Thursday, September 30, 2010
No Knitting Content this week...
Friday, September 24, 2010
As random as I want to be...
Did anyone notice yesterday was the first day of autumn? Hello??????? Whoever controls the weather in Ohio, it's AUTUMN!!!! It's not supposed to be 90 anymore!!!! We're not supposed to be having freakin' tornadoes!!! Migraine season is supposed to be OVER!!!
But it isn't...I'm typing with one eye open, stoked to the gills on ibu and it's barely taking the edge off. The skies are darkening again, and I'm wondering if I'll need to make a mad dash for the basement like I did a few days ago when the weatherman on TV announced a "possible tornado" just a couple miles away at the same moment the entire top of a medium-sized tree next door blew off and landed in our back yard, severing Pete's shortwave antenna and my clothesline but, luckily, not the utility line. My one consolation is, once whatever this is passes, my headache will go away. Till next time.
There's not a lot to report on the WIP front. I'm making steady progress on all my projects except Evenstar and the Ten-Stitch Rug. Most of my focus is on the three baby blankets I'm working on, and I know I'll catch back up once they're finished. I started the Rivendell cowl and Dragonfly shawl last week, but both projects crashed and burned pretty quickly for insignificant reasons. With Rivendell, for the very first time in over thirty years of knitting, I twisted my join and didn't see it till I was on the ninth row. Since it's not supposed to be a moebius, I frogged it for now. Dragonfly started out really well, but by the tenth row I realized this project will need beads. The yarn is really, REALLY dark, and I don't think the pattern will be very visible without some kind of beading. Now the question is...what color beads? I'm leaning toward either clear or a pale yellow/amber, but will probably tote my yarn to a bead shop this weekend for further research.
I've finished a few projects: Two more Button-Up Neck Warmers
LOVE the buttons I found for all of these! I'm making one more in the grey color, then I'll be all neckwarmered out for the year.
And there was one more bizarre FO...a couple weeks ago, I was going through the closet in my room when I found a little canvas project bag kind of stuffed in a corner. Pulled it out and found this:
The yarn is Karabella Gossamer. I don't remember when I made this or how it ended up in the back of my closet. All I needed to do was weave in two ends and block it. I think I may have made this in 2007 or 2008 which is when I was madly in love with this yarn. The silver bits remind me of starlight on a clear, dark night. You can't tell very well from the pictures, but it's truly sparklesome.
Last Sunday, Pete and I drove over to Yellow Springs for the Wool Gathering. I really didn't think I was going to be able to go to this because Wilbur had some bad tummy issues at the end of last week, and I wasn't sure I could leave him long enough to go. Luckily, he bounced back like the champ he is. Pete and I not so much. We were seriously sleep-deprived from his multiple middle-of-the-night trips to the yard. And I was depressed. Way depressed. It seems the older he gets, the more every little bump in his road throws me for a major loop. When Sunday came and Wilbur was back to normal, I was still a basket case and didn't want to go anywhere. Lucky for me, I have this wonderful husband who cut through all that early in the afternoon by saying, "Let's go buy yarn!" And so we did.
Wool Gathering was fantastic! There were four tents of all kinds of fiber-related goodies, beautiful border collies, friendly people. I got to try out several spindles and find one that actually makes it possible for me to spin something closely resembling yarn. Yup, I'm NOT spinning impaired! Pete bought me some yarn and some roving, too. Oh, and a bar of soap that says "Lilac", but really should say "This smells exactly like if you completely submerged your face in lilacs at the height of their bloom and inhaled as deeply as you possibly can". I know because I've done this over the years at every opportunity. Truly amazing stuff!
Here are some pictures. Mr. Sheep was very aggressive about getting his share of ear scritches.
There were two things that made the day less than perfect. As you can see in the picture, the tents are colored - some red and white, some yellow and white. It was very difficult to see the actual yarn colors without dragging every skein outside. There were a few outdoor tents, and that is where I bought the roving. There's no way I could have seen the color variations if they were in one of the big tents. I wouldn't have given it a second look.
The other thing that was very disturbing was this:
Yup...that x4 just on the other side of the field where the Wool Gathering was being held. Pete found me flattened against a tree, hyperventilating. For some bizarre reason, I have this irrational fear of plane crashes. I'm not the least bit afraid to fly, but I'm afraid of them falling on me. When I saw the four fighter jets fly over, I figured they were going to nearby Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton. But next thing I knew, I'm looking at the top end of one of those planes, maybe a hundred yards or less away, like in the picture. I asked the woman taking tickets what was happening, and she looked at me like I was crazy for being bothered by it.
After we left the Wool Gathering, we headed into Yellow Springs (one of our favorite places to shop and hang out even if there's not a fiber festival just up the road). I remembered hearing about a new restaurant that specializes in southern cooking, and after asking directions, we found CJ's Southern Cooking. Fried chicken, green beans, red beans and rice...all cooked to perfection and FRESH - cooked to order, nothin' layin' around under heat lamps. If you're in Ohio or if you ever come to Ohio, this is the place to eat! Jim and Carl are so nice and friendly, you'll feel like you've known them forever.
So, thrilled with my latest yarn acquisitions and happily full of fried chicken, we headed home. When we got there, Wilbur was healthy and happy to see us...and we discovered we have a boarder, Marty Monarch:
He/she should be hatching and heading off to Mexico in about a week. I'll try to get pictures.
This weekend...a reunion concert by some friends at a local club tonight, knitting group tomorrow, and coffee with one of my favorite dog friends on Sunday. It should be a lot of fun! Hope you have a great weekend, too! What's everyone up to???
