The knitting hedonist

Abrazo Embraced

2010-05-09T19:48:00.000-07:00

Here's the super-gorgeous Abrazo:

Designer: Susanna IC
Yarn: Fiddlesticks Zephyr Lace Wool/Silk
Published in Twist Spring '10

I fell in love with this shawl as soon as I saw it in Twist. I ordered the pattern and was happy to realize that I already had the yarn. It is quick for a shawl, and the dimensions are interesting. It's about 16" tall in the center and wider than my wingspan. The short rows make it stay put when wearing it like a shawl, but it can also be worn as a scarf because of the width of the thing.

The only problem I had was because I ignored the designer's suggestion to use backward loop cast on- because I find it hard to knit the first row, and instead I did long tail cast on. After I cast off the shawl I realized that my cast-on was way too tight, and I PICKED OUT 367 CAST-ON STITCHES, then bound them all off very loosely. Lesson learned. I'm just thankful that my mistake was fixable. It was all worth it.

I noticed that the designer has a similar shawl with a different lace pattern- and I'm very interested in knitting another. It's that cool.

FO Parade

2010-05-01T08:50:00.000-07:00

Leafy Lagoon Vest:

It's a Sweaterbabe pattern, and it couldn't be better written or easier to follow. I'm very happy with how this turned out.

Pattern: #100 Lacy Little Vest
Designer: Sweaterbabe
Yarn: Knitpicks Shine Worsted in Lagoon
Mods: I have several:I added a lot of buttons, I changed the back, as written the pattern has two lace panels on the back. I made the front lace panels symmetrical, and I lowered the back neckline, so it's more of a tank than a vest.

It was considerably smaller before I blocked it. I knit it in a slightly smaller size than I wear because I read on Ravelry about how the yarn sometimes stretches. It turned out to fit perfectly. The yarn is velvety soft and I will definitely knit with it again.
Up next: The Flirt n Flare Skirt. I finished this last spring. It took a long time to knit, and included a 6 month hibernation. I'm oh so happy that I persevered though.

Pattern: Fit-n-Flare Trumpet Skirt
Designer: Joan McGowan-Michael
Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy (don't know the color)
Mods: Only changes: I left out the elastic from the waist, and I started the eyelet rows in the front at the bottom, for modesty.
It's pretty see-through anyway, and I want to sew a thin gauzy liner or slip for it. I don't even own a slip, so I wear it with cotton/lycra shorts. I love the way this skirt moves. It's a very flattering shape for most women. And it's ever so comfy in the hottest part of summer, it's like wearing nothing.
Finally, My Blue Heaven:

Pattern:97-18 Tailored Cardigan
Designer: Drops
Yarn: Home-dyed Ultra Alpaca by Berroco
Mods: I know I changed a few things, but I no longer remember what they were. This isn't the most flattering picture, but I love this cardi, I wear it all the time in winter. I love the way the yarn turned out too.
My WIPS update: I have both sleeves done for Que Sera and the body about 10 rows in.
Abrazo: I just have to cast-off and block. YAY!

Dropped Rib Vest- Finished

2010-03-25T20:00:00.000-07:00

I'm delighted to share my completed vest. I started it right around Valentines day- which must have influenced my color choice- and I love it. The colors shimmer and dance, and they make me want to dance too!

Pattern: My own, inspired by Macro Lace Cardigan (see below)
Yarn: Malabrigo Worsted, in Intenso
I wanted to knit a shrug/vest/cardi in a similar construction to the Macro Lace Cardi by Laura Chau. I like her version, but I wanted it more fitted and I've wanted to use the dropped rib stitch for a long time. I love the way it undulates, and with the bright red and pink colors, the individual “drops” look kinda like tiny vaginas.

To knit the vest, you first knit a rectangle, then fold it in half, pick up stitches along the cast-on and cast-off edges, and join to knit the ribbed edge and collar in the round. Then you have a short seam on either side to make the arm holes the right size. I used the construction of the Macro Lace, but I used my own pattern, and worked out the increases for the collar as I went. It turned out with a sort of a ruffly edge, and I like the way it looks.

