Knitting Thoughts Together

From Stitches Midwest!

2010-08-19T19:26:00.000-07:00

Vehicle in the hotel parking lot.

Merino/Tencel

2010-08-08T18:07:00.000-07:00

I am currently spinning some roving that I picked up at Hank of Yarn in Southaven, MS. The colorway is called "Hydrangea" and is by Abstract Fibers of Portland , Oregon. I love the color combination, but the fiber ratio is 50/50, and I'm not sure I like the way it spins.

More Ashland Bay Merino

2010-06-16T16:50:00.000-07:00

Latest spinning project. 100% merino. Colorway is Mojave. Hope to get enough 2 ply at a nice weight to make a shawl, maybe close to a 2 ply sock weight. I'm almost half way through the top, which I split evenly into 2 oz. pieces. Throughout drafting the fiber, I have tried to be careful to NOT run my finger from the orafice to the drafting zone, hoping that the resulting yarn will be a little more airy than a regular worsted spun yarn.. The main challenge that I am having at this time is that some spots on the current single are lace thin and not spun tightly enough to hold together. I've experienced breakage of the single, especially when trying to join another piece of top, more so than ever before. It has been very frustrating. I think the answer is that I need to go ahead and order a lace bobbin that will have a higher ratio for spinning than my current regular bobbins that came with my Louet S10. I'm thinking my next payday is the time. Should improve the second half of singles that will be plied with the one already almost finished. At least I hope so.

Until later, keep knitting, spinning or whatever your passion!

Morning Surf Scarf

2010-06-13T16:41:00.000-07:00

I'm using my handspun yarn, spun from Roan Mtn Morning by Ms Babs Fibers, to knit a pattern called the Morning Surf Scarf by JackieErickson-Schweitzer. I love the way the yarn is striping! More later...

Improvising

2010-05-31T17:33:00.000-07:00

There are no little one year old children around here now, and I needed a way to show off my latest finished project. So I improvised. Mr. Bunn was a willing model, and here is the result. This baby's beret was knit by combining two different patterns. So does that make it my creation?. Feels like it! It was knit with a superwash wool and nylon sock yarn, the name of which eludes me because I lost the skein band. My receipt for the yarn is no help, unfortunately.

Now I'm working on a shawl pattern by Brenda Patipa that I bought at Stitches South last month. I'll post a picture when it is done.

Until then, keep knitting, or spinning, or whatever your passion!

The Beginning Singles

2010-05-17T15:17:00.000-07:00

Here's the beginning of the Roan Mtn Morning singles. I just had to spin a little bit more when I got home from work today! At first it seemed a little harder to spin than the 100% merino that I did, but I think I've gotten a feel for it. So far, I'm happy with the result. I'm trying to consistently spin small singles, in hopes of a almost sock size 2 ply yarn. We'll see..

Until later, happy knitting or spinning, or whatever your passion.

A Pretty Merino/Bamboo/Silk Blend

2010-05-15T15:08:00.000-07:00

I finished all the pink Ashland Bay merino top, finally! I posted a picture on Twitter and FB of the skein hanging to dry. I think I was able to get about 250 yards of 2 ply that can be knit with a size 6 or 7 needles. I'll have to come up with a project.

This is my newest spinning project. It is a merino/bamboo/Tussah silk top in the colorway Roan Mtn Morning from Miss Babs Hand-dyed Yarns & Fibers, and I purchased it at Stitches South. Her website can be found at www.missbabs.com. I'm a little nervous to spin this because this is the first merino/bamboo/silk blend that I've tried to spin. It has large repeats of color which I would love to keep in the final yarn. May have to Navajo ply it. I would like to get a nice 2 ply I can knit into a shawl. I'll keep you posted!

Until later, keep knitting, spinning, or whatever your passion,
b

Plied Yarn Gets Smaller

2010-05-09T10:06:00.000-07:00

I started out just wanting to make a small sample to see if what I had spun was getting closer to the size I'm hoping be able to spin. But once I got started I couldn't stop until had I plied the whole bobbin, which is ok because I was going to three ply the last three bobbins of this fiber together anyway. This exercise in Navajo plying took place yesterday, and I think the plying turned out nice, but, of course, the yardage is low, only approximately 68 yards. All in all, I'm happy with the progress. I think that I will 2-ply the next two bobbins of singles from this fiber, which will be the last of the Hollyberry that Mary gave me. Hopefully I get at least a couple of hundred yards from it. It does look thinner than the singles used for this skein. So we'll see.

Btw, the color in this picture isn't very good. See a couple of posts back (4/29/10) for a picture with more accurate color.

Until next time, happy knitting, spinning, or whatever your passion!

First Navajo Plied Skein

2010-05-04T14:39:00.000-07:00

This yarn was spun from 2 colors of merino so that I could learn to Navajo ply. All the training I've had has been a Interweave video by Sarah Anderson, which is available on Youtube. Just do a search for Navajo Plying, and it is among the ones that come up. Ok, so it turned out bumpy and uneven, and sometimes (ok A LOT of the time!!) got away from me with the twist, but I think I am beginning to get a feel for it. Definitely need more practice,practice, practice!! Can tell it is over plied, but for a first it is not so bad. (I'm a little partial and a little proud!) It was fun to try, and I did get to a point of just relaxing with in rhythm with my wheel and the twisting of the yarn. I like the result (or at least what I can tell the result is supposed to be!), which is a nice round 3 ply yarn as opposed to a flat yarn which results from a 2 ply. Again, I feel like I have learned something and have enjoyed the process.

Until next time, happy knitting or spinning or whatever your passion!!

Merino blend from New Mexico

2010-04-29T06:04:00.000-07:00

This is the first batch I've spun from the top my friend brought to me from New Mexico. I plied it Monday night after work. I think the yarn measures between 140 and 150 yards, but at this time my DH is making a Niddy Noddy for me using the directions posted by mamas2hands at http://mamas2hands.wordpress.com . It is made from parts of PVC pipe so it is light weight and can be taken apart for travel, if needed.

I will begin spinning the second half of the merino top used for this yarn this weekend because I bought some really nice bamboo/silk/merino blend at Stitches South that I want to get to soon.

Until the next time, happy knitting, spinning, or whatever your passion!

Southwest Merino Roving

2010-04-11T14:37:00.000-07:00

I am hoping some of the pretty colors in the roving show up in this picture. My sweet friend, Mary, purchased this roving while she was on a trip to New Mexico last month. She brought it home and gave it to me to practice on! I can tell you, it is pure pleasure to spin! I enjoy the feel of the fiber as it slides through my hands; it is so soft and drafts so nicely, even for a novice like me. It makes me feel much more confident in my spinning. And while I am spinning it, I am thinking about the friendship that has spun between me and Mary, and what an encourager she has become to me. The mixture of the fiber and the pleasant thoughts make a very pleasant and relaxing afternoon!

Until next time when I hope to have a nice 2 ply yarn from this roving to show to you, happy knitting or spinning or whatever your passion!

To Pre-Draft or Not

2010-03-27T10:10:00.000-07:00

This is my first attempt to spin without mega pre-drafting the roving. I must say it is not as difficult as I thought it would be, at least with this fiber. The roving is a 30% kidmohair, 70% merino, and I think that a 100% merino might be a little more difficult, as it seems to be much tougher, or stickier, I guess would be more the term. I purchased this roving from my LYS and although she told me, I don't remember the vendor she bought it, as there is not a tag anywhere in my package. I already have one bobbin full. After this second bobbin is filled, I'll be plying it and will post the resulting yarn. Until then..

Happy knitting or spinning or whatever your passion!

Multicolored Roving +

2010-03-14T18:16:00.000-07:00

I spun this over this weekend. It is the same multicolored Kid mohair/merino (looks brown here) as in the last post plied with a red roving that I think is a plain merino, but I'm not sure. There was no label on the red. Again, both were purchased at my LYS. I got approximately 100 yards after plying 2 oz of the multi with 2 oz of the red merino. Excited!!