But it isn't...I'm typing with one eye open, stoked to the gills on ibu and it's barely taking the edge off. The skies are darkening again, and I'm wondering if I'll need to make a mad dash for the basement like I did a few days ago when the weatherman on TV announced a "possible tornado" just a couple miles away at the same moment the entire top of a medium-sized tree next door blew off and landed in our back yard, severing Pete's shortwave antenna and my clothesline but, luckily, not the utility line. My one consolation is, once whatever this is passes, my headache will go away. Till next time.
There's not a lot to report on the WIP front. I'm making steady progress on all my projects except Evenstar and the Ten-Stitch Rug. Most of my focus is on the three baby blankets I'm working on, and I know I'll catch back up once they're finished. I started the Rivendell cowl and Dragonfly shawl last week, but both projects crashed and burned pretty quickly for insignificant reasons. With Rivendell, for the very first time in over thirty years of knitting, I twisted my join and didn't see it till I was on the ninth row. Since it's not supposed to be a moebius, I frogged it for now. Dragonfly started out really well, but by the tenth row I realized this project will need beads. The yarn is really, REALLY dark, and I don't think the pattern will be very visible without some kind of beading. Now the question is...what color beads? I'm leaning toward either clear or a pale yellow/amber, but will probably tote my yarn to a bead shop this weekend for further research.
I've finished a few projects: Two more Button-Up Neck Warmers
And there was one more bizarre FO...a couple weeks ago, I was going through the closet in my room when I found a little canvas project bag kind of stuffed in a corner. Pulled it out and found this:
Last Sunday, Pete and I drove over to Yellow Springs for the Wool Gathering. I really didn't think I was going to be able to go to this because Wilbur had some bad tummy issues at the end of last week, and I wasn't sure I could leave him long enough to go. Luckily, he bounced back like the champ he is. Pete and I not so much. We were seriously sleep-deprived from his multiple middle-of-the-night trips to the yard. And I was depressed. Way depressed. It seems the older he gets, the more every little bump in his road throws me for a major loop. When Sunday came and Wilbur was back to normal, I was still a basket case and didn't want to go anywhere. Lucky for me, I have this wonderful husband who cut through all that early in the afternoon by saying, "Let's go buy yarn!" And so we did.
Wool Gathering was fantastic! There were four tents of all kinds of fiber-related goodies, beautiful border collies, friendly people. I got to try out several spindles and find one that actually makes it possible for me to spin something closely resembling yarn. Yup, I'm NOT spinning impaired! Pete bought me some yarn and some roving, too. Oh, and a bar of soap that says "Lilac", but really should say "This smells exactly like if you completely submerged your face in lilacs at the height of their bloom and inhaled as deeply as you possibly can". I know because I've done this over the years at every opportunity. Truly amazing stuff!
Here are some pictures. Mr. Sheep was very aggressive about getting his share of ear scritches.
The other thing that was very disturbing was this:
After we left the Wool Gathering, we headed into Yellow Springs (one of our favorite places to shop and hang out even if there's not a fiber festival just up the road). I remembered hearing about a new restaurant that specializes in southern cooking, and after asking directions, we found CJ's Southern Cooking. Fried chicken, green beans, red beans and rice...all cooked to perfection and FRESH - cooked to order, nothin' layin' around under heat lamps. If you're in Ohio or if you ever come to Ohio, this is the place to eat! Jim and Carl are so nice and friendly, you'll feel like you've known them forever.
So, thrilled with my latest yarn acquisitions and happily full of fried chicken, we headed home. When we got there, Wilbur was healthy and happy to see us...and we discovered we have a boarder, Marty Monarch:
This weekend...a reunion concert by some friends at a local club tonight, knitting group tomorrow, and coffee with one of my favorite dog friends on Sunday. It should be a lot of fun! Hope you have a great weekend, too! What's everyone up to???
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Ten on Tuesday - 10 Ways to Have a Happy Birthday
This is the "birthday" time of year in my family. Mine is coming up in a few weeks, and my mother and father and I were all born within a week of one another. This is not like my husband's family, where he was born the day after his parents' wedding anniversary. As a small child, he didn't calculate in the fact that he had a sister who was four years older, so his parents had to have been married at least that long before he was born - he was horrified that he was born the DAY AFTER HIS PARENTS GOT MARRIED! This is still a favorite joke in his family.
And speaking of birthdays...
Today, Wilbur, my four-legged spiritual guide and soulmate, is Lucky 13. Lucky, because I don't know which one of us is the luckiest that we found each other. Happy Birthday, Beebsterman. You've made the last 13 years the best of my life.
Now...on to the 10 Ways to Have a Happy Birthday
And speaking of birthdays...
Now...on to the 10 Ways to Have a Happy Birthday
- Eat cake! Pete always makes me a birthday cake, and he graciously enjoys my pitiful attempts at cake baking. I am a good cook, but cakes have always eluded me - even instant ones! When I was growing up, I usually had TWO cakes - the one my mother baked or got at the amazing bakery in our town, and a German kuchen with whole apples baked inside that the next-door neighbor always baked for me.
- Remember, birthdays aren't about celebrating that you're getting older - they're celebrating your life and how happy everyone is that you were born.
- Get away from the ratrace. Since my birthday is in early October, Pete and I frequently head to southeastern Ohio to enjoy the fall color. A couple years ago, we went to Hocking Hills were we stayed in a lovely B&B and did a lot of hiking...and a lot of relaxing...see picture above for the "relaxing" part. Unfortunately, his birthday is the first week in February - when Ohio is usually hit with a major ice/snowstorm. A few years back, we were lucky enough to be able to go to Nashville for his birthday. Usually, we're shoveling out. Same thing with Valentine's Day.
- Get together with friends and par-tay.
- Take some time for reflection - how did the last year turn out and what would you like to do in the coming year to make it the best one ever?
- Get gifts of yarn and knitting paraphrenalia.
- For those of you lucky enough to have living parents, thank them. You wouldn't be here without them! Graciously listen to the "I had morning sickness 24/7 and was in labor for six weeks" stories. You wouldn't be here without them, either.
