For a Good Cause

Knitting is a gift to be used for good, not evil. (not sure how you would use it for evil, but it sounded good.) Here are two good reasons to knit:

Reason #1: Food and Friends, an organization that helps those suffering from HIV and AIDS, has launched its Second Annual Knitting Project. They have a goal of providing a hand-made scarf to every one of their clients. A message from a staff member read, "The dream last year was to offer each of our clients a hand-made scarf...just to have them have something soft and warm that would remind them that someone else really cares for them." They didn't quite make the goal of a scarf for everyone, but they are trying again this year. They even made labels that said, "Made with Care by a friend of Food & Friends." I am planning to participate! It would make me feel so good to help keep someone warm.

Reason #2: The owner of My Threaded Bliss in Tennessee has launched The Great Pink Ribbon Project. She is asking people to knit (or crochet) a small pink ribbon and send it to the store, where it will be sold - all of the proceeds will go to breast cancer research. What an easy way to help!

Knitters: good peeps.

Look before you Leap

I am not the kind of knitter who looks before she leaps. I often plunge right into a project, only to discover that some item is needed that I don't already own, or that a pattern involves a technique that I have not learned. In this case, I began on a pair of socks, the pattern for which is taken from Knitting on the Road , and have only just realized that I may not have enough yarn to complete the project. See how far I've gotten in this lovely cabled sock pattern:






This is quite possibly the most beautiful thing I have ever knit, and I am loath to rip it out. My mom suggested that perhaps such a lovely handpainted yarn does not need cabling and fancy patterns. However, I am undaunted. I think these socks will be a work of art! So, it's off to Woolwinders to see if more of this yarn can be had.

Stay tuned...

My First Felting Project

I am no longer a felting virgin! I made my first purse this weekend and felted it last night. Here's what it looked like before:






And after!





I guess it doesn't look that different in the pictures, but it did shrink! Really! I am so proud. :) I still have to sew on the button and cut a slit for the buttonhole, but other than that I think she's finished. My only question from this first felting experience is, how felted is f-e-l-t-e-d? It looks and feels pretty dense, but my bag's final dimensions are larger than what the pattern called for. For the sake of experimentation, I *might* pop it in the washer again, just to see if it shrinks any more.

Last week's knitting group at Savory was really fun. Sadly, I have no fun pictures like Lauren, because although I had brought my camera, I was too shy to take any pictures. Maybe next time. As an extra-added bonus, one of the women there suggested a book which I read and heartily recommend: Patty Jane's House of Curl. It's beautifully written; author Lorna Landvik has such good instincts that you laugh, cry or cringe right along with the characters. Plus, it's hilarious! A must-read, go get it!

My good friend M. got engaged! I am so excited and happy for her. This occasion might call for knit-gifting...maybe something from the Summer edition of Knitty? That might be fun!

Savory Knitting

I'm excited because tonight, I get to go to one of the coolest knitting groups around. The Knit & Crochet Savory group has the most diverse mix of knitters of all the groups I've been to in the Washington area. Plus, they do a little show-and-tell at the beginning, so you get a chance to ooh and aah over everyone's fabulous projects, and do a little show-off yourself! On top of all that, they meet in the Savory Cafe, a cozy spot in Takoma Park with great coffee, food and desserts. It will be fabulous.

I was so ready to start my gift-making, but I've already had to rip sock #1 I showed off in my last post. The reason? Three words: "Hand Wash Only." In my world, you really shouldn't give a gift that can't at least go in the washer, and ideally it could go in the washer and dryer. It's just too much to ask for the average person to handwash or dryclean that special pair of socks or hat. So, I've got some verrry soft Morehouse Merino sport weight wool in a manly (read: dull) color that will become some cuddly item for my own use. Oh well.

So tonight at Savory, I plan on starting yet another sock in Cherry Hill Yarn's Supersock Merino. This lovely yarn is in fact superwash. Now, the only hurdle is finishing in time for the holidays.

91 Days...

...Yes, only 91 days until - you guessed it - Christmas! (and 73 days until Hanukkah) That means it's time to start all of those handmade gifts you plan on giving. I always plan to make a bunch of gifts, but I'm lucky if I make two or three. But this year (I vow - although I always vow), this year will be different! It's September, I've bought most of the yarn for my projects, and I am ready to do some gift-knitting. So I started this:





I am making socks for my boyfriend's dad. Good thing he doesn't read my blog! It's a little hard to figure out the sizing, but hopefully I can get someone (preferably another male with a size 11 1/2 shoe) to try it on.