Until next time, happy spinning, knitting, or whatever your passion is!

Spinning: My New Form of Relaxation

2010-03-13T13:03:00.001-08:00

Since my last posting I've been learning to spin. There is so much to learn, so many new terms and techniques! But I'm thinking it's like anything else new: just jump in and figure it out as you go. So I rented a Louet S10 DT spinning wheel from my LYS, took a spinning lesson from my LYS owner, Bridgett, watched a lot of YouTube videos, and spun, spun, spun... Most of the results were not very pretty, thus no pictures, but I could see improvement with each new bobbin full of singles. I am encouraged to continue.

I wasn't sure I would, but I think I really like the process this involves. Here is a picture of the first skein I was able to spin from some Dark Coopworth carded roving and a small sample that I knit from it. I can't believe how soft it is. I wish I had more (Oh, maybe I'll just make some!)

Next I spun two more bobbins, one with the about 3.6 oz of the Dark Coopworth carded roving and one with about 2 oz of a multicolored kid mohair/merino blend of top, intending to ply them together afterward. I didn't know if this was a good combination of wools or not but I didn't pay much for either so I didn't have anything to lose and experience to gain. Here is a picture of the fibers:

After the spinning was done, I watched a lot of YouTube videos (names of which I can't remember right now) and just jumped in to give plying a try. After plying the two singles together, I wrapped them around the back of one of my straight back chairs to skein it up. I measured across the back of my chair and calculated that I have about 55 yards of yarn. I then soaked the skein for 15 minutes in a lukewarm water, squeezed the water out, and rolled it up in a towel to dry it further; then I hung it up to dry. The result is to the right. The color in the picture isn't very good but I'm still pretty excited about the end product. Maybe next time, I'll have something really pretty to show off.
Until then...happy knitting or spinning or whatever your passion may be!
b

Sage Gloves, Slightly Altered

2010-03-08T17:10:00.001-08:00

Here is one of several projects that I've worked on since my last
post. Hope to catch up on the year's postings this weekend.
Until then ..
b

Relaxing project

2010-01-16T10:45:00.001-08:00

Working on the Fuji Manicure Socks from "Knitted Socks East And West"
by Judy Sumner. The element of lace in the ribbing adds interest and
doesn't seem to hinder the stretch, like I thought it might.
Later...
b

6 Ply Sock Yarn

2009-12-12T16:42:00.001-08:00

This 6 ply sock yarn really knits up fast! I started these socks
Thursday night and am now ready to knit the foot of the second sock!
My hands are a little sore. I think I need some 3mm Kollage Square dpns!

My Latest Socks

2009-12-11T17:28:00.001-08:00

My latest project, a pair of socks to replace a pair I gave away, is
made with Regia's Kaffe Fassett's Design Line sock yarn in 6 ply. This
is a first for me as I usually use 4 ply and 2.25mm needles. With the
6 ply I am using 3.00mm needles. Instead of casting on the 60 stitches
I usually work with, I cast on 52. The socks are a quick knit. I
cast one on yesterday afternoon and am already almost finished with
the gussett decreases on the first sock. Here is a picture of
progress to date.

I am still working on the pink and white striped Lorna's Laces socks.
Should finish them soon.
Later..
b

Sunday Swing Socks

2009-12-06T15:46:00.001-08:00

I've been using Kollage Square dpns to knit the Sunday Swing Socks
from the summer 2009 issue of Knitty. Like the socks. They are a
pretty easy knit, and the Kollage dpns make long periods of knitting
easy on the hands.

Kollage Square Needles

2009-12-03T19:32:00.001-08:00

Well, I am starting the heel. I can say that, after working the cuff,
I think I like these dpns. My hands do not feel extremely sore like
they tend to be after several hours with my round dpns. However, I
wish that these were 5 or even 6 inches instead of 7 inch.
Oh, btw, these socks are knit with a hot pink and white Lorna's Laces
known ad Flamingo Stripe, so you can imagine the color.

Later...
b

Kollage Square Needles

2009-12-03T05:29:00.001-08:00

So I've started a pair of socks using the Kollage Square dpns. Haven't decided yet if I like them. It seems to be a little more difficult to pull stitches tight when moving from one needle to the next, thus trying to avoid the terrible ladders that sometimes can occur. These are supposed to be more ergonomically friendly but I'll have to let you know.
Will post pictures of socks when progress is greater.
Till then...
b

Sent from my iPhone

Landon at Starbucks

2009-11-20T17:35:00.000-08:00

This is my second try to get this picture sent to my blog. This is my grandson, Landon, after enjoying part of a Snowman cookie today at Starbucks.

Sent from my iPhone

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Liberty of the Seas

2009-11-08T04:17:00.001-08:00

Just a quick shot before leaving the ship

Beth Moore Conference

2009-10-10T05:39:00.000-07:00

Lots and lots of people at the Beth Moore Living Proof Conference in
Memphis this weekend. Over 13,000 women coming together to worship and
praise our God!

Imaginknit

2009-09-04T13:19:00.000-07:00

Went to Imaginknit while in San Francisco this week for Meg's art
reception at Cafe Royal. The combination made for a great trip!

Ishbel

2009-08-08T15:54:00.001-07:00

I finished the knitting today and have Ishbel blocking in the den
floor. It was a fun knit, and it blocks up bigger than I thought it
would. Will be cozy warm this winter.

"Ishbel" by Ysolda

2009-08-01T09:33:00.000-07:00

Finished knitting Section A for the second time. I've got 1.2 oz of
yarn left which is about 1/3rd of my yarn. I think I am going to skip
knitting Section B the second time and go right to Section C.

My First Original Design!

2009-07-26T15:39:00.000-07:00

Finally the Turino Silk Vest is Finished!

While it is not a very complicated design, it is the first project that I have completely made up myself. The pattern idea originated from looking at a vest that I purchased from the J. Jill clothing line.

I started this vest on May 26, using Turino silk, which I had in my stash. Details can be found on my Ravelry page. After finishing the main knitting, I decided to use knit-on icord for the edging on the front and around the neck. I used 5 stitch icord on the lower edges and from the place where the button closure and the button are and around the neck, I used 3 stitch icord. This was a first for me as well, but I like the effect.

I know that improvements can be made, like where the decreases start on each side to go up around the neck. I think I must have taken a break between the two sides because I didn't have the rows counted exactly right. The result, of course, is that one side is higher than the other. (So I'll just pull it down while I'm wearing it!). I meant to take good notes while making this, but, again, I just didn't. Too much time lapsed between when I would put it down and when I picked it back up. My notes didn't make sense.

Anyway, for my first original design, I think it turned out pretty good. I'm thinking I will actually wear it!

Until next time..

Finished Breeze

2009-07-24T17:00:00.000-07:00

Finally, Breeze socks are finished. This is the second pair that I have knit from this pattern, and I enjoyed it again. This time the yarn was Kertzer's On You Toes Bamboo. I enjoyed knitting with it for the most part. It seemed to twist a lot, but it was very soft and felt good in my hands. And it feels good on my feet! I wore them all night and my feet didn't get too hot.

Since it took me so long to finish these, because I was doing other things, using KNITMINDER's counters was especially nice. I could always pick up the needles and know which row I was supposed to knit next without worry that I had picked up the wrong counter.

Hope to finish my vest this weekend, also. I've just got to pick up the front placket and knit around the neck. Will post again when it is done.

Until then...

It's a Breeze

2009-06-30T07:55:00.000-07:00

The first Breeze sock is finished. Hope to CO the second one this
weekend.

Working on my vest, also. Will post picture as soon as I sew the
shoulders.

Metal Double Points

2009-06-26T07:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I started a new sock, Breeze by Jennifer L. Appleby. It was featured in the Summer 07 issue of Knitty. For anyone who doesn't know about Knitty, it can be found at www.knitty.com. Although I have knit this sock before, this time I am trying something new. I'm using metal double points for the first time. I've always preferred wood because of the way they feel. When I was in my LYS last week I bought a pair of 2.5mm HiyaHiya dpns, 6" long. I haven't noticed this brand in our LYSs until recently. So far I like them. I like the lightness of weight and the fact that my stitches don't seem to slip right off them, which I was a little concerned about with socks.