I wasn't sure I would like wearing it, as I've never been much of a vest person, but it's comfy and bright and fun to wear.

My Leafy Lagoon Vest (aka #100 little lace vest from Sweater Babe )is coming along too, and I like the yarn a lot. It's Knit Picks Shine Worsted, and the color has depth, despite that it isn't heathered or anything. The shadows from the plies, along with the shimmer from the modal, make the color shift a bit. It's also soft and smooth. I think it will feel really good on my body.

My next project comes via the new Knitty- I've already ordered the yarn for Que Sera by Kristen Kapur. I signed up for the KAL for it too- my first! Now I'm in an extra hurry to finish Leafy Lagoon so I can cast on this gorgeous cardi.

I'm having a lot of fun with the warm-weather knits this spring.

Olympic Dreams Derailed and Defeated by Startitis

2010-03-09T20:43:00.000-08:00

My dreams of Knitting Olympic Gold were side-lined by an intense case of Startitis, that bane of crafters everywhere. I had a particulary bad case, as it attacked not only on the knitting front, but on the sewing front as well.
So, I have yet to complete the embroidery on the Duckie Onesie. It is so cute and perfect, and I’m afraid I will ruin it. So I have decided to practice first on a swatch. This decision, wise though it seems, has set things back considerably. Luckily, it’s turning out to be more like 6-month size than newborn size, so if it’s a 3-month-old gift, it will be perfectly appropriate, size-wise.

Actually, it’s probably the impending birth of my friend Molly’s baby that sent me over the edge. I went to her shower, where I observed no newborn sized hats and no handmade blankets, but I did see tiny perfect (non-handmade) socks. All of these things inspired me. The incredibly beautiful and sweet hat and tiny awesome booties that I knitted left my hands without a photo to mark their existence, but I’m proud to report that they, along with the bright, lovely and oh-so-soft blankets I sewed, are going to the hospital with Molly to be among the first things to comfort her new baby.
Here's some pics of the blankets:
The animal print is soft cotton flannel.

The back is remnants of cotton. I had a lot of fun making this.

I adore the owls. They are bright and psychedelic.

The back is a red fan print, which has a weird optical effect
that makes it look shimmery when it covers a lot of space.
Hopefully stimulating for baby's young mind.

So, I didn’t finish the Onesie or my Dropped Rib Cardi, and so I didn’t take Gold. But, I’m happy with what I’ve accomplished anyway. There’s always 2014!

The Knitting Olympics

2010-02-14T20:03:00.000-08:00

I got a wild hair and decided to join Stephanie Pearl McPhee’s Knitting Olympics, which apparently is separate from the Ravelympics. My goals were to finish the Gaia shrug and the Duckie Onesie. The Onesie, though an easy knit, requires embroidery, which I haven’t attempted for about 30 years, Seriously, 30 years!

I was expecting the Gaia shrug to be simple and quick, and I planned to use my lovely red and purple alpaca/silk handspun. Of course, I hit a major snag, which was that no matter how many different ways I measured, I could not get the patterns dimensions to match mine. This is a problem because I had calculated the amount of yarn I would need by following the pattern. I figured that I need to knit at least 6 more inches (66 square inches) to make a shrug that will fit me, but I don’t have that much yarn. Sigh. I realized this after I was about 4 hours into my knitting.

So plan B. I went and bought 4 skeins of gorgeous Malabrigo worsted in Intenso:

The knitting in the pic is a swatch, not the shrug.
I’m going to make this shrug (because 'shawl collar vest' is too long and boring a name,henceforth my version will be called Dropped Rib) , only with a different stitch pattern, which I‘ve wanted to knit for a long time. I expect it to take longer than my original plan, but wow, these colors vibrate with awesomeness and I’m inspired to knit this!

Naturally I completely neglected the Onesie (which I'm calling 'Just Duckie') while I was driven to figure out my shrug plan. Luckily it is small. I’m using a lovely yellow shade of Bliss Cashmerino DK, which immediately tangled hopelessly. I think I need one of those yarn socks to keep the ball intact.

That’s been my last couple of days. Happy Valentines Day, and good luck to my fellow Knitting Olympians!

