Spiral Cowl Done

Another FO for me this month! Don't think that I'll manage to get another done as there's only a day left in this month - now that would take more needle turbo that I have LOL

I finished the spiral cowl that I was working on in stranded colourwork.  I had a lot of issues with the yarn that I used as a Main Colour.  It started out great and I was really pleased with how it was going, when about halfway through, it suddenly got thin, then thick, then thin and it continued in that manner all the way to the end of the skein.  I'm so happy that gauge wasn't important in this project as if it was, then it wouldn't have fit me properly.  It just meant the my other yarn had to work twice as hard and it did great!

I used it all up completely and totally - I didn't want any of this yarn left in my stash and returned the other skein that I had picked up.  I rather didn't want to do it as it was such a pretty colourway, but I didn't want to use a yarn that would've been worrying about all the way through my project.  I'll find another yarn with a similar colourway - so not to worried about it - much LOL

The cowl did turn out well considering - it fits nicely and as I used this yarn for the lining it's nice and soft against my skin.  I did not block this except for the seams to straighten out the curling so I could seam it easier.

I just love the pattern - it was well written and assumes that a person has a basic understanding of knitting.  The lining is a great idea as you don't have to worry about your floats catching on glasses frames, zippers, buttons etc.  And with this yarn being acrylic, it can get tossed in the washer  / dryer with no fear of it shrinking or felting.  We've had a weird winter and I'm not sure how many days I'll get to wear it this year, but this will be around for several years and I am looking forward to getting some good wearing time out of it.

I've more socks planned and my first shawl :)  I'll be doing two at a time socks for the first time as well since I was able to find a long enough circular to try this with - maybe too long, but would rather have to much than to little.  Fingers crossed I do well with this method and fingers crossed I do well with the shawl too :)

Finished Object Please??

A finished object is so close to happening! I can't wait! I know i make it sound like forever, but it honestly feels that way.  You'd think with 4 different projects on my needles, that I would have something ready to show LOL.  I have been steadily working on the cowls in the past bit when I was in a knit mood.

Clue 3 has been presented and been finished for the Valanar Cowl MKAL - Clue 4 is supposed go live sometime today and I'm waiting with bated breath!  With the new cables being added, this cowl feels like it's taking forever to do a round now.  Not sure how many more rows this is going to take.  The yardage for the pattern says 350-400yds; my skein is for 251 yds and I'm still on the first skein - I knit to gauge so ... not sure how much Clue 4 is going to take considering I've not even reached 350 yds - esh I could be knitting til spring!  LOL

While waiting for clues, I worked on my cowl - it's slow going as I'm doing colour work.  I was thinking how long it had been since I've done colour work, and I'm pretty sure that the Kid wasn't born the last time I did it and he's 21 now LOL  oh vay!!!  So, ya - it's been a few years LOL 

I was a wee bit irked by the yarn I picked for my cowl - when I was doing the first 10 rows, it started light then went to dark colours, light and almost black - considering my contrasting colour is black, my eyes were going a wee bit crossed.  I did not it to be that dark - I really couldn't even see the difference in colour while knitting it and the colour difference wasn't apparent on the needles either as you can see in this pic.  It slowed me down even more (if that was possible LOL) just because I had to count each section and checked each colour section and count every stitch at least twice.

I managed to blunder on through it and am maybe - MAYBE a quarter of the way through.  My cowl is half the size of the one I'm making for my step dad and it'll likely take me longer LOL  I'm okay with that, I am enjoying the process and watching the pattern emerge with each row.

I hope that the rest of it will be heading towards  lighter colours that I see in the skein.  I wanted the pattern to pop instead of be subtle.  I think it's going to look great either way, so I won't be disappointed.

I do have another cowl for myself planned  - Cat Lover's Cowl that will use black yarn for the contrast with another Red Heart Unforgettable in the Dragonfly colourway.

In early January I won a contest on Instagram that was hosted by Brownberry Yarns (located in the UK). It was loaded with Hiyahiya accessories; kitty snips, stitch markers, a tape measure, bamboo dpns, a skein of Debbie Bliss Rialto Luxury Sock yarn colour 02 and a pattern.  Josie from Brownberry Yarns included a wonderful handwritten note and was a joy to work with and is very personable.  I've been wanting the Hiyahiya kittysnips for the longest time and I just love Hiyahiya accessories.  Thank you again Josie for hosting the competition and thank you for being such a wonderful person :)  I keep looking at the yarn and am wondering what it wants to be.  It looks gorgeous and I love the barberpoling.

