Running with Needles

Moving Forward

2010-09-19T15:20:00.000-07:00

   I'm a little sad to be leaving this blog behind, but I will be blogging at Stevens Handmade from now on. I started this blog in college, and continued it when I was in grad school, so I could keep in touch with friends and family and let them know what I was working on. I love looking back at what I've made and remembering what was going on in my life at the time, but I am moving forward in a couple of different ways that my new blog will document. I've had my own home with my fiance and our four animals for a little over a year now, so there is all sorts of making going on that didn't necessarily fit with this blog that I would like to share--making things for our home, our pets, and ourselves, and cooking, decorating, baking, growing and preserving food. I also plan to share some of the items I am making for our wedding next June.

   I'm also moving forward with a new business that I've been thinking about for awhile, also called Stevens Handmade. The new blog is not just for the business, though--as I mentioned above, I plan to share all of the things I am making, not just the ones for sale.

   I will be leaving this blog up but closing the comments. I enjoy looking back but I am excited to share new projects with you too, so I hope you will follow me over to Stevens Handmade!

Damson

2010-08-06T18:31:00.000-07:00

I knit Damson for my Grammie's birthday last February. I love all of Ysolda's patterns, and I completely love her Whimsical Little Knits booklet, so when Whimsical Little Knits 2 was released I ordered it immediately.

I ran out of the main yarn (more about that in a minute), only because I purchased a skein of about 400 yards and the yarn used for the pattern had about 440 yards. I used a cream sock-weight yarn to finish the lovely loopy edging.

Damson by Ysolda Teague; in Whimsical Little Knits 2 (also available through Ravelry and on her website)
Yarn: NH Knitting Mama Fitzwilliam yarn, 1 skein (I think the colorway was Berries? I don't see it on the site currently); Knit Picks Bare yarn for the edging
Needles: US Size 6 24" circular needle
Modifications: I used another yarn, Knit Picks Bare yarn for the edging after I ran out of the main yarn.

I loved this yarn and the pattern--the yarn was beautifully dyed and the pattern was easy to memorize but still interesting to work. As with all of Ysolda's patterns that I have made, it was very well written and the construction was beautifully executed and included interesting details, such as the looped edging and the triangle yarn over pattern. I love these little shawlets because they are pretty quick to knit, too!

Hello Again

2010-06-24T19:15:00.000-07:00

I have been very into crochet lately--I'm working on a kit for a crocheted afghan that belonged to my great-grandmother, and I'm working a bit on my own crochet designs (with help from crochet stitch books).
I also made this for my cousin's fourth birthday in March:

Crochet Breakfast by Jessica Spencer, Beansprout Creations (Rav link)

I just used scrap yarn (acrylic and machine-washable cotton) that I had in the stash. My cousin loves to pretend to cook for people so I thought he would like it, and he does.

I was very lucky with my freehand embroidery on a scr ap of felt for the bag (the bag was from some t-shirt sheets we bought a little while ago). Overall, this is one of the projects I am the most proud of, in part because of how well it turned out but also because I only used materials I already had, and because it was a present that is so perfect for my cousin.

I am looking forward to a summer full of crochet and crafting!

Catching Up

2010-04-25T07:10:00.000-07:00

I have been consumed with one big knitting project after another for the past few months. My future sister-in-law gave birth to a beautiful little boy on April 7th, so for awhile there I was working only on baby things. Here are some of the things I made for the shower in February:

Modified Bear Claw Blanket (from the Bear Claw Blanket from an old issue of Interweave Knits, designed by Veronik Avery):

This was a big project. I started working with the pattern, and it took me over a week just to work the center square. I was on a time crunch since the shower was in February, so I decided to work a log cabin around the outside edge. I started with a knitted on log cabin border, but it was too scrunchy where it was knitted on, so I ripped it back. I ended up crocheting it on because it was easier to control the picked-up stitch tension and easier to rip back if it was scrunchy. I spent a lot of time fussing about how it looked, but I'm very pleased with how it turned out and I'm proud of myself for coming up with a creative solution to my problems using the resources I had on hand.

Modified Bear Claw Blanket (center panel from Veronik Avery's Bear Claw Blanket)
Yarn: Plymouth Dreambaby DK in cream, brown, and light blue; Valley Yarns Huntington in grass green
Needles/Hook: US Sizes 2 and 3 for the center panel, US Size F hook for the log cabin strips

I also made two baby sweaters and some booties. Here is one of the sweaters:

Little Wolf Sweater by Luanda Diaz-Santiago (purchase on Ravelry)
Yarn: Lion Brand Cotton Ease in green and blue (from stash)
Needles: US Size 8
Modifications: I knit the body in stockinette; I can't remember but I think there is a different stitch pattern in the directions. I also think I knit the body in the round, and made a couple of other modifications that I can't remember now.

I didn't make this bunny, but someone else did. I was at a craft fair and there was a woman who makes great bags and stuffed animals from old chenille bedspreads (I bought a bag for myself). I did change the bow, since the original had flowers on it, and I'm proud of my bow-tying job.

I'll find the pictures of the other items and post those soon, as well as the other things I've been knitting. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

Instructional Video!

2010-02-16T17:28:00.000-08:00

I've gotten a few questions about the cuff of the Sandalwood Socks I designed, so I decided to to a video to demonstrate how the stitch is made. I had a hard time with it at first, and it can be hard on your hands, so I also show how to make the stitch with a cable needle.

A note about the video: this was my first time doing this sort of thing, and during the first minute or so I sometimes move the needles out of the camera frame. I do demonstrate the same method on the last needle, so just hang in there :)

Hello again!

2010-02-15T13:22:00.000-08:00

I'm still here! There has just been lots of excitement around here these past few months. We hosted Thanksgiving in our new home, followed closely by Christmas, then January flew by, and now we're already in February. The excitement continues though, because Jack and I are getting married! So you may eventually get sick of all the wedding crafts that I post here (or I will be too busy to post much at all).

As usual, there was still lots of knitting. I'm going to try to catch up a little, but the details on these may be scarce since I knit them awhile ago.

First up, a sweater for my cousin's baby girl:

Pattern: Eloise Eyelet Cardigan (a free Lion Brand pattern, Ravelry link)

I think I just used the recommended needles and I used all of one skein of heather raspberry Lion Brand Wool-Ease and finished up the yoke in some cream Wool-Ease. Both were kicking around my stash and this was a great way to use it up. It's a very cute pattern, but sometimes it specifies to keep the first and last few stitches in seed stitch and sometimes it doesn't, so be careful with that--if you have the picture and you're not a complete beginner then you can figure it out but keep an eye out for it.

I believe in my last post I promised you a picture of my Tiny Little Shoes from Ysolda's Whimsical Little Knits. I love this booklet and her second one, Whimsical Little Knits 2. The patterns are wonderful and most only use up a little bit of yarn. This pair is made with some leftover sock yarn, which I love and think is a great way to use it. It would be really cute to make a pair for a new mom and use the leftovers to make these for the baby.

More to come soon, including a video to help you work through the cuff on my sock pattern (which is now available for download here through the Interweave Knits store!).

Happy November!

2009-11-01T12:11:00.001-08:00

Hello! I know it's been awhile since I've posted, but there's been some big stuff going on. We bought a house! I had a birthday! We went to the Common Ground Fair, and I also went on the Wool Arts Tour! And you know, the general everyday life things that interfere with blogging. Also, there seems to be more things to do in fall, my favorite season.

There has been lots of knitting going on, but Blogger is acting funny and insists on rotating my pictures for no reason, so I only have a couple for you today. It's November, so it's a good thing I knit myself some slippers:

These are the Grown Up Booties by Ysolda Teague, from her Whimsical Little Knits booklet. I love this booklet so much I ordered Whimsical Little Knits 2 the second I heard about it. These are knit with some '70s acrylic I had leftover from my Granny Square Afghan. One reason I love this booklet is that the projects are great for using up stash yarn. I plan to knit everything in it--so far I've done Ishbel and the Tiny Shoes in addition to my booties (pictures to come soon). I'm about to start the Ishbel Beret and I've just gotten the second yarn for the Cairn hat and mitts (the first is from my stash, and so is the yarn for the beret).

I hope you had a good Halloween and are enjoying this beautiful day! For some crafty inspiration, check out Craft Leftovers, my (not-so-new) obsession. Kristin Roach has awesome tutorials and lots of great free patterns and recipes!

Where Did June Go?

2009-06-28T12:41:00.001-07:00

There are still a few days left of June, but I feel that it both flew by and went slowly. Oddly enough, only half of these projects were knit amidst this past month's whirlwind of activity and the others were completed long before and never had their pictures taken (if you live in the area, you'll know that's because we've had a lot of rain recently).

I present my finished Ana Bandanna, which was my present to myself for finishing graduate school:

Pattern: Ana by Adrienne Thomas
Yarn: Handmaiden Fine Yarn Silk Maiden, 1 skein in colorway Nova Scotia
Source: A kit from Knit Purl in Portland, Oregon (ordered online)
Needles: US Size 6 29" circular and US Size 6 Brittany Birch dpns
Modifications: None.

Close up of the interesting back detail:

The silk and wool yarn is absolutely delicious and the hand-dyed colors are amazing. The pattern is very easy except for the joining part at the end, and even that isn't difficult if you just sit and follow the directions exactly (not always easy, I know!).

And another hat:

Pattern: School Colors Hat by Betsy Lee McCarthy (Fibertrends)
Yarn: Plymouth Baby Alpaca Brush Paint and Plymouth Baby Alpaca Worsted Solid, 1 skein each
Source: A graduation gift from my wonderful Aunt Carol!
Needles: US Size 7 16" circular needle and US Size 7 Brittany Birch dpns
Modifications: None.

I love the colors so much, and the rolled brim is made with a neat technique. Again, follow the directions and don't assume that you know how to do it, the way I almost did ;)

And yes, there is another hat:

Pattern: Kittyville Hat by Kitty Schmidt from Stitch'n Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook
Yarn: Mission Falls 1824 Wool, 2 skeins black
Source: Patternworks originally, but I frogged the first version of this hat and reknit it
Needles: US Size 7 16" circular needles and US Size 7 Brittany Birch dpns
Modifications: I knit the i-cords and earflaps first and then cast on for the brim of the hat with the earflaps spaced evenly apart.

I think this hat is totally adorable and I'm proud of myself for frogging and reworking my shoddy knitting job (it was done when I was still a beginner and didn't know how to make pompoms or finish items properly).

And now for something completely different!

Another Super-Natural Stripes by Fawn Pea
Yarn: Lion Brand Cotton-Ease, less than one skein each green, white, and blue
Source: Stash, but originally from A.C. Moore (I just used the leftovers from this one)
Needles: US Size 5 and US Size 7 29" circular needles, US Size 5 and US Size 7 dpns
Modifications: None. I made the newborn size for both, and there was still yarn leftover and these sweaters are on the large size for newborns, which is great.

This is a very easy baby sweater to knit and I was very happy to be able to use up the leftovers from the last one (see link above). As I've said before, this is a perfect four-season yarn because of the cotton and acrylic content, and it is machine washable. Now if only I could remember to stop decreasing for the v-neck where the directions tell me to!

There are lots of other things that have been made that have yet to see blog time, and of course I'm planning several new projects in my head. This summer is shaping up to be a crazy one though, so it might be on the quiet side here!

2009-05-31T09:53:00.000-07:00

I did go to NH Sheep and Wool and it was even more fabulous than I could have anticipated. We got there mid-morning and didn't leave until the vendors were closing up! I'll post pictures of the haul soon. For now, here are some llamas, alpacas and goats to entertain you:

Besides gardening, family events, and Sheep and Wool, my time has been taken up by this little guy:

I adopted Ollie from a shelter a couple of months ago but I was too busy trying to keep him out of my yarn stash (my dad woke up one morning to find a trail of tangled yarn leading down the hallway) and trying to keep the peace between Ollie and our other cat to remember to post about him.

There is still lots of knitting going on; in fact I blame the spurts of knitting (along with the aforementioned cat adventures and other activities) for the lack of blogging, if that makes any sense. The gardening and beautiful weather in particular have pulled me away from the blog.

I do have one half of a pair of mittens to show you:

Next weekend I will be at the Granite State Knit-In at Loon Mountain, taking classes and hanging out knitting with some awesome peeps ;) Every year there is a contest and the entries (if the person chooses) are given to charity. This is my entry: Yankee Knitter Designs "Pattern Mittens" in the heart motif, size child's medium (6-8 years). I love Yankee Knitter Designs for their classic, vintage and homespun looks, and I've wanted to knit this pattern for awhile. This project has the added advantage of busting some of my stash; I just grabbed a couple of skeins of what I think is Lion Brand Wool-Ease, because I wanted them to be washable. Stash-busting for a good cause--nothing feels better!

Spring Things

2009-05-03T13:02:00.000-07:00

It seems that spring has finally arrived here in New Hampshire. The yard sales and flea markets have opened (I scored some vintage patterns and a beautiful wooden needlework lap hoop yesterday) and when I'm not hunting down deals or working on my garden I'm working on spring garments.

This is the Madison Scarf from Blueprint Crochet. I love this book, and this is actually my second project from it. I have also made the earring and necklace motifs but I haven't sprayed them with stiffener or assembled them yet. It took a little bit for me to understand this pattern, but having the charted crochet designs are a huge help for a beginner like myself.

Madison Scarf by Robyn Chachula from Blueprint Crochet
Yarn: Blue Sky Alpacas Dyed Cotton, one skein lavender (color is truer in the photo above)
Source: The Elegant Ewe
Hook: US Size K
Modifications: I did one less repeat than instructed because I would have run out of yarn otherwise; however, my scarf looks just as long as the one in the book and is the perfect length for me.

Look! Some socks!

Classic Socks from The Yankee Knitter
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Custom Hand-Dyes for The Purl Bee, two skeins mint
Source: Purl
Needles: US Size 1, two 24" circular needles
Modifications: None. I just adjusted this plain sock pattern to the whim of the moment (well, only with the first sock. The second one I tried to match ;)

More socks! My sock-knitting mojo is back!

Pomatomus Socks by Cookie A., from Knitty Winter 2005
Yarn: Ball and Skein Hand-Dyed Sock Yarn, 1 skein "Sargasso Sea"
Source: Ball and Skein booth at the 2008 New Hampshire Sheep and Wool Festival
Needles: US Size 1 and 2 bamboo dpns
Modifications: I used US Size 1 dpns for the foot to make them last longer.

I love how the colors and the dye job work so well with this pattern! This was one skein of sock yarn that I had a plan for when I bought it (which is not the norm for me). I'm trying to use up yarn that I've bought at the NH Sheep and Wool Festival in previous years, since it is happening next weekend!!! I'm very excited, in case you couldn't tell. I will be wearing these socks next Saturday and enjoying all sorts of woolly goodness.

And a little bit of leftover winter...

I also finally finished my Bird in Hand Mittens. I bought the pattern last August at the Fiber Revival and although I started them in early January they weren't finished until a few weeks ago, and just the other day I sat down to finish the bird embroidery and weave in the ends. I'm still not thrilled with my embroidery so I might take another stab at it next winter.

Bird in Hand Mittens by Kate Gilbert
Yarn: Locally spun wool, one skein cream; The Elegant Ewe Custom Spun, one skein scarlet
Source: Creative Natives in Colebrook for the local wool; The Elegant Ewe for their custom spun
Needles: US Size 3, two 24" circular needles, and US Size 3 dpns
Modifications: I used two circular needles for most of the mitten instead of the recommended dpns, and that made my colorwork more even on the back of the mitten, which has large spaces of all one color.

Overall I love them and I'm very pleased with how they came out. I am also very pleased that I can put them away for several months!

I hope to see some of you at the NH Sheep and Wool Festival next weekend! It's so much fun and a great way to support local farmers and artists, some of whom don't go to any other fiber festivals! I'll be there on Saturday--pm me on Ravelry for more specific information!

A Bit of Spring

2009-04-24T11:12:00.000-07:00

I crocheted one of the "Bedfellows" from The Happy Hooker for my cousin's third birthday:

If you've seen the pattern before you may be thinking that the two animals were a bear and a bunny, not a mouse, and you're right. Once I had the head finished it looked much more like a mouse than anything else, so I just went with it. This was a great use of stash yarn (all machine-washable acrylic) and even though it took some time it wasn't all that difficult.

I knit a baby sweater for another one of my mom's friends, this time using the Offset Wraplan pattern by Sara Morris (free Ravelry download). This was cute and not a difficult knit, but it took some time (fingering/light DK weight yarn) and there are several buttons to sew on. I used just a little over one ball of Patons Grace.

Lastly, I knit the Spiral Cowl by Keri McKiernan (another free Ravelry download). I used one skein of delicious angora yarn that I bought two years ago at the New Hampshire Sheep and Wool Festival (I can't remember their name right now but I'm pretty sure they're there every year). I like that this pattern has a button and a loop so that you can close it to make it more snug, or leave it open. The angora is so warm that I don't usually need to button it up but it's nice to have that option--especially once winter rolls around again.

I'm trying to finish up projects with yarn from last year's Sheep and Wool Festival, and I've also been crocheting a bit too. I recently bought Ysolda's Whimisical Litte Knits book and I'm trying to decide what to knit first!

Narragansett Bay Cap and Scarf

2009-04-05T16:30:00.000-07:00

I recently finished the Narragansett Bay Cap and Scarf from the book A Fine Fleece. I totally heart this book for so many reasons, one being that it really showcases handspun and rustic-looking yarns. Since I love to support local farmers I'm always on the lookout for patterns that highlight non-commercial yarns. In this case I am even more thrilled, because the designer is local too.

I'm really pleased with how they turned out. They remind me of something a fisherman's wife might have knit for her husband, like in the book Ahab's Wife (hands down one of my favorite books ever). There is also a matching pair of socks that I would like to make at some point.

Narragansett Bay Cap and Scarf by Lisa Lloyd, from A Fine Fleece
Yarn: Mirage Alpacas Mostly Merino, three hanks for the set
Source: Mirage Alpacas Shop, purchased on the 2008 New Hampshire Wool Arts Tour
Needles: US Size 4 straight needles for the scarf; US Size 5 16" circular needle for the cap
Modifications: Since the yarn I used fell between a DK and a worsted, I decided to only work part of the chart to get the same finished width. In the original pattern there are two sets of the arrow shapes that you see running down the center of the scarf. I was a little disappointed at having to change the pattern when I started, but I love the finished product so much I actually kind of forgot that it is different from the book!

Since April is a fickle month here in New Hampshire I should still get some wear out of both of these!

The Lucy Wrap

2009-04-03T04:45:00.000-07:00

I finally finished the Lucy Wrap. I got the kit for Christmas from kpixie (I think it's still available) and knit it once, only to find out that it was too short. The pattern suggested 10.75 needles, which I don't have, so I had gone down to 10.5 needles. Since it was so short I thought my needle size was the problem and I reknit the entire thing on size 11 needles. It was still much too short, so at that point I broke down and ordered another skein of yarn.

