That Little Scarf

Back in April I purchased 2 skeins of Blue Sky Alpaca Alpaca Silk in a lovely charcoaly-blue colour. I don't know the name exactly (or number if that is the way it's done) because somehow, from me taking from the shelf to the counter and home, the tag was lost. This has caused me some grief because I have an oddly difficult time ridding myself of ball bands. Usually I can part with all but one when a project is finished, but we'll get into that pathology another time.

The intent for this yarn was the first Little Nothing from the oh so talented Anne Hanson of Knitspot called That Little Scarf

A few days before I finished Icarus, I cast on for My Little Scarf. I was pleasantly surprised how quickly it knit up, with it having patterning on both RS and WS rows. I never memorized the 12 row pattern, every row is different, and I never tired of knitting it.

It was even pretty before being blocked.





I did block it though, why work that hard on a pretty lace scarf just to leave it all scrunched up? It blocked out to about 39 in, by 8.5 in.



The pattern calls for 10 repeats of the 24 row chart, I had enough yarn to do 11.



This was my first Anne Hanson project, but it won't be my last! It was very well written, with a wonderful chart.



Pattern: That Little Scarf, by Anne Hanson
Yarn: Blue Sky Alpaca, Alpaca Silk
Needles: 4mm Addi Turbo

Is it stash?

"They" say sock yarn doesn't count as stash, so maybe I haven't enhance my stash. I'm not much of a stasher, I can't look at a pattern and think 'Ooooo I have the perfect yarn for that!' because I don't. I have in the last year and a half developed a good little pile of sock yarn. Sock yarn is fun and can be used for more than socks. Speaking of socks, I'm still working on the Vintage sock with the goal of October 25, that's the next family gathering with the IL's and a good time to present MIL with the socks. Hopefully I can figure out the leaf attachment instructions well before then.

I had my BMFA coupon burning a hole in my pocket, and I placed an order just before the new seasonal colours went up (otherwise I would have probably bought A LOT more) and purchased three colours from my I Want! list.

Faulty Dyer


Pebblebeach


and Mochaberry (Love.)


Those are going in the box, someday, I will knit them. I promise.

This past Saturday was the KW Knitters fair, bigger and better with over 70 vendors. It was really nice, they had 2 rooms so the aisles were nice and big with lots of room to move around. Much squishing, squeezing and petting of yarn was done and a little bit of purchasing. My main objective was finding the perfect red in the right fibre for a scarf for my (non-knitting) SIL for her 40th birthday in January. I was hoping for something really luxurious, like a cashmere/silk or something, but the right red was very important too. We found the perfect colour in a baby alpaca laceweight, so I bought it.



I'm pretty sure I'm going to knit Fiddlehead by Anne Hanson with it.

There was also a purchase of some Jamieson Shetland Spindrift to make Brooklyn Tweed's Druid Mittens from the Fall issue of Vogue Knitting.



At the Purple Purl booth they had some Malabrigo Sock. The colours were amazing, Jen and I kept pulling out different skeins of the same colourway to show each other at the same time. It was very funny. We ended up buying the same colour too.



And, a few weeks ago (yikes, I need to stop) I bought some Cascade 220 to make Norwegian Star Earflap hats for my boys. Thanks Tiennie!

What am I actually knitting instead of just planning to knit? I'm working on a February Lady sweater in Dream and Colour Classy, Happy Forest and I have a That little scarf blocking downstairs that I finished last night. My RSC shipment should potentially come next week, so I'm not starting any socks right now.

Have a good weekend!

The sun came out today

With the sun shining again today, Icarus came out for a little photo shoot. I'm so happy with it.



I think I did pretty well for my first lace with skinny, slippery silk. The feathers are so pretty. And, it's so beautifully light and sheer.



And look at the colour (Gooseberries), and the sheen of the silk. Sundara, I thank you.



I think it just might look good on too.



Pattern: Icaraus by Miriam Felton, knit as written and had 16g of silk left
Yarn: Sundara Silk Lace, Gooseberries. Received in a Seasons I mix up, but I loved it and kept it instead of trading it for my Autumn.
Needles: 3.25 Knit Picks circular


I really enjoyed knitting this and it wasn't a difficult as I had made it out in my mind. I never used a life line, and fortunatley, didn't need one as there was no frogging, just the occasional tink here and there. I used one split ring as the shawl got bigger so I new when I was getting to the centre line and just kept moving it up periodically.

