Posts Tagged ‘knitpicks’

Let us Celebrate

{ 26 October 2009 @ 8:35 pm } · { knit }
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Two days, two scarves.

I won’t mention how long it took me to finish the Irish Hiking scarf (I started it in August), nor the fact that, even though I measured it and double checked with my mom how long I was supposed to make it (in her opinion, which I trust implicitly, it isn’t really a scarf unless it’s about 7′ long), I bound-off this really lovely, squishy scarf this evening, thus making two Christmas scarves done in two days.

Alas, when I measured it again (after binding off and cutting the yarn), it is only 6′ long. I’m hoping that, like Willoughby, it will stretch when I block it. But since I’m hoping for that, it will almost surely measure only 5′ after blocking. I still think it’s a great scarf, and a really cool pattern.

This scarf is especially cool because it’s reversible, thanks to the folks at Knitting Daily. In one of their e-mails at the end of July, they explained how to make the cables look good from both sides (psst… do them in k1p1 ribbing, rather than straight knit, and double the number of stitches for the cable). This, combined with the Irish Hiking Scarf pattern, made for a really cool, really warm wrap.

Irish Hiking Scarf, in Wool of the Andes (Cranberry) from Knit Picks, on size 8 needles

Now, keep in mind, if you do the reversible version, you’ll need more yarn than the pattern calls for. I honestly don’t remember how many skeins I used. I think it was about 7. I also used the “spit  splice” method of keeping my sanity after I’d finished, leaving me only two ends to weave in (one at the beginning and one at the end).

I only have 4 projects left to do before mailing all the gifts off to Wisconsin, and one of them is half done already.

60 days..

4 projects..

O crap! I’d better get knitting!  Bye!

Such Fun

{ 8 August 2009 @ 9:32 am } · { knit, spinning }
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After I received my spinning wheel, I spent a couple of days spinning, spinning. I was having a blast, trying out different ways of drafting the fiber, working with different fibers, and changing the settings on my wheel. But then I had to get back to reality and finish a costume for ComiCon for Sami, and refocus my efforts on finishing Jojo’s shawl.

Well, the costume was finished with nearly 24 hours to spare, and the shawl of doom has been completed. I’ve even taken it to knit night to show it to my friends. I’ve cast on a variety of new projects to keep me both busy and interested. And I’ve returned to my wheel.

A few posts ago I mentioned that I’d purchased a merino-Tussah silk blended top‘ (from The Black Sheep in Encinitas), and I finally started spinning it. It’s very easy to spin, and I really like the color(s).

But the colors, although lovely, are a little darker than I was hoping for. So yesterday I went to The Daily Fiber Yarn Co. in Murietta, CA, and picked up seven ounces of baby alpaca top in a silvery color.

As easy as the merino-silk blend was to spin, the baby alpaca is hard. I’m not sure if it’s slipperier or just fluffier, but the fibers drift apart constantly, and I’m having to treadle very slowly in order to draft it properly. My plan is to ply the the merino-silk with the baby alpaca in an effort to tone down the reddish-pinkness of the former. Please, if anyone reading this feels that this is a big mistake (mixing the fibers while plying), please let me know. It seems like a good idea to me, but by now you all know that my good ideas don’t always pan out.

In knitting news, I’m still working on the Latvian mittens, although there hasn’t been enough progress that you’d notice it in a photo. But I do have the scarf I’m working on for my uncle’s Christmas gift. I changed patterns (again), and now I’m using the Irish Walking Scarf, altered to be reversible.

Front of Scarf

Back of Scarf

To make it reversible, I doubled the number of stitches for the cables (originally it was 6, now it’s 12) and knit them in 1×1 rib (k1, p1). The back doesn’t look exactly like the front, but it looks better than it would have if done according to the original directions. I’m still using the Wool of the Andes from KnitPicks, and the scarf is wonderfully smooshy. What you see in the photos is how far I got with the first skein of yarn. It’s about 8 inches long, and I have 5 skeins left – I may need to order more, but this is my usual MO, so I’m not terribly surprised.

