Foxy Knitter

Self-Striping Socks

2012-02-04T10:56:00.002-06:00

These socks are all going to Afghans for Afghans for their February campaign. They want stuff for older kids, age 7-16 years, and they always need socks. Luckily, I always seem to have a ton of sock yarn in the stash, so I'm making some in various sizes.

The deadline is February 29, and I'll definitely finish the current pair on the needles and make another one before then. If I make the effort to go to a coffee shop so I can knit without interruptions, I could probably do a fifth pair by the deadline. Sorry this isn't more interesting, but this is all I've been doing since I finished with the Christmas ornaments.

Last 2 Xmas Balls for a While

2012-01-10T18:40:00.003-06:00

I finished stuffing these Sunday night while watching the season 2 premiere of "Downton Abbey." I love those overwrought British soaps. Anyway, here you go:

The pattern for the lilac and white one is "Christmas Stocking" (although it looks more like windmills to me), and the red and white one is "Peppermint Pig." I've had a lot of fun making these, but I'm ready do something else for a while. I'm also nearly out of fiberfill stuffing. I used almost an entire quilt's worth on this project.

Two Nature-Themed Christmas Balls

2012-01-07T10:58:00.005-06:00

Last night I took down the Christmas decorations, which always makes me sad. But that hasn't stopped me from continuing to work on Christmas balls. These two are nature themed.

The gold and white one is called "Pine Cone" and the green and white one is obviously a squirrel. I decided to knit the squirrels in white against a dark background in honor of the colony of albino squirrels in Olney, Illinois.

I have one more ball ready to be stuffed and one more on the needles. Pictures will be posted.

Another 2 Xmas Balls

2011-12-26T16:23:00.003-06:00

I finished stuffing two more balls last night.

The one on the left is the Greek Cross, and the one on the right is called "Dancing Around the Tree." Apparently, the dancing one is based on the original ball that Arne & Carlos designed for Comme des Garcons a few years ago, which led to the idea for them to do their book.

I have a third ball knitted but it isn't stuffed yet. No joke--it takes almost as long to stuff them as it does to knit them. Anyway, when I get that one stuffed, I'll post a picture. And I've already decided which one I'm going to knit next. Christmas doesn't officially end until January 6, with the Feast of the Epiphany, so I plan to churn out as many Christmas balls as possible until then. After that I'll try to knock out a pair of socks or two in time for the February campaign for Afghans for Afghans.

Two More Christmas Balls

2011-12-13T21:04:00.003-06:00

I've been knitting more of those Arne & Carlos Christmas balls. These are for gifts.

The red and white one is called Poinsettia and the lavender and white one is called Frost. I wanted to use nontraditional colors for at least a few of these balls, and the lavender is pretty, but now I'm wishing I had gotten a darker color so the pattern would stand out more. Oh, well. Live and learn. I've already started another ball that I plan to keep for myself. A picture will be posted when it's done.

Three Days, Three Balls

2011-12-02T17:04:00.005-06:00

It's official: I am obsessed with the Arne & Carlos Christmas ornaments. Behold:

I knit the Snow Crystal ball (red and white) on Monday, the Selbus ball (green and white) on Tuesday, and the Tricolor ball (no explanation needed) on Wednesday. Then last night I stuffed them--they taking a lot more stuffing than I was expecting, and now that I look at it, the Snow Crystal ball could use some more--and crocheted and sewed on the hanging loops. Each ball only took 3 hours to knit, even accounting for feline interruptions.

This is how I'm displaying them, alongside my (faux) Russian nesting dolls.

Aren't they adorable? I'm beside myself with glee at how well they turned out and how great they look on display. I will definitely knit some more as hostess gifts (and probably a few more for myself). All other projects are hereby being shunted aside for the rest of December!

Let the Christmas Knitting Begin!

2011-11-28T17:23:00.003-06:00

Look what arrived in the mail from Knit Picks today.

EEEEEEE!!! I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am about this. It's rare that I buy a book of knitting patterns without looking at it in person first, but when I read the review of this book in Vogue Knitting, I knew I had to have it. I did try to buy it from my local yarn shop but they didn't have it in stock yet and I wasn't willing to wait. Tonight as soon as I'm done with dinner, I'm parking on the couch and trying my hand at one of these ornaments. The only problem is that they're all so dang cute that I can't decide which one to do first.

My Knit Picks Wish List

2011-11-10T15:17:00.002-06:00

http://www.knitpicks.com/cfCart/viewWishlist.cfm?wishlistid=8F56B398-C298-8ED7-07280D3962E0A487&media=WLBL

Quickie Projects

2011-10-22T08:21:00.004-05:00

Once again, I knit these scarves weeks ago but just now am getting around to posting the pictures. I'm a slacker, I know.

First, I found a skein of teal Berroco Zen (which, sadly, has been discontinued--it was a beautiful ribbon yarn) in my stash and decided to make a scarf for a friend's birthday. I used really big needles and cast on just 10 stitches to make a long, skinny, lacy scarf. She was thrilled when I gave it to her.

Back on September 24, I went with a couple of friends to the Chicago Yarn Con at the Pulaski Park field house. Naturally, I had to buy something, but I was very restrained and bought only 2 skeins. One of the skeins had just 62 yards, so I decided to make a cowl out of it. I cast on just 75 stitches, but somehow it ended up long and skinny instead of, well, a cowl.

It's fine. I can wrap it around my neck twice, but it's not what I had in mind. If the yarn were smoother, I would rip it out and start over, but it's one of those novelty yarns that just comes apart if you try to rip it. It's my own fault for not doing a gauge swatch.

I'm still working on that sweater/vest for myself. When I get the body done, I'll post a picture. I need to get busy on it. It's cold here, and I could really use a good sweater.

Tape Delay

2011-09-17T12:40:00.002-05:00

I finished this scarf weeks ago but kept forgetting to take a picture of it.

It is made of a cashmere blend sock yarn. It was way too nice for socks. I knit it flat and then sewed the ends together to make a moebius strip. Naturally, I don't need another scarf, but it's a lovely yarn and I'm happy with the results.

I'm working on what I hope will be a sweater for myself. If I don't have enough yarn for sleeves, it will have to be a vest. It's going to be a long haul, so don't expect a picture any time soon.

Eating Up Leftovers

2011-08-06T16:13:00.004-05:00

I don't understand people who won't eat leftovers. That's the best part of cooking! You make a huge pot of stew or chili or a big pan of lasagna, and then you freeze the leftovers so you have meals for a week. I love leftovers. I like leftover yarn even more--you know, those little partial skeins and balls that are remnants of a larger project. I like throwing together disparate elements from multiple projects and seeing what happens. Sometimes, you end up with something super cute, like this scarf made from leftover pink and orange sock yarn.

I'm not a pink person, but the orange warms this up and makes it something I would wear. See?

I think it'll look great with my dark brown coat this winter.

Still haven't decided what to do with that ancient yarn from my stash. In the meantime, I'm doing another scarf (boring, I know), because I'm traveling all next week and need a project that's portable and super easy in case I'm interrupted. I'll post pics when I get back.

In a Holding Pattern (While I Look for a Pattern)

2011-07-16T15:11:00.008-05:00

I'm kinda in between major projects now (more on that later). So I'm using up some old and/or leftover yarn for some small stuff. First, I finished the scarf with the cashmere lace-weight yarn.

I'm not entirely happy with it. It blocked out smaller and denser than I liked. I haven't woven in the ends yet, because I might unravel it and start over...AGAIN!

Next, I used some of the yarn left over from all those baby bibs to make some more wash cloths.

The green and brown one is my favorite. Looks like mint-chocolate chip ice cream...which sounds really good right now.

Now I'm working a scarf made with leftover sock yarn. I'm not usually one to wear pink--my clothes are usually dark earth tones--but I really like pink and orange together.

In my head, I'm referring to this as my Battlestar Galactica scarf, since I started it when I started watching BSG. It has been on my Netflix queue for years and finally came up. The scarf is plain garter stitch, which makes it good knitting while watching DVDs.

OK, so back to the subject of major projects. I bought this hand-dyed yarn from Ellen's Half-Pint Farm way back in 1999 at the very first Stitches Midwest in Minneapolis.

It's 1675 yards, half wool half silk, roughly DK weight, and much prettier in real life than it looks in the photo. I've never knit it because I wanted to find the perfect pattern for it, and nothing ever seemed just right. It's bothering me that this yarn has been languishing for over a decade, and I really want to do something with it this year. So I'm thinking of this cardigan. What do y'all think? Any suggestions or opinions?

Of course, the fact that I have all this unused yarn languishing since the last century didn't stop me from buying more yarn when I was at Windy Knitty, a lovely new shop in Andersonville, last Saturday with Monica and a friend of hers.

The orange yarn is Adorn sock yarn in the color Kieran from Three Irish Girls. The green yarn is merino lace yarn from Madeline Tosh in the color Jade. I have no idea what I'm going to do with either; guess I'd better get looking for patterns for those, too. *sigh*

I Finally Have Something Worth Blogging About

2011-06-25T14:29:00.005-05:00

So I finished those socks. I know y'all were just *dying* to see the finished product. Heh. Anyway, here they are.

I have to say that it always gives me a little thrill when I can get the stripes in self-striping sock yarn to line up like that.

And I finally figured out what I want to do with that cashmere lace weight yarn I mentioned a few posts back. I'm making one of Sally Mellville's Shape It scarves from her book "The Knit Stitch."

It doesn't look all that exciting when it's scrunched up on the needles, but I have hope that it'll look great when it's blocked out.

Once I'm done with this scarf, I don't know what I'll do next. I recently learned that YET ANOTHER friend is pregnant, but she's a fellow knitter, so she's knitting for the baby herself, and it's her third child, so it's not as if she needs any supplies. So I'm not doing any more baby stuff at the moment. I could use another pair of socks for myself, so that's a possibility. As always, whatever I make, I'll be sure to post pictures for your amusement.

Possibly the Most Boring Blog Post EVER

2011-06-11T14:47:00.003-05:00

I truly have nothing exciting to report, except that I'm making slow but steady progress on those socks.

Done with the first, just turned the heel on the second. They're taking much longer than usual because my stupid cat is obsessed with the bamboo needles. All I have to do is pick them up, and when he hears the clicking, he comes and jumps in my lap and tries to bite them. I suppose I should go work on them in a coffee shop or something, but my sofa is comfy and I like to knit while watching DVDs.

