Christmas Craziness

The Christmas season is in full swing chez sturdygirl. Husband and I are headed out of town this weekend for Family Holiday #1 with his family. Family Holiday #2 will be over Christmas Day with my family. Needless to say, the gift-buying, trip planning and organizing is intense! Luckily, I have been very cautious on the gift knitting or else I would be a basket case by now. As it is, I have had upset stomach and have been very cranky to my co-workers...so maybe I just need the basket. :)

Anyway, I did find time to make a warm scarf for myself. It will come in handy this weekend in Minnesota! Again, here's a cell phone pic:


I made this from Blue Sky Alpacas Bulky Hand Dyed in Lilac. This was SUCH a pleasure to knit. Very smooth and soft yarn, subtle shading, and fast! Nine stitches on US 15s, seed stitch. I love the look of seed stitch but I find it tedious - so this is a less taxing way to enjoy it. It took just a couple of leisurely evenings to finish. Three skeins and it's plenty long for wrapping around and tying if you want.

I've been trying to knit with alpaca lately to see if I'm allergic to it. I got a weird tingly feeling when I started a project with Berroco Ultra Alpaca, which made me sad because it's such a versatile, great yarn. So I knit this scarf, and I knit a swatch in a different color of the U. Alpaca. So far, no problems! I'm really glad, because after seeing myself modeling the hot new Ariann, I think I need that yarn! The alpaca gives it a great drape, and the yardage! Oh, the yardage.

Anyway, have a great weekend! Hopefully I will be back to posting more regularly soon.

Random Post for a Random Day

Hello all! I got a little sidetracked last week, but let me be sure to say a huge THANK YOU for all the compliments on my gold 'n' leafy sweater. Thanks for applauding my first riff on a pattern...maybe one day there will be a full-fledged sturdygirl design effort. Who knows?

Things have been crazy, though mostly in a good way. Wednesday, I went on a business trip to D.C. (well, Alexandria), which was great because I got to see my best friend A. My boss and I were supposed to leave on Friday, but got snowed out. I say snowed out because DC was a lovely 70 degrees - while Chicago was getting buried with snow and ice. So I got to hang with A. not once, but twice in three days! I also got some goodies at Stitch DC - no pic yet, but I will share soon, because the yarn I picked up is cool.

As far as knitting goes, I somehow find myself sucked into the vortex of holiday knitting. I did my best to avoid it, but it happened anyway. Right now I'm working on some dishcloths which will probably be gifts for my co-workers. It's never good to be caught empty-handed when a colleague gives you a gift! Here's a really bad pic from my cell phone:


(knitting at work - sshhh!)
The other thing I wanted to share is more knitting news. Have you ever heard of Colorsong Yarns? They have the best selection of Fleece Artist and Handmaiden yarns I've ever seen, which is great in and of itself - but now they've launched NatureSong, an online shop of natural yarns. Did you know Habu makes cashmere yarn? Check it, friends.

Anyway. That's pretty much all I have to say, except for this:


A stealthy shot of Benetton's yarn tree decoration. Kinda cool, but shouldn't someone be knitting with that stuff?!?

Thanks-knitting

Hi everyone! Hope you had a great Thanksgiving. Mine was very nice - a great meal with great conversation. We stayed in town, so the only transportation was a Chicago city bus. Suits me since I hate traveling on Thanksgiving. Anyway, it was a nice day and a relaxing long weekend.

I have two knitting news items for today:

1) Have you ever used the Yarn Search feature on Elann? Elann is a great source for discounted yarn, but the Yarn Search feature is terrific for holiday gifts. For instance, I am looking for some gold yarn to make a small scarf for a family friend. The Yarn Search feature lets you pick fiber content (e.g. cotton, wool, wool blend, natural fibers generally, etc.), gauge, color, season, and yarn brand. I chose the color, and let them do the rest. I found Elann Champagne, the perfect yarn at the perfect gauge! It's inexpensive, too!

2) Finding the perfect yarn brings me to my second item: finding the perfect pattern. Surely you have someone on your list who would love a handknitted item. And just as surely, your knitting list is already overflowing, so you are looking for quick yet beautiful projects.

Look no further! Shobhana has a great lacy scarf pattern that will whip up quickly. (click on her name to see how fabulous hers looks!) And through Dec. 31, she's donating a huge chunk of the proceeds from pattern sales to the Mongolia Project at F.I.R.E., the folks who ship all of your fabulously warm Dulaan items to their needy recipents. They need mucho cash to ship to Mongolia. So buy a pattern, knit it up, and keep your loved ones and the people of Mongolia warm this season.


