Two Mostly Finished Objects

The knitting is done, but they still need to be properly blocked.

First up, we have a lacey mohair scarf that will be donated as a prize for a giveaway at the upcoming women's retreat at church. I gave it a steam block, but I think I want to do a proper blocking to open it up a little more since the yarn is so fuzzy. The pattern is my own - I just used the Arrowhead stitch pattern from the first Barbara Walker Treasury of Knitting Patterns. If anyone is interested in the actual pattern for the scarf, just let me know in the comments and I can type out what I did.

Pattern: my own
Yarn: "Portrait" by Artful Yarns, color 123 "Washington Crossing the Delaware"
Needles: sz 11 Clover straights





Next, we have a finished Diamond Fantasy Shawl (the scarf size)! No blocking done on this yet, obviously...will do that today. Easy knit, love that the border is worked along with the body and the I-cord bind-off, while tedious, is a lovely edging!

Pattern: Diamond Fantasy Shawl by Sivia Harding
Yarn: Briar Rose Fibers Sweet Freedom Superwash (fingering weight)
Needles: US sz 6 Addi Turbos



Watch for blocked pictures soon...

Pleased as Punch

Yesterday, I finally finished what I consider to be my biggest knitty achievement to date: a lace shawl. I started sometime this summer with one yarn and ended up stopping and starting over with a different yarn. There were times when I wondered if I would ever finish, but my fascination with the process and desire to see the whole thing all blocked out were stronger. I spent all day and evening on Monday doing the edging...very tedious short row stuff. I finished the shoulder edging yesterday and without thinking, started a standard bind-off. Dumb, I know. The pattern doesn't call for a specific bind-off, so I looked at a reference book and decided to try the Yarn-Over Bind Off, which worked perfectly.

OK, enough with the synopsis and on to the good stuff.

Pattern: Tiger Eye Shawl by Hazel Carter
Yarn: Zephyr laceweight in "curry"
Needles: US size 6 Addi Turbo
Finished Measurements: mine came out to be about 30.5" tall by 66" wide after a thorough blocking

Here is is blocking on my bed:


And here is the finished product (on my newly stained deck...Labor Day Weekend project that my parents and I did):




I would definitely recommend this pattern. Most, if not all, of the stitches are taken from the Barbara Walker Treasuries and since it's sort of a sampler, you get a little bit of everything. Sure, some sections get tedious, but I think you find that with most patterns in general. I ended up leaving my pattern in the plastic sleeve and using a dry erase marker to keep track of where I was in the charts - much easier than trying to use a post-it note that is losing its stickiness!

So there you have it. My first lace shawl. I'm already itching to start another one!

A Blast from the Past

I was cleaning my desk and crafty room today and happened upon this blast from the past...a counted cross-stitch I did back in 1997. I don't have the pattern information, but it's done on linen and measures about 5.5" square.

Front:


Back:


I've been very tempted lately to give cross-stitch another try. I've got too many things on my plate right now, crafty and otherwise - but maybe sometime after the new year!

My KSKS package!

My KSKS package arrived today!! My pal was Debbie and she did a great job! I got two skeins of Sweet Georgia Yarn in the Willow colorway (which is actually a bit more lime than this picture shows...so soft! I also got a set of KnitPicks size 1 dpns, a few stitch markers, a tape measure and some lovely chocolate (not shown because sadly, ants had found their way into the packaging! just the packaging of the chocolate, though...no sign of them anywhere in the rest of the box, which I thought was a bit odd). I also got a very cool project bag that Debbie made - it's even lined! The pattern she gave me is the Zigzag Cloverleaf Socks pattern by Desi Knitter...I can't wait to try these!





Thanks Debbie!!

New Finds

Today, the kids and I had to go do car stuff...emissions testing and get new tags. All of that happened to be very close to Old Time Pottery and I've been meaning to go there for a while. The main thing I was looking for was some sort of wreath or something decorative to hang on the front door. I have a lovely Christmas wreath and much as I'd like to, I just can't leave that up year-round. I did consider making my own wreath (I made my Christmas one), but wanted to look for something ready-made first.

I was quite pleased to find this! Just greenery, not seasonal and definitely to my liking:



I was also very excited to find this...a new WIP knitting basket!




Yay for new finds!

Another Solitary Sock

I swear I really am going to go back and knit the second socks to all these poor lonely socks...

Here we have the latest single sock, Hagrid. The pattern is Mock Croc Socks from KnitPicks. The yarn is Socks That Rock in the colorway Petrified Wood. Knit on size 2 needles.





Someday I will find a way to take a flattering picture of my foot.

I really, REALLY like the way this sock is constructed. It is a plain stockinette heel flap, but the flap seems much wider than others I've done and seems to fit my heel very well. The toe is a bit more round than others I've done, too. I'm eager to get started on the second sock! It's so wonderfully brown and...well...Hagrid-ish.

Go Illini!!