I have no idea what I'm going to do next if/when I finish the socks. Probably should go through the stash and finish up a few UFOs that have been languishing a while. Ugh.

Little Things

2011-05-21T14:53:00.004-05:00

This week I didn't start any major projects, just a couple of small ones. After I was done with all those baby bibs, I decided to go through my Peaches and Creme yarn and see what colors I still have on hand, and I found this trio of brown, beige, and tan and decided to make a Mason-Dixon Knitting Linoleum Dishcloth.

I like it and might make another one in different colors. I have a ton of that yarn left, much of it in colors that aren't suitable for baby gifts anyway. Also, you can never have too many dishcloths.

I also started a pair of socks using some very old self-striping Knit Picks yarn I found in my stash.

I don't have anyone in mind for these, so they'll probably go to Afghans for Afghans whenever they have their next campaign. They just finished one, so I should have at least a couple of months until the next one.

That's all my knitting news for this week. Hope you're having a good weekend and don't get Raptured away.

Sticking to My Knitting

2011-05-14T15:41:00.006-05:00

I haven't blogged in over a month because I'm trying to stay ahead of the curve in terms of making gifts for my friends who are pregnant. I never dreamed I would become a baby bib-knitting factory, but there you are.

First up is a set of 3 bibs in traditional baby pastels. I think they're very sweet.

Next, I made a set in nontraditional colors, green and purple. I think (hope) that the mother to whom I intend to give these bibs will appreciate them, since she's a nontraditional gal in a lot of ways.

That's it for bibs at the moment. I still need to buy buttons for all of these, but the babies aren't due until the fall, so I have a little time for that.

Last Saturday I went on a tour of the Lorna's Laces dyeing studio here in Chicago. We learned about the company's history, and then the owner, Beth Casey, did a yarn-dyeing demonstration for us.

After the demo, we were free to shop from the hundreds of mill ends piled up on the tables. I was very restrained--despite all the temptation--and only bought 4 skeins of Shepherd sock. I haven't decided what I'll make with it, so it'll just go into the stash for now.

Now that I'm done with baby bibs (at least until YET ANOTHER friend tells me she's pregnant), I'm not sure what I'll do next. Maybe I'll knock out a pair of socks for myself or for a charity.

Three Down and...Two More to Go

2011-04-09T11:53:00.004-05:00

I thought I was done knitting baby gifts, but apparently this really is the Year of (Breeding Like) the Rabbit, because two more friends just told me they're pregnant. One is due in October and the other in December. Wow. Guess I know what I'll be doing for the next couple of months. Anyway, last night I finished the bibs for the little boy who is due in June (except for sewing on the buttons).

It's just as well that I have more baby stuff to make, because I'm having trouble with that cashmere laceweight yarn I mentioned in my previous post. I've cast on with 3 different needles and have tried 4 different patterns with it, and it just isn't working. The yarn is very slippery and my needles aren't sharp enough, and it's just a big old headache. I'm starting to think the yarn just doesn't want to be knit. So I'm going to set it aside for now and just crank out baby bibs in hopes of staying ahead of the breeding curve.

I also bought some luxury sock yarn week before last. I don't need more sock yarn but it was gorgeous and I had a $10 gift certificate.

I doubt that I will actually makes socks out of it, because it's too beautiful to be stuck in a pair of shoes, but it will make a beautiful scarf or pair of gloves.

The Beauty of Blocking

2011-03-26T13:43:00.005-05:00

Here are before-and-after photos of a Vortex shawl I just finished. This is what it looked like before blocking:

And this is what it looks like after blocking (well, during blocking; it's still stretched out on my bed drying as I type this):

See how blocking really opens up the pattern so you can see the stitch definition? It's amazing how it changes the character of a piece of knitted fabric.

For those of you who care about such things, the yarn is Alpaca Cloud from Knit Picks. Unfortunately, this color, Autumn Heather, has been discontinued. As is so often the case, I wish I had bought more when I had the chance because it's so beautiful. At the time, though, I couldn't justify spending the money, especially since I still have so much unused yarn on hand. Speaking of which, I think I'm *finally* going to get around to using some cashmere laceweight yarn I bought 3 (or 4?) years ago. Stay tuned....

Just in Time for St. Patrick's Day

2011-03-12T11:54:00.006-06:00

I jumped on the Ravelry bandwagon and knit a green Gap-tastic cowl for myself.

Here it is draped over a chair:

And here it is draped around my neck:

I think it looks pretty good. It's very cozy and warm. The yarn is Cascade 128 in the color Primavera. I used size 13 needles. I bought this yarn a long time ago intending to make something for my nephew but changed my mind and made him that blanket instead.

I broke a cardinal rule of knitting and hung this up to dry after washing it yesterday because I wanted it longer and narrower than the pattern specified. An unintended consequence is that the seed stitch flattened out and looks like a rippled garter stitch now. It's a very cool texture. I'm glad it worked out that way.

Before I forget, those cotton bibs I posted last week were very well received at the baby shower. Several other people brought beautiful hand-made gifts, too; there was a lot of talent on display. I'm always glad to see when people take the time to make things themselves, rather than just buying something off the shelf (that was probably made by child laborers in a third-world country).

That's it for now. Happy St. Paddy's day, whether you're Irish or not!

Two Down, One to GO

2011-03-03T18:06:00.002-06:00

Finished the gift for Baby #2: three cotton bibs.

My favorite of the three is the one on top, the yellow and pink. That's a great color combination. The pattern is from the first Mason-Dixon Knitting book. The yarn is from Peaches and Creme, which sadly, is going out of business. Naturally, I stocked up a few weeks ago. I guess the company is being bought out by a Canadian outfit, but there's no telling whether they'll continue making the exact same yarn in the same colors. They've been in business forever, so it's really a big blow to crafters who want a cheap sturdy cotton yarn.

OK, so I have one more baby left, but he isn't due until June, so I'm going to set aside baby knitting and make something for myself. I'll post a pic when I have something worth posting.

One Down, Two to Go

2011-02-16T19:02:00.002-06:00

Three of my friends are pregnant and due within the next couple of months, so I'm knitting away at gifts for them. The first friend is expecting a girl in March, so I made her this little hat.

For the other two babies, I think I'm going to do some more bibs. Photos will be posted as I finish them.

What to Do During a Blizzard

2011-02-05T08:43:00.006-06:00

So I've been pretty much housebound since Tuesday afternoon, when the Great Blizzard of 2011 started. I've been putting the time to good use, though. First, I finished a chain link scarf.

I knit one of these years ago to sell and always had it in the back of my mind to knit one for myself. I bought the yarn years ago (and I don't have the ball band info any more--sorry!) intending to make a striped scarf out of it, but I figured it would be perfect for a chain link, too. Here's a view where you can see the colors.

I'm also working on a hat for a friend who is expecting a little girl soon. It will be a beret, and I plan to put a knitted rose on it.

The yarn is Stroll Tonal by Knit Picks. The color is Summer Blooms. It's really beautiful and nice to work with. Did I tell you that I bought a swift and yarn winder from Knit Picks a few months ago? Well, this is the first skein of yarn that I wound with it. Within a few minutes, it went from an unruly skein to a neat little yarn cake.

When I think about all the skeins of yarn I've tangled over the years by trying to wind them by hand, I could just kick myself for not investing in a swift sooner. It would have made my knitting life a lot easier. Life and learn, I reckon.

First Socks of 2011

2011-01-26T16:24:00.006-06:00

Finished the Creatively Dyed socks late Monday night and wore them yesterday.

This is a terrible photo. From this angle, my feet look like Fred Flintstone blocks. And you can see the cat fur on my pants. *le sigh* In any case, the socks look great and were very warm and comfortable when I was out running errands yesterday evening.

So, remember that Knit Picks gift certificate my sister gave me for Christmas? I decided to round out my collection of double-pointed needles. Believe it or not, for someone who knits as many socks, mittens, and baby hats as I do, I only had a few pairs of dpns. Now I have them in every size!

After buying all those needles, I had just enough left on the certificate to buy 2 skeins of sock yarn.

The yarn is called Imagination. It's a wool, alpaca, and nylon blend. The color way is Ruby Slippers. For now, it's going into the stash. I have some other things to finish before I make another pair of socks.

Finally, for your amusement, I picked this up at the going-out-of-business sale at the Hyde Park Borders bookstore.

I'm not much of a crocheter, but I think these patterns are just adorable. And at 20% off the original price, why not?

First Finished Project of 2011

2011-01-17T16:35:00.003-06:00

Finished the scarf with the Capra Cashmere. I think it looks pretty cool.

And I started a pair of socks using yarn I got in July 2009 at the Midwest Fiber and Folk Art Festival. I remember that the merchant's name is Creatively Dyed but I didn't save the label, so I don't remember the name of the yarn or the color way. I know, I should keep better notes. Anyway, it's very nice yarn and the first sock looks good so far.

I like that the dyer used very short color repeats and occasional blobs of color, so you don't end up with pools or striping. If I like how these socks turn out, I'll probably order some more yarn from her...not that I need any more sock yarn.

New Year, New Camera

2011-01-08T12:54:00.003-06:00

My employer gave us $100 prepaid debit cards as a Christmas bonus, so I used mine to buy a better digital camera--one that actually has a flash and can store more than 20 photos at a time. It also has a zoom lens, so I might actually be able to get complete photos of my larger projects, not just the corners of them.

Anyway, remember that Capra yarn I mentioned last week? Here's what I'm making with it:

Using size 9 circular needles, I cast on 50 (I think) stitches and knit in the round until I used the first ball. Then I tied on the second ball, and so forth. When I'm done, I plan to wash it and then hang it up so it stretches into a longer, skinnier tube. The yarn is super soft and nice to work with, and the high wool content means that the cashmere doesn't felt or pill as easily as 100% cashmere does. I thought about doing stripes, instead of blocks, but didn't want the hassle of carrying multiple yarns up the inside of a tube and/or cutting and knotting every few rounds. This is my current staring-at-the-TV project, and I didn't want it to be any more complicated than necessary.

In other news, my sister got me a Knit Picks gift certificate. I haven't decided what to get with it yet. Do I go for more lace or sock yarn? Another discontinued kit? Or yarn to make a sweater for myself? I haven't made a sweater for myself in years. Hmmmm.....decisions, decisions.

