Vacation Knitting

I have plenty of sock yarn I have to knit through and I need mittens. On the new Knitty there is a pattern for mittens made from sock yarn...perfect. The pattern is called Ailbe - very detailed cable pattern on the back. Since I enjoyed making the Shedir cap (also a Knitty pattern) for a swap partner so much I thought these mittens were perfect. So far I've finished the first mitten. I didn't bring the correct needle size for the cuff of the second mitten with me on vacation. I have to wait til I get home to knit the mate. I love my mitten #1 and can't wait to get the other one done.

The yarn is from the November shipment of Rockin Sock Club. Gorgeous yarn and it works great with the pattern.






While I'm waiting to continue my mittens I moved on to a pair of socks from my Favorite Socks book. It's an easy pair of cabled socks that I've been meaning to make for a while. The pattern is easy and very pretty. The yarn is Plymouth Yarn Sockin' Sox that I had in my stash. Slightly variegated but looks great with the tiny cables. I have one finished and the other one on the needles.

Lace and Bulk

As I mentioned in my last post, I'm on a mission to make myself more scarves and use up some of my single skein stash. The Strangling Vine Lace scarf was my first...now I've added a couple cowls. Cowls are so easy and quick. With these two I've used up 3 skeins of left over stash.

The first cowl I made from a pattern. It's a super simple ribbed lace weight, close fitting bit of awesomeness. I had super soft lace weight left over from from the Seraphim shawl. Yarn so soft I knew it would make a great cowl...super cozy.

The Stats:
Yarn: Elann Peruvian Baby Silk
Colorway: Abergine
Needles: size 7 Denise circulars
Pattern: Cashmere Cowl by the Purl Bee




The second is a cowl I made up. I had a single skein of Super Bulky yarn and I wanted a bulky weight cowl. Lots of texture, big enough to be somewhat close fitting but open up enough to be worn loosely. I took ideas from a bunch of patterns on Ravelry and put them together for "A Bit of Bulk" Cowl. I like it but will have to try it out in the Boston winter to really see. I added ties to either side so it can be worn open or tied close.

The Stats:
Yarn: Lion Brand Thick & Quick
Needles: size 15 Denise Circulars
Pattern: My own experiment

Lace Scarf from the Stash

Yesterday I finished a lace scarf for myself. I realized not long ago that I like wearing scarves and most of the ones I have are store bought. There are a lot of beautiful lace scarf patterns, they are usually pretty easy to memorize the pattern and they are small portable project I can stuff in my purse. I have stash lace weight I need to use...so why not make myself a bunch of scarves. This is the first but there will be more...

Stats on the first:

Yarn: Knitpicks Shadow
Colorway: Raisin (no longer available)
Needles: Size 5 Addi Lace Turbos
Pattern: Strangling Vine Scarf by All Buttoned Up
Finished Measurements: about 70" by 8" wide
Notes: This yarn was left over from the Serendipity - Mystery Stole 4 that I started in September of 2008 but finished this past April. (That stole was entered in a local fair and won a blue ribbon). In order to make the blocking a bit easier, I blocked it doubled, folded in half. The pictures show it doubled so the actual scarf is lacier then it appears.

More pictures to come...but here's a close up of the doubled over lace fabric...so pretty :)

Swap Package Received

I just received a lovely swap package from my partner Neila in the Ravelry Starbucks and Yarn swap group. Really cute package so I thought I'd share:

October WoolGirl shipment

Latest Woolgirl Shipment arrived last Monday. If you haven't gotten your package...there are SPOILERS below!

Sorry for the bad pictures...I get home after the sun goes down and of course I couldn't wait to open it when there was better light.

This package is so pretty. "Birch" colors and the accessories have browns and orange. Fall but not the typical fall colors. I like both of the patterns that came with it but I'm not sure I can picture them in the variegated yarn.

I can't really start this anytime soon, anyway. I have time to decide what to make and in which yarn.

Here's another picture of the package contents. The painted cards that came in it are gorgeous! I can't imagine being able to paint like that...

Picot Progress

I'm knitting madly on my Recycled Picot & Ropes Cardigan. The back is finished and the I'm knitting the two front pieces at once and they are about 65% done. I love how it looks but I'm a little sad because it'll definitely be a summer cardigan. It'll be too cold to wear it by the time it's complete....it being October 31st after all.