Butterfly Socks - Now There Are Two!

2009-06-24T07:47:00.000-07:00

I'm finished with my latest socks. Ready to cast on another pair, but here's the skinny on the Butterflies. These socks were really a joy to knit. The pattern by Knit One, Crochet Too, was an easy lace pattern with a repeat of 8 rows, every other row being a knit row. The lace rows were similar enough to remember the stitches after the first set; there were 4 repeats around the sock on the leg. This was the first time I knit with a cashmere blend yarn, too, and I'm definitely going to get some more! This was the softest sock yarn I've knit with yet. I'm hoping it will hold up well when worn and washed. Since it is a blend with wool and nylon, I'm confident it will be fine.

Not sure yet if this pair will be a gift or if I will keep them. They are definitely a yummy pair of socks!

Now, I need to get on to my vest. I've neglected it for the last two weeks because I've hit a spot where I need to frog back on the shoulders. Since I'm off work today, I think I will work on the design and see if I can't get the front sides finished up. I'll keep you posted.

Till then...

Happy Birthday, Mike!

2009-06-14T06:56:00.000-07:00

We celebrated my DH's birthday Friday with a road trip down to Clarksdale, MS to his favorite BBQ place, Abe's. Then we went to Resthaven Restaurant for these incredible pies! Today, it's back to counting calories!

Knitting news: I have finished one sock of the Butterfly Socks from the Knit One, Crochet Too pattern. This pattern is very easy to follow and knits up fairly quickly. Can't wait to finish the pair so I can start on one from my "Sock Innovation" book, by Cookie A. Which one will it be?

Butterfly Socks & KnitMinder App

2009-06-06T15:18:00.000-07:00

I think I enjoy knitting socks probably more than anything else. This pattern, Butterfly Socks by Knit 1 Crochet Too, goes really fast. Just started it Thursday night on the way to dinner. I'm now on the gusset decreases. Love the softness of the cashmere yarn by Meilenweit Lana Grossa, too.

I also wanted to spread the word about a new iPhone/iPod app called KnitMinder. I first heard about it while listening to Kelley Petkum on Knit Picks podcast (http://www.knitpicks.com/). With KnitMinder, which was designed by Quilt2Go, http://www.quilt2go.com/ , you can enter all the details of your projects, including yarn, needles, pattern name, journal entries, and much more so you can have your projects' details with you all the time. One of the best features of this app are the counters. Yes, row counters! And you can use as many as you need, simultaneously! This app is available as a free Lite version or the complete version for $5.00. The difference between the two is the number of projects that can be loaded into the program. If you have either the iPhone or iPod, check it out.

On another note, I need to get back to my vest. Haven't made any more progress since my last blog post. Maybe tomorrow.
Until next time...
b

Embossed Leaves Socks

2009-06-02T17:00:00.000-07:00

I promised a picture of the finished socks, and here it is. They feel
great on my feet, fit well, and I love the pattern with this Lorna's
Laces yarn.
Time to cast on a new pair!
Until then...
b

Progress

2009-05-31T16:14:00.000-07:00

Made good progress today on the Turino Silk Vest. Have bound off under the arms and am working decreases for V-neck and arm holes on one side. I did have to rip back on the rows where I only decreased every 6th row for the V, when I needed to decrease every other row. But I only had to rip out 5 rows.

So far, I'm pretty pleased with the project.
Until next time...
b

Turino Silk Vest

2009-05-30T13:57:00.000-07:00

Here is the beginning. I'm the point where I need to start decreasing for the v-neck. I'm thinking that I'll decrease every 6th row. Got to get on the computer and search for the type of decrease I want. Of course there will be K2togs and SSKs. I realized the need for both after knitting a few rows of the body. The first couple of rows with the pattern in the side seam were knit with just K2togs. When I started doing the SSKs one side and the K2togs on the other, the pattern looked so much neater. If you look closely at the picture, you can see where I made the change. Since I don't know if this is going to work out or not anyway, I opted to NOT rip back. These are side seams so most likely the bottom won't show that much anyway.

For the front and the arm holes, I don't want the decreases to be stairstep, but that actually might be more of an issue for the arm holes than the front. SO, I'm off to research.
Until next time...
B

Two of my favorite things

2009-05-29T15:33:00.000-07:00

In the evenings after work this past week I have trying to design and knit, from my stash btw, a short vest. Progress could be hindered only by my equal desire to be reading. But I've been able to avoid having to make a choice between my two favorite hobbies because, with my Kindle 2 I can read WHILE I knit! When Kelly Petkin of Knit Picks, www.knitpicks.com, used to say she read while she knit, I thought she had to be kidding! But it's truly possible with an e-reader like the Kindle. There are no pages to fumble with or have fall closed; just push the tab to go to the next page.

So the vest is just something I'm playing around with. It will be simply styled. The only features really are the two rows of YO's that mark the side seams. I'm using a small vest that was purchased from JJill to make sure the sizing is right. However, I DID do a guage swatch, sort of. Didn't wash it and all that, but I did count the stitches, which is more than I usually do. Much prefer to measure from a finished piece. So we'll see if it works out. The yarn is Turino silk by Plymouth and is from my stash. I've had it for a long time and didn't know what to make from it. Hoping to make some real progress on "The Vest" this weekend, and I'll post it on Ravelry as soon as I can download my other pictures. This one was posted from my phone. So...
Till next time..
b

Middle Tennessee Fiber Festival

2009-05-22T14:07:00.000-07:00

Went to Middle Tennessee Fiber Festival with my friend Mary and met
Brenda, aka, Nosewiggle on Ravelry! What isn't very clear in the picture is that Brenda is demonstrating a new portable spinning wheel. Cool.

This was my first small fiber festival, and it was interesting to see all of the newly sheared wool that had been bagged up for sale, as well as wools that had already been cleaned, carded, blended with other fibers, and dyed. And I was very surprised that there were vendors from all over the country! Next time we go to a fiber festival, I'll have a better idea what to expect and hopefully will get better pictures of the vendors and their wares.

Until then...

My BFF

2009-05-20T06:50:00.000-07:00

My sweet friend, Theresa, and I were explaining to the younger crowd at work that we were as cool as they were because we were "bff"s. We always try to have fun while we work.

Stockinette Heel

2009-05-18T15:58:00.000-07:00

I'm almost finished with my Embossed Leaves Socks and thought I would
share the heel with you. This is the first time I've done a simple
stockinette stitch heel. I'm a little concerned about it's sturdiness,
but it may not be an issue if I keep these for myself, since most of
my shoes are backless.

Hopefully the next pic will be of the finished pair.
till then...
b

New Tool

2009-05-14T07:17:00.000-07:00

My friend, Mary, gave me this beautiful darning needle holder that her
husband made. I've placed it on the table beside my chair where I sit
to knit to remind me of her friendship (of course I see her all the
time, too!)

Last night I worked on the leg of sock 2 of my Embossed Leaves socks.
Hope to finish them this weekend.
till later...
b

LYS Closing

2009-05-13T15:29:00.000-07:00

I was surprised to get an email with no newsletter from Yarn To Go
this week. Then, I was pleased to read about a BIG sale (50% off).
Then I started thinking that it didn't feel right. Well, rightfully
so. My LYS is closing. Now I haven't been in in awhile because it is
about 60 miles from my house so I had no idea. So after work today I
headed to town and did what I could to help clear out their inventory.
I got some beautiful yarn, some needles, and the book "Lace Style" by
Pam Allen and Ann Budd.
Still it is a sad day.
Till next time..
b

Dieting Leaves Time to Knit

2009-05-09T18:15:00.000-07:00

Seriously , does this look like diet food? DH and I have been losing
weight by counting calories. Since we've cut back on how much food we
cook, you would think that I would have more knitting time! But I
spend a lot of time researching recipes. However, I've almost finished
the gusset on my Embossed Leaves sock.