Entrelac Stole #2 is Done!! Plus Mole and Handspun!

2010-02-10T20:41:00.001-08:00

Yes- I finished the Entrelac Stole and blocked it today- YaY! Here's some pics:

I love it! It's a lot more colorful than the last one. At some point I will dig all the Noro tags out of the project bag and list all the colorways I used.

Earlier this week I made Mole for the first time. It was very yummy and a culinary adventure. I took several recipes that I found online and adapted them for the ingredients I could lay my hands on and the amount of work I was willing to do.
It was a little weird putting chocolate, tomatoes and chilies in a sauce together, but it turned out fantastic!
The mole, delicious as it is, isn't terribly photogenic, so I only have pictures of the ingredients:

I made fresh corn tortillas to go with it and I don't have to tell you what a treat that was.

I've also started swatching my alpaca, silk handspun, and it is luscious! Here's a picture (sorry it's sideways):

I feel like I've had a very creative week already, and it's only Wednesday. I wonder what else I'll do?

New projects and Old WIPS

2010-02-07T17:46:00.000-08:00

Last week flew by in a blur of activity. I completely missed my intended blog post in the rush. That's when I realized that I can only count on having time over the weekend. So, it's been a little less than two weeks since my last post, but much is happening.
I came to the sinking realization last week that my hooded scarf was not fated to be, as evidenced by my lack of yarn, and my inability to acquire more, as I had spun it from a kettle dyed one-of-a-kind. So, I unraveled my work, and came up with these pretty pictures of curly recovered yarn in the last of the day's sunlight:

It's going to take a hot bath, then I'm going to knit it into Lee Meredith's Skoodlet.
This design uses the right amount of yarn, it's a style that I like and it's practical. YaY!I love how her designs feature innovative construction, and she's not afraid of bright colors.
I worked on my Entrlac stole, and I finally got a decent picture. Witness:

For comparison's sake, let's look at the one I took indoors:

Yuck, the color is all yellow and icky.
The stole is so pretty, and that picture is so not.
Now I'm only a few rows from done and ready to block, which is where it becomes a silky, drapey beauty.

I sewed the buttons on my Veyla mitts(Rav), which I finished knitting a few months ago:

These were knit from some of my earliest handspun, and my first merino attempt. I love them.

On top of that, I'm beginning to knit a baby onesie, for my dear, brave and beautiful friend Molly, who is about to become a mother again. I swatched some Bliss Baby Cashmerino, and it will be perfect. It's my first baby garment,
and I couldn't be more excited. I get to be an Auntie again!

Also this week I swatched some (more)lace, and I'm starting to get quite the collection of purty swatches. What should I do with all of them?

My last bit of news: I'm trying to fight off a bout of startitis. I've never had it before, so my immunity is low. So many projects are so appealing right now. Must stay focused!

Have a great week!

Handspun Beauties

2010-01-29T10:00:00.000-08:00

Finally have pictures of that handspun that I've been bragging about.
I love, love, love this yarn. It is soft and beautiful and slightly fuzzy and it has a gorgeous sheen- and I managed to both blend the colors through plying and retain some of that "color that glows from within" quality- but much of this doesn't show in my pictures:

This is a 14wpi 2 ply. Halcyon Fibers. I got roughly 400 yds. from 4 oz. alpaca 40%, silk 40%, merino 20%

I'm still having a hard time with the light and color in my photos though. I may have to break down and take a class or read a book about it, as intuiting the necessary things to do to fix these problems hasn't worked.

In other spinning news, I've been teaching myself a semi-woolen knitting technique- with the help of Judith Mackenzie McCuin's Teach Yourself Visually Handspinning, which I checked out from the library. It took a lot of patience to keep at it after I broke the thread for the hundredth time, but now I'm getting a consistent thread with the qualities of a woolen yarn: fuzzy. I'm using the technique that she recommends for angora rabbit, where in you allow some twist into the drafting area, but it is a forward, and not especially long, draw. I thought this would be a good way to ease myself into long draw. It's working really well for the angora/merino blend I'm using. The colors of the batt are deep and murky: dark blues and purples, with some gray and green. It has surprising bits of lilac and light blue that break up the darkness. It reminds me of tide pools on the Oregon coast on a cloudy day.

