The One Were I Admit I Am Not So Clever...

My DH is awesome.  He made me a warping board & large swifts back when I was dyeing yarns.  He is pretty nifty.  And he really tries to get me presents I really want.

But since the Littles came into the picture, half the time we have skipped presents for each other.  The kids come first.

This year, it happened he was able to splurge this Christmas.  And he knew what a headache I had been having with ball winders.  I have three since I started knitting.  Frustrating.  Mind you, none were over $25, but still. 

The first one I snapped the piece off because the yarn caught & when I tried to pull it, the piece pulled off, snapping part of the base where it attaches.  Then I tried a Knit Picks one.  Again, just seemed to wrap super tight.  I had the center piece pop off.  Also, the loop for the yarn moved all over the place.  I complained to Knit Picks and they were super & sent me a new one.

However, I had similar issues.  I was so fed up with it.  I tried unwinding the yarn from the swift.  Tried to get it to behave.  But I nearly always ended up with wonky balls with threads on the top & bottom.  I just figured it was something I was doing.

So when DH offered to get them the Strauch wooden ball winder, I was beyond thrilled.  They are pricey, but built to last longer than I am!  *grin*  So I opened it on Christmas Day.  Such a happy camper.

So I pulled some yarn from the stash & went to winding it.  It is some beautiful String Theory on their discounted SW wool/bamboo base.  So yummy.

And what should happen?  It was pulling.  It was snagging around the top and bottom.  The usual issues.  With a high end ball winder.

So I figured the issue was something I was doing with my winding.  I really thought the ball winder was just supposed to do all the work.  So clearly, there must be more to it.

Hit YouTube.  Multiple videos later, I realized that in fact I was doing things right.  So what was the issue?

The swift!

It is a good, solid wood swift.  I paid about $50 for it which is a good deal for a wooden swift.  But clearly it wasn't spinning with the ease it should be.  When a video is showing a plastic one that is working beautifully with a plastic ball winder...there is an issue.

I love the internet.  After some searching I found this:

http://www.knittersreview.com/forum/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=50453

Clearly I was not alone with my swift issue.  And luckily others had figured out a solution.

A can of Liquid Gold later, so somewhere around $2-3 later, I have a swift that moves without sticking much.  There is still a bit of grab in it, but the difference is stunning.  Two beautifully wound balls later, I am feeling both very happy and very silly. 

I really thought that the turning being stiff was normal for the swift.  Not like I had a lot of experience.  But I am feeling very sheepish after destroying multiple ball winders.  *sigh*

On the happy side, I should now be able to wind nearly any yarn without resorting to language that could make a sailor blush.  So I shouldn't have to resort to waiting til night and the kids are asleep to attempt winding yarn.  *laugh*

I am posting this now.  Wanted to talk about the sock challenge.  But I figure if I start, I won't get this posted in the next week.  *grin*

Finished Object & Fiber

Finished Object & Fiber

I finished the scarf for my friend Meredith. I think she will really like it. Though the pictures really don't do it justice. The problem with the photos is that the alpaca fiber I spun is that it is dark brown & black. So it is impossible to show it off well!

Alpaca One Row Handspun Scarf with Silk Garter Edges

Generated by Flickr Album Maker

Pattern:
One Row Handspun Scarf by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/archives/2006/10/12/one_row_handspun_scarf.html

Needles:
US 10 / 6.0 mm Knitpicks Options


Yarn:
NorthStarAlpacas Chinella's Baby Fleece Plied with Roving from Sonata & Berringer
~130.0
2 oz of each, so 4 oz. total
Purchased at
North Star Alpacas - http://northstaralpacas.etsy.com

Second Yarn:
Silk Hankie in Madrona Colorway
Purchased at
The Yarn Tree - http://www.theyarntree.com/

I really love the fiber from North Star Alpacas. I know I have mentioned Maple before, but I can't help but say it again. She has some lovely fiber.

I had spun the yarn specifically for my friend to make a scarf. I kept debating what I wanted to pattern I wanted to make given the fiber. Given NYC has been pretty cold as of late, I figured something solid would be a good idea rather than anything lacey.

The pattern was super easy so it was a fast knit.

I only cast on 22 stitches because I wasn’t sure whether I would have enough length if I did 26. It was definitely the correct choice.

For the edges, I looked at various stitch patterns. I tried casting on the silk single I had spun. But it was just way too thin in spots. It wasn’t work well. So I did a Navajo ply on the singles to create a thicker yarn.