The yarn supply is dwindling quickly now. After what you see in the picture (which I'm hoping will easily take me through the rest of the fronts plus have two balls left over) I only have 2 large balls left. I'm thinking about knitting the sleeves top down so I can stop and leave enough for the picot edge that will run around the front edges and around the top collar. I was planning on 3/4 sleeves but I think I'll cut it back to 1/2 sleeves (if not shorter) to make sure I have enough yarn. I'd really hate to run out...it's not like I can just buy more. What a disaster that would be!

Doing the sleeves top down I don't think will be too tough. Reverse the shaping....but...these words may come back to haunt me later. Haunt me...lol...it's Halloween...

Here's a couple more close ups. I'll reiterate the fact that these picot's are TOO CUTE!!!

Recycling

While in Maine a few weekends ago (collecting my blue ribbons from the fair!) my mom and I took a trip to Goodwill. I was in search of some sweaters that I could unravel and re-knit. I bought a couple. One 100% wool sweater that is all washed and waiting for something...not sure what I'm going to do with that. And, the one above...a 50% cotton 50% linen old Land's End sweater. Both sweaters were $4.99 each. Good deal for the amount of yarn you get.

This is my second sweater unraveling project. I unraveled one from my closet 1st...for the no pressure practice. It went OK....this one went better. It came apart much easier and I got much more usable yarn out of it.

I started itching to make a sweater for myself when I found a sweater pattern in an old Interweave Knits magazine. The pattern is called Ropes and Picots and it was in the Winter 2008 issue. I totally didn't even notice it last year...but with the new recycled DK weight yarn sitting in my stash I couldn't resist.

I'm up to just past the bottom of the arm pits on the back. The sweater is really simple but has very nice simple detailing. The picot edge is so cute that I want to put picots on everything from no on.

I may or may not dye the finished sweater a darker color. I kind of like the natural color but I know I'd get more wear out of a darker sweater. I'll see what I think when I get it finished.

Recycled Sweater

Yesterday (and for about a three years before yesterday) I used to have a cabled store-bought sweater hanging in my closet. It was from Old Navy and very pretty but I just didn't wear it anymore. So I tried my hand at recycling.

There's a group on Ravelry called Thrifty Knitters and they have a whole page of tutorials, links and resources on this type of thing. I found one that made it look so easy. The author's "Show that sweater who's boss" was very inspiring.

The above yarn was all reclaimed from the aforementioned sweater. I got about 12.5 ounces of 50% cotton 50% acrylic DK weight yarn. It's white...so now I'm thinking of experimenting with dyeing it myself. There's an article on Knitty on dyeing plant fibers which looks interesting. Kool Aid also seems easy, but I've gotten conflicting reports on using Kool Aid to dye non-animal fibers. So more research is required...

Clearly, another blog post on this topic will be coming :)

FO - Show Offs

The Show-Offs are done! I love them. They are a little wiled with the pooling of colors. But the fact that they are fraternal twin socks makes the pooling awesome. If they were exactly the same, I don't think I would like them as much.

Here's the stats:
Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Lightweight
Colorway: Garden Daze
Pattern: Show-Off Stranded Socks
Needles: Size 1 KnitPicks circulars
Size: Medium

More pics...

Knitting with wire

I'm developing a new obsession...sorta. Still knitting related but knitting with wire and beads instead of yarn.


I made this bracelet above for my friends birthday. Nothing too spectacular, but very fun to experiment with. The wire is just beading wire (28 gauge) and the beads are just a Czech Glass Mix. I wrote down the pattern and it's posted on Ravelry if you're interested in making one. Super easy.

Rav link to pattern

After this bracelet, I still have wire and beads left over. So I experimented a bit making a pendant.



It's cute. I'll be wearing it next time I have to dress up for work. I still have wire and beads left (along with an older stash I have from jewelry kicks in the past)...so I'll be experimenting some more.

Show-off some pooling

RSC July Spoiler

So I just finished my first Show-off sock with my July Socks that Rock shipment. As you can see, the leg came out one big spiral or colors. Not the greatest look. But, when I got to the heel it changed up.




I am liking the weird pooling on the foot. The top part is all red and green and the under side is all yellow. Then the yarn started to completely shift at the toe. The yellow began to spiral in the opposite direction.

I've started the leg of sock #2 and it's still pooling differently then the first. It looks like the leg will be another spiral only it's looking like a more gradual spiral. I wonder what the foot will come out to be on this one...?

The first sock fits great. Can't wait to get a pair (although I think they will be fraternal twins).