New Year, New Projects

2011-01-01T16:44:00.003-06:00

Happy 2011, everybody! I think I've finally recovered from the long slog that was my nephew's blanket. He loved it, by the way. I pulled it out of my suitcase and said, "I made you a new blanket." He said, "Thank you! Can I put it on my bed?" He also insisted on wrapping up in the blanket while he lay on the floor watching the Peanuts holiday DVDs I bought for him. I was so touched. He's a sweet little kid.

Anyway, because I'm a weak-willed person who can't resist discounted and soon-to-be-discontinued yarn, I bought the Capra Cashmere sampler from Knit Picks a couple of weeks ago and am making--what else?--a scarf with it. I'm knitting it in the round as a tube. When I get a little further along, I'll post a picture.

Oh, I'm also doing some baby knitting. Three friends/acquaintances are pregnant and due this spring, so I'm making bibs and burp cloths for them. They're quick, easy, and practical. I'd rather give something that I know the parents can use, instead of a sweater that the baby will wear once or twice before they outgrow it.

Finally!

2010-12-17T08:09:00.002-06:00

Last night, I finished my nephew's Christmas blanket. It's 51 x 56 inches; I wanted to make it 60 inches long (and I also wanted to put a border on it), but I just got tired. And my arm hurts.

It's too big to fit in that photo, but at least you can see all 4 colors. I'm pleased with it. He's too young to really appreciate it, of course, but I hope he at least uses it. That's all I ask.

This was my only Christmas knitting project this year. There's no way I could have fit in anything else. Maybe next year I'll do another round of knitting for everyone with whom I exchange gifts...and just get my nephew some toys.

Nephew's Blanket Update

2010-11-27T11:25:00.004-06:00

For months, I have been knitting nothing else but this blanket--thousands and thousands of garter stitches--and I'm still not done. I can't even get the whole thing in a photo:

It's about 43 x 39 inches at this point. I don't know that I'm going to make it as big as the pattern calls for. I do want it to be big enough to cover his twin bed, but not a football field. In any case, I seriously doubt that I'll have it done in time for Christmas. I'll have to think of a back-up gift to send him and save the blanket for Easter. It's still chilly around Easter, right? *sigh* Back to the trenches...

My Best Friend's Birthday

2010-10-07T13:31:00.002-05:00

My best friend from high school turns 40 this year. The last time she was in Chicago for a visit, we went to Loopy Yarns, where she admired a knitting project bag, which as it turns out, was made by my friend Monica of Passionknit fame. I made a mental note of it, and a couple of weeks ago I went back and bought one of the bags for my friend.

It's a good thing I got there when I did, because it was the last of Monica's bags on the shelf. Also, it's the perfect color, because my friend like lime green. I decided to get her some luxury yarn, too. Both yarns in the photo are hand-dyed silk from Tilli Tomas. One has sequins, the other is plain, but they're from the same dye lot (the name of the yarn is "Plie" if you're curious), so my friend can use them together if she wishes. The yarns weren't cheap, but she deserves something special for her 40th, and I know she'd never buy anything so nice for herself. I can't wait to see her face when she opens it.

A Pretty Good Start

2010-09-25T15:39:00.003-05:00

So I started on the blanket I want to make for my nephew for Christmas. It's looking good so far, I think.

It's going to be huge, like the one I'm making for myself. But that's OK. He'll be able to use it as a bedspread for a long time to come. I love these garter stitch blankets. They're perfect TV knitting, because I don't have to look at the stitches as I knit. The only down side to these blankets is that they aren't very portable. If I could carry it around with me, I'd probably be past the halfway point by now. Luckily, I have exactly 3 months until Christmas. That should be plenty of time--right? Eep.

Temporary Work Stoppage

2010-09-06T11:31:00.005-05:00

This aspirational blanket is out of control. It almost covers my full-size bed. I got up on a stepladder and still couldn't get the whole thing in a photo.

It's approximately 53 x 64 inches at this point and is incredibly warm and heavy on my lap when I work on it. So I'm setting it aside until cooler weather arrives and it's not so uncomfortable to work on it.

In the meantime, my nephew has long outgrown the crib-sized log cabin blanket I made when he was born, so I'm going to make him the same blanket I'm making for myself, but with a different color scheme.

This is another Knit Picks yarn, Swish DK. The colors are, from left to right, Whirlpool, Beach Glass, Mist, and Storm. I think it will make a great "big-boy" blanket that he can use for years to come. I'd like to get it done in time for Christmas, so I've got to get cracking.

Everyone Needs a Goal in Life

2010-06-17T18:08:00.003-05:00

Right now, my goal is saving money to have some work done on my apartment and to buy a new couch. The old one is falling apart and is just embarrassing. It served me well, especially for a hand-me-down, but its time has almost come. In the meantime, I'm knitting an afghan to throw on the back of the couch I hope to buy. I'm calling it my Aspirational Blanket.

The pattern is the Moderne Log Cabin Blanket from the first Mason-Dixon Knitting book. The yarn is Cot Lin, a cotton-linen blend from Knit Picks, in the colors Creme Brulee, Bison, Pomegranate, and Moroccan Red. I'm thinking of getting a brown or tan couch and want to use some red pillows for accents, so that's why I chose brown and 2 shades of red for the blanket. The fourth color was a tough choice--I almost went with something less yellow and more beige--but I'm happy with how it looks.

It's going to be HUGE. I'm nowhere nearly done and it's already 4 feet long. But that's OK, because it will be nice to snuggle under it in the winter (especially since I'm such a cheapskate about keeping the heat turned down low).

More Charity Knitting

2010-05-04T17:15:00.003-05:00

I started this vest for Afghans for Afghans months ago but set it aside to work on some other things. Finally dug it out of the pile and finished it 2 nights ago.

The yarn is wool, but it's all left over from previous projects and I no longer have the manufacturer's info. I think the color scheme would work for either a boy or a girl. That electric blue really pops against the gray and dark green.

Now I just have to get it to the post office before the latest campaign deadline. I'm tempted to pay someone else to go stand in that line for me. I'm happy to knit, but going to the post office is an ordeal and a half.

Extreme Charity Knitting

2010-04-21T17:19:00.003-05:00

A friend of mine volunteers for Strive, an organization that provides after-school tutoring for disadvantaged kids here in Chicago. Services like Strive are in increasing need, because the Chicago Public Schools have drastically cut their budget for tutoring.

Every year, Strive holds a fund-raising party that includes a silent auction. I couldn't attend the party this time, so I volunteered to knit something to be auctioned off. I got the bright idea to make a circle scarf, since they're so trendy right now, but I really didn't like how it turned out. It looked much better in my head than it did in reality. So I decided to also make an Elizabeth Zimmerman Pi shawl out of some alpaca lace yarn I had left over from another project.

I love how thin and delicate it was after blocking. I tried to photograph it hanging up in my window, but it's so thin that it didn't even show up against the window. This little beauty fetched $80 at the auction. I let my friend have the circle scarf, too, and it brought $40, which shocked the heck out of me. Anyway, I'm proud that someone wanted both items and I feel good that I was able to contribute to such a worthwhile charity.

Now That I Have a Job...

2010-04-12T16:49:00.002-05:00

...I can afford one of those Namaste bags I've been coveting for ages (and yes, I know that coveting is a sin--I see you shooting the side-eye at me).

No, I didn't need this bag at all, but it's gorgeous and perfect for knitters, with lots of pockets for organization and a roomy compartment for a knitting project. And it's RED, which means it's perfect for me. I'm very happy with it.

I got it at Loopy Yarns. Of course, while I was there, I had to look at the yarn in the 50% off bin, and found some Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock. Isn't that a great color way? I'm thinking of making some little girl hats out of it.

A friend of mine owns a little shop in Blaine, WA, and she's been selling my stuff for me. Last week she mailed me a check for some items she sold and asked for more merchandise. Guess I have to get busy!

Speaking of which, I have been incredibly busy, which is why it has been 2 months since my last post. I have been knitting but nothing worthy of a blog post. I'm almost done with something that I think is pretty fabulous, though, and as soon as it's finished, I promise to post a picture.

Striped Mittens

2010-02-12T14:15:00.002-06:00

These mittens are for the latest Afghans for Afghans campaign.

The yarn is just leftovers from other projects. The pattern is from Ann Budd's "Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns." The deadline for this campaign is March 1, so I might try to knock out another pair before then. They're pretty quick and easy, and it's fun to experiment with various color combos.

Color Block Scarf

2010-02-08T10:33:00.003-06:00

Once again, I no longer have the manufacturer's information for this yarn. I do remember that I bought it almost two years ago at a yarn store in Bellingham, Washington. I was out there visiting some friends, both of whom are also knitters. So of course, we had to make a trip to a yarn store. I also remember that the yarn is kettle-dyed wool and was very expensive, which is why I bought just two skeins of it. See, this is why I make a lot of accessories, as opposed to sweaters: I fall in love with a gorgeous yarn but can only afford a couple of skeins, which is just enough to make yet another scarf or hat. I keep hoping that the day will come that I can afford enough of a beautiful yarn to make a sweater, but it hasn't happened yet.

Anyway, this time I bought a skein of red and a skein of orange, and then divided the skeins when I wound them into balls. Instead of doing stripes, I decided to do big color blocks. I used the classic mistake stitch rib pattern, because it's reversible and I love how it looks like corrugated cardboard. When I wear this scarf, the orange and red ends hang together, and people have asked me if I'm actually wearing two different scarves. It's very eye catching and unique. I'm happy with how it turned out.

Yet Another Pair of Socks

2010-01-26T14:15:00.003-06:00

I have nothing exciting to say about these socks except that the yarn is super soft and I love the color way.

Unfortunately, I no longer have the yarn manufacturer information. I'm trying to use up some of my old yarn before buying new yarn...not that my intention will stop me from using the $10 off coupon I just got from Loopy Yarns. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is very, very weak, especially when it comes to yarn.

Remember the Novelty Yarn Craze?

2010-01-17T11:31:00.003-06:00

I do. For a few years there, fancy textured yarns were almost all you could find in the yarn stores. That's when I bought a skein of La Boheme by Fiesta Yarns. I only bought one skein because it was frightfully expensive ($30). The sad thing is, I bought it so long ago, that the yarn shop where I got it is now closed.