This kind of annoyed me. Part of the reason I love kits is that they are (theoretically) self-contained. Just add needles and several hours of knitting, and shazam, you have a garment. It's supposed to take away some of the stress of gathering all the materials yourself. Oh well. It turned out really well and it is unbelievably soft.

Lucy Wrap kit by Tante Sophie
Yarn: Blue Sky Alpacas Brushed Suri, three skeins #905 Earl Grey
Source: kpixie for the kit, Purl for the third skein of yarn
Needles: Random plastic ones my grandma picked up for me at a yard sale, U.S. Size 11
Modifications: Besides adding a third skein when the first two fell short, none.

I am currently obsessed with the book Boutique Knits, among other things. I think it will be very helpful for stash-busting. I'm in love with several items from the spring issue of Knitty and I'm looking forward to the Cookie A. sock book as well. The New Hampshire Sheep and Wool Festival is only about a month away though, so I'm trying to hold off on yarn buying.

Oh Baby

2009-03-15T15:03:00.000-07:00

There has been lots of knitting, but specific projects keep stalling. Which makes me feel lame because I love to finish things and there are so many things I want to make. The Lucy wrap is stalled because I had to order another skein of yarn. This is annoying because it was a kit and I used a larger size needle than the pattern recommended (after first knitting the entire thing on needles slightly smaller than recommended and it came out too short), and it is still several inches too short to be a stole or wrap. Whatever. I ordered the yarn and I am now moving on.

I was also working on the Narragansett Bay Scarf from A Fine Fleece, and after knitting to the recommended length last Sunday I decided that I wanted it longer. I decided I would knit the matching cap first and then use all of the leftover yarn on the remainder of the scarf. I started the cap today and hope to finish it this week, along with the scarf.

I have also been knitting these:

And this:

The top picture is of two baby blankets I knit for premature babies at a local hospital as part of a program for the library I work at. The deadline was this past Friday, and it was so inspiring to see all of the beautiful blankets knit and crocheted by members of the community. We are starting a fiber arts group at the library, so contact me if you are interested.

The baby sweater is for my mom's friend, and the pattern is Super-Natural Stripes by Fawn Pea. I was really excited to find this pattern, because it's worsted weight and interesting without being too technical or demanding. It may become my new go-to baby sweater. I knit most of it at the Manchester Monarchs hockey game on Friday night, and I finished up the sleeves while watching The Goonies yesterday morning. Very quick and very easy--just make sure you read the directions all the way through first (which I did not).

I have started the Spiral Cowl, but it is at the very beginning. I also have to actually work on the second Bird in Hand mitten because it is not knitting itself (although that wouldn't be much fun for me, now would it?). Progress is somewhat hindered by trying to spend some of these beautiful early spring days outside, but it's worth it.

A Little Late to the Party

2009-03-01T15:43:00.000-08:00

I know that everyone already knit this one ages ago, but here is my Clapotis. It was a great knit--a perfect blend of easily memorized rows and enough stuff going on to keep me interested. And boy, do I love to drop stitches. Even with slightly felty single ply wool.

Clapotis by Kate Gilbert, from Knitty Fall 2004
Yarn: Ewe and I Farm DK yarn (heavy DK-light worsted weight), 100% wool, 3 skeins (I bought four 225 yard skeins)
Source: Ewe and I Farm booth at Mirage Alpacas while on the Wool Tour
Needles: U.S. Size 8 Addi Turbo 32" circular needles (worked back and forth)
Modifications: None.
Soundtrack/Movies/TV: Back to the Future I and II, among other things

I absolutely love this color. It had enough variation to keep things interesting and give the shawl depth, but not so much that it won't go with anything. Color-wise, I would compare it to Malabrigo. This pattern shows off the yarn very nicely, and I love that I was able to support a local farm with this purchase. I can't wait until the New Hampshire Sheep and Wool Festival in May!

I'm adjusting to my new job pretty easily (the people I work with are wonderful--it's adjusting to a full-time schedule that I have to get used to!). This week I played around with crochet swatches and a few things, but I was happy to have an easy knitting project to work on at night (I'll share it with you soon). I'm almost done the Lucy wrap, and I have one Bird in Hand mitten completed. I threw away the Saucy tote, since the combination of plastic yarn and trying to sew plastic canvas together was making me crazy. I would like to try a felted version sometime. I'm somewhat stalled on the Gentlemen's Shooting Stockings, because I noticed (after completing on long sock) that the yarn doesn't have any nylon in it. Since I've just come across two pairs of handknit socks that have holes in the balls of the feet, and these socks are on size 0 needles and take a loooong time, I'm reconsidering the yarn choice. If you don't count the socks, then I don't have very many things on the needles. Luckily I have some ideas of where to go next: a Spiral Cowl (clearly I can never have enough cowls), a pair of Pomatomus socks, and my Ana Bandana kit.

Hope you had a great weekend full of knitting!

I did it again

2009-02-22T11:55:00.000-08:00

That is, I completely frogged a finished object and reknit it (see previous example here). Although in this case I slightly changed the construction. Nearly a year ago I knit the Miranda scarf (Ravelry link; free pattern link here), which you can see on the blog here.

It is a beautiful scarf pattern and I love it, but the yardage of the cashmere I had wasn't enough to wrap around my neck and still have the look I love (although it is very generous yardage for the price), so I wasn't wearing it very often. I was working on another cowl when it struck me that it would be an excellent project for cashmere, which you want to wear next to your neck, and for the yardage I had available.

So the Miranda Cowl was born:

Miranda Cable Cowl, adapted by Caitlin Stevens from the Miranda Cable Scarf by Smariek Knits
Yarn: Black Pearl Yarns Cashmere in Singapore Smoke, 1 skein
Source: Frogged the Miranda Cable Scarf (originally from kpixie)
Needles: Susan Bates Quicksilver US Size 8 16" circular needle
Modifications: I meant to dig up my notes before I posted this, but if you're interested e-mail me (caitlin.stevensATsimmonsDOTedu) and I'll send you the information. I will also be posting it to my Ravelry notebook for this project (my Ravelry name is CaitlinGracie). I used a size 8 needle so that the finished cowl would have some drape (this is a DK weight yarn) and I cast on enought stitches to add two or three repeats of the cable (making the total number of repeats six or seven). I think it was 106 stitches. Then I just joined for working in the round and worked the rows as directed, except I knit the knits and purled the purls on the wrong side rows.

I kind of just played it by ear, and I did rip it out once and reknit it (I may have moved up to size 9 needles but I'm pretty sure it was 8s). I'm very happy with how it turned out and I think it will help me get through blustery March.

Now my knitting time will be decreasing somewhat as my yarn budget increases, because I got a job! A Real Full-time Job with Benefits. Huzzah!

In Which I Knit Hats Designed by Jared Flood

2009-02-15T11:58:00.000-08:00

You may remember that I lost my first Porom while running for the train after class one day. I had an extra skein of the yarn I used and I loved the first one so much that I knew I had to make a second one. I knit the whole thing on New Year's Day, except I made it too slouchy and had to frog back and start the decreases earlier a couple of days later. Still, it is definitely a quick knit and an awesome hat. It might look a little wonky in the picture because it needs to be reblocked. The original blocking was done on the too-large version.

Porom by Jared Flood
Yarn: Jamieson's Double Knitting, 1 skein grey
Source: Stash
Needles: US Size 6 and 8 16" circular needles, US Size 8 dpns
Modifications: None
Soundtracks/Movies/TV: Mamma Mia!, a Saturday Night Live DVD, When Harry Met Sally

Clearly, I cannot get enough of Jared Flood designs, especially the hats. This is the only one that wasn't a stash-buster, because I really wanted to try the Manos Silk Blend. Stay away, my friends. This stuff is so soft and luscious, you won't be able to stop yourself. And the way the silk reflects the light and enhances the colors! It's a good thing my local yarn shop is twenty minutes away, that's all I'm saying.

Koolhaas by Jared Flood for Interweave Knits Holiday 2007
Yarn: Manos del Uruguay Silk Blend, 1 skein Bing Cherry
Source: The Elegant Ewe
Needles: US Size 6 and 8 16" circular needles, US Size 8 dpns
Modifications: None
Soundtracks/Movies/TV: Annie Lennox (Medusa), The Bachelor, Real Housewives of Orange County

Last but not least:

Habitat by Jared Flood
Yarn: Harrisville New England Highland Style, less than 1 skein tweedy rust red
Source: Stash
Needles: US Size 7 and 8 16" circular needles, US Size 8 dpns
Modifications: None
Soundtracks/Movies/TV: The Bachelor, Real Housewives of Orange County

Jared's patterns are beautifully designed and impeccably edited. I get attached to certain designers (Jared, Stefanie, Ysolda) and want to knit everything they design, and I always appreciate designs that are well-edited and clearly written.

Despite this rash of hat-knitting, I don't think I'm done yet! Although part of me is starting to think of spring, and projects like this one.

Random Small Projects

2009-02-11T06:19:00.000-08:00

From the pile of finished objects:

Calorimetry by Kathryn Schoendorf, from Knitty Winter 2006
Yarn: Knit One Crochet Too Paintbox, less than 1 ball; Noro Kureyon, less than half of a ball
Source: Stash
Needles: US Size 8 straights
Modifications: Cast on 96 stitches instead of 120 (I have a small head). I also knit a smaller width than recommended, by eyeballing it after working a few repeats of the short rows and deciding double that width would suit me (I think it was two or three fewer repeats; the Kureyon version ended up slightly thinner because I ran out of yarn but I was determined to use up that tiny ball). The Paintbox is the blue and green version and the Kureyon is the yellow-orange-green version.

This pattern is a fabulous stash buster. Plus, it is great for winter as it doesn't entirely flatten your hair. Since it buttons in the back there is minimal static and messed-up hair.

Urchin by Ysolda Teague, from Knitty Fall 2007

Yarn: Gray Romney wool handspun on a drop spindle by me, Rowan Ribbon Twist

Source: Stash (the Rowan was a freebie from when I worked at Patternworks)

Needles: US Size 11 straights

Modifications: Used two different yarns because I ran out of handspun; used size 11 needles because I didn't have size 10.75 as recommended. I think I still ended up cutting a couple of rows so I would have enough yarn to finish the hat.

Another great stash buster, and a great way to use handspun or artisan yarns, because the garter stitch really shows them off.

I love the ragamuffin look of this hat. Ysolda is also one of those designers that I really admire and want to knit everything she has designed. Her blog also makes me want to move to Scotland.

Swallowtail Shawl by Evelyn A. Clark, from Interweave Knits Fall 2006 (Ravelry link, with link to free pattern)

Yarn: Malabrigo Laceweight, 1 ball Polar Morn (used less than 1 ball)

Source: Webs (from when I went to see the Harlot!)

Needles: Addi Turbo Lace Needles US Size 4

Modifications: None.

I love this pattern, as I love all of Evelyn Clark's designs. It was my first time doing nupps (all the rage now that Nancy Bush's book Knitted Lace of Estonia has hit the shelves). This pattern is an excellent quick fix for lace because it works up so fast.

I know this is supposed to be a small shawl, but I should have swatched because mine was a few inches shy of the listed measurements in all directions, even with vigorous blocking. The Malabrigo is a slightly heavier laceweight (so delicious to work with--soft as butter, and the slightly variegated color kept me interested to see what was next), which is really nice but may account for my small shawl. I kind of knew something was up because my ball of yarn seemed curiously large as I neared the end. Oh well--I still love it!

Forecast

2009-02-08T11:28:00.001-08:00

January's garment* is Forecast, designed by Stefanie Japel:

You can see the details a little better in the picture above, but the one below is closer to the true color of the sweater.

Forecast, by Stefanie Japel for the Winter 2005 issue of Knitty

Yarn: Patons Astra, about 4.5 skeins teal

Source: My grandma's attic (thanks Grammy!)

Needles: Addi Turbo US Size 5 24" circular needle, Inox US Size 7 24" circular needle (worked back and forth)

Modifications: Used Winnie's modifications (specifically starting the ribbing at the elbow and working 3 stitch bobbles instead of 5-stitch bobbles); sewed in snap tape instead of making buttonholes and using buttons.

Back details:

I am very happy with this cardigan, especially the snap tape. This is my second cardigan made with snap tape, the other one being the Treeline Cardigan. I sew the tape in with two strands of embroidery floss that match the yarn. I almost wish I had made the sweater a little longer, but I almost always tend to think that. The only other thing is that I can't really wear it open, because it looks a little odd with the ribbing (it pulls back in on itself); however, looking at the picture I kind of suspected that anyway. I love knitting top-down raglans and I love Stefanie's designs. The yarn is 100% acrylic but it is very soft, and I love that it is machine wash. The label classifies it as a DK weight, but I got gauge. It might be a little on the light side but that is fine with me. All in all, this one is a winner and will be nice to wear through the rest of winter and into spring.

*I don't exactly shoot for one garment a month, it just seems to work out that way sometimes. See the garments of summer, and the sweaters for November and December.

Still Here

2009-02-01T15:57:00.000-08:00

Still knitting, too. Just not photographing or uploading photos or the uploaded photos show up incorrectly in Blogger. I'm also still decompressing from grad school, and the holidays were excellent but took a lot out of me, and we're getting lots of snow (meaning I have to shovel the driveway and dig out my car and leave earlier for work, etc.). I have a growing pile of FOs on my toy chest that will hopefully be photographed soon.

Moving along:

I promised I would show you what I got for Christmas. I received lovely Gingher shears (not my exact model), the Lucy Wrap kit and the Baltic Socks kit from kpixie, a really sweet knitting bag, Zakka Sewing (bittersweet now, because my sewing machine is dead), Blueprint Crochet, and Handmade Nation. My mom also got me a paint-by-numbers kit, which is an inside joke, but is also really fun and totally suits my anal retentive side.
I reknit Porom. Then I knit Koolhaas. Now I'm working on Habitat. Yes, I am obsessed with hats and Jared Flood designs. In my defense, the yarn for Porom and Habitat came out of the stash, and Koolhaas was an excellent excuse to try the Manos del Uruguay wool/silk blend and I used a giftcard to buy it (thanks Beth!)
I organized my stash and made a list of projects. I went through all my yarn and general craft stuff. This also really suited my anal retentive side and calmed my mind a little, which was calculating how quickly I knit (not very, but still) and how little money I make working only part-time and how I need to knit in order to deal with unpleasant realities. I have a (long) list of projects to work on so all is well for the moment (in the knitting/craft realm, I mean).
I seriously love the magazine Crochet Today. The patterns are great and they use cheap yarn from Michael's and A.C. Moore. So I know if the finished object looks great in cheap acrylic, I can either do it with that or use nicer stuff and it will look even better. The overall magazine design is fun and hip, too.
I knit a sweater, also from the stash. Next time there will be pictures
Happy February!

2008 Sweater Wrap-up

2009-01-06T13:14:00.000-08:00

So, I was talking to a friend on about NaKniSweMo (National Knit a Sweater Month, hosted by the awesome Shannon Okey in the month of November), on November 1st or 2nd. I was nearly finished the Swirled Pentagon Pullover and was considering unofficially participating in NaKniSweMo with a new sweater.

Wha-BAM! That was the sound of the knitting gods smiting me. I apparently lost the ability to read directions when it came to the yoke. I also had to go down two needle sizes to get gauge for the pentagons, but didn't figure that out until I was away from home with only the recommended needles. I finally figured out that I needed a visual aid to see how the pentagons formed the yoke (I had only photocopied the pattern pages from the book, not the page with the large photo), and lo and behold, I finished it on November 30th.

All the struggles were totally worth it though, because I love this sweater so much. All the more so because it only cost me $15 in yarn (the cost to my sanity is still being calculated. However, I take full responsibility for this and I do not blame Norah Gaughan in any way. I would not recommend this for your first sweater, though).

Swirled Pentagon Pullover from Knitting Nature by Norah Gaughan
Yarn: Brown Sheep Nature Spun Worsted, about 4.5 skeins in a discontinued blue
Source: a booth whose name escapes me at the 2008 New Hampshire Sheep and Wool Festival
Needles: Brittany Birch U.S. Size 7 dpns, Susan Bates U.S. Size 6 24" circular needle, Susan Bates Quicksilver U.S. Size 8 circular needle (worked flat)
Modifications: Added waist shaping, worked pentagons on U.S. Size 7 needles instead U.S. Size 9. Omitted turtleneck.

I also decided to "whip up" something to go with my Christmas Eve outfit five days before Christmas. I had this idea in my head of a shrug that was just sleeves (as opposed to having fronts like a cardigan) but I couldn't find a pattern for it. Luckily my Ravelry queue came to the rescue and I saw the Evening Shrug from the Purl Bee.

It was a little tricky because I used laceweight mohair instead of bamboo but I'm really happy with the end result.

Evening Shrug by Whitney at the Purl Bee

Yarn: Knit One Crochet Two Doceur et Soie (laceweight silk/mohair blend, the same as Rowan Kidsilk Haze and Madil Kid Seta), 1.5 skeins black

Needles: Addi Turbo U.S. Size 8 12" circular needle, Susan Bates U.S. Size 8 24" circular needle (worked flat)

Modifications: Knit across the back for 8.25 inches, used Kitchener stitch to seam the back.

Next up: My awesome crafty Christmas presents and the first knits of the new year!

Holly Jolly Legwarmers

2008-12-21T08:36:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I finished these before Christmas. I didn't really take them with me on my daily travels, since they weren't the easiest thing to pick up and put down quickly, plus there is a chart (easily memorized, but still) and multiple balls of yarn to juggle. This is only my second successful stranded knitting project. I had tried to make these a couple of years ago but the stitches were so wonky it looked like my cat had gotten a hold of it.

I took a Fair Isle class last January at The Elegant Ewe and it really helped. I didn't really try the technique again until November but now I'm kind of a Fair Isle fool. Next up is Kate Gilbert's Bird in Hand Mittens.

I'm really happy with how these and the previous Fair Isle project (a present, so it's a secret) turned out. I will say that they did need a steam from my mom's awesome Rowenta iron before they looked like this; there was some bunching and a few misshapen stitches, especially at the join. I'm kind of a rebel so I actually just ironed the legwarmers on the wool setting, and pushed the steam button to add more steam. Apparently this is a really horrible thing to do, but nobody died and my legwarmers look much better than they would have if I just hovered over them with the iron. I would not recommend this with anything other than a Rowenta iron and not with just any project. I also test a small spot first before I just go at it.

Holly Legwarmers by Jo Sharp from Handknit Holidays
Yarn: Brown Sheep Nature Spun Sport, 2 skeins N48S Scarlet (A), 1 skein 225 Brick Road (B), 1 skein N91 Aran (C), 1 skein light brown (D; I lost the label), 1 skein N27S Monument Green (E), 1 skein 522 Nervous Green (F)
Source: Patternworks
Needles: Addi Turbo US Size 5 12" circular needles, Brittany Birch US Size 4 dpns
Modifications: Knit in the round instead of flat (note: do not use a jogless join because the design will not line up).