I decided to just do garter stitch for the edge. I had tried a couple other things, but it didn’t work well. I picked up more stitches at the edge which was a mistake. The edges bell out a bit which wasn’t the intention. But I may be seeing my friend soon so I am blocking it as is. If she hates the edges, I can take them off and redo them. Or leave it plain. Though I think plain it might look a bit masculine with the brown & black.

But the main part of the scarf is luscious and super soft. The silk at the edge could be better. I do wonder if it won't haunt me enough that I will decide to redo the edges. But I have blocked it already. So I just need to step away from the project!

Fiber

I got some Tempted Hand Painted 80% superwash merino/20% Cashmere Fiber. I order it fro the The Loopy Ewe for $26 for 4 oz. So not inexpensive stuff, but for the cashmere in the blend it isn't a terrible price either. I fell in love with the red & black. Go figure. *chuckle* And the colorway is called Roxanne. As a big Police fan in my youth, it spoke to me.

Problem is when I opened up the fiber to do some predrafting, I found the dye hadn't penetrated all the way to the center of the fiber. So there are spots in the black that look brown with some white. And the red has spots that look kinda pink. The fiber from the outside looked just red & black.

Generated by Flickr Album Maker

I have dyed things so I do understand how this can happen. I had hoped it would be less noticeable once I started spinning. But there are definitely areas where the color is kinda heathered. I really wanted to Navajo ply this to keep the colors solid. But now I am not so sure.

I just wrote someone from Tempted via Ravelry. I figured the dyer at Tempted should know they need to get more dye into the center of their fiber in the future. It is my guess they didn't realize it at all given the outside was very saturated with color.

I am debating what to do with it now. I had been thinking a scarf. But now I am debating if it might be thin enough yarn for socks. I doubt it. Also, the cashmere probably won't wear well for socks. I will see what the yarn says after I ply it.

Cabled Cardigan for Littlest George

Cast On:

November 15 2008

Finished All but Buttons:

November 23 2008

Completed:

December 3 2008

Pattern:

Seed Stitch Cardigan by Sarah Hoadley

http://cache.lionbrand.com/patterns/70204A.html

Pattern used as a base, but modified a good deal

Made for:

Denny / George III

Size:

3 yrs

Needles:

US 7 / 4.5 mm & US 8 / 5.0 mm Knitpick Options

Yarn:

Bernat Silky Soft

1.4 skeins = 385.0 yards (352.0m) in 135 - Navy

&

0.3 skeins = 82.5 yards (75.4m) in 00387 - Charcoal

Purchased at Smiley's Yarns sale in NJ

I took the pattern as a starting point but didn’t use the seed stitch pattern on the body. I have modified it a good deal to fit with what I wanted to create.

I did the edging in grey & the body in navy. I chose to do a rib at the cuffs and bottom edge with the size 7 needles. The body was done with the size 8s.

I wanted an even # of stitches on the back so I increased it by 1. I figured that wouldn’t make a difference in terms of size.

I decided on a claw cable with a reverse stockinette background highlight it. The cable is a very simple repeat with only 1 of the 8 rows requiring anything other than knit or purl for all the stitches in the row. Simple was important as I knew I would be knitting a lot of this while at my work conference. So it involved a lot of knitting under the table.

I hope it fits the recipient. It looks kinda small. But the measurements are the 3 year old ones. And I measured it. It is supposed to fit. The kid is only two, but I made the larger size just in case.

I like it. Just hope the kid actually gets to wear it.

Finished & Almost Finished Projects

With my work conference last week, it was good for my knitting. I was able to knit under the table during a lot of the meetings. *grin* The funny thing is I actually pay much better attention while I am knitting than I did before. I only need to listen for a few critical things. So a lot of my time is idle and I don't need to write much. So it was good.

I finished up some projects which always feels good. *smile*

Cabled Cardigan for Littlest George

Generated by Flickr Album Maker

Cast On:

November 15 2008

Finished All but Buttons:

November 23 2008

Pattern:

Seed Stitch Cardigan by Sarah Hoadley

http://cache.lionbrand.com/patterns/70204A.html

Pattern used as a base, but modified a good deal

Made for:

Denny / George III

Size:

3 yrs

Needles:

US 7 / 4.5 mm & US 8 / 5.0 mm Knitpick Options

Yarn:

Bernat Silky Soft

1.4 skeins = 385.0 yards (352.0m) in 135 - Navy

&

0.3 skeins = 82.5 yards (75.4m) in 00387 - Charcoal

Purchased at Smiley's Yarns sale in NJ

I have finished everything but the buttons. I need to buy some for it.

I took the pattern as a starting point but didn’t use the seed stitch pattern on the body. I have modified it a good deal to fit with what I wanted to create.