Btw, this was truly delicious!

later...

Heel flap

2009-05-08T12:07:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure about this stockinette heel flap. I'm used to Eye of
Partridge or a regular S1, K1 flap. Hope it holds up to a lot of wear.
I love the pattern.
We'll see...
b

Is It May Already?

2009-05-08T08:06:00.000-07:00

Ok, blogging has been neglected this year. With Twitter to post and my new Kindle to figure out, I have been busy learning new techy stuff. Still have a lot to learn on the Kindle, but I love it!

Even so, knitting hasn't been neglected, just my posting of my projects on Ravelry and my blogging.

Here is one of my projects, SACK BOY, which was a birthday present for my son-in-law, Albert. The most challenging thing about this project was finding a 6" zipper. Did you know there are 7" zippers everywhere, but 6" are very elusive. I enjoyed making him, though, and I've seen on Albert's FB that SB has traveled with Albert to work, where he met up with his twin and just hung out for the day.

I'm working on being able to blog from my cell phone and from email so I can post shorter posts more often.

We'll see.....

Double point tubes

2009-05-08T08:05:00.000-07:00

Can't believe I haven't posted since January. Hope to change that.
Maybe post more often, just shorter posts.

Here is a picture of my latest great tool, double point tubes. I no
longer have to worry about accidentally pulling needles out when
storing my work in progress.

It worked! This was blogged originally from my phone!

Just wanted to add that the sock in the tube is Mona Schmidt's Embossed Leaves Sock.

New Things in 2009

2009-01-07T14:06:00.000-08:00

A new year is well under way, and while I don't usually make New Year's resolutions, this year I thought I would at least set some goals. I wish I could say I determined this all on my own. The idea crept in while I was reading one of my favorite blogs, http://pentothepaper18.blogspot.com/ which is written by Stefanie, a young lady and fellow knitter whom I meet through a yarn swap on Ravelry. Stefanie reviewed her goals from last year, which I thought was very brave of her, and set new ones for 2009. After seeing her on-line transparency, I concluded that I should at least SET some for 2009; whether I'll revisit the list at the beginning of 2010, well, we'll see!

So although the first two weeks of the year are almost gone, here is a list of things I would like to accomplish in 2009:
1. Get my 2009 calendar up! (finally got this achieved last weekend so I'm on a roll here!)
2. Learn yoga exercises that I can do daily. I've got my Wii Fit board to help me with this one, so I'm on my way here, too! (This might really be my way to ease my guilty conscience for not using this equipment more this past year.)

And last of all, because maybe 3 goals are enough for me for now,

3. Learn how to do fair isle knitting. There is a purse that is in the Knit Picks catalog that I think I am going to use to accomplish this one. It can be seen at http://www.knitpicks.com/accessories/accessory_display.aspx?id=40060&ac=1. I think I should go ahead and order the kit so I won't chicken out!

It all sounds like a good plan!

I do have one knitting project and one crochet project to share at this time. I'm working on a pair of black fingerless gloves for my son-in-law. The last pair I did was a couple of years ago, also for him, and also in black! I hope these fit a little better than the first pair. On a more colorful note, I am crocheting a green "pineapple and shells" skirt for my sister.

Until next time...

2008 is Over!

2008-12-31T10:14:00.000-08:00

Today is the last day of 2008. Christmas has come and gone; the tree is down. This Christmas was different than years past, not necessarily in a bad way, just different. We had a great time with all of the family we saw; we talked to others and missed the ones we didn't get to talk to. But, isn't that the way the holidays always are? Families are busy, and lives are scattered all over the country.

When we think about the distance between us and our loved ones, we have to admit that we are so blessed in this time in history to have our world so accessible because of technology. Because of cell phones with nationwide service, text messaging, computers, and email we can easily stay in touch with the people we love whether they are across town or across the country or the world. As a mom and grandmom, I love it! I can't wait to see what the next step is. http://twit.tv/ is a great place to get the latest information.

So while technology is great for staying in touch, when it comes to knitting, I still prefer hand knitting, as opposed to machine knitting, to relax. This year I didn't do all of the hectic, fast paced knitting for Christmas as in years past. I have to say that I missed it somewhat. But I did manage to knit a few things. For one, I finished my monkey socks!

These are some of the easiest socks I've knitted, and I love the pattern. I'm sure I will make a second pair.

I also finished a couple of hats. To go with the blue Gretel I made a cowl called the Ridged Lace Cowl by Elinor Brown. It can be found on her website at http://exercisebeforeknitting.com/ Here is my grandson modeling his mom's Christmas present for me! The other hats that I knit were a little easier on my hands but just as fun to knit. They included the Wooly Wormhead Meret (Mystery Beret) (http://www.woollywormhead.com/) and the One Day Beret by Kirsten Kapur. I talked about this one, I think on my last post, but since then I have knit at least 3 of these and have given away all but one. The pattern can be found at Kirsten's website, ThroughtheLoops.

http://throughtheloops.typepad.com/through_the_loops/2008/01/beret-recipe.html

Tomorrow is a new day, a new month, and a new year. We don't know what 2009 will bring to our nation or even our individual families, but I'm pretty sure my days will include casting on and knitting. So, I look forward to it!

Until next time...

Fall Colors are Beautiful!

2008-11-15T13:51:00.000-08:00

Fall colors are beautiful this year, at least here in my little town. We've had bright reds, oranges, and yellows as pretty as any we've seen. Most of the leaves are on the ground now, though, and with the rain that is supposed to move in today, the rest will surely fall. Winter is just around the corner.

So the socks and hat that I've been knitting seem to be just the right things. Since my last post, I've finished a pair of socks as part of a KAL for the month of October. The pattern was written by Kirsten, whose blog can be found at http://www.throughtheloops.typepad.com/. The pattern had several versions, but I chose the simplest. Details are on my last post as well as on my Ravelry page. Here is a picture of my finished pair.
The Jitterbug yarn that I used felt really nice to knit, and I wish I could have gotten better color in my picture. The brown is a cocoa brown with nice blues and reds sprinkled throughout. The raised pattern makes the tops and the cuffs of the socks thick, so they are very warm.

I still have not finished my second Monkey sock, but hopefully I'll get it done before the weather really turns cold.

Hats have been the other thing I've done lately. I've finished two, and I like them both.
This one is called the "One Day Beret" and a pattern also by Kirsten from Through The Loops. It is knit in the round from the center out and can be done on any yarn with any size needles. I used Cotton Fleece for this one. (Looks kind of like a Santa hat in this picture!) It did take me a little more than one day, however, but just a little. It was a fun knit and made me start thinking about hats. There are a lot of really cute patterns out there now for berets and other types of hats, as well.

The second hat I knit was from a pattern I purchased from Ysolda S. Teague, whose web site can be found at http://ysolda.com/store/. The name of pattern is "Gretel". It is a beret that is knit from the brim in, starting with a tubular cast on, which I learned for this project, and continuing with cables that go from the edge of the ribbing all the way to the center. Very fun and so cute! Here's the finished hat. Oh, yeah, did I say I used STASH yarn for both of these hats?! YEAH!

In between these hats I did manage to knit a baby kimona jacket, which I forgot to photograph. It was a shower gift for a co-worker. It turned out cute, so if I can get it back long enough, I'll put a picture on my Ravelry.

Until next time...

Fall is in the Air!

2008-10-11T17:08:00.000-07:00

Fall is in the air! Summer is struggling to keep a stronghold, but soon all of the leaves will be gone, and more days will be cooler than warmer. Although coffee is my number one hot beverage for mornings no matter what the season, I like tea to drink on a cozy fall afternoon; not your usual black or green teas, but the new white tea with fruity notes. I love sitting in my chair with the needles in my hand, a cup of my favorite tea on my table beside me, and "The Heart" station on XM radio playing in the background. Makes me think of the scene in "Driving Miss Daisy" where Miss Daisy was sitting in her chair at night, knitting, and listening to opera. That scene did a lot to make me want to knit. It was such a serene scene, portraying, at least outwardly, a calm and peaceful person, despite the current events surrounding her world at the time. I have to assume that the knitting was part of the reason Miss Daisy was able to cope with all of the changes that were being forced upon her world, both personal and in the country. With all of the upheavel in the country and the world right now, that picture is one I am trying to replicate at home as often as I can.

