Spring Things

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!

Narragansett Bay Cap and Scarf

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!

Happy Socktober and Halloween, too

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...

I heart Koigu

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).

Cashmere Cables

...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!)

And now back to our regularly scheduled programming

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!

Everything's Coming Up Daisies

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).

Gnome for the Holidays

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

"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.

But seriously...

Enough with the snow already. We had another big storm (two weeks in a row!) and we are due for a huge nor'easter on Sunday. I am sick of being cold and really sick of my car getting stuck in the driveway. It's APRIL.
Okay, rant over.
The good part about the snow last week was that my Wednesday night class was canceled. We spent the night catching up on Netflix (Quills was excellent). And (drumroll, please) I finished my mom's birthday present. TWO WHOLE WEEKS before her birthday! I deserve a prize (more yarn maybe?).

Other FOs:

First two pictures:
Pattern: Scenester Hooded Scarf from Speed Knitting
Yarn: La Patrona Naturalana Esmerelda (100% Handpainted wool, handspun in Uruguay, 86 yards) 2 skeins color # 301-8
Source: The Yarn Basket (bought on my 21st birthday!)
Needles: Clover bamboo 24" circular size 15
Modifications: I cast on 12 sts instead of 10, then knit several inches longer than recommended for both scarf pieces, increased 8 more sts for the hood right at the beginning, and made the hood several inches longer than the pattern called for. I also used a three needle bind off to connect the two pieces of the hood rather than sewing them as the pattern recommends.

It's hard to tell in the picture, but the hood comes to a cute little pixie point in the back. My hands are in the mitts that are folded up and sewn together at the bottom. It's very practical and I am all about practicality.


Middle two pictures:
Pattern: The Purl Beret from The Purl Bee
Yarn: Koigu Premium Merino, (100% merino, ? yards) a little more than one skein (if you follow the pattern exactly, you only need one skein), color #? (light lavender)
Source: Stash
Needles: Addi Turbo 16" circular size 3, Crystal Palace bamboo DPNs size 3
Modifications: I knit an extra inch and a half before decreasing for the crown. The pattern recommends knitting extra if you want to make it floppy, and the first time I didn't knit enough and it looked like a beanie instead of a beret. It took a little more one ball, but if you only knit the recommended three inches (you might even be able to get four inches) you can do it with one ball.

If you want a beret with structure, I would recommend the pattern from the Winter '07 Interweave Knits. This one is floppy, but it's still fun.


Last two pictures:
Pattern: Silk Skull Caps from Alterknits
Yarn: Classic Elite Bam Boo (100% bamboo, 77 yards) 2 skeins color #4954 cerise
Source: Stash (from Patternworks a little more than a year ago, but I don't think they carry it anymore)
Needles: Susan Bates Quicksilver DPNs size 5
Modifications: None.

Don't mind the shifty eyed look in these (or the messy desk in the background) ;) This was tricky. You have to thread the beads on the yarn first, and let me tell you, a yarn with 24 seperate plies is not the yarn to do that with. It was also kind of a pain to knit with because it split so easily. Oh well, live and learn. It's really pretty and the beads make such a difference.


(At this point you're probably wondering just how much headwear one girl needs. A lot. Especially when you live in New Hampshire and it snows in April).

Whew. I feel productive. I actually finished them a few days ago, but I've been so busy with papers and other homework, not to mention going to the president's investiture on Thursday and to see Hillary Clinton last night (amazing picture coming soon!) that I didn't have a chance to post them. I haven't been nearly so productive the rest of this week. I do have these two lovely weekend days, so I'm off to get cracking.

Next up: Criss-cross shrug from Handknit Holidays. Also the Treeline Striped Cardigan from the Purl Bee.

Frogging

I finally got two projects I'd frogged back on the needles: the scenester hooded scarf from Speed Knitting and the Purl Beret (free!). The scarf was a gauge issue (entirely my fault, but I always get annoyed when my substitutions don't work as well as I'd hoped). I left it alone for about a week after busting through it (twice, because I had to re-knit it after I discovered the gauge issue) and now I just have to redo the hood. The beret was not floppy enough and looked strange on my head, so I frogged back and I'm going to add an inch or two before decreasing for the crown.
This is in addition to my mom's birthday present and the many other projects I have going.
I would also like to mention that it is now snowing with a vengeance. The only bright side is rumors of no school tomorrow, but it is much more likely that we will still have class and I will have to spend an hour digging my car out and moving it while the landlords plow our driveway.
Where is spring?