I'm still knitting. Nothing has been finished for what seems like a long time. I just downloaded Laura Chau's (that links to her blog) Flora and Fauna trio as I want to knit the Honeybee Cardi (this is a rav link) really bad. But I want to finish my stole first, and my friend is having a baby that I need to start knitting for too. If only I could spend my days knitting, instead of teaching! Not! I'm smart enough to realize that I love my knitting time precisely because it is rare.

This will have to be my Craft or Bust check-in also, because I spent all last week and part of this one avoiding technology. I'm not sure why, but I didn't check my email or read any blogs or look at Ravelry- nothing. But break's over.

Craft or Bust, Week 2

2010-01-17T21:36:00.000-08:00

This week has been a crafty one for me. In addition to making some progress on my Entrelac stole and hooded scarf, I also did a little printing of my Safety-Cut carving. I'm not so good at it as of yet, but I think it's like one of those things (like everything) that gets better with time and practice. I've also been spinning. Here's a couple of pics of the fiber I'm spinning:

This is an Alpaca, Silk and Merino blend from Halcyon fibers and it is a dream. The colors seem to glow from within, and very from a licorice, through plum and dark red to brilliant fuschia along a little bit of a silvery shade thrown in to send the whole thing over the top. I'm spinning it into a fingering weight 2 ply, and I should have some pictures tomorrow.
I will have many gorgeous pictures of my larger projects once I either figure out how to fix the color from indoor pictures or get some decent weather for outdoor photos. The pics of the fiber were taken on my front porch. The ones I took indoors looked pink and brown.
I want to add another goal to my Craft or Bust challenge, which is to learn stranding techniques for colorwork. I've been inspired by The Yarn Harlots "Wild Apples" project, as well as many other gorgeous knits I've seen. Of course I won't start with an 8 1/2 stitch per inch Bohus sweater. I'm thinking of some mitts, like these, only fingerless.
Manageable, yet amazing!

Craft or Bust, Week 1

2010-01-10T14:02:00.000-08:00

I have actual pictures of knitting progress to show:

This is "Addicted to Entrelac, part 2" which came to existence after I gave away the first one for my beloved Aunt Patty's 69th (!!!) birthday.

This is different from the first (Rav link here) in that I have gone off the deep end in choosing colorways for this. The last one had 3 Noro silk garden colorways, this one has 5 so far. It's really fun to try and predict how the colors will arrange themselves as I knit.
The needle poked through shows my estimated progress for the last week.

Secondly, I'm working on a hooded scarf project, using some 2 ply BFL handspun that I spun up a couple months ago. It is silky and soft, and I love it, but it is not here right now, so I'll show you my second skein of the yarn I'm using:

So, that's not so bad for my first week, although I have made zero progress in my photo skills, and I don't even know for sure how to load to flickr.

I also did a little carving on some safety cut, but I haven't printed it yet, so maybe next week!
Thanks again to our CoB hostesses for launching this idea!

Craft or Bust 2010

2010-01-04T09:30:00.000-08:00

It's a new year and time for me to get inspired and motivated for a whole new decade of crafty goodness. To that end, I have joined Quicksilver and friends in Craft or Bust 2010. The idea is that we each craft weekly, post weekly, and have a goal to reach. I'm doing this because I want to:

use my blog weekly
try new, challenging crafts (nuno felting and block printing, for example)
learn to take better pictures

Also, the participants are inspiring, and there's nothing to get my hands busy like inspiration from crafty peeps.

Like the idea? Join the fun at CoB 2010.
I'll see you Sunday, at the latest!

Burda Anda Dress- Best of July 2009

2009-08-05T07:10:00.001-07:00

First a note- I'm going to be using this space to record project inspiration from various sources. One of my problems is that I'll have a great idea, not keep track of it and then *Poof* it disappears when the brain needs to make more room.
Today I saw this great dress and it inspired me:

Best of July 2009

Posted using ShareThis

I would love to paint or print a large-scale repeating image such as this on fabric- I’m thinking a lizard or waves maybe- make it into a simple garment like this and then embellish it (sparingly) with beads and embroidery. The trick would be to find inks and/or paints that are soft to preserve the drape of the fabric.

