Oooh, I'm a bad knit blogger

So obviously when I get busy with other stuff, knitting is one of the last things to get eighty-sixed and posting to this site is one of the first. I have been knitting pretty steadily. Here are some pictures of the wedding shawl I made until I get some more material to post. I started it in August after buying the yarn at Gossamer in Bend and finished it in September. It's inspired by Summer Shawlette I made in July and by a wrap by Pierrot in one of my Vogue Knitting Magazines. I still haven't finished blocking and weaving in ends, but rest assured I'll do it by March 24th.

Baaaaahhhh

Another finished project:



I think I'll call her Nan.

Details:
Yarn: Less than one skein of Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in Cream, less than a skein of Dale Svale in Black
Pattern: Nellie the Sheep from Debbie Bliss' Baby Style
Needles: US size 5
Comments: Debbie Bliss patterns are so sketch. It was really difficult trying to figure out what the hell I was knitting at any given time since there are no schematics and the directions are really hard to follow. But I really think he's cute. I reworked the feet by casting on 24 sts in the round, working 11 rounds and then k2tog until there were 6 sts left. I also worked the ears in the round since seaming the flat pieces didn't end up looking good (and I hate seaming black knits). And I used I-cord for the tail rather than what the directions called for.



I also made another pair of baby socks, but I don't feel like taking pictures. They look a lot like the others.

I'm starting on a top for me! It's this one, in navy:

Cat and the hat (and a bear and some socks)

Knit, knit, knit...

I'm doing a great job of clearing out all my old stash yarns.



Details:
Yarn: Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride worsted in Deep Charcoal, about 1/2 a skein
Pattern: Kate from the 2005/6 Knitty
Needles: US size 9 dpns
Comments: Completed in one evening, baby! I don't have size 8 dpns (I know, me not having a certain size of needles?!?), so I used size 9's and the fabric is a little thinner than it should be, but I didn't feel like using the Magic Loop method with the circular. I also added some whiskers and a tail. Pretty cool pattern!

Another stuffed toy:

Details:
Yarn: Dale Tiur, about 1/2 a ball
Pattern: Cashmere Teddy Bear from Erica Knight's Simple Knits for Cherished Babies
Needles: US size 5 (I think?)
Comments: I knit these pieces a year ago (again, I think?). I even sewed them together, but by the time I got the stuffing, I was tired of it. I pulled him out of the storage ottoman Monday and finished him off. He turned out pretty cute. I like knitting stuffed toys.

A hat:

Details:
Yarn: Leftover Classic Elite Gatsby
Pattern: None, it's just a hat
Needles: US size 10 dpns
Comments: I had just one measly little ball leftover from the Hot Lava Cardigan I made last year (and forgot to show you - oops, maybe in the fall). And I actually still have a few yards left; I just can't seem to get rid of it!

Socks:

Details:
Yarn: Leftover Sock It To Me in red
Pattern: Braided Cable Baby socks from the Summer 2005 IK
Needles: US size 1 dpns
Comments: Holy crap, so cute! The picture doesn't really capture the saturated red color.

New stuff

Okay, so none of these are the projects I promised last time, but those other projects take models and good lighting. So I submit for you viewing a shawl and some baby stuff.



Details:
Yarn: Indeterminate amount of leftover Plymouth Suri Merino (pattern calls for a little over 300 yards)
Pattern: Summer Shawlette from the Summer 2006 IK Knits
Needles: US size 10 circular
Comments: It's really cool. Too bad it's too hot to wear it. But I really liked the construction (knit in one piece from the top down) and I think I'll try to knit something like it in the future.

Three pairs of baby slippers:

Details:
Yarn: Blue and brown leftover Paton's Grace, leftover cream Schachenmayer Micro
Patterns: Center - Silk slippers, Left and Right - Cashmere booties, both from Erica Knight's Simple Knits for Cherished Babies
Needles: Silk slippers - US size 2, Cashmere booties - US size 5
Comments: Really cute. Baby stuff is always cute. This book has some good designs, but as a non-novice knitter, the directions really irritate me. Not precise enough.