Well, I should really get back to work. Happy knitting!

Just a Little Knittin'

True to my word, I took Rosehip out for a spin on Friday, and I have indeed changed my mind about her. First, it helped that my dear b.f. thought it looked good (thanks, sweetie!). Second, the raglan seams are good for square shoulders because the seams are on a diagonal. And finally...(drum roll) it makes the 'front porch' look pretty good, don't you think? (Ha.)

Anyway, I recommend the Summer Tweed. It is perfect for those humid summer days when you spend time outside as well as in frigid air conditioning indoors. I was perfectly comfortable outside, as well as in the movie theater, without a cardigan! (For those of you who know me, you know what a feat this is.) And I've read that S. Tweed gets softer with washings - it's already soft, so this is an extra-added bonus.

So, what else is up in sturdygirl's world? Just waiting for my order of DB Cashmerino Aran in the discontinued Chocolate shade, to make the Yarn Harlot's Very Harlot Poncho for my dear friend M., as promised. I don't know why Knitting Fever would discontinue this beautiful shade of chocolate brown - I've hardly found any other luxury yarns in this color. I ordered from The Knitting Garden, which is usually pretty fast but I never know exactly when it's coming. I can't wait to get started! I had planned to give it to her as a Hanukkah gift, but if I wait that long, she won't get much of a chance to wear it this year.

That's pretty much it for today. Tomorrow I will try to take some photos of the current WIP, a cute ribbed cardi made with Karabella Aurora 8. Til later, happy knitting!

Rainy Wednesday

Today is a dreary Wednesday in Washington, DC. But I am happy to report that, save weaving in ends, I have finished Rosehip! Here are some photos:









I think the project turned out well, but I'm not sure I like the way it looks on me. For starters, I think the raglan sleeve/neckline combo makes my shoulders look even broader. And the sweater feels roomier than I had anticipated, both in the body and in the sleeves. When I look at the Summer Tweed pattern book, many of the sweaters are roomy under the arms and along the body - so I think that's how it's supposed to be...but I'm not convinced. Although now that I've looked at the pictures, it looks better than I thought. Maybe if I take Rosehip on a little outing with friends, I will make up my mind.

In other news, I recently received my free Rowan subscription gift. They were out of them when I received my first magazine, so it just arrived. I did get the placemat pattern and Linen Drape yarn, but the colors are different than everyone else's:





(whine) And as you can see, one of the colors is an off-white - bad for placemats! So, this may go directly to the stash, do not pass go, and left to languish until a yarn swap comes along.

Well, I should wrap up soon and get back to work. But first a few items I am soon to knit or mulling over:

-The Pink Lady bag from Designs by Shelley
-Some sort of cozy brown cardigan with lace or other intricate stitches(using Rowan Calmer? Something soft and fuzzy? Not sure yet.)
-Socks! I have GOT to get started on these Christmas gifts. Sigh.
-Poncho - not only for dear friend, but for me! I need an understated, though special yarn.

Ta ta!

We Have Seam

Well, I am proud to say that I figured out how to seam Rosehip's shoulders. Yay! And I've got some pix to prove it:







I was so excited that I almost decided to stay up way past my bedtime to finish seaming. I still have the back raglan seams, side seams and sleeve seams to go.

Meanwhile I am working on the back to the ribbed cardigan in Aurora 8 (I posted a picture last week). The back, which you can't see in the picture, is done in K1, P1 rib. So far my piece is not the right size because my gauge is off, but when I did a swatch on larger needles, the ribbing looked really loose and floppy, with uneven stitches. So, I guess I will keep going and hope for the best. If it's still not the right size, I'll just block the heck out of it to get it to the correct dimensions.

The 'everybody-gets-socks-for-Christmas' idea might have been a little unrealistic. I like the fancier patterns in Nancy Bush's travelling sock patterns book (I forget the title), but I'm not willing to use the tiniest of needles with the finest of yarns. On the other hand, I know chunky socks are of limited use. Also - some patterns use needles to get the gauge of the yarn as given on the skein, and others use these teeny needles to knit to an even tighter gauge. Is there a right answer as to which of these methods produces the best socks? I wish I knew.