Next: Between my Blue Moon coupon burning a hole in my pocket and the KW Knitters Fair, there has been a little bit of yarn added to the house. Just a little.

A finishing flurry

I've been finishing things. Aren't you proud?



Last week it was the Aleita Shell from Interweave Knits Spring 2008. This was a spur of the momment knit, Jer says "Let's go to the yarn store for your birthday!" so I quickly find a project that isn't going to require too much yarn, nor too little yarn. Plus, we were going on vacation and it was going to be good vacation knitting. And it was, then we got home and I stopped working on it.



I decided Aleita needed to be finished, so I did. It's very quick and simple, with minimal finishing. Fits well, and should look good over a collared blouse.



KW Knitters Fair this weekend! YAY! And I'll have company/enablers this year, Mom and SIL are coming too! I might just deserve something special, since I've also finished this.

Just do it

I've been meaning to do the post for, oh, more than a week now. Sometimes you just have to do it. I'm a terrible procrastinator you see.

I watched a lot of Olympics, I know, I know, everybody does. I just love it, I laugh, I cry, I yell at the TV. I remember the two Olympics that I had tiny new babies and it gave me something to watch on TV at 3am when I was up with them (one of those tiny babies will be 8 on Saturday). I decided that my Olympics project would be my Gumdrop socks from the July RSC package. So I started with this.



Wound it up, and had it ready and waiting. I cast-on while watching the opening ceremonies and it was the only thing I knit for 10 whole days (well technically there was something else but we'll get to that later). Before too long I had this



At this point, I was very worried about running out of yarn even though my scale said I would be fine. I'm normally worried about running out of yarn, but I was REALLY worried this time. You see, I added length to the leg AND I did a flap heel instead of the short row garter heel. Short row heels just don't fit me right, as much as I would like it if they would.



And because I didn't do the garter heel, I didn't do the garter toe either. Not that that had anything to do with my yarn shortage paranoia. So I dove into sock 2 with what seemed like a too small ball of yarn (pretty yarn too), and you know what? The scale was right and I had plenty. I knit the small size and it fits fine, I might like a few more stitches on the foot to lessen the negative ease a little but they are by no means to tight.

Lessons learned?
1. Trust the scale
2. When you are only knitting one project at time, you can finish it pretty quickly
3. I have no discipline when it comes to Olympic watching and my bedtime.




Pattern: Gumdrops by JC Briar for Blue Moon Fiber Arts
Yarn: Socks that Rock Lightweight, Goody Goody, the July 2008 Club colourway
Needles: 2.25mm knitpicks circluar, magic loop
Based on the colour, I like these socks a whole lot more than I though I would. The pattern was great but even though I said I would knit all the club socks as written, I just couldn't do it this time.


Oh, and that other project, ballband dishcloths while I watch kids swim in the pool.

Two posts in one day!

That's just crazy.

I started another ballband dishcloth today. It's half done and it's wrong because I was sure I knew what I was doing. Apparently not. I'm not ripping it out, I'm just going to do the next half right. It's only a dishcloth after all.

Purple and green

First we will revisit my last completed knit, the Hedgerow Sock. I finally took some pictures of the sock on my foot. It's showing up a little more yellow than it should be I think, I love the colour of this yarn.





Pattern: Hedgerow Socks by Jane Cochran
Yarn: Sundara Sock, Mossy from the Seasons club 2007, Autumn
Needles: 2.25mm Knit DPNs

Then, while we were away I finished the May RSC socks. They are FANTASTIC, a little tight through the gusset getting them on, but just a little. They were really fun to knit and my first toe up socks so they were a great learning experience. Which was just what I was hoping for from this club and the last two socks have lived up to it.



I love the look of the gusset, but if I were to do these socks again I think I would leave out the side ladders that travel up the sides of the foot and around the edge of the gusset. I can see myself doing another one of Yarnissima's patterns Firestarter perhaps?) as I really enjoyed this knit.



The socks are fraternal for more than one reason (heehee). First, I just kept knitting on the leg of the second sock without looking at the instruction and negelected to start the transition to the 1x1 rib in the last diamond on the back. Also, I cast off purlwise on the first sock and although it's not too tight (I worked really hard to make sure it wasn't) it's not all that stretchy so I did a sewn cast off on the second sock and I like how it looks. This is the sock with the rib where it's supposed to start.