Alex went to the desert today with his brother and soon to be brother in law, so I don’t anticipate much getting done today (because I’m hanging out with Max). But during the negotiations for his adventure, I arranged to get tomorrow to myself, so I should make up some serious time.

Anything but Orange

{ 2 August 2009 @ 12:55 pm } · { knit }
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Maybe, someday way WAY in the future, I will knit something orange again. But it won’t happen anytime soon.

Here is Jojo’s shawl, washed and blocking on my bed.

Technically, it’s just drying, as it is so huge that I cannot pin it evenly. I’ve managed to talk Jojo into seeing the charm of leaving the edges ruffly. In the end, it took 6 balls of KnitPicks Palette yarn in Sweet Potato to finish, and from tip to tip is about 8 feet wide and 3 feet long. I think my gauge might have been off a bit, but since I don’t have the book with me right now (it’s all the way out in the car, and I just don’t feel like getting it), I can’t say for sure that it ended up being bigger than it was supposed to be.

But you know what?

It’s done, and Jojo is happy with it, so I’m happy with it.

I’m going to celebrate by knitting on something anything else. For all those cheering me on from cyberspace, my knit night group, and Wisconsin, I thank you for your support!

The Endless Sleeve

{ 22 July 2009 @ 9:02 am } · { knit }
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You know, I’ve never claimed to be great at math. My estimating skills, likewise, leave a lot to be desired.

Yesterday, I tried on my sweater and measured the space left between where the knitting stopped and where my wrist is. I came up with about 6.5 inches. I measured how long each pattern repeat was (1.25 inches), and did the math. According to my calculations, I had 25 rows left. I knit 10 rows during lunch, then 5 more during a break. This morning I knit 10 more, and tried my sweater on, wondering if I’d have to rip any out due to going too far.

It’s still only halfway down my forearm!! What the….?

Well, if I’d bothered to compare my math plus the number of repeats I’d already done on the sleeve with the number of repeats I’d done for the body, I’d have realized that I was WAY off. With my math, I’d end up with ~23 repeats in the sleeve. The body has 19 repeats. My arms are about 1.5x the length of my torso. That just doesn’t add up.

So, here I am, a day before the knit night where I’d planned to debut my not only finished but washed and blocked sweater, with a sleeve and a quarter still to go.

The yarn I needed to finish Jojo’s shawl arrived on Monday, but I’m still working on Sami’s costume (still stymied by the zipper).

My wheel is still in North Salt Lake City, UT, according to the FedEx tracking website. I’m hopeful that this is because it’s still en route there from New York, rather than that it’s been sitting there since Saturday, forlorn and forgotten. Tomorrow is the big day (theoretically) . I wouldn’t be able to stand it if I didn’t have a gazillion other things that needed to be done.

Today my editor was Max, who contributed by smacking the keys on the right side of my keyboard, sometimes adding a bunch of “\”, sometimes deleting a whole chunk of text. So, if any of my sentences change topic midway, it was due to Max’s fine editing skills.

Movin’ Right Along

{ 12 July 2009 @ 11:42 pm } · { knit }
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Last night, I made very little progress on the February Lady, due to the disturbingly messy state of my house. I booted my husband and Sir Max out for a few hours after it cooled down and power cleaned the bathroom, kitchen, and living room. As a reward for my very grown-up attitude and ability to concentrate on housework for three hours straight, today I knit. I knit a lot. I’m not going to count the rows again, as it’s kind of depressing to realize that, for all the knitting I thought I did, I only finished four rows. I am, however, going to show you what my progress looks like:

It now reaches the bottom of my rib cage…I’m half done!  Yay!

Although I’m very excited about the quick progress I’m making on this sweater, I long to work on something else. And it’s not like I don’t have other stuff to do. I think I’ll take the Whisper Cardigan to work with me and leave it there to knit on during my teleconferences. And as soon as I post this, I’m off to KnitPicks to order the last two balls of yarn for Jojo’s shawl (I’m kind of embarrassed that I haven’t done that yet. I’ve been waiting to see if there’s anything else I need from them. But my conscience won’t allow me to buy any more yarn until I’ve finished a few projects).