Phat Fiber - oh yeah

2009-02-16T08:00:00.000-08:00

I found out about Phat Fiber through one of the blogs that I read and totally lucked into being able to purchase one. If you don't know what this is you should definitely check it out. As I understand it, I will be receiving a box filled with fiber samples of various kinds- yarn, roving, batts and accessories too. i couldn't believe the reasonable price tag for it either. So, once the box arrives, I will of course tell all.
This is amazing for two reasons: first, it is hard to get one of these. They sold out in like 3 minutes. #2: I've really been wanting to learn to spin, and now I have an excellent reason and lots of fiber to be inspired by, and I thought of a third reason: I always pine after much of the yarn on Etsy, but I'm afraid to buy it because I can't touch it, etc. Now I can!
Thank you to the goddesses of fibery goodness. can't tell you how much I needed this today!

Bohus

2009-02-15T09:07:00.000-08:00

I'm still needing a decent picture of my newest hat before I can post it- and that requires my sweet hubby's cooperation. Maybe tomorrow?
Until then, I found a site with lots of Bohus eye candy-check this out. I've been in awe of the amazing Bohus colorwork for quite awhile, even though the tiny gauges involved keep me from taking the plunge. It almost is enough to delude me into thinking I could knit something like this.

My Noro Obsession. . . continued- and more info about the bag

2009-02-09T20:34:00.000-08:00

First of all, I forgot to write in the finished dimensions of the Riding the Ridge bag (previously known as the Lizard Ridge Bag), which is 10.25 inches wide by 11.5 inches tall by 2 inches deep. Thanks to LauraRose for noticing!

Now for another Noro project posting! I finished the soft, lovely, warm and breathtaking "Lady Eleanor Entrelac Stole" which I have dubbed "Addicted to Entrelac" because it was hard to put down. I made some changes from the original, namely that I added another square to the width, and made each square 9 stitches. My Ravelry page lists the colorways I used, of which there are three.

I'm quite taken with this stole, although I rarely wear it. I love the subtle changes in color, the little nubs of silk, the texture of each little square. I'm looking forward to my next Entrelac project, which will either be the Fourth Grade Hat by Abby Franquemont, or an Entrelac scarf, constructed just like the stole, only smaller. Considering that it's February, I'll probably go with the hat, as it just doesn't stay cold enough around here to wear a wool scarf after March (usually). Probably because I wrote that, I will need a scarf til April this year.

Next time, I have a hat and scarf to show you!

Riding the Ridge Bag Recipe

2009-02-08T11:24:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I've been a bad blogger, but I vow here and now to change my ways, and I'm posting my first pattern (okay, recipe) to seal the deal.
I've had quite a number of awesome finished objects, not to mention much inspiration from others in the blogging world. I really need to update my "blogs I read" section. I will be adding in these items a little at a time, to get myself in the habit of regular posting.
In any case, The recipe I'm sharing is for a Riding the Ridge bag. It's sweet, colorful and quick, and makes the beauty of the Lizard Ridge pattern available to those of us with more limited yarn budgets.
I have recently found myself drawn to patterns that incorporate multiple colors of Noro yarns- I’ve knitted Lady Eleanor’s Entrelac Stole and the Noro Striped Scarf, as well as the newer Vortex pattern. I love watching the changing colors come off the needles, as well as the interesting and difficult-looking results. So the Lizard Ridge pattern was a natural attraction for me, but I simply couldn’t afford that much Noro Kureyon yarn (at once). I figured I could at least have the experience of knitting the pattern squares if I turned it into a felted handbag. So here is the Riding the Ridge Bag:

The finished dimensions of my bag is 10.25" wide, 11.5 " tall, and 2" deep. Yours maybe different depending on how much you felt it.