- Be grateful.
- Eat cake.
- Eat more cake, including those big buttercream frosting roses. This is the only day of the whole year when people will encourage you to do this. Don't let them down!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Random Thursday - Sneak Peek at Some Cool Yarn!
I have a lot of cool yarn hanging around just waiting for me to come up with the perfect project. A lot of times, most times, actually, when I buy yarn, I already have a project in mind. It's like the yarn hollers, "Hey, lady!!! You don't know it yet, but I'd make the smokinest (is that a word?) Brandywine shawl you've ever seen in your life! C'mon, buy me!"...and I obey. Really...I can walk through a yarn shop and barely give anything a second glance till my eye catches that ONE yarn, and my brain connects it with that ONE project.
Then again, sometimes I just buy yarn cuz it's yarn and, you know...what if sheep were to become extinct?
Two of the four yarns I'm going to show you have very clearly defined roles in their fibery lives. The other two...I'm waffling between ideas and would love some input.
This lovely, deep greeny yarn, Neighborhood Fiber Company Studio Sock in Logan Circle, is destined to become Susan Pandorf's Dragonfly. I got all caught up in the "dragon" part and decided I wanted something that looked very dark and dragony. The pattern calls for beads. I can't imagine a dragon wearing beads, so I won't use them.
This yarn and this pattern take me back to the winter of 1978. For many of us in the eastern United States, that winter was marked by a huge blizzard. It was my first winter away from home, and I was living with a boyfriend in a pretty nice little apartment. When the blizzard hit, I was not only recovering from broken ribs sustained in a big crowd surge to get into an Emerson, Lake & Palmer concert the week before, but was also in bed with a severe tummy virus, and what I remember most about those days are talking to my parents in the small town where I grew up (they had phone service but no heat or electricity for many days) and reading Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series
. I'm not a fan of fantasy or science fiction, but for some reason I latched on to this series of books in my boyfriend's bookshelf and read my way through the blizzard.
This is Kangaroo Dyer Poet Seat in Fiddlehead Fern. My plan is to knit another beautiful Susan Pandorf pattern, Rivendell Smoke Ring, with it. I don't have any romantic tales of dragon, blizzards, and broken ribs to share with this one. I was cruising Etsy one day, saw this yarn, and said, "Smoke Ring"!
Now for the two I'm struggling with...
The red yarn is also from Neighborhood Fiber Company (I'm a huge fan - and it really IS my neighborhood fiber company!). It's called Historic Dublin, which I absolutely love because it's red. If you've ever been to Dublin, Ohio, they take their Irishness very serious...one would expect the greenest of greens.
The grey yarn is Knit One Crochet Too Crock-O-Dye in Pewter. I love its silvery sheen.
Now...my original plan was to do Romi's Maia Shawlette in the Pewter and Traveling Woman in the Historic Dublin. But now I'm wavering...maybe Maia would look better in red...maybe the woman would travel lighter in silver. Maybe neither one is the best choice.
One thing I know for certain...I will NOT be combining them to make some scarlet and gray OSU football monstrosity. Just for the record...I don't do the whole OSU sports thang. LOL!
Whaddya think?????
Then again, sometimes I just buy yarn cuz it's yarn and, you know...what if sheep were to become extinct?
Two of the four yarns I'm going to show you have very clearly defined roles in their fibery lives. The other two...I'm waffling between ideas and would love some input.
This yarn and this pattern take me back to the winter of 1978. For many of us in the eastern United States, that winter was marked by a huge blizzard. It was my first winter away from home, and I was living with a boyfriend in a pretty nice little apartment. When the blizzard hit, I was not only recovering from broken ribs sustained in a big crowd surge to get into an Emerson, Lake & Palmer concert the week before, but was also in bed with a severe tummy virus, and what I remember most about those days are talking to my parents in the small town where I grew up (they had phone service but no heat or electricity for many days) and reading Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series
. I'm not a fan of fantasy or science fiction, but for some reason I latched on to this series of books in my boyfriend's bookshelf and read my way through the blizzard. 
Now for the two I'm struggling with...
The grey yarn is Knit One Crochet Too Crock-O-Dye in Pewter. I love its silvery sheen.
Now...my original plan was to do Romi's Maia Shawlette in the Pewter and Traveling Woman in the Historic Dublin. But now I'm wavering...maybe Maia would look better in red...maybe the woman would travel lighter in silver. Maybe neither one is the best choice.
One thing I know for certain...I will NOT be combining them to make some scarlet and gray OSU football monstrosity. Just for the record...I don't do the whole OSU sports thang. LOL!
Whaddya think?????
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
WIP Wednesday Strikes Again!
I'm always very excited when these precious days come along where I'm actually keeping up with my blog. As my readers know, it's a pretty rare occurrence. All it takes is one bad hair day to throw me off track and leave me scrambling to catch up. At no time is this worse than on Wednesdays when I have 25 or 30 bazillion projects to tell you about. And while I put a lot of pressure on myself to get a lot done on all 30 bazillion, it's a pressure that I love and thrive on - WIP Wednesday makes knitting very exciting for me. So, without further chitterchatter, let's get busy - there are TWO new WIPs, and two restarted WIPs!
Pattern: Basketweave Baby Blanket
Yarn: Red Heart Baby Clouds
Colorway: Pastels
Purchased at: Joann
Needles: #15
Made for: Da GrandSON!
