Wednesday, June 28, 2006

A knitter in Paris

Okay, I have to admit something. This started out as a dishcloth. I'm not really a dishcloth knitter, but I found this very pretty double flower pattern by Yvonne Hussey. I had some Lion Kitchen Cotton in and old corner of my stash (yes my stash is big enough to have corners!) so I pulled it out and started knitting. It's a very cool pattern, knit in the round from the center out. The further along I got, the more I thought it would look really cool as a hat for my daughter. So I knit the whole pattern, just as written, decreased down to 80 stitches and did 10 rows of K1P1 rib. And it is a pretty cool beret (actually it looks more like what I've heard called a "snood" on my daughter; this may be destined for her older sister)! Which just goes to show, you never know what you might end up with when you just try something new!

Thursday, June 22, 2006

Fingerless mitts it is!

Well, the fingerless mitts were clear winners with this yarn, and here's the first one (Now to do another, my daughter already exacted a promise to let her borrow them). The funny thing that happened in all this was that once I decided to go with the fingerless mitt option, I realized I had no socks on the needles. It made me crazy, really! So I cast on for a pair with some lavendar Cascade Fixation (a taste of summer, to go with the peach!) Can you say obsession? Posted by Picasa

Sunday, June 18, 2006

To sock or not to sock....

What is it? I started knitting today with my Dye-o-rama yarn from Girl on the Rocks. It is just gorgeous! I started knitting with a pair of socks in mind (of course) with this cool free pattern I found through Knitters Review Forums, and called "Slip Up Socks" on the Posh Yarn site. But now that I have about 5" of "cuff" done; (the shorter closeup of the stitches, on my hand, was taken earlier today) I am thinking how cool this yarn/stitch pattern combination would look as fingerless mitts or gloves....and would probably fit me better too (though I do have some slim-ankled buds who would, no doubt love to be gifted with a pair of these socks). Hmmmmm what to do? Okay, it's about 90 degrees in my neck of the woods right now, but decision time is only about 2 inches away (do I start a heel or a thumb gusset?) Which would get more wear? Which would be cooler (so to speak)? Which would show off this amazing yarn best? If you have a vote, leave a comment! Either way, I am loving this yarn, and especially amazed that it was made "just for me"! This swap pal stuff is great (now that I've had two whole experiences of it, that is!). What think you?

Saturday, June 17, 2006

Other Brother-in-Law socks


Green Bay Packers socks, I am calling them. They are the biggest socks (meaning longest in the foot) I have yet made. These are for my sweet Wisconson brother in law (yes, a big Packers fan, with a size 11 foot--I'm lucky to be related to a lot of small-footed men, not that I'd call them that to their faces!). I knit these in a new way; I used 10" circular needles for the cuff and foot, adding dpns at the heel and toe shaping. The yarn is Knit Picks Parade (which I have, of course, grown to love now that they are discontinuing it!) The 10" circular is called a "Stretchy Circular" ; I heard about them on the Socknitters Yahoo Group, and decided to give them a try. The cord is a very firm elastic, and they do flex and stretch. They only come in 2.75 mm (us 2) at this time, so that's what I used for these socks. They made for fast knitting, I must say, but I think my hands are not used to such short needles. But I did get a nice firm fabric, and have yet another pair of socks to add to my as yet unassembled Thuja gallery! My Brother in Law will be here in a week or so for a visit, and to help my husband build a Climbing Wall (yes, a rock climbing wall, yes, in our back yard, yes, we are crazy in this house about more than yarn!)
PS: My daughter is now telling me that these should be BRAZIL World Cup socks. I guess it all depends on your perspective!