Besides, everybody's doin' it....

Breaking Radio Silence

Hi all,

I've been away for a while. I've been knitting quite a lot...but this last week at work was a total bear. My bloglines has tons of new posts to read. I feel like I am limping toward Thanksgiving.

Anyway, at long last, I have pictures of the gold & leafy sweater. Here's the hanger shot:



And the being worn, headless shot:



The yarn is Cascade 128 Tweed in the color Maize. (the color in the first picture is pretty accurate.) I highly recommend this yarn. It's really soft and sproingy, and a great value (at least where I purchased it, Loopy Yarns).

I was worried about the neckline, since I didn't plan out the decreases very carefully. But it turned out fine! I just cast off each piece, picked up stitches and knit one row, and then bound off.

So, there you have it. I'm working on another sweater too, a top-down cardigan. I have to admit - the lack of seams is intoxicating! It seems like my progress is super-fast with this method, and it seems to use less yarn. Is this true? Anyway - I was going to try to use a different color for the neckline, hem and button bands, but then I chickened out. Maybe on my second cardi - I've actually never done a buttonband before.

This reminds me of a knitting realization I recently had: The two most difficult things I've tried to knit are both unfinished. They rank high in difficulty (for me) because one is my first two-color project (the felted bag), and the other is the Norah Gaughan hoodie with the lace border. Do you have this problem too? Or, when you're working on a challenging project, do you just plow through until you're finished? I know knitting is supposed to be fun, and it is. But I can't help but feel like I should try to push myself more.

Anyway, catch up with you later! Hope everyone is doing well and looking forward to the holiday.

Some Knitting News

It seems like there is so much going on in knitting, and I am forever learning about more cool things - so I imagine some of you feel the same way. So here are a few tidbits I've come across lately:

Knitalongs:

• Knit lace in Lacevember! http://lacevember.blogspot.com/


• Knit with Noro this month in Norovember. Sign up at http://minxknits.blog-city.com/

Lion Brand now has luxury yarn! They are offering three new yarns, one in cashmere, and two mohair/silk blends (the latter are even hand-dyed)! What is the world coming to?! (grin) Check it out here.

I love shopping online at Purl in New York City. Now they have a blog, the Purl Bee, that explores all kinds of quilting and knitting projects, techniques, new products, and even reviews of art exhibits and books. Recent posts have discussed vintage quilt designs and the work of Elizabeth Zimmerman.

I have been waiting for this! Vermont Organic Fiber Company is offering organic knitting wool, called O-Wool.This yarn is spun from 100% Certified Organic wool and is processed in accordance with the Organic Trade Association's Fiber Processing standards. They have a policy of not buying wool from farms where sheep are mulesed, meaning this yarn is cruelty-free. O-Wool comes in a great set of rich colors and has good yardage.

And a special newsbite for Chicagoans: The MCA, will be hosting Stitch n Bitch once again, on the first Tuesday of every month from November through May from 5:30-8 pm in the café. I went once and had a great time - I'd love to do it again.

And in my personal knitting news, the gold and leafy sweater is done! It just needs ends woven in and a photo shoot! Very exciting...

Election Day

Washington, DC - Election Day, 2004
If you have hopes and dreams for this country and the world, please vote today.

What I've Been Up To

Blogger hates me! I posted this week, I really did! But I don't think anyone could see it.

Anyway, that just gave me more time to make progress on my sweater. Here's what I've been up to:


This is the front, pre-blocking; I've also finished the sleeves. I'm now working on the back, and then it will be time to sew up this puppy!

This is not my own design by any stretch - it's more of a 'pinch of this, ounce of that' from a number of inspirations. This project has given me an even greater appreciation for people who design their own patterns from scratch! If I were to do it again, I would move the lace panel over so I could have done another decrease or two at the neck. (I didn't really think about that beforehand.) I'm still not sure how the neckline is going to pan out - I wanted a simple boatneck, maybe a row of crochet - but if it falls off my shoulders I will have to do something a bit higher to cover up the decreases.

So, I should have an FO shot for you soon. This weekend, though, I will be occupied: my best buddy M. is coming to visit from San Francisco! So I am really looking forward to that. Hope everyone has a great weekend.

(Blogger, don't eat this post!)

