Back again

I haven't blogged in ages, but I'm still knitting.

I think I'm probably moving in December, so I'm trying to do some clean up. So I've been going back to the UFO's I have laying around and finishing them off, as well as work from my stash.

I finished all the projects I had on the needles in April, as well as some new ones.

(Aren't the buttons just ADORABLE?)





I only finished my friend's scarf last week. I blocked it last night and gave it to her at church today. I must admit I was gratified to see her so pleased about it!
I forgot to take a photo of the stealth swap project I was working on. I started knitting up the KnitPicks Fedora I bought in April. I'm so enamored with steeking that the only thing I could decide about the pattern was that I was going to knit it in the round and cut it up the center to make a cardigan!

I've decided to make Pink Lemon Twist's Bristow Cardigan, but the construction is so different I guess the only Bristow part is the stitch pattern. The rest of it is just a percentage sweater from EZ's Knitting Workshop. I think I might try to do the seamless set-in sleeves, because I already have two cardigans with a round yoke. I've finished the body and I'm about halfway done with one sleeve. It's been holding lately while I finish UFO's from my basket.

Weekend Knitting

My little sister got married this past Saturday (Congrats, sis!)

I got to spend a lot of quality time with family that lives far away from me.

And I got to spend hours and hours sitting and knitting--in the airport, in the plane, in the car. I finished up a garter-stitch scarf in handspun and started a new pair of socks.

I'm also working on the Mystery Beret (Ravelry link) in some bubblegum pink handspun.

One Hundred

Wow--This is post number one hundred! It's strange to think that I've written that many. So to celebrate, I'll show you some new things in my house today:

First up: New socks!

BFL Socks, just a plain toe-up sock, but with Wendy's No-Picking-Up-of-Stitches Heel

Next: NEW BIKE!!!!!

Breezer Villager U-Frame Bicycle

I bought this at Pedal the Planet in Lexington, KY. I'm very excited about the bike. I think it's a very good-looking. And I've heard a lot of good things about the company. My own experience has been excellent. I've been e-mailing lots of questions to the company, and I have always gotten a thorough response the next day.

Anyway, now I just want the weather to be a little bit warmer!

All Done!

That was fast!

I used just over a ball and a half of Rowan Handknit Cotton for this project; I still have a ball and not quite a half left--what else can I do with it?

Dude! Not Even Two weeks!

I finished the socks for my second sockapalooza pal. I started them on October 31st--today is the 12th of November--that's not quite two weeks!!!

I've never knit a complete PAIR of socks so quickly. I'm just flabbergasted.

They're in for a soak right now, then they'll take a day or so to dry out. I have the day off tomorrow, so I think I'm going to go to the store and pick up some things to send off with them. Hopefully they'll be on their way by Wednesday!

Done! (Maybe)

I finished the socks for my second Sockapalooza pal a couple of days ago. I wove in the ends and stuck them in some wool wash for a bath. When I pulled them out, I started to panic because they seemed a LOT SMALLER than they were when they went in. I've been afraid that they were too small all along, but now they definitely were.

However, now that they've dried completely, they look to be not as small as I feared. The fabric doesn't feel as dense and unflexible as it was when they were wet. They're knit out of a bamboo-wool blend that I've never used before, so maybe the yarn swells a lot when it takes up water, but shrinks down again as it dries? I don't know.

I've started a new pair for my pal just in case (made from Koigu--something I'm familiar with that won't play tricks on me!). I think I'll send her the pair I've completed, and then if they don't fit, I'll send her the second pair.

Where does the time go?

I can't believe that it's been three weeks since I posted last. I've been craZy busy (as my brother used to say--with the Z just like that). I've had an insane week. I found out last Monday that I had an ear infection, so they stuck me with a needle and put me on antibiotics. On Thursday night, I was involved in a car accident. No one was hurt, but my car is a little banged up. Luckily, the other person's insurance company is going to pay for the repair on my car.

I've been knitting quite a bit. I started and finished a hat for my friend Kyle this month. He'd asked for a hat to keep his "little head warm when it gets cold outside." The only directions he gave me was that it be in black. I ended up doing a hat based on the Marsan Watchcap, without a brim, and with more stitches than the pattern called for because I was knitting at a tighter gauge. It was a fast knit, worsted-weight yarn on 4mm (US6) needles (the original pattern called for 4.5 mm/US7 needles but I didn't have any).

I learned a lot from this hat. First of all, the pattern is made up of a twisted-stitch rib (K1 through back loop, P1) and the K1P1 was the catalyst I needed to get me to learn how to knit continental-style. Secondly, I learned a lot more about how a stitch is constructed when I took a pair of scissors to the bottom of the hat. Kyle told me--after I'd already knit nearly the entire hat--that he didn't really care for hats with folded-up brims. Rather than rip back 5 inches of knitting, I opted for surgery a la Grumperina. It's not professional-looking, by any means, but I don't think he'll notice.

I've also been working on my brother's socks. I've finished one sock up and am about two-thirds of the way done with the cuff. I haven't woven in any ends on either sock yet, but I'm hoping to have them done by the end of next week. I was planning on finishing them this month, but I took a few days off to do Kyle's hat.

I'm also on the hunt for a nice lacy sock pattern. I've signed up to be a Sockapalooza 4 Sock Savior, and the person I'm knitting for says she prefers thinner socks, so something lacy should do. They're going to be in Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Solids, in the Cherry colorway--a nice bright, lovely RED. I'm thinking about doing the 'Vog On pattern, just longer than anklets.

Look! Look! I'm finished!! Say it with me--woo-hoo!!!