The sleeping baby cushion:


Details:
Yarn: Leftover Wendy's something or other (several years old)
Pattern: Sleeping baby cushion from Erica Knight's Simple Knits for Cherished Babies
Needles: US size 2
Comments: The cushion is meant to be hung on a door knob to indicate that the baby is sleeping, hence the ribbon at the top. Directions were only to embroider "bebe" and the X on the front, but I felt like doing something on the back too for when the baby is not asleep, so I got out the graph paper and charted a squirrel. I like him. :-)

Love and frustration

All in one picture:


The air conditioner is my new best friend. The stole is my new least favorite project. I got 1/3 of the way around with the border before confronting the truth that I did not have enough yarn to finish. I bought the yarn at Elann a few months ago and this color is sold out. I had no choice be to frog all the border and I have to figure out how to rework it with fewer stitches so I use less yarn. But I will not be doing that now. For now, it's on timeout.

3-month-old socks

I can't believe I finished these at the end of LAST term and haven't blogged about them yet. Yeesh.



Details:
Pattern: Embossed Leaves from the Winter 2005/6 Interweave Knits
Yarn: Sock It To Me in East Coast Blue from Elann.com, 2 balls
Needles: US size 1, dpns
Comments: I altered the pattern a little. I wasn't into the German heel, so I gave it a French slip stitch heel. I'm truly a creature of habit and if a pattern differs from what I expect, I change it to what I'm used to. I probably should have left it alone, but the socks turned out well anyway and I really like them. Only 5 more months until I can wear them. :-)

More updates to come, including Matthew's socks, the stole in progress, some more socks in progress and a tank from the Summer IK.

Good stuff

We can all use more good stuff. Here's some good stuff Kristi sent me a few weeks ago.

The top I made her last year:


The socks I made her for her birthday, aka the mystery project:


Details:
Pattern: Pomatomus Socks from Knitty
Yarn: Sock It To Me in Desert Sand(?) from Elann.com, 2 balls
Needles: US size 1 dpns
Comments: Tough pattern. Not a bad pattern, but I'm really slow at knitting through the back loops, so it felt like the socks took forever. But the outcomes is pretty nice.

Also, my sock pal got a pattern published in Mag Knits. Once again,
I'm really impressed with her work. Did I mention she's only 13?!? Wow.

SockapalOOOza socks!

My socks arrived from my sock pal last week! Her name is Katie and she made me some awesome socks. Here are some pictures:







Too bad the weather has just turned to hot to wear them! But I'm looking forward to padding around in them on the cold hardwood floors in the winter. I really love the color.

In other knitting news, here are some shots of the shawl I'm working to wear to Bridget's wedding. The first shot is the first half of the shawl blocking and the second is the blocked half compared to the (still-being-knit) second half.





Once the second half is done and blocked, I will graft them together (so the shawl is symmetric) and then knit the border. BTW, the funky yellow yarn at one end is waste yarn that was used as a provisional cast-on so I can use the live stitches later.

The pattern is the "Print O' the Waves Stole" from Eunny Jang's blog. Her patterns are all really interesting and this one is free!

Back to school work with me.

My favorite knitting blogs

I can't believe it's been so long since I posted. I have been knitting regularly and have even finished a bunch of stuff, including 2 pairs of socks, the reknit on Dad's sweater, and about half of a sweater. But between distractions and my camera batteries kicking the bucket, I guess I've let the knitting blog languish. I will have new pictures soon.

In the meantime, I give you my favorite knitting blogs to read. Maybe I'll try to put them on the sidebar soon.

In alphabetical order:
And She Knits Too!
Carrieoke's Knitting Blog
Grumperina goes to local yarn shops and Home Depot
Knitting Escapism
My Fashionable Life
See Eunny Knit
The Blue Blog
Yarn Harlot
Yarn-A-Go-GO
and of course
You Knit What??

I know Nick probably can't figure out why people read these things, but I get a fair amount of creative inspiration and new project ideas from these things (all except for You Knit What, that is). And after reading some of these for over 2 years now, it's strange but cool to feel like I know people that I've never met.

I check in on many more than this, but these are the ones I look forward to reading.

PS - I never get over the fact that the spellchecker on Blogger doesn't recognize the word "blog".

I hope my sock pal is pleased

My socks for Sockapaloooza are finished! First one was started Friday before last, finished on Wednesday; second one was started this past Friday, and finished Sunday evening during my dinner/Oscars break from studying for my public exam. It's amazing how fast I knit when I'm stressed. They are shown here amidst my practice exams and scribblings. Let me tell you, tax incidence is a bitch.


Details:
Yarn: Dancing from Knitpicks.com in “Jig” color, 2 balls
Pattern: Gentleman’s Fancy Sock from Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush
Needles: US size 1, 4 dpns
Comments: I really liked this yarn. The pattern works well for variegated yarn, not too much stitchwork to get lost in.