Nothin' but Knit

Hope everyone enjoyed the interview with Shobhana. I think Yarnplay is a stellar book, and you should all run out and get a copy - or make your local library buy one so you can borrow it.

Other than the interview, it's been a little quiet here on the blog. I've had a little startitis, because I had thought I'd be making tons of knitted holiday gifts at this time. However, upon further reflection, I've pretty much made all the gifts I'm going to this year, for the people I know will appreciate them, and that's about it. No need to break my neck on something that's beautiful to me, but not to the recipient. Onward!

This is what's new in my corner of the world:


1) A ribbed scarf, in Malabrigo Tuscan Sky. Wow, is this stuff great! It's a completely different animal than Manos...so much softer, more evenly spun (although thinner over all), more yardage...it's awesome. And the color in this picture? Competely accurate - like a beautiful blue sky with light, puffy clouds. I thought this would be a gift, but we'll see about that...


2) Jo Sharp Shawl Collared Cardigan. I've just started on the fab cardi pictured on the cover of this magazine. Here's a better picture. I'm using Jaeger Luxury Tweed. It will take forever to finish, so I've started on another project:


3) Swatches for a chunky sweater. It's heavily inspired by the Rusted Root pattern from Zephyr Style. I'm using Cascade 128 - but not tweed, in a color called Maize (the bottom swatch). This yarn is so soft and springy. Should make a nice, cozy sweater.

BTW - The red yarn above is Berkshire from Webs Valley Yarns line. I bought some to try out this new yarn, and I thought I'd make a Red Scarf at the same time. I think it's meant to be like Lamb's Pride and it sort of is, but it's softer. Very smooth to knit with and less hairy than Lamb's Pride. Good price, too!

Well, that's all I've got for tonight. Hope all your projects are flying off the needles!

Knitting in Color! Yarnplay author Lisa Shobhana Mason

Today I am so excited to be talking with Lisa Shobhana Mason. You may know her by her Big Bad Baby Blanket pattern in Stitch’n’Bitch, or by her blog, My Life in Stitches. And now, with her new book Yarnplay, there’s even more of Shobhana to love! The title Yarnplay is apt – Shobhana encourages her readers to play with beautiful fibers and striking colors to create fabulous projects. She combines these fibers and colors with modern shapes, creating cool, wearable designs.

Regular Knitting Aloud readers will know that although I love color and rarely knit with neutrals, I’m a little shy about mixing things up. So when I had the chance to talk with Shobhana about her book, I wanted to talk about color and how to work with it for the best results.

I'm pretty new to mixing colors in my knitting projects. Where would you recommend I start?

There seem to be two groups of knitters, those who are into color and those who are into intricate stitch patterns. Working with color is so second nature to me that I'm often stunned when I find someone struggling with color. (similarly, my friends are shocked when I reveal my lack of patience and skills when it comes to intricate lacework.) I've seen some really dreadful color combinations. It makes me wonder if some people are hard of color perception. Seriously. where to start? The more intricate the design, the less color you want. If it's a really simple pattern you can go crazy with color. Depending upon the intensity of the design, choose a few colors that you like. Take them out into the sunlight. Colors tend to look much different outdoors than they look in the shop or at home. Give yourself a few days to hang out with the colors that you've chosen. Chances are you'll make a few changes before settling upon a final selection. Get feedback from a friend whose taste you trust. If you can't even get started than you probably need a little inspiration. I find that quilts and wallpaper are good resources for color.

I love pastels (think duck egg blue), but I think an all-pastel sweater would be too blah. What are some ways to spice up a pastel/light colored garment?

Try using a different color for the trim. You could use a crocheted border around the neckline, cuffs, and hem. Or you could use a contrasting color for the first couple of rows at the hem and cuffs. I love duck egg blue with fire engine red, baby pink with black, powder blue with dark brown, and both pale yellow and peach work well with charcoal. As for seafoam green -- I don't have much use for that with or without a contrasting color!

When selecting a color palette for a project, is it all trial and error? What is your process for doing this?

It depends on my mood and what I feel drawn to at the moment. My personal preferences seem to change about every 6 months or so. I try to go for combinations that I’ve never worked with before and that I haven't seen anyone else work with lately. I start with one or two colors that I like and then I try to add a color that is unexpected. For example, when I started the 'Everything but the Kitchen Sink' sweater I was really into blues and greens. I added lavender to shake things up a little.