Pattern: Cleopatra's Stockings by Yarnissima
Yarn: Socks that Rock lighweight, The Incredible Shrinking Violet. The May RSC shipment
Needles: 2.5mm Knit Picks 32in circular, magic loop
Mods: I'm not normally one to modify a pattern much, but I didn't do the twisted rib on this sock. It drives be batty to knit it and I don't much like the look of it either. But I'm VERY happy with these socks!

Like I said, I finished these while we were away. And what was waiting for me when we got home? The new package, complete with two patterns, I do beleive that Gumdrops will be my Olympics project.

Happy Birthday

It was my birthday on Saturday. My IL's took the kids on Wednesday so Jer and I could go out, he mentioned that he hadn't bought me anything (it was still only the 16th and he is a man) and was there something I wanted at THE YARN STORE. So before we went to dinner we stopped at The Needle Emporium, in addition to some Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool for an Aleita Shell, I bought this



It's yummy and I love it. Happy Birthday to me.

I have also finished my Hedgerow socks but I don't have a very good picture of them yet, so this will have to to. All I can say is, I love Sundara Sock yarn. Amazing. And I love the heel flap in pattern.



Also, prepare yourselves, I finished Jer's socks. I know, crazy isn't it, I'm almost going to miss seeing them on my WIP list. Almost.



Heehee. I made him stand like that, he wasn't pleased.

We are leaving for a little vacation tomorrow. I have the second Cleopatra's Stocking to finish (the toe is done on #2), and Icarus to finish. I'm probably going to start the Aleita Shell too. That should be enough knitting for 4 days right?

A WIP post

Mostly, because nothing seems to be finished. I am failing miserably at SOS'08. I had such lofty plans then the 'must do' knitting came up and there were the 'these need to be finished before I start more socks' projects. So I'm stuck, finishing my Hedgerows that are sucking the life out of me the way Retro-Rib did, but I really like the finished sock so I persevere.



I'm really loving the Sundara sock yarn and the socks are looking really nice, I'm just about done the gusset decreases on the second sock. When these are done I will be casting on Cleopatra's stockings with my STR lightweight, The Incredible Shrinking Violet. Love. It. If all goes well, I hope to have them done by the time the July Kit arrives. I'm not really sure where May and June went, they just kind of disappeared.



I'm also plugging away on Icarus. I'm really enjoying this. I've finished all the repeats of Chart 1 and I'm about halfway through chart 2. It's getting to be rather slow going as the rows get longer and longer, but it's so so pretty. I'd love to be done for my birthday, but I'm not sure if I'm going to get enough knitting time to actually accomplish it. With the boys home from school and all that actual parenting that needs to be done. It's Sundara Silk lace from the first Seasons mailing when I recieved Spring by mistake, but I loved the Gooseberries, so I wasn't too upset.



And that is what's going on here.

The Ballband Dishcloth

So last week, after finishing the baby blanket, I got an urge to knit dishcloths. So I drove down to Mary Maxim to have a look at the Sugar'n Cream colours. I found I few that I liked, bought 4 balls and came home. As I was knitting that afternoon, I realized that I didn't yet have end of year gifts for the teachers and wouldn't this be a great idea. Too bad I didn't think of it BEFORE driving down to MM. So I finished up one for me, with the plan of hitting Michaels in the morning for some Bernat Handicrafter cotton.



The colour selection of the Bernat are a little less appealling, but I managed to find 3 combinations that I liked. A solid blue and a varigated white/blue/yellow for two.



The same solid blue and a varigated white/blue/brown.



And yellow with a varigated white/green/lighter green. This one is really cheery, but not obnoxious bright



I did two for each, with the possibility of a third if there was time. There wasn't, but I have plenty left to make at least 3 more cloths, possibly 4. I made them in co-ordinating pairs by reversing the colours (Betcha didn't figure that one out! :)), and knit them over 39 stiches instead of 45 as called for in the pattern. All in all, not a bad showing for 5 days worth of knitting. I missed the kick of of Summer of Socks but that's OK, the teachers have gifts and school is done tomorrow.

Congratulations Steve and Jenna

Friends of ours that live in Vancouver had a baby boy on May 27th. His name is Liam, he is very cute, but I'm not going to post his picture because he's not my kid. Sorry, you'll just have to take my word for it. Very. Cute.

Way back in February, I started a blanket for him. I went like crazy for awhile, then I kind of languished a little. Then I realized it was May, and the baby was due in May so I started knitting a little quicker, albeit, not quick enough.