The insides, of which I am very proud:

I hope everyone has a relaxing holiday full of knitting!

Happy Holidays

2008-12-14T16:40:00.000-08:00

I keep reading everyone's posts about their holiday knitting, and even though most of them are very stressed, I am feeling a little left out. (I am a sick sick person). I don't have as many people to knit for as I did a few years ago, since I am now considered an adult and participate in the adult Yankee swaps as opposed to exchanging presents with everyone. I did add one small item to my list, and there is room for a little more, so I should just enjoy the fact that I have most of my holiday knitting done.

It is nice that I have the time to do a little holiday knitting for myself. I am currently working on the Holly Legwarmers from Handknit Holidays. I finished the first one last night and started the second one this morning. The not-so-jolly part is weaving in a thousand ends.

Other holiday knitting tidbits:

I just ordered the Ana Bandana kit from Knit/Purl. I've wanted one ever since Blue Garter posted about it awhile ago, but it was sold out at the time. I was kind of obsessed for awhile and then forgot, but I remembered again when Fyberduck posted about it. It's one of my treats for surviving grad school (more about that next post; it's still to close and traumatic right now)
I am getting a Namaste Newport bag from kpixie for Christmas. I am sooo excited about this bag, and I'm not the only one. Jenna over at Knits & Pieces (love that blog) ordered one too. She knits such pretty stuff and makes the most gorgeous jewelry, so it makes me happy that she shares my taste in bags.
I am also knitting an Urchin from my handspun and a wayward skein of Rowan Ribbon Twist (the handspun won't be enough). I also hope to start a new Porom soon and I really want to knit Habitat also. Can you tell that it's cold in New Hampshire? (and that I have a short attention span?)
I finished the Swirled Pentagon Pullover a couple of weeks ago. Will blog about it soon.

I wish those of you busily knitting away for the holidays the best of luck, and I hope everyone is taking time to enjoy this busy time of year.

Kneesocks and Mesocks

2008-12-03T10:30:00.000-08:00

In a burst of getting things done today I realized that I had some extra time (that never happens!) and that I'm much closer to getting all my school stuff done than I'd previously thought (also never happens), and the sun was actually out so I could take some decent pictures (more and more rare these days, or at least it seems that way at the times I leave and come home).

First up, the Mesocks:

Better known as the Sandalwood Socks from the Winter 2008 issue of Interweave Knits, and humbly designed by yours truly.

I'm a little sad that these pictures don't fully express the beautiful hand-painted yarn from Spirit Trail Fiberworks, but I think the one above comes closest. The colors in the yarn inspired the pattern (which is called November Lace in my head). These are socks for cozying up by the fire, a romantic lacy sock that is ladylike but warm.

The subtle dye job doesn't overwhelm the lace patterns, which is something I suggest looking for if you would like to use a variegated yarn for this pattern. It might look a little crazy in some of the photos, but it is much calmer in person. This yarn is the color of bare tree branches, cranberry sauce, tawny grass, pumpkin pie, pink cheeks from the cold. It is so beautiful, I could rhapsodize about it forever, but instead I'll send you over to their site. I have to warn you that the colors are probably much more beautiful in person.

Sandalwood Socks from Interweave Knits Winter 2008, designed by Caitlin Stevens (me!)
Yarn: Spirit Trail Fiberworks Fingering Weight Superwash Merino, hand painted, 1 skein
Source: Spirit Trail Fiberworks booth at the 2007 New Hampshire Sheep and Wool Festival
Needles: Accessories Unlimited US Size 2 Bamboo dpns (the pattern calls for 1s, but this yarn was a little thicker than the Louet Gems that I used for the sample pair)
Modifications: Worked extra repeats on the foot to accomodate my large feet.

If you are knitting this pattern and have any problems, please don't hesitate to comment or pm me on Ravelry (my name is CaitlinGracie).

And Kneesocks!

(Sorry the pictures are a little dark. They looked much better on my camera. I'm not sure what the computer did to them...)

Closeup of the clever merging of two cables to create one larger cable when the calf decreases are finished:

Clessidra from Knitty Spring 2007, by Gabriella Chiarenza

Yarn: Knit Picks Essential, 3 skeins #23698 Burgundy (I ordered 4 balls and recommend you go by the yardage required in the pattern, just in case)

Source: Knit Picks

Needles: 2 Addi Turbo US Size 1 24" circular needles

Modifications: Knit on two circular needles instead of dpns; lengthened the foot a bit. (Actually knit them completely last year, then frogged and reknit them this year because I had added stitches to make them larger and they fell down, and now I am very happy with them)

I have some sad knitting news to share with you. I lost my new beret. The same day I read about Alison's sad loss, my beret fell out of my pocket when I was racing to catch the T. I didn't even have to run! I had plenty of time to catch my bus! I never leave things in my pockets without holding on to them! (For those of you wondering, this particular evil train, the E train on the green line at the Museum of Fine Arts stop, only comes around every 10-12 minutes and is an above-ground stop. This does not sound like a long time until you have to catch a bus or it is twenty below). Another reason I hate graduate school: it steals my hats. I just hope a homeless person picked it up and is a little warmer now.

I had an excellent Thanksgiving, and I hope you all did too. Some things I'm thankful for:

Family and friends to celebrate with
A room full of yarn and crafts and books
Pie and other desserts
Having my pattern published
Only one more week of graduate school!
The holiday season

Oh Boy

2008-11-23T17:02:00.001-08:00

Here we go. I'm heading into the last few weeks of the semester, and although there is sure to be knitting (it keeps me going) it may not get blogged until December 12. The holiday knitting is DONE though (the knitting; not the making of other presents involving several other crafts, some of which I have never attempted before...)

Here are the two November birthday presents:

"Snowflakes on My Shoulders" Cowl from The Elegant Ewe
Yarn: Sublime Kid Mohair, 3 skeins white (I just used a little bit of the third skein)
Source: to remain nameless, because I had a very bad experience there
Needles: US Size 9
Modifications: None
Recipient: My grandma, who was very happy with it

Basic Everyday Purse from Felted Knits by Beverly Galeskas
Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Kettle-Dyed in Charcoal, 3 skeins (or maybe 2)
Source: Knit Picks
Needles: Addi Turbo US Size 11 24" circular needles
Modifications: None
Recipient: My aunt, also very happy

In other knitting news, I have finished the Clessidra socks for the second time and they fit beautifully. I was knitting them this time last year so I could have them done by Thanksgiving, and I'm happy I've finished them in time to wear them on Thanksgiving this year. I am having issues with the Swirled Pentagon Pullover, but I think I know how to fix it. The problem is that it involves me sucking it up and ripping out the collar and yoke and reknitting the six pentagons (again). I have also started my socks, in the yarn that inspired the pattern. I have big plans for present-making and Christmas-inspired knitting, but we'll see how far that takes me as the semester wraps up. It's my last semester though, so I can see the light! I've just got to work hard these next couple of weeks, and then I can collapse on a pile of yarn.

Unbelievable

2008-11-14T12:18:00.000-08:00

My pattern, the Sandalwood Socks, is being published in the Winter issue of Interweave Knits!

Here is the entire preview (scroll to the middle for the Sandalwood Socks), or click here for the bonus photos.

All kinds of crafty

2008-11-02T16:49:00.000-08:00

Did you know that I cross-stitch? It's actually the first real craft I learned. I was taught to crochet when I was eight, but I just made really long chains because I could never remember how to turn it. My mom taught me to cross-stitch (both she and my aunt do beautiful stitching) and I still really enjoy it, although it's not as portable as knitting. I made this a few years ago but I just got it framed a few weeks ago. I was waiting to post it until snow seemed more like a possibility. I love it because I always say that it "smells like snow..."

This is the Mini Wrap Skirt from Crochet Me: Designs to Fuel the Crochet Revolution. Let me tell you, I love this skirt and I haven't even worn it yet. I was really surprised to see that it's only in a few queues on Ravelry, but it's fun to be one of only a few people wearing it. It was easy and very quick. I can't remember all the details (I actually finished this one awhile ago and forgot to blog it), but I used my beloved Clover Soft Touch hooks in Sizes F and I, three skeins of Red Heart Super Saver in black and one skein in claret.

Detail of the bottom edging:

A Socktoberfest wrap-up:

I managed to reach my goal for Socktoberfest, which was to knit two pairs of gift socks (which I can't show you yet, but I hope to have them up on Ravelry soon!), knit the Apple Picking Socks (see previous post) and finish up this pair. I had one done but wanted to finish the other so it wouldn't languish in the stash until forever, and Socktoberfest provided the perfect reason to finish it up.

Classic Socks from Yankee Knitting

Yarn: Plymouth Sockotta, one ball

Source: Patternworks

Needles: Crystal Palace Bamboo dpns, US Size 2

Modifications: None.

Just when you thought I'd given up berets....

Porom by Jared Flood
Yarn: Jamieson's Double Knitting, grey, one skein

Source: stash

Needles: US Size 6 and 8 16" circular needles, US Size 8 dpns

Modifcations: none

Soundtrack/Movies: Persepolis, Northern Exposure

I love love love this hat. It is perfect and warm but it still breathes, it hides bad hair, and I believe it holds the secret to world peace. The pattern is easily memorized but not boring, and it knits up very quickly (after I finished it, less than 24 hours after starting it, Boyfriend turned to me and said, "you knit really fast!").

I am so close to being done knitting my Christmas presents. Of course, there are still other presents to make, but I'll tackle those after I finish the knitting. I am also so close to being done graduate school. Only the knitting and crafting will help me get through it...

Happy Socktober and Halloween, too

2008-10-26T12:58:00.001-07:00

I actually finished this scarf a few weeks ago and just forgot to blog it. It's Ysolda's Skull Illusion Scarf and I love it. It started out as the Alien Illusion Scarf from Stitch'n Bitch, but once I found the skull one I had to have it (most of my belongings must be covered in skulls. It gives me street cred ;)

Here is a photo of the "wrong" side, which I originally thought was the "right" side:

Skull Illusion Scarf by Ysolda Teague
Yarn: Brown Sheep Nature Spun Worsted, one skein each neon green and black (not the actual color names)
Source: Stash! (originally from Patternworks)
Needles: US Size 6 24" circular needle (knit back and forth; it's just easier to work with circs when commuting)
Modifications: None
Soundtrack/Movies/TV: Project Runway marathons, The Best of Blondie

If you look closely and know what you are looking for, you can just make out the skull and crossbones shape on the right side.

Happy Socktober! My first bloggable pair of Soctober socks:

I have finished another pair and hope to finish at least one more, but both are presents that must be kept hidden for awhile. I was trying to design a sock pattern for this yarn, but then I read this post over at SouleMama and I thought, this beautiful hand-dyed yarn would be great just as a pair of regular ol' socks. I'm proud of myself for busting some more of my stash and supporting a local artist.

Pattern: Basic socks from Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles by Cat Bordhi

Yarn: Sereknity Sock Options Falkland Hand-Dyed Sock Yarn in Macintosh, one skein

Source: Stash!

Needles: 2 Addi Turbo US Size 1 24" circular needles

Modifications: Stockinette leg and foot instead of ribbed.

Soundtrack/Movies/TV: Numb3rs, Grey's Anatomy, Moondance by Van Morrison

They are toasty and just perfect. I really admire this dye job--the colors really evoke Mac apples and a beautiful fall day. They were also finished pretty quickly since most of it doesn't require much thinking. Some things to keep in mind when wondering what to do with a skein of beautiful hand-dyed sock yarn...

Wool Tour Goods

2008-10-14T07:44:00.000-07:00

The Wool Tour was glorious. I only did three of the five stops but I managed to spend all of my allotted amount (and a tad over...) and I was exhausted by the end of it. We also added a few stops of our own, like German John's Bakery in Hillsboro (delicious homemade pretzels and pastries), a thrift store and an antique store. There was also an adventure into the bushes when my traveling companions asked me to climb into a ditch on the side of the road to cut some pretty red berries for them.

Our first Wool Tour stop was the actual first stop of the tour, The Wool Room in Antrim, NH. Then we went to Chauncey Farm in Antrim, and from there we went to Mirage Alpacas in Washington.

On the left, four skeins of Mirage's Merino from Mirage Alpacas, 100 gram skeins (120 yards), for a Narragansett Bay Scarf (Ravelry link). On the right, four skeins of Wool'n'Ewe single ply in Garnet from Ewe & I Farm in North Sutton (240 yards per skein), for a Clapotis. The woman who sold it to me told me that my money helps feed her sheep! I love hearing things like that. I also love knowing where my wool is coming from, and that I'm supporting local farmers and artisans.

I also managed to pick up three aprons (did you know that I collect aprons? I will show them all to you someday): the light green is from an antiques store, the brown with yellow rickrack is from a thrift store in Hillsboro, and the red and white is from Thyme and Ewe Farm in Claremont. I especially love supporting them because they rescue old, unwanted and abused farm animals and take care of them. Plus, they sell genuinely wonderful things, like handmade aprons and jam and hand-knit mittens.

This patchwork bag is also from Thyme and Ewe Farm. The plastic bag in the back is a rug hooking kit from Windfall Farm (you can see all of their designs and order from their website here). Because I don't have enough fiber hobbies ;) Those two skeins of yarn are Cormo wool from The Spinning Bunny in Antrim, to make a pair of Guernsey Socks.

Last, but certainly not least, my whole haul in the beautiful handmade basket from Ghana. This was from Pumpkin Moon Kids booth at The Wool Room, and it was only $27! I've seen them for much more at other places, and this one is also certified Fair Trade.

It definitely helped to have a list of projects this year, and I was careful about where I picked the projects from. Lisa Lloyd's book A Fine Fleece and Clara Parkes' The Knitter's Book of Yarn were both excellent because they have more homespun-looking projects (and information about yarn). I also chose to make smaller projects so that I could get more projects out of my tight budget, as opposed to making a sweater (maybe next year!). I'm very excited to have lots of delicious local yarn to work with this fall and winter. Happy fall!

All is well

2008-10-07T04:51:00.000-07:00

There is apple pie!

And a cat who loves my afghan so much he chews on it while kneading his paws and purring like a motorboat:

And it's the Wool Tour this weekend!

Oh Fall

2008-10-05T14:05:00.000-07:00

I love fall. Do you know what happens in the fall, boys and girls? Socktoberfest. That's not the only reason I love fall, but we don't have enough time for the whole list--it's really long. Yesterday was full of some favorite fall activities--apple picking, visiting the last of the yard sales, and enjoying the beautiful weather. There is also a new favorite to add: corn mazes! There is nothing more fun than trying to find your way through a corn maze while eating a delicious cider doughnut and trying to avoid being run down by yelling boys.

But back to the knitting. I know some of you are saying, "Caitlin, need we remind you of the Summer of Socks? Or in your case, the Summer You Knit Two Measly Pairs of Socks and One Didn't Even Count?" *

I remember. But:

I was only in school for half of the Summer of Socks, whereas now I am in school for the whole month of October. I do a lot of sock knitting on the bus and in class.
I love socks + I love October so this = Soctober participation.
Lots of peeps are getting handknit socks for Christmas. November is cutting it a little close for me, so this is good motivation to do it now.
No rules! (Not that SoS was entirely rule-ridden)
It's a great stash-busting exercise
I am already well-entrenched in sock knitting (at least 3 pairs are on the needles)

*The pair was finished before the Summer of Socks officially started.

I heart Koigu

2008-09-28T17:28:00.001-07:00

Is there anyone who doesn't love Koigu? It is soft and delicious and the colors are just amazing, plus the yardage is excellent. I am partial to the handpaints but the solids are beautifully heathered.

Here we have a Chevron Scarf from Last Minute Knitted Gifts and a Purl Beret. I had so much yarn I decided to make a matching beret, because I didn't need a ridiculously long scarf.

Close up of the beautiful colors:

Close up of the beret:

This yarn had been in the stash for more than a year so I'm happy to have it knit up now. And of course, the beret obsession continues (this is my second Purl Beret, also).

Just in time for fall

2008-09-23T05:13:00.000-07:00

While it's not exactly a warm article of clothing for the chill days of autumn, I can wear the Katharine Vest to school or work:

Katharine Vest by Eunny Jang, Interweave Knits Spring 2008
Yarn: Brown Sheep Cotton Fine, color Rue. I have no idea how much yarn, because this came from a frogged sweater. I originally had two cones, and made this vest and this crocheted halter top, and there is a lot left.
Source: see above
Needles: US Size 6 and US Size 3 circular needles, US Size 5 dpns for applied I-cord
Modifications: None

The pictures in the magazine look nothing like mine (it's a much looser fit), but the Ravelry photo does. I'm happy with the fit though.

Shoalwater Shawl by Evelyn A. Clark, from FiberTrends
Yarn: a honkin' big skein of hand-dyed mohair from Loose Ends in the colorway "Stormy Sea."
Source: Loose Ends booth at the Warner Fall Foliage Festival, hidden away till Christmas so it could be a present to me from my brother.
Needles: US Size 10.5 Crystal Palace bamboo circular needle
Modifications: I kind of fudged the applied I-cord at the top. It doesn't block out well, but there's this curve at the center neck that looks good when it's being worn but awkward when laid out flat. Since I plan to wear it more than lay it out flat, I let it go.

I love it. It's soft and warm, not too large, and the perfect colorway. This one will keep me cozy in the cold weather to come.

Completely unrelated, after falling asleep again after the alarm went off the first time the other morning, I had a dream that I was desperately trying to find a copy of Berroco's Norah Gaughan Volume III at my local yarn store (which looked completely different). I do really want the book, and I am a huge fan of Norah Gaughan's designs, but this is getting a little ridiculous.

Murphy's Law of Knitting and Crocheting

2008-09-14T16:58:00.000-07:00

I don't have anything to show you this week because I'm working on birthday and Christmas presents, and since I'm not sure who in my family reads the blog and who doesn't, I'm going to hold off posting until I give them away. There is one birthday next week, so you'll get to see that one soon. I did finish the Katharine Vest (Ravelry link) this week, but I just managed to steam out the cap sleeves yesterday before I went to visit my brother at college and I haven't been home since.

Speaking of which, on Wednesday I had a couple of hours between class and work that I clearly blocked out as knitting time (my Wednesdays start at 5:30 AM and I don't get out of work until 10:00 PM). I brought the birthday present mentioned above, which was nearly finished, and the Katharine Vest, which only needed two-thirds of the applied I-cord edging on the front. I thought that I could finish both in the ample time provided (although I forgot to factor in eating dinner, changing, and actually driving to work). Almost, but no cigar.

The counter point to this is that yesterday I brought a sock to work on. I had finished the heel, and it was a short-row heel so there were no stitches to pick up, but I still had the entire foot to do. On size two needles, for an average woman's foot. I did the entire length of the foot during Down With Love, and this morning I did the toe. I always bring more than one project with me, except for this time. Which is exactly why I finished it, and why I didn't finish my projects on Wednesday.

Lesson learned, Murphy.