A shot of the bottom, you can see the light blue pooling, which I really like:



One of the stitches close up:



And to prove that they are stretchy and fit more than just my midget feet:

One foot down

After receiving my yarn last Friday, I finished the first sock on Wednesday. Too quickly to even post in progress pictures. After waffling so many times, I eventually decided on the first pattern I had wanted to make, the gentleman's fancy sock from Knitting Vintage Socks. I used the yarn called "Dancing" from Knitpicks. My sockpal mentioned that she liked Sockotta, and this yarn is almost identical. Between the stretchiness of the yarn and the ribbing in the pattern, I feel confident that the sock will fit well.

Here's a picture I took before I grafted the toe:

Why aren't there any good sock patterns for big feet?

I've picked and then rejected a pattern for the sockapaloooza socks about a half dozen times now. I thought about several in the new book I bought, Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush (there are lots of great socks in the book), but I would have to dramatically alter the patterns because they are all (even the men's patterns) fairly small. I never realized the lack of sizes in sock patterns before. Virtually all patterns are written in one size with most running about 7.5 inches in circumference and the maximum is around 9 inches. Not big enough for my sock pal or Matthew, when I get around to making his socks.

I really don't feel like rewriting a pattern or coming up with a new one, but I think I may have to. I wonder if the yarn is stretchy enough to fudge it? Hmmm.......

Still waiting for the sock yarn

Damn postal holidays! I want my yarn!

The boys had a video game night on Saturday. I played a few games, but I'm truly horrible at that stuff, so mostly I sat on the couch, drank beer, and knit. This allowed me to make more progress on the diamond lace sweater. I have finished the front and back, but I have to do some figuring for the sleeves so I haven't cast them on yet. And I broke a Denise cable! I pulled to hard last night while shifting a sweater being knit in the round and broke it. Doh!

Modest progress

Mostly because I followed the directions and got a ridiculously long sweater front that I had to rip back about 10 inches. Short torso, people!


I haven't started on my socks for Sockapaloooza yet (bad knitter), but I blame the huge move we just completed. School is also pretty busy, and I *should* be working on some papers right now (bad student). But I'm a pretty fast knitter, so I shouldn't need three months to knit some socks anyway. I have an idea of the kind of socks I want to make, so as soon as I get some yarn and the book that contains the pattern, I'll be good to go.

Eeeeeeeeee!

SockapalOOOza starts today! I got my e-mail and am starting to think about yarns and patterns. So exciting!

I got smart

I always blog in the evening (night owl, you know) and pictures don't come out well in dim, compact fluorescent lighting. But I was home today and had the novel idea to take the picture THEN and blog LATER. Genius.

Here's the progress on the lacy sweater. The color is still a little off, but I don't have time to photoshop it. You get the idea.


Let's hope my new-found brilliance last for at least the rest of the evening - I have lots of hoity-toity papers to digest.

On the needles

I have 3 projects on the needles now. I'm such a wild woman. The first is the other blue sock, and it's couple of inches long right now. I found the 5th needle hiding in the Interweave magazine that contains the pattern, marking the page.

The other 2 are sweaters from a new pattern book I bought on Friday (yes, I cast on two sweaters on the weekend before the big move). It's the Fall 2003 Adrienne Vittadini book and it has a lot of nice stuff in it. The first is this beauty in an eggplant colored cotton:


I got the yarn from ripping apart a JCrew sweater that Matthew had been given and never cared for.

The second is this sweater:


I have been looking for a good sweater pattern for some time for the Jaeger Luxury Tweed I bought from Elann. It's a strand of sage green and a strand of pale yellow twisted together. I'd give you a picture of the yarn, but the lighting is no good right now. The gauge on this one is substantially different from the pattern, so I'm making some modifications as I go along.

While socks are fun to knit, nothing beats knitting a sweater as far as I'm concerned. It's much more meditative than sock knitting; a casual stroll in the park as opposed to a jog around the track.

I did it

I signed up for Sockapaloooza (go ahead, commence jokes about how I'm a Sockapa-Looozer). This will be my first knit-along, and I hope it will be a good experience. Not nearly as cool as Elaine signing up for a killer triathalon, but you've gotta work up to these things slowly.

In other sock news, I am happy to report I have finished the mystery pair of socks and they are super cool. I would start on the second blue sock now, but I have lost one of the needles for my size 1 set, and I need all 5 to really do it correctly. I think it is hiding somewhere in the couch. Maybe I'll find it when we move.