When mixing colors, I'm never sure how to deal with warm and cool tones. Is okay to use both in one project?

Sure! I think it works well with 2 colors, like violet and lavender, or with a few pairs of warm/cool combinations.

The color combinations in your book are modern without being overly trendy. How can I select colors for knitting projects that will still look great years from now?

That's tough. I find that color dates garments just as much as style. When I see grass green, I immediately think of summer / autumn 2004. When I see certain shades of pink I think of 2003. I'm sure that a couple of years from now when I see plum I'll think of autumn 2006 (and, if the runway shows are any indication, spring 2007). If we're talking about anything beyond red, navy, and your basic neutrals, color dating is hard to avoid. My advice is to choose colors that you know you'll still feel comfortable wearing in a few years.

I love seeing kids' knits in more modern colors, as in your "Baby A" design. It seems we're moving away from dressing kids like crayons! At the same time, it can be hard to choose colors for kids that aren't too 'grown up'. What colors and shades are you enjoying in kids' designs right now?


I like anything that makes kids look like people and not like dress up dolls. I really like to see kids dressed in blacks and charcoals and greys, but I’m just goth that way.

The holiday season is approaching! Although I love to give hand-knit gifts, sometimes it's hard to select a color for another person. How can I think about color when I'm making something as a gift?

This can be tough. Not tough to figure out, but tough to execute. What I mean by that is that you can observe what colors a person tends to wear and make your decision pretty easily. Unfortunately, I find that when I knit for someone the colors that they wear are usually colors that I find pretty boring to knit with. There's nothing worse than having to endure a whole project's worth of knitting in a color that doesn't inspire you. Choosing a color for someone that you think they should like or that you think that might look good in, but that you haven't actually seen them wear is usually a big mistake.

What do you think about sweaters made entirely of striping, bright yarns like Silk Garden?

The key is that the pattern needs to be really simple. Otherwise, it just gets a bit too noisy if you know what I mean.

Is there such a thing as too much color?

No! I knit a Koigu coat with about 65 different colors! If you're going to work with multiple colors or yarns you need either 7 or 37. Seriously. A weird thing happens when you have like 11 or 18. Somehow it just doesn't seem to work. Again, with something like this you need to keep in mind that the project is meant to showcase the colors and not the pattern. Keep it super simple!

I love how your Poppy pattern uses color to shape the silhouette of the wearer. How can I choose colors and combinations that show off my figure like this?

Honestly, I have no idea. I'm on the skinny side and I design sweaters that I want to wear. I, mostly, like garments that are fitted. I think it's sexier. I don't like to see anyone wearing a tent. I think bigger women look fabulous in sexy, fitted sweaters. The key is that the gauge needs to be fine. Chunky sweaters make you look bigger and nobody wants that!

Thanks, Shobhana for your wonderful book and your thoughtful comments. I can’t wait to get started on some of these fabulous Yarnplay patterns! You should too. Pick up a copy of her book -- Amazon link here-- and then hop over to Lolly Knitting Around on Monday for more discussion about the book.

Because I never do these...

...and I'm trying to distract you until I can upload some pictures! Besides, everybody's doin' it....

48 Things You Could Care Less About

1. FIRST NAME? Dana

2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? No, although my parents found out after they named me that I had a great-great aunt with the same first name.

3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? Mmm. Can’t remember. Probably at my wedding, 4/1?

4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? I LOVE my handwriting, mainly because I can change it at will.

5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT? Corned beef

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Tough question! Probably sometimes.

7. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? Yes, but the entries are infrequent.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Um...no.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Fruit Loops, as a snack food.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Yes, most of the time.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Yes – hence my handle, sturdygirl.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? Coffee.

14. SHOE SIZE? 10.

5. RED OR PINK? Definitely pink!

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? That sometimes it is hard for me to be optimistic and worry-free.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My grandma Ginny, who passed away when I was 14.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? No thanks! But I would be curious to see other people’s answers.

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS, SHIRT AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Grey pinstripe pants, white shirt, and black shoes (with purple stripes).

20. LAST THING YOU ATE? Coffee (this morning), movie popcorn (last night)

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? The heating ducts in my office.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Periwinkle!

23. FAVORITE SMELL? My husband’s laundry/facewash/deodorant/general aroma. Second place: lemon verbena.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My little brother David.

25. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? The smile!

26. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON you stole THIS from? YES! Hi Bonne and Lisa!