I Am Not a Seamstress

So, I'm done with all the pieces of Rosehip, and - as I said in my last post - all that's left is to sew her up. Easy enough, right? Wrong. So wrong. I have looked through every knitting book I have to try and determine the correct kind of seam for these raglan shoulders that have a rib trim. But it's not exactly ribbing, and it's definitely not stockinette, and it doesn't fall into any other neat categories for seaming. Attempts at invisible seams have proved - well, visible. I am totally stumped. I'm going to give it another try tonight, and if I don't succeed...it's time to get some Professional Help.

Thinking about Fall

I have finished knitting all the pieces for Rosehip, and plan to sew her up over the holiday weekend. Of course, it's only now that I am starting to think that the sweater's design may not be ideal for someone with shoulders as broad as mine. Well, I'll have to just put it together and see. And if it doesn't work for me, I'm sure I can find someone to palm it off on. I definitely warmed up to the Summer Tweed, though. At first, I thought this project would be one for the Great Pile of Unfinished Objects, but then I started liking the crunchy texture of the yarn. And I do think its weight will be perfect for the transition to fall.

Speaking of fall, I have my next project all picked out. I'll be using Karabella Aurora 8 (my maiden voyage with this legendary yarn) to knit this:







It's sort of a difficult pattern, what with the curvy cardi front, but I am trying to upgrade my knitting skills and am looking for a challenge.

Next: a photo of me in my finished Rosehip! Pretty exciting.

Progress!

Hello all,

I am making great progress on my Rosehip sweater. I have three out of four pieces completed - it's down to the last sleeve. Check it out!










Since I did all of the knitting for this sweater during the Olympics, I am going to send this photo off to Alison for her 'Olympic knitters' photo gallery. I suppose I'm not exactly an Olympic knitter since I haven't *finished* the sweater, but still...

Until next time, happy knitting!

Rosehip Returns

I haven't posted recently, but I have been happily knitting away on my Rosehip sweater. It's a pretty quick knit, on US 8 with simple shaping. Here's a pic:











Since I took this photo, I've finished this piece and am about halfway through the corresponding piece. (I haven't yet decided which will be the front and which will be the back.)

Next, I will get started on some holiday gifts. I already plan on making a poncho and several pairs of socks, but the list will probably get longer the more I think about it. Knitting at Knoon has a great free pattern for felted coasters, which seems like a super easy (and impressive) gift.

I am really starting to accumulate sock yarn, which is a little funny since I've only made one pair. (Well, actually, it wasn't even a pair - I figured once I had made one, I knew what I was doing.) I will post some photos of my lovely stuff shortly. Til then, happy knitting!

Tuesday Night Knitting

Last night I went to a meeting of the recently-formed Silver Spring Knitters. There were seven of us, mostly knitters but a couple of crocheters too. I taught one woman how to purl! (well, sort of - she was almost there before she asked for help.) We talked about everything from the Olympics, to the Redskins, identify theft (?), and our favorite knitting stores. It was a nice group of women, from all walks of life. It's amazing, the common ground people find once they start talking to one another.

I continued on my Rosehip sweater. I'm liking the Summer Tweed more and more. When I first cast on, I wasn't sure I would be able to stand the 'squeakiness' of the yarn, due to the silk. But it seems somehow to be softening, and I really like the knitted fabric it produces. Also, I just noticed the pattern will not require any shoulder seams! Extra-added bonus!

Some folks have started a knit-a-long for the Lara sweater, a pattern for the new Debbie Bliss Baby Alpaca Silk. I love the design, but I'm not super-crazy about the yarn. Sure, it's soft, but - it almost seems too soft. And I'll probably wear it with a top underneath, so what do I care if it's alpaca or merino? Not to mention the cost of the project...sigh. Needless to say, I am looking for a lower-cost, look-alike yarn before I go 'a-long' (ba dum bum).

Have a good day out there!

My new project. I am making this sweater in the Oatmeal color.

Ahem.

Hello out there. This is my first blog entry ever. I decided to start a blog because I have been a voyeuse for long enough - I read at least three knitting blogs every day, but almost never make comments, so I'm sort of under the radar. So 'Knitting Aloud' is a fitting title; I'm speaking up and joining all of you who have made the world of blogs a fun place to be.