No progress has been made on my Enya socks or my stash buster KAL blanket - Once I get the cowls down - I'm thinking I'll be casting on another pair of socks - or force myself to finish my enya socks - either way - I have a few other pairs of socks poking at me or else starting the shawl instead .. hmmm decisions decisions LOL  eeeeep

Domino Square Potholder Pattern

Here's another great article from interweave ... full article [read more]

Imagine all the great things you can make using this technique .. towels, throws, rugs, maybe even a shawl if you're able to create a pattern on your own :)

Domino Square Potholder 

Measurements: 7.5" x 7.5" (19 x 19 cm) without border, 8" x 8" (20 x 20 cm) with border
Yarn: DK weight cotton yarn
Colors: Purple, fuchsia, and violet
Needles: Dn 4 (3.5 mm). Circular needle 4 (3.5 mm) for the border.

Abbreviations 
K-CO: knitted cast-on
dn: domino needle (see info below)
K-CO 75 stitch on dn and knit a square (see instructions below) with 9 purple ridges, 1 fuchsia, 1 purple, 10 fuchsia, 1 violet, 1 fuchsia, ridge and the rest with violet. When 3 stitches remain, knit a 2¾" (7 cm) long strip for the loop. Turn the loop to the wrong side and sew it down neatly.


How to Knit a Basic Domino Square

Using the knitted cast-on, CO 25 stitches.
Row 1 (WS): Knit to the last st, p1. Mark the center three stitches.
Row 2 (RS): (Note: The yarn tail hangs at the right side.) Sl 1 kwise, knit to marker before center 3 sts (=k10), sl 1 kwise, k2tog, psso, knit to the last st (= 10sts), p1 (= 23 sts).
Row 3 and all WS rows: Sl 1 kwise, knit to last st, end p1.
Row 4: Sl 1 kwise, knit to marker before center 3 sts (= k9), sl 1, k2tog, psso, knit to last st (= k9), end p1 (= 21 sts).
Row 6: Sl 1 kwise, knit to marker before center 3 sts (= k89), sl 1, k2tog, psso, knit to last st (= k8), end p1 (= 19 sts).
Row 8: Sl 1 kwise, knit to marker before center 3 sts (= k7), sl 1, k2tog, psso, knit to last st (= k7), end p1 (= 17 sts).

Continue in this manner until 3 sts remain.

Next row (WS): Sl 1 kwise, k1, p1.
Next row: Sl 1, k2tog, psso (= 1st) This is a live stitch that you will use when you knit the next square. 

Knitted "Mouse Teeth" Picot
With circular needle, purple yarn, and right side facing, pick up and knit 75-76 stitches in the stitches of the CO row. Knit 1 row. 
New row: *Using the first stitch on the needle as the beginning stitch, K-CO 2 new stitches, BO 4 stitches, move the stitches on the right needle to the left needle*; repeat *-*. Cut yarn and pull tail through last stitch.

Domino Needles (Dn) 
According to Vivian Høxbro, "A pair of domino needles is absolutely indispensable. The needles are only about 8" (20 cm) long, with a knob on one end so that the needle ends won't get stuck in your clothes or your knitting."

I agree, knitting small pieces is easier if you use short needles. You can buy short needles if you want to or simply place point protectors on a pair of double-pointed needles and use those. Double-pointed, double-duty! When you need to return the needles to their set, just take off the point protectors and you're good to go. I use DPNs all the time when I'm knitting scarves or baby clothes.

You could also use circular needles; I'd recommend 24-inch needles because 16-inch circulars are too short to comfortably work with, and a cable longer than 24 inches can be awkward when you're turning your work all the time.

Another reason that short needles are great in this type of knitting is because you use less movement when you're turning the work, which is a good thing and helps avoid repetitive-motion injuries.

joining yarns

Found a nice tidbit on joining yarns, i admit i've gotten lazy and just knot the pieces and it gets buried in the stitch or to the back .. ive been lucky so far ;)  but here is another method i've used along with using 2 threads from each piece.  This is just the how-to that Kathleen has posted in her Knitting Daily article, to see the full article [read more...]


Overlapping Old and New Yarn

Use this joining method in an inconspicuous place, such as 1-2 inches from the side edge or in a textured area. This method is well suited for wools, synthetics, blends of any kind, and novelty yarns that are worsted-weight or finer. When worked with nonelastic yarns such as cotton and ribbon yarn, this join may be visible from the right side.

Step 1. Overlap the end of the old ball and the beginning of the new ball for about 6 inches.
Step 2. Work two stitches with the two strands held together as if there were a single strand.
Step 3. Drop the strand from the old ball and continue working with the new.
Step 4. On the next row, work the double-stranded stitches as if they were single-strand stitches. During finishing, secure the two loose ends by weaving them diagonally into the wrong side of the knitted fabric (weaving them horizontally or vertically may create a visible ridge on the right side).