I've done my part, the knitting that is. Society seems to be taking their part seriously, so I am, too! Since my last post I've finished my Trekking XXL socks and cast on and finished one Monkey sock with the Cherry Tree Hill yarn I purchased in Florida. I enjoyed both of these yarns alot. Of course, I'm not yet finished with the Monkeys. There will be a second sock. But first I am participating in a KAL (knit along) that was put together on Ravelry for fans of Kirsten Kapur, whose website is known as "Through The Loops" and is found at:

http://throughtheloops.typepad.com/.

Kirsten designed the sock pattern and is publishing it to the group in clues which are pieces of the sock. So far we have the clues for the cuff and the leg. Pictures are available in the "spoiler" section of "Fans of Through the Loops" on Ravelry. There are some beautiful socks that are already posted. My sock for this KAL is being knitted with Jitterbug, from my stash! I've put a picture on my Projects page, but I tried to highlight the yarn, and not give away too much about the pattern. The Jitterbug yarn is a little thicker than other sock yarns I have used, so I'm using a 3.0mm needle. The yarn is so soft, and I like the way it knits up. I am knitting both socks along, meaning, I knit the clue for the first sock, put that sock on stitch holders and knit the second sock to the same point. Since the KAL last all the month of October, I'll be sure to post a picture after the end of the month.

In addition to my socks, I have finished a sweater for my younges grandson, Landon. His birthday is this week, and it will be his present (he's only 2 so he won't care this year!) I used a chunky yarn from Muench called Tessin. It was so soft and knit up super quick! I finished the knitting in one weekend! I think it will be a hit. I have enough yarn left over to do a hat later, but I'm not sure he would wear it, so we'll see.

These are the only things I've actually finished, I think. I've started several others including a hat and another baby sweater. This baby sweater is for a gift for a co-worker. It is the pattern by EZ called Surplice Baby Jacket. A little different from the Baby Surprise Jacket but just as interesting to knit. Both can be previewed on my Ravelry site.

I am trying to do my best to help the economy, while helping my family. What better way to help than to use stash yarn, buy more to replace it, and knit clothes for yourself and your family and friends! Perhaps I should try a little harder....

Until next time...
b

Enjoying Friendship and New Sock Yarn

2008-08-30T16:52:00.000-07:00

Last week I was vacationing in Matlacha, Florida with my friend, Deanna. It was for this purpose that I was knitting my Ogee Lace Skirt. The skirt was finished the night before we left to drive the 16 hours down to Matlacha. I did wear it the first day that we went to the beach, but it was then that I realized that I was completely right in thinking this was NOT the right yarn for this skirt. I used what I had in my stash; something I for which I had no project idea. It just wasn't the right choice. I love the pattern and the knitting wasn't difficult. It actually knit up pretty fast. I'm thinking I'll get some Cotton Classic and reknit the pattern for next summer. We'll see...

Matlacha is a small community close to Fort Myers on the west coast of the Florida peninsula . It is about 40 minutes from the beaches on Sanibel & Captiva Islands, and the driving route each day included going over two bridges. Since we both were up early every day, we saw some beautiful sunrises just about the time we got to the second bridge. As De said many times through out the week, watching the earth wake up over the water was always beautiful! These clouds promised rain by the time we got to Captiva on Sanibel Island, and so two of the four days we drove over, we saw rainbows over the palm trees when we stopped to get our coffee at the local Sanibel Bean.

After our coffee stop, we drove over to the beach. Our favorite last week was Blind Pass where the sea shells were plentiful and the waves were constant.

I had never been to a beach before that had so many shells. The very first one I picked up was a nice sized Sea urchin. After that most of the shells were of the Calico Scallop type (they look like the Shell Oil sign), but among those there were several varieties of color. We found a few of the Lightning Whelk, Sailor's Ear, and many Auger Shells. When we left Blind Pass and drove down to Sanibel Lighthouse beach, we found Fig Shells and more Sea Urchins. But the water wasn't as clean on the Lighthouse beach so we didn't stay long.

Before leaving home to head for Florida, I did what every avid knitter does - I went on line and looked for knit shops in the area. I didn't find any that were reasonably close to where we were staying (I didn't expand the search much since I wasn't driving). However, there was one store that we passed the first day that showed promise. It was called the "Three Crafty Ladies". Upon investigation we learned that they no longer carried knitting yarn, but they were happy to point us to the "Jeez Leweez" Needlework Shop. The shop was quaint with a modest supply of yarn in the front and a good supply of needlepoint supplies in the back. To my delight, the shop was having a sock yarn sale. Ok, so I had taken 3 different sock yarns with me, but couldn't decide what pattern to use with any of them. I've been knitting lace socks, but didn't want to have to pay close attention to a pattern while on vacation so the yarns I took were out. "Jeez Leweeze" had some self patterning Trekking so I grabbed up a skein of it (not really grabbed. It took me 30 minutes to pick out one skein - not too bad!) I cast on some simple ribbed top socks that night, which was two nights before I had to leave for home. I made some progress, however, and will post the details on Ravelry.

But the shop also had some beautiful colorways of Cherry Tree Hill, so I had to go back a second day. I got a skein of Green Mt. Madness colorway. I don't know yet what I will make with this beautiful yarn. Maybe a shawl, hmmm..... Christmas is coming on fast, so we'll see...

What I haven't said yet is that this trip was a birthday present from my husband, made possible also by my dear friend, Deanna, who invited me to go with her to her vacation home in Matlacha. The trip was wonderful, but the best part, by far, was spending time with De. We've known each other for several years, but this trip made us realize how much alike we are. It was a phenomenal gift of love and friendship, seasoned with lots of natural beauty, discoveries of similarities, and laughter that just kept coming! WoW! What a birthday!

Until next time ...

All Things New

2008-08-17T06:15:00.000-07:00

Cooler temperatures are finally here! What a difference 10 degrees can make. Take away the humidity and it is hard to believe this is summer in the South.

My lack of love for the heat has kept me indoors on my days off. Besides the EZ's Baby Surprise Jackets (and I still have 2 more to make), I've mostly been knitting lace. I shared the Ann Budd Lacy Socks in the last post. They gave me a thirst to knit more lacy socks. There are sooooo many patterns, both free and for sale. My second pair of lace socks were actually made from a pattern that I found at Knitty Summer, 2007 - "Breeze. "

I have been wanting to knit "Breeze" for some time so I was excited to get started. They turned out to be a quick knit, and the lace pattern is fairly easy. For this pair, I decided to revert back to the dreaded dpns and was pleasantly surprised that I completely enjoyed the process. Not at all like I remembered my earlier attempts with dpns and socks. I used Knit Picks Harmony dpns, which turned out to be just smooth enough for the yarn to slide easily and, also, pretty. I did the k1p1 cuff, but I think the next pair I make will have the rolled cuff. These are so comfortable, so I know there will be a second pair. They have already been dubbed as my "car" socks for my trip to Florida next week. Can't wait!

Now that I am ready for another pair of lace socks, pattern searches were in order. While surfing for my newest project, I also discovered two new resources (at least to me), two on-line magazines: Knotions Magazine http://www.knotions.com/ and Twist Collective http://www.twistcollective.com/.

Knotions Magazine has articles, patterns, a blog, a technique section where, right now they have an article about short rows for bust shaping in sweaters and how to add them and how to do an increase by reaising the bar (M1). The patterns, at least all of the ones I viewed, are free. They included women's garments, hats, socks, baby items, and men's wear.