I did the edging in grey & the body in navy. I chose to do a rib at the cuffs and bottom edge with the size 7 needles. The body was done with the size 8s.

I wanted an even # of stitches on the back so I increased it by 1. I figured that wouldn’t make a difference in terms of size.

I decided on a claw cable with a reverse stockinette background highlight it. The cable is a very simple repeat with only 1 of the 8 rows requiring anything other than knit or purl for all the stitches in the row. Simple was important as I knew I would be knitting a lot of this while at my work conference. So it involved a lot of knitting under the table.

I like it. Though I think I should have gone up a needle size. It is a bit stiffer than I would have liked.

The yarn isn't ideal. It is okay. But I stuck with acrylic as it is easily machine washable. I think it was the smarter move. However, I really wish it was softer.

Scallop Scarf in Three Bags Full Handspun

(The pics are the first batch of blocking I did. I need to retake them later.)

Generated by Flickr Album Maker

Cast On:

November 22 2008

Completed:

November 25 2008

Pattern:

Scallop Scarf by Wendy Johnson

from Wendy Knits: My Never-Ending Adventures in Yarn (Picked up book on free shelf at work)

Made for:

Me Probably

Size:

62" x 6" (could have been 85" x 5" but reblocked to make shorter)

Needles:

US 13 / 9.0 mm Knitpicks Options

Yarn:

My Handspun made with Three Bags Full Silk and Wool Roving in the Midnight Magic

0.88 skeins = 154.0 yards (140.8m)

Purchased at Rhinebeck 2008 (think from Carolina Homespun but not 100% certain)

Super simple pattern. Easy to memorize. And given the bulky yarn, it was very quick to knit.

I debated a lot what I wanted to do with this yarn. I really love how soft and squishy it is. It feels lovely with the silk and has a subtle sheen to it.

I wanted something that would highlight the yarn. But I couldn't do anything too complex because the yarn isn't very even. Also, I didn't think given the woolen spin on the yarn that anything with a lot of stitch definition would work well.

I decided this was simple yet pretty. I think it will come out well. I just hope it doesn't roll too much. But I think the garter edge will help it to stay flat.

I think it looks good. I was concern that there is enough to make a decent length scarf. I actually have about 1/2 an oz left.

I had to redo the blocking. The first time it was too long (85"). I didn't want that much length as this is a decorative scarf. So I reblocked it. It is now 62" which is a much better length for a decorative scarf. Though it doesn't show the pattern as much, it looks good.

Slip Stitch Dish Towel

Cast On:

November 15 2008

Completed:

November 18 2008

Pattern:

Textured Slip Stitch by Dishcloth Boutique

http://www.groupepp.com/dishbout/kpatterns/texturedss.html

Made for:

Cullen Probably

Needles:

US 7 / 4.5 mm Knitpicks Options

Yarn:

Lily Elite Cotton - Dyed by Me

1.2 skeins = 220.8 yards (201.9m)

Purchased at Smiley's Yarns sale in NJ

Cull likes Xmas stuff so I figured the red & green would work for her. I hope she likes it. I might switch some of the red & green dish towels around if I think there is a better fit. But probably staying with Cull on this one. We will see.

Very simple pattern. Was even able to do it at conference, under the table. *grin*

17" x 8" before washing & drying. Suspect it will shrink some with machine drying.

Quick Project Update

I really shouldn't be spending time with this. I have to finish up stuff for my work conference next week. But if I don't post this now, I won't get around to it at all.

Honestly, I don't think the pics are as true to color. I took them in a different area which has fluorescents. Definitely not taking more there. I didn't have a lot of time to tweak them.

Christmas Lace Kitchen Hand Towel Xmas Present

Cast On:

November 9 2008

Completed:

November 11 2008

Pattern:

Christmas Lace Kitchen Hanging Hand Towel by Cathy Waldie

http://wishingiwasknitting.blogspot.com/2008/04/christmas-lace-kitchen-hanging-hand.html

Made for:

Sister-in-law Andrea

Needles:

US 7 / 4.5 mm Knitpicks Options

Yarn:

Lily Elite Cotton

~0.82 skeins = 150.9 yards (138.0m)

Dyed by me for sister-in-law

Purchased at Smiley's Yarns Sale in NJ

Yarn dyed by me to compliment Andrea’s kitchen.

I was worried I wouldn’t have enough yarn for entire project. But it worked out fine, even a bit to spare.

Size - 12" wide, 13" long on towel with additional 3" on loop.

I think it would be better if the strap were thicker. If I ever redo the pattern, I would go with at least 2-4 more stitches for the strap.