Lunchbags

2008-09-07T07:56:00.000-07:00

On Labor Day, just before I headed back to school, my mom and I crafted these excellent lunch bags. Now I can finally throw out that old plastic grocery bag I've been using! We bought vinyl tablecloth material and I used iron-on vinyl to make the inside waterproof (that stuff is cool but expensive, and hard to find). If you want more details feel free to e-mail me.

I kind of made it up as I went along (when I was trying to explain to my mom what I did she got a little frustrated because I couldn't always remember!). I just enlarged the dimensions of a paper bag, added a ribbon handle, some beads as a charm,

and another ribbon around the top edge to dress it up. A snap magnetic closure from Clover and, hey, an awesome lunchbag with lots of room.

Happy fall!

End-of-Summer Wrap Up

2008-09-03T06:15:00.000-07:00

It took me a minute to realize that I had finished three garments this summer--and I even did one garment each month! I'm very happy with each of these but I'm excited to start knitting fall sweaters.

First up: Blissful (Ravelry link)

Pattern: Blissful by Keridiane Chez from Stitch'N Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker
Yarn: Brown Sheep Cotton Fine in Rue, no idea how much.
Source: Stash. I had knit the Lucky Clover Wrap Sweater from Stitch'N Bitch Nation with a little less than two cones of this, but I wasn't happy with the fit or gauge so I unraveled it. It was more than a little painful but I'm happy to have reclaimed the yarn. It made this and there is a lot left over, some of which is going into another project that I hope to show you soon.
Hooks: Pony aluminum 3.75 mm (an E for me) and Clover Soft Touch 4.00 mm (an F for me). Here I got a good lesson in why it's important to check the millimeter measurements for your hooks--if I had just used an F and a G it wouldn't have been as tight (which is what I was going for).
Modifications: I did eighteen repeats of the lace bodice part instead of twelve and added extra even rows when working the cups to accommodate my figure. From the Ravelry photos it looks like I did something funky with the weaving row (a ribbon is supposed to run through the stitches under the bust), but it works for me. I didn't have hook-and-eye closures on hand, so I tried sew-on snaps, but they didn't work well. I ended up crocheting the back together. I'm a little nervous about it losing shape and sagging in the back as it gets stretched out, but we'll see how it goes.

I definitely only plan to wear it as in the photos above, over a tank top or a shirt. I intended it to be more of an apron-style top than a stand-alone halter, and I'm really happy with how it came out. I had to rip it out once, and I finished it just in time to wear it Labor Day weekend, but this was a good project for August. It also solved my dislike of knitting with cotton: crocheting with it is easier and seems to suit the fiber better.

This is July:

Pattern: Orangina by Stefanie Japel
Yarn: Patons Grace, (just over) 7 balls Rose
Source: Michael's
Needles: US Size 3 Inox 29" circular (pattern says 24" but I only a 29"--I think I did either the 38" or 40" bust size, and stitches moved around easily)
Modifications: I added an inch or so to the bottom ribbing.

I LOVE this sweater. I kind of got obsessed with the idea of it and the next thing I knew I had bought it and ran to the store to get yarn. Why I decided to start a new sweater project in the last week of my crazy summer semester is beyond me, but it was actually really calming. The pattern is an easy four-row repeat, there is no shaping (I think) and it goes pretty quickly for being on 3's. I knit it in just over a week. I love Stefanie's designs and I plan to knit everything she designs ever. (Her new book, Glam Knits, is coming out soon!!!)

Pattern: A Good Bias by Lisa Daehlin from the Spring 2005 Interweave Knits
Yarn: Cotton Clouds, 5 or 6 skeins "Sunshine"
Source: Stash. My grandma found this nubbly cotton and rayon yarn in her attic, and for awhile I had no idea what to make with it. I've wanted to make this and the original was knit with Mission Falls 1824 Cotton, which is also nubbly, so this yarn was a perfect fit.
Needles: US Size 8, Susan Bates Quicksilver 29" circular needles (circs aren't necessary, I just used them for portability purposes)
Modifications: None.

I finished this just before we left on our cruise to Bermuda in June, and I wore it with just about everything on the boat. It's a pale yellow, so I can wear it (some yellows do not work well on me) and it's better than a shawl because it stays on your arms. I've also worn it at work in over-air-conditioned libraries, and it's warm too.

A very productive summer, with lots of stash busting. Too bad I didn't knit very many socks (um, what Summer of Socks?) Time for wool :)

Thanks to Jack for taking the awesome pictures with his fancy camera!

Happy Birthday and Fiber Revival

2008-08-29T12:47:00.000-07:00

Saturday, August 16th, Katie and I went to the Fiber Revival. It was awesome. I love the NH Sheep and Wool Festival and the Wool Tour, but this was just to sit and spin and knit (or crochet, in my case--I've been doing a lot of that lately) and relax with cool people. Kate Gilbert was there (it doesn't get any cooler than that) and Julia and Alison, who all happen to be connected with the amazing Twist Collective, which I am kind of obsessed with. There were so many other cool people there but I'm forgetting names now.

There were a few vendors there, which is really nice because I fulfilled my need to buy yarn without feeling overwhelmed or spending the whole time shopping. I bought the Bird in Hand mittens from a vendor whose name I can't remember, and these two skeins of fabulous sock yarn from Spunky Eclectic:

The one on the left is "Dinah" and the one on the right is "Watery Melon." One is supposed to be a present (knitted into socks) for someone, and if they weren't so special I would be very tempted to keep the yarn for myself. I've long admired the offerings of Spunky Eclectic (the spinning thread on Craftster is full of her hand-dyed loveliness spun by others) on the web, but after seeing it in person it's impossible to resist.

I turned 23 a couple of weeks ago and my friends and family spoiled me with wonderful craft stuff. Katie got me Intertwined, which I cannot rave about enough. If you think your spinning isn't beautiful, this book will change your mind. It has great projects for chunky funky yarns as well as cool spinning ideas. My mom got me Uncommon Crochet, which I also am in love with...this crochet obsession is threatening to take over. Most of the ideas in this book are really unique. She also bought me the novel The Knitting Circle, which looks sad but really good. My brother gave me Son of Stitch'n'Bitch, and I have to say I want to make most of those things for myself! I love that it's got both knitting and crochet patterns.

Last but certainly not least, I met my friends Susan and Alice for dinner and Mamma Mia! (holy ABBA goodness!) and Susan gave me this beautiful skein of yarn from a farm in Plymouth, NH (where I went to college) from Plymouth's new yarn shop. Even better, Susan knows the woman who raises the sheep! I love getting yarn like this. It's so warm and personal. Also, Blue Garter's last post has made me think more about my yarn and where it comes from (notice the new button?), so I'm happy to use yarn from New Hampshire sheep that supports a New Hampshire farm.

So, a big thank-you to everyone who made my birthday wonderful!!!

Next up: the garments I've been making and haven't shown you because I have a hard time taking pictures of myself...

How this...

2008-08-22T09:19:00.000-07:00

becomes a bag:

(Does this answer your question, Katie?) (She watched me work on it at the Fiber Revival (post on that t0 come) last Saturday and wasn't sure how it would turn into a bag--see first photo. I had my doubts as well, but it turned out great!)

Pattern: Cocoon Bag by Cecily Keim from Crochet Me (the book)

Yarn: Lana Knits, All Hemp 3; 3 skeins deep sea #16

Source: kpixie (part of my Christmas present order)

Hook: Clover Soft Touch Size G/7

Modifications: None

Close-up of the flower stitch pattern:

I have to say I'm especially proud of myself, since this is given a difficulty level of 4 (out of 4, with 1 being the easiest), and I'm not the most experienced crocheter. If I had noticed that I might not have attempted it. It did take some concentration at times, but it wasn't awful. I'm excited to try more projects in the book now that I know I can handle it (I may already have one on the hook...)

Granny Square Afghan

2008-08-18T03:19:00.000-07:00

Almost a year to the day after my first post about these granny squares, I give you the completed granny square afghan:

One of the best compliments I received while working on the squares was from my friend Trina:
"That looks like something from my Polish grandmother's house."
I totally rock the grandma style.

Pattern: Um, just granny squares (instructions gleaned from The Purl Bee's excellent tutorial and the way the previous squares looked--the project was passed on to me by my aunt, who had made a couple of squares). Towards the end I looked at a granny square afghan pattern that I got from my great-grandmother for layout and finishing ideas.

Yarn: Original gangster '70s acrylic in green, yellow, and gold (no idea how many skeins, but there is a lot of yellow and gold left over, and only about two yards of green). I have the labels but I didn't recognize the brand--I'll check when I get home.

Source: My Aunt Nancy (thanks!)

Modifications/Details: I made 42 granny squares (luckily, I wove in the ends as I made them). I made six strips of seven squares each by sewing them, and then joined the strips with single crochet. I then single-crocheted around the entire afghan--two rows of yellow and one row of gold.

Why I felt compelled to finish an afghan in August is beyond me, but it wasn't that uncomfortable. I'm currently kind of obsessed with blankets now...I'm desperate to make the Pinwheel Blanket (Ravelry link) from Knitalong next.

Old School Crafty

2008-08-14T16:35:00.001-07:00

It's been a little quiet around since I finished the summer semester of graduate school (I'm beyond thrilled that I never have to do that again) and then I spent a week in Plymouth doing this:

"This" would be letterpress. I set each individual letter and symbol (even the lines around the "Ex Libris") and put them on a press and made these pretty things. With the help of two stellar professors, of course. I made several other things but some have to wait since they are Christmas presents for people who may or may not read the blog.

Outside of class I stayed with the fabulously crafty Beth and we ate junk food and watched Audrey Hepburn movies and even went to a concert. When she brought me back on Saturday we stopped at Fabric Fix where I bought this strange green knit fabric, some grey knit fabric for an Infinity dress, and look! A great jumper pattern! I'm getting ready for my last back-to-school (ever. I am so done with academia), and I rocked jumpers all through elementary school, so I want to make one for myself.

Also, Katie and I went to the Knit and Crochet Show a couple of weeks ago and I scored 1200 yards of deliciously soft tweedy alpaca. I'm thinking some sort of cardigan, although it will probably have to be cropped and/or three-quarter sleeves. I really should have bought that third skein...

I have been very busy and I have lots of exciting FOs to show off. Soon, I promise!

Knit and Crochet Show!

2008-07-22T10:28:00.000-07:00

The Knit and Crochet Show is in Manchester again this weekend! (Why they chose Manchester, I have no idea--considering all the excellent tourist places we have, it seems odd that it's in the least attractive (at least to outsiders), albeit largest, city in NH--but I'm glad it is!) I'm not taking any classes but Katie and I are going to the market on Saturday. I assure you, it's worth the $10 entrance fee (and if you go to the site, you can get a $2 off coupon). There will be amazing vendors--Decadent Fibers, Habu Textiles, and Tess' Designer Yarns, just to name a few. And of course, there will be knitting and crochet superstars like Robyn Chachula, Jennifer Hansen, and Galina Khmeleva. Not that I want to start any rumors, but Norah Gaughan lives in NH and she was there last year, so you never know...

The point is, it's awesome and you should come if you can.

Still Here

2008-07-16T16:11:00.000-07:00

Barely. Between the summer semester (which is almost over) and my car dying this week (I will miss you, Betty), and busy weekends (including a trip to northern NH for the holiday weekend) there's been a lot going on.

Here's the only finished knitting I currently have to show you:

My (late) May/June charity project. Just a garter stitch rectangle pet blanket for a local animal shelter (pattern in Knitting for Peace, but you could just knit an animal-sized rectangle) in some acrylic left over from my beginning knitting/briefly-unemployed-desperate-for-yarn days.

Last weekend I was looking forward to a mostly free, craft-filled weekend, along with some room-cleaning. I was pumped to finish a project and get going on some Christmas/birthday presents. Until I tried on the project Friday night and discovered it was too small and that I didn't even do a gauge swatch because I forgot. I nearly lost my craft mojo for the weekend. (Although at least I had a chance to lay in the hammock and read, and clean up my room.)

Luckily, I got it back on Sunday:

(I apologize for the blurry pictures. I've apparently lost the ability to hold a camera steady).

All-Day Tote from Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing (Love. This. Book.)

Fabric: Dark stretch denim and white cotton with turquoise stars and dots, both from the remnant table at Martin's House of Cloth (not sure about the amounts, since the fabric has been cut out since last September, but I don't think it's more than a yard each).

A peek at the lining and one of the pockets:

I am very happy with this bag. It's survived the commute to Boston all week, and there's a great front pocket that holds a book perfectly. It just seems strange to me that I had an easy time making this bag, and yet I had knitting issues all weekend. Usually it's the opposite.

I've been working on some other things, but since I'm trying to do Christmas in July again, and I've shown some family members the blog, I won't be able to post most of them for awhile. But, since school is ending soon, I'm hoping for some more crafting time. Yeah, right.

In other news, I'm currently obsessed with the book Knitalong. This book has also helped me get my craft mojo back. It's everything I like my knitting books to be: great stories; excellent, unique patterns; beautiful photography; and just generally inspiring. I realize that this is kind of a tall order, and that there are different books with different purposes, but I'm always thrilled when I find one can pull me out of a knitting slump.

That's just like her

2008-06-27T05:28:00.000-07:00

Quickie

2008-06-24T04:30:00.000-07:00

Just before I head into my three-hour cataloging class. (It's better than the seven-hour records management class I have tomorrow).

A flea market score:

I love that I paid the same as I would have in 1957 (see top right corner). These designs are amazing. I have both Vintage Knits by Sarah Dallas and the Rowan Vintage Knits book, and I love them both dearly, but...I don't know. They're just a little too modern, I guess (which they are). I will definitely be making lots of these sweaters, although probably not with the 100% acrylic yarn advertised throughout the booklet.

And just to prove I have still been knitting:

Sushi Wallet Kit from kpixie
Needles: Unknown aluminum, US size 10.5
Modifications: None

I love this kit because everything was included except for needles (knitting and a sewing needle for the zipper). I was a little nervous about sewing in the zipper but the instructions are great and the pattern has you knit a little flap for the zipper to sit on. Also, in case you were wondering, this is wallet-sized, not change-purse sized like I thought. I have some yarn left over so I think I will make a matching change purse. I also love that it comes in an actual sushi takeout container.

There has been lots of knitting going on, just not good light for photographing, or I get home too late (after leaving too early) and there is all this annoying school stuff to do. There is one secret project that I can't share with you for awhile, and then there have been the problems. I started the Katharine Vest from the spring '08 Interweave, and then had to frog it when I wasn't following the lace pattern correctly. Then, after successfully working to the armholes, I made the mistake of counting the stitches on one of the lace rows where the stitch count is always off. (Yes, of course it says this in the directions. I read it. Several times.) Luckily I just put it in the knitting basket for a couple of days and had the foresight to count the pattern repeats, which confirmed the fact that, yes, I had been decreasing. All is well now.

Hopefully there will be some good knitting this weekend and I can get the secret project out of the way. Then next weekend is a three-day weekend--I love having an extra day to knit.

Oy, with the socks already

2008-06-17T05:02:00.001-07:00

I have been taking a break from socks this week (which is good, since the Summer of Socks starts on Saturday) and I have a few non-sock items to show you next time. For now, however, I give you more footwear:

You probably recognize these from the last post. I completed the pair while on my cruise to Bermuda.

Cable Rib sock from Favorite Socks
Yarn: Plymouth Sockotta, one ball (I lost the ball band, so I don't know the color number)
Source: Patternworks, ages ago
Needles: Crystal Palace Bamboo dpns, US size 1
Modifications: I shortened the cuff length to ankle-length.

I finished the Jaywalkers just after we got back. I had to frog them after I completed the first one because the pattern, while awesome, has no stretch whatsoever, and I was knitting a little tighter than usual because it was the end of the semester. So I reknit them in the smallest size on size 2s instead of the recommended 1s.

Pattern: Jaywalkers by Grumperina (ravelry link)
Yarn: Vesper sock yarn from Knitterly Things, one skein in the Astro colorway
Needles: Crystal Palace Bamboo dpns, US size 2 (I also bought a set of Accessories Unlimited Bamboo dpns for the Summer of Socks and tested them out on these--I highly recommend them)
Source: Knitterly Things
Modifications: I knit them on US size 2 needles instead of size 1.

I would also like to thank Julia at Knitterly Things for making such beautiful sock yarn and for being really patient and nice when I was having technical difficulties ordering the yarn. I recommend you get on her e-mail list 'cause it sells out fast.

I haven't mentioned it in awhile, but I do plan to get back to the Secret of the Stole II. I think that writing out the chart and putting it on some Addi Lace needles (which I have yet to try out) will make it easier. It is a beautiful pattern so far and I really want to finish it; it just seems to be going sooooo sloooowly. I guess I'll just keep telling myself that slow and steady finishes the race.

And maybe plan a new project as a treat when I finish. :)

A Room with a View

2008-06-12T15:32:00.000-07:00

(Actually, our room didn't have a view. But why pay extra for a window room when you can sit and knit on the back deck of the boat?). I took this picture as our cruise ship was leaving the lovely island of Bermuda. I finished a pair of socks (the ones shown above; details to follow) and was harassed (nicely) by Bermudians and cruise ship crew on several occasions for knitting in public. I missed a great opportunity for a Summer of Socks contest picture when I forgot to bring the sock to the Captain's Dinner, where we had our picture taken with the captain of the ship. How great would it have been to have the ship captain holding my sock?

I had a great time but I was so excited to come home to my room full of yarn. Seven days on a ship with just one pair of socks to work on can get kind of monotonous.

Monkey Business

2008-05-28T06:18:00.000-07:00

Can you see why I am getting sick of socks?

Monkey from the Winter '06 Knitty
Yarn: Claudia Handpaints Fingering weight merino, 2 skeins Toast
Source: kpixie (one of my Christmas presents)
Needles: US Size 2 Swallowtail casein dpns (also from kpixie)
Modifications: None

Besides the Jaywalkers I already have on the needles and the Sockotta yarn I'm taking on the cruise, this is my last pair of socks till the Summer of Socks begins. Speaking of the cruise, I have some handmade items to show you next time, made especially for my trip to Bermuda next week.

Rock Your Socks Off

2008-05-21T06:41:00.000-07:00

When I commute to work and school I need a project that is small, portable, and will take me a long time to complete. The best project that fits these needs are socks.

On Your Toes Socks (Basic Toe-Up Sock Pattern), Ann Budd for Interweave Knits, Summer 2007
Yarn: Brown Sheep Wildfoote Sock Yarn Handpaints, 2 skeins Lilac Desert
Source: Pearl's Yarn Shop
Needles: US Size 1 and 2 Crystal Palace Bamboo dpns
Modifications: Lots. This was my first toe-up sock, and I wanted to use every last bit of the handpainted yarn. My yardage was in between what the crew sock and knee sock each needed, so I followed the directions for the crew sock and then just continued in 2x2 rib, increasing one stitch every four rows at the center of the back of the leg until I didn't have much yarn left, then I worked 1x1 rib until I ran out. I tried to make the second one to match the first, which was not as easy as it sounds since I did the first one in December and the second one a few weeks ago. I worked on the first one during a really horrible commute during a snowstorm on my last day of classes that involved being stuck on a bus on I-93 for five hours, and I think I associated some bad feelings with the sock and just needed to put it down for awhile. The socks go higher than most that I knit but aren't quite knee socks.