—From The Knitter's Companion by Vicki Square

Now the trick here is how you position the new yarn with the old yarn. Take a look at the Step 1 illustration above. See how the tail of the new yarn (shown in blue) points to the right and the end of the old yarn points to the left? That's the key. I was holding the tail and end of the old and new yarn together and not overlapping them correctly, creating a twisted stitch with the new yarn.

No more bummer!!

Honeycomb Stitch

From the interweave Knitting Daily - for full article [read more]

Honeycomb, from Pop Knitting
Stitch count: multiple of 22.
Two colors.

Rows 1-15: With color 1, work in stockinette, beginning on WS with a purl row.
Row 16 (RS): With color 2, *(pick up 1 st 7 rows below and place it on left needle. Purl that stitch together with next st) 3 times, p16, (pick up 1 st 7 rows below and place it on left needle. Purl that stitch together with next st) 3 times; rep from *.
Row 17 (WS): With color 2, knit.
Row 18 (RS): With color 1, purl.
Row 19-25: With color 1, work in stockinette, beginning on WS with a purl row.
Row 26 (RS): With color 1, *k8, (pick up 1 st 7 rows down and place it on left needle. Knit it together with next st) 6 times, k8; rep from *.
Rows 27-32: With color 1, work in stockinette, beginning on WS with a purl row.
Repeat Rows 1-32.

Half way there

Am on a quiet time wanna watch movie phase so taking advantage and knitting .. those pot scrubbies I did last night gave me a good motivational kick in the pants to get knitting again ..

Free Lush Lacy Mitts Pattern

I just love this pattern from Sweaterbabe.  Matter of fact i love most of her work .. absolutely amazing stuff and shes on ravelry too!  I found her a few years ago while hunting for a unique sweater pattern - and all her stuff is unique!  She works with a lot of texture and cables - which ya'll know i LOVE!  I'm on her mailing list and just wanted to share these mitts with you.  these are going into my queue on ravery :)

At any rate, here's the requirements for this pattern - please visit her site to download the pattern :)

Lush Lacy Mitts PDF Knitting Pattern
My Lovely Lace Fingerless Gloves were inspired by my love of vintage lace and desire to have a quick knit gift project!

I’ve always loved the elegance of fancy evening gloves that feature many pearl buttons running down the wrist and forearm. So chic and ladylike, but not wearable for every day.

I designed these with an opening at the back, so it could then be adorned with fancy beads or pretty buttons for the faux button closure. The bonus was that the first half of this project could be worked quickly and easily on straight needles before needing to switch to DPNs (which I tolerate, but aren’t my favorite, ha ha).

The lace pattern is a lovely double leaf lace that was the perfect number of stitches to achieve the all-over lace design. Limiting myself to one ball was also a fun challenge and a great way to attack my stash and make room for new yarns..

See the Web-Letter from Classic Elite yarns about this free pattern.

These photos taken by Meg Myers of Classic Elite yarns.

Finished Size(s): Adult M: approx 7" circumference unstretched, and 8" long.

Skill Level:  

Yarn Used: Classic Elite Lush (50% Angora/50% Wool); 1.75 oz/50g (123 yd/112m) per hank: 1 hank in color #4407 Thistle

Gauge(s): 
Pattern Gauge: 13 stitches = approx 3 1/2" [9 cm] in Lace Stitch patt on Size 9 [5.5mm] needles.
Yarn Label Gauge and Information: A medium, worsted weight yarn in a soft angora/wool blend with a gauge of 4 sts = 1" on size 8-9 needles.

Total Yardage Required: 123 yds [112 m].

Some suggested yarn substitutes to try:
If you have a yarn substitute to suggest for this project, email us!

Knitting Needles Used: Knitting needles and dpn in size US 9
(5.5 mm) or size to obtain gauge.

* * *
Please note: SweaterBabe.com patterns are authorized for home use only and are not to be knit/crocheted for resale. All pattern sales are final. 

Brioche Begins

I finallly got my head wrapped around the brioche stitch, or got my head unstuffed enough to just TRY it!  The attempt was ... interesting ... to say the least, but i frogged it and tried again.  I also did a wee bit more clicking and research and found another pattern that made more sense to me.  Don't get me wrong, the orginal pattern i had found was decent enough, but I think she went to far to explain things - and made it harder than it needed to be.  This other pattern I found at Fireflower Knits made way more sense to me for some reason. Maybe because she laid out it with simple knit directions without the explanation.  It was nice to be able to start the pattern without having to read a full page of explanations that came before they needed to.  (Hmmm - maybe that's why i had such an issue with my Seafoam Flower sweater - it was over explained, and didn't have instructions where they needed to be ...food for thought there).  This specific line was my personal lifesaver "Edited to add: Slip all stitches purlwise with yarn held in front throughout."