You need:

3 balls of Noro Kureyon yarn in your desired colorways (I failed to write down the info for the colors I used for my bag). Decide if you want the same colors on both sides of your bag. Mine are different.
Size 10 needles- Gauge isn’t terribly important as it’s felted. You want a pre-felting fabric that is loose without being limp.
The Lizard Ridge Pattern (found here)
1 skein of black feltable yarn in a similar weight to the Noro (I used Cascade 220, but Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride Worsted will also work, as will many others)
A tapestry needle.
A crochet hook of a suitable size.
D-rings and Strap, or handles (optional) I got my strap from an old bag. Thrift stores are a great source for bag hardware (still on the bag, of course)
Lining fabric (optional)

To Make:
Sides:
Follow the instructions for the Lizard Ridge Afghan squares, except:
Work rows 1-12 a total of 6 times, instead of the 4 from the original pattern.
If you would like a wider bag, you will need to work out how to add pattern stitches to each row. (If you email me at mermcoelho@hotmail.com, I will help you with this)
For a taller bag, add more repeats of rows 1-12.
When you have a size you like, work 4 rows of garter stitch (knit all rows)
so your top edge doesn’t curl, and bind off. If you don't care for the wavy-edge look, work more plain rows before binding off.
Make another just like the one you just did, but vary the colors if you want.

Gusset and Base:
One knitted strip serves as both Side gussets and bag base. Use double strands of yarn but the same needle size- to get a strong and resilient gusset and base-as follows:
With the black yarn, knit a strip 8 stitches wide (or more for a deeper bag) in stockinette stitch, adding in sections of the Noro. I put in the Noro sections randomly, and the number of rows I worked in each color was random also, but you can do this however you like to.
I just compared my strip as I knit it to the sides to figure the length, but you can measure instead, if you prefer.
If you want to attach a strap like mine, add 4 inches to your finished length to sew to the D- rings after felting.

Assembly:
With the purl side facing out, attach your gusset to one side of your bag using single crochet. If you added extra inches to accommodate sewing on hardware later, make sure you leave those inches free at the top of the bag. You will have a little tab of gusset sticking up on either side when this step is done. You will have a line of crotchet chains creating a ridge where the gusset and side of the bag meet. This will help your bag have a more squared off shape. If you would prefer a rounder shape, sew your bag, with seams on the inside, and the knit side facing out.
Repeat the process for the other side. You are ready to felt!

Felting:
If you don't like a wavy edge, you might try basting a line of stitches into the top edge of your bag, 1/2 an inch or less from the top. I've read that this helps, but I've not tried it personally.
Wash your bag in hot water with some detergent and jeans (to help agitate) Check progress frequently. In my experience, Kureyon felts somewhat slowly. Don’t worry about the sides felting faster- Using double strands and having stripes of the Noro make this issue a non-probem.
I recommend felting until the fabric is dense and the stitches are hard to see. You may want more or less felting. For more felting info, go here.

Drying:
Once you have it felted how you like it, roll in in towels to push out the water, and then invert it over a cereal box, or other appropriately sized box. Leave it somewhere warm that has decent ventilation, and it will be dry in a day or so.

Finishing:
Sew your D-rings to the tabs you made using matching embroidery floss or tough sewing thread.
(Or sew other handles on your bag).
You can cut into the felt to make an even top edge and then finish it with ribbon, bias tape, blanket stitch, or whatever else you can think of.

Liner:
I’ve decided to line my bag after using it for a while. There is a tutorial better than anything I can do from future girl

Hope you enjoy!

Whining, etc.