Date Started: 9/11/10
Progress: 10%
I started babyknitting in earnest last weekend, casting on for THREE baby blankets. Two of them will be in the Baby Clouds yarn. I bought a ton of this yarn about five years ago when the twins next door were born, however, shortly after they were born, my husband was very ill, and I didn't get the blankets done till they were six months old. In that time, I'd bought even more of this yarn because I liked it a lot and was going to make myself a blanket, too. I'm not a Red Heart fan by any means, and I know a lot of people have trouble with this yarn - but I love it. It's a little splitty, I'll admit, but so very soft and durable. How durable??? The twins will be five on Friday and they're still using their blankets (I made them pretty big...)!!! I got a peek at one of them the other night, they're still soft, and they really don't look bad for five year old blankets made from cheap yarn. This is the same pattern I used for their blankets. I doubt I'll finish this one as quickly as I did one of theirs which I knit about 95% of while my husband was in surgery...knitting as sanity saver.
Pattern: Citron Shawl (Take 2...)
Yarn: Crystal Palace Mini Mochi
Colorway: Jungle
Purchased at: The Knitter's Mercantile and somewhere else...don't remember where...
Needles: #10
Date Started: 4/9/10. Frogged 9/1/10 and restarted 9/2/10
Progress: 40%
My goal was to have this shawl finished two weeks ago, but fate intervened. When I joined the last ball of yarn, I realized I probably wasn't going to have enough to finish the last pattern repeat and the ruffle. So I did 3/4 of the last repeat and started on the ruffle...then I realized I wasn't going to have enough yarn to finish even the ruffle. I put in a lifeline a pattern repeat back and frogged to that point to see how it would look if I added the ruffle and ended there. It didn't look good. Worse, it felt pretty stiff and heavy. So I frogged it and bumped up to #10 needles from #7s. I like this much better. The fabric has a nice drape, it feels like it will block nicely, and it's a little bit bigger. If I don't get five whole pattern repeats in, I don't think it will make as big a difference.
Pattern: Pine and Ivy Shawl
Yarn: My Name Is Yarn
Colorway: Moss 'N' Berries
Purchased at: My Name Is Yarn
Needles: #3
Date Started: 3/30/10
Progress: 30%
I'm still slogging away on this one, though it is getting easier as the decreases progress, and I know the reward of the finished shawl will be well worth all I've gone through to knit it.
Pattern: Cradle Me Blanket
Yarn: Lion Brand Wool Ease Sportweight
Colorway: Blue Bell
Purchased at: Joann
Needles: #7
Made for: Da GrandSON
Date Started: 8/9/10 in Bernat Softee Baby. Restarted in Wool Ease Sportweight 9/11/10.
Progress: 10%
I think I mentioned that I wasn't pleased with the stitch definition of this pattern with the green Softee Baby. When we found out last week that R is having a boy, I remembered this yarn was in my stash. It's a little too soon to really tell if the stitch definition is much better, but I'm loving the rich, denim blue instead of baby blue.
Pattern: A Dreamy Spiral Scarf
Yarn: Twilley's of Stamford Freedom Spirit
Colorway: Green
Purchased at: The Knitter's Mercantile
Needles: #8
Date Started: 4/28/10
Progress: 15%
This was one of the last projects I cast on during my spring bout of startitis. I bought a ton of this yarn on clearance and have two balls left. I'm hoping this scarf uses both of them! Fun little project.
Pattern: Evenstar Shawl
Yarn: Knit Picks Shimmer
Colorway: Bayou
Purchased at: Knit Picks
Needles: #3
Date Started: 3/3/10
Progress: 55%
If you look closely at the top of the first picture, you can see the *very small amount* (I'm trying to psych myself here) of edging I still have to knit. Really, it's VERY small - I started on a 60" circular needle and now all the stitches that are remaining fit easily on a 24" circular. The second picture is another glamour shot of the beads. You can also see a couple mistakes. Oops. This project is not perfect. It's my first major lace project, and there are about four small errors that I know of. We'll see how glaringly obvious they are once this baby's blocked...
Pattern: Cozy Baby Throw
Yarn: Red Heart Baby Clouds
Colorway: Tutti Frutti
Purchased at: Joann
Needles: #13
Made for: You Know Who...
Date Started: 9/11/10
Progress: 40%
This is more of the Baby Clouds yarn I mentioned above. I found the pattern on some cheap boucle yarn from Joann and liked it a lot, so I decided to make a smaller baby blanket with it.
Pattern: Merope
Yarn: Malabrigo Sock
Colorway: Rayon Vert
Purchased at: Temptations
Needles: #4
Date Started: 7/10/10
Progress: 70%
Almost 3/4 of the way through this one! I'm still wary of the color yarn I used but am hoping it all blocks out well. I really enjoy how easily this shawl has been to knit.
Pattern: Videvik Shawl
Yarn: Lost City Knits Oak Barn Merino
Colorway: African Violet
Purchased at: Lost City Knits
Needles: #4
Date Started: 8/25/10
Progress: 10%
Isn't this gorgeous? I love how this pattern is showing up so clearly. And the yarn is so soft...I'd be further along if I didn't keep stopping to pet what I've just knit. Best part of this shawl so far is the extra-squishy cast-on edge which is done by holding two strands of yarn together. Perfect! These bottom-up shawls go so slowly, but I am making steady progress.
Pattern: Boneyard Shawl
Yarn: Knit Picks City Tweed DK
Colorway: Tabby
Purchased at: Knit Picks
Needles: #8
Date Started: 4/15/10
Progress: 45%
Speaking of ever-so-soft-n-squishy...the bigger this shawl gets, the more I love it. I have six balls of the Tabby City Tweed DK, and I plan on using them all in this shawl. I'm only on my second ball so far. LOVE this pattern and the yarn.
Pattern: Olive Entrelac Neckwarmer
Yarn: Manos Silk Blend
Colorway: Moss
Purchased at: Temptations
Needles #6
Date Started: 8/14/10
Progress: 60%
I love entrelac, and I especially love it in this yarn - so soft and shiny. I've even overcome my "Oh, no! It's camo!" reaction to this yarn and am hoping to find some cute brass buttons...maybe in the shape of acorns...to finsh this off perfectly.