Twist Collective has most of the same features as Knotions, but most of their patterns are for sale. Some of the names of the designers using this outlet include Cookie A, Pam Allen, Yarnissima, Stephanie van der Linden, and there was even a free sock pattern from Cat Bordhi! The articles included one by Cat Bordhi explaining the heel construction on her "Houdini Socks" and an article about how to choose a substitute yarn for a pattern with cables, considering the fibers, spin, and plies of the yarn.

My current project, however, did not come from either of these sources nor is it socks. I, as I said briefly above, am headed to Florida next weekend. Since the summer clothes season in the stores ended about the time the weather turned warm enough to actually wear summer clothes, and I am lacking a cover-up for my bathing suit, and since none are to be found in the stores, I decided to try to make one and hope it doesn't go the way of the laptop cover I tried. The pattern I am using is the "Ogee Lace Skirt" from Interweave Knits, Summer 2007. I started it yesterday and am about 1/3rd of the way into it. The pattern is fairly easy with the ability to mostly "knit what you see" on alternate rows. This may change, as I have only knit 31 rows of the 56 in the pattern. (Yes, I am 1/3rd of the way - there is a repeat of rows 26 - 56). Most lace patterns that I have knit (with the exception of socks) have been purled on the alternate rows. All in all, this is a relaxing pattern to knit. Now, if it will just fit! Like all lace, the end product will have to be blocked to show off the pattern.

Hopefully, I'll have finished pictures before I leave.

(Just a little aside here - have you noticed that all of my lace projects tend to be "fairly easy"? There is a reason for this. I was listening to Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's "At Knit's End" and heard her say something along the lines of "If a pattern says it is 'challenging or 'heirloom' RUN, don't walk, the other way. Ok, so I might have embellished a little what she said, but I think I got the meaning. I feel enabled. Ok, this works for me, anyway!)

till next time...

STILL Trying to Stay Cool!

2008-08-03T06:26:00.000-07:00

Yes, that is really snow! I'm dreaming of cooler times. Can you believe that was only 5 short months ago?
I can't believe that summer is almost gone. What really marks the end of summer, anyway? I've always believed that it ended with the beginning of the new school year. The heat wave that is gripping most of the country seems to be ignoring that theory. Other than getting out to go to work, I've been staying home in the cool air-conditioning (like most people, I think.)

I have been doing quite a bit of knitting since my last post. The Ann Budd Lacy Socks are finished. Mary and I were knitting these together and discovered that she is a loose knitter, while I am a tight knitter. Hers fit me, and mine fit her so we will be exchanging! What fun! I'm ready to start another pair but need to go through my patterns to choose.

Since the first one I made, I have thought that EZ's Baby Surprise Jacket is adorable. I know several people who are expecting little bundles of joy soon, so I have been knitting these little jackets for gifts. Since I last posted, I have finished two. Well, ok, I had already finished the knitting on one, but I have since added the buttons and knitted a hat to go with it. The second one is also finished. I changed it up just a little and knit in some stockinette rows since the yarn has been discontinued, and I couldn't get a second color to use for stripes. I really do like the variation on the stitching. I think on the next one I might try some other stitches as well. Since all the babies that are ready to come on the scene are girls, this one had to have some pink added to it. I thought the little buttons all the way around on the stockinette ridge were a cute touch.

(Ok, I can't seem to get this picture to turn correctly, so just turn your heads a little - call it exercise!)

Haven't made much progress on my Print O' Waves Shawl, so nothing to reort there. I have to have complete silence in order to follow the pattern. Mostly, I think I'm a little bored with it because I keep starting other projects instead of picking this one up. Finished one more section this weekend so I guess there is some progress. I did finish a couple of washcloths, one from the Mason-Dixon Book and one from the Cloth of the Week site. No pictures.

I'm also working on a cover for my laptop. Just made the pattern up. It's going to be just a tube with a flap. When I finish, I'll post a picture.

Also since my last blog entry, I started learning to spin. So far all I've done is use some pencil roving with a small drop spindle. Of course with the pencil roving, I didn't have to draft the wool at all. (Is that cheating?!) I've watched some videos on YouTube that were very helpful. Several were by theartofMegan. Her blog also has the videos, I think. http://www.theartofmegan.com/ She uses a technique that she calls "spin and park". It was just enough help to give me some encouragement. I think it would be great to take some spinning classes, so we'll see. I did take one picture of my newly spun yarn, still on the spindle.

(The roving was also already dyed. Maybe I should learn how to dye also. Maybe not. )

Well, that's all for now. Here's to staying cool for the rest of the summer (because it IS still summer!)
Until next time....

b

Time for Cooling Feet and Completing Feats

2008-06-27T14:52:00.000-07:00

As a child, summer in the South always meant being outside with friends and running with bare feet in the cool (and sometimes not so cool!) grass. As adults we don't get many opportunities to just kick off the shoes and wiggle our toes in nature's cool outside carpet. Ah, but recently, when I went with my friend Deanna to Dixon Gallery, an art gallery and gardens in Memphis, we did just that ! Because we started out early enough in the morning that the Southern humidity had not yet settled in, we decided to walk through the gardens before going inside to see the exhibits. The grounds are beautiful with lots of foot paths under hugh shade trees, and resting places with fountains. Now that I think back on that morning, the only thing missing was a labyrinth. It would have been one of those perfect mornings. It was definitely a peaceful oasis in the middle of the city, and after a while we couldn't resist freeing our hot feet from our sandals and digging our toes into the cool thick grass. Almost as relaxing as sharing a cup of coffee and knitting with friends!

I was able to get a few nice photos of flowers at Dixon. This one was especially pretty and lacy, and altough it fits right in with my current knitting trend, I did forget to write down it's name.

Since my last post I finished two of the lacy washcloths that I started, and I've been working on and finished the first sock of my pair of Ann Budd lace socks. The pattern for these socks is fairly easy, but it has enough YO's and cables to keep it interesting. I worked the sock on 2.5mm circulars; but I think the next pair, I'll do on 2.75 or 3mm instead. Since this was my first lace sock, I didn't know that the lace would tighten up the stitches quite a bit. I usually CO 60 stitches for my socks (my boring SS socks, that is). So I didn't realize that the 70 stitches would NOT be larger around due to the lace and cable pattern. Since I've never blocked socks like I do my other lace projects, I'm not sure this tightening can be corrected with any thing other than larger needles. Anyone? In addition to my lack of awareness to the tightening tendencies of lace in the round, I got a little impatient to be finished once most of the foot was done (as I always do!) , and I was pretty sure this sock was going to be a little short on my foot. But it isn't! I was so delighted because the length was really a much better fit than any of my other socks. I think it is because I didn't stop in the middle of the Leaf and Cable pattern to start the toe. Anyway, I am ready to CO the second sock. And, I am going to go ahead and use the 2.5mm for this one so the pair will matche. I guess if I have to, I can always give them to someone who has a slimmer ankle and foot than mine.

I wanted to show both the cuff and the top lace pattern here. I know it is not the best picture. Hope to be able to post more on my Ravelry site.

Lastly, I have started another lace shawl, this time using lace weight "Shadow" by Knit Picks. Actually, it is technically a stole, but that seems like such an old fashioned term (LOL!) The first six rows of Eunny Jang's Print O' The Wave Stole are finished. The pattern is free and can be found as a pdf file at www.eunnyjang.com/knit/ . I am hoping to make reasonable progress on it this weekend and possibly finish it by the end of July. I will try to post some pictures soon on Ravelry.

I supposed the silver lining in the cloud of high gas prices, if one is to be found, is that I will be staying home on weekends and doing more knitting. ..maybe.

till next time...

Casual Summer Knitting

2008-06-15T17:08:00.000-07:00

I love pictures of flowers, especially if they are ones that I took when we were traveling. These were at the base of a lighthouse on the coast close to San Francisco. They make me think back to cooler temperatures and exciting discoveries.