The stitch itself is pretty mindless and creates its own rhythym once you get going - granted i needed to keep my eyes on what i was doing because of the yarn overs.   The brioche stitch itself is 3 stitches (sl 1, YO, K2TOG), and each row starts and ends with a K stitch.  Easy Peasy! 

As you can see in my pic (go ahead and click, it'll open in a new window), I got the first cable started - and also shifted my stitches over by one :( ... not even gonna try and tink (reverse knit) this, and i'll just frog it and start it again - this bit here took me less than an hour to do, so I'm thinking it's going to knit up pretty fast.  Back to the cable part - she has you slip the stitches to your cable needle, then slip them back - not to sure WHY this needs to be done .. im thinking that's where i shifted my stitches over is doing that .. ah well .. I'm excited and pretty pleased so far, even though Im gonna have to frog it and start again ..

Im doing this with Red Heart Super Soft in Royal Purple with US 10s

Fingers Twitching

Forgive me blog, for i have sinned. It’s been 1 ¹/₂ years since my last post :| Hard to believe its been that long, but it has .. oi vay! Where has the time gone! It seems so much longer since my last post, but according to my blog - last post was june 8, 2010 - but before that it was Feb 1, 2010, so almost 2 years really .. now that feels right!
But i’m back .. bought some more yarn (I srsly need a scarf n hat) I saw my hat n scarf not that long ago, but of course when i go to use them ... they aren’t there :| So - I bought more yarn and have picked my patterns for a beret hat and a really nice lacy type scarf.
I've had both of these in my queue forever tho on ravelry. Beckett Beret Pattern and since i couldn’t decide on what scarf, im making both of these - Double Day Flower Scarf and Agave Scarf.  I wished that the designer of the hat or scarf had made a pattern for its mate .. but course not, so i got to pick ones that were close enough to the other.

The yarn i got is soooo soft and of course its purple ;) i bought 3 100g skeins and each should take up 1 skein each :D  i've a few other patterns in my queue that i would rather do, but they aren't the right weight (i swear i'm cursed LOL)  but im thinking these are close enough in pattern that they should compliment each other nicely!  I've pulled out my needles for the hat.  I prefer to use circulars and to make sure i'm not pulling it to tight, i use 2 circs :)  I could use DPNs, but meh ... i prefer the circs - just easier all around to use.  I was hoping to start this tonite - i prolly still could, but would be up all night knitting if i did that .. heh ..not that I've never done THAT before!  Im thinking with the YOs and the cabling it shouldn't take me more than a day or two to get the beret done once i get back into the groove of knitting again .. and the scarf shouldn't take much longer than that.  i was gonna do mittens, but not sure bout the casting off at the fingers as i like the combination glove / mitten kind ... i find that extra bit tends to keep your fingers that wee bit warmer :) and i can have finger mobility when needed .. i'm telling you i suffered a bit last winter with having to take my gloves off while txting ...bloody touch screens LOL  really dont want to have to live thru that again .. so gloves might take me a wee bit longer .. I think im gonna need another skein .. or i give up on one of the scarves .. hmmm .. naw .. another skein works for me 

updated 12.29.11 -  I've grabbed another skein and lucky me it was the same dye lot!  Last one mind you, but i've got it at least .. so i'm hoping to make the beret, scarf (at least one) and a pair of mittens ;)

Tinking Frogs ...

Now that got your attention didn't it? And you're prolly thinking, knowing grace, this is going to make some sort of twisted sense .. and believe me .. it does .. honestly!!!

You've prolly guessed the frog part since I've been working on my sweater using recycled yarn, but the tinking you might not have figured out yet!

I've been working on my winter seafoam flower (ravelry project link) and while the left side when up in no time flat, the right was problematic-ish .. I got both the right side and left side, joined in the middle and one piece when I realized what they meant by ... work as follows from RS: 3 garter sts, M.1 ... on both the left and right back pieces .. when you join the pieces together you get ... 6 garter sts, M.4 ... // sigh .. ah well .. froggy went to market and I started both pieces again .. while prolly no one but me would have notice .. the fact that I noticed was enough ..

I got the left side all done with no incident and started on the right side .. noticed something I missed maybe 5 rows in ... rippit rippit rippit rippit again ... started again, got halfway thru when I noticed that I had added an extra cable twist .. AAAAAARRRRRHHHHHHGGGGGGG .. so rippit rippit rippit rippit again ..

FINALLY - the right side is done with a few missed garter st .. at this point .. i'll live with it me thinks .. and if someone is looking that closely at that location, it's not my knitting they are checking out // znerk!! ahem .. anywho ..

I got the sides down and joined up ... I've not sewn in the back flower yet, I'll wait for that, just in case I change my mind about ripping that ..