Pattern: Grey Button-Up Neck Warmer #2
Yarn: Rowan Tapestry
Colorway: Lead Mine
Purchased at: Temptations
Needles: #9
Made for: a Christmas gift
Date Started: 9/13/10
Progress: 10%
This is the last of the holiday knitting. As I mentioned yesterday, I decided to go ahead and show these projects since I'm so far ahead of the season that anyone who reads my blog and who is going to receive one of these will probably have forgotten about it by Christmas. This neckwarmer pattern is a classic. I can knit it in my sleep. And the subtle color variations between the two strands of Rowan Tapestry give the piece an almost 3D effect (and even without the glasses!).
So, there you have it! The only project I didn't work on this week was the rug, but I'll catch up with it next week. Stay tuned for Friday - I have three FOs blocking at the moment, including a true mystery project. As in it's a mystery when I made it and why it ended up in a bag in the back of my closet when all it needed was blocking and ends woven in. And tomorrow, I'll show you some awesome yarn I have just percolating to be cast on for a couple more (a bazillion and TWO!) projects.
Happy knitting!!
Yarn: Red Heart Baby Clouds
Colorway: Pastels
Purchased at: Joann
Needles: #15
Made for: Da GrandSON!
Date Started: 9/11/10
Progress: 10%
I started babyknitting in earnest last weekend, casting on for THREE baby blankets. Two of them will be in the Baby Clouds yarn. I bought a ton of this yarn about five years ago when the twins next door were born, however, shortly after they were born, my husband was very ill, and I didn't get the blankets done till they were six months old. In that time, I'd bought even more of this yarn because I liked it a lot and was going to make myself a blanket, too. I'm not a Red Heart fan by any means, and I know a lot of people have trouble with this yarn - but I love it. It's a little splitty, I'll admit, but so very soft and durable. How durable??? The twins will be five on Friday and they're still using their blankets (I made them pretty big...)!!! I got a peek at one of them the other night, they're still soft, and they really don't look bad for five year old blankets made from cheap yarn. This is the same pattern I used for their blankets. I doubt I'll finish this one as quickly as I did one of theirs which I knit about 95% of while my husband was in surgery...knitting as sanity saver.
Yarn: Crystal Palace Mini Mochi
Colorway: Jungle
Purchased at: The Knitter's Mercantile and somewhere else...don't remember where...
Needles: #10
Date Started: 4/9/10. Frogged 9/1/10 and restarted 9/2/10
Progress: 40%
My goal was to have this shawl finished two weeks ago, but fate intervened. When I joined the last ball of yarn, I realized I probably wasn't going to have enough to finish the last pattern repeat and the ruffle. So I did 3/4 of the last repeat and started on the ruffle...then I realized I wasn't going to have enough yarn to finish even the ruffle. I put in a lifeline a pattern repeat back and frogged to that point to see how it would look if I added the ruffle and ended there. It didn't look good. Worse, it felt pretty stiff and heavy. So I frogged it and bumped up to #10 needles from #7s. I like this much better. The fabric has a nice drape, it feels like it will block nicely, and it's a little bit bigger. If I don't get five whole pattern repeats in, I don't think it will make as big a difference.
Yarn: My Name Is Yarn
Colorway: Moss 'N' Berries
Purchased at: My Name Is Yarn
Needles: #3
Date Started: 3/30/10
Progress: 30%
I'm still slogging away on this one, though it is getting easier as the decreases progress, and I know the reward of the finished shawl will be well worth all I've gone through to knit it.
Yarn: Lion Brand Wool Ease Sportweight
Colorway: Blue Bell
Purchased at: Joann
Needles: #7
Made for: Da GrandSON
Date Started: 8/9/10 in Bernat Softee Baby. Restarted in Wool Ease Sportweight 9/11/10.
Progress: 10%
I think I mentioned that I wasn't pleased with the stitch definition of this pattern with the green Softee Baby. When we found out last week that R is having a boy, I remembered this yarn was in my stash. It's a little too soon to really tell if the stitch definition is much better, but I'm loving the rich, denim blue instead of baby blue.
Yarn: Twilley's of Stamford Freedom Spirit
Colorway: Green
Purchased at: The Knitter's Mercantile
Needles: #8
Date Started: 4/28/10
Progress: 15%
This was one of the last projects I cast on during my spring bout of startitis. I bought a ton of this yarn on clearance and have two balls left. I'm hoping this scarf uses both of them! Fun little project.
Yarn: Knit Picks Shimmer
Colorway: Bayou
Purchased at: Knit Picks
Needles: #3
Date Started: 3/3/10
Progress: 55%
If you look closely at the top of the first picture, you can see the *very small amount* (I'm trying to psych myself here) of edging I still have to knit. Really, it's VERY small - I started on a 60" circular needle and now all the stitches that are remaining fit easily on a 24" circular. The second picture is another glamour shot of the beads. You can also see a couple mistakes. Oops. This project is not perfect. It's my first major lace project, and there are about four small errors that I know of. We'll see how glaringly obvious they are once this baby's blocked...
Yarn: Red Heart Baby Clouds
Colorway: Tutti Frutti
Purchased at: Joann
Needles: #13
Made for: You Know Who...
Date Started: 9/11/10
Progress: 40%
This is more of the Baby Clouds yarn I mentioned above. I found the pattern on some cheap boucle yarn from Joann and liked it a lot, so I decided to make a smaller baby blanket with it.
Yarn: Malabrigo Sock
Colorway: Rayon Vert
Purchased at: Temptations
Needles: #4
Date Started: 7/10/10
Progress: 70%
Almost 3/4 of the way through this one! I'm still wary of the color yarn I used but am hoping it all blocks out well. I really enjoy how easily this shawl has been to knit.