Dragon Breath Socks (Ravelry link)

Yarn: Mama Llama Merino/Tencel, one skein Arcana (I think)

Source: kpixie (part of my big kpixie Christmas shopping spree)

Needles: US size 1 Addi Turbo 24" circular needles (2)

Modifications: None

Closeup of the stitch pattern and yarn:

A friend pointed out that they look just like the Monkeys I made (and apparently forgot to show you--I'll post them soon) but I didn't notice until she said something--the knitting must have seemed different to me.

I love socks but I've had enough of them for awhile. I'm on the second sock of a pair of Jaywalkers as my commuting project (school is done but there's still work), but after that I'm not doing any until the Summer of Socks starts on June 21st.

March/April Charity Project

2008-05-18T11:48:00.000-07:00

So far I'm keeping good on my promise to complete a charity project every two months, even if this one was a little bit of a copout. I was planning to knit blankets for animals in shelters waiting to be adopted (the patterns are in Knitting for Peace, but they're just garter stitch rectangles), thinking it was a great reading-while-knitting project, especially reading-deathly-boring-articles-for-school-and-the-only-way-to-stay-awake-is-to-knit-while-reading project, only they tend to take longer than I thought and I am about halfway through the first one. It was also the last week of April.

Desperate times call for premature baby knits. It doesn't get any smaller than this, folks:

Preemie Baby Jester Hats from Knitting for Peace
Yarn: The greenish-blue is Sirdar Snuggly DK, the pink and brown are Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino Aran. All neglible amounts of sport/fingering machine-washable yarn from the stash. This is great for cleaning out your leftovers.
Needles: US Size 5 aluminum dpns
Modifications: At the end I turned the hats inside out and did a three-needle bind-off instead of grafting the right side with Kitchener stitch.

These were so quick and easy (I did one in the half-dark of the Calvin Theater at the Harlot event). I also managed to get three done in a week without bringing them to school or work, which is impressive. I'm looking through Knitting for Peace for ideas for May/June but I'm not committing myself to any one project yet.

NH Sheep and Wool Festival

2008-05-13T07:49:00.000-07:00

I love the NH Sheep and Wool Festival. It was the first fiber event I went to after I learned to knit, and even though it was a little bittersweet because I only had $15 to spend, I loved it and have been going ever since. Last night was the last class of the semester, so now I can relax and get back to the important things, like blogging and knitting.

I met up with Katie, Erica, and Linda and we had a great time (how could we not?) Here's the goods:

1.75 lbs of washed Romney roving from a sheep named "Bavaria"

Start Spinning by Maggie Casey (which I have heard excellent things about and I hope it will improve my spinning skills) and a beautiful handmade Bosworth drop spindle. There was an interview with lace-shawl-designer-extraordinaire Evelyn Clark on The Panopticon's blog, and she said she loves her Bosworth drop spindles and prefers them to her wheel, and I want to be just like her when I grow up so I got one too.

More hand-dyed sock yarn from Ball and Skein. I plan to use it for the Summer of Socks, which I signed up for last week. You might remember that I purchased another ball of hand-dyed sock yarn from Ball and Skein last year, and that I have not posted about it since. It will also be part of the Summer of Socks.

The biggest score of all came when I had been at the festival for ten minutes. I got five balls of one of my favorite yarns, Brown Sheep Nature Spun Worsted (the sport weight is great too) for only $15!!! It's a discontinued color, and the label is different from the one they have now, and I could not be more thrilled to have 1200 yards (a sweater's worth!) for $15. I'm thinking something from Fitted Knits or Knitting Nature.

Next up: all the knitting I have been doing in between final projects and stressing out about the end of the semester.

A Public Service Announcement

2008-05-04T14:16:00.000-07:00

I do have lots to show you, but unfortunately I could not find my camera this morning (don't worry, I think I know where it is). In the meantime, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that next weekend is the New Hampshire Sheep and Wool Festival. Yippee! More information can be found here.

This is not an event you want to miss. It may not be the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival (the largest in the country), and it's certainly no Rhinebeck, but it is a rocking good time. There is a lot to see but it's not overwhelming and there is a lot of great wool to be bought. Plus there are sheepdog and shearing demonstrations, great carnival food, and angora rabbits for sale. I am very excited.

I think the best part is that it falls on the weekend that marks the end of my semester (except for one more class on Monday), so I can shop as a reward for making it through and actually have time to spin and knit and crochet.

And now for something completely different: my first meme. I wasn't tagged for it, but I've been reading through Eunny's archives (although I am thrilled with her work at Interweave Knits, I really miss her blog--seeing what she's working on and learning new techniques from her, and even just reading about what's new with her) and I stumbled across this meme, so here goes.

Ten years ago: I was in eighth grade. I spent lots of time making things but I didn't know how to knit yet.

Five years ago: I was just about to graduate from high school and head off to college, to study sustainable agriculture. I learned to knit freshman year of college and whenever I was in class I would think about knitting and be anxious to get back to my project.

One year ago: I was just about to graduate from college and head off to graduate school to be a librarian. I had discovered Eunny's blog (among others) and spent most of my time looking for knitting inspiration and information on the Internet, when I wasn't finishing up my senior research project or working (at a yarn store and the library) or actually knitting. It was this time last year that I started this blog--in the midst of graduate school and work craziness, I missed my blogiversary.

Five snacks: Kettle corn, Goldfish crackers, homemade cookies, homemade bread, pumpkin seeds.

Five songs I know all the words to: "Start Wearing Purple" by Gogol Bordello, "Bad Moon Rising" by Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Moondance" by Van Morrison, "London Calling" by The Clash, "Tusk" by Fleetwood Mac.

Five things I would do with $100 million: 1.) Pay off my student loans 2.) Take care of my family and friends 3.) Buy a farm and animals 4.) Buy my school and straighten out their library program (or turn it into a rock club) 5.) Donate lots of money to local libraries and charities

Five places to run away to: 1.) Ireland, especially the Aran Islands 2.) Montreal 3.) the White Mountains of New Hampshire 4.) New Zealand 5.) the beach (anywhere really, but preferably a New England beach)

Five things I would never wear: 1.) a muumuu 2.) clothing with logos 3.) anything that reveals my stomach 4.) anything too baggy 5.) something unflattering just because it's stylish

Five favorite TV shows: Gilmore Girls, Northern Exposure, Bill Moyers Journal, Saturday Night Live, Grey's Anatomy

Five biggest joys: 1.) Making things 2.) Spending time with friends and family 3.) finding information I've been looking for 4.) finding inspiration 5.) completing a project

Favorite toys: Malcolm, my mp3 player; Philbert, my trusty (if old and slow) laptop; my swift and ball winder; my car, Betty

Was that fun or what? I bet you learned a little something about me you didn't know ;)

Once Upon a Time

2008-04-28T04:56:00.001-07:00

Three women set out on a quest to see the funniest knitting writer in the land. They drove for hours through strange lands to the far away kingdom of Northampton to a magical palace filled with yarn. During their trek they encountered strange and wonderful things, such as a bat on the side of a building:

They made their way through hordes and hordes of knitters but managed to find seats in the kingdom's theater where the Fair Lady of Knitting Humor spoke:

After they trekked back in hordes to the magical palace of yarn and fiber to meet her Highness (one gentleman exclaimed "Goodness me!" as the spectacularly large group crossed the street in one giant mass), where the lovely Lady Beth graciously held my sock and the book (with a Kinneared Harlot in the background):

The Lady Harlot herself (at which point I gave up trying to hide my picture-taking)

A lovely time was had by all. It was a day of merry-making, laughter, and the purchasing of yarn (although not too much, as the esteemed New Hampshire Sheep and Wool Festival is two weeks henceforth, and I wisheth to purchase much there).

The gracious Harlot even humbled herself to have a picture taken with me, and I was honored to hold her royal sock:

And we lived happily ever after, in houses that runneth over with yarn.

Spring Cleaning

2008-04-20T09:08:00.000-07:00

I have sort of a mish-mash of pictures for you this week.

My new boots for spring (they were on sale!):

The cat helping me knit:

A new Chaos for Leo, since the first one was too small (my aunt suggested I save it for someone else, so I didn't frog it):

Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease in grey, 4 balls for two sweaters (the largest and second-to-largest sizes)

Needles: Handmade Peace Fleece needles, US Size 7 and US Size 8 straight needles; also an Inox 24" circular US Size 7 for the neck band

Modifications: I worked fewer rows on the neck band--on the first one the neck opening seemed small, so I thought if I did fewer rows it might give a little more room. I think it looks good that way. I worked 1x1 rib for four rows after the pickup row and then bound off on the fifth row.

Closeup of the neck and pattern:

Action shots to follow (also of him wearing the Trellis cardigan I knit for his last birthday, which I apparently failed to take any pictures of)

I finally knit the beret from Greetings From Knit Cafe--I've been hoarding this yarn for almost a year now. The only other thing I have to do is make a felted flower to pin on it.

Yarn: Blue Sky Alpacas Alpaca and Silk in light green, 1 skein

Source: Patternworks

Needles: Addi Turbo US Size 4 16" circular, Susan Bates aluminum US Size 4 dpns

Modifications: None

My tribute to Cyndi Lauper:

The Pretty Lace Handwarmers from Whitney over at the Purl Bee (her little pom pom socks might have to be next--I told you, I'm addicted)

Yarn: Something from Lorna's Laces. It came from the free bin when I worked at Patternworks

Needles: Susan Bates aluminum US Size 5 (I really need to invest in wooden needles in sizes I don't have--it will make my knitting life much more pleasant)

Modifications: None

This was the result of another "I need spring to be here NOW" impulse:

Kate Gilbert's Strawberry Clutch from the Spring 2007 issue of Knitscene

Yarn: Cascade 220, one skein each of red and green, and some yellow wool of unknown origins for the seeds (another Patternworks free bin score)

Source: Stash! (although I had to buy another skein of the red since my stash skein was small)

Needles: Addi Turbo US Size 13 24" circular

Modifications: I chose to duplicate stitch the seeds on rather than do intarsia since my intarsia isn't all that great. I did some intarsia where the leaves come in, but after a couple of rows I did all one color and then went back to duplicate stitch the appropriate pattern.

I really need to get back to working on the Secret of the Stole II, but lately I've needed small quick things to do at school (and to keep me sane). It just requires too much concentration, so once this semester is over I'll bring it out again. I also lost a pair of kneesocks that I wanted to frog because they are a little too big and they are a great school/bus project. I don't usually lose things, and I've never actually lost a handknitted item before. I never even lost mittens as a kid! Oh well. I'm 90% sure they are somewhere in my room, so they'll have to turn up sometime.

In more exciting news, next Sunday I will be at the Yarn Harlot event at Webs with Susan and Beth! Since the NH Sheep and Wool festival is just a few weeks away, I can't go crazy, but there will definitely be some stash enhancement.

One step forward, two steps back.

Flowers and Yarn

2008-04-06T08:33:00.000-07:00

Since spring didn't seem to be coming anytime soon, and everything around here is a variation of brown or grey, I decided to make my own flowers:

(back left shoulder)

(left side hem)

Full sweater shot (there are a couple of flowers at the right hem also) (yes, that is the chaos that is my room)

I got this beautiful J. Crew cashmere sweater at the Salvation Army a year or so ago, and I didn't realize that it had moth holes in it until I got home. That probably wouldn't have stopped me from buying it, since it is cashmere and it was three dollars, and I figured I could fix it somehow. It sat in the mending pile for a long time, while I bought several packages of beads and designs floated around my head. Then I found a great pattern in the book Craftivity (which I highly recommend--please consider buying it from your local independent bookstore) for embellishing moth-holed sweaters by doing a button hole stitch around them. This is brilliant because it looks cool and prevents the hole from getting any bigger. Since I couldn't seem to understand the stitch the way it was explained in Craftivity I turned to my mom's copy of The Encyclopedia of Stitchery. After I did the button hole stitches, I just freehand stitched the beads on to look like flowers and stems. I just made it up as I went along, but I'm really happy with how it came out.

And this is some yarn that I made. Just like the Harlot, (Susan and I are going to see her at Webs on April 28th! Yay!) this Tuesday was for spinning. It was very random; I got annoyed at this ball of roving that kept rolling out of the bag onto the floor so I spun it up. There is about 60 yards, I have no idea what weight (probably heavy worsted), and I spun it on my drop spindle. I was frustrated when I started because I got out my spinning books and tried to do what they said and my yarn didn't look like theirs. So I just did it my own weird way, wet-blocked it on the niddy noddy, and it came out pretty good. I'm realizing I should just accept that this is the way that I spin and that's okay. However, I do think I'm going to buy Start Spinning sometime in the near future, since I've heard very good things about it.

Knitting? Oh, there has been knitting. There are projects that are very nearly done (a beret in Blue Sky Alpacas Alpaca and Silk, the Strawberry Clutch from the Spring 2007 Knitscene), there was a big frog session (a Jaywalker sock that was complete--and I couldn't pull it over my ankle), and there is a toddler sweater in the works. Although it is getting to be that point in the semester when there is a lot of work I should have started earlier (but I am very close to finishing my career in academia, so why change now? And really, it wouldn't change much.) and I just have to knit to keep my head. So either there will be lots of finished things or not many at all. As usual.

Cashmere Cables

2008-03-30T08:31:00.001-07:00

...are the only thing that kept me from screaming when I woke up to snow on Friday morning. We are nearing the level of Greek-mythology-tortue here. I actually didn't even wear this scarf because although it is adorable I needed a heavy-duty woolen muffler to wear on the commute and in awful ice-cold rainy Boston.

Anyway, the Miranda Cable Scarf with a nice shot of the cables:

As a jaunty ascot, since that will probably be how it is worn (or maybe as above, but with a pin):

Miranda Cable Scarf by Smariek Knits, found on Ravelry

Yarn: Black Pearl Yarns Cashmere in Singapore Smoke, 1 skein (200 yards)

Source: kpixie, as a Christmas present, although I don't see anymore of it there

Needles: Susan Bates US size 7 24" circular needle (to make it more commuter-friendly)
Modifications: I only did three cable crossings instead of four since I only had one skein (CO 40 stitches instead of 52, and just follow all the directions from there) and obviously that made it shorter as well. This yarn was so delicious, but I have to admit I probably won't be buying it again anytime soon. I think baby alpaca is just as soft and much cheaper. It was nice to treat myself (or let Santa treat me) this time, though. It was also nice to bust some more of the stash, even if this one has only been there since Christmas.

I've been working on a lot of other things, but I hate posting in-progress pics (which is really selfish, especially because I love to see others' in progress pics). There has also been some sewing and some embroidery, and some room-cleaning, but nothing so interesting that I can post it. This week should be more productive, since one of my classes is canceled (w00t!)

Making a stand

2008-03-23T08:58:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I wrote in an e-mail to a friend that I was really happy that spring was finally here, and that it came right before I cracked.

Needless to say, I spoke too soon, as the past week and half have been filled with snow, icy blasting winds, and rain that is just above freezing--so when it hits you it feels like water but it is so cold it chills you instantly. I'm not taking it anymore. Last night I wore my Mary Janes with leggings and no socks. This morning I refused to put flannel sheets on my bed. I put the t-shirt sheets on instead, which is smart because they are warm when it's cold and cool when it's hot (and makes a stand without making me cold, like the no-socks act did last night). And I made the Rochefort Chapeau from the Purl Bee:

I don't know what it is about the Purl Bee, but I am powerless to stop myself from making just about everything on their site. Maybe it's the way they perfectly capture my aesthetic or the stories and inspirations behind the projects. Joelle Hoverson, author of Last-Minute Knitted Gifts, is the brain behind Purl and the Purl Bee. Whenever I have knitting stress or am feeling uninspired, I look at that book and I feel better.

I saw the Rochefort Chapeau when it was first posted and thought, "Oh, that's cute, but I don't really need to make it." Ha. It worked its way into my head until I couldn't stop thinking about it and was mentally pawing through my stash to find the yarn. The great thing is that the Purl Bee has helped me bust so much of my stash. As much as I would have liked to use the Blue Sky Alpaca and Silk that Whitney used, I knit mine with one skein of Plymouth Wildflower DK in navy blue and one skein Patons Grace in white. It will be a great spring hat, if spring ever decides to come.

In case it doesn't, I have yet another pair of mittens to wear.

Tweedy Mittens from the Stitch'n Bitch 2007 calendar (designed by Missa of kpixie, my favorite online yarn store)
Yarn: Reynolds Whiskey, one ball each of light blue and orange
Source: The Elegant Ewe
Needles: Brittany Birch US size 7 dpns
Modifications: I knit with two strands held together, since I couldn't find the yarns called for in the pattern and no other worsted weight yarns had the right shades of blue and orange that I was looking for. I did a gauge swatch to make sure, and if you have this pattern, you might want to mark down that the gauge is supposed to be five stitches to the inch. It was accidentally left off the pattern and I found the gauge posted on Craftster by Debbie Stoller, but it is hard to find in the threads.

Another Purl Bee (and specifically Whit's Knits; so is the Rochefort Chapeau) inspiration:

The Granny Chic Crocheted Hat
Yarn: Less than one ball of Manos del Uruguay kettle-dyed wool
Hook: Clover US size I crochet hook
Modifications: None.

I still need to block it but so far I love it. It will be a good transition hat between winter and my Rochefort chapeau. Part of the reason I love the Purl Bee so much is because most of their patterns are for small items that travel well. When I'm commuting to school I need something small that travels well and that I can pick up and put down quickly when I knit during class breaks.

What is this new yarn, you ask?

A couple of weeks ago I went to a concert in Northampton, MA. What else is Northampton, MA? Webs, of course! I was really good, considering they have an entire warehouse that is open to the public. This is Kangaroo Dyer Silk and Alpaca Laceweight. I bought Evelyn Clark's Estonian Wrap pattern to go with it, but I realized this yarn will make a perfect Icarus. Since I've been doing some serious stash-busting lately, I think it's allowed. Also, when I go back to Webs in a couple of weeks to see the Yarn Harlot, I am going to buy a little more yarn. Carefully planned, all with projects in mind, and with a very definite spending limit.

And now back to our regularly scheduled programming

2008-03-17T11:25:00.000-07:00

So I was on spring break, in which I didn't have class but still had a whole lot of work to do, which explains the quiet blog. I did manage to squeeze in some knitting though (I'm good like that).

First, my lucky shamrock socks in case I didn't show them last year (this also serves as photographic proof that I do wear my own handknits):

My own design, one skein of green and two skeins of white Baby Ull (e-mail me if you'd like the shamrock chart). You can see that my intarsia skills are non-existent, but they were a fun quick knit anyway.