27. FAVORITE DRINK? Gin and tonic (with extra lime, please!).

28. FAVORITE SPORT? Speed skating. But since I can’t watch it very often – next choice is baseball.

29. EYE COLOR? Brown.

30. HAT SIZE? Don’t know!

31. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Used to, and will again – but right now, I am 4-eyes.

32. FAVORITE FOOD? A toss up between fettucine alfredo and asparagus

33. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings all the way!!

35. SUMMER OR WINTER? Definitely summer.

36. HUGS OR KISSES? Definitely hugs.

37. FAVORITE DESSERT? Crème brulee.

38. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? No idea!

39. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Surprise me!

40. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? Billy Phelan's Greatest Game by William Kennedy (author of Ironweed)

41. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE Pad? Don’t have one

42. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? I didn't, I was at a private screening of a new movie, Bobby

43. FAVORITE SOUNDS? Waves/water, the slurping sound mac & cheese makes when you stir it :)

44. ROLLING STONE OR BEATLES? Stones

45. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? Honduras

46. WHAT'S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT? Coming up with theories about stuff that I know nothing about

47. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Ohio

48. WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Nabbed from Bonne Marie’s blog

News Flash!!!

I have some very exciting news!!


I’m kicking off the blog tour for Shobhana’s new book, Yarnplay! On October 22, Shobhana will be featured here at Knitting Aloud. We’ll be talking about color – how to choose it, how to mix it! – as well as discussing some of the amazing designs in the book. So tune in next Sunday! Tell all your friends! Also, check out the rest of the blog tour – see below for a list of Shobhana’s blog visits next week:

Monday, 10/23: Lolly Knitting Around
Tuesday, 10/24: Knit And The City
Wednesday, 10/25: Purl Jam
Thursday, 10/26: Hook & Needles
Friday, 10/27: Serendipity
Saturday, 10/28: Scout's Knitted Swag

Yee-Hah!

I was in the Big D this weekend...Dallas. We were there for a wedding which was mostly Vietnamese with a little Texas thrown in. Exhibit A:


Me on the mechanical bull. On my first try, I was on for all of 4 seconds. On the second try (shown here), I made it to about 35 seconds. Putting an arm up in the air seemed to help, but that thing can really whip you around!

And last week, I finished a hat! This one is notable because it actually fits me! See?



This pattern is from Exquisite Little Knits by Iris Schreier and Laurie Kimmelstiel. In the book, it's done with Karabella Aurora 8 and a Blue Heron Beaded Rayon - I subbed an orphan skein of Koigu Kersti for the latter. I think the seed stitch makes it stretchy enough to fit easily. It's done on pretty large needles, too - so this could be a good pattern for holiday gifts.

That's all for now - I'm off to enjoy the last gasps of the holiday weekend. Ciao -

Projects

In sewing class yesterday, we...USED A SEWING MACHINE! This was the first time in my life that I have ever operated a sewing machine. It was fun, but a little like a 16 year-old driving a fancy sportscar - you want to go fast, really REALLY fast, but it probably wouldn't be a great idea. I was a little slow this week, so I didn't start seaming; I just finished the edges on my pieces. Can't wait for the next class!

I am also starting on Christmas gifts. This holiday season will be "FFF" - Full Frontal Family! We'll be seeing about 80% of my husband's family a couple weeks before Christmas, and about 80% of my family on the holiday. I don't expect that everyone will get knitted gifts (if so, I should have started in March), but I think some people might really enjoy one, so I plan to whip up a few things.

To that end, I started a scarf. This is Manos in the Wildflowers colorway, 30 stitches on a US9. K1, P1. Lather, rinse, repeat.


(Take another look at this colorway here. I think this is their most beautiful one.)

I made a scarf just like this a couple years ago and in the process felt my heart sing right along with my needles. Yesterday while knitting on the current one, I thought to myself: this is not just any scarf...for me, this scarf is l'essence of knitting. A simple pattern; a beautiful yarn made with a conscience; smooth, strong needles; combine all of these things with a few quiet moments and This, my friends, Is Why I Knit.

I'm planning to make at least three or four more of these this holiday season. I don't know how most of my friends and family feel about hand-dyed, multi-colored, thick-thin yarn...but I'm going to encourage a few of them to broaden their horizons by giving them scarves like this. We'll see how it goes!

Hope everyone is well. I, for one, will be glad when this work week is over! It's already busy...

Guess What?

I'm sewing!