I may not have time for the Olympics...

...but I think I may have time for Sockapalooza. I'll let you know later this week.

Finished object #3 for the year:



Details:
Yarn: Cascade Pima Tencel in black, 2 balls
Pattern: Wavy Pattern Scarf from Vogue Knitting Sp/Su 2005
Needles: US size 5 (bamboo!)
Comments: Pima Tencel is really soft and really heavy. The two balls made a scarf that is about 6" wide by 40". The pattern looks almost the same on both side - yay for reversibility. (Top pic is back side, bottom pic is front side.)

Knitting olympics

I don't have time to participate in this, so one of you should. :-)

Ever notice how much time it takes to blog?

Especially when you want to add pictures? I've been meaning to do this for a week. First off, let me apologize for the poor photos. It is impossible to get enough light in this place, and it has been particularly overcast lately. Anywho...

Finished object (or FO, as they are called in the knit blogging culture) #2 for 2006 was actually an FO more than a year ago. While living in Virginia, I bought the most beautiful skein of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted Multi in Black Purl. This yarn is so unbelievable awesome. If you haven't seen it before, track it down. It's worth $17.00 a hank (225 yards is pretty good, and it's machine washable wool - so soft). Anyway, I always knew it was only enough for a skinny scarf, but the varigated color made it difficult to come up with a stitch pattern that did it justice. Originally, I just knit it in stockinette. And of course, it curled like crazy, so I could never bring myself to wear it. So last week, I frogged it and knitted it back up. I chose a mistaken rib because I thought the pebble-iness would show the colors off well. I also managed to get the colors to pool in a manner that I think is flattering, which was something that didn't happen on the first knitting.


Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted in Black Purl, 1 skein.
Pattern: 20 sts in mistaken rib.
Needles: US size 7
Comments: It's really long, probably about 6 feet. Second time is a charm!

And here's an unfinished item:



Okay, so this sock is finished, but the pair isn't. But I can't wait, I love them! These are the first pair of fingering weight socks I've made for myself. Details coming when the other one is finished, which will be a while, because I'm forcing myself to finish the second sock of another pair that is a gift for someone. (Not telling who yet!)

In other news, it looks like Dad's sleeves are too long, so when he comes to visit in a few weeks I will be ripping them back. I even measured them against his arm when I was there for Christmas, but the weight of the fabric must be pulling them down. Oh well, should be a quick fix.

First finished object of the new year - and other stuff

Boy oh boy, 2005 was a hard year for knitting in my house. Not that I didn't do plenty of it, I did. But I ended up with a lot of unfinished projects at the end of the year, many of which were supposed to be presents for Christmas.

New Year's Knitting Resolution #1: Be less ambitious/more realistic about the knitting queue.

I managed to make 3 pairs of socks for Christmas presents (several pair are as yet unfinished), but this sweater for my Dad (Christmas/birthday present) that finished blocking this morning is officially the first finished object of the year.


Details:
Yarn: Austermann Mayfair in Midnight Navy, slightly less than 11 balls (from Elann.com)
Pattern: Adapted from the Men's Cabled Sweater in Naturally New Zealand's Living 38 Degrees South, Issue 1, 42" finished chest
Needles: US size 7 and 6 (for cast on)
Comments: Adjustments to pattern are the crew neck (as opposed to a zippered mock turtleneck) and the splitting of the 22 stitch horseshoe cables into 2 mirrored 10 stitch cables. The Mayfair yarn is a really great quality 100% acrylic.

I love this sweater. If Dad wasn't expecting it and if the sleeves weren't so long, I'd consider keeping it. But god knows I have enough things to knit for myself at this point. Which brings me to...

New Year's Knitting Resolution #2: Pare down the list of things that need to be finished/fixed.

There are a lot of things on this list (yes I made an actual list and it's loooooong). I even coded the projects by about how much time would be required for each one, like quick fixes or a couple of weeks. At the end of the it is the list of stuff I'd like to start, but only after I finish the other stuff. This is long also. I got some energy last night and finished a hat I was working on and almost got a sweater finished up.

New Year's Knitting Resolution #3: Keep a running tally of finished objects on the sidebar. (This one should actually be fun.)

And this one I really have to stick to:
New Year's Knitting Resolution #4: I will only make sweaters out of washable yarn.

I am so sick of hand washing. That's it for now. Happy Knitting in the New Year, folks!