I don't know exactly what I'm going to start on next. I've joined up with Mystery Stole 3 and received my yarn on Wednesday or Thursday--one skein of oatmeal-colored Lane Borgosesia merino laceweight. It was my first order ever from The Loopy Ewe. (My parents are talking about moving to St Louis--if they do, I'll definitely have to arrange to visit the Loopy place!) I have no idea what size needles to use for this yarn. I think I want to try some of those KnitPicks needles or the Addi Turbo Lace needles--something with a sharper point. Just starting to do a swatch on that fine yarn was kind of difficult.

I think I'll also start another sock. I've got several colors to choose from: some Brown and Pink Koigu my first Secret Pal gave me, some red Cherry Tree Hill I purchased a few months ago, or some cotton that my current Secret Pal sent me. I think I'm going to just do a plain sock because I want to train myself how to knit and read things at the same time. I'm starting school again in the fall, and I can't give up my fiber!

Edited to add: A Title

Lots of news this week.

On Saturday, I finished the second Pink sock. I like them! Unfortunately, now that summer is here, it's too hot to wear boots to work, so only black sensible socks for me for a few months. We have a dress code at work and my manager has specifically mandated (for my benefit) "NO FUNKY SOCKS". Only black socks are allowed. In a fit of rebellion, I bought some nice black boots to wear so no one can see if my socks are blue or purple or orange or pink. I'll just have to stockpile a stash of "funky socks" to wear once the weather cools down again.Isn't my Jamison cute? I'm going to have to take some good pictures of Mattie to post or she'll be jealous.

I had two skeins of Cascade 220 left over from Eris, so I went to the yarn store and bought a skein of brown yarn and the pattern for Fiber Trend's Felted Clogs. I whipped the first one up on Saturday and haven't started the second one yet. I may do that this week and wash them when I go home over Mother's Day weekend. Someday I will have a house with my OWN washer and dryer.

On Tuesday I went shopping for yarn for my Sockapalooza socks. It's Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in the Tahoe Colorway. I think I'll be knitting these toe up and using Melanie's Twisted Stitch pattern. I decided to try out the Magic Loop method and bought a very long 2mm (0) needle. I keep casting on the wrong amount of stitches, though. I can't count very well, apparently! I'll have pictures of that next time.

And finally, I got an e-mail today saying that I've been accepted into the University of Kentucky School of Library and Information Sciences Graduate Program! Whoo-hoo! I didn't think I'd get in. It'll be a long haul, though. I'm trying to avoid debt as much as I can, and I don't want to give up the full-time benefits of my job. So it'll be a night class here and there for several years, I think. I'm still in shock.

Startits

It's not the kind of startitis you think it is. I can't seem to finish a blog post. I've begun one every day since Friday!

I did have a lot of knitting time this weekend. On Friday night, I had an overnight-meeting and I worked on the pink sock during the down time. Just as the first session ended, and before any down time began, one of the women in charge at the meeting laughingly commented that she ought to keep a sock in her purse so that she could stuff it in her mouth to keep from saying something stupid. I thought it was rather amusing that I DO have a sock in my purse at all times--but not for my mouth!

On Saturday, there was a book fair here in Lexington. I had a great time. The Yarn Harlot was here!

It was fun. Stephanie is as much fun in person as she is in print (naturally). It's fun to read back through her side of the visit--I'm in the first crowd picture, right in the middle. And I met some of the people in the other pictures. Needless to say, I had lots of knitting time on Saturday: pretty much four hours straight from one to five. And then I went home and knit some more. My poor little brother who's a missionary in Hungary (not the same one who came home from a mission in Brazil last year) doesn't hear from me nearly as much as he ought to. This is probably not a healthy obsession!

I'm learning how to knit continental style. It's a long process--I'm not patient enough. I can knit quickly in the English Style, but the continental style seems so much more efficient. But it takes longer because I'm not good at it yet What I need is a project like a sweater with lots of stockinette that I can practice on.

I have one FO to report for this weekend: a hat. After Stephanie finished speaking, many of us sat around and knit. Jane and Diane of Magpie Yarns were collecting hats to be donated, so I brought some bulky-weight yarn out of my stash to use up and give away. I worked on it on Saturday and finished it yesterday. There was a generic pattern there but not for the weight of yarn I was using. I decided to just cast on and knit until it looked good--it will fit someone, right? I think it turned out kind of cute and I don't know how I did it.

Done!

I finished my brother's Christmas present on Friday night. It's pretty and feels soft to my fingers, but it's kind of itchy when I try it on my neck, so I'm not sure how he'll like it. It softened up some when I washed it, so hopefully it will contintue to soften the more it's washed and worn.

Just in time for cold weather

What's with the crazy weather around here? Yesterday, it was sunny and nearly 80 degrees outside. Today it was rainy and never got above 45, and they're predicting snow flurries for tonight! YUK!!! Luckily, I have something new to wear against the cold...This was such a quick knit! I did make some modifications to the pattern. I decided not to do the picot edging at the knuckles because I didn't want them to flare out. I made a few mistakes, too. I was so afraid that I'd run out of yarn before I finished the second one that I knit it much tighter than the first. I think I also messed up one of the cables at the wrist and knit one row too few between cable rows. As a result, it was shorter than the other, and I had six grams of yarn left!

I went back in and added two or three extra rows between where I divided for the thumb and the cables at the knuckles. I actually like it better, because it's tighter and covers a bit more of my fingers. I still have some yarn left and I may go back in and redo the bind-off on the first.

I think I'm going to have to go online and see if I can find some more of this yarn and make a hat and scarf to match, and maybe figure some way to make mitten flaps. I'm not sure how often I'll actually wear them if my fingers are always out in the cold.