Anyway, I dug it out of the pile a few days ago and made a scarf out of it. Do I need yet another scarf? Of course not, but I only had the one skein (165 yards), so what else could I make with it?

It is very pretty. The color way is called Rusty, by the way. But boy was it a pain in the neck to work with. The mohair strand kept getting caught on the rayon strand and it became a big tangled mess at one point. I just had to cut out the tangled part and start afresh.

Anyway, aside from some ribbon yarn (and maybe one more ball of eyelash yarn), this is the last of all that novelty yarn I bought during the big craze. It was fun at the time, but now I'm just as happy to work with plain smooth yarn and let the pattern and my skills provide the excitement.

Post-Holiday Knitting: Finished Objects

2010-01-02T17:54:00.004-06:00

After the mad rush of knitting Christmas gifts (all of which were well received, by the way), I decided to finish up a few languishing projects. First is this cobweb lace scarf made of Malabrigo lace weight merino wool. I had finished knitting it months ago but hadn't blocked it or woven in the ends.

I think it blocked out beautifully. It's still not as wide as I would like, but it's so huge that I'm not going to mess with it again. Blocking it out was a major pain in the neck; I simply ran out of space on the bedroom carpet.

Next I used up some sock yarn and made a baby beret. I like how the self-striping yarn looks when you make a spiral top.

This is the view from the side. I don't know whether I'll give this one away or try to sell it. I'm just storing it away for the moment.

Finally, I bought this yarn, a 50/50 wool/silk blend as part as a kit years ago. I dutifully made the first half of the scarf and just didn't like the way it looked. The pattern was a little too bulky for the worsted weight yarn, and it just didn't drape nicely. So I ripped it out and started over with much bigger needles and a very open, simple lace stitch.

Much better! One of the things I've learned over the years is that fancy, multicolored yarn needs a very simple pattern, whereas plain solid yarn is best for intricate lace and cable work to show off the stitch definition better. Funny how long it took me to learn such a basic lesson. As Chaucer wrote, "The life so short, the craft so long to learn."

Hope you're having a great 2010 so far!

Handmade Christmas: Part 3

2009-12-10T08:34:00.002-06:00

Stick a fork in me, I'm done! For a couple of close friends, one of whom always feeds my cats when I'm traveling, I made some Christmas-themed washcloths out of Peaches & Creme yarn. And since both ladies like fancy-shmancy soaps and such, I got some honey/milk soaps at a booth at the Christkindlmarket earlier this week.

I decided to use the cloths themselves as the wrapping paper for the soaps. I just ran a ribbon around the edge, pulled it tight, and tied it off. I'm very pleased with the way they turned out.

It's weird--I've been in such a fever to finish these Christmas gifts, and now that I'm done, I'm at a loss as to what to do next. I've got half a mind to knit a hat for my nephew--which I know he'll promptly lose, but I have lots of wool oddballs that would make a very cute striped kid's hat. Hmmmm.....

Handmade Christmas Part 2.5: In Which I Realize I Have Made a Mistake

2009-12-04T07:52:00.004-06:00

Last night, as I was looking through my yarn stash for something, I ran across this scarf I made a long time ago. I don't have the yarn info any more, but I know it's hand-dyed sock yarn.

I used a lacy rib pattern that I found in one of those Barbara Walker stitch books. Anyway, I looked at it and thought, "That would be a great gift for my brother's girlfriend!" And since I'm going to see them this weekend, the timing is perfect as well, so I threw it in my bag.

Then it occurred to me that it'll look pretty shabby for me to give a gift to my nephew and his mom but nothing to my own brother. So I continued digging in the stash and found some a lovely gray yarn and cast on for a hat.

We'll see whether I can finish it on the plane this afternoon. Eeep!

Handmade Christmas: Part 2

2009-12-03T09:36:00.003-06:00

I suppose the subtitle of this post should be "Sometimes There's No Shame in Taking the Path of Least Resistance." This stocking is adapted from the pattern in the second Mason-Dixon Knitting book. The original has an argyle section, a Fair Isle snowflake section, and a small striped section. Well, I started making the snowflake, but when it became apparent that, because of the extremely long gaps between colors, I would end up cutting yarn and weaving in ends on almost EVERY row, I gave up and made the all-striped version.

Besides, my nephew is just 2 years old and won't care what the stocking looks like anyway. I do hope that it becomes a keepsake when he's older, but for now, I know he'll be more interested in what's inside the stocking than anything else. Which is as it should be.

Part 3 of Handmade Christmas next week.

Handmade Christmas: Part 1

2009-11-25T16:06:00.003-06:00

Money is even tighter than usual this year, so I'm knitting gifts from my yarn stash. First up is a pair of socks for my sister.

I've had this yarn for so long that I no longer have the manufacturer info, but I do remember that it's a self-striping wool/nylon blend. And look--the stripes match! I'm so proud of myself. Next week: Christmas stocking for my nephew.

Happy Thanksgiving!

My Philosophy: Make Something Beautiful, and then Give It Away

2009-11-09T13:59:00.004-06:00

Back in the summer, I was obsessed with knitting the dishcloth pattern published in the first Mason-Dixon knitting book. As I was knitting a cloth, it occurred to me that the stitch pattern would make a beautiful blanket. Lo and behold, Afghans for Afghans sent out a call for baby blankets for a hospital in Kabul. So I decided to make one using the dishcloth pattern, and here is the result.

In this view, you can see the stitch pattern better.

The brown yarn that frames the whole thing is Lion Brand fisherman's wool in natural brown. The other 7 colors are a bunch of wool oddballs I had left over from other projects. I love it and and thinking of making one for myself, on a larger scale of course, and with a more sophisticated palette.

I know I blog about Afghans for Afghans a lot, but it's a cause I believe in with all my heart. Even though I can't directly affect the political outcome in that country, I can do one small thing--knit a blanket--that directly and positively affects the life of an Afghan child. Every baby deserves to have a warm, beautiful blanket, and I'm happy to do my part.

2009-11-02T13:42:00.003-06:00

Yesterday I got together for knitting with the lovely and talented Lynette and Monica of Passionknit fame. It was Monica's birthday, and mine wasn't too long ago, so Lynette got us both yarn and some emergency chocolate.

Yarn and chocolate--seriously, what more could a knitter ask for? If you're curious, the yarn is handpainted 100% merino wool from Sweet Georgia Yarns in the colorway Velvet Underground--which is perfect for me, because I love the Velvet Underground.

Thanks again to Lynette for the great birthday gift! I'll try to put it to good use.

It's Really Hard to Find Irish Wool in Ireland

2009-10-30T09:35:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago I took a birthday trip to Dublin. I had high hopes of coming home with lots of authentic Irish wool, but most of the yarn stores I visited sold only pre-made wool sweaters. What little yarn they sold was usually acrylic imported from the UK or Italy.

Luckily, I stumbled across This Is Knit, a lovely store in the Powerscourt shopping center, where I managed to find some Irish tweed yarn spun and dyed in County Donegal.

My plan is to make some mittens with it. It's a little too scratchy for a scarf or even a hat.

I asked the clerk at This Is Knit why it was so hard to find Irish wool yarn in Dublin, and she told me that most of the sheep in Ireland are raised for meat and milk, not wool, and in fact, most of those "authentic" Irish sweaters they sell to tourists are actually made with wool from Australia and New Zealand. It's just strange to think that a country known for its wool sweaters wouldn't produce its own wool any more. What is the world coming to?

The Best Sock Yarn EVER

2009-09-05T11:33:00.002-05:00

I finished these socks months ago and have been meaning to post a picture but kept forgetting. Old age sucks, I tell you what.

Anyway, I made these socks with Nova Sock yarn from Fleece Artist. The color way is called Foliage. I'm looking at their web site and don't see either the yarn or the color on there, so I'm hoping they didn't discontinue it. The yarn is without doubt the nicest sock yarn I've ever used. It's got a great, springy twist to it and is super soft. I loved knitting with it. I was still employed while I was making these socks, and the yarn was a huge hit among the knitters at my office. They kept touching it and asking where I got it (Loopy Yarns in Chicago). It is expensive, and I never would have bought it if I hadn't had a $10 off coupon, but if you can find it on sale, I can't recommend it enough.

Fancy Burp Cloths

2009-08-28T16:16:00.002-05:00

Just finished three burp cloths for that pregnant friend of mine. On the left is the blue and yellow, in the middle is the purple and lime, and on the right is the hodgepodge one I made to use up the yarn left over from the first two.

I think the hodgepodge one is my favorite. I would love to have a sweater coat made in that stitch pattern with changing colors...not that I want to knit such a large piece. So, although it's very chilly here in the Midwest, it's still technically summer, so I plan to knit one more cotton dishcloth for myself before moving back to wool yarn. Afghans for Afghans wants baby blankets for a hospital in Kabul, so I'm going to try to knock one out before the deadline at the end of October.

Two More Bibs

2009-08-15T12:55:00.002-05:00

I finished 2 more bibs for my friend's baby, one green and the other a blend of blues and purples

So that makes 3 bibs in total. I just need to find buttons, and they're done. Next, I'm making a few burp cloths for her. Pictures will follow. Hope you're enjoying the weekend.

Baby Bib

2009-08-03T12:12:00.003-05:00

Here's a baby bib made from the yarn left over from that orange dish cloth.

I just need to put a button on the left-hand strap, and it's done. If I do say so myself, it's too cute!

A Basket of Oranges

2009-07-31T13:33:00.003-05:00

For no particular reason, I knit two orange-ish projects in a row. First is the scarf I made with the ribbon yarn from the Midwest Fiber and Folk Art Festival. I just cast on 20 stitches and knit until I was almost out of yarn. Then I dropped a few stitches at random and ripped them out all the way down.

Unfortunately, the scarf looks a bit lackluster just lying there on my bed. The dropped stitches are much more pronounced and look really funky and messed up when the scarf is draped around my neck.

Day before yesterday I was digging through my yarn stash looking for something else when I ran across 6 balls of Peaches and Creme cotton. I had purchased the Mason-Dixon Knitting pack a while back and used some of the yarn to make a couple of dishcloths and some bibs for my nephew. I made this dishcloth yesterday.

I love that vibrant orange! It really makes the citrus colors of the ombre yarn pop. I have quite a bit of yarn left over, so I'm going to make another baby bib, this time for a former co-worker who is pregnant. She has purchased knitted items from me before, so I know she'll appreciate some hand-knit gifts.