I've taken the plunge, but I'm NOT going over to the dark side, or any other side for that matter! I am a knitter first and foremost - but I have other crafting interests and I'm not ashamed to admit it. (grin)

I'm three weeks into an eight-week beginning sewing class at a local fabric store. It seems a little weird that we haven't touched a sewing machine yet, but I think it's all in due time. In the picture above you can see one of my cut pieces and some of the fabric I'm using. It's a dark-ish grey Thai silk.

Although I've just started, I can see how sewing could be a very challenging task. I'm increasingly impressed with people (hi Mary!) who can create a garment out of a piece of fabric. There are a lot of steps and many opportunities to make mistakes if you are not careful.

I'm getting ready to sew, but I'm always ready to knit! Here's what I've been up to lately:


The Lindy bag has one side gusset done. It wasn't too bad, just a little shortrowing. The grey blob is a sleeve of the Lucy in the Sky cardigan from Cosmicpluto Knits. I'm using Berroco's new yarn Ultra Alpaca. It's very soft, increasingly so after washing. I've just gotten started on the body and learned that I hate buttonholes. But if you want buttons - c'est la vie, right? The cookbooks denote another topic on the brain lately...healthy eating! Husband and I have renewed our efforts to eat healthily and pay more attention to fat and sodium content.

Anyway, hope everyone is well. Fall in Chicago has definitely started. Perfect knitting weather! Catch you later...

Double your color, double your fun

This is a momentous day on the blog. Today is the day that I reveal my FIRST EVER two-color project! (I showed one other multi-color thing once, but it was a swatch.)

Behold, the Lindy bag:


Well, it's not a bag yet, but --it's drinkin' milk! You'll see, one day it's going to be a handbag! If you want to get the pattern, it seems like the best thing is to go here and email the designer, Amy Swenson. She can tell you which stores carry her patterns. (I bought it in Moorhead, MN.)

I haven't learned to knit continental, so I just change colors by dropping one yarn and picking up the other (first color over, second color under). Tension seems pretty good, although I'm told that blocking helps color work quite a bit. (It looks kinda twisty because this was a before-work picture and I didn't have time to smooth it out all arty-like.) And even if it's not perfect the darn thing's getting felted, so I'm not going to get in a knot about it. I'll let you know how it goes.

So that's all I've got to report for today! TGIF!! Party at Loopy tonight, maybe I'll see you there? If not - have a good weekend, everyone!

A Screeching Halt

My knitting has ground to a total stop this week. I had been waiting for my Oxblood Elann Peruvian Highland Wool, which came yesterday. This yarn is definitely not what I think of when I think of the color oxblood. Of course, I can't show you a picture because 1) it has not been photography weather here in Chicago and 2) it's out of stock at Elann. To me, this yarn is rust, or russet, or maybe even maroon - it's just got sooo much brown in it. No way I can wear this color. So I'll be sending it back. I did keep one ball, since I was curious about the yarn; I started swatching with it last night and it is s-c-r-a-t-c-h-y. So I'm not sure that I want a go-to-work cardigan out of this stuff. Maybe I should finish the swatch tonight and wash it before I make my judgment, though.

Loopy Yarns is having a party on Friday (woo hoo!) so I think I'm going to hold out until then for a suitable Lucy in the Sky yarn. They've got Cascade 220, the new Berroco Ultra Alpaca, and I'm hoping they'll have a couple of other worsted weight, non-scratchy choices. I'm looking for a burgundy/wine color, or perhaps an aubergine. Burgundy/wine would be better, so then I'll have a (gasp!) Christmas sweater.

Until then, I'm just about project-less! I've got some finishing to do on a little sweater - but no actual knitting. I've got one UFO I could work on, but - the weather's already turned a little chilly to really focus on that project. I've sorted out the small-quantity, hat-suitable yarns in my stash, and I bought Hip-Knit Hats - but hats still make me nervous. That, and I really need something I can sink my teeth into! A nice big project...I'll mull it over. Maybe I'll be back tomorrow with some news to report.

Oh! I almost forgot. The soap is fabulous! It's a lovely minty-lemon scent, and it has a rich, creamy lather. Go here to get some. (Mine is the greenish one second from the right.) Thanks, again Susan, for having a fun contest!

What? Who, me?

Awww shucks. I'm just a baby sweater.