Purple Circular Scrubbie

Cast On & Finished:

November 11, 2008

Pattern:

Circular Scrubby Pattern by Gwen Bortner

http://tankhouse.knitability.com/freepatterns/DishClothDuo.pdf

Made for:

Sister-in-law Kelly

Needles:

US 10 / 6.0 mm Knitpicks Options

Yarn:

Lily Elite Cotton

~ 0.08 skeins = 14.7 yards (13.5m)

Dyed by me for sister-in-law

Purchased at Smiley's Yarns Sale in NJ

Cast on 30 stitches & did 22 repeats to get a decent size. Original pattern makes one that is very small.

It puffs up a bit. I am not sure why exactly as I was careful when sewing the seams together. Might need to tweak the repeats more or something.

Yarn dyed by me as my SIL likes purple.

Reverse Diamond Towel Xmas Present

Cast On:

November 11, 2008

Pattern:

Reverse Diamond Towel by Vaunda Rae Giberson

http://www.groupepp.com/dishbout/kpatterns/reversediamondtowel.html

Made for:

Sister-in-law Kelly

Needles:

US 7 / 4.5 mm Knitpicks Options

Yarn:

Lily Elite Cotton

~0.88 skeins = 161.9 yards (148.1m)

Dyed by me for sister-in-law

Purchased at Smiley's Yarns Sale in NJ

Making for my sister-in-law for Xmas. Not a bad project. Though it was weird. I had some trouble counting row 5 or 6. Messed it up a bunch of times. *shrugs* Just one of those weird moments. *chuckle*

Productive Weekend

First I have to say thanks to Nils at Babe Fiber Garden. The replacement bracket & bolt for my Babe Production Double Treadle wheel arrived Friday. My darling husband Paul replaced it for me on Saturday. And it is working like a dream again. So I am back to spinning which is happy! *wiggles happily*

I spent a good portion of the weekend knitting Xmas stuff. I am pretty happy with the results so far.

I found a scrubbie pattern that works pretty well.

http://tankhouse.knitability.com/freepatterns/DishClothDuo.pdf

After looking at the Ravelry images of the scrubbie, I decided follow someone's suggestions for a larger size one.

Blue Xmas Scrubbie

Cast On & Completed:

November 7 2008

Pattern:

Circular Scrubby by Gwen Bortner

http://tankhouse.knitability.com/freepatterns/DishClothDuo.pdf

Made for:

Sister-in-law Jennifer

Needles:

US 9 / 5.5 mm Knitpick Options

Yarn:

Lily Elite Cotton

Dyed by me

0.08 skeins = 14.7 yards (13.5m)

Purchased at Smiley's Yarns Sale in NJ

Super quick and easy.

Cast on 25 stitches and did 22 rows. It is still kinda small. Good thing SIL has small hands.

Yarn dyed blue by me especially for SIL (to match her kitchen colors).

Ostrich Plume Dish Towel Xmas Present

Cast On:

November 4 2008

Completed:

November 7 2008

Pattern:

Ostrich Plume Dishcloth by Edith Taylor

http://www.groupepp.com/dishbout/kpatterns/ostplume.html

Made for:

Sister-in-law Jennifer

Needles:

US 7 / 4.5 mm Knitpicks Options

Yarn:

Lily Elite Cotton

Dyed by me

0.92 skeins = 169.3 yards (154.8m)

Purchased at Smiley's Yarns Sale in NJ

Yarn dyed blue by me especially for SIL (to match her kitchen colors).

I made a dish towel rather than a dishcloth. I had enough yarn for that & a scrubbie.

Size: 8" x 20"

Grey Xmas Scrubbie

Cast On & Completed:

November 8 2008

Pattern:

Circular Scrubby by Gwen Bortner

http://tankhouse.knitability.com/freepatterns/DishClothDuo.pdf

Made for:

Sister-in-law Bren & Husband Martin

Needles:

US 10 / 6.0 mm Knitpick Options

Yarn:

Lily Elite Cotton

Dyed by me

0.08 skeins = 14.7 yards (13.5m)

Purchased at Smiley's Yarns Sale in NJ

Cast on 30 stitches & did 24 repeats to get a decent size. Original pattern makes one that is very small.

It puffs up a bit, but I think that is because I didn't sew the edges together exactly right.

Yarn dyed by me to accent SIL's kitchen.