Midwest Fiber Fest in Crystal Lake: July 18

2009-07-23T11:57:00.004-05:00

I went with Lynette and Monica (of Passion Knit) to the Midwest Fiber and Folk Art Fair last weekend. It was my first time there, and I was very impressed. There were some great vendors with gorgeous yarn and other fiber accessories. I'm on a budget now, so I was very frugal and didn't get much.

However, The Fold in Marengo, IL, had a booth there, and all their Blue Moon Fibers yarn was 25% off, so I got a skein of Slinky, a cotton, nylon, and polyamide ribbon yarn. I'm using it to make yet another scarf.

It's just plain garter stitch, but when I'm done, I plan to drop a few stitches at random to make a ladder stripe pattern.

One of the vendors was selling these awesome Kaffe Fasset-patterned recyclable shopping bags. I resisted at first, but when I saw that it has interior pockets and a velcro closure, I was sold.

It came in very handy when I went to the Daley Plaza farmers market this morning. Be on the lookout for this bag. All the cool kids have 'em.

Newly Finished Objects

2009-06-12T16:21:00.004-05:00

This red scarf is my first foray into a crocheted-only project. I've used crochet for years to make nice buttonholes on knitted cardigans, but I've never done anything solely with crochet. The truth is, I don't "really" know how to crochet. I mean, I can do a chain stitch and a single crochet stitch, but that's it. I can't even read a crochet pattern. So this was just an "I-wonder-what-would-happen-if" experiment.

All I did was chain 200 stitches, work a single crochet into both sides of the chain, and then work a 6-chain loop into each of those stitches. When you hold the scarf up, the loops spiral around each other in a corkscrew. It looks kinda limp in the photograph, but when it's around my neck, it looks really interesting and weird.

This Moebius strip scarf was merely an attempt to use up some leftover yarn. The peach is from that peach shawl I made, and the variegated yarn is leftover sock yarn. I think I cast on 60 or 70 stitches and used size 15 needles to make it really loose. I did four rows of peach for every two rows of variegated yarn and just kept going until I ran out of yarn. Then I blocked it, twisted it, and sewed the ends together.

I like how it looks like a fishnet when it's stretched out. I can wrap it around my neck twice, which compresses the fabric and makes it look more solid, but it's still extremely light and adds no bulk at all. And the colors are just perfect for me. I definitely will be wearing this one 3 seasons of the year.

Tomorrow is Worldwide Knit in Public Day, and I'll be in Millennium Park for it, working on yet another lace scarf. Have a knit-tastic weekend!

Just Peachy

2009-05-09T12:01:00.004-05:00

Last night I finished the peach shawl, and this morning I blocked it out on the bed. The ends have not been woven in yet, so that's what you see trailing off to the side.

I think it's gorgeous and can't wait to wear it.

The pattern is from Elizabeth Zimmerman's "Knitting Almanac," and the yarn is lace weight merino from Fearless Fibers (www.etsy.com) in Sunny Peach.

On the Plus Side, I Should Have More Time for Knitting

2009-04-27T11:24:00.003-05:00

Howdy, knitterati. For those of you who don't know already, I'm being laid off as of next week. This is the second year in a row that I'm being downsized, and it stinks big time. But I'm determined to make the best of my time off by knitting and blogging up a storm, so brace yourselves. I'm almost done with a shawl and hope to have it blocked and suitable for photographing by the end of the week. Until then, I plan to follow Elizabeth Zimmerman's timeless advice: "Knit on, with hope and confidence, through all crises."

Some Finished Objects

2009-02-21T14:59:00.006-06:00

I finally got on the stick...er, needles...and finished some projects that had been languishing for a long time. The first is a red lace scarf. The pattern is from Victorian Knitting Today by Jane Sowerby.

I should re-block it. I think I didn't stretch it hard enough. In particular, the points on the end aren't nearly as well defined as I would like.

Next up is a striped scarf made of 2 different colorways (Gold Hill and Black Watch) of Lion and Lamb by Lorna's Laces. It's just a knit 1, purl 1 rib on 39 stitches.

I really like how the colors flow into each other. My friend Helen gets credit for helping me pick out the two colorways at Loopy Yarns.

Next is that olive green scarf I started ages ago. I have to say that this scarf is a real attention getter. Every time I wear it, people are offering to buy it off my neck, but I tell them they can't afford it. The yarn was expensive (especially the Trendsetter Dune and the Tilli Tomas hand-dyed silk), and I spent way too many hours working on this thing to give it away for cheap.

Finally we have a Moebius strip cowl. I actually knitting this a long time ago, but it came out much shorter and wider than I planned, and I couldn't decide what to do with it. The yarn is one of those fancy mohair/metallic blends, and you simply can't rip it out without destroying it. So I just threw it in the drawer with all my other scarves and forgot about it. One night last month I came across it while I was looking for something else and realized that it was the perfect length for a cowl. So I gave it a twist and sewed the ends together. I love the way it look draped around my neck.

Now that I've fulfilled my New Year's resolution I can move on and start some new things. I cast on for an Elizabeth Zimmerman circular shawl but am having trouble keeping the lace pattern straight. For some reason, counting to 12 seems to be beyond my ken these days. Maybe I'll figure it out soon. Until then, happy knitting!

New Year's Resolution

2009-01-17T16:38:00.002-06:00

My resolution for 2009 is the same one I made a few years ago: I can't buy any more yarn or start a new project until I've finished at least 3 of the projects I already have on the needles. Since 3 of my projects are scarves, I'll finish those first. Should be easy enough. In fact, I'm almost done with the red lace scarf I started ages ago. I had to go to the laundromat today because the laundry room in our building suffered a burst pipe during the recent frigid weather, and I used the time waiting for my clothes to dry to get started on the border of that scarf. It's coming along nicely, and I hope to finish it this evening while watching a movie...if my cat will let me. Usually he leaves my knitting alone, but sometimes he insists on "helping" me. Let's hope he ignores it this time.

Great Gifts for a Knitter

2008-12-27T17:42:00.003-06:00

I'm so lucky and blessed that my friends and family support my knitting habit. This year I got two knitting books I've been coveting.

The first is Deborah Newton's Designing Knitwear. It's a basic, nuts-and-bolts book on the principles of knitwear design. I haven't had a chance to read it thoroughly yet, but I can tell from flipping through it that it's a meaty book. I'm going to need quiet and space to contemplate it--which means I can never read it at home, where the cats are constantly trying to distract me. Heaven forbid I should pay attention to anything other than themselves.

The other book I received is Custom Knits by Wendy Bernard. It's also a design book but it's more about taking her patterns as jumping-off points and then following her tips to customize them if you wish. It's a more "fluffy" book than Deborah Newton's, but I really like several of the patterns and can see myself knitting and wearing them. It's also beautifully photographed, but I had to chuckle at the styling in some cases. I mean, I don't live in Southern California, but I doubt that many women wear sweaters on the beach with their bikini bottoms. I could be wrong....

As I look forward to the new year, I've been thinking of making the same resolution I did a few years ago, when I vowed not to buy any more yarn until I had finished at least two of the projects I already had on the needles. But then the other day as I was finally getting aroudn to looking through the fall issue of Knitters Magazine, I saw the Raglan Rust and fell in love. I love everything about it--the style, the shaping, the colors. Me wantee!!! So now I have a dilemma: do I buy the yarn now and start working on it before the new year's resolution kicks in, or do I wait until after I've finished two projects and can work on it without guilt? I only have 3 days left to decide....

Christmas Mittens

2008-11-22T16:00:00.002-06:00

I'm done shopping for Christmas gifts for my nephew. I got him three books (The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats, The Mitten by Jan Brett, and Winter in White by Robert Sabuda), a children's Nativity set, and a T-shirt from Threadless. Of course, I also had to knit him something. I decided that every child needs at least one pair of red mittens.

The pattern is from The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns by Ann Budd. If I haven't mentioned it before, I lurrrrrve this book and think every knitter should own it. It's an invaluable resource. The yarn is Paton's Merino Classic, which is another great resource. It's a lovely, soft, but hard-wearing basic yarn. I use it all kinds of projects. I used size 6 dpns at a guage of 4 stitches per inch; I made the smallest size, so it was only 22 stitches around each mitten. They took no time at all, and I'm very pleased with the results.

In other Christmas knitting, I'll probably do another pair of socks for my sister. My brother and his girlfriend will most likely get scarves, but I haven't decided exactly what to knit yet. I plan to spend the rest of this evening watching DVDs and knitting--a little slice of heaven. Until next time, keep those needles clicking.

Pumpkin Hat and Matching Booties

2008-10-19T11:09:00.004-05:00

A while back a former co-worker asked me if she could pay me to make a hat with a pumpkin on it for a friend of hers who is expecting a baby at the end of October. I said, "Why don't we make a hat that's actually a pumpkin?" The result is below.

I found the hat pattern on Knitting On the Net. The orange yarn is Cascade 220 from Loopy Yarns, and the green is Wool of the Andes from Knit Picks. I love the hat but am not crazy about the booties. I dislike baby booties in general and have never found a pattern I really like, so I tried to adapt a sock pattern but the results still aren't spectacular. I dunno. I may have to keep experimenting until I find something I really like.

Nephew's Tomten Jacket

2008-10-15T11:49:00.005-05:00

At long last, here is the Elizabeth Zimmerman tomten jacket I made for my nephew's first birthday.

I changed my mind and decided not to use the green Cascade 228 I bought for this jacket. Instead I used some wool I already had in my stash: black Nature Spun by Brown Sheep and gray Merino Classic by Patons. The lime green yarn I used for the hood cord was left over from the Baby Surprise jacket I made when my nephew was born. The buttons are from Jo-Ann Fabrics. Since my nephew loves the water, I thought fish buttons would be appropriate, and the tropical colors really pop against the somber colors of the jacket. The jacket is way too big for my little boy, but he'll grow into it soon enough.

Well, shoot

2008-09-14T14:13:00.003-05:00

I wanted to post a picture of the jacket I'm making for my nephew, but my crappy camera is being fussy and I couldn't get a good shot, and then one of the cats decided to jump into the frame and play with the yarn, so I gave up. I'll have to try again another time. Aside from the jacket, I haven't been knitting much lately. Been in a bit of a knitting funk. I don't really know why. Actually, I've been in an all-around funk lately. You know it's bad when I don't even feel like knitting. Maybe by the time I decide to post again I'll have finished the jacket and can post a picture of the completed project. Hope everyone else is enjoying their knitting life more than I am.