Hooray for finished socks!! Perfect timing, too, since my sister's birthday is 9 days away. Guess I'd better get these packed up and ready to mail soon!

In other knitty news, I picked up an old sock out of the knitting basket and am going to finish it before going back to my Ginny and Fawkes socks. I love orange and orangey shades, but I needed to look at something different for a while!

Funky Scarf Swap Questionnaire

Are you allergic to any fibers? No

Do you prefer any fibers over others? I'd rather not have acrylic, but other than that, no

Thinking back to Scout’s post about what funky means to you, post an image of something that you think is funky! Umm...will have to come back to that one...

Would you prefer funky yarn or a funky pattern? either one, really, but I do love yarn!

What are your favorite colors? I love most colors, so pretty much anything goes - no pastels, please!

What is your favorite piece of art? sorry, I'd put the image here, but am having trouble - here's the link: http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/eurptg/highlight_item.php?acc=1964.336

What colors would you never have up close to your pretty face? usually not pale pastels

Would you prefer an actual scarf or a cowl? a scarf

When you wear a scarf do you prefer a wider/shorter scarf or a thin/long scarf? I'd prefer a longer scarf, but it doesn't matter much if it's wide or thin.

What is the climate like where you live? hot summers/fairly mild winters, little to no snow

Would you prefer a functional scarf (to keep you warm) or one just to funk-up your wardrobe? either one!

What else would you like your partner to know about you? I'll probably like whatever you come up with, so don't agonize over your choices, LOL!

More Sockish Than Before

I spent some time this weekend working on my second Illini Jaywalker. I'm not sure why it was so hard to get back into knitting a sock this time. I think it has something to do with the needles I'm using - Bryspun dpns, size 2. Very, very blunt tips and a tad bit flexible. I've gotten used to the flexible part - I think my issue is with the lack of pointy tips. Anyway, I got quite a bit done on Illini2 and am almost finished with the gusset decreases! Thankfully, all the stripes are matching up perfectly with Illini1.

Here's a picture of me showing Rosemary my sock progress (click images for a closer look):



And here's a gratuitous shot of me, since I've been a Self-Portrait Sunday slacker for so long:

Slow and Steady

In order to combat Second Sock Syndrome, I am forcing myself to work on the second Illini Jaywalker. I did work on lace yesterday, but it's raining this morning so I couldn't take pics of it outside, as usual. So here you can see the slight progress I made with Illini2 last night. (pardon the bad flash) It's not much, but at least we're into the actual pattern now.



Thankfully, I did remember where in the self-striping pattern I started the first sock, so the two should match up very closely.

I'm kinda itching for a pair of knee socks sometime soon. I'm sure I'll rethink that once I'm actually knitting them, but it sounds good!

Slow Progress

What a week. We had to have our dog, Maggie, put to sleep on Friday - quite unexpectedly. We knew she had some problems, but she got very sick very quickly last week and the vet agreed that if we didn't do it, we could only try to keep her comfortable. Of course, we didn't want her to suffer or be in pain and when it was obvious that she could no longer keep food or water down, we knew it was time. Obviously, it was all very emotional and as a result, I really had no energy for knitting for a few days. Thankfully, my emotions are leveling out and I've been getting things done again.

So for the past few weeks I've been waiting for my Zephyr laceweight to arrive. In the meantime, I learned that a friend was going through a very difficult time and I was overcome with the urge to knit her something she could wrap up in. So I took out my baby alpaca and cast on for the Icarus shawl. I don't know if this will end up going to that particular friend...I hope so, but right now I'm not feeling any urgency to finish it quickly. (Click the pics for larger versions)


I also started the second Illini Jaywalker. As you can see, I haven't gotten very far. I have a bad case of Second Sock Syndrome.


Because...my Zephyr DID finally arrive!! And I can't stop looking at it! Or knitting it! My Tiger Eye shawl is now just 35 rows from being ready to start the borders!!

Fana-Lama-DingDong

It's finished!! Fana would have been completed much, much sooner, but I ran out of the cream yarn and had to order more (not available locally). I did take pictures of the last hurrah, though, so let's walk through steeking together, shall we?

Measuring and marking where the steek seams should be...note the purl rows on the top of the sleeve: this is the facing you use to cover up those unsightly armhole seams on the inside of the sweater.


Sewing the steek seam


Making the first cut


More cutting


Both steeks cut


Sewing down the facing


Close-up of the actual shoulder



The final product!!! (I'll get a picture of Ethan wearing it one of these days...right now it's just too hot for him to cooperate)


The only modification I made to the pattern was the collar. It calls for a fairly wide, double-thickness collar and we just don't need that here in TN, so I just made a regular crew neck. Perhaps not true to the Norwegian spirit, but a little more practical for the actual wearing of the sweater, I think.

All in all, this was very fun to knit and the steeking was really not that big of a deal once I was actually doing it. So if you're looking for a first Fair Isle sweater project, check out Dale of Norway's Fana!

You Know I Can't...

...just work on one thing...

