I have enough lace shawl and scarf projects to last me a lifetime.

Ok, enough for now...I have to give Danielle's hair a trim and actually do some knitting today.