I chose the Modern Baby Blanket from Mason Dixon Knitting, it was cute, looked like fun, and was something I had never done before. I knit an Intarsia baby blanket for my nephew in 2002, and I never want to sew together that many squares every again, this blanket, no seaming. None. I had a really hard time choosing yarn, I wanted to use the Rowan Calmer, really wanted to, but I need 12 balls and at $13/ball it just wasn't going to happen. I spent a really long time at the LYS looking at different DK-ish yarns, the washing instructions and the colours. I had already decided on the colour look I wanted and it needed to be easy to take care of, and not stretch out of shape since it was going to be fairly large. I settled on Sirdar Snuggly, acrylic, I known, but it feels nice, washes well and the colours were right. Well, as right as they could have been, the Calmer colours were RIGHT.





And it was fun, the squares (and I use that term loosely, they're acutally rectangles) started off being small and quick. Then they got bigger and took longer and longer. I'm pretty sure the second to last set (2 side by side knit at the same time) took forever. Then, it was finished and I thought I would maybe do an applied I-cord border, so, I consulted the project pages on Ravelry and I like the look of it so off I went to learn how to do it. Then to decide what colour. I laid the blanket out on the floor and consulted the boys. "Navy Blue or Brown" I asked them (7.5 and 4.5 by the way). The small one didn't have much of an opinion, but the big one said "Well, there is a lot of dark blue around the edge and not as much brown so I think it would show up better and look nicer if it were brown". I couldn't argue with that logic, Jer had been thinking blue, but had his mind changed by C.



I applied I-cord for an hour on Sunday night and didn't even make my way across one of the short sides of the blanket, very discouraging. But then Monday night I was an I-cord machine just zooming around churning it out. I had to make myself go to bed because the end was in sight and I could have stayed up to finish, but it would not have been smart. So I finished it last night. It looks so good. Other than my too-tight cast off across one of the ends that alters the square-ness of the whole thing, I'm pretty happy with it. I hope they are too.



Moderne Baby Blanket from Mason-Dixon Knitting
For Liam McKinley H.
4.5mm circular needle
Sidar Snuggly DK, Ivory, light blue, navy blue, brown

Secret Project

Well, my secret project can now be revealed since it has been given to the recipient. Although, it probably wasn't that secret since I have mentioned it here before, but after my Mom got on Ravelry I decided not to talk about it anymore in case she read this. Are you reading Mom?

For my Mom's birthday I knit her Mags Kandis' Modern Quilt Wrap. The momment I saw this pattern on Knitting Daily last summer I knew it would be perfect for my Mom, the quilter, the knitter.



I ordered the Rowan Kidsilk Haze in the colours recommended in the pattern from Webs in early September. All of it was backordered. Forever. I think it was February before I finally received it.



I started knitting March 1, with my May 29th deadline. It was slow to begin, I've never worked with Kidsilk Haze before, it's very tiny and I was using my Addis because that's what I had and I don't really like bamboo so I wasn't going to buy any unless this really wasn't going to work.



It works. And I got faster once I got the hang of it, pretty slippery though and the grey yarn was tough to see on the silver needles. I really enjoyed knitting this, I though I would get tired of mitred squares, but I think the colour changes every 5-7 rows kept the interest higher. I finished on May 1st. I wove in the ends as I went and I'm so glad I did. I think I had about 8-10 ends to sew in when I was done and after I clipped them off, I added them to the one cup of ends I already had. I don't even want to think about how many that is.



It turned out really beautifully, although, I'm a bit critical of the edges, but that's my own pathology.



Modern Quilt Wrap by Mags Kandis
From
Folk Style: Innovative Designs to Knit, Including Sweaters, Hats, Scarves, Gloves and More, but I downloaded it as a free pattern from Knitting Daily
Rowan Kidsilk Haze
4.5mm Addi Turbos

Someday soon it should stop raining and I'll show you all my unfinished "Earth" projects. And my new RSC08 yarn!

The best laid plans

My plan today was to blog about all my unfinished Project Spectrum Elements: Earth projects. But, I left my camera at my parents last night (I kind of feel like I've lost an arm) and I have no photos of said projects. They are, Hedgerow socks, Icarus shawl, and the leaves from Vintage Socks. All very earthy, all very unfinished. It's probably against the rules, but I'm thinking about extending Earth through Air, since the Air element isn't really my thing and I don't have stash that matches and I'm not going to go buy Air yarn. So my Earth, may just continue.

But for today, a non knitting PS:Earth photo, in the shape of a very noisy frog who sat on our pool shed for a very long time being very noisy.