My latest quandry comes from this particular direction .. "AT THE SAME TIME ... inc 1 st each side by K 2 sts in the last but one st, and repeat the inc on .... " I understand that I need to increase each side .. but am totally wondering What K2 stitches???? The pattern link is here and this is the section titled BACK PIECE after the CROCHET FLOWER and LEFT and RIGHT SIDE sections .. section starts out with "BACK PIECE: Slip the 2 back pieces on the same needle with pattern towards pattern = 66-72-80-88-98-108 sts. Continue as follows: 1 edge st " .. oh and if you need to know . i'm making the XL size ... Any ideas? Help? Interpretations????

Now for the 'tinking' part .. i was reading an article in either knitting daily or interweave online .. not sure what one .. but the author was discussing her frogging skills, but also talked about reversed knitting which she coined as tink .. as that's knit spelt backwards .. how clever is that!

AHA ... found it!

I decided to read a bit further on and found this sentence in the FRONT instructions just a wee bit further down the page ...
DECREASES AND INCREASES: At the same time when piece measures 3 cm / 1 1/8'' dec at the side as described for back piece and when piece measures 22 cm / 8 3/4'' inc at the side as described for back piece. When all dec and inc are complete there are 42-46-50-54-58-64 sts on needle.

So I do my increases at the edges :D .. w00t w00t ..

Winter Seafoam Flower

My previous post shared my adventures with recycled yarn - and this is the project that I'll be using it for .. this sweater is just soooo gorgeous and I've been drooling over it for the past few months waiting to be able to start this for Restitch 2010 (I've made a group on Ravelry for it that you are more than welcome to join - Ravelery members click here

Today I struggled with crochet, and I've not done any in 20 years since I made a blanket for my new born Godson ... then it was like 11 years before that that I crocheted .. oi vay! Talk about getting frustrated!! But I hit up the videos on Garn Studios and got the flower section on the back done in just a few hours .. I had a few back up and restarts (yes this means I frogged!!), I see a few spots where I'm like .. Hmmm??? .. but all in all, I'm very happy with it

The Drops Design patterns have always been a wee bit intimidating for me, but I'm biting the bullet and just forging ahead .. i'm a smart woman and I can figure this out ... taking my own advice of 'one line at a time' should be my mantra for this pattern.

I think once i get over the (**shudders) of charts and the not so simplistic language in the pattern, I'll be fine .. I made it thru the crochet flower back piece ..so the rest should be workable! It seems easier now than when I first started, so I can't see it getting any harder .. I know .. famous last words!! heh .... But if I have to frog - I frog .. only way to learn :)

Wish me luck!!

Restitch - GO!!!

Restitch 2010 is now underway! The official kick-off has started. If you've not hit your thrift shop of choice, dark closet corner, relative's closet - now's the time to head there :) ... I got a start with my Looping Chalices hat and the Dripping Chalices scarf using the cold weather and no decent stuff in my yarn stash as an excuse :D .. worked for me heh .. umm let me define decent .. nothing that wasn't marled, swirled or black .. marled / swirled yarns have the nasty habit of losing your decorative stitches and I really didn't want to use black ... it's so hard to see to work with. So i frogged the sweater I bought at Value Village and balled it up for my hat and scarf.

Quick chat on the scarf .. Popsicle Scarf pattern on ravelry written by Purple Sage - it had just the right look to nicely compliment my Looping Chalices hat. It was a quick and easy knit to do, even tho I found it tedious at times, it was still super easy and quick to make .. the M1 and then dropping that stitch 7 rows later is a perfect change. This scarf is actually taller than me and I'm 5' 3". It's nice and warm - and the pattern allows it to be almost a reversible scarf.

For my first (well second ... third!) project I picked this gorgeous sweater from Drops Design - DROPS Jacket with cable and lace pattern and crochet triangle on back piece. I've always been a wee bit intimidated by their patterns, but was definitely taking the plunge! I just fell in love with this pattern and am itching to try it! I think even if I supremely goof it, it'll still look stunning .. LOL

A friend from work gave me a sweater that doesn't fit her boyfriend - unless he was a gorilla, and this man is NOT a gorilla. AWESOME!! Ooodles n ooodles of yarn there .. Gorgeous seafoam green worsted weight. Got to Knatter on Wednesday nite and had my balls of yarn all ready to go, pattern printed .. just had to do my test swatch and I was off .. heh .. so I thought. I did my first swatch with the 8s that the pattern calls for .. it was small .. so i jumped up a needle size to 9s ..that was small too **scratches heads ... thinks a bit .. hmmmmm The pattern calls for 2 strands of DK yarn with it being 12 wpi (worsted) and 17 sts / 4 in (also worsted). I'm generally a gauge knitter .. I did NOT want to go up to 10s .. not with YO and cables being in this pattern .. I had visions of my hoodie or NOT sweater skitter across my brain .. so I looked at the yarn .. Gina had a skein of worsted on the couch so I compared the strands .. well geeze o pete .. bloodyhell .. ** kicks the table .. rolls eyes Bet you already know what I saw and quickly figured out. Since the yarn was kinked from being knitted, it was alternately DK and worsted weight. **bangs head So this yarn in essense wasn't DK or worsted .. it was technically both. When I did my hat and scarf, it didn't matter what the gauge was, so I took no notice of it so to speak .. but gauge matters in this pattern ..