A crocheted afghan that I started three years ago, finally complete:

Classic Ripple Afghan from Cozy Crochet
Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick'n'Quick, in fisherman, navy, and charcoal (I have no idea how many balls)
Hook: Plastic turquoise US size P
Modifications: None

Wiggly Worm Scarf from Knitting Pretty (the book that helped me learn to knit)
Yarn: Manos del Uruguay, one skein
Needles: Crystal Palace Bamboo straights, US size 9
Modifications: None

Monkey Socks from Knitty
Yarn: Claudia Handpaints Fingering Weight in Toast
Source: kpixie (a Christmas present)
Needles: Swallowtail (I think that's the name) casein dpns, US size 2 (these were also a Christmas present, ordered from kpixie--if you look under needles you'll find them)
Modifications: None

Well, I'm off to class now. Luckily there is a long bus ride so I can knit!

Holy FOs Batman

2008-03-01T07:50:00.000-08:00

Ladies and gentlemen, the finished commissioned Clessidra stockings:

(which look much better on a human leg, but I didn't want to stretch them out). The purchaser called me "a knitting rockstar superstar" and I was told the recipient hasn't stopped smiling, so I'm happy.

Clessidra from Knitty Spring '07

Yarn: Knit Picks Risata Sock Yarn, four balls grass

Source: Knit Picks

Needles: Addi Turbo US size 1 24" circular needles

Modifications: Knit on two circular needles instead of dpns

Above and below are pictures of chemo caps that I made in January and February. One of my knitting goals this year is to knit for a new charity every two months. November/December was afghans for Afghans, and these will go to a local hospital for women who have lost their hair during chemotherapy. I think March and April will be the pet blankets from Knitting for Peace, since so many puppies and kittens come into shelters in the spring.

The hats above were knit with Plymouth Baby Alpaca Brush, which is one of the softest yarns I've ever used. The green lace hat is a combination of two patterns: Kim's Basic Hats in Last Minute Knitted Gifts and the Lacy Eyelet Chemo Cap in Knitting for Peace. The striped hat is the Basic Roll Brim Hat of Kim's Basic Hats. The hats below are made with Berocco Chinchilla, which is also very soft, and the patterns were free with the purchase of the yarn from Patternworks. It was great to clean out the stash and make nice things for people at the same time.

As a treat for finishing the Clessidra socks, and also as an antidote to all the snow and cold, I ordered some Vesper Sock Yarn from Knitterly Things and received the pin above in my package, along with the coolest sock yarn I've ever bought:

If this doesn't scream spring and ward off the winter blues then I don't know what does.

Circles Market Tote

2008-02-26T16:34:00.000-08:00

I should have more time to knit now that I'm getting settled into the semester and my new job, but in the meantime I have an older project to show you:

This is a bag of my own design that I actually sold. I call it the Circles Market Tote. I used Bulky Lopi from the stash (extra points) and needle-felted the circles on (using some beautiful roving from Brimstone Hollow Farms--you can't really see it in the pictures but there are hints of orange in the blue). I heart needle-felting.

Next time I hope to have some charity knitting to show you and maybe even a sock. I'm also casting on for Chaos for my cousin's birthday (describes him perfectly!).

Not much to report

2008-02-17T08:56:00.000-08:00

Between grad school and knitting a commissioned project and starting a new job this week, there wasn't much time for knitting. I did make these:

High Top Baby Booties from Knitting To Go
Yarn: Raggi, color 1542 Blue Tweed, leftovers from a pair of socks I made my brother (you can find it here)
Source: Stash, originally from Patternworks
Needles: Aluminum dpns of unknown origin, US size 6
Modifications: Added two extra rows to the instep length

Other than that, and the commissioned project, the knitting has been slim. So here's a nice Valentine's Day picture (let's ignore the fact that I forgot about Valentine's Day completely):

(This is a chocolate rose from a very nice boy who may or may not have something to do with the lack of knitting lately. There was another one, but I ate it. It was delicious.)

Fairer Fair Isle

2008-02-10T09:02:00.000-08:00

I forgot to show you the results of the Fair Isle class I took a couple of weeks ago at The Elegant Ewe:

The wrong side of my colorwork has never looked like this before!

And the front has never looked so good either. The class was definitely worth my while. Since I learn most of my knitting and crafting skills from books, I'm sometimes reluctant to take classes (also because that means less money for yarn and other craft supplies). I really enjoy the hands-on experience though, and if something isn't clicking then I know it's time to seek out someone who can help me. On The Elegant Ewe site there is a list of classes and there is another Fair Isle class in March. If you have colorwork issues at all I highly recommend taking it.

These are the Subway Mittens from the Winter 2007 Interweave Knits. This was my favorite kind of project for so many reasons. I love that they were designed for the Boston subway system (which I use to get to graduate school) and that I actually got to knit something from a current issue of Knits (although the Spring 2008 issue arrived the day after I finished these). Even though I will only be using them as subway mittens for one more winter, I think they look cute with the pocket and other small things could be put in there (like cash for buying hot cocoa when ice skating). I also love that they used up some stash yarn that previously had no project attached to it, and it is a nice local handspun (or Bartlett mill-spun--I don't remember) sheepy-smelling wool in a tweedy blue and brown that will go with both of my winter jackets. They were portable, which is the only reason I got them done so quickly. They were this week's commute-and-in-between-classes project (that may not happen next week, since the project is toe-up socks on size 1 needles...)

Pattern: Subway Mittens from the Winter 2007 issue of Interweave Knits

Yarn: Locally raised handspun or Bartlett mill-spun

Source: Stash! (originally from a vendor at the New Hampshire Sheep and Wool Festival)

Needles: Susan Bates US size 5 dpns, Brittany Birch US size 7 dpns

Modifications: None

As for other projects, I'm still plugging away on the Secret of the Stole II (beautiful pattern but not much to show right now) and the afghans, plus I've started a project that someone is buying from me. I'm also trying to come up with ideas for birthday and Christmas presents. That new issue of Interweave Knits is awfully distracting, though...

A Hat and a Cat

2008-02-03T07:08:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry to report that there isn't much interesting going on in the way of knitting or crocheting. There are afghans (the making of green and yellow granny squares continues, and I am about halfway done a very cozy (and unwieldy) crocheted ripple afghan) and the Secret of the Stole II, but these things take time. Classes started again last week, so I needed something small and quick to work on during the commute and breaks, and I'm really trying to work from the stash, so I made this:

Elizabeth's Aran Hat from the 2005 Pattern A Day Knitting Calendar. I've had the yarn set aside for this since, well, 2005, so I figured it was about time I knit it up.
Yarn: Harrisville Highland Style (I think--it's definitely Harrisville), less than one skein
Source: Patternworks sale bin
Needles: US Size 7 Addi Turbo 13" circular needle, Brittany Birch US Size 7 dpns
Modifications: There was one row that I think was written wrong; I just followed the pattern established by the knitting

The hat is cute, if a little small. It's not something I would wear to keep my ears warm, and I have a small head which is why it fits me, but I think if you went up a needle size it would be bigger without any fancy rewrites. All in all, it was just what I needed: a quick knit for the commute. Next up: Subway Mittens from Intweave Knits Winter 2007 (scroll down here for a picture). These will be great because I use the subway and I am knitting from the stash once again.
I was reading Tres Chic Veronique's discussion of the "Knit from Your Stash 2007" promise, and I'm going to implement something like that of my own since the stash is threatening to overtake my room and I'm trying to save some money anyway.
My rules (adapted from Wendy's)
1. The Knit from my Stash extravaganza will run from January 1, 2008 to November 1, 2008.
2. I will not buy any yarn during this time, with the following exceptions:
2a. Sock yarn does not count (socks are the best bus project)
2b. Yarn for knitting gifts does not count.
2c. Yarn for projects that I plan to sell does not count.
2d. Purchasing yarn to complete a project does not count.
2e. I get one "Get out of Jail Free" card (just one)
3. I am allowed to receive gifts of yarn.
4. Trading stash is allowed.
5. Spinning fiber will be exempt only when I start spinning on a regular basis (I currently purchase fiber as if I am a person who spins on a regular basis when I am not)
6. The New Hampshire Sheep and Wool Festival (May) and The Wool Tour (October) are completely exempt from this and I can buy whatever I want.

And since there was only one picture of knitting, I give you a gratuitous cat picture:

I know he looks mad at me, but I'm mad at him too. Last night I came home and there was a spider on my bed and he just lay there not doing anything about it.

Landscape Shawl and Heidi Headbands

2008-01-27T07:32:00.000-08:00

I finally finished the Landscape Shawl (I started it in June, then put it down until a few weeks ago. I actually misplaced it at one point which could account for the lack of progress). It was a good January project because it kept my lap warm and I have this weird urge to knit things that are white during this month (although I simultaneously want to knit things in very bright colors during these dark days). I'm happy I finished it in time to be able to wear it for the rest of winter.

Landscape Shawl (A FiberTrends pattern)
Yarn: The Irish Ewe Aran, 2 hanks Bainin (pronounced BAAA-neen, according to the website)
Source: The Irish Ewe, via the National Knit and Crochet Show in Manchester in June 2007
Needles: Crystal Palace Bamboo US Size 11 26" circular needles
Modifications: Just a bunch of mistakes that aren't really noticable, and I tried the Better Bind Off (click for the tutorial from the Purl Bee) for the top edge. Tip: I am so used to tugging on the yarn to bind off loosely that my edge is a little wobbly where I started the bind-off. Don't hesitate to pull it tight.

A close-up of the stitch patterns:
I can't rave about this yarn enough. It's beautiful in that homespun way and organic and it's from Ireland. The women at the Irish Ewe are so nice and helpful, and I'm thrilled that the yarn is available online because I want to buy a bunch and roll in it. Plus, you can't beat the price: $12-14 for 325-400 yards of delicious Irish woolly goodness.

And last but not least, I finally got back to the sewing machine last week and busted out some of Heidi's Headbands from Bend the Rules Sewing. I've gotten lots of compliments on them and they were very quick and easy. That Amy has some great ideas, and I love that there are drawings that detail the steps along with the written instructions. I think this was my first project from the book but I will definitely be making more: I am in love with every bag in the book.

Everything's Coming Up Daisies

2008-01-20T08:06:00.000-08:00

The posts should be getting more regular as I get back into my work and school schedules (blah...). I also haven't had much to post even though I've been working on several projects (and on most days, just sitting on the couch watching Northern Exposure and knitting).

First, a couple of Christmas presents from two of my favorite knitters:

A beautiful wrap from my Aunt Nancy, "for when I'm studying." The colors aren't very true to life in this picture, but the natural light was weird this morning what with some quick flurries and then the sun trying to come out.

And from Susan, a pair of cabled fingerless gloves in this bright cheerful color of Malabrigo (which is one of my all time favorite yarns and I want a house made out it).

Susan also gave me a skein of Malabrigo and a free pattern from Patternworks to make this one skein crocheted scarf (it's also the One Skein Scarf from The Happy Hooker). I made it on Christmas Day, while watching movies with the family, after all the gifting and eating was done.

These are my awesome stash-busting new-wave Daisy Stitch Hand Warmers from The Purl Bee. (Can you tell I am a child of the eighties?) I used about half a skein of each color, all leftover from other projects--the pink, black and white are Lamb's Pride Worsted, and the green is Malabrigo. Let me tell you, as cute as they are, Daisy stitch is not fun. Sometimes it's downright painful. But, these aren't very long and it's a great way to use up stash yarn.

A (blurry) close-up of the stitch:

Pattern: Daisy Stitch Hand Warmers from The Purl Bee (free!)

Yarn: About half a skein each of four colors; in this case, pink, white, and black Lamb's Pride Worsted, and green Malabrigo

Source: Stash

Needles: Susan Bates Quicksilver US size 8 dpns, Brittany Birch US size 7 dpns

Modifications: Because I don't always read directions, I striped the black along with the others even though I don't think the pattern calls for color A to be included in the stripes.

So, back to the grind of school and work. However, this is the year that I finish graduate school (one semester down, three to go) so I'm trying to have a better attitude about it. Work is fine, it's just involves being somewhere other than my house. Susan and I discussed this yesterday when we met for book- and yarn-buying and had delicious pastry at Bread and Chocolate in Concord (go there, right now, and buy a creme puff. You'll thank me). We are definitely both homebodies who would prefer to be at home curled up with books and crafts than doing just about anything else (except buying books, yarn, and pastries).

Anyway, hope your new year is off to a great start, a year full of books and crafts (and, if you are like Susan and I, lots of quality time at home).

Thrift Score

2008-01-09T06:56:00.000-08:00

I always poke in the half-hidden bins that hold a myriad of crafty things at thrift stores, hoping against hope that there will be some excellent yarn in them. Usually there are just some tangled balls of 1980s acrylic (see, if it was from the 1970s or earlier it would at least be cool colors) in several pastel shades. Not this time! I found three skeins of Bernat Glenspun English Tweed in a dark blue at a local consignment shop:

This, my friends, is 100% wool, superwash no less. And the label claims it was actually spun at a mill in England. The three skeins together cost me 75 cents.

My Christmas knitting project for myself:

Pattern: Cabled Purse from Last Minute Knitted Gifts
Yarn: Celestial Merino by Lucy Neatby, 1 skein Scarlet
Source: The Elegant Ewe
Needles: Clover bamboo US Size 3 dpns
Modifications: I used dpns instead of the 12" circular needle called for in the pattern. I also ended up knitting the cabled part twice, because I grabbed a set of US Size 6 dpns and didn't notice until I was on the last round of the cable chart. Oh well. It was something simple and pretty to keep my mind occupied during the hectic days surrounding Christmas and New Year's.

There hasn't been much new knitting around here, since I'm trying to clean stuff out and get organized. The organizing itself leaves slightly less time for knitting, and half-finished projects are reappearing (above is the Bird Seed Scarf from the Purl Bee that I've already shown you, but I decided I would like some more birds. Who wouldn't?). I'd like to finish them before I start anything new, especially because the second Secret of the Stole starts in a couple of weeks.

Here's my swatch:

This is done on US Size 2 bamboo needles (instead of the US Size 3 needles recommended) but I like the way it looks so I'm keeping it.

Here's the yarn I'm using:

It's Habu Textiles Extra Fine Merino. Each cone comes with 747 yards, and is only eight dollars at The Elegant Ewe in Concord. They only have this brown color, but I like it. Also the tips from Nautical Knitter, the SotS II designer, recommended natural earthy tones. The yarn is beautiful although it's very thin (hence the smaller needles). It shows lace beautifully though, and has a slight haze to it.

All right, back to the house cleaning and finishing-up-of-old-projects. Not only are the number of unfinished projects embarrassing, so is the size of my stash (especially my fiber stash, which I contribute to as if I was a person who spins on a regular basis. Obviously, this is not the case). So after the finishing-up-of-old-projects, there must be some stash busting with a capital S. Wish me luck in both endeavors.

A Very Crafty Christmas

2007-12-28T07:12:00.000-08:00

Crafty because I made most of my gifts (and actually finished them) and because I got crafty stuff for presents. Despite my best efforts, I still had to sew up the little notebook I made for my dad on Christmas morning before he woke up, but considering some of my past Christmas fiascos--last year everyone got presents still on the needles--that was nothing. So the Victorian women had it right; handmade Christmas gifts should be started no later than July. We'll see how it goes this summer in the middle of two intense graduate classes.

I think I've shown you all the presents I gave away (except for a couple, which I forgot to take pictures of before I sent them off--maybe I can convince the recipients to take pictures for me), so here's what I got:

The Stitch'n Bitch Page-a-Day calendar from my brother
The Daring Book for Girls from Bethie (This book is amazing--I've already learned how to do the whistle with your two pinkies. I only wish I had it when I was younger, although I got similar stuff from a variety of other books. Amy has a great review of it here)
Knitting Vintage Socks, a back issue of Interweave Knits, the Tree Sweater and Rusted Root pattern by Zephyr Style, Cookie A.'s German Stockings pattern, and the Blue Sky Alpacas Crochet Sweater pattern, from my parents via Kpixie

From left to right:

Mama Llama hand-dyed Merino Tencel
Black Pearl Yarns DK Cashmere
A set of casein DPNS, US Size 2 (I'm really curious about these, and they are very inexpensive--I'll let you know how they are)
Three skeins of Hemp for Knitting AllHemp3, to become the crocheted market bag from Crochet Me (the book, which I highly recommend)
Again, all from my parents and bought from KPixie

From left to right:

Two skeins Claudia Handpaints Fingering Weight Merino in colorway "Toast," to become the Friday Harbor Socks in Knitting on the Road
One skein of Shetland Cobweb yarn (Beth's response to this was "You really are crazy, aren't you?")
One skein of Blue Sky Alpacas Suri Merino in Snow, the yarn called for in the Crochet Sweater pattern above that I am absolutely desperate to make. I decided to get one skein so I could have an easier time finding a suitable subsitute yarn (the Suri Merino is $16 a skein) and thinking I could just make a hat out of this skein, but I have touched it and it is delicious and I must have this yarn for my sweater. I think. I'm going to swatch and see how it is in crocheted form and remind myself that there is no way I can afford this yarn for an entire sweater. (Also from my parents, also from Kpixie)

On top, the crocheted and embroidered house purse kit from Make Make
The Sushi coin purse kit from Pick Up Sticks (also from my parents and from Kpixie)

It's a good thing I have a break from school to get some serious crafting done!

The killer icicles outside my window

"Those icicles have been know to kill people!" -Ralphie's mother in A Christmas Story

Hope you all had a great holiday, and my belated present to you is on its way: the Owl Cable scarf, which would match the Owl Cable hat perfectly (that was my inspiration). It was a birthday present for my aunt, who loves owls, and unfortunately I forgot to take a picture. I'll see if I can't get her to send me one.

Time to get knitting!

Deck the Halls (or your friends)

2007-12-20T07:46:00.000-08:00

I can't write much because I'm in the middle of trying to finish several presents, but I don't have much to show yet anyway. I've either already posted it or the presents are for friends who read the blog.

I gave this to my friend Susan on Tuesday:

Pattern: "One Night Glam" from Stitch'n Bitch: The Happy Hooker
Materials: 26 gauge wire, less than half a tube of mixed beads I've had for awhile, two clasps
Hook: US K/10.5
Modifications: Added several more beads to both pieces than was recommended; made both pieces longer (I probably didn't have gauge).

This pattern was so quick and easy. I made both during the Martha Stewart Show. Yesterday Susan called to tell me that she saw necklaces just like this in a store for $65!
And wonderful woman that she is, Susan gave me a skein Malabrigo worsted (also known as my drug of choice) in a gorgeous teal. I'll post pictures with the rest of my presents later.

All right, back to the workshop! It's just like me to get started in July and still be scrambling at the last minute...

Going Local

2007-12-09T17:55:00.000-08:00

I finally got to give Bethie her birthday present, so I can show you:

What started out as the "Classy Cabled Clutch" from 101 One Skein Wonders turned into...not a clutch. This is what happens when you don't swatch, folks. Luckily I am flexible and it turned out so long.