Yarn: Lost City Knits Oak Barn Merino
Colorway: African Violet
Purchased at: Lost City Knits
Needles: #4
Date Started: 8/25/10
Progress: 10%
Isn't this gorgeous? I love how this pattern is showing up so clearly. And the yarn is so soft...I'd be further along if I didn't keep stopping to pet what I've just knit. Best part of this shawl so far is the extra-squishy cast-on edge which is done by holding two strands of yarn together. Perfect! These bottom-up shawls go so slowly, but I am making steady progress.
Yarn: Knit Picks City Tweed DK
Colorway: Tabby
Purchased at: Knit Picks
Needles: #8
Date Started: 4/15/10
Progress: 45%
Speaking of ever-so-soft-n-squishy...the bigger this shawl gets, the more I love it. I have six balls of the Tabby City Tweed DK, and I plan on using them all in this shawl. I'm only on my second ball so far. LOVE this pattern and the yarn.
Yarn: Manos Silk Blend
Colorway: Moss
Purchased at: Temptations
Needles #6
Date Started: 8/14/10
Progress: 60%
I love entrelac, and I especially love it in this yarn - so soft and shiny. I've even overcome my "Oh, no! It's camo!" reaction to this yarn and am hoping to find some cute brass buttons...maybe in the shape of acorns...to finsh this off perfectly.
Yarn: Rowan Tapestry
Colorway: Lead Mine
Purchased at: Temptations
Needles: #9
Made for: a Christmas gift
Date Started: 9/13/10
Progress: 10%
This is the last of the holiday knitting. As I mentioned yesterday, I decided to go ahead and show these projects since I'm so far ahead of the season that anyone who reads my blog and who is going to receive one of these will probably have forgotten about it by Christmas. This neckwarmer pattern is a classic. I can knit it in my sleep. And the subtle color variations between the two strands of Rowan Tapestry give the piece an almost 3D effect (and even without the glasses!).
So, there you have it! The only project I didn't work on this week was the rug, but I'll catch up with it next week. Stay tuned for Friday - I have three FOs blocking at the moment, including a true mystery project. As in it's a mystery when I made it and why it ended up in a bag in the back of my closet when all it needed was blocking and ends woven in. And tomorrow, I'll show you some awesome yarn I have just percolating to be cast on for a couple more (a bazillion and TWO!) projects.
Happy knitting!!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Ten on Tuesday - 10 Reasons to Watch Football
I don't watch football, not anymore, at least. When I was growing up, football was how my father and I bonded. We watched every college and pro game on TV or listened on radio (sometimes both, simultaneously!). We went to high school games on Friday and Saturday nights. We went to NFL training camps and the Hall of Fame. After I moved away, I almost always came home on Sundays so I could watch football with Dad. If I didn't, we'd be on the phone first thing Monday morning, catching up and dishing on who missed what tackle. We were totally all about football, and I loved it.
Dad died in 1987, two days after I turned 30, and on his 64th birthday. Slowly, my interest in football began to wane. It just wasn't the same with out Dad. I still had a lot of football-crazy friends (in Columbus, Ohio, just about everyone is football crazy), so I still watched a lot of games with friends, but I did it more for the social aspect than actually watching the game.
When I met Pete, my interest revived briefly. He's a Cleveland boy and was a big Browns fan. I liked the Browns, so we watched a lot of games together. Then the owner of the Browns absconded the team off to Baltimore (dirty words...dirty words...), and Pete and I agreed we no longer cared about football. In recent years, he's softened a bit in that stance. I haven't. I have less than no interest in ever watching football again.
However...since this is supposed to be about reasons to watch football and NOT reasons why I never watch football anymore, let me pull on some memory cells and see what I can come up with...
1. It's a fun way to hang out with friends, eat unhealthy but delicious food and drink beer.
2. Ok...it's exciting when there's a big play, an "immaculate reception", an impossible catch.
3. A lot of those guys look pretty cute in those tight pants. But not all of them...eek...
4. It's an officially sanctioned way to practice the ritual of primal screaming which can help with stress reduction.
5. Marching bands - although most halftime shows on TV these days are just stupid talk. In the old days, marching bands RULED! If you go to a game, you can actually SEE a marching band - and they are the coolest thing about football by far.
6. It's a nice way to enjoy a cool crisp fall day. Or a wet soggy fall day. Or a frigid, snowy fall day.
7. Did I mention hanging out with friends and drinking beer? I did? Ok...
8. Super Bowl parties are usually a lot of fun even if you don't watch a minute of the game (see #1 and #7).
9. Everybody's gotta believe in something, why not believe in your local team?
10. Food. Beer. Friends. Repeat as necessary.
Dad died in 1987, two days after I turned 30, and on his 64th birthday. Slowly, my interest in football began to wane. It just wasn't the same with out Dad. I still had a lot of football-crazy friends (in Columbus, Ohio, just about everyone is football crazy), so I still watched a lot of games with friends, but I did it more for the social aspect than actually watching the game.
When I met Pete, my interest revived briefly. He's a Cleveland boy and was a big Browns fan. I liked the Browns, so we watched a lot of games together. Then the owner of the Browns absconded the team off to Baltimore (dirty words...dirty words...), and Pete and I agreed we no longer cared about football. In recent years, he's softened a bit in that stance. I haven't. I have less than no interest in ever watching football again.
However...since this is supposed to be about reasons to watch football and NOT reasons why I never watch football anymore, let me pull on some memory cells and see what I can come up with...
1. It's a fun way to hang out with friends, eat unhealthy but delicious food and drink beer.
2. Ok...it's exciting when there's a big play, an "immaculate reception", an impossible catch.
3. A lot of those guys look pretty cute in those tight pants. But not all of them...eek...
4. It's an officially sanctioned way to practice the ritual of primal screaming which can help with stress reduction.
5. Marching bands - although most halftime shows on TV these days are just stupid talk. In the old days, marching bands RULED! If you go to a game, you can actually SEE a marching band - and they are the coolest thing about football by far.