I finally finished this little sweater for my two-month old cousin. His name is PJ! (Ordinarily I wouldn't put a child's name on the blog, but since initials could be just about any name, I figure it's okay. Right?) I've never even seen a picture of him - but my mom has seen him and held him so I know he is out there, just waiting for his handknit sweater (ha ha). Of course, I am only too happy to oblige.

Continuing from my last post: I had been thinking about making the Hourglass sweater, but then realized that I didn't have enough of the yarn I'd planned to use. Luckily I was saved from knitting bewilderment (what to knit next?) by Laura, who posted the awesome "Lucy in the Sky" cardigan. This is totally my next project! So much for stash-busting - I took this as an opportunity to try out Elann's Peruvian Highland Wool. I heard Oxblood is the color to get. $25 for a whole sweater! Sweet.

Also, thanks to the anonymous commenter for the suggestion to combine my 2/8 mill end with a third strand of a similar yarn to make a chunky sweater. That should do the trick!

Another 'who, me?' moment: Susan recently had a contest on her blog, and I won! Which means I get hand-made soap! I never win anything - and not only did I win, but I won something I actually like! Very exciting.

Well, that's all I've got for today. Hope everyone is doing well. We've gotten through Wednesday - so it's time to look forward to the weekend.

Happy Fun Knitting

I've been having so much knitting fun lately! Finished projects, compliments on finished projects (thank you!), seeing friends and meeting new knitters Jenny and Katie at KIPs around town, stashbusting, Japanese knitting books...I can hardly contain myself these days!

And so, as I wrap up the first baby sweater (pics later), I'm thinking about my next project. I've been wanting to make an Hourglass Sweater, but did not want to shell out for Noro Cash Iroha (as beautiful as it is). Once I made the OSW using two strands of fingering weight yarn, I remembered some mill end 2/8 merino/cashmere in my stash. I got really excited thinking it would be enough to make an Hourglass - so excited that I brought the cones to work to weigh them on the postal scale. :)

Weight of cone 1: 7.6 oz. Weight of cone 2: 9.9 oz.
Total weight: 17.5 oz.
This weight includes the cardboard cones. The yarn is supposed to be 1660 yds per pound, so...if it is used double, I will have at most 800 or so yards at my disposal. Not quite enough. So what to do with the mill end? What to DO?

I don't really like short-sleeved sweaters. (To me, that defeats the purpose of a sweater, which I like to wear when I am cold.) I could probably do a vest or something, or maybe a shawl? But I don't know how a double-stranded shawl would work...

I dunno. Let me know if you have any ideas. If it helps, the yarn is black.

And it's the weekend! A long weekend, for many of us in the U.S.! Have a happy weekend and holiday, everyone!

Whoa.

Pretty Sweater:



Not so pretty:


I wish I could show you just how complicated this pattern is! But I don't want to infringe on copyright - hence the fuzzy pic. I guess the key with Japanese patterns is that any information that can be reduced to a symbol or a short series of numbers is presented that way. There is no text, just lots and lots of arrows, lines, numbers for measurement, stitches and decreases, and...Japanese. I think if I saw a similar pattern in a language I speak, it would be daunting. But throw the Japanese in there and it's - just -

whoa.

Once, twice - nope, just two times an FO.

I had a great weekend! Two friends of ours were married on Saturday. It was a happy occasion and one that called for new duds. For the Friday night get-together, I went with a patterned dress - but needed a little shoulder covering to make it an "outfit." My fellow KIPpers saw the Glampyre One Skein Wonder come together and near completion. Well, I finished! Here it is with the dress:


The color of this yarn is incredibly difficult to photograph - but suffice it to say, the color coordinates very nicely in person. I used Handmaiden Sea Silk in Berry - held double to achieve the worsted gauge. The pattern is fab - if you haven't made one, hop to it already!

Also, you may recall that I was working on a shawl while I was on the West Coast - I finished it last week. Continuing my Cavalcade of Bad Hair Days:


I used Lorna's Laces Lion & Lamb in Ravenswood. I wasn't sure I liked the colorway, but I LOVE this yarn. So soft and smooth to knit with. This aqua-colored tank top seems to go pretty well with the shawl colors; I may have to get creative to coordinate the shawl with other clothes this fall/winter.

Anyway - I'm just working on some baby sweaters now. Two friends have recently delivered, and another reminded me that she was "still waiting" for a sweater for her second child, who is now five months old. Better get knitting! Yes, ma'am.

Hope everyone is well and looking forward to the Labor Day holiday!