I've decided that one of my New Year's Resolutions is to shop locally. I always kinda sorta try to, but now I'm really going to make an effort to do so. The money you spend on a local business stays in the community and makes it more the type of place I want to live, and the financial and environmental price of gas is making me think carefully about what I buy and where it comes from. I already apply it to food and specialty purchases, but I realized I kind of ignore that when it comes to yarn. So:

I'm going to do my best to buy yarn locally (I'm defining "local" as New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, and upstate New York--New England is small, area-wise). Not just locally, but from small farms and businesses. This shouldn't be too hard or stressful, since we have so many great places in the area--like Green Mountain Spinnery, Halcyon Yarns, Webs, and Harrisville Designs. There are also my local favorites: The Elegant Ewe, Pearl's Yarn Shop, The Yarn and Fiber Company, and The Fiber Studio; and the Wool Tour (in October) and the New Hampshire Sheep and Wool Festival (in May).
I'm starting with my Christmas list over at KPixie (they are located in Massachusetts)
I'm allowing myself one KnitPicks order at some point in the year (I am a poor graduate student, after all)
I'm going to make a renewed effort to do the most local shopping of all--in the stash, which is getting cumbersome and a little embarrassing

So who's with me?

The Secret's Out

2007-12-07T08:25:00.001-08:00

I finally finished the Secret of the Stole KAL (and only one day after the deadline, too!)

It will never cease to amaze me that you can start with this

and end up with this:

(Why yes, that is a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles towel)

The Yarn Harlot has a much more elegant post on lace and the magic of blocking, and since I can't say it any better than she can and I'm in the throes of finals I will send you there (and might I add I am in desperate need of those blocking wires. The thing about stoles is they have two very loooong straight edges. I tried the string method but it didn't work; I think it was because the edges were just too long). I have been making other things, but I have to do a research proposal, a planning document (just as boring as it sounds), and an in-depth annotated bibliography for reference. Unfortunately I don't think any of my professors will accept a hand-knit pair of socks instead (crazy, I know). Next Friday, I promise.

Blogger is being really frustrating. I may be switching to WordPress (don't worry, I'll let you know).

I should also admit that I signed up for the Secret of the Stole II. After my first semester of graduate school, more lace knitting on tiny needles sounds like a piece of cake.

Wish me luck. I'm diving back into the piles of homework. Seeing that light at the end of the tunnel...

Gnome for the Holidays

2007-11-24T08:14:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't love a needle-felted gnome, especially one who also resembles Old Saint Nick?

A couple of things I finished during the last couple of weeks and forgot to post:

Pattern: Single Cable Scarf from One Skein
Yarn: Blue Sky Alpacas Organic Cotton, 1 skein sage

Source: Patternworks

Needles: Crystal Palace Bamboo straights, US Size 9

Modifications: None

Pattern: Tweed Beret, Interweave Knits Winter 2006 (Size 19"; my head is actually 21" but

this fits great)

Yarn: Tahki Donegal Tweed, 1 skein

Source: The Elegant Ewe

Needles: Susan Bates 16" circular, US Size 6; Aluminum DPNs, US Size 6

Modifications: None

Finally finished:

Pattern: Clessidra from Knitty Spring 2007
Yarn: KnitPicks Essential, 3 balls burgundy (I ordered four balls, since the yardage is almost the

same as the yarn the designer used, and despite adding a significant amount of stitches to

the calf to make it bigger, I didn't even touch the fourth ball)

Source: KnitPicks

Needles: 2 Addi Turbo 24" circular, US Size 1 (I used the two circular needles method)

Modifications: I added 12 stitches total to the calf to make it larger and then added more decreases to make up for it

I wore them on Thanksgiving and they were very toasty and pretty (if a bit slippery on the hardwood floors--one of the risks of handknit socks and klutzy tendencies)

And in non-knitting news, I present a picture of my made-from-scratch apple pie:

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!

And now the holiday countdown begins:

6 Christmas presents to make

5 Final papers

4 clues to knit for the Secret of the Stole

3 weeks of classes
2 presentations
and a partridge in a pear tree

Not to mention I plan on watching Emmett Otter's Jugband Christmas every day from now until December 25. Full speed ahead!

Golf and Birdies

2007-11-18T08:22:00.000-08:00

"Birdie" is a golf term. If you're really desperate to know what it means click here.
I made these golf club covers for my dad's birthday next weekend. I made him a set of five or six a couple of years ago, in Red Sox and Patriots colors, but he lost a couple of them on the golf course (hey, at least he's using them). These I just made with some scrap yarn I had hanging around.

They knit up really quickly in Lamb's Pride Bulky. The pattern is one I kind of made up, based on my bad experience with the golf club covers from Suss Cousins' Hollywood Knits (I've said it before, I love her designs but I have never knit one of her patterns that I didn't have to change in some way because of gauge or other issues).

Unfortunately, I still feel that my pattern is too close to the original or else I would reprint it for you here. I've been scouring the new wave of men's knitting books that have come out, looking for great guy patterns, and I'm surprised I haven't seen any other golf club covers. As far as I'm concerned, this is one of my most successful guy knitting projects ever (and you don't have to worry about fit!).

Pattern: My own, inspired by the Golf Club Covers from Hollywood Knits
Yarn: Odds and ends of Lamb's Pride Bulky
Source: Probably all from Patternworks
Needles: US Size 10, these ancient aluminum ones I inherited from my mom
Modifications: So many I call it my own pattern

I actually finished the knitting aspect of the Bird Seed Scarf a couple of weeks ago, but several attempts at embroidering the birds on made me very cranky.
It hit me while I was riding the T that I should cut out my sketch of the bird, pin it to the scarf, and stitch around it. So simple, but this was literally the sixth or seventh time I had tried to embroider it. I tried to use the yarn I used for the scarf, but it was picky and stuck to the fabric. I switched to embroidery thread and I really love the effect. I just have to do the other end, and decide whether to do anymore. I kind of like how it looks with just the ends decorated.

I also finished another scarf this week but I forgot to take a picture of it in the craziness that is my Sunday mornings. I only have a few hours to get ready for work and do some chores and knitting, so I never get as much done as I would like. Today was especially bad. I mentioned that I had kind of been in a knitting funk, and I'm not sure that's cleared completely. This morning I felt like The Kid Who Can't Knit (or Sew). The golf club covers knit up pretty quickly but I've been busy and haven't had the time to do the actual knitting, and seaming them up, with all their shaping, is not fun. I finished the second one this morning, finished embroidering the bird you see above, and started a second bird which looked nothing like a bird so it had to be ripped out. Then I tried to work on the Secret of the Stole, but I had to redo the first row of the fourth clue three times. Three times!!! I was almost in tears. I never get like that about knitting.

Anyway, the crankiness continued for awhile (a few too many people cut me off on the way to work) but I had some comfort food for dinner and I've gotten my homework done, so I can look at wool and craft blogs until closing. I also just realized that I have one more row on my second Clessidra and then I can do the heel. Then it's just the foot, which goes very quickly. I only have one class this week, and just one day of my internship, and then it's the holiday--that's something to be grateful for too.

Christmas Presents for Leo

2007-11-11T07:51:00.000-08:00

I've been in a little bit of a knitting funk lately. It seemed like things weren't coming out right, or I had to redo everything several times (the hat and booties below are two examples), and I miss knitting with my knitting friends (although I love knitting with my mom and her cross-stitching).

This weekend, although not without some knitting frustration, produced these:

Reindeer hat, from the Yankee Knitter Designs "Pattern Hats"

Size: Children's

Yarn: KnitPicks Swish Superwash Worsted, 2 balls Baby Blue and 1 ball Deep Ocean (Baby Blue was leftover from the sweater, see below)

Source: KnitPicks

Needles: Inox 16" circular, US Size 5

Modifications: I knit the hat in the round instead of flat (subtracting two stitches from the cast-on number, since there would be no seam); I "redesigned" (didn't pay attention to) certain parts of the chart; I did parts in duplicate stitch instead of fair isle; I changed the decreases for the crown; I only did one row of single stitches above the reindeer instead of up to the crown. I also knit the entire thing on size 5 needles instead of switching to size 7 after the hem.

I'm still not thrilled with it because I'm a perfectionist and colorwork almost always has some issues (especially when knit by me). I just need more practice, and I think the hat turned out pretty good (and I won't have to look at it every day so it won't annoy me as much).

Child's Monogram Sweater from Hollywood Knits Style

Size: 4 years (and it came out smaller than I expected; I love Suss Cousins' patterns but I have yet to knit one without any issues--just a warning if you are not in the mood to play around with gauge and other aspects of the pattern)

Yarn: KnitPicks Swish Superwash Worsted, 4 balls (maybe 3) Baby Blue

Source: KnitPicks

Needles: Brittany Birch straight US Size 7, Crystal Palace Bamboo straight US Size 5

Modifications: I did a three-needle bind-off to attach the shoulders instead of seaming; I also made little adjustments here and there that I can't remember. As I said, her patterns are very cool and inspiring, but I always swatch and prepare to fiddle with the pattern (I even write in the book, something I don't usually do).

(I embroidered the "L" by hand. I photocopied and enlarged the letter from the alphabet provided with the pattern, traced it onto tracing paper, added interfacing to the back of the sweater for stability, used the satin stitch (a tutorial can be found here) and just stitched right over the tracing paper. After you stitch, you can just tear away the excess tracing paper. It helps to keep the tracing paper in place with an embroidery hoop. I am shocked at how easy it was and how good it came out).

Fat Baby Booties by Beverly Galeskas, from Interweave Felt

Size: Infant/Newborn. I originally made the toddler size, but after felting they were very large. If you substitute yarn like I did you might want to make a test swatch.

Yarn: Dalegarn Tiur, 1 ball green and 1 ball gold (when I made the toddler size, I just barely got away with one ball of each color with Dalegarn Heilo--there was just a yard or two of the main color left)

Source: The store closing sale at The Yarn and Fiber Shop two years ago

Needles: Susan Bates 24" circular needle, US Size 9; Susan Bates 16" circular needle, US size 8; Susan Bates 16" circular needle, US Size 10.5 (standing in as the bind off needle for a 10.5 DPN)

Modifications: On the first pair (which I will post pictures of soon) I didn't read all of the directions. The second time around I followed everything except the second bootie got turned inside out (before a really crucial point) and I didn't notice until the last step. I felted it anyway. It's on the bottom and not really noticeable--I love felting.

I finished the third clue for the Secret of the Stole KAL. I think they are on clue 6 now. Boo. Although I will have almost two free weeks before Christmas when school and work are done, to work on it; I guess I shouldn't stress about it.

Thanksgiving is almost here! I can't wait to make my pies from scratch, to curl up in front of a roaring fire, to sit and watch the Macy's parade with my knitting...

Good Things

2007-11-04T06:46:00.000-08:00

I sent these off yesterday to afghans for Afghans:

The green vest is made of Brown Sheep's Nature Spun Worsted, and the pattern is the Child's Vest from Knitting for Peace. There are also two pairs of socks, a child's and an adult's, knit from locally raised and spun worsted weight wool. The pattern is Classic Socks from the Yankee Knitter.

This is an excellent organization and a very worthy cause. Their current campaign is for newborns (please click on the link above for details). It's nearly the season of thankfulness and giving, and it always makes me so grateful for everything I have that I want to give to others. I'm even considering a new take on donating to charities as gifts for others: knitting something for charity, taking a picture, and donating it to an organization in the name of someone I would otherwise buy a gift for. Then I could tuck the picture of the item into a card telling them that I made this donation in their name. If you are interested in charity knitting, check out Knitting for Peace. It's an amazing book full of information and patterns.

Finished:

Thrum Mittens Kit from Fleece Artist

Yarn: Fleece Artist Blue Face Aran and Merino Sliver roving

Needles: Brittany Birch US size 4 DPNs

Pattern: on the label!

Modifications: None

I have gotten more done, but it will have to wait (a birthday present for a friend!) Check out my tutorial (the previous entry) for making your own suede slipper soles for felted slippers! They make great presents!

Tutorial: Suede Slipper Bottoms

2007-11-04T06:41:00.000-08:00

I made these suede slipper bottoms for the felted slippers I made for my grandmother's birthday. I saw similar ones in a yarn store for $9.00. If you're careful when placing the templates on the suede sheet, you can get two pairs of adult slipper soles and one pair of children's slipper soles from just one sheet (which costs about $8.00).

You will need:

A sheet of suede, about 8" x 10" (see above for how many slipper soles this yields)
A sheet of paper
Pencil
Measuring tape
Permanent marker
Scissors
A leather hole punch with a 2mm punch, like this one:

It actually has six different hole diameters and the tag said that it will punch through leather, vinyl, and plastic, so it's a pretty useful tool.

First, decide what type of sole you would like. Here I chose to do two sections, one for the sole and one for the heel. You could also make one large sole for the entire foot.

I measured the widest part of the top part of the slipper sole and the length from the toe to about halfway down the foot. I put these measurements onto scrap paper as shown above, centering the length measurement in the middle of the width measurement. Since the widest part of the foot was closer to the top than in the middle, I did not center the width. Then I sketched an oval around these measurements. It took a few tries to get the right shape. I took the same measurements for the heel part, but since it is smaller the width is almost centered on the length line. If you are making one large sole, use these same measurements, extending them the entire length of the foot and taking at least three different width measurements at the sole, arch, and heel. Cut out your paper templates.

Place the templates on the suede sheet, and carefully trace around them with the permanent marker. Pay close attention to your placement if you are trying to get as many soles as possible out of the sheet. Cut out two of each template.

Using the permanent marker, mark spots for the holes 1/4" apart all the way around the edge of the sole, keeping as close to the edge without breaking through. Do this on the side of the sole that was traced with permanent marker, as you can sew that side to the bottom of the slipper and it won't be seen.

(I realize that my measuring tape isn't quite on the dots at 1/4" intervals, but I assure you I drew them 1/4" apart. I must have moved the tape when I went to take the picture).

Then take your hole punch and use your marks as guidance to punch holes all the way around the edge of the sole. Now you have neat little holes to sew the sole to your slipper!

The hole punching can be hard on your hands, so do a few at a time and then take a break. Also, don't stress out about the way that they look. They will be on the bottom of the slippers, after all!

Please don't hesitate to comment if you have questions or concerns, or email me at caitlin.stevens@yahoo.com.

The Good, the Bad, and the Seed Stitch

2007-10-28T16:07:00.000-07:00

I missed the trick-or-treaters today. (New Hampshire only has two or three places that have daytime trick-or-treating the Sunday before Halloween, and of course the sprawling metropolis of Manchester is one of them). I promised myself that when I quit the yarn store I would never work another Sunday, for many reasons, one being the trick-or-treaters. But here I am (in my new shirt that says "Spooktacular," courtesy of my mom). I love Halloween.
I'm also sick. The cold has morphed into this skull-crushing-scraped-raw-throat-achy-ears sickness that no cold medicine has an effect. Aspirin is about the best I can do. I don't really talk anymore, I just croak. (Maybe a good excuse to skip Evaluation class tomorrow...we'll see how I feel in the morning).
So, being sick this weekend, I didn't get much done. I was going to clean my room (seriously), finish up a couple of knitting projects and try a new technique for colorwork. Instead I slept a lot. I love naps but I don't take them very often; I really need my sleep so I always try to get seven or eight hours a night, and I save naps for special occasions. I know that sounds weird, but I actually have good memories of special naps. I also have to be careful with naps because sometimes I wake up cranky instead of refreshed. But since this cold hit me I've been exhausted, plus some of the cold medicine made me nauseous, so I just slept a lot. You know you're tired when you start falling asleep over your knitting.
Anyway, Friday was a great day. Susan came down and we went to Fabric Fix, where I got some great herringbone fabric (for a roll-up needle case or a bag) and some excellent vintage-y ribbon. Then we had lunch at Jewell and the Beanstalk, which is as adorable as ever and the food is great too. I'm going to try to study there sometime. It has to be less distracting than my house (with all the yarn beckoning) and the library (books! books! books!). Afterward we went to the Yarn and Fiber Company, where a ball of Sereknity sock yarn caught my eye and demanded I give it a good home. They will be a pair of Jaywalkers, although I'm tempted to try another design. I have two in the works for socks and another for a scarf. We ended the night with knitting and Gilmore Girls and some wine. Perfect.
I did manage to finish the second clue for the Secret of the Stole this morning before work, and I have been working on another project. When I first saw the Bird Seed Scarf I thought, that is beautiful and such a good idea. Too bad I don't have yarn like that in my stash. But then I went to see Trina at The Elegant Ewe and had some yarn to return, which gave me a credit, and the next thing you know I suckered myself into 60" of seed stitch. I love the way it looks but man is it a pain. Luckily I'm almost done. Pictures soon, I promise. I also finished the Thrummed Mittens.

What a Feeling

2007-10-21T09:13:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the sideways picture. I was uploading these just before I left for work and didn't have time to rotate it (actually, I didn't have time to figure out how to save the rotated picture in stupid Windows Vista). I knit these hats for an auction to raise money for my aunt's church. One skein each of Lion Brand Thick'n'Quick in lime green and light blue. The pattern is Elf Hats from Handknit Holidays, the earflap version (I would like to warn you that the earflap version is not nearly as pointy as the other one. It's not very clear from the pictures in the book; I like how they came out but I was expecting them to be pointier). The green one is size 2-4 years, the blue one is child's large/adult small.
I feel compelled to share with you my interesting improvisation (partly because I giggled at myself while doing it and kind of wished there was another knitter around to laugh at me). I didn't have size 15 DPNs (the closest was 11) so when the stitches were too tight around the circular needle I would knit off a few stitches on a size 15 straight and transfer them back to the circular needle. Kind of tricky and not recommended, but each hat only took me one hour (maybe another half hour for the pom poms and braids) and the yarn was very thick so it worked out.

Also completed:

Super Easy Legwarmers from Last Minute Knitted Gifts (the inspiration behind the Purl Bee)
Yarn: 1.75 balls Cascade 220 in a denim blue (I cut it really close and scrounged the remainder of the yarn from the first legwarmer and what was left from the dog sweater for the second legwarmer), 1 ball Doceur et Soie in light blue and 1 ball Madil Kid Seta in light blue (those last two are the same type of yarn; I used one for each legwarmer. There is a very slight color difference but it's not really noticeable knit up with the Cascade 220. I have the first printing of LMKG and there are some mistakes, such as recommending one ball each of Cascade 220 and Madil Kid Seta)

Source: Patternworks and The Woolery

Needles: Addi Turbo 12" circular US Size 8

Modifications: None
Legwarmers are great. This was reinforced when my mom and I watched Flashdance on Friday.

There has been more knitting going on, lots more. Unfortunately I was also added to Ravelry this week and I have three big assignments coming up (although Ravelry took preference) and this is all I have completed. I am on the second clue for the Secret of the Stole, which is pretty good considering the third one only came out this past week. I spent Friday afternoon with the lovely ladies at the Yarn and Fiber Company, and managed to get through a large chunk. I also realized I made a (large) mistake which I refuse to rip out and I am now claiming is a design alteration. A skein of Dream in Color Smooshy sock yarn in Beach Fog followed me home from the store.