BUT

You knew there was a but .. there always is .. heheheheheheheheh ... Helene had found this site on steps to take when you buy a sweater from a thrift shop and the best way to get it unraveled and unkinked. While I had already read it, I didn't do the soak, fling and hang part of it . ... So that's my current step in my project ..

Oh the link?? Recycle Yarn from Thrift Store Sweater I'm half way thru my yarn and have pics and an adventure with it .. like you would expect anything else .. I'll be posting about that one later with my observations and finished 'yarn' :D Talk to you soon!

Pattern Published

I did it .. managed to get it typed out and it even still manages to make sense :D

You can find the pattern at Chalices Hat Pattern along with pdf links for your convenience ..

For Ravelry users it's been added to my designs .. G's Stitches

Looping Chalices

After a false start and a really twitty error, I finally got my hat for ME finished. On the chunky cable beret I used the wrong weight. For some stooopid reason I thought that I had a worsted weight yarn while it was a double knit / sport weight. So I was lucky it was big enough to be considered a beanie LOL .. I'll do that one again, with the proper weight yarn.

Now back to the main topic .. my hat .. I wanted a hat that would hold the rat's nest that I call hair in a manageable fashion as well as a hat that wouldn't make me look like a total git .. me and hats .. ICK!! We just do NOT get along - They are not flattering to me in the least - not even ball hats .. So i was looking for a slouchy type beret hat that would cover all these requirements for me .. I sort of found one, but you know how that worked out, so I decided to flip thru a stitch dictionary I have 440 More Knitting Stitches and found a few all over lace patterns that I liked so a swatching I went.

Horseshoe

Chalice

Oriel

I really liked the horseshoe and the chalice .. the Oriel .. well that was wrong on so many different levels it wasn't funny . something with my yarn over or yarn over needle went wonky .. so that one was out for the time being .. But I opted for the Chalice pattern .. I found it to be delicate and with this specific yarn the details still stood out enough to make out ..

It only took a few day to do, even with some back stitching as i was easily distracted (Oh look, a shiny thing! plus contending with my back again .. But I really do like it and it looks pretty nice on me surprisingly enough!! I was worried that I would look like Toad from Super Mario Brothers, Princess Zelda, but I really don't! Reg rather giggles a bit when he sees it at first .. heartless bugger, but I think that he's more doing that to get under my skin than it looks really awful ..

it IS warm!! I've to write the pattern out to put on FiberBabble pattern Blog as well as make a scarf for me .. I can call this one a success :D

Bobbles Bibbled n Bammed!

Wow it's been a bit since i've had the time to sit down and collect my thoughts for a blog post .. errr at least one that makes sense of sorts. :\ .. Well the GOOD thing about not posting in a bit is that I've a lot to share at least ..

BOBBLE CARDI:
is FINALLY done .. I didn't break any land speed records getting it there either .. Just took my time .. the 'slowest' part of finishing was thinking bout the zipper .. the one i bought was to long .. it matched perfectly, and was separating .. so I knew I had to fidge it somehow .. Now if mum was still alive, she would have been able to say .. oh do this .. but she isn't - so I had to dredge my memory (rather a deep scary place at times!!) and then ask my 96 yo grandmother if I was on the right track - she may be 96 but she's still sharp as a tack with a wicked sense of humour LMAO .. love my gma!!! She gave me the answer i needed in order to go ahead with confidence - (now i'm wishing i had taken pics of this .. :( )

Line up the bottom as usual; the take the excess at the top and fold it over and then cut. Then securely lock stitch / zig zag it into place .. now there could be an issue of the zipper tape unraveling with the cut .. I've cut it with pinking sheers .. if that proves to not work, the n I'll do some interfacing / zigzag stitching .. but it's all done .. a wee bit boob snug, but this hasn't been washed yet, and I know it will relax in the wash and over time with wear .. Ravelry members you can access my notes on the project page.

Just a few pics to show what it looks like .. doing this I broke 2 needles and refreshed my knowledge of profanity in several different languages .. stooopid thread ... it was a perfect match .. as well as a the main ingredient for frustration .. it's now in the trash and i changed threads / colours and the rest of it stitched up zippy quick ROFL ..