Sunday, June 11, 2006

Saving graces

Here are my finished "Sock Savior" Socks for Sockapaloooza! They are blocked and ready to pack and send in the morning, I am so happy! I like how the colors turned out, and love this pattern, ("Fluted Banister" from Six Sox Knit a Long). It was fun to do this "extra" pair, and now to packing and shipping! I've got birthday party invitations all ready to mail tomorrow (S is "finally 7," as she puts it), so I will have lots of fun at the mailing store. Next project--finish my brother-in-laws socks (yet another Thuja variation, and find a pattern for the luscious dye-o-rama yarn I received (thanks again, Girl on the rocks!)
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Popsicle Party

Phew! I have finished dying some yarn that I like! It took two totally separate "paintings" to get the color I wanted, and a looooong steam bath on the stove top to set the colors, but I like how it turned out--bright and fresh, and hopefully yummy to my dye o rama swap pal--hence the name, "Popsicle Party!" It is now packed up with care instructions and a set of clover bamboo dpns, ready to go in the morning mail, yeah! And there are only a few kool-aid stains on the grout in my kitchen. :) Posted by Picasa

Saturday, June 10, 2006

Knitting in Public

Finally, the long awaited World Wide Knit in Public Day 2006 has arrived. And S I were determined to get out and "Hide no more" as Franklin's Delores puts is. So out we went....to knit....in public. Well, sort of. We were very definitely knitting, and very definitely in public (a park), but because it was about 90 degrees in the shade today; my daughter S lamented that there was not much public to be knitting in front of! But here she is, knitting away, under what shade we could find. She commited to do (and completed) two whole rows before the lure of the giant empty playground became too much for her. But once she was on the playground, I got to sit under the shade of the giant slide while she played and work on the second of my "sock savior" socks for Sockapaloooza. I will be able to send them out on Monday, yeah. So happy knit in public day, one and all. Now I just need to get the pinestraw out of my knitting bag. Posted by Picasa

Thursday, June 08, 2006

Orangina meets new mown grass....

Can you believe how beautiful this is!? I received it earlier this week from my incredibly talented, formerly secret, dye-o-rama pal, Karrie of Girl on the Rocks . She even included stitch markers and the most adorable little hand-made pin cushion. I can't wait to knit this up--orange and green, and the colors are just fantastic (of course, this picture can't do them justice). I can't believe I got a professional as my pal--you should see all the beautiful things in her Etsy store. I love, love love it! And by the way, I am still working on the yarn for my pal--I've been doing little hanks to experiment; but still don't love the results (it may be a long weekend, but I will get some yarn mailed Monday, I promise!). I bought another bunch of kool-aid today at the grocery store--hope springs eternal! Posted by Picasa

Saturday, June 03, 2006

Under pressure.....

But it's good! Remember that Queen/David Bowie song? I had volunteered to be a "Sock Savior" for Sockapaloooza III, and heard from Alison today about making a pair--luckily the preferences of the thus far negelected pal fit some wonderful yarn I already had! I searched and found another cool pattern in the Six Sox Knit a Long--they're called Banister Rib, designed by Laura Gallagher. I think they'll be really pretty in this handpainted yarn. So back to knitting--I need to get these out PDQ!

Thursday, June 01, 2006

Hats off...the knit's on


This little lace cap is from a pattern by Adrienne Robson, published a few summers ago in Knitty. I originally found it while looking for something to knit for the Knit the Classics/Pride and Prejudice Knit A Long--it looks pretty Jane Austen to me! I made it from a silk/baby alpaca blend that I had purchased just because it looked pretty (from elann) and just love how soft and cozy it feels. My daughter is modeling it, but I actually knitted it as a high school graduation gift for my niece (who wears a hat to cover here beautiful blond hair pretty much every day and everywhere!

The pretty bag is from Franklin at The Panopticon; he has produced these (along with lots of other cool knit-related shirts, bags, mugs, etc) for World Wide Knit in Public Day -- which I found out about just recently enough to get my bag in time! My daughter custom-colored it for me (amazing what you can do with a few sharpees) and we're both looking forward to knitting in public together. Now, to find a spot.....
(And then, to figure out a better way to post photos, so they flow in with the text better!)