Uh oh

I rounded the third corner (completing the second short side of the shawl) and now I'm worried about the amount of yarn I have left. Not looking so good anymore. So I'm avoiding it.

I've been working on some more small projects to use up some leftover yarn. So far I have a baby bolero and two petal bibs from One Skein (awesome book, I have made a lot of the projects in there already). I started a one-cable scarf as well.



(The other bib is blue with a green tie. And the ends have now been woven in.)

By the way: Friends, start having kids, will you? I have way too much baby stuff and no babies.

My mother-in-law, Gail, sent me a box of goodies for needle felting - all the implements needed, a book on the subject and a bunch of roving (wool, angora, and baby alpaca)! But I have no idea what to do with it or what sort of project I'd like to make. I'll have to play around with the technique and some designs, but for right now, I'm just petting the roving.

Since we are moving to Bend, OR soon, I'm researching good crafty places. Juniper Fiberworks is awesome (already a big fan), and the Stitchin' Post in Sisters looks like it carries a lot of great fabric. There are several other quilting supply places. Still looking for places to get fabric for clothing (besides Joann and Hancock Fabrics).

Progress on the shawl

I'm now exactly half way done with the border (it was a little less that 1/4 when I started again on Monday).


And here's how much yarn I have left, along with a few small bundles. I think I might make it.


And here is the smaller border. I think it has the same flavor as the original.

Last ditch effort

Remember this? I'm making my last attempt at finishing it. I have knit and ripped the border twice now, because I didn't have enough yarn to make it all the way around (no more yarn is available, I checked). I had to alter the border to be smaller and then the second time, I had to take a knit row out of the eyelet border that joins the wave border and the main shawl. I mean it, this is it. It will be finished or it's finished.

Super cool resource

I came across the blog called TECHknitting today, via Grumperina. Holey pantyhose, there is so much great knitting information here, particularly tricks for making your knitting look better, but I also liked the tip to keep soap with your sweaters or yarn to prevent moths.

Temporarily sidelined

Between Josephine, the project for Dad, and sewing a skirt this weekend, I messed up my left wrist. And then I whacked my left hand on a chair (the pinky edge of my hand is a lovely shade of purpley brown). So I haven't been doing any knitting. I really don't have a new project lined up anyway, and I'm not interested in working on any of the "in progress" things, so I've been designing some stuff. It's nice to do something different for a while.

I'm also thinking about sewing some more when the wrist is better. I got a book a couple of weeks ago called Sew What! Skirts, on making skirts without a pattern and it is a very good little book. Joann really lit her hair on fire last week and I took the opportunity to get some of the recommended sewing tools for 50% off! (I remember Mom's sewing gauge from when I was a kid, but had no idea what it was for. Now I don't know how I ever sewed without one.) And Hi-Fashion Fabrics is having their anniversary sale, which means 15% off on everything; that's how I made a lovely skirt for only $16. I also spotted some blue silk voile for $12 a yard that I think I need. Sweeeeet.

Josephine is complete

Back when I was still working on the front piece, I googled the top to see how other knitters' Josephines were coming out. You know how sometimes you'll think a pattern is unappealing, and then you see someone knitting it and it looks awesome and you want to make it? It was sort of the opposite. There were some really nice ones, but there were also a couple that just looked off. Nothing big, they had been knit well, but I couldn't put my finger on what it was. Coupled with the fact that the back piece looked really large to me (the lace portion anyway), I started thinking maybe the photos in the mag were creatively posed. But I decided to keep going and fix it afterwards if needed. Fortunately, it didn't. It really did come out like the pictures in IK.



I was a good and patient knitter and knit it following the instructions to the letter. However, if I made another I would do it differently. If you want to make Josephine, do yourself a favor: knit it in the round. Cast on the front and back stitches minus 4 for the seams, knit three rounds, then start the lace pattern and knit flat once you reach the armholes. There is no reason it can't be knit in the round and you save yourself the seaming and the picking up of 250+ stitches along the bottom for the rolled hem.

I love the rolled hem detail on the bottom, neckline and cap sleeves. The lace hasn't been blocked yet, so it probably doesn't look as good as it could. (What's with the instructions to steam, not block? Maybe that's a knitting secret I haven't been let in on yet.)


I hadn't planned to knit the tie cord, but I couldn't have if I had wanted to. This is how much yarn I have left over:

That's six or seven pieces, none more than 18 inches long. I used every bit I could, but I still had to leave out one round in the bottom rolled hem and a couple of rows in the cap sleeves.

The whole thing took me about a week to make - gotta love a quick project. In general, I think this top is suitable for fairly warm weather, but I have to say, walking back from the park this morning, it was sweltering with the tank underneath. Granted it was 9:30 and already about 85 degrees here, which is more than "fairly warm" to me, but I think I could get away with just the top if I'm feeling brave. (That is a deep V!)

I've found one drawback to the Elann.com Callista - a soft haze from the cotton fibers after machine washing, noticed after washing Martine. It's easily removed with the sweater shaver.

Details:
Yarn: Elann.com Callista in Italian Plum, 6 balls
Pattern: Josephine Top from the Summer 2007 Interweave Knits, smallest size (36.5" I think)
Needles: US size 4 (size 3 for the rolled hem on the sleeves only)

Duct tape dress form

Hey Dad, you really can make anything with duct tape: Duct Tape Dress Form Tutorial.

As silly as it looks, I'm actually considering it until I have enough disposable income to spend $130 on a dress form. I'd consider buying a used form, but I need the petite sized one, which is harder to find second-hand. This might actually be a viable alternative, and fear not, if I make it, pictures will be posted.

Oh, my hands

Between the carpal tunnel from renovating the blog (you likey?) and trying to bust out the lace on the bottom of the second half of Josephine before I get totally bored with it, my left hand is killing me. I've finished three of the five repeats on the lace, so I'm getting close. I'm trying to switch back and forth between this project and another to vary the motion, but it's not doing much to relieve the pain at this point.