I still haven't found THE next lace shawl that I want to knit. That exciting discovery just hasn't happened yet. BUT, I think it is close. I was looking at my sister's Ravelry site last night and discovered the "Heirloom Stitches" group. (One of the great things about Ravelry is that the groups chosen by your friends are available to you to check out. I mean, there is SO MUCH on Ravelry that it is almost impossible to see it all without some direction. Looking at the groups that interest your friends can open some new directions to you that you had not previously thought about.) Anyway, on the Heirloom Stitches site there is a thread called "The Art of Knitting 1897". Cindy Moore, aka fitterknitter, is in the process of rewriting patterns from this book. She has a link on her Ravelry site to her blog where she has downloadable copies of the patterns, along with many patterns which she created. Her blog can be found at http://fitterknitter.livejournal.com/. If you like lace or think you might like lace, you should check out this site.

Some of the lace projects that I am currently working on to pass the time include lace washcloths from the book, A Knitter's Stash. I've done several before now, but the two I'm working on are the Horseshoe Lace and the Lacy Vine. The yarn is easy to work with and the patterns are just satisfying enough to be interesting yet relaxing.

I've also started my first pair of lace socks. I am doing a KAL with my friend, Mary. We are using a pattern from the summer issue of Piecework magazine. I think they are just called "Ann Budd's knitted lace socks". I've just finished the cuff and gotten the first repeat of the lacy pattern almost done. Having to do two of these socks just might satisfy my need for lace right now. Maybe...

till next time...

Trying to Stay Cool!

2008-06-08T08:32:00.000-07:00

Summer has settled in here in North Mississippi. The temps are already in the mid to upper 90's, and the humidity is high. As I thought about what I wanted to portray in the opening of this post, all I could think about was that it has to say "cool". So I went back to old pictures that we took several years ago when we went to San Francisco to visit our daughter. This picture was taken on a very chilly day as we drove along the 17 mile drive near Monterey. Makes me want to put on my sweater and continue knitting.

I finished my second Baby Surprise Jacket this week, minus the buttons. It was much easier to knit than the first because I had a spread sheet, which was made by Civilgrrl on Ravelry, to follow. Didn't look at the pattern at all; however, I did refer to the DVD several times, just for peace of mind. I'll look for buttons later. Don't know yet who will get this one. I need to do two more before December. Hopefully at least one of these three babies will be a girl. If not, I guess I'll be saving this one for a while.

I worked on my toe-up socks again last night. Can't seem to get the short-row heel right. I still had that nasty hole on one side when I complete the heel, so today I'll be frogging back a few rows to see if I can figure out how to fix it. Then I hope to start another pair of socks this week. My friend, Mary, and I are going to work together on a lace sock pattern from the new Piecework Magazine. http://www.pieceworkmagazine.com/ Most of my socks have been simple stockinette, so I'm excited about working a lace pattern. It will be a bit of a new challenge.

Speaking of lace, I am looking for another lace shawl pattern to knit. Bought Classic Elite's Silky Alpaca at one of the LYS a couple of weeks ago, and haven't been able to decide what it is to become. Maybe the Shining Bird's Eye Shawl by Shui Kuen Kozinski, found at http://www.elann.com/ShowFreePattern.asp?Id=267024. Any suggestions?

Well, time to go knit.

till next time...

The Swallowtail

2008-05-25T08:43:00.000-07:00

This week I finished my Swallowtail Shawl. I got it blocked, and it is ready to go for the silent auction benefit.

I would not mind making another one to keep, but I think the next time I will use lighter colored and heavier guage yarn. I would like it to be a little larger than this one, although this one did block out to the finished size on the pattern. As I looked at the points, which are not as pronounced as I would have liked, I wondered if the "Swallowtail Butterfly" has points as pronounced as some of it's namesake shawls. Google produced this site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papilionidae with a beautiful picture of the Swallowtail butterfly.

This project was so intense that I had difficulty getting started on something new. It took a couple of days, but I managed. I started my first pair of toe-up socks, using the lessons learned from Lucy Neatby's class. (I'm thankful I bought the DVD's). I'm using the garter stitch short-row toe and short-row heel. I'm not really happy with the way the garter stitch sticks out bigger than the rest of the sock foot, which is stockinette stitch, but that is the nature of garter stitch. Ilm going to try to live with it . We'll see. I've already had to frog the heel, but I'm ready to try again.

Of course, I spent time on line, in addition to Lucy Neatby's DVD's, to check out techniques for the short row toes and heels. There are many sites that explain the how-to's. Here are just a couple:
http://knitty.com/ISSUEsummer06/PATTuniversalsock.html , http://misocrafty.squarespace.com/journal/2006/9/21/short-row-heel-tutorial.html , http://www.knitty.com/issuewinter02/FEATtiptoptoes.html

till next time...

Math Is the Solution!

2008-05-15T11:25:00.000-07:00

This weekend is an exercise in good old perserverence. I am pressing on to finish the Swallowtail Shawl, which is promised to a friend for a silent auction. Time is of the essence. It has to be finished and blocked by the end of next weekend. I think it is totally possible to accomplish. At least, I did think that until I realized that I might be a little short on yarn.

So, I've been watching this skein slowly collapse, but now it seems to be caving in at a much higher rate. I can tell you that I am nervous. All this work could be for naught! If I don't have enough yarn, I'll have to frogg the whole thing or just put it away for another season. UGH!

So I posted on the "Lace Knitters" group on Ravelry, asking for help in determining if I might have enough yarn to proceed with this pattern, or in the alternative, make some modifications to the remainder of the pattern for my shawl. I also contacted my LYS owner for her suggestions and, of course, to ask if she has more skeins of the TREKKING (XXL) yarn that I am using.

In true Ravelry fashion, I had several suggestions within minutes! Thanks again, Ravelers! I was pointed to http://www.rose-kim.com/rose-kimknits where Jennifer has linked to an Excel worksheet she created to determine the percentage of a shawl that has been knit. She calls her creation a Shawl Progress Calculator. After plugging in the total number of rows in the Swallowtail Shawl, I followed down one column to find the number of rows that I have completed and TA-DA! I'm 77% of the way finished with my shawl.

When I talked to the owner of my LYS, she suggested that I weigh my un-used yarn on a postal scale, which I do have, to see how much yarn I have left. Of the 3.5 oz originally in the skein, I have 1.2 oz remaining. So, 3.5 divided by 1.2 is 2.9. While math and I have never seemed to think through problems the same way, I think I am correct in saying that I have almost 1/3 of my yarn left. AND since I have knitted over 3/4th of my shawl, I should be safe! Yeah! Onward to completion!

till next time...

Learning New Tricks

2008-05-13T15:21:00.001-07:00

May is almost over, and summer is just around the corner. For some knitters, it is time to store the needles until fall and cooler weather. But I can't; I have to be knitting on something.

Socks are great for summer knitting. They are light, knit up fairly fast, and new lessons can be learned from every pair, if one chooses to move away from the standard heels and toes. With all this in mind, I spent my Mother's Day weekend with my friend Mary, enjoying classes with Lucy Neatby! Now I don't get a chance to take lessons from the masters very often. As a matter of fact, I've Never taken a class with any of the big names of knitting so this was truly a treat!

Saturday's class was on multi-directional knitting. We learned how to attach a garter stitch edging, as you might do with a neck band or i-cord trim. One of the really neat things that Lucy teaches is the use of waste yarn. I mean she uses it a lot! One of the new uses for waste yarn that I learned is in the edge stitches where you would want to come back in later and attach stitches. The technique is to lay a piece of waste yarn on top of your working yarn before you knit the first stitch of the row. If you do this all the way up the side of your piece, it will give you the ability to see those stitches that you want to later pick up to knit in a parallel direction. Such a simple idea that can save time in the long run. I wish I had known to do this when I was adding all those different sides of my Moderne Log Cabin Blanket!

This definitely takes the guess work out of how many and where those picked up stitches should be.

Then we knitted up the neatest group of equilateral triangles. (see bottom picture). These were so cute and so easy to do. Lucy has several patterns where she uses these triangles to make garmets. Her patterns can be found at http://www.tradewindknits.com/

The second day, which was Mother's Day, we focused on socks. Lucy taught the Channel Islands Cast On. I had never tried it, but it makes a very pretty picot-like edge on your sock. This CO is found in Lucy's book Cool Socks Warm Feet on page 76. My not so great attempt is on the top of my class sock. Definitely has potential, but I need a lot of practice! Then, I tried the garter stitch heel. OMG! It will be so much easier than the conventional heel, if I can get it where it doesn't have a gillion holes in it! (See the holes!) Again, practice, practice, practice.