Basket Rib Dish Towel

Cast On:

November 8 2008

Completed:

November 9 2008

Pattern:

Basket Rib Hand Towel by Traci Heiner

http://traciknits.blogspot.com/2008/05/basket-rib-hand-towel-free-pattern.html

Made for:

Sister-in-law Bren & husband Martin

Needles:

US 7 / 4.5 mm Knitpicks Options

Yarn:

Lily Elite Cotton

Dyed by me

0.08 skeins = 14.7 yards (13.5m)

Purchased at Smiley's Yarns Sale in NJ

Size: 10" x 18"

Fast & easy. Kinda glad I decided on dishtowels. They are going pretty quickly.

Yarn dyed by me. Done in colors to reflect SIL's countertop. Honest, I don’t think it does.

It was supposed to be darker. Still, I think the colors look good & the recipients will like it. *crossed fingers* (Okay, let's be honest, my BIL could care less. *smirk*)

Brown Xmas Scrubbie

(Pic shows the three I have done together. Shows the differences in size.)

Cast On & Completed:

November 8 2008

Pattern:

Circular Scrubby by Gwen Bortner

http://tankhouse.knitability.com/freepatterns/DishClothDuo.pdf

Made for:

Sister-in-law Andrea

Needles:

US 10 / 6.0 mm Knitpick Options

Yarn:

Lily Elite Cotton

Dyed by me

0.08 skeins = 14.7 yards (13.5m)

Purchased at Smiley's Yarns Sale in NJ

Cast on 30 stitches & did 22 repeats to get a decent size. Original pattern makes one that is very small.

It puffs up a bit, but I think that is because I didn't sew the edges together exactly right.

Yarn dyed by me to accent SIL's kitchen.

Trellis Sweater

Cast On:

October 4, 2008

Nearly Completed:

October 13, 2008 (all but the buttons and overdyeing)

Completed (finished overdye & buttons):

November 7, 2008

Pattern:

Trellis by Britta Stolfus Rueschhoff

http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEspring05/PATTtrellis.html

Made for:

Michael & Jen's Newest Leah

Size:

Smallest

Needles:

US 7 / 4.5 mm Knitpicks Options

Yarn:

TLC Cotton Plus Solid in 3810 light blue

~1 skeins = 178.0 yards

Purchased at Smiley's Yarns Sale in NJ

Friday, I stopped by the Point while out during my lunch hour. I found the buttons on this sweater. They are too busy for the sweater. But I know the mom loves busy stuff, so she will like it I think. They also are similar to the buttons on the sweater I knit for her sister for Xmas. http://knittnkitten.blogspot.com/2008/06/trinitys-tomten-done.html

I had finished all but the dying and buttons by October 13. It was a pretty quick project.

I wanted to start on some more Xmas knitting. I have completed the sweater for Trinity, Michael & Jen’s daughter who is about to turn 1. I wanted to do something for their boy who was due in this fall.

I was told when I was visiting my family in Easter that it was a boy. No one told me otherwise. So I made a blue sweater. Then I got the call. It is a girl. Ummm…excuse me?! blink

I dyed the sweater to purple. It looks good. The nylon didn’t take the dye so there is an interesting heather affect to the yarn.

I am glad it looks okay because there was no way I was redoing it at this point. I have enough other Xmas knitting to do.

I did a search on baby projects in the TLC Cotton Plus and found the Trellis sweater. It looked really attractive so I decided to try it.

I sorta wish I had done a bigger size. Knowing Michael & Jen’s daughter Trinity is large, I should have anticipated a big baby. Plus it could have been worn later. But ah well. Honestly, I don’t know if they even liked the sweater I knit for Trinity last Xmas. So I don’t want to spend tons of time on it if it will never get worn.

I confess I am not thrilled with the way the pattern is written. I finally sat down and marked up the pattern with the row #s. I am not sure why the writer wrote it without the row #s. Other than that though, the pattern is great. And I love the way it turned out.

(Though heaven knows if I had known it was a girl I would have done something lacier. Ah well. *shakes head*)

So all in all, it was a super productive weekend. I am happy that I got so much done & am back to spinning again. Hooray!

Dyed Yarn & Xmas Knitting

Here are some pics of the Lily Elite Cotton yarn I dyed over the weekend.

Generated by Flickr Album Maker

Some are much lighter after they dried than I anticipated. But I am pretty happy overall with the colors. Other than the red. It is a bit too light for my tastes. Problem was I ran low on the Fire Red dye that I was using. I added some fuscia red dye to it. But it still seems to pale. But it is bright enough that I think it will be good as a Christmas red. *crosses fingers*

I dyed it with the intention of creating dish cloths/towels for some people as Xmas presents. I hope that will be enough. I confess I am feeling tapped out money wise. So that may be all some people get. Though I am betting other people are in a similar situation this year. So I am not going to stress it.