To see what else I've got bubbling in my brain .. I've sent up another post with my plots n plans ...

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and are looking forward to the coming year with joy and eagerness :)

zip zoom bang ...

Heh ... that's what it feels like .. that I'm zooming along at mach 1 induced speeds doing the st st for the main part of the sweater! I knew that i was going to fly when I got the st st part of the sweater, which is 90% of it I'd say .. the 'ribbing' is the texture and bobbles, and there's a bit of that at the wrists and the button band .. i'm still saving that as my escape hatch for size considerations .. the pattern calls for buttons and a button band .. but I do have that zipper that I bought for the belated hoodie or NOT .. and it does match this just bout perfectly too! So I do have the option of turning this into a zipper cardi .. or doing the button and adding some 'room' if need be ..

Yes I'm all paranoid about the size on this .. can't say I blame me after the fiasco of the last one .. and my math was right! This time I'm just going to totally avoid it by following the pattern as close as I can with little or no modifications.

Once the back is done, then there's the front to do, then the sleeves .. and I'll do my normal trick of doing both sleeves at the same time .. that way I can copy my mistakes from sleeve to sleeve .. and no I'm not about to be stupid enough to ask .. what kind of a mistake can I make in just st st .. heh .. yeah right ..i am sooooo NOT going there ..

As for the recycled materials project, my friend Gina is developing an online community for it where we are going to have chat if I understood her correctly, email, photo albums and everything .. this is just going to be awesome! She's working like a fiend on it, has trashed it at least twice so far because she wasn't happy with it LOL .. poor gina ..

Just a recap .. we've expanded the challenge to include any project that you want to do .. the only requirement is that MUST be a recycled material - meaning got from the thrift store, dragged out of your husbands (or your) closet, attic, basement where ever you may find it - so have fun hunting and digging for your materials for the 2010 challenge .. and you can make as many projects as you want!

2010 Challenge - Recycling

I've a few other projects on the burner (the one i've plotted for my red yarn specifically - I'm really excited about that one, but that can wait ... for now ;) ), including a huge scheme for 2010. Now you've either run away screaming or are listening intently.

While i was hunting around for the rest of my costume for Hallowe'en, I saw sweaters at the thrift shop .. pretty nice shades of green that I liked .. and I thought .. I bet I could frog this and re-use this yarn for something that **I** like instead of someone's cast off .. (blinding nova light moment .. ) Well geeze why can't I?? so the mental plotting began .. but I didn't want to do this alone ... this seems like the perfect thing to do with your friends .. thrift shop shopping, frogging and knitting!! Yeah i was a wee bit pumped on it

I mentioned it to my one friend, Helene and she really likes the idea and is almost as excited as I am about it! Another friend of ours (Gina) was out of town and we've not had a chance to mention it to her yet, but I'm sure that she'll get kick out of it and be in full speed ahead .. (update .. Gina's in ;) )

I want to invite anyone that wants to recycle yarn for a knitted / crocheted project are more than welcome to join us .. we are all on ravelry, so it makes sense to do it there with postings to our blogs, web albums, etc etc etc .. Or if we opt not to do a ravelry group, we can use my blog here for links or even create a new one .. plenty of options to choose from!

Rules / Recommendations .. random thoughts ..

1. The basic plan is we start this in january 2010, you MUST use a recycled knitted garment garment / sheet / blanket etc.


2. Suggest frogging it from the collar down (thanx for the reminder T - who is joining us on the challenge ;))


3. This challenge is year-long - no rush for it .. something to pick and do when the urge pushes you


4. Yarn type, weight, colour, preferences are totally yours


5. You can do any pattern, but we are pushing for a sweater / jacket / cardigan type thing


6. For Yarn related projects, I recommend getting the largest size sweater to frog to ensure you have enough of that yarn colour - Men's sweaters can also be scooped for this

So this will be a recycled yarn knit a long (KAL) materials project for 2010 .. if you get it done before then, great .. start another if you'd like

I think this is going to be great - no group has been made on ravelry as yet - the logistics of it still have to be worked out, and of course there are ladies I want to invite personally before the group is active.

So welcome to the 2010 recycling challenge KAL .. If you're interested please drop me a line by email, here by leaving a comment (please include your return email addy so I can contact you) or send me a message thru my ravelry profile If your not a member of ravelry, you might want to join - if only for the pattern database. It seems to have the largest database in one spot for free patterns that I've found!

I look forward to hearing from everyone that wants to join us and sharing our projects and adventures while shopping for it!

One thing I should add .. if you don't knit / crochet, but want to do a recycle challenge .. then thrift shop clothing could be great for a quilt, new coat whatever .. as long as you use someone's castoff .. the whole idea of this challenge is to reduce / reuse / recycle ..

bobbling along ..