2008-10-08T10:34:00.000-07:00

So, I know I'm sort of sucking at this blog thing. I got all inspired by a bunch of beautiful blogs- and then I feel like I failed to live up to the example that was set for me.
For one thing, my inability to figure out how to get my pictures where I want them is driving me nuts. Other bloggers don't seem to have this problem. It is a BIG problem, because I want to talk about stuff in the pics, and it is very hard to do when I can't get the pics and the text where I want them in relationship to one another.
For another thing, I don't seem to be able to adequately express my personality through this medium. (It could be my frustration with the pictures that's holding me back) But maybe I just need to work more at it. Maybe I need to blog every other day for a month, no matter what, just so I get into the groove and remember what it is to write. Which I have just barely done since leaving college.
For some reason I just remembered that when I was in school, I came across a volume of William Blake's work that included his "Marginalia"- which is stuff he wrote in the margins of other people's work; a commentary. Now, I would never dream of blogging like that, but it might be a good writing exercise, a brain and thinking exercise.
I used to write poetry. I used to think about all kinds of things that are almost completely irrelevant to daily existence. How can I hang onto that part of myself without continually being enrolled in college classes? I could teach, (and desperately want to) but I teach middle school, not exactly a bastion for higher thinking. Maybe I need to join a book club or something. Or listen to public radio? I can't be the only person with this problem.
My knitting life is going pretty well lately. I finally closed the toes on a pair of socks that's been sitting around since June, and finished a lacy scarf, knit in deep purple haiku (from Alchemy) and fuschia Rowan Kid-Silk Spray. It is lovely and cloud-like and intensely soft and luxurious. The way it caresses the back of my neck is pure heaven!
I started Marnie McLean's "Asets of Evo" yesterday and I've almost finished the waistband. I've also got a scarf, The Chevron Scarf, (from Last Minute Knitted Gifts) on the needles.
I love having choices in my knitting projects.
I would love to show you all these projects, but I'm unwilling to risk the emotional devastation that comes with trying to properly insert photos into my post.

Back to School

2008-09-08T12:08:00.000-07:00

As a recently graduated wanna-be language arts teacher, I'm hoping to reconnect to the substitute teacher I became last spring. That is, I hope I haven't forgotten how to survive subbing. I spent summer praying to get a full-time position, to no avail. It is disheartening and discouraging to be facing a whole year of subbing after working my tail off to get my degree and license.
Luckily I have my yarn obsession to keep me sane, even if it looks like crazy to the non-knits of the world.
Also I'm happy happy happy that my bellydance teacher, Razia is back from her tour of London and I get to start shimmying under her guidance again next week. I want to knit a dancing skirt or hip shawl, but my pile of UFO's keeps me from casting on another project.

I've been doing small projects, hats and mitts, to have a feeling of accomplishment on a regular basis. The top picture is of the "Gwen Slouchy Beret" knit in Bearfoot sock yarn. The model and recipient is my lovely Mom-in-law, Mary.
It was fun and quick to knit. It's basically Vine lace in beret form, and I'm a vine lace devotee.

I'm experiencing frustration with my blog, in that I can't figure out how to get my pictures where i want them. So even tho' I have a lot more to share, I'm gonna stop before I end up throwing my computer across the room.

Apparently, and Unsurprisingly, i am blueviolet

2008-08-29T14:36:00.000-07:00

you are blueviolet
#8A2BE2

Your dominant hues are blue and magenta. You're the one who goes to all the parties but doesn't quite fit in at every one... you know what you want, but are afraid of what the world might think of it. You're a little different and that's okay with them, and if you're smart it's okay with you too.

Your saturation level is higher than average - You know what you want, but sometimes know not to tell everyone. You value accomplishments and know you can get the job done, so don't be afraid to run out and make things happen.

Your outlook on life is bright. You see good things in situations where others may not be able to, and it frustrates you to see them get down on everything.

the spacefem.com html color quiz

McKenzie Completed

2008-08-20T20:42:00.000-07:00

The McKenzie has not turned out as I envisioned, but that is part of the learning experience of Knitting. For my first "design," I'm feeling okay about it. It's neither a startling success nor an abject failure. I do think I will lengthen it by an inch or so and add a tie closure. Some things I've learned:
1) It's good to pick-up and knit on edgings ( rather than knitting it as part of each row)because if you want to change them in anyway, you have to reknit the entire garment. Ouch!
2) Intarsia is not to be feared.
3) Always make stripes in rows of even numbers to avoid lots of ends, as you can just run the unused color up the side and pick it up when you're ready.
4) Often knitting a yarn at a larger gauge than suggested may result in a garment with less body.

If i learn from my mistakes then it's all worth it, especially as I have a sweet little sweater to wear too! I still love the yarn, Dream-in-Color's "Smooshy" I have a lot leftover and I'm planning some cabled mitts.