(I can post this on here because non-knitters I know do not read this. And if you are a knitter who will be getting a present from me, you should know this won't be your present! *grin*)

I started with one for my sister-in-law. Only to rip the entire thing out and pick another pattern.

The first pattern I picked was:

http://www.jimsyldesign.com/dishbout/kpatterns/smocked.html

Pretty, but I realized the carried over strands that are picked up are a terrible idea for a dish towel! It would get caught on anything like utensils and such! Not sure why so many people have made that one on Ravelry. I think it would be fine as a washcloth, but not a dishcloth in my opinion.

I end up doing this one instead:

http://www.jimsyldesign.com/dishbout/kpatterns/ostplume.html

It is simpler than it looks but pretty. I think my sister-in-law will like it. *crosses fingers*

Ostrich Plume Dish Towel Xmas Present

Cast On:

November 4 2008

Pattern:

Ostrich Plume Dishcloth by Edith Taylor

http://www.jimsyldesign.com/dishbout/kpatterns/ostplume.html

Made for:

Sister-in-law J

Needles:

US 7 / 4.5 mm Knitpicks Options

Yarn:

Lily Elite Cotton - Dyed by Me

1 skeins = 184.0 yards (168.2m)

Purchased at Smiley's Yarns in Woodhaven, New York

The purple, brown & mixed grey and other colors are for some of my other in-laws. The brown & grey were to compliment their kitchen colors. (Though I am not sure about the grey one. I will knit it up, but it may end up getting redyed or some The purple is just because I know my sister-in-law likes purple. I am figuring the red & green for some Xmas towels.

I still have 4 balls of the Lily Elite Cotton that isn't dyed. I am debating what I will do. One of my sister-in-laws like cows. So I was thinking about doing something about that for one of them. But I didn't dye that up. I was originally thinking about knitting it first and then dyeing it. But now I am thinking it would make more sense to dye it first.

I will see if I have any left over brown from the one. Also, there is a Smiley sale the first week of December. So I can check if they have more of the cotton in other colors.

I used up all my black dye, the fire red and some others during the dyeing over the weekend. So I either need to replenish it or just go with what I have for the time being. I have plenty of knitting ahead of me. So we will see. *smile*

Also, here is a pic of the Panda Cotton sock blank I dyed over the weekend.

Sock Blank Purchased from Whimsy Pimsy etsy shop:

http://WhimsyPimsy.etsy.com

I am honestly not sure about the colors. They aren't what I was expecting. But I think it will be interesting.

I am leaning towards doing something like a chevron to get movement to the stripes. But I also do not want anything too complex given this will be my first time knitting with a sock black.

The Sock Knitters Anonymous KAL for Nov. is either a Wendy Johnson pattern or mosaic knitting. I am very tempted by mosaic knitting but do not have yarn for it. I was thinking about using one of the Wendy Johnson toe up patterns and adding a chevron to it. I am a bit tempted by her toe-up feather and fan pattern. But I suspect that would be too busy for the yarn.

Two Projects Not Like Each Other...

*in the Seasame Street song tune*

One of these projects is not like the other, one of these projects does not belong...

I have two projects. One done. The other nearly done. Just needs buttons and something very weird for a nearly finished project... *sigh*

The one that is done is the one I adore. *happy dance*

Decadent Fibers Handspun Simple Shawl

Generated by Flickr Album Maker

Cast On:

October 14, 2008

Completed:

October 17, 2008

Pattern:

La La's Simple Shawl by Laura Linneman

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/la-las-simple-shawl

Made for:

Me

Needles:

US 10 1/2 / 6.5 mm Knitpicks Options

Yarn:

My Handspun Made with Decadent Fibers Jelly Roll

Custom Dyed for Me in Black/Purple/Burgundy

~675.0 yards

http://www.decadentfibers.com/wool.htm

Sometime around the Friday before Rhinebeck (Oct. 3rd), I thought it would be great to finish spinning the pound of fiber I got from the Decadent Fibers. They will be at Rhinebeck and I would love to show them how beautifully the colors were on the fiber they custom dyed for me!

So I really wanted to knit something to wear at Rhinebeck. Of course I hadn't finish spinning all the fiber until a day I started knitting it! (And it had to dry after soaking it.)

It is a super easy pattern so I can knit it anywhere. It is kinda ideal knitting for my vacation week. I can catch up on some movies and clearing off the dvr while working on it.

Though like every triangular shawl, as it gets wider, each repeat takes longer. I really wanted to finish it Thursday so it would have enough time to dry while blocking it. But at 1:00, I was messing up a very simple pattern. So I knew it was time for sleep.