Of course, one of the really nice things about taking a class is meeting other knitters. I met several other Ravelers, one who was already in my friends list and a couple whom I have since added. It was so nice to put faces to those web pages. I'm hoping to have some lasting knitting friendships to develop from this weekend.

Finally, if you haven't check out Lucy Neatby, you should. Her DVD's are awesome teaching tools. She actually uses them for her classes. The segments are all closeups of her hands, very clear to see. And she is just an awesome teacher!

My whole weekend, from not being home for Mother's Day to re-thinking some of my knitting techniques, can probably be summed up with the old cliche "Think Outside the Box!"

...till next time,

Humbling Life Lines

2008-05-03T18:37:00.000-07:00

I am constantly amazed at the thoughts that come to me while working on my knitting. This week I started the swallowtail shawl.
http://www.interweaveknits.com/Galleries/bonus/fall_2006/Swallowtail.asp It is a beautiful shawl, and so many people are enjoying making it. I just happened to have some TREKKING (XXL) sock yarn and thought I would give it a try.

Everything I read about the pattern talked about how easy it is (and it is fairly easy for lace). I read alot of the threads in Ravelry to get an understanding of the best way to proceed and discovered that putting in a life line would be a reasonable safety precaution. (It is lace, afterall.) If you are not familiar with life lines here is a site that explains in detail just how to put one in: http://www.heartstringsfiberarts.com/lifeline.shtm .

So I began early in the week to knit this shawl. Got through the Budding Lace 1 and on to Budding lace 2. This consists of 6 rows that have to be repeated 14 times. I decided to add my life line at the completion of Row 6 each time. As I knit all day Friday and part of the day Saturday, I was thinking this is fairly simple; why, I underst00d it so well that I was catching mistakes as I made them (notice I'm not saying I didn't make any mistakes!) and was able to fix them right away. Hey, who needs a life line?! So last night, Saturday, at about 9:00, my eyes were so tired from working on this small yarn, and I was knitting along on what I had declared to be my last row for the day when the stitch count didn't come out right at the end of the row. Ok, back up. Check every stitch after the stitch markers, since it worked out before the markers. Nope. Too many stitches. Well, another thing I thought I had gotten pretty good at was looking at the pattern formed by the last few rows and being able to spot the mistake. Oh yeah. I spotted it all right, about 4 rows down! (Did I hear someone say "Being humbled by knitting happens all the time"? At least to me it does.)

This afternoon, Sunday, I picked my Swallowtail shawl back up to fix the mistake. Since I had my life line I was able to take it off the needles and rip out all four rows instead of frogging one stitch at a time. What I had at this point was a lot of kinked up, unknitted yarn, just laying in a heap on my table. As I was re-inserting my needles along the life line row, it hit me that this is a lot like life. Just when we get confident in what we are doing or where we are, life throws us a kink. Might be big or could be small. When that happens, dealing with the challenge is so much easier if you have a "life line" to back up to. Then hopefully after the chaos is cleared up, we can pick up and continue to move forward. I'm thankful for life lines; how about you?

...till next time

Surprise! Rainy Days & Baby Surprise Jacket

2008-04-27T16:51:00.000-07:00

I went outside to find something that was a bit of a surprise. This is a reflection of a holly tree in the water standing in a depression in my driveway. I guess the lesson is that even in the depressions of our lives, something good can still shine through!

Well, since my goal is to post once a week so I will have time to knit, this will be short. Today I finished my first (I'm sure there will be others) Baby Surprise Jacket and couldn't wait to post it! (I'm beelke2 on Flickr - http://www.flickr.com/ ,if you would like to see a picture). The day has been overcast and rainy since about noon. When I first got up this morning I knew I only had about 10 ridges before the knitting was finished on my EZ Baby Suprise Jacket. So I jumped right in and got that part done. Then came the part that I really don't enjoy, weaving in the ends and sewing the seams. I even surprised myself that I got that done, washed the garmet, and it is now drying to the blocked size. I'm really pleased with the way it turned out.

...till next time,

Azaleas & Bamboo Socks

2008-04-25T08:07:00.000-07:00

This week the azaleas have bloomed. My dogwood tree, which every year prior to this one had only a handful of blooms, is loaded with flower buds. They are so beautiful!

My main knitting focus this week has been to finish one of my current wips, the Regia Bamboo socks, and I was able to kitchener the second toe last night. So far, all of my socks have been "top down", yet even so, every time I have to sit in front of my computer and work with a demonstration video for kitchener stitch to graft the toes. But not this time! At least not on the second sock :) Now that's progress! Next time, I may have to watch again, but thanks to the generous knitters on line, I can refresh my memory with their videos any time.

If you've never tried kitchener stitch, or you have tried and have gotten frustrated as I have, there are several great demonstration videos on line to help. The one I have used most often is found at http://www.knittinghelp.com/. After going to this site, just go to the "Advanced Knitting Techniques" and scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the video. There are a lot of other very helpful videos for other knitting techniques on this site as well. When I googled "kitchener stitch videos", several sites came up. Two others that I viewed were http://lectio.ca/ and http://www.knitwitch.com/. These actually came up in a bigger screen, making viewing the knitting process easier. All three videos were execellent! I hope they will help to give you confidence to graft those toes!

One of the main reasons I wanted to finish my socks at this time is to have them for a upcoming class that I am taking with Lucy Neatby (http://www.tradewindknits.com/). She will be at my LYS the weekend of Mother's Day, and one class will be on socks. I can't wait!

Socks make great lunch time or travel knitting. Especially the plain ribbed, stockinette kind. I've made several pairs. This particular pair, though, actually turned out too big. I cast on for the larger size, using smaller needles, thinking I was knitting too tightly on the previous ones (did I hear someone ask "Swatch?") Anyway, I've got more Regia Bamboo, so I think I will go ahead and start another pair. I think I will stick to my tried and true 60 stitches and 2.25 mm needles for these.

It's time to knit. Let me leave you with something that I have been thinking about this week. It is a quote from Charles Swindoll:

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. . . I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you...we are in charge of our attitudes."

...till next time

Casting On a New Chapter - Blogging!

2008-04-20T13:05:00.000-07:00

Today is a beautiful Sunday in the South. The sun is shining; the birds are singing; and the trees and grass have turned green once again. Spring is definitely here! So why am I in the house on this computer?!
Because I am beginning a new chapter in my life. I'm learning to blog. Ok, I know it is no big deal to most of you out there. Why, I've been reading blogs for years! I watched my daughter, Meghann, create a web page and blog years ago. She's since finished 5 years of art school in SF, has gotten married, and has been working for at least a year. After all these years, she still has her site, which is one of the ways I am able to see what she does with her art work. Oh the wonders of the web!

I suppose several things peaked my interest in creating this blog at this particular time. On my way to work (I drive about 45 minutes one way) I like to listen to podcasts, mostly knitting podcasts, but others, too. I learn so much from the creative people who give so much of their lives to the delight of others. And they almost all have blogs where they lists links to the information that they talk about on their podcasts. I love to read, so I chase the links that lead to unlimited information about the times and adventures of real people.

The second reason I've decided to give this a try is because of the knitting community Ravelry! It has been so much fun to see what everyone is doing and what they like. So many people have blogs. So, if they can, why can't I? We'll see where it leads. (If you are a knitter, crocheter or other fiber artist and you aren't on Ravelry, you really should check it out! http://www.ravelry.com/)

Thus begins a new chapter in my life, my thoughts all knit together in one place. I'm sure some of it should, from time to time, be frogged (ripped out). But I'm excited to see how it develops! (I feel like I should have some catchy phrase to end with, but all I can think of is )

....till next time.