Well, I’m off to bed! Have a good Monday!!

Finally!

{ 3 July 2009 @ 11:23 am } · { knit }
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No, I’m not done with the orange monster. But I did manage to knit to the point where I don’t have enough yarn left to finish the next row! Observe, and marvel at the great pile of orange string that I’ve arranged!!

Finally, a reprieve!

You know what this means, don’t you? This means that I get to work on something else. I cast on the Meandering Vines Shawl last night . However, I’m making into more of a scarf. I have some Manos del Uruguay that has been languishing in my stash since last December. I was having problems with it. Nothing I knit came out right. But last night, I tried it one last time. I cast on 40 stitches with my lovely green yarn on size 17 needles.

It’s working! Look (I promise, not a speck of orange in this picture):

Ahhh, a change of color

In other news, I thought my spinning wheel would be shipping out to me today. Alas, it is not to be. Apparently the boat from Belgium was delayed, and they don’t anticipate shipping it out to me until the end of next week. This is especially painful because the roving I ordered from Grafton Fibers arrived today.

Isn’t it beautiful!!??

Wait…it gets even better (if you can believe it).

If only I had a wheel.

Update: Focus Restored

{ 30 June 2009 @ 8:49 pm } · { knit }
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Ha! I’ll bet you thought the orange shawl had been forever abandoned. Well, I have refocused and am making steady progress. Here are some photos of the shawl, taken just moments ago…

 
Miles and miles and miles of orange...

Miles and miles (or so it seems to me) of orange…

I can only spread out one panel at a time, otherwise the rest of it will fall off the needles.

I have to admit that this afternoon, as I was sitting outside Starbucks racing to finish the row I was on before Sami finished her Kempo lesson, with Jojo cheering me on, I was a little chilly. So when I did finish the row (not before Sami finished her lesson, but before she returned with her lovely beverage), I tried it on. Even though this yarn is thin, and the fabric is holey, this is a toasty little shawl! I’d never understood the appeal of a shawl.  Until today.

I may need to make one for myself…although not any time soon. I need to do some little projects.

It’s Max’s Fault

{ 24 June 2009 @ 10:48 am } · { knit }
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The reason I’ve not posted anything since the 10th of June is because Max the Great attacks me every time I take out my computer. He was here just a few seconds ago, laying on the bed next to me, with his face hovering above the keyboard and in front of the screen. It was most cute, but not exactly conducive to getting anything written.

Max the Great (aka Maximus Minimus Peanuticus Ambulus Rex, Max, King of the Little Walking Peanuts, or Max, Little King of the Walking Peanuts…my Latin skills are most lacking) getting up close and personal with the MacBook

Since finishing Cassandra’s baby sweater (which, by the way, was a hit. I’m glad she liked it!), I’ve been working on Jojo’s shawl. It was originally started on the 23rd of May, but at knit night, when I picked it up again, I realized I’d totally forgotten where I was and had to rip it back to the beginning. I’m now on row 117, which means there are (117*3)+6=357 stitches in this row, and increasing by 2 every other row. I have 80 rows left. Which means, on my last row, I’ll have 437 stitches. Zoinks! 

Spider’s-web shawls (half hexagon) from Victorian Lace Today (pg. 44) in Sweet Potato (KnitPicks Palette)

My sanity project, when the purling gets to be too, too much, is the latest installment of the Rockin’ Sock Club. This is an uber-fun pattern!! 

This time I’m doing one sock at a time on two circular needles (a la Cat Bordhi), and I have to admit that I like this method better than doing two at once. It’s much faster than using DPNs (but that could be the pattern), and the yarn doesn’t get into a twisted mess like it did when I did two at once. What you see above is about two days worth of knitting. That’s really impressive, considering I’m a rather pokey knitter. 

I’m trying my best to limit myself to these two projects, switching off when a single row of the shawl gets to be too, too much. But I offer no guarantees.

