Knit and Crochet Show!

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

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

Quickie

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

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

(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

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.