First, some scribble lace! This is Rowan Kidsilk Haze and Berroco Hip Hop, worked on sz 17 needles.




Next, the start of my own Gryffindor scarf! I'm doing the 1x1 rib version with SWTC Pure Soysilk on sz 6 needles. The actual colors are a shade darker. In real life, the gold isn't bright at all.


Finally, I scrapped!!

Oh dear. What have I done?

Pardon me while I brag a bit. I don't do it often - or at least I try not to...but I'm quite pleased with myself right now. Rosemary recently decided to take on a stranded/Fair Isle (which is it??) Dale of Norway sweater and well...blame the Borg...resistance was futile and I endeavored to do the same. Thanks to Caryn's suggestions about good beginner stranding/Fair Isle projects (she suggested that it may be helpful to start with something that only uses 2 colors), I decided to tackle "Fana" from Dale of Norway. I am doing the pullover version, in the pattern's smallest child size.

I really had no idea what to expect or how many tries it might take to get the hang of using two colors simultaneously, but honestly, the biggest hurdle was simply figuring out how best to hold the yarn. I tried all the options, but being a continental knitter, I just couldn't have a yarn in my right hand. It wasn't right! So I put both in my left hand and off I went! I started early Saturday afternoon and as of 8:30 this morning, I am almost through the chest motif.





I think the inside looks quite nice, too, don't you?

Where has all the knitting gone?

I *have* been knitting...really, I have! Here's proof...my first-ever completed sweater! As you can see, Natalie was totally thrilled to be modeling her new cardigan - and pay no attention to Ethan in his jammies...







The pattern is an Ann Norling pattern for a simple, bottom-up kid's raglan sweater, with several options for gauge and style. The yarn is Araucania Nature Cotton that I rescued from Cookie A's stash! The buttons are La Mode, from JoAnn's, and I love them. The sweater did turn out a bit bigger than I anticipated, but I'm glad. I had hoped that Natalie would be able to wear it next year, too, and clearly, that will be possible.

I haven't done any sock knitting lately, but I did decide to try out Cara's idea of the log cabin using a random number generator instead of an actual pattern. Natalie has been asking for a blanket and while these colors would not be MY first choice, they are right up her alley. Since this will be an everyday, drag around the house sort of blanket, I went with Caron Simply Soft. Acrylic, yes, but should last forever.

The faces I love

Greg got a new computer (MacBook Pro) this weekend, so he and the kids decided to try out the iSight camera. Aren't they cute??

Bags!

I finally decided what to do for my KSKS pal's bag...the Tiny Happy Shoulder Bag. I love it! The pattern is easy to follow and easy to make and in fact, I've already made another bag!





Now I have almost everything for my pal...I have the bag (along with a little project bag, too), yarn, a pattern, more yarn (not sock yarn, but it's from my stash) and a little spiral-bound index card book in a plastic case (great for writing patterns in and putting in your knitting bag or purse). I have some knitting needles coming and still need to get some snack goodies.

Meet Ginny

I'd like you to meet Ginny, my new sock. I liked Rosemary's broken rib pattern so much that I decided to take the idea and run with it. Mine was modified to a long/short broken rib and I added a rolled cuff. Worked toe-up on sz 1 Addi Turbos (which are really a US 1.5). The broken rib is 12 rows of k2p2, then 4 rows of p2k2, repeated. The yarn is from the Monsoon Winds Etsy Shop. I have to say this is the best-fitting sock that I've made yet.









In other finished-object news...I give you a finished Illini Jaywalker!



I also decided to delve into my fabric stash yesterday and try out a little project bag. I received one from a fellow knitter recently and love it...simple enough to figure out the pattern, so here is mine. It's about 8.5" square - this one has a ball of kitchen cotton, the start of a dishcloth and two needles inside...just for reference.

Plugging Along

No FO's since my last entry, but I'm plugging along on several things. I started a new sock, actually, and I'm sort of making up my own pattern. I used Rosemary's Gilderoy sock as a basic concept and went from there. Mine is broken rib, too, but a bit different. Pics soon! It's a toe-up sock and I've just started into the cuff.

I realized as I listened to the new episode of CraftBorg that there are a few things that have not received any attention this week...Ribby Cardi, my new Tiger Eye shawl and Wobbly Circles. The only excuse for not touching Ribby is the aformentioned new sock that I've been distracted with. The Tiger Eye shawl is lace and therefore, tricky. I can't work on it when the kids are around - it takes too much concentration. Wobbly Circles...well...no excuse there, either. Must pick it up again this week.

I've also been putting more rounds on the first Illini Jaywalker and it's close to being ready to start the toe.

I'm trying to figure out what to do for my KSKS pal. I know what yarn I'll be giving her - it's one I have in my stash. I love it, but when am I really going to wear pastel socks? This is what I'll be sending my pal. Now the question is, what else?? I don't feel like I have any sort of grasp on what she would like in a sock bag or what her style is. Maybe I need to look at her questionnaire again...