When we last saw Amy

{ 23 May 2009 @ 11:49 pm } · { knit }
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 she was sitting on her bed, admiring the many lovely skeins of yarn that had arrived via UPS. Tempted though she was to immediately start a project (a shawl for the lovely Miss Alex? a Latvian mitten? ), she knew she must finish the socks that she had already on the needles. 

“The socks are lovely too,” she thought. “I really would like to wear them to knit night next Thursday.  Dare I hope to knit that many rounds in just a week?”

She consulted the project sheet she’d made up for the socks, listing the total number of rows, the corresponding chart row, and which general section (leg, heel, gusset, foot) that row fell in. “Totally doable!” she quipped – to herself though, fearing the wrath of the knitting gods. She dutifully re-bagged the yarn and set it in the basket next to her bed.

This was obviously a mistake, as the yarn taunted her. “C’mon,” it said in a very sassy voice. “Just cast on the shawl. It’s six stitches – SIX!! How can that hurt? You know you can stop any time.”

“Well,” thought Amy, “that’s true. I’ll just do the cast on. Maybe the first row or two to make sure I understand the pattern. Then it’s back to the socks for me.”

Amy did more than just the first few rounds, but by Friday evening she was back at the socks. Saturday morning dawned and Amy consulted her project sheet.

“I really want to try those Latvian Mittens. I am intrigued by the braid at the cuff, and can’t wait to try my hand at knitting more than one color at a time. Alas, I don’t have any size 0 needles. I’ll go to the yarn store – after I’m done with the lovely socks – and pick some up. But wait! Today is Saturday. The yarn store is closed on Sunday and Monday. That means I’ll have to wait until Wednesday to go and get those needles. Surely I’ll be finished with the socks well before then. I know. I’ll go to the yarn store and get the needles today. I promise to myself that I will go in, nab the needles, and not even glance at any of the yarn. I won’t even sit down. Just the needles, ma’am. Then I will return home to work on those socks.”

She did, in fact, make a quick and painless trip to the yarn store, keeping true to her oath not to let her eyes wander to all the wonderful yarns that were there. Upon returning home, she set her needles and her socks down on the couch next to her. She picked up the socks, but couldn’t tear her thoughts away from the toothpick sized needles laying beside her. What will it be like to knit with something so delicate? Maybe just one row…

socks…compare to Thursday evening’s post, and you can see there’s been a bit of progress…

 here is 13 rows of chart 108 from “Latvian Mittens” by Lizbeth Upitis (with a bit of creative interpretation due to a combination of my inablitiy to either count properly or read a chart)

and my greatest transgression, about 37 rows of shawl

The next installment will have to wait until sometime on Monday, as tomorrow has been declared a knitting holiday.

Wait! before you get all excited, this means that due to the fact that my house has somehow exploded around me (read above and you’ll understand why) I will not be knitting at all tomorrow. Someone knit for me, please? I’ll live vicariously through you…

Lookit!!

{ 21 May 2009 @ 10:34 pm } · { knit }
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Guess what the UPS guy brought me today????

No, really. Guess!!

Wait. I’ll give you a clue.

Hmm. You probably won’t need anymore, but I’m so excited I’m going to give them to you anyway.

But wait, there’s more! Observe:

That’s about 15 skeins (more or less) of Palette Yarn from KnitPicks. With the exception of the Sweet Potato, which is earmarked to become a Half Hexagon Spider Web Shawl (from Victorian Lace Today by Jane Sowerby, page 45), this yarn has aspirations of someday being made into a pair (not just a lonely single) of Latvian Mittens. I can’t wait to get started, but I feel I should make a little more progress on my socks, as I’m at the point right now where I always lose interest and start something new.


Rogue Roses Socks from the Blue Moon Fiber Arts’ Rockin’ Sock Club, designed by the YarnHarlot


I have to tell you, I’m particularly pleased with the heel on these socks. I actually remembered to slip the first stitch of every row, and the result was so lovely that I’ll never forget again. Here, so I will never forget the joy of these heels, is a close up:

But wait, that’s not all!

This is the Wool of the Andes. That’s ten, count ‘em, TEN skeins. I don’t know what this wants to be yet, but I can’t wait to start it!

But first…

I must finish the socks.