6. It's a nice way to enjoy a cool crisp fall day. Or a wet soggy fall day. Or a frigid, snowy fall day.
7. Did I mention hanging out with friends and drinking beer? I did? Ok...
8. Super Bowl parties are usually a lot of fun even if you don't watch a minute of the game (see #1 and #7).
9. Everybody's gotta believe in something, why not believe in your local team?
10. Food. Beer. Friends. Repeat as necessary.
Monday, September 13, 2010
If FO Friday comes on Monday, does that still mean it's Monday?
My Finished Object collection is slightly out of hand right now. I have three completed projects (including one I just happened to run across by accident that I finished a couple years ago) that need blocking and finishing touches. And I have three done and usable projects to share. And don't even ask about the WIP situation...we learned last week that our first grandchild is going to be a boy, so serious baby knitting has commenced and other projects are simmering quietly on the back burner. You'll hear all about them on Wednesday. It's frightening...truly...
Pattern: 198 Yards of Heaven
Yarn: Malabrigo Merino Worsted
Colorway: Stonechat
Purchased at: Temptations
Needles: #8
Date Started: 8/21/10
Date Finished: 8/22/10
Yays: This is such a cool pattern. I love the way it works up quickly and easily and, of course, I love the yarn. Stonechat is my new "favorite color" for fall.
Nays: Although this yarn stretched like crazy when I was making the ribbing for a hat, it really did not have much give to it when I blocked it, and actually turned out just a wee bit smaller than the 198YoH I made using the Berroco Ultra Alpaca. I was mildly (very mildly) disappointed at this.
Pattern: Button-Up Neck Warmer
Yarn: Rowan Tapestry
Colorway: Lead Mine
Purchased at: Temptations
Needles: #9 (two strands of Tapestry held together)
Date Started: 7/17/10
Date Finished: 8/14/10
Yays: I started out using one strand of this yarn and really disliked the way it was knitting up - much too floppy for the thick, woven fabric it's supposed to be. When I started frogging the inch or two I'd knit, I ended up with a huge knot and cut the yarn in frustration. Really lucky move! I decided to start playing around with holding two strands together and, because I'd cut a few yards from one ball, the colors weren't uniform, resulting in a very cool, tweedy look that I adore. What else do I love? The buttons! Look at those awesome buttons!!! And I love this pattern - I can almost knit it in my sleep yet still don't get bored with knitting or admiring it.
Nays: The yarn is somewhat scratchy. I don't think I'd want to wear it against my bare neck for any length of time, but it would be awesome over a turtleneck. I'm also not crazy about the buttonholes and may have to do some creative stitching to tighten them up a little.
Other comments: Yes, this was the "Grey Holiday Mystery Thang" that I've been avoiding showing people for months. Someone told me the other day that even if the recipient of my holiday knitting reads my blog and sees their gift, I'm knitting so far ahead of the season that they'll forget they saw it by the holidays and it will be a surprise! So... But this one is for me, mainly because I kind of messed up sewing on that bottom button and don't want to redo it or give it to someone with an upside down moon button. I'm funny that way...
Pattern: Christmas Tree Skirt
Yarn: Plymouth Encore Worsted
Colorway: Cranberry and Dark Greenhouse
Purchased at: The Knitter's Mercantile
Needles: #9
Date Started: 1/12/10
Date Finished: 8/20/10
Yays: Last winter was my "winter of knitting short rows", and this pattern fell right in line with that. Easy, garter stitch, works up pretty quickly, though I took my good sweet time with it.
Nays: What to do with all those yarn ends? I'm still not sure, so I cut them all at an even length that I can easily weave in if I decide to, then tied them in cute little bows. I'm toying with the idea of attaching bells or little unbreakable ornaments of some kind by the ends. I'll make that decision closer to the season. For now, I'm just glad to be finished with this project.
Off to do more baby blanket knitting! Time's a-wastin'!!!
Yarn: Malabrigo Merino Worsted
Colorway: Stonechat
Purchased at: Temptations
Needles: #8
Date Started: 8/21/10
Date Finished: 8/22/10
Yays: This is such a cool pattern. I love the way it works up quickly and easily and, of course, I love the yarn. Stonechat is my new "favorite color" for fall.
Nays: Although this yarn stretched like crazy when I was making the ribbing for a hat, it really did not have much give to it when I blocked it, and actually turned out just a wee bit smaller than the 198YoH I made using the Berroco Ultra Alpaca. I was mildly (very mildly) disappointed at this.
Pattern: Button-Up Neck Warmer
Yarn: Rowan Tapestry
Colorway: Lead Mine
Purchased at: Temptations
Needles: #9 (two strands of Tapestry held together)
Date Started: 7/17/10
Date Finished: 8/14/10
Yays: I started out using one strand of this yarn and really disliked the way it was knitting up - much too floppy for the thick, woven fabric it's supposed to be. When I started frogging the inch or two I'd knit, I ended up with a huge knot and cut the yarn in frustration. Really lucky move! I decided to start playing around with holding two strands together and, because I'd cut a few yards from one ball, the colors weren't uniform, resulting in a very cool, tweedy look that I adore. What else do I love? The buttons! Look at those awesome buttons!!! And I love this pattern - I can almost knit it in my sleep yet still don't get bored with knitting or admiring it.
Nays: The yarn is somewhat scratchy. I don't think I'd want to wear it against my bare neck for any length of time, but it would be awesome over a turtleneck. I'm also not crazy about the buttonholes and may have to do some creative stitching to tighten them up a little.