I was able to soak it by Friday at noon. I tried to get as much water as possible out after soaking it. I had to hope it would be dry by Saturday so I could to wear it at Rhinebeck. Luckily it was!

Though on the funny side, I wasn't able to show the Decadent Fiber people. Their booth was busy the two times I went by. And they didn't have roving in colors I wanted. So I didn't make any purchase there. But I am still really happy I finished it. I really adore it.

The length is longer that I had anticipated once I blocked it. I like a lot of length so I am hopeful it will be good. It turned out to be 40”. The width is about 72”. So it is very cozy. I was warm enough all day at Rhinebeck and there was a chill to the air. Definitely a piece I love.

I love the way the fiber looks. There is some great striping of color too (which part of the reason I picked the pattern).

For the bottom edge, the pattern says to do the 5 rows of garter & bind off. I wanted something more open. I did a row of YO & K2tg, then bound off the edge. I like that it gives it a nice finished edge. I was going to do that at row 5 of the garter repeat. But I was running out of yarn so I did it at row 3 instead. I think it looks better with that edging.

Trellis Baby Sweater for Xmas Present

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Cast On:

October 4, 2008

Nearly Completed:

October 13, 2008 (all but the buttons and overdyeing)

Pattern:

Trellis by Britta Stolfus Rueschhoff

http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEspring05/PATTtrellis.html

Made for:

Michael & Jen's Newest, Leah

Size:

Smallest

Needles:

US 7 / 4.5 mm Knitpicks Options

Yarn:

TLC Cotton Plus Solid in 3810 light blue

~1 skeins = 178.0 yards

Purchased at Smiley's Yarns Sale in NJ

I wanted to start on some more Xmas knitting. I have completed the sweater for Trinity, Michael & Jen's daughter who is about to turn 1. I wanted to do something for their boy who was due in this fall.

I swear that Michael told me they were expecting a boy while I was visiting my family in Easter. No one told me otherwise. So I made a blue sweater. Nice cables for a boy.

Then I got the call. It is a girl. Ummm…excuse me?! *blink*

I am going to dye the sweater to purple. I am curious how it will come out. I am hoping it will look good. And hey, if not, I am not redoing it at this point. I have enough other Xmas knitting to do.

I sorta wish I had done a bigger size. Knowing Michael & jen's daughter Trinity is large, I should have anticipated a big baby. Plus it could have been worn later. But ah well. Honestly, I don't know if they even liked the sweater I knit for Trinity last Xmas. So I don't want to spend tons of time on it if it will never get worn.

I did a search on baby projects in the TLC Cotton Plus and found the Trellis sweater. It looked really attractive so I decided to try it.

I confess I am not thrilled with the way the pattern is written. I finally sat down and marked up the pattern with the row #s. I am not sure why the writer wrote it without the row #s. Other than that though, the pattern is great. And I love the way it turned out.

(Though heaven knows if I had known it was a girl I would have done something lacier. Ah well. *shakes head* I should know better than to listen to Michael!! *laugh*)

Other Projects

I actually have another project that is almost completed. I am doing a two color Xmas stocking. I started it for the October Sock Knitters Anonymous KAL on Ravelry. I need to add an i-cord loop. But otherwise that is done too.

The only big project is the black alpaca sweater. It is a nice, simple, mindless project. I think the sleeves are done. But I left them on the cable from the interchangeable Knitpick needles and just put caps on them in case I decide after the body is done that I need more (or even less) length.

I have cast on the back & need to cast on the sides. I figure if I do them all at the same time, I can tweak it as I go along. I am hoping it comes out well. *crosses fingers*

Works in Progress

I currently have two works in progress. But still no socks on my needles. *gasp*

I wanted to start on some more Xmas knitting. I only thing I have completed so far is a baby sweater for Trinity. She is my nephew Michael & his wife Jen's daughter who is about to turn 1. I wanted to knit something for their baby boy who is due in November.

Cast On:

October 4, 2008

Pattern:

Trellis by Britta Stolfus Rueschhoff

http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEspring05/PATTtrellis.html

Yarn:

TLC Cotton Plus Solid in 3810 light blue

Guessing it will take about 2 skeins = 356.0 yards

Purchased at Smiley's Yarns Sale in NJ ($4 for 3 skeins, got 6 which is more than enough)

Needles:

US 7 / 4.5 mm Knitpicks Options

I did a Ravelry search on baby projects in the TLC Cotton Plus and found the Trellis sweater. It looked really attractive so I decided to cast it on.

