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!

Back by popular, or rather Bridget's, demand

All right, all right, so I've mostly been working on Christmas present (that includes you, Bridge), but I have finished something recently. I delayed posting picures a) because I haven't had much time to get a picture, and b) because I've been thinking I might want to try to get the design published. But I don't really have any time to do that, and besides, not many people really read this, so it's not like I'm giving away my secrets.


Specs:
Yarn: Plymouth Suri Merino in the perfect salmon color*, about 7 balls. (That's only $37!)
Design: mine!
Needles: Size 7
Comments: I knit this damn sweater so many times. The first time, I made it to big and I had to go with serious negative ease the second time. Then I wanted to make it a turtleneck, but after many tries, it never looked right. Hence the round neck. I single crocheted around all edges.

* Nighttime photo=funky color. But Matthew worked a little photoshop magic, so the sweater color, if not my face, is pretty close. I like it actually, it's kinda arty.

I'm a bad knit blogger

I don't have any picture to show you. I have a couple of things that are almost finished, but I don't have time to get pictures. And then there are the Christmas presents I'm working on that are top secret. Heh heh heh.

Sock pics

Here are the finished socks:

Details:
Yarn: Cascade Fixation Color 9843, less than 2 balls
Pattern: Made it up
Needles: 4mm double points (the package said US size 6, but that would be 4.25mm, so they must be from the UK)
Comments: My first pair of big socks! Not bad. Stretchy yarn takes some getting used to, but working with the merino stretch first helped.

With the leftovers, I made some baby socks:

Pattern:
Cast on 20 sts on US size 5 double pointed needles and join. Work 16 rounds in moss stitch (Round 1: [K1, P1] repeat to end. Every following round: K the P sts and P the K sts). Work the short row heel shaping over 10 sts, until you have 5 sts between yarn overs, then back to 10 sts and rejoin the round. Work another 9 rounds in moss stitch, then repeat heel shaping for toe. Graft toe sts to instep sts. Should fit a 0-3 month old, maybe older since they are stretchy.

I really think this is cute

Sweet Mary Jane Cardigan

And it would be cheap to make, but what would I do with it?

It's a sock!

Kristi and I are having a mini sock-a-long. It started when we were in Portland browsing the Yarn Garden and she said she wanted her next project to be socks. Totally doable, and I told her I would help her through. But in order to be able to help her, especially long distance, I realized I would have to get some Cascade Fixation and needles and follow along. When she visited yesterday, we worked on our socks some and I gave her a primer in heel shaping (plus some take home instructions). Since I rushed to get to the heel by her visit, it was pretty easy to finish up the sock this morning.



Specs to come later.

Kate is never interested in me until I have a camera in front of my face.

Please check this out

You Knit What? is hilarious. For anyone who has gotten a Berroco e-mail newsletter (and been appalled), this site is for you.

Knitting Tour of Oregon

Checked out many yarn shops while in Oregon, but the best by far was Juniper Fiberworks on Century Drive in Bend. EXCELLENT selection of yarns, plenty of stock, and organized by color, which is great because I was on a quest for the perfect shade of salmon for a new sweater. As I was walking out of the store, 11 balls of Plymouth Suri Merino attacked me and demanded to be taken home. So I took them.

The suri makes it feel like angora!