Consolation Prize

2008-08-23T15:12:00.003-05:00

So, I'm not at Stitches Midwest this weekend. That's OK because I have some lovely new laceweight merino from Fearless Fibers.

The colorway is called Sunny Peach, and it's everything I hoped it would be. The color gradations are very subtle but give the yarn amazing depth. I haven't yet decided what to make with it, but it will probably be something from Victorian Lace Today. I have over 1200 yards (410 yards times 3 skeins), which is more than enough to make some of the larger stoles in the book.

Let me say a word about Fearless Fibers: the owner, Deb Kessler, emailed me within a couple hours of my placing the order, and I got the yarn within 2 days. I couldn't be more impressed. I'll definitely buy from her again.

That's all the news from my world. Hope you're having a knit-tastic weekend.

No Stitches Midwest This Year

2008-08-03T14:02:00.002-05:00

It pains me to say this, but unless a financial miracle occurs, I'm not going to Stitches Midwest this year. I've been going every year since the very first one in St. Paul, MN, back in 1998, so it feels weird to even contemplate not going, but I just can't justify spending the money this year.

First, I was forced to buy a new refrigerator recently and had to put it on the credit card--which I just paid off with my severance check from my last job. So now I'm back in debt again. *sigh* Second, they moved the location of SMW to a hotel in Schaumburg that isn't anywhere near public transportation. The cost of renting a car and putting gas in it would eat up almost a quarter of my typical SMW yarn budget--not to mention the fact that fighting traffic to S-burg and back would probably ruin my day completely, if not land me in the loony bin. Seriously, traffic in that area is nightmarish.

So, I guess I'll stay home that weekend and knit with the yarn I already have. I might, however, treat myself to one of those lace yarn samplers from Knit Picks. They're only $25 and will provide hours of knitting entertainment.

String Bag and Sale Yarn

2008-07-26T20:23:00.005-05:00

I finally finished my linen string bag--halfway into the farmer's market season. Better late than never, I suppose. So far, I've used it only for relatively light things. Haven't risked it with, say, a carton of milk yet. I'll let you know how it holds up.

I scored some major yarn bargains this week. First, during my lunch break on Thursday, I hiked up to We'll Keep You In Stitches on Oak Street and got these 3 balls of yarn.

WKYIS has the best bargain bin in the city. Everything, even the high-end Italian stuff, is 50% off if it's in the big cardboard box right next to the door. I paid a grand total of $14 for this yarn. The Adrienne Vittadini yarn alone (the tan) is worth almost that much at full price. Haven't decided yet what I'm going to make with it. Probably another long, skinny scarf for myself. You can never have too many scarves.

Then yesterday I got an email notification that Loopy Yarns on State Street is moving (just a block west to the old Dearborn Station at 47 W. Polk) and is having a 40% off sale. I got 6 skeins of this green Cascade 128.

I'm thinking that this will be a jacket for my nephew's first birthday. I'm really fond of Elizabeth Zimmerman's Tomten jacket and think that my nephew would look especially cute in one. I made one for another child years ago, and it's easy and fast. Whatever I decide to make, I'll post pictures when I'm done.

Create TV

2008-07-13T16:49:00.002-05:00

I'm not a Luddite, but I am a big believer in frugality and not throwing things out unless they're broken beyond repair. Thus, I still have an analog TV that uses a rabbit ear antenna. However, the TV signal is going completely digital in a few months, so I decided to go ahead and buy my converter box last week. I get almost double the number of channels now. Most of them are worthless, but one of them is 31 flavors of awesome. It's called Create and is a PBS station that broadcasts nothing but cooking, crafting, home decorating, and travel shows 24/7. I haven't run across any knitting shows yet, but there are a couple of quilting and sewing shows, so I have hopes that I'll eventually find something related to knitting. In the meantime, I'm just enjoying being able to watch cooking shows every morning while I eat breakfast. I think I'm in love....

Sometimes You Just Have to Admit Defeat and Get Rid of That Yarn

2008-06-27T08:28:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago, my condo association organized a big yard sale. The board asked everyone for items to donate, and I decided to donate yarn. I don't have a lot of clothes or gadgets, but I do have plenty of yarn to spare. So I went through my stash and pulled out all the yarn shown below.

Most of it is yarn I bought in bulk from Smiley's Yarns; I still like the yarn but just got sick of it after making several projects with it. Some of it is yarn I bought for a particular project that was just too ambitious. And some of it is yarn that is pretty in the skein but the devil to work with. In every case, I just had to admit to myself that I would NEVER use it and that it would be better to let someone else give it a try.

No one bought my yarn at the yard sale. So it has been donated to a local church's charity knitting/crocheting program. I hope the good ladies at the church can make better use of it than I ever could.

On the Needles

2008-06-22T11:34:00.002-05:00

My current take-along project is a pair of socks for myself. I'm using Knit Picks' Sock Memories in the Redwood Forest color way. One sock is done, and I'll start the second one soon. I've never understood Second Sock Syndrome. But I love making socks, so the prospect of knitting a second one is always welcome.

I'm off to a good start on my linen market bag. I'm almost done with the upper band and ready to start the mesh for the body.

The band is knit on size 4 needles, so it's taking longer than I anticipated. The mesh will be knit on size 13s, however, so that should speed things up. I'm very anxious to finish this so I can use it at the farmers' markets.

This Is Why I Don't Own a Car

2008-06-15T16:40:00.002-05:00

I never made it to the Lucy Neatby workshop yesterday. When I registered for it, I decided to reserve an I-Go car rather than take public transportation, because a trip up to Evanston on the L would have been at least 2 hours long.

Unfortunately, when I got to the car that I had reserved, my SmartCard wouldn't open the door. So I called customer service, and the guy tells me that my card number is no longer registered in their system. I don't exist! But he did have my reservation on hand, so he was able to open the car door remotely. However, but the time this was all resolved, half of the driving time I had budgeted was gone.

Then I made the mistake of getting on I-94 instead of taking Lake Shore Drive; of course, because the Puerto Rican Day parade was in Grant Park yesterday, taking the Drive probably wouldn't have been any better. Anyway, I got stuck in horrific, bumper-to-bumper traffic and half an hour after the class started, I decided to turn around because I was nowhere near the location and I knew I would miss at least 2/3 of the class anyway.

Then I thought, "Well, since I have a car, I'm going to the Target on Roosevelt Road to pick up a few things," but when I got there, the parking garage was full. So I came home and spent the rest of the day working on my linen market bag. Still, I'm upset that I wasted all that time, money, and gas. From now on, if a workshop isn't easily accessible by public transit, I'm just not going, no matter how much I want to.

Latest Yarn Purchase

2008-06-13T16:34:00.004-05:00

Last week I happened to be near Loopy Yarns on south State street, so naturally I had to go in. I wasn't intending to buy anything; my intention was merely to browse. Well, you know how that goes. I came out with 940 yards of lace weight yarn from Malabrigo.

I haven't decided what to make yet. There are several possibilities in Jane Sowerby's "Victorian Lace Today," but I can't settle on one. However, before I even start a project with this, I need to use that linen yarn I bought and make myself a market bag already. I've been going to farmers' markets for weeks now and am feeling very guilty for all the plastic bags I've been accumulating as a result. I do re-use the bags as much as possible, but I feel that I shouldn't be supporting the use of bags made of petrochemicals when I could easily knit an eco-friendly linen bag. OK, that's my project for the weekend--after the Lucy Neatby workshop tomorrow, of course.

Ending the Silence (and Other Random Thoughts)

2008-05-18T19:02:00.003-05:00

Long time no blog, my friends! Sorry for the long gap between posts. My life got a little crazy what with starting a new job, traveling, and being sick. I hope you've all been knitting some wonderful things in the meantime.

I'm still working on a couple of lace scarves for myself but I did take some time to knock out a few baby hats to send to Afghans for Afghans. The 3 on the bottom and the red-and-white striped one are all made with leftover sock yarn. The other two are bigger because they're made with worsted weight wool left over from various projects.

Unfortunately, I know I missed the deadline for their latest campaign, but I hope they can just hang onto these and ship them next time.

So, I found out that there's a knitting group here at my new job but I still haven't gone yet because I've wanted to enjoy the nice weather and get out and walk during lunch break. When it's 90 degrees in the shade, I'll stay inside and knit.

Speaking of hot weather, I can't decide whether to attend Stitches Midwest this August because they've moved it to a convention center that's completely inaccessible by public transportation. This means that I'll have to rent a car, and the expense associated with the rental will really cut into my yarn-buying money. I guess I'll see how I'm doing financially when the event gets closer. I doubt that I'll take classes this year, in any case. I find that taking a break once in a while is good, especially when you've taken as many SMW classes as I have. Pretty soon I'm going to run out of suitable classes to take. Maybe I should take this as a sign to attend Camp Stitches instead of Stitches Midwest....

However, I am going to a Lucy Neatby workshop sponsored by the Windy City Knitting Guild next month. I'll let you know what I think afterward.

Well, that's all the news on this end. I plan to get a lot of knitting done during this three-day weekend and wish the same for you. And please drive safely if you're traveling!

Pass the Olives

2008-04-01T07:51:00.001-05:00

As promised, here's my current work in progress:

Remember all that olive green yarn I bought? This is the scarf I"m making with it. I'm very pleased with how it's turning out. The Trendsetter Dune (fourth yarn from the bottom) is a little difficult to work with because it's a double-stranded, textured yarn, but it looks amazing. I should have this scarf done about the time that it gets too warm to wear it, but at least I'll have it ready for next fall.

Pictures of yarn!

2008-04-01T07:43:00.003-05:00

I think I mentioned a while back that I bought the Mason-Dixon yarn pack from Elmore-Pisgah, the manufacturers of Peaches 'n' Creme yarn. I used 4 of the balls to make bibs for my nephew. These 6 balls are what's left. I think they're destined to be dishrags. My old ones are falling apart.

Here are some hanks of discontinued sock yarn from Knit Picks. I haven't yet decided what to do with them, but because it's 100% wool, some of it undoubtedly will be made into hats for the Afghans for Afghans project. And I guess I do need a new pair of hand-knit socks for myself. It may be April, but it's still cold here in the Midwest, and my feet get cold at night if I don't wear socks to bed.