I sorta wish I had done a bigger size. Trinity was already wearing 9 month clothing when she was three months old. I should have anticipated a big baby. Plus it could have been worn later. But ah well. Honestly, I don't know if they even liked the sweater I knit for Trinity last Xmas. So I don't want to spend tons of time on it if it will never get worn.

I confess I am not thrilled with the way the pattern is written. I finally sat down and marked up the pattern with the row #s. I am not sure why the designer wrote it without the row #s. Other than that though, the pattern is great. And I love the way it is turning out.

I admit I almost didn't do it as it is pieces. And I have sewing the pieces together at the end. But it is a nice pattern. So I am hopeful it will work out well.

Mind you, I really should finish the sleeves for the black alpaca sweater to see how much yarn I have left. I could pick up another color at Rhinebeck if needed. But then again, I do have a lot of black alpaca fiber so I can spin something to compliment it. Not saying I can spin it as fine or even as the stuff I have! Not by a long shot. But I can create something to compliment it. I figure I could use it for edging if needed.

Heaven knows even with only the four skeins I have (after losing one), it should still be around 2750 yards. In theory, it should be enough for a sweater. *crosses fingers* I will just have to see.

Arrow Socks Completed

I finished the Arrow socks for my friend Meredith on Monday. I just got around to taking pics of them.

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Cast On:

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Completed:

Monday, August 25 2008

Pattern:

Arrow Socks (ravelry link)

From Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch

Made for:

My friend Meredith

Size:

10 3/4" ankles, but 9" at ball of foot

Needles:

Knitpicks Options & Harmony US 1 1/2 / 2.5 mm needles

Done 2 socks on 2 circs

Yarn:

Base yarn -

Cosmic Fibers Bamboo Sock

1 skeins = 385.0 yards (352.0m)

Purchased at Dharmafey's Cosmic Fibers - http://cosmicfibersyarn.etsy.com

Colorway -

Chocolates - dyed by me, not Dharmahey

The challenging part of these socks was that my friend's ball of the foot is 1 3/4" narrower than her ankle. Luckily she pointed out she has wide ankles. Otherwise I wouldn't have measured them and the socks wouldn't have had a prayer of fitting. I am still hoping they will fit her well. I see her tonight and will give her to her.

Cast on 80 sts. I am hopeful they will stretch enough for her ankles and calves. *crosses fingers*

I decreased after the gusset to get the foot more narrow. But I didn't want to lose the pattern on the top of the foot. So the bottom is less stitches than the top. I think it worked out alright. It wasn't such a huge difference. So she won't be stepping on the pattern. I think it will be okay.

It is definitely harder making socks for someone else. When I make them for myself, I can try them on and make sure they fit properly. But with someone else, you just have to hope the measurements are good and that it all works out.

The yarn is a bamboo/superwash wool/nylon blend that I dyed myself. Meredith wanted browns & black so that is what I did for her. I actually really like the way the yarn looks. It isn't my colors but I like it.

The pattern isn't too complex, just long (16 rows). Rows 1, 3 & 5 are just knitting. 2, 4, 6 are different. Then 7-16 alternate rows. It became easier to remember most lines of the pattern which helped. But I still needed to have it by my side while knitting it. I know a lot of people memorize far more complex repeats. I am just not one of them it seems.

I feel like these socks took longer than they should have. I suspect part of that was I started them while in the midst of the Tour de Fleece. That took a lot of my knitting time. I did finish them before the end of August. So they are done for the July Sock Knitters Anonymous KAL (you have two months for any KAL).

Of course now I am wondering what to cast on next. Hmmm. I was really learning towards doing something with the Scout's Swag Soctoberfest colorway I got from Silvercat. It has some orange in it which would be nice to wear around Halloween.

Though this morning I was working on plying the superwash wool I spun. So I am debating knitting socks with that instead. I am doing my first 3-ply. So I suspect they are house socks, not outside socks. The yarn is pretty thick for socks. They should be a quick knit.

I also have the other batch of bamboo/superwash wool/nylon blend yarn that I dyed . I really like the colors. Dark and moody. I am leaning towards doing those in the Zombie sock pattern. Unfortunately for non-Ravelry, it only seems to be available as a Ravelry download.

The September KAL is either orange socks or a Cookie A. pattern. I could do another Cookie pattern, but I just don't think that is what I want to do with the yarns I want to use next.

Of course I am also thinking I really should cast on a sweater already! I keep saying I will and avoiding it. Part of it is that I lost the alpaca sweater I started. But part is because I fear I will never actually finish an adult sized sweater! *chuckle*

Decisions decisions... Whee!