Progress has been made And not frogged :D **knitterhappydance I've made it thru the chart .. what I get to do now is 3 rows of purl, then 2 more bobble sections .. then the straight stocking stitch .. how cool is THAT?? I'm relieved that I've gotten this far and not had to frog it again ..

I got a few pics, and sorry that they aren't all that great .. a wee bit fuzzy and the colour (of course) is off .. I've not been able to get a consistent colour in any picture with this yarn .. but you do get an idea of the texture and pattern - which is part of what I wanted to do ..

knitless ...

This picture was taken on 27^th of October at our Knatter nite .. I meant to get this photo and a blog post up titled "Knitless since Tuesday", but it just didn't happen .. spending the next 2 days after this as a lump on the couch sick is reason enough .. I just didn't have the energy or inclination to hunt down a sweater that I wanted to do.

BUT

You knew there was a but .. heh .. I found one :D **knitterhappydance. And it is just wayyy to cute for words .. NOW .. I wasn't sure if I would use the purple still or try the cardinal red I have .. but I really do have that earmarked for a different project (I'll tell you about that one when I actually get to making it .. )

I found the Bobble-Edged Cardigan, a free pattern at unicornbooks.com. What I really like about this is that it's got texture, but a LOT of stocking stitch .. I've never done bobbles before so I really intrigued by it .. and of course the pattern ... what's rather unique about this is that it doesn't have traditional ribbing ... it uses bobbles for the ribbing .. how cool is THAT!

I've named this Bobble Cardi (ravelry project page) - for now .. until I can get more inventive with a name. The instructions are pretty straight forward - altho I did manage to have to frog it when I was at the 17^th row .. yeah i know .. you are NOT surprised ... What I had done, (even tho I made notes) reversed left front and right front on the chart .. I'm doing this pattern pretty much as written. Notice I said .. pretty much as written .. the one difference i'm doing here is that I'm doing the fronts and back as one-piece .. (no pics yet) and I'm doing the size 38 instead of the 40 since the last one I did was a 40. I still have the zipper that matches this yarn and I just might do a double bobble front ribbing instead of 1 row button band - the juries still out for now as I'm going to wait and see just how this fits me.

Gauge is "18 sts and 26 rows = 4" in st st using larger needles",larger needles being size 7. Well when I used the 7s for my swatch,I was like ½" smaller - so .. gauge for this yarn is same rows and stitches on size 8s .. and I tend to knit to gauge .. so I listened to my gut and we'll just have to see how right it is .. course I AM leaving wriggle room with the 'button' band :D

I just started the chart again and have hilighted my notes and specific points to remember lol .. I think that this one is going to work out .. I swear if I doesn't .. I'm going to trade off, throw out, sell, or burn this yarn!!

... crying ...

One of these days, I'm going to listen to my gut! I had a bad feeling about using the 10s with that pattern! I knit to gauge for one .. my swatch using 8s or 9s came out a ½" to small on the swatch .. BUT, the swatch was on stockinette stitch - NOT the cable pattern .. and I've been knitting long enough to know better that when you use a cable pattern, you should actually use smaller needles as it does create a LOT of give to the pattern .. bloody hell .. sigh

I KNEW it was going to be big on me .. but thought it would be okay if I could get the right collar on it .. but when I got the front ribbing for the zipper on it .. I decided there's NO way in hell this is going to work .. the length is good (my math coming into play here), the sleeve length is good .. it's not to bad across the back .. but the armpits are large enough to fit my family in, and the front .. oi vay! Plus the width of the front .. crap!!!

So I'm frogging it .. at this time, I've 3 of 5 pieces frogged .. took me over ½ the day to find all my seams and take it apart .. wowsers but do I do a mean seam! On this one piece that I'm working to unravel .. the knot is in there pretty good .. so I might have to give up and do some snipping to free my yarn from it's current hostage situation ..

I've a few other sweaters that I can do in it's place .. there's this absolutely darling one that I'm looking at .. my friend wants one of this lady's patterns and we are going to see if she'll do a deal of sorts for 2 patterns .. if so I'm going to do Katje - this is going to knit up so quick it's not funny! stocking stitch and seed stitch!! w00t w00t I could be wearing this in no time at all since it's seamless :D .. waiting to see what the designer has to say ..

But there's no super rush as hallowe'en is coming and I'm doing a friends costume as well as my own .. thank God for straight seams! LOL .. the worst is cutting it out! He's going to be Obi Wan Kenobi and i'm looking at padme amidala - raiding closets for mine :D

Anywho .. the Hoodie or Not is officially - NOT and 75% frogged at this point and time.