I do have a work in progress to show you. I'll post that separately.

Things Are Looking Up

2008-03-22T15:51:00.003-05:00

So I got an offer for a new job. What a relief! I won't lose my house and I can keep buying yarn. I finished the bibs for my nephew and finished a scarf for myself that I started so long ago that I lost the ball band and can't give you any info. on the yarn. I do remember that it's a hand-dyed wool blend. It's incredibly soft and cushy, too.

I used size 11 needles and the mistake stitch rib pattern (15 stitches) to make a long, skinny scarf. I know I don't need any more scarves, but the yarn was expensive (see? I do remember a few details), and I couldn't buy more than 1 skein.

I haven't decided what I'm going to knit next for my nephew. I'm going to see him next week and I'll ask his mom whether he needs anything in particular. Babies always need something....

Life's Not So Bad

2008-03-01T13:46:00.004-06:00

For those of you who don't already know, I got laid off from my job recently. Luckily, the company let us know 2 months before the actual date of severance, so I've had time to look for another job and, in fact, I have 2 very promising interviews next week. Once I got over the initial shock and panic, I realized that the worst thing that will happen is that I'll have to collect unemployment benefits for a while and I might have to borrow some money from relatives to help pay the bills. All things considered, that's not so bad. And, if I do end up "on the dole" for a while, at least I'll have more time to knit and blog.

In any case, my misfortune hasn't stopped me from knitting. I'm done with 3 bibs for my nephew and have started a 4th. I plan to do 5 in total and to have them ready for his half-birthday in April.

Being jobless also hasn't stopped me from buying more yarn. A couple weeks ago I made my first trip to Knitwerks, a lovely new store in the south Loop. The owner of the store is extremely friendly and helpful. The store isn't big and the selection is small, compared with some of the other stores in town, but I still managed to find several gorgeous things. Naturally, I couldn't buy everything I liked, so I settled on 3 balls of yarn. For some reason, I gravitated toward olive green and decided to go with that.

The one at the top is Super Kid Seta by Trendsetter Yarns, the one at the bottom left is Dune (also by Trendsetter), and the one at the bottom right is Gioiello by Filatura di Crosa. I haven't decided yet what I'm going to make with them. I might combine them with that olive green silk by Tilli Tomas that I bought at Stitches Midwest and just make a scarf. You can never have too many scarves. My first thought was to try to blend the yarns together, but now I'm thinking I might just do large chunks of each, to make the contrast between textures more pronounced. Whatever I decide to do, I'll post a picture when it's done so you can see the results.

Stressed-Out Knitting

2008-01-20T08:31:00.001-06:00

Well, it's not the knitting that's stressed out, it's me. Things are falling apart at work, and so am I. So I cope by knitting easy projects that don't take a lot of brain power. First up is a bib for my nephew. He'll be eating solid foods within the next couple of months and will needs lots of bibs. The pattern is from "Mason-Dixon Knitting." I'm using Peaches 'n' Cream yarn from Elmore-Pisgah, which sells a Mason-Dixon pack of 12 balls of coordinating yarn. I'm alternating stripes of Shaded Denim and Daisy Ombre for this bib. I'll probably do another one in green.

Second, I'm finishing a pair of socks for my sister. She really liked her Christmas socks, so I'm doing another pair for her birthday.

Finally, one of my co-workers has been extremely supportive during this difficult time, and I want to make her something special before I leave. I'm making a narrow scarf using the mistake stitch rib pattern and Tai yarn from Filatura di Crosa. It's a cotton blend ribbon yarn. I think the color will look great with her complexion.

I hope the new year is going better for the rest of you than it is for me. I'm trying to remind myself of what Elizabeth Zimmerman wrote: "Knit on, with confidence and hope, through all crises."

A New Year, Another Scarf

2008-01-01T12:01:00.000-06:00

I don't know why I've been on this scarf-knitting kick lately. Maybe it's because I've been stressed out, and all my poor brain can handle these days is a simple rectangle. In any case, here's the latest creation:

I made it with 2 skeins of Urban Silk (80% silk, 20% cotton) by Skacel Collection. The colors are fig and raspberry. I cast on 251 stitches in raspberry and worked in seed stitch until I ran out of yarn and then switched to fig and knitted until I had just enough to bind off. It's about 4 inches wide and a good 5 feet long. The yarn is extremely soft and feels great next to the skin. I like how the nubby texture of seed stitch really helps the silk catch the light and adds some interest to an otherwise plain design.

As I did last year, I'm making a resolution to finish at least one of the projects that has been languishing in one of my many knitting bags for a long time. Since I've been knitting scarves, maybe the first thing I'll do is finish off that Shetland lace scarf I started 2 years ago. It's not a difficult pattern, but it requires concentration and uninterrupted time, which is why it has been hard to finish. My emotionally needy cat makes anything but the simplest knitting difficult to accomplish at home. I guess I need to start hanging out at coffee shops and knitting groups more often. Hey, that'll be my other new year's resolution.

Hope that 2008 is a great knitting year for all of you!

Some blurry pics

2007-12-23T08:47:00.000-06:00

I finished the braided scarf yesterday. It looks really cool draped around my neck. I'm very pleased with the results.

Next up is the sweater set I made for my nephew's first Christmas. It's too big for him to wear right now, but it should make a nice outdoor jacket for the spring.

I was in a rush to get my sister's socks in the mail in time, so I don't have pictures to post. They were just plain blue socks--nothing lacy or fancy. I plan to do a lot more knitting on my 2 days off this coming week, so I'm sure it won't be long before I have new pictures to post. Hope y'all have a great holiday!

Extreme Holiday Knitting

2007-12-15T18:35:00.000-06:00

Who would ever think of this? It's a knitted nativity scene. I hope she publishes a pattern for it. I'd love to make one for myself.

I blocked out my nephew's sweater and hat. Still working on my sister's socks. Pics will be posted--eventually.

Christmas Knitting

2007-12-09T12:05:00.000-06:00

I finally sewed up my nephew's sweater and bought buttons for it. Now I just need to sew on the buttons and block it out. I also finished his matching hat. When it's all done, I'll post pictures.

I'm also working on a pair of wool socks for my sister. In all the years that I've been knitting, this is the first time she's ever asked me to knit something for her. The hardwood floors in her house are very cold, and she wants some warm socks to wear around the house this winter. She really wanted some red and white striped socks, so I looked around for self-striping yarn in those colors but had a terrible time finding any. I found some that was red, white, and blue and some that was red, white, and green, but none that was just red and white.

So she picked out some blue variegated yarn from my stash and I started a pair with that. I continued searching, however, and I finally found some yarn by Hill Country Yarns in a color way called "Candy Cane." I ordered it yesterday, and if it comes in on time, I'll make her a second pair of socks with it before Christmas. If it comes in too late, they'll be her birthday present.

I'm Still Knitting (but Not as Much as I'd Like)

2007-11-24T11:13:00.000-06:00

I finally started making a hat to match the Baby Surprise sweater I made for my nephew this summer. It's coming along nicely and should be done soon, in spite of my limited knitting time these days.

I've decided against making a set of matching bootees. By the time my nephew is big enough to wear the sweater, he'll be big enough to be able to kick bootees off, so making a set would be pointless. Now all I need to do is find some cool buttons for the sweater. Unfortunately, my favorite place to find buttons in Chicago, Tender Buttons, has been closed to make way for yet another unnecessary Gold Coast condo tower. Just who is buying all these condos anyway? It's out of control. So I guess I'll have to see what I can find at Vogue Fabrics on Roosevelt Road. Or maybe I'll see what I can find online. If anyone knows of a reliable source for good buttons, please let me know.

Small Things

2007-10-28T16:19:00.001-05:00

My knitting has slowed down recently because I took a second job to pay off my credit cards. Such is life in modern America, unfortunately. However, I did manage to finish a triangle shawl made with Katia Tango, a ribbon yarn, in the rust color way. I haven't woven in the ends yet, and you can see one trailing off to the side. I just did garter stitch and increased one stitch at the end of every row and kept going until I was nearly out of yarn (I used 4 balls of 71 yards each).

I've also been working on a new scarf for myself. I'm making 3 long skinny stockinette tubes (just 20 stitches across; size 8 needles). When they're done, I'll tie them together and braid them. The yarn is Palette by Knit Picks; the colors are wood, fawn, and tan. If this one turns out well, I plan to make another one with bark, nutmeg and twig. I think a black, white, and gray one would look sharp, too.

That's all for today, my friends. Hope your fall knitting is going well and that you have a happy, safe Halloween.

UDG

I have a nephew!

2007-10-04T12:00:00.000-05:00

My nephew was born late Monday night, October 1. I can't wait to see him. Naturally, I've already started thinking about other things I can knit for him, in addition to the log cabin blanket and the sweater I made this summer. I have a feeling that being an aunt is going to be an expensive proposition, but I don't mind at all.

A Little Lace

2007-09-22T17:23:00.000-05:00

Since I'm done with the blanket for my brother's child and almost done with my Afghans for Afghans knitting, I decided to start something for myself. I finally bought a copy of Jane Sowerby's Victorian Lace Today and decided to make the simplest possible lace scarf for myself. I definitely want to do some of the harder projects, but this is a good project for the knitting group I started at work. I can work on this and still chat with my co-workers without making a lot of mistakes. I'm using a strand of extremely fine alpaca and a strand of slightly heavier wool. I'm very pleased with the results so far.

Sorry for the blurriness of the picture. My cheap little camera doesn't take the best photos. But you get the general idea.

Knitters Are Everywhere

2007-09-22T17:20:00.000-05:00

Last weekend I went to the Pacific Northwest for a friend's wedding, and on the return flight I found myself next to a woman who was trying to knit a hat for her first granddaughter, who is due in a few months. She had trouble with the ribbing, however, so I showed her how to do it correctly. She was so grateful that she asked for my home address so she could send me a picture of the hat when it's done. Joyce, if you're reading this, I hope the hat is going well and I can't wait to see that picture.

Shetland Knitwear: Heritage on the Cheap

2007-09-08T19:59:00.000-05:00

This is an excellent article from the Shetland Times. I have no comment except to say that I agree wholeheartedly with this passage: "Knitwear can never earn knitters enough money, because its value as a saleable commodity will never equal its value as a historical and cultural asset. Nor will its monetary value ever be able to cover the time it takes to create."