Other comments: Yes, this was the "Grey Holiday Mystery Thang" that I've been avoiding showing people for months. Someone told me the other day that even if the recipient of my holiday knitting reads my blog and sees their gift, I'm knitting so far ahead of the season that they'll forget they saw it by the holidays and it will be a surprise! So... But this one is for me, mainly because I kind of messed up sewing on that bottom button and don't want to redo it or give it to someone with an upside down moon button. I'm funny that way...
Yarn: Plymouth Encore Worsted
Colorway: Cranberry and Dark Greenhouse
Purchased at: The Knitter's Mercantile
Needles: #9
Date Started: 1/12/10
Date Finished: 8/20/10
Yays: Last winter was my "winter of knitting short rows", and this pattern fell right in line with that. Easy, garter stitch, works up pretty quickly, though I took my good sweet time with it.
Nays: What to do with all those yarn ends? I'm still not sure, so I cut them all at an even length that I can easily weave in if I decide to, then tied them in cute little bows. I'm toying with the idea of attaching bells or little unbreakable ornaments of some kind by the ends. I'll make that decision closer to the season. For now, I'm just glad to be finished with this project.
Off to do more baby blanket knitting! Time's a-wastin'!!!
Musical Monday - Labor Day Bluegrass Extravaganza!
Or something along those lines just to get me caught up. It was another one of "those" weekends with lots of activities including spending a lovely evening with the neighbors next door and their twins (who will turn five on Friday). Memorable quote of the evening from Vivyan (after being scolded for wiping her nose on her mother's napkin): "Moooooommmm...God has mmaaaaaaannnnnyyyyy napkins!"
But, since it's Musical Monday, I'll start out by recapping last weekend's musical mayhem with my husband and his band, Death ByBarbecue Banjo. They had gigs every day of the Labor Day weekend - and each one involved barbecue! I'm not a fan of barbecue, but I managed.
I didn't go to Saturday's gig - needed a little downtime. However, Sunday's gig, Bluegrass, Barbecue and Boom, was a smashing (dare I say "booming"?) success. It was held at Dawe's Arboretum, which is one of those amazing places you need to visit if you ever come to Ohio. I was fortunate to grow up less than ten miles from Dawe's and visited often, however, it had been over thirty years since I'd been there.
Though I didn't get to see a lot of the arboretum, I could tell it was at least as lovely as I remembered, if not moreso. I got to relive many favorite childhood memories such as the summer I was six, when my mother took broom handles, nylon netting and wire coat hangers and made butterfly nets for me and all of my friends. She'd fill the car with kids and drive us out to Dawe's where we'd spend the day catching butterflies - butterflies we had to be very careful not to kill or injure as we only caught them to look at them up close and identify them, then we let them go.
DBB was one of three bluegrass bands to perform. The Newark-Granville Symphony (a very impressive group of musicians!) were the headliners. I wish I'd been able to get some pictures of them, but I filled up the memory card on my camera trying to get a good video of DBB. Here are a few pics (but no video...):
The next day, we went to The Hill's Market for their annual event, The Ohio Hog Roast. Yes, we had barbecue. Very good barbecue...barbecue that even I wanted second helpings of! We had a big, enthusiastic crowd for this show, too, including the world's youngest DBB fan (and banjo player's granddaughter).
We are enjoying beautiful, cool, sunny early autumn days here in central Ohio, and I've had plenty of opportunities to bring out my Brandywine Shawl. On Sunday, at Dawe's, I was walking through the crowd, looking for a good spot to take pictures when a heard a woman's voice yell something I couldn't quite make out. A few steps later, I realized it sounded like she said, "Brandywine", so I stopped and turned around and saw this:
Is this cool or what? She had just finished and blocked her Brandywine which was knit with Sterling and Silver which has amazing little silver bits all through it. She also showed me the Merope Shawl she had just started in the same yarn, and it was equally beautiful. How amazing is this? I'm at a bluegrass festival and meet a fellow knitter with the same shawl I'm wearing! It made my day, no, it made my whole weekend, plain and simple.
But, since it's Musical Monday, I'll start out by recapping last weekend's musical mayhem with my husband and his band, Death By
I didn't go to Saturday's gig - needed a little downtime. However, Sunday's gig, Bluegrass, Barbecue and Boom, was a smashing (dare I say "booming"?) success. It was held at Dawe's Arboretum, which is one of those amazing places you need to visit if you ever come to Ohio. I was fortunate to grow up less than ten miles from Dawe's and visited often, however, it had been over thirty years since I'd been there.
Though I didn't get to see a lot of the arboretum, I could tell it was at least as lovely as I remembered, if not moreso. I got to relive many favorite childhood memories such as the summer I was six, when my mother took broom handles, nylon netting and wire coat hangers and made butterfly nets for me and all of my friends. She'd fill the car with kids and drive us out to Dawe's where we'd spend the day catching butterflies - butterflies we had to be very careful not to kill or injure as we only caught them to look at them up close and identify them, then we let them go.
DBB was one of three bluegrass bands to perform. The Newark-Granville Symphony (a very impressive group of musicians!) were the headliners. I wish I'd been able to get some pictures of them, but I filled up the memory card on my camera trying to get a good video of DBB. Here are a few pics (but no video...):
The crowd starts filling in early.
My sweetie getting tuned up
 | ||
| and posing for a glamour shot. |
 |
| Last-minute rehearsal |
 |
| Lots of eager bluegrass fans waiting for the show to start. |
 |
| And they weren't disappointed!!! |
We are enjoying beautiful, cool, sunny early autumn days here in central Ohio, and I've had plenty of opportunities to bring out my Brandywine Shawl. On Sunday, at Dawe's, I was walking through the crowd, looking for a good spot to take pictures when a heard a woman's voice yell something I couldn't quite make out. A few steps later, I realized it sounded like she said, "Brandywine", so I stopped and turned around and saw this:
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