I'm going to try my hand at designing a pair of socks. I have a skein of Spirit Trail sock yarn that looks like fall (November, since the colors are gorgeous but muted) and none of the patterns I've looked at seem to fit.

Lastly, Susan and I are getting together this week to knit and buy yarn! Woot!

Getting Better All the Time

2007-10-14T16:56:00.000-07:00

So I've officially survived the first six weeks of graduate school. I think I read somewhere that if you make it through six weeks of anything you're likely to make through the whole thing, but I could be making that up. I've adapted to a new way of life; different from the way I've been living for the past three years, but not definitely not bad. I still miss certain aspects of my college life, most of them people, but I realized this morning that I'm really happy with my new life (well, I could probably deal without the term papers).

Living at home again is turning out to be great. I miss living with my close friends, but my mom and I have been getting closer and closer since my sophomore year of college, and now we're much tighter than I would have thought possible when I was in high school. I feel a little guilty, since these past few weeks she's put up with a lot of whining and complaining from me. I like to think that she feels like she can whine and complain to me too though.

I am such a homebody. I love my house and spending time with my family, which is something I made a priority even when I was at school. The nice thing is now I don't have to pack up at the end of the weekend and drive back to school. I'm finally starting to get organized in my room, and I found the Landscape Shawl (good thing, it's getting very chilly!)

School is still stressful, for a number of reasons, but luckily I have great friends and family to support me (special thanks to Susan and her bolstering e-mails and Bethie for the Wednesday night phone calls). It will be all right, and if it isn't, it's only for a year. I am finally starting to feel like it's getting better, and my knitting and other crafts have been a constant source of comfort.

Things I'm currently appreciating about living at home: fires in the fireplace, crafting and excursions with my mom, good wine, homemade beef barley soup (waiting for me when I get home from work), the cat sleeping on my feet, baking bread, the hammock in the backyard, cornstalks on our lamp post.

I'm also thankful that the special issue of Interweave Gifts is coming out this week, because I still have a few gifts to figure out!

Secrets and Sheep

2007-10-09T12:54:00.000-07:00

My swatch for the Secret of the Stole Knit-a-long. I finally managed to get the needles today (even though Pearl's was technically closed, she sold them to me anyway), I picked up my beads yesterday, my yarn is wound. I'm ready to rock and roll.

I promised I would show you what I bought from the Wool Tour this weekend. I was a little nervous, because I brought my mom, grandmother, and my mom's friend (who all appreciate the fiber arts but aren't necessarily obsessed), and I thought I would take too long and they wouldn't have a good time, but we had a blast. One stop is a farm, and they loved that place. We bought pumpkins and gourds, and my mom bought currant jelly (for this amazing jelly and mustard sauce for cocktail wieners, and currant jelly is ridiculously hard to find at the grocery store) and sheep earrings for me from this great place that houses animals nobody wants anymore. My mom also bought a t-shirt that says "Stitch more, bitch less" (she's a cross-stitcher). My mom is awesome.

The dark roving is a wool and llama mix from Riverslea Farm in Epping, NH. (Blogger is being weird and won't let me add the link, Google it and you'll find the site). They had some beautiful colorways as well, and I love that they display their balls of roving in hammocks.
I'm not sure where the lower two balls are from (it was from the Mirage Alpacas stop in Washington), but they are a blend of wool, llama, alpaca, and mohair. I wish I could remember the name, because her prices were excellent. I have the Wool Tour guide still so I can look it up later.

I apologize for the pictures being so dark but it was rainy yesterday and so there wasn't much natural light. Hopefully they will spin or felt up beautifully and I can take better pictures then.

The two balls are from Brimstone Hollow in Hancock, NH. They were at the Sheep and Wool Festival this year so I'm hoping they are there this spring as well. I cannot put into words how much I love their colorways, and their prices are also excellent. Also, this is from a sheep named "Zachariah" which I thought was funny because my brother's name is Zachary. The two braids of wool (how much do you love that?) are from the Dana Basket Co. and the colorway is called "Mossy Oak."

Believe it or not, I didn't buy any yarn. I'm trying to only buy yarn that I have a pattern for, and right now I'm pretty backed up on projects. So now I just have to varnish my spinning wheel and have my dad tune it up again so I can spin (like it's that easy).

Rough Week

2007-10-07T08:42:00.000-07:00

I really just wanted to hide under the covers all week with the cat.*

But I didn't. I sucked it up, I was a big girl, and I made it through. It was a week of three assignments due for school and the final week at one of my jobs. I quit the job because it was making me crazy--I literally developed a twitch in my left jaw, and another one above my right eye. It was really interesting. I was averaging five hours of sleep a night, plus whatever I could grab on the bus. I was always in a bad mood and hating everything, including school, which is part of the reason I took the job in the first place. I was almost in tears about stupid little things, and even though it was killing me, I felt really guilty about quitting this job that I didn't even like.

Luckily, those feelings of guilt have passed. (Thanks in part to the Wool Tour, which was amazing.)

Also luckily, I have been finishing things (I received my yarn for the Secret of the Stole, and I swatched, but I have to pick up beads and needles tomorrow). Tomorrow I will post pictures of the yarn and swatch, and also all the yarn I bought on the Wool Tour, but first, some (finally) FOs:

Never Wimpy Wimple, from Lace Style (A Christmas present for my mom)

Yarn: KnitPicks Shadow in Vineyard Heather, 1 ball (the pattern calls for two, and I only had a little left, so I would recommend you buy two if you are using this yarn--especially because it's mail order. I have more than enough to make a nice lacey fall scarf for myself with the other ball since it has such great yardage)

Source: KnitPicks
Needles: Inox 16" circular, US Size 2

Modifications: (giant dramatic sigh) I knit this entire thing twice. Yes, twice, and it is on size 2 needles. At first I thought I was getting a larger gauge (and honestly, I was getting a little sick of knitting the bottom edging) so I cut it a little short and it turned out too small. So I knit it twice. On size 2 needles. (What can I say? It was my fault for playing fast and loose with gauge the first time, and I love my mother and I didn't want her to have to cram her head into the thing. It would mess up her hair and she doesn't like that).

Flame Wave Socks from Favorite Socks

The stitch pattern is a little hard to see (even in person) but it's still cool.

Yarn: Cascade Fixation, green stripe (not the official color name), 2 balls (I never would have believed it. Those balls are smaller than my clenched fist, but they pack a lot of yarn).

Source: The Elegant Ewe
Needles: Susan Bates Aluminum (I think) DPNs, US Sizes 5 and 4

Modifications: None

For some reason these socks took me nearly four months to knit. I started them in June, a month after I'd picked up Favorite Socks and drooled over it enough to realize I had Cascade Fixation in my stash. Another bonus was that the yarn is mostly cotton (a really soft pima cotton), and it was basically the only kind of knitting I wanted to touch when I was sweating through the summer. It wasn't too light-colored, so I didn't have to worry about getting it dirty, it was small and portable, and (I'm a little ashamed to admit this and now I really don't understand it at all) I didn't really care about them all that much, so if anything happened to them I wouldn't be that upset. I really loved the yarn and the way they looked, but it took me awhile to fix the pattern in my head. I also had to redo the foot of the first one (I decreased too many stitches; the pattern didn't specify the separate needle stitch counts and my math skills are awful, apparently).

I pulled them out from time to time, but it seemed to take awhile for me to make any progress. So when I finished the first one awhile ago, I was happy but I wasn't thrilled to start the second one. Now, I do not get Second Sock Syndrome. For me, the second sock usually seems to go so much faster that I am really happy to get to it. The issue is casting on the second one right away (which can be really tricky, when my first inclination is just to put on the first one and dance around or wave it in people's faces). But when I do, it's that much easier to keep my momentum going, and I'm more likely to bring it with me places because the tricky casting-on business is done.

I did cast on right away for the second one of these, and I knit four rows, and promptly dropped it in favor of other more exciting knitting (I'll show you one of these very soon). Oh well. At least I did come back. (I'm very loyal. And stubborn).

(Don't mind the weird face. I swear I wasn't trying to be cool or anything, I just had to bend at an awkward angle to make it more of a head shot and then I realized the picture was being taken).

I was looking at Amy's blog and she posted a link to this pattern, which I just fell in love with. (I just realized you can't really see the stitch pattern in my picture so you probably want to click the link. I assure you, mine looks like that). I also happened to have two skeins of Blue Sky Alpacas' delicious Organic Cotton (man I miss working at the yarn store sometimes--I don't get fabulous yarn cheap anymore...) that are two slightly different dye lots, enough that I can't use them together. I had already decided to make one of the cabled scarfs from One Skein with one of them, and I was trying to find a hat to go with it when I found this. I used a size J Clover crochet hook (I didn't have a K, at least not in my Clovers, and I am obsessed with them) and it took my whole ball. I finished it in two nights while watching Dancing with the Stars with my mom. I might have been able to finish it in one, but I messed up and had to rip back. Also, since the ball I was using had been destined for another project that I frogged, the ball was in pieces and I had a lot of ends to weave in. Oh well. It was fun and very quick, and I know I'm a hat person and really enamoured with crochet right now, but I highly recommend it (if you're not a hat person, it's a great gift--very quick).

Wow, this has turned into quite an epic entry. Anyway, more tomorrow about the Secret of the Stole and the Wool Tour. Hope everyone has tomorrow off and has a good day. :)

*He got under the covers of his own accord. One of his favorite games is jump on the bed while my mom is changing the sheets and dive under the covers. Then he rolls around and attacks from under the sheets and purrs like mad. He is a strange cat.

Somebody Stop Me

2007-09-23T19:08:00.000-07:00

I just signed up for the Secret of the Stole group. Every Friday, from October 4th to November 23rd, a new part of the pattern is sent to you, but you don't get to see the entire pattern at once or the finished stole. It's a secret...get it? I was green with envy when everyone and their brother was knitting the Mystery Stole 3 so I decided I have to do this. Plus the idea behind this is that you have a nice shawl to wear on Christmas and New Year's Eve. Plus I have just about all of my Christmas knitting done. And the yarn I picked isn't that expensive (and it's alpaca. We know how much I love alpaca). And I love stoles. They're my favorite (along with socks and hats and scarves...) And work sucks. And school is hard (okay, the learning part is cool. Trying not to roll my eyes at most of my classmates is hard). And except for the fact that I'm now just piling yarn in my room and there is very little walking space (highly overrated, in my opinion--I'll just roll around on the yarn piles), this project doesn't need much justification. But there it is, just in case. (Just in case the yarn police come by?)

I guess my way of dealing with the stress from school and work is to start more knitting projects, despite the non-existence of any free time whatsoever, which is going to shrink even more this week when I start my internship. Sigh.

Who cares? I'm getting a fancy magical mysterious stole!

Back to School

2007-09-12T11:23:00.000-07:00

My birthday presents from Bethie! She also gave me One-Skein Wonders, which is where the pattern is from.

The Back-to-School U-neck Vest from Fitted Knits:

Yarn: Cascade 220 Quattro, 3 Skeins, pink/purple/green mix
Source: The Elegant Ewe
Needles: Inox 24" circular, US Size 7, and Inox 16" circular, US Size 5 (Inox are great needles--they're the same price as Susan Bates but the joins and needle tips are smoother and the cable has less memory so it doesn't coil as much)
Modifications: I followed the 42" bust size directions, but knit the lengths for the larger sizes

I saw the pattern in Fitted Knits (which is currently my favorite knitting book) and just fell in love. Also, Stefanie Japel must know me and must know that I would fall for the back-to-school rhetoric about impressing professors and fall days. And, after all, it is my last back to school (well, as a student. Since I hope to be an academic librarian/archivist, there will hopefully be many back-to-schools for the students).

Detail of the waffle stitch and the clever bust increases:

(This picture is truer to the real color, but neither one gets it quite right)

And, voila: Chanson en crochet

Just when you thought I had forgotten about it. You know what's silly? I finished this about three months ago and I was nervous it wouldn't lay right on my shoulders or that I hadn't done it correctly, so I just put it in a bag and left it. I decide to pull it out and try it on the other day, and it's fine. It's more than fine. So I just wove in the ends and attached the blingin' brooch I got at the thrift store (I was worried it would be too blingin' but I think it's just right).

Pattern: Chanson en crochet, from Wrap Style
Yarn: Tahki New Tweed, four balls light green
Source: Patternworks (on sale!)
Hook: Clover (I don't remember what size, but those Clover hooks rock my socks off)
Modifications: Who knows. There are always some modifications because I have this inability to follow a crochet pattern correctly but I don't remember. I just kind of make it up as I go along if I run into problems (or rip it out and redo it repeatedly)

Next up: Clessidra from Knitty

It's Hip to Be Square

2007-08-19T12:49:00.000-07:00

I finished one sock for my aunt's birthday in November. The pattern is Merino Lace from Favorite Socks and the yarn is KnitPicks Essential.

Next up is my mom's lace wimple, from Lace Style.

I have to say I am addicted to granny squares. I inherited this yarn (old school original '70s acrylic in green, gold, and light yellow) and a few completed granny squares from my aunt Nancy (not the same aunt who is getting the socks) a couple of years ago. I wasn't as good a crocheter then and I had a hard time figuring out the construction of the granny square. This was before the publication of Cozy Crochet and The Happy Hooker, my two favorite crochet books, and also before The Purl Bee was invented. Friday night I sat down to work it out, and thanks to this great tutorial from The Purl Bee I finally got the hang of it and I am in love. Also, miraculously, my squares match the ones that were already completed, and I now have a stack of fifteen squares (I told you I was addicted. Plus crocheting is much faster than knitting). I think I need somewhere in the ballpark of 39 squares, but I could be pulling a random number out of nowhere. I also have to figure out how to attach them (just sewing them together seems kind of boring to me.

In other news, this is my last week in Plymouth working at the library. We just moved all my stuff out of the apartment today (my family members were really not impressed with the amount of yarn I have accumulated). Classes start in two weeks at Simmons (my mom, grandma and I went down to visit on Friday, which was fun, but I am really glad I'm not living in the city), and I start work at Northeastern that week too. I have reference librarian training at Daniel Webster College on Friday. It's exciting but I will miss the people and places of Plymouth.

Also, with four graduate classes, two jobs, and an internship, when I am supposed to knit?

Stash Busting Like Whoa

2007-08-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

Completed:

Felted Mohair Ballet Slippers from Felted Knits
Yarn: KnitPicks Wool of the Andes 4 skeins (about 2 skeins leftover) in Fern and Mulled Wine, and less than half a skein of Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted in Sage and Medieval Red, respectively
Source: KnitPicks and stash
Needles: Addi Turbo 24" US Size 13 circular, Susan Bates 29" US Size 11 circular
Modifications: None other than yarn substitution

I really learned my lesson with these slippers: putting a pair of jeans in the washer with them speeds up the felting process considerably. It took two times to felt the slippers for my mom (the red ones) but only once for my grandmother's (the green ones). However, it worked out for the best because my mom has smaller feet and needed that second felting to get them smaller. (My felting obsession has been refueled by the purchase of the special issue of Felt put out by Interweave).

Completed:

Sleeveless Tuxedo Shirt from the Summer 2007 issue of Interweave Knits

(Sorry about that lower photo, it makes my eyes hurt, but it shows the placket in pretty good detail. It's not that wonky-shaped in real life, I don't know why it looks like that).

Yarn: Less than one cone of Brown Sheep Cotton Fine in Twilight Green

Source: Stash

Needles: Susan Bates 24" circular US Size 2, Crystal Palace bamboo US Size 2 straight

Modifications: Gauge adjustment, yarn substitution (woo-hoo for stash busting!), knit in the round instead of separately and then seamed, added 2" in length, added waist shaping.

Awkward bathroom mirror shot, but you can see that it fits like a dream.

You can see the true colors better here.

I have finally completed the Treeline Cardigan from the Purl Bee. The worst part is that I have had the knitting finished for a few weeks, and I even dyed the cotton snap tape (my closure of choice) before I went on vacation. I was nervous that it wouldn't work so I put it off, but Friday I bit the bullet and pinned and hand-sewed the tape on. It took me all the way through the 1954 version of Sabrina and the better part of an hour-long episode of the fabulous show Mad Men to finish it (I went up and down both sides of the snap tape to make sure it was secured properly). Anyway, it was worth it. I have a beautiful sweater that fits perfectly and doesn't make me look like a gorilla and I learned some interesting new techniques.

Pattern: Treeline Striped Cardigan from the Purl Bee

Yarn: Manos del Uruguay, 4 skeins each light brown and light blue

Source: Stash and one skein of brown was from Knit New London

Needles: Clover 8" (yes, 8") circular US Size 8, Addi Turbo 32" circular US Size 8

Modifications: Added enough stitches to adjust pattern for 42" chest (the original pattern only goes up to 38"), left off some repeats for the button band, added 3.5" to the length, added 1.5" to the arm length, maybe a few other changes here and there (I kind of just did them as I went along).

I'm almost done Leo's Christmas sweater. I got both sleeves done on Friday at the open mic at the Bridge Cafe, and I even read one of my poems! Exciting for me, since I never read my stuff. I'll post that next week, hopefully along with lots of other finished projects. Next up, something for me: Fiber Trends' Landscape Shawl in the excellent organic Irish wool I bought a few weeks ago.

Vacation

2007-07-29T07:58:00.000-07:00

The view from our back porch.

It was hard to leave.

So, vacation was great, except for a few spats with my brother (always to be expected).

This is the back and half of the front of Leo's Christmas sweater, which I finished before we left for vacation (he and my aunt and uncle were in the cabin with us, so I couldn't exactly bring it with me).

This was completed during vacation. I picked up the yarn just before I stopped working at Patternworks after I saw a shop model that Susan had made. And yes, it's crocheted. I finished it in one afternoon and took it out to dinner at the Danbury Inn.

Pattern: Easy Crocheted Bag (or something like that) from One-Skein Wonders

Yarn: Ty-Dy, one ball

Source: Patternworks

Hook: US Size F

Modifications: I crocheted the body 8" long (rather than 7") and made the straps longer as well. I'm also planning on sewing a lining for it, even though the pattern doesn't say to do so.

I also managed to finish three Christmas/birthday presents for friends, but I can't post them because they may or may not read this blog. I will post after Christmas. I had a very productive vacation (I realize that I am a type-A personality, the only kind of person who would be proud of being productive while on vacation). I also started this:

The Sleeveless Tuxedo Shirt from the Summer '07 Interweave Knits. I know it doesn't look like much now, but I have a very good feeling about this. And it is stash-busting, so I don't feel guilty. I got most of this done at the awesome Open Mic/NH Poetry Slam Team fundraiser on Friday night. The team, the first one from NH to ever compete at nationals, leaves in two weeks to compete against 75 other teams in Austin, TX. Go Team!

I still have three more days of Christmas in July to bust out more presents, so wish me luck on that. Hopefully I'll have a lot more to show on Friday.