Dog Days of Knitting

2007-08-28T19:39:00.000-05:00

The log cabin blanket arrived safely, and my brother and his fiancee both love it. I hope the baby does, too.

So now I'm using some of the leftover yarn to make baby hats for Afghans for Afghans. When I'm done with all of them, I'll post a picture. I might make a couple of pairs of mittens for some older kids, too, if I have time.

When it's hot like this, it's hard to do anything big, so that's why I'm just doing some little projects. Once the weather cools off, I'll go back to some of my major projects that have been on the needles for, oh, months now. And then maybe I'll have something better to blog about. Until then...keep on knitting.

Stitches Midwest 2007

2007-08-12T19:41:00.000-05:00

Another SMW has come and gone, and I'm another $180 poorer for it. Only $120 of that went for yarn; the rest was for overpriced meals and cab fare. I couldn't afford to take classes the whole weekend as I'd like to do, but I did learn a lot. My Friday afternoon class was on creativity with Sally Melville. Not only is she an amazing designer, she's a wonderfully generous teacher. Basically, she shared all her tips and secrets with us. It was an extremely engaging class that I would recommend for anyone whose interested in creative pursuits, not just knitting.

My all-day Saturday class was on vintage socks with Nancy Bush. I took an Estonian lace class with her 2 years ago, so I already knew what a great teacher she is. We did a little sample sock to illustrate various techniques that were published in the Weldon's knitting books in 19th-century England. I was by far the fastest knitter in the class, so she used my sock for a demonstration of grafting at the end of the class. No, I'm not a teacher's pet, just Speedy Gonzalez.

The fashion show was excellent this year. Many of the garments are from the fall issue of Knitter's magazine. There were also several lace pieces from Jane Sowerby's "Victorian Lace Today." I came away with lots of ideas and inspiration.

The yarn market was the main attraction, of course. I decided to go for quality, rather than quantity, this year. It's all in the picture below. The little green ball is Reynold's Sea Wool that I bought for the sock class; I have lots of sock yarn at home, but it's all variegated, and you need plain yarn for a class so you can see what you're doing. I also bought some Cascade 220 in dark brown and red to make a striped Noni carpet bag (the pattern is propped up behind the yarn). Finally, I bought some olive green silk yarn from Tilli Tomas (on the left) and some hand-dyed cashmere laceweight yarn from Just Our Yarns (at the bottom right).

Here's a close-up of the silk yarn:
And here's one of the cashmere:
Who knows how long it'll be before I actually get started knitting this stuff? I have several other projects on the needles right now. But it's nice to know that it'll be in my knitting basket waiting for me.

Finished Objects

2007-08-07T19:52:00.000-05:00

I washed the Lucy bag in hot water again, and it felted up much better the second time. Actually, the body is still a little looser than I'd like, but the length of the handles is just right, and I don't want them to shrink any more. So I figure I'll leave well enough alone at this point.

I also finished the log cabin blanket for my niece or nephew. I toyed with the idea of putting an applied I-cord border on it but I don't have enough yarn in any one color that would contrast with all 4 colors on the outer edge to make it all the way around. That's OK, though--I'm kinda sick of it at this point and I need to get it in the mail so that it arrives in time for the baby shower at the end of the month.

So what's next? Well, Stitches Midwest is this coming weekend, and I'm taking 2 classes: Creativity with Sally Melville and Vintage Socks with Nancy Bush. I'm sure I'll come away with plenty of inspiration (and yarn) for all my fall knitting.

Disappointment and Frustration

2007-07-23T07:14:00.000-05:00

I finished the Noro Kureyon Lucy bag and tried to felt it in the washing machine, but it's still very loose and stretchy. I even spent some time (and scoured my fingers) trying to felt it by hand in the sink. It got a little better but it's still not quite right--and it left a lot of fiber in my sink that was nearly impossible to clean out. So now I have to wait until next laundry day to try to machine-felt it again. I know, I could go ahead and run it through the machine now, but I don't want to waste quarters (not to mention water and energy) on just 1 item. I suppose this is my cautionary tale for the week: Noro Kureyon doesn't felt very well. If you're impatient (as I am), try Knit Picks' Wool of the Andes for your felted projects. It works beautifully on the first try. Speaking of Knit Picks, I saw that they're having a sale on all their books. I may have to buy one to console myself after this latest fiasco.

Knitting Humor

2007-07-17T12:11:00.000-05:00

Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net

Bag Lady

2007-07-09T12:17:00.001-05:00

I've had this urge to buy another handbag lately. Why? I don't know. I certainly don't need a new one. So I decided to knit one. I used a pattern from from Two Old Bags, called the Lucy Bag, to make one about 18 months ago and I get a ton of compliments about it. I had 4 balls of Noro Kureyon on hand and decided to use that for my new bag, also a Lucy bag.

The new one (still in progress) is on the left, and my old one (made with Knit Picks Wool of the Andes) is on the right. I'll post a picture of the new one after I felt it.

Dessert + Knitting = Fabulous

2007-07-09T12:15:00.000-05:00

Check out these cupcakes decorated with marzipan: http://veganyumyum.com/2007/06/knit-night-cupcakes/

Too cute!

Completed Project

2007-06-23T11:52:00.000-05:00

This is the hat and set of booties that my friend commissioned. I hope she likes it. I wanted to make roses to put on the cuffs of the booties, but they were too big, even using my size 1 needles. Perhaps next time....

Blasts from the Past

2007-06-15T20:30:00.000-05:00

It takes me forever to use a roll of film, so when I get one developed, there are always pictures on there from months ago...like the ones below.

This is the shrug I made for a former co-worker to wear over her strapless wedding gown last October. The color looks a little washed out on my monitor; it's actually a lovely champagne. The yarn was wonderful to work with, and the pattern was very easy.

This is a vest and some hats that I sent to Afghans for Afghans in September. The vest may look a little big for a child, but they wanted us to make things for kids older than seven, and they also told us that Afghani children tend to be tall and thin, so I made the vest a little longer than the pattern specified. The hats are just standard ribbed watchcaps made with wool left over from other projects.

I didn't participate in the latest AfA campaign, making baby blankets, because I wanted to get a jump on making things for my future niece/nephew, but I should have all that done within the next month or so, just in time for the fall AfA campaign.

New Commission

2007-06-11T12:17:00.000-05:00

A friend called last night and asked if she could buy a hat and booties for a friend's baby girl. I already have a pink hat on hand (it's one I didn't sell at the craft fair in December) and plenty of yarn left over from it, so making matching booties won't be a problem. If the cats will leave me alone, I can probably knock out a pair tonight. Pictures will be posted, of course. I should probably post an updated picture of the log-cabin baby blanket, too. It's getting to the point where it's almost uncomfortable to work on it in the summer heat, even with the air conditioning on, because it covers my entire lap. The size also makes it tempting for the cats. I have multiple afghans and throws lying around the house, but the only one they want to sit on is the one I'm working on at the moment. I guess it's the natural perversity of cats.

Traveling Knitting

2007-05-28T08:47:00.000-05:00

Howdy, y'all. I didn't get a chance to post last weekend because I was traveling, visiting relatives in another state. Any intrepid knitter will tell you that you can't travel without a project. Otherwise, you'll go insane during those long waits in the airport, not to mention the flight itself. Nothing calms a nervous flier better than having to count stitches on a piece of knitting. Of course, the project also has to be small because there's no room on those crowded flights for a big afghan or man-sized sweater. The baby blanket I'm making for my niece/nephew is too bulky to carry around now, so I had to come up with something else for my trip.

So I dug through my stash and found this long-forgotten kit I had bought at Stitches Midwest a few years ago. It's two balls of Gemini yarn (50% merino wool/50% silk) from Oak Grove Yarns, hand-dyed in a colorway called Fall Leaves. It came with a lace scarf pattern by Candace Eisner-Strick (who is just amazing, by the way; I've taken 2 classes with her, and she's a wonderful teacher). So the night before I left, I cast on for this scarf:

Sorry that the picture is a bit blurred. As you can see, I made quite a bit of progress in just 3 days on the road. I love the colors and the pattern, especially how the edge scallops itself. When it's blocked out, I think it's going to be stunning.

That's it for this week. Hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day!

Random Post

2007-05-12T09:07:00.000-05:00

I'm plugging away on the log cabin blanket. Now that the sections are getting wider, each one takes me that much more time to complete. Also, it's getting big enough that I can't carry it around with me, so my time to work on it is limited to evenings at home when the cats will consent to leave me alone, instead of insisting on sitting on my lap. So that's why I don't have a new picture this time--I haven't added many new sections since the last picture.

Anyway, last Sunday I happened to be near a yarn shop on the north side and went in just to browse and bought 1600 yards of red lace-weight wool.

Why? Because it was pretty, and the label is in Mandarin, which I've never seen before. I have no idea what I'm going to make with it yet. I have several lace patterns but can't seem to pick one because they're all so beautiful.

Yesterday at work I had to sit through a boring meeting and used the time to design a new sweater for myself. I bought some wool/silk yarn by Ellen's Half Pint Farm a few years ago at Stitches Midwest and have been hanging onto it, looking for the perfect pattern for it. I think it'll work with this new sweater I have in mind. I don't want to say too much more at this point in case I completely mess up the project, but if it turns out the way I hope, I'll post pictures.

Tonight a friend and I are going to another friend's house for a craft night. We're going out for Ethiopian food first, and then we'll settle in for an evening of crafting and gossiping. Should be fun! Hope y'all have a great, crafty weekend, too.

Log Cabin Blanket: Beginning

2007-04-29T15:37:00.000-05:00

This is the log cabin style blanket I'm making for my brother's child. It's 15-by-18 inches at the moment, and I have a lot of yarn left, so it should be a fairly decent size, big enough for a crib. I'll probably make another, smaller blanket for them to use with the car seat. I'm very pleased so far. This pattern is very easy (you can see on the left where I've begun picking up stitches for a burgundy stripe), the yarn is lovely (Swish superwash wool from Knit Picks), and I really like the colors. One of my friends commented that it looks like an Amish quilt, and I suppose she's right. I didn't have that in mind when I picked the colors or pattern, but that's how it's working out. That's all the knitting news I have for this week. Happy stitches to you all!