Mittens!!

OK, its November and I'm going to try and post more regularly, at least for the duration of SP11 but hopefully even afterwards because its fun to have a journal of my knitting projects.

I finished mittens this morning. They're the first project I've knitted up with my very own handspun. Normally I'm not a huge fan of mittens, but I lost all my gloves last winter and its been pretty cold. Plus the yarn matches my coat. The mittens look a little odd. They're a little square on top, probably because I designed them without checking other mitten patterns first. They're also a little long. I originally planned to make wrist warmers, but changed my mind in the middle and didnt want to rip them out. Oh well. They're still fun.

Blue Cardigan

Here's the latest progress on the blue cardigan. Once I decide where to place the buttons I hope to start the other button band, maybe next weekend. I cant decide about the collar. I'm hoping for some stroke of inspiration.

UFO to WIP!!

It was a very busy Labor Day weekend. I went to my Mom's. We shopped 'til we dropped and ate out every night. I gotta cut out those desserts or I'll never have any clothes that fit.

A little stash enhancement. It was on sale. Its my favorite pinks, the picture doesnt do it justice. Maybe the Forest Canopy Shawl but not before I finish the Swallowtail, which is going slowly.

I also picked up a UFO from last winter. I had to stop because my hands were so dry from the winter that the wool was cutting into my hands. I finished the body last year and most of the sleeves. I've been having trouble getting the sleeves on sweaters to be long enough but I think I finally got the length right on the 1st sleeve and there are about 20 rows left on the other. I also sewed the shoulder seams. Its a sweater of my own design so I've been making it up as I went along. I'm considering a double crochet border for the buttonholes because I hate picking up stitches for ribbing. Plus it goes more quickly than knitting a ribbed edge. Maybe I'll finish it by the time its cool enough to wear.

Tomorrow is the big day when I start the new job. I'm a little anxious, a little excited. Hope I can sleep tonight because morning will be much earlier than at my previous job.

Oops

Guess I hit the wrong key and published that oh so riveting post. I've been very industrious lately, knitting and spinning away. I picked up Clapotis again. I forgot how mindless it is. Perfect for knitting group, TV watching. Its also not too taxing on the wrists. Slow and steady win the race..... A little progress on Swallowtail shawl. I wish I could knit more but I dont want to re-injure myself. Barbara from the knitting group said it took her wrists 6 mos to heal!!

I've also been spinning. It bothers my hands less. What a spin-tastrophe that was. I kept breaking the fiber, I think because there was not enough twist. After several attempts I finally couldnt even find the end to re-join. I thought maybe another fiber would be easier. But when I took the bobbin off the wheel the top thingee came off the bobbin. I ripped the yarn off the bobbin hoping to try again. I went rummaging through the stash. There was fiber everywhere.

Finally I was able to draft the brown BFL. Even more amazing was the realization that it was so much easier to let the twist travel up the drafted fiber instead of trying to spin and draft the fiber at the same time. Duhh. I finally settled down and me and the BFL have been getting along pretty well now. The fiber has been returned to its original hiding place and order has returned.

Well maybe not to the entire apt. I promised myself I'd organize my papers before I started the new job but thats less than 2 weeks away...

I've been baking a lot too, which no doubt is contributing to my inability to fit into several pairs of pants. It could be worse. It could have been Haagen Daz. This is a little GF fruit crisp. The topping is another Rebecca Reilly recipe using GF corn flakes, brown rice flour and butter. Yummm

Finished Socks!!

Its a glorious day. I finished the sockapalooza socks!! Here are the sock stats:

Badcaul socks

Koigu KPPM

Wendy's toe up cast-on and gusset heel gusset - Method #1 is now my favorite toe up.

Single crochet bind-off

I also finally kitchenered (is that a word??) monkey sock #2. I wish I could remember where I put sock #1.....

Now maybe I'll give my hands a rest. Naaa...who am I kidding. The swallowtail shawl is calling me. Maybe I should join the KAL??

Sock Exchange

Yesterday was the sock exchange for the NY Sit n' Knit group, my first sock exchange ever. Lots of fun. Nicole loved her socks. Not only did they fit but they matched her dress!!





Cindy gave me an awesome pair of Elfine socks plus pink nail polish. I had just I ripped out yet another attempt at Elfine that morning. I was destined to have those socks. They're fabulous. How did she know I'm due for a pedicure? After the exchange, Chanin and I went to LYS nearby because I needed yarn for the next sock swap. Yeah sockapalooza4!!




The next major decision is to ply or not to ply?? I finished spinning both the cream roving and the brown BFL roving. The cream looks pretty rough. The brown looks more like yarn I can actually make something with, though they're pretty thick. I dont know if they're balanced enough to stand up to being knit on their own. I'll see what happens after I wash them. I keep forgetting it is my first attempt at spinning. The brown matches my winter coat and would make a lovely hat. I'm not very good at making hats. They're usually pretty floppy and are never tight enough around the ears. Maybe I'm just not patient enough. Hopefully they're not so overwound that they're impossible to knit. All I have left is the fuschia merino. I think its time to take the plunge and buy more fiber. Stay tuned.

I decided to make Clapotis with the yarn I bought last week. So far its pretty easy. I've never knit a shawl I've enjoyed wearing. Not much patience here either. A couple of weeks ago I started making the Swallowtail Shawl from IK, but I lost my place and havent had the heart to rip it out yet.

I'm having some technical difficulties uploading anymore pictures. Hopefully I'll have something finished by the time I figure this out.


To my sockapalooza pal:

Hope you're having fun picking out yarn. I needed was an excuse I mean reason to buy more sock yarn. Leave me a comment and say hi.

Happy Knitting!

Gatsby Girl

I started making the Gastby Girl Pullover IK Fall 2006 in August as soon as the magazine came out. LYS had a sale on Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK, which is almost identical to the Rowan Cashsoft DK in the pattern. Great yarn and no yarn substitution!! I made the front and back up to the shoulder decrease, the measurements didnt quite seem right. The pattern has zero percent ease which didnt seem very forgiving so off to the yarn basket it went. I've been trying for months to find another pattern that was worthy of the yarn but nothing worked out.

Today was the last straw. I thought I found the perfect shawl for the DK yarn but the microfiber made it too stretchy. I sulked. Then lightening struck. JUST TRY ON THE SWEATER. duh.


I basted. I tried it on. Its a little snug but should be fine when I lose the weight I put on over the winter. Besides the microfiber is very forgiving. At the rate I've been knitting I'll have it done in time for the next heat wave.