Handmade Soap

No, I didn't make the soap. I received it as a gift from my boyfriend's brother. His brother lives in Africa and purchased the soap from a local women who sells handmade items for extra money. Since I have never used handmade soap before I feel a little weird just using it like normal soap. (I know that's a bit strange). I had some sugar and cream cotton in my stash that had been unused for a long time. I found a pattern in one of my one skein books, 101 Designer One-Skein Wonders for a soap holder (I guess they are like a washcloth/exfoliater that goes around soap). I never thought I'd make one of these. We'll see if it was a waste of time...

Showing off July Socks that Rock

Rockin' Sock Club Spoiler Alert!

My Socks the Rock July shipment arrived this passed Wednesday. Earlier then scheduled. It's a good thing I feel like knitting socks again! I love the colorway but am ho hum on the pattern with it. It's a cute pattern but I don't think it will do the yarn justice. So I've decided to knit a different pattern. I'm making one I had just favorited on Ravelry the day before the shipment arrived.

First off...the yarn. The color is called Garden Haze and it's a bright combination of garden vegetable colors; red, green, and yellow. Very bright and not something I would choose myself, but that's part of the fun of the sock clubs.

The pattern that was shipped with the July kit is an ankle sock called In Season and is designed by Melissa Morgan-Oakes. I'll probably end up making it later - it's cute but I'd rather use the yarn for something that shows off the colors more.

While on Ravelry I came across a pattern called Show-off Stranded Socks. It's a free pattern by Anne Campbell (also can be found as a PDF on her website). This is the same designer of the Circle socks...which I've already made 2 pairs of. I find her patterns well written and simple yet impressive when they are done. These show-offs are so simple to make; I looked at the pattern when I first started and haven't needed it since.

So far the fabric it's creating is so pretty. There's a nice texture and it almost looks ribbed. Here's a close up of the pattern so far:

Finished!

Beware - this post contains spoilers for those who have not received their Woolgirl June shipment!

First...Happy 4rth! Or at least happy belated 4rth! I was going to post yesterday but I wasn't feeling up for the task. This picture isn't from this year (it's from several years ago), but still appropriate. Greg and I went to the fireworks display this year in Boston. I had never been to the ones here and thought I really needed to go. It really was the best show I've seen. Totally worth the crowds and standing around waiting and the drunk people singing patriotic songs totally off key.

Now onto some knitting. And the spoiler shots. A couple weeks ago I received another Woolgirl sock club shipment. I love LOVE the package. It was well put together and the yarn is very pretty. Totally not something I would have chosen for myself, but I love it. I took some pics when I got it:




Since I'm on such a lace kick lately, I decided to make the Raindrop shawl that came with the package. It's a very cute shawl. Simple pattern repeats and super easy to size up or down just by doing more or less repeats. I was using a slightly smaller needle so I did an extra repeat. The sock pattern is very pretty, too. I'll make it later.

So, after finishing my Goddess Knits shawl I cast on for the Raindrop. About a week and a half later it's done! Some pics to prove it.



It's a totally wearable 52'' by 32''. I *think* I'll be keeping this for myself...but a bunch or other stuff I thought I was keeping is now being kept aside for Xmas gifts. So we'll see. The stats on this:

Yarn: Dream in Color Smooshy Sock Yarn
Colorway: Raining Cats & Dogs
Needles: Size 5 Lace Addi Turbos
Pattern: Raindrop Shawl by Renee Strouts
Notes: I think this would be a great beginner lace project. Easy pattern repeats and the designer was totally open for questions. I did one extra repeat of Chart B but could have done another since I had a generous amount left over.

Now, since I'm done with yet another project I've started another. This time it's a mindless lace scarf project that I found in my One-Skein Wonders book. I had 1.75 skeins of Knitpicks Shadow left over from my Goddess Knits shawl so I thought a leftover project would be good. Again, since I'm so enamored with lace lately, it had to be lace. So I chose the Razor Shell Lace Scarf. So far it's very pretty and totally mindless. I already have about 12 inches done after not knitting a whole lot. Not sure who this is for...again it may or may not be for me. The best part about this pattern is that it's reversible! Here's how it's coming along now:

The latest

My latest shawl. Finished it last Tuesday but with all the rain lately here in Boston I'm just now getting pictures. It's been hanging in my knitting area all week, though...for me to admire.

The stats:

Yarn: Knit Picks Shadow in Cattail Heather colorway
Needles: Size 5 Addi Lace turbo circs
Designer/Pattern: Goddess Knits from the Anniversary Mystery Shawl '09 KAL
Notes: Finished size is 72 inches across the widest point to point. Down the back is 35 inches.

Here's some more pics: