Teal's World

NaKniSweMo - Day 25

2008-11-25T18:23:00.000-08:00

In which a sweater is complete.

Pattern: Cosima from Berroco #281 Cuzco & Peruvia Quick

Size: 44

Yarn: Berroco Cuzco -Achiote - 7 skeins

Needles: Size 8 and 10

Stitches: Approximately 30,000

Knit as per pattern with no modifications.

NaKniSweMo- Day 9

2008-11-09T14:51:00.000-08:00

And on the 9th day she rested.

The back and both sleeves are complete. I've used almost 4 of the 8 skeins of yarn and have knit almost 17,000 stitches in the last 8 days.

Tomorrow I will begin the left front.

NaKniSweMo - Day 7

2008-11-07T05:04:00.000-08:00

Posting every day is more than I am able to accomplish but I have knit every day of November. So one campaign promise has already been broken. I had hoped for a photograph of each day's progress as well but work days don't allow the necessary time or light. After dinner is prepared and eaten I've been able to spend at least two hours every evening knitting with election night being especially productive.

The back is now complete and both sleeves are in progress with approximately 5 inches knit. I'm tallying just shy of 12, 000 stitches as of last evening. Finishing the sweater in a month appears to be a very realistic goal.

NaKniSweMo - Day 3

2008-11-03T17:29:00.000-08:00

No pictures today as there was no daylight left by the time I got to knitting. Back is progressing well with another 20 rows knit this evening. I measure 12" with only two more inches until the armhole.
Total stitches - 6447

NaKniSweMo- Day 2

2008-11-02T08:10:00.000-08:00

My extra hour, courtesy of the end of Daylight Savings Time was used to continue knitting in pattern on the back. The pattern repeat is 44 rows and I've not yet completed one repeat but should reach that milestone tomorrow. Cuzco is a very pleasant yarn to knit - 50% ~~merino~~ Peruvian wool and 50% alpaca with a mostly uniform twist and good elasticity. Although this is a bulky yarn it does not feel heavy.

I'm starting to be suspicious that my sweater does not contain 50,000 stitches. I'm about to finish the first hank of yarn (8 required for my size) and I'm only totaling just over 4000 stitches.

Yarn color today is a much more accurate representation of the true color ( on my monitor anyway). The color name is Achiote which prompted a little Internet research.
Per Wikipedia, achiote is a small shrub or tree native to the tropical region of the American continent. Best known as the source of the natural pigment annatto produced from the fruit and used as coloring for foods such as cheeses, butter, and salad oil. The achiote flower is pink, the fruits are described as brown or reddish-brown and the seeds are orange-red. I would describe this color as a purplish red.

Stitch total to date = 4147.

NaKniSweMo -Day 1

2008-11-01T12:44:00.000-07:00

In which I return from a long blog absence to document my adventures knitting a sweater in one month.

Knitting has been continuing but life has been busy and many of my projects need to remain secret for a while longer so I've not been posting here. Today I've embarked on a new challenge and want the public accountablity factor to influence my progress so I'm committing to posting daily or until my project is complete.

NaKniSweMo is National Knit a Sweater in a Month and occurs simultaneously with NaNoWriMo in which participants write a 175 page, 50,000 word novel during the month of November. I'm not a writer but I am up for a challenge and work best when I have a deadline so I'll be attempting to knit a 50,000 stitch sweater during this month.

I had hoped to knit two sweaters this year and while I've completed 3 baby sweaters and started two adult sweaters for myself (both are languishing on the needles) I've not accomplished what I hoped for 2008. My goal for November is to complete the lovely Cosima in Berroco Cuzco yarn which I purchased on my trip to Webs, aka Yarn Mecca, this summer. Although I don't know the exact stich count for this sweater I"m assured that most adult sweaters meet or exceed 50,000 stitches so I've decided to aim for 1500-2000 stitches per day and attempt to track stitch totals while I knit to see how close I come to the target.

Last week I wound my yarn into cakes and swatched so I knew the recommended size 10 needles would allow me to get gauge. Some of my fellow knitters began at midnight but I'm too old for late night knitting. I woke early this morning and eagerly cast on the requisite 122 stitches for the back and began knitting 2 x 2 rib for two inches and then decreased to 85 stitches to begin the pattern rows. At this point I was supposed to switch from size 8 to size 10 needles and was very chagrined to discover that I had knit the ribbing on 10s. Not an auspicious beginning but I frogged and began again. Wish I could count the stitches I knit twice! Found this on-line calculator very handy for achieving even decreasing without too much math on my part. Finished the ribbing and knit another two inches of pattern rows. I'll leave you with today's progress ( 2447 stitches to date).

(Disclaimer - The yarn color is not very accurate in this picture. I'll be trying for a better picture tomorrow.)

Out of Hibernation

2008-05-28T14:38:00.000-07:00

It's been a long winter in Rochester and I've been away from blogging for a long time. I'm still here and I've been knitting. My plans for the year were ambitious and it's a good time to take stock.

I first want to knit at least 12 pairs of socks this year and reduce my sock yarn stash.

To date I've knit 6 pairs of socks and have another two pair on the needles but I've not reduced the stash. Trips to Virginia and Pennsylvania provided opportunities for stash enhancement which I couldn't resist. These lovely pink lace socks were a result of one of these purchases.

The yarn is Reynolds Soft Sea Wool and the pattern is Laced Cuff Socks by Veronik Avery. I enjoyed working with this tightly twisted DK wool which has great stitch definition and look forward to wearing the socks.

In terms of new techniques I've tried knitting on two circulars but really prefer my trusty DPNs. I did try a afterthought heel and will use that technique again.

Second, I will knit at least one charity item each month.

I've knit two pair of children's socks and four adult hats for charity so I'm on track here. (A little double dipping here since the socks also counted toward the sock quota but who's counting.)

Third, I will knit a lace shawl or stole.

No lace shawls or stoles yet but I did jump on the Spring 2008 Knitty band wagon and created a lovely Lace Ribbon Scarf from some gift Seacoast Handpainted Merino Tencel sock yarn.

This scarf has a wonderful sheen and drapes nicely.

Fourth, I want to knit two sweaters for myself this calendar year.

I was unable to sustain momentum on my sweater in progress and it is still in my knitting bag waiting for some attention. I have however completed one sweater but not for me . There will soon be a new addition to our family...granddaughter #1 is due any day now...so I've taken a side track into baby knitting. Today I finished up Daisy in the 0-3 months size . The yarn, Tahki Cotton Classic, was a joy to knit and I'm very pleased with the finished product. Seaming and finishing are still a challenge and this was a good project to practice those skills.

Another baby sweater is on the needles and will appear here soon.

I'm on summer vacation for the next three months and I look forward to knitting, some travel, and appearing here more often.

Reentry or We're Not in Hawaii Anymore!

2008-02-09T07:38:00.000-08:00

Teal and Mr. Teal at Diamond Head with Waikiki Beach in the background.

The past two and and half weeks have been a whirlwind. I returned from Hawaii late on a Wednesday evening, went to work the next morning and it seems as though I've been working ever since. Hawaii was great and the vacation was relaxing and refreshing but we're no longer on vacation nor am I doing much relaxing. Many aspects of my life including my knitting are suffering.

February socks have been a frustrating experience. I selected the Mountain Colors Bearfoot Tamarack yarn DD#1 gave me a year ago. She told me her socks from this yarn were the warmest in her wardrobe so I thought it fitting to make them during the coldest month of the year. My first selection for a pattern was Slipped Stitched Rib from Sensational Knitted Socks and the first sock was complete past the gusset when I decided that there was too much pooling in the gusset area and I didn't really think the pattern and the yarn worked well together.

To the frog pond!

Next I knit a plain stockinette stitch sock leg, first eye of partridge heel and was very happy until again I disliked the pooling in the gusset area.

To the frog pond again!

Desparate measures were necessary and I realized I must learn to make an afterthought heel in order to avoid the dreaded pooling. In addition,I decided to try knitting with two circular needles which I am very much liking. I stuck with stockinette stitch which seemed to display the colors to best advantage althought this go round I'm seeing a spiral pattern I didn't have before. What a difference a few stitches can make. Sock #1 is past the heel and into the foot and I'm hopeful that this pair of socks will be complete soon.

The red yarn is the waste yarn waiting for the afterthought heel. Only question mark at this time is regarding the heel and toe color. I'm thinking I might like a solid for those areas but nothing in my stash is looking good to me and I've resolved not to buy new yarn.

Hat production is going well. I've made three charity hats already this calendar year:

Pattern: Lamb's Pride Hat for Infants and Kids
Yarn:Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted - Iced Jade
Needles: Size 7
Size: Kids

Pattern: Seaman's Cap
Yarn: Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted - Raspberry
Needles: Sizes 6 & 7
Size: Large

Pattern: The Boy Hat
Yarn: Tahki Donegal Tweed - Color 910
Needles: Size 7

Knitting in 2008

2008-01-08T17:15:00.000-08:00

My prolific blog posts will soon be ending as I am leaving later this week for a two week vacation in Hawaii and when I return will be resuming my day job. Having time at home has been wonderful for my mental health and also for my knitting.

I don't usually make New Year's resolutions but I have been thinking about where I would like to go with my knitting in 2008. Having proclaimed 2008 The Year of the Sock I first want to knit at least 12 pairs of socks this year and reduce my sock yarn stash. To help me reach that goal I've joined Sock a Month Knit-Along 5 (SAM5) and the Socks from Stash Club. As I'm knitting these socks I intend to try some new techniques: toe up, circular needles, afterthought heels, short row heels, etc.

Second, I will knit at least one charity item each month. I have lots of adult hat patterns I want to try and the stash yarn to go with but may also make baby socks, baby hats, or children's items for afghans for Afghans.

Third, I will knit a lace shawl or stole.

Fourth, I want to knit two sweaters for myself this calendar year. One is on the needles already and progressing slowly.

And if it wasn't obvious before, I'm definitely a product knitter! There are knitting techniques I would like to try - entrelac and stranded colorwork are two that come to mind and perhaps I'll find time for that as well.

2007 - Knitting Rediscovered

2008-01-06T15:16:00.000-08:00

2007 was a very productive knitting year. I completed:

11 pairs of socks
22 hats
14 scarves
2 pairs of fingerless gloves
2 pairs of mittens
1 bag
1 sweater

Many of these projects have already appeared here and all can be seen on Ravelry. I'm pleased to see a progression in difficulty and skill and hope to continue that trend into 2008. My stash grew in 2007 and I'm contemplating knitting goals for the new year which will wisely use those accumulated yarns. Charity knitting will definitely continue and I'm thinking of knitting more for others now that my products are more gift worthy. Any family members reading this who have requests should make them known before I select something totally inappropriate for you.

Other Knitting Related Gifts and the First FO of 2008

2008-01-05T16:29:00.001-08:00

In addition to the lovely yarn, I received three knitting books: More Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch ( the goddess of socks), The Knitter's Book of Yarn ( which also includes many patterns - who knew?) and The Best of Interweave Knits: Our Favorite Designs from the First Ten Years. I also received two cases for double point needles

from DD#2 who thinks yesterday's post makes her sound mean. I'm very proud of her analytical abilities and wanted to let the world know how well she can do math (Mom was very aware of how much sock yarn she owned).

Although I've owned Sensational Knitted Socks for some time I had not used it until I began my last project. If I were to own only one sock book this would be it as all the basics are there including "recipes" for making many socks in different sizes and gauges. Charlene even has the solution to those pesky gusset holes which had appeared on earlier socks in spite of my best efforts to avoid them. The only flaw I can find with this book is it's binding which does not allow one to easily keep the book open while working. This problem was solved with a visit to my local Kinkos where for $3.99 plus tax I was able to have a spiral binding attached. More Sensational Knitted Socks got the same treatment and I look forward to knitting from its pages as well.

The first finished object of 2008 was begun on Christmas Eve afternoon and I had much time to work on it during the holiday allowing me to finish a pair of socks in a record eight days. The final stitches occured in Washington Dulles airport the evening of January 1 but I was not able to kitchener the toe until I arrived home because my scissors and Chibi were in the checked luggage.

Yarn: Trekking XXL 108

Pattern: Garter Rib from Sensational Knitted Socks

Needles: Size 1

Another pair of socks is on the needles and they are also from Sensational Knitted Socks.

Christmas Presents Part One - The Yarn

2008-01-04T17:16:00.000-08:00

Christmas at our house is celebrated over several days. When our children were born my husband and I decided that we would stay in our own home Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and celebrate with extended family at another time. We continue to follow this tradition and this year the group in our home was quite small as oldest daughter and her husband are out of the country visiting his family for the first time in over two years and youngest daughter's boyfriend was on call and unable to join us. Nonetheless the three of us had a good time and my husband and I later traveled out of state to be with my extended family where we had Christmas again on December 29.

I received knitting gifts at each of my Christmas celebrations but I'm only writing about the yarn ones today. 2007 was an excellent year for yarn acquisition and when it was time to make my Christmas list I could not think of many things I needed. However, I did make a wish list at The Loopy Ewe with some yarns I admired and suggested to DH that he might buy me one or two of them. He is nothing but thorough and purchased the lot.

From left to right I now own:
1 skein of The Plucky Knitter laceweight in Tippi Blue, 1 skein of Scarlett Fleece Tubular x2 in Pacific, 1 skein of Dream in Color Smooshy in Lipstick Lava, 2 skeins of Lorna's Laces in Envy, 1 skein of Louet Gems in Charcoal and 1 skein of Louet Gems in Pewter. (The Louet Gems yarn was not on my wish list but sitting in my shopping cart from a prior visit when I was considering purchasing them for contrasting heels and toes.) Lesson learned - be careful what you ask for as you might receive it!

I now own an embarassing amount of sock yarn and DD#2 made me aware that at my current rate of 1 pair per month I was good for 3 years plus. 2008 has been declared the Year of the Sock and I am determined to end the year with far fewer skeins of sock yarn than I currently own. Goal is to knit at least one pair per month and purchase no more sock yarn this calendar year.

Tomorrow I'll write about the other knitting related gifts and reveal the first finished object of 2008.

Christmas Knitting

2008-01-03T08:53:00.000-08:00

Finding the time during the month of December to work, prepare for the holiday, knit and blog was a challenge so I've been absent from the blog for almost a month. During that time I was doing holiday knitting and all recipients have now received their gifts so it is safe to talk about them here.

Daughter #2 received two knitted gifts. First was a pair of knitted socks. She saw the yarn while home for Thanksgiving and staked a claim before Daughter #1 arrived. The sock club pattern which came with the yarn was a lacy one which wasn't going to work so well for Boston winters so I found this alternative which was well received.

Yarn: Hill Country Yarns Instant Gratification Sock Yarn - Russet - November Sock Club

Needles: Size 4
Pattern: Brigid from Goddess Knits
Modifications: After knitting one entire sock I decided the cuff was too short so frogged and reknit adding two extra inches.

Second gift was the result of an impulse yarn purchase at the New York Knits going out of business sale. This very warm hat compliments her dark gray down coat and hot pink boots.

Yarn: 2 skeins Tahki Baby Print

Pattern: Zud Hat
Needles: Size 13

DH received an alpaca scarf in his favorite color. This project was the most challenging because I kept it secret and only knit on it when I was alone. Christmas Eve it was blocking under DD's bed and I wrapped it Christmas morning.

Yarn: 3 skeins Plymouth Baby Alpaca DK - Color 810

Needles: Size 7

Sister #2 received a scarf and like it so much she wanted to wear it with a red sweater to a family event. Fortunately her daugher convince her it clashed. This is a progress shot since I neglected to take a finished photo.

Yarn: 1 ball Plymouth Eros - color 2029

Needles: Size 11

Pattern: Eros/Charm Scarf from ChicKnits

And last but not last DD #2's boyfriend received a scarf as well.

Yarn: Misti Alpaca Chunky Cinnabar Melange

Needles: Size 11

Pattern: Diagonal Rib Scarf

Not all of my family members received handknit gifts but there is always next year for those who did not.

Santa left some very nice knitting related gifts for me and I'll write about those tomorrow.

Living with Imperfection

2007-12-04T18:33:00.000-08:00

Winter has come to Rochester and I was thrilled to have a No Work/ Snow Day today which allowed me to spend some quality time with my knitting and take some pictures to update the blog.

Let's begin by checking out those November goals.

1. Finish Fetching fingerless gloves. Done and I needed only a single ball of yarn so I now have an extra ball of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran lounging in my stash. Like many before me I omitted the picot bind off and just bound off in pattern. The gloves are very soft and I love the way the cables hug my wrists. Only negative is that the gloves are a trifle short for my taste with most of my fingers exposed. If I were to make these again I would add some more length but of course that would require the second ball of yarn.

2. Finish I Love Gansey Socks.

My plans for the I Love Gansey socks were too ambitious. I did faithfully knit on both socks and was very pleased to complete the cuffs on both (150 rows). As I was admiring my work and getting ready to begin the heel flap I noticed that I did not have the same number of hearts as others did. Upon closer inspection I slowly realized that even though I was using a spreadsheet I had misinterpreted the row spacing for the hearts and I had not repeated them as frequently as the designer specified. My initial reaction was to frog everything but instead I set the work aside before doing anything rash. DH finally convinced me that if I wanted to knit these socks twice I might as well finish the imperfect ones and make the next pair perfectly. That I will do after I finish my Christmas knitting.

3. Knit 1 charity hat - pattern to be determined. Check

Licking my wounds I found the Utopia hat pattern on Ravelry and was intrigued by the clever use of cables. This was a fun knit which took one ball plus a smidge of a second of Dive Autunno . This hat does run small and probably would best fit a small adult woman or youth.

I' m currently working on three Christmas gifts which can't be shown here as the receipients sometimes read this blog. Check back after December 25.

How Did It Get to be November?

2007-11-04T07:59:00.000-08:00

It is as well I did not make a to-do list for October as I would now be very frustrated by my lack of knitting progress. I'll admit that for my first Soctober I was hoping to finish three pairs of socks. Ha! I did well to finish one pair and a part of one sock. I finished a pair of basic top down stockinette stitch socks for me in Paton's Kroy yarn on size 2 needles. All was smooth sailing until the middle of the second sock when I hit a knot with a break in the color sequence. A little cut and paste was required to keep the stripe pattern going and I finished with only a few yards of yarn but got my matching pair of socks which makes me happy. Good fit on these but perhaps a little baggy at the ankle.

The Hill Country periwinkle socks are currently in time out. I love the yarn but not the pattern so much and I'm thinking about frogging and trying another pattern. I'm also concerned about the durability of this very loosely spun yarn. Don't want to invest a lot of time if the socks are going to felt. The November installment of the yarn club should arrive this coming week.

The only other finished object this month was a Coral Bliss Scarf knit on a weekend trip. This is the third one of these I've made. A very quick easy knit with one of the softest yarns in the world - Debbie Bliss SuperChunky Cashmerino. The previous two went to charity but I'm keeping this one.

I did, as planned, swatch for Notre Dame de Grace but did not get gauge with the suggested size 7 needles so last night swatched again with 8's. Need to block and remeasure. This looks to be a very enjoyable knit if I can just figure out the proper needle size.

Although I think I might be tempting fate I'm making a list for November. After all, I will have that long Thanksgiving weekend and I'm not venturing out shopping on Friday this year. So, here's the list:

1.Finish Fetching fingerless gloves ( currently 30% complete)

2. Finish I Love Gansey socks (Currently 10-15 % complete. I'm knitting these in parallel and very carefully following a chart. Most complicated socks I've attempted but so far so good.)

3. Knit 1 charity hat - pattern to be determined.

An Impending Birthday

2007-10-07T15:55:00.000-07:00

We interupt our regularly scheduled knitting content for a special announcement.

Daughter #1 has a birthday tomorrow.

Twenty-eight years ago today I was apple picking in Michigan blissfully unaware that in less than 24 hours I would be giving birth to my first child. Obviously, I knew I was pregnant but my due date was two weeks away so I was not expecting Daughter #1's arrival quite so soon. She changed my life in many ways and one of the lessons she's taught me is that life doesn't always happen according to Mom's schedule or plan. We are alike in many ways and often clash as a result but I am very proud of the woman she's become. So on the eve of her birthday I'm taking this opportunity to wish her all the best in the coming year.

Love from Mom and Happy Birthday

Seven Months in the Making

2007-10-04T15:53:00.000-07:00

I began Central Park Hoodie back in February with expectations that it would be finished and worn during the winter of 07. Silly me! Parts of this sweater were knit three times as I first discovered that the size I had selected was too small and then that I was twisting my stitches. Interest lagged when I could work on a small quick project and get some instant gratification so I watched many others complete beautiful sweaters while mine sat on my dining room table waiting for my attention. I'm not sure what finally motivated me to pick up those stitches, knit the buttonband and complete the final seaming but I'm so glad I did. Youngest DD told me that I would be so happy when it was finished and she was right.

Pattern: Central Park Hoodie by Heather Lodinsky, Knitscene Fall 200

Size: 44

Yarn: 12.5 skeins Classic Elite Skye Tweed Scottish Mist

Needles: Addi Turbo Size 6 and 8

Modifications: Shortened ribbing on the sleeves and I'm glad I did as I'm still folding them up.

September Wrapup

2007-10-01T17:38:00.000-07:00

Time to review that September "To Do" List

~~Finish Trekking Socks for SAM4~~
~~Finish CPH~~
~~Finish and mail 5 sets of stitch markers~~
~~Use remaining Lion Brand Magic Stripe yarn for A4A item - child's socks, infant socks or infant hat~~
~~Package and mail A4A items~~

The afghans for Afghans package went in the mail Saturday and I finished Central Park Hoodie late Saturday night. I'm very anxious to show it off but it is still too damp to wear. Hopefully tomorrow you'll see pictures.

My new project is the Hill Country Yarns Periwinkle socks. They are knitting quickly and I'm hopeful I'll be able to complete them and the I Love Gansey socks this month. I'm also swatching for a Notre Dame de Grace pullover sweater. No cables or button bands this time but a very interesting stitch pattern and a challenging collar.

Item Three - Done!

2007-09-26T17:29:00.000-07:00

Perhaps making a "to do" list was not such a bad idea. Every time I've been tempted to start a new knitted item I've been disciplined enough to remember my list. The second pair of children's socks is now complete and although still damp from blocking has been photographed and documented for posterity. Thought I might run out of yarn but ended up with a yard or two remaining.

Tomorrow or the next day I'll package all my items and send them on their way to Afghanistan via San Francisco.

Wish I could do more but this is the best I can do for this campaign.

I've been thinking ahead to October's knitting. Although I am unable to knit while commuting to and from work, I can think about knitting. There will be at least one pair of socks for Socktober and I'm considering one of the following choices:

(1) I Love Gansey socks like these by Pat

Rowan 4 Ply Soft - Irish Cream

(2) Rib and Cable socks like these from the YarnMaven

Mountain Colors Bearfoot - Tamarack

(3) Sweet Pea socks like these

Hill Country Yarns Sweet Feet - Periwinkle

Which would you choose?

Trekking XXL Simