Pegs & Needles

Lace and Bulk

2009-11-22T13:19:00.003-05:00

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

2009-11-15T10:29:00.005-05:00

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

2009-11-07T10:33:00.004-05:00

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

2009-11-01T07:01:00.005-05:00

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

2009-10-31T13:19:00.003-04:00

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

2009-10-25T17:16:00.006-04:00

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

2009-10-04T11:42:00.005-04:00

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 :)

Knitting with wire

2009-08-08T14:37:00.007-04:00

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.

FO - Show Offs

2009-08-09T13:44:00.001-04:00

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...

Show-off some pooling

2009-07-25T12:21:00.007-04:00

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

2009-07-19T08:04:00.003-04:00

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

2009-07-18T10:39:00.011-04:00

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!

2009-07-05T11:52:00.012-04:00

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

2009-06-27T12:25:00.004-04:00

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:

Avalanche of Socks

2009-05-10T11:03:00.006-04:00

I can't believe it's been a month since I last posted something. I think it's my straight up part-time knitting job spent keeping up with my sock club shipments that keep getting in the way. I'm doing it though. So far I've made each shipment before the next arrives and even finished projects in between.

The latest shipment is from Woolgirl. I love the color and pattern. Here's what it looked like when it arrived:

The yarn is from Curious Creek Fibers. Color is called Old Kinsale and it's so soft and nice to knit with. The pattern is all lacy so it's a strictly at home sort of knit. I'm almost 1/2 way through the second sock!

I'm making the large size which is strange for me. I usually make the medium. The pattern came with some measurements and I actually measured my foot to decide which size to make. I was really worried they were going to be huge when I first started. They are larger then I usually knit but I really like how they fit. Soft and comfy and will look great with jeans. Can't wait to finish them.

These are called Crooked Brook Socks, but they sort of remind me of the waving lace socks that I've wanted to make for a while.

One last pic...a close up of the laciness :)

Spoilers - March Shipment from Blue Moon

2009-04-05T12:29:00.006-04:00

2 weeks ago I received my March shipment from the Rockin Sock Club. The package was a tad bit late...but I really didn't mind. I gave me time to finish my Woolgirl socks from February (which was also a bit late). As long as they are all a bit late, I can keep up. Start overlapping and I'm screwed!

So that package I received was, actually, not that impressive. I loved the pattern at first sight, but the yarn wound as it came was just sort of blah. Here's what I found when I opened my package:

The yarn looked OK here. But when I opened it up to put on my swift I was sort of bummed. Big chunks of pink, green, cream, and purple. Not really interesting. However, after I wound it into a ball and starting knitting I immediately loved it. I can see how it works with the pattern sent so perfectly!

So, a week and a half after I started knitting I'm finished with the socks. The pattern is called Rogue Roses and it's designed by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. Here's the stats and then some pics of the finished socks:

Pattern: Rogue Roses

Needles: #2 circulars

Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Mediumweight

Color: Gertrude Skein

Notes: I didn't make any changes to the pattern and they came out great!

50% Majestic

2009-03-21T14:18:00.005-04:00

Remember that pile of Majestic yarn I spoke about last weekend? Well, as you can see from the picture above, it was a pile of yarn. In only a couple days I had the cuff re-knit into a more suitable size. And after a week of knitting, I now have 50% of a pair of Majestic Socks done.

The cuff re-knit super easy (since I had done it once before). The rest of the sock, however, gave me a few fits. Parts of the charts, to me, are a bit screwy. The top of the arch pattern, has two extra stitches in it (which I still can't figure out why they are there) and the foot chart is written only for the small size which confused me at first. If not for the stitch counts noted throughout the shaping portions, I would have been working and reworking parts.

Overall, though, it's a great pattern. Very pretty! And I love the construction. Different then I've ever done before and they should fit a future recipient great. If they weren't a tad snug on my large feet...I'd be keeping them! Who am I kidding...if the color looked better on me, I'd be keeping them!!

Anyway, here's one more pic of the 1st sock. The other cuff is already in the works. Maybe I can get the second sock done before my next Rockin' Sock Club shipment arrives...cross your fingers!

A Majestic sock cuff...

2009-03-14T10:13:00.003-04:00

...about to be a majestic pile of ripped out yarn. As I mentioned in my last post, I have been trying to weigh my options carefully before ripping out a sock cuff that is so pretty. But, with a weeks worth of barely knitting on it because I know it's not right...I have decided to commence the ripping. I know I'll be much happier with it. And the new, properly fitting socks will fly off the needles. So, say goodbye to the Majestic cuff!

Finally, another sock club shipment

2009-03-08T11:06:00.005-04:00

This past Thursday, I finally got my 1st Woolgirl Sock club shipment. About a week late, but I totally love it. Above is the box....now, here's the contents:

So much in there that it barely fits in the picture. Here's the list of booty:

1 skein of Zen Yarn Garden, Serenity cashmere/merino sock yarn in a "Gold Dynasty" colorway
An intricate cabled sock pattern called "Majestic".
A pretty lacy scarf pattern called "Alexandria"
One jewel themed stitch marker
A large silk sock sack (to carry your knitting in) from Lantern Moon.
A nice pen with "Queen of Knitting" on it.
Hand made hand lotion.
A little pyramid gift box with two delicious chocolates in it (yum!)
A 2009 calendar magnet with all the ship dates for Woolgirl
A hand made/painted greeting card
a small sized SOAK (to clean your knits with)

I'm about 3/4 of the way up the first sock cuff...but now I'm thinking they are too small. Well, too small for me. I don't think I'll be keeping these socks, though. So I'm wondering if the current size will fit a future recipient. Before ripping it out...I'm seriously considering things. While I seriously love the color and pattern, the color doesn't love me. I'll have to remake this pattern in a different colorway for myself in the future.

Sock pictures to come in a future post.

Not Yet Baby Blanket

2009-03-01T15:55:00.008-05:00

This blanket went on my needles in about August of 2007. It was always meant to stay in the background and only come out of hiding in between other projects...but a year and a half is quite enough. It needs to be finished!

So...as usual...I'm still waiting for my next shipment of sock club yarn. Rather then cast on for a small project I thought I'd make a mad dash for the finish line with this blanket. It was about 75% done last week. I'm currently working on the crocheted border.

It's a feather and fan design (with some intermittent rows of stockinette stitch) and the pattern came out of one of my vintage knitting books - a 1943 Minerva yarn pattern book. The pictures don't really capture how pretty it is. But, in general it's a super easy pattern and I think it will work for either a boy or girl (that is not even conceived let alone born yet). I wanted to make a blanket ahead so I didn't have to drop everything and madly knit...

I've got to say....I'm not a crocheter. I can knit for hours with no aches and pains. Pretty much the second I pick up a crochet hook my right wrist starts aching. I've been around the edge 1.75 times and I feel like my hand is going to fall off. Only 1.25 times left to go and then I have to add a fringe all the way around. I've sworn off any more crocheting for now. Give my wrist a break.

My sock club shipment should be here by mid to late next week. So I really don't have to crochet 'til my hand falls off. Here's a close-up.

Finished Octopus

2009-02-22T10:57:00.007-05:00

My Octopus Socks are finished! I could have finished them much earlier this week, but got to the toe and then got distracted. I've gotta say, I think these are my favorite socks I've ever made. The pattern is so easy and fun to knit. The yarn I used is so soft and nice. And the socks fit so good.

Sock Stats:

Pattern: Circles Socks by Anne Campbell

Yarn: Knit Picks Felici in Dakota (this color is no longer available)

Needles: #2 circular

Size: Made to fit size 9 women's foot. Used the same amount of stitches specified but used a size larger needle then the pattern states. I cast on once (and made an entire 1st cuff) with size 1 and it was too small.

Notes: I added an extra repeat to the cuff and did 6 total. I wanted to use up all of my yarn but still have a bit left over. I probably could have done one more repeat.

More gratuitous pictures...

Octopus and an FO

2009-02-15T12:37:00.007-05:00

While I'm again waiting for my next sock club yarn to arrive, I'm making a pair of Circle Socks (or what I've dubbed my octopus socks). Octopus because the pattern reminds me of the suckers on the bottom of an octopus arm. A colorful octopus arm. My next sock club doesn't arrive for a couple of weeks now and will be a package from Woolgirl. Of course I can't wait..

Anyway, the octopus socks are super easy to make. Simple knit, purl, with a few slip stitches for the 'bars' between the two. I've been knitting these while on the subway and was able to ditch the pattern within the first pattern repeat. I had some striped sock yarn laying around in my stash but didn't just want to make a boring pair of striped socks. This pattern jazzed it up without getting too complicated. I finished the first sock this morning.

I have also finished my Queen of Beads socks from my first shipment of the Rockin' Sock Club. They came out beautiful and fit great. I haven't actually worn them out of the house, though...I have to get on that.

My next Rockin' Sock Club shipment isn't until March. Thank god I have another sock club to dream about.

First Rockin Sock of '09

2009-02-08T12:32:00.005-05:00

Over a week ago I finally received my first sock club shipment of the year. I was so excited I didn't even take a picture of the shipment before winding the yarn and getting started. Next month I'll be more blog conscious...I promise.

I have one and 3/4 of the second sock done. The picture above was taken yesterday morning - I honestly didn't realize I had knit so much over last night and this morning. I'm one pattern repeat from starting the toe. Woohoo!

But, as you can see, these socks are beaded. The pattern is called "Queen of Beads" and at the start was a ROYAL pain in my butt! The beads barely (barely!) fit over the yarn and were a almost impossible to get strung. I've made beaded stoles/shawls before and were so easy in comparison!! However, that being said, I really love the look of beaded socks and the yarn/bead combo on these is really nice in person. The pictures don't do it justice!

One thing I love about these sock clubs is that I learn so much with every pair. Right off the bat I learned how to do a tubular cast on that uses yarn overs. It was way easier then I thought it was going to be (once I got the hang of it). The directions that came with the sock was very easy to follow and I think I'll be using it for all (maybe?) future socks.

Here's a close up of the beading:

A Recycling Project

2009-01-25T09:46:00.006-05:00

Yesterday my friend Ann and I went to Goodwill looking for some sweaters to recycle into a felted bag. Above is what I scored. A wool Abercrombie stripped number (men's large) and a funky purse with some interesting wooden tops with leather handles. Hopefully I can reuse the wooden parts, the handles and lining.

First step is to felt the sweater. Hopefully that happens today. I have another hand knit bag that needs felting (a little Noro dumpling bag) so I might as well felt two bags with one wash.

In the meantime, however, I want to do a little research on the recycled sweater bag. I feel like I need a little inspiration....

First I looked on Flickr. There is a "Recycled Sweater Pool" that is full of stuff:

Some things I never thought of, like mittens and scarves. This pool actually gives me ideas for Christmas gifts next year :) I also like the idea of a blanket made from bits and pieces of recycled felted items. Of course, that would be a much larger project...not for a first timer...

I also looked on Ravelry for ideas. Several projects I like (not bag related) is from user Adair who made a pair of slippers using a template from Marthastewart.com. There are also groups for hand bags and lots of ideas in the shared projects area in each group. I like the idea of copying the shapes of the finished bags but creating the bag using recycled sweaters and sewing it together. One group I like is the Bags, Bags, Bags group.

Lots of ideas to chose from here....now to start felting!

Overdue post for Christmas Knitting Booty

2009-01-18T16:29:00.000-05:00

I received many knitting related items for Christmas this year. The most inspiring of which were the additions of a few books to my library. All three were on my list:

A Gathering of Lace by Meg Swansen is full of gorgeous lace projects. Most are rather intimidating looking (and require gobs of yarn), but I will eventually tackle something...
Knitted flowers by Nicky Epstein has all kinds of knitted flowers for embellishing on knitted things. I've made a few felted bags this year that I wanted to add to a basic pattern and couldn't find hardly any free flower patterns. There are several in there that I want to try.
Inspired to Knit by Michele Rose Orne...I just about want to make everything in it. The title is very apt...

I also had my Mom make me some small knitting bags that I can take with me in my handbag for knitting on the subway and while traveling. I got the idea online in an Etsy store. My family likes to hand make as many gifts as possible, and this was an "easy" one for my mom the seamstress. By the time I left after Christmas she had made me three!

Oddly enough I didn't get any gift certificates or magazine subscriptions this year. My aunt, however, did give me a card with $20 in it and the inscription "Now go buy some yarn and make me something. ha ha" - which by default goes in the knitting gifts category. I haven't bought any yarn with it, yet... technically.

While in Maine I also went to check out a new knitting shop (not new really...just new to me). It's called the KnitWit Yarn Shop. It's a cute shop and the owner (well, I assume it's the owner) was very friendly and helpful. I bought a couple of skeins of Cascade 220 - not sure what I'll make with them but I wanted to support the LYS. Plus it's Cascade 220...who can't find some use for that?

Thanks all for my knitting booty!