The McKenzie, ripped and re-knitted

2008-07-19T11:13:00.000-07:00

Aaargh! I got to the lower edge of my cardi, and it was too big. Worse yet, the arm holes were too big- by an inch and a half. that meant ripping back 4 inches and re-knitting. So I did it, and I decided to finish with ribbing instead of seed stitch, because even when I reduced my stitch count, the seed stitch still seemed to flare out. This experience has convinced me that the top-down method is the way to go, because if I'd done it bottom-up, I wouldn't have found out about the sizing issue until it was finished and sewn up. And I would have had a too big cardigan to never wear. So despite the extra work, I'm still happy. Plus, Since I made the sweater 2 inches smaller around, it took less time to re -knit. I'm working on the sleeves now, and I still love the yarn.

McKenzie Cardi

2008-07-09T18:34:00.000-07:00

Still trying to figure out how to get my posts the way I want them. Until then, I'll show my McKenzie in this post instead of in that post.
I'm excited about this project! I hope it turns out the way I envision it. Or that I love what I end up with as much as I love my fantasy.

Laminaria Stole cast-on

2008-07-09T18:17:00.000-07:00

I broke down or bucked -up and recharted the laminaria shawl to a stole. If the knitting is successful I will post my chart when the stole is complete. So far I've knitted about 24 rows, and the lace is really beautiful. It takes a great deal of attention to not mess it up. I'm one of those knitters who needs my lace to come out right, so I always search for the reason for my missing or extra stitches. This habit has paid off already as I've saved myself some ripping back. The beginning is always the hardest part, while you're getting used to how the pattern works and the way it all fits together. It gets easier to find and fix mistakes after a couple of repeats. So-onward. It is slow work though!

Rethinking my Season of Lace project

2008-07-05T22:03:00.000-07:00

So i took another look at Laminaria- the project that I'd decided on for the SoL, and it looks complex to a level which is causing me anxiety. However, my biggest problem is that I don't really wear shawls, and I would be super-bummed to knit a lovely lacy beauty only to have it sit there looking gorgeous where no one will ever see it. So I'm considering trying to rechart the pattern for a stole- which I know I would wear and even if I didn't I have a lot of loved ones who would. I'm thinking that the re-charting would be a challenge- and that's my happy euphemism for humongous pain in the booty! Still, it would be a worthy effort and amazing to accomplish.
Of course I'm contemplating this all while knitting my cardi which I'm calling the McKenzie because the stripes of color remind me of the way sunlight and shade play with the colors in the river as they move across the water. I'm knitting from the top down and I joined the fronts and back at the underarm about an inch and a half ago and I'm cruising down. Since it is going to be a cropped, tie- front style that means I'm about 1/2 way done. I'm knitting it in Smooshy Dream-in-Color and the yarn is wonderful- squishy, soft, and stretchy. It's a dream to knit with!

My New Philosophy-Love every second

2008-07-03T13:06:00.001-07:00

I've had a blog for awhile but I didn't feel like it was really me- that it reflected my sense of humor, sense of style (or lack thereof) or my complete addiction to yummy yarns. I wanted to create a place where I can be myself, even if I'm not completely "finished" - I've got a few dropped stitches here and there and unravelling edges. I prefer to think of it as personalization, rather than flaws, but it all depends on your perspective, right?
Making this blog means abandoning my old blog, as I'm not yet geeky enough (in the right way, at least) to figure out how to transfer my old content. I'm going to try copying and pasting my old blog, as it wasn't huge or anything, but we'll see.
I know this is beyond sappy to admit, but I really don't want to give up the virtual pet that I've adopted to my old blog, but I don't know how to move him. Yeah, I know he's really just some computer code that was cleverly written and that I can get a new one any time. That's just the sort of sap that I am I guess.
I joined the Seasons of Lace KAL, and it is a very cool thing. I'm going to knit a Laminaria
(from Spring '08 knitty.com) in Alpaca Cloud (from Knit Picks). I'm going to start swatching today or maybe tomorrow.
I'm also working diligently on the cropped cardi that I'm designing. It feels very woo-hoo to write that. In any case, I've had to rip back a few times as I figure it out. It's fun though, and an easy knit, if I didn't have to think about everything I'm doing so dang much.
I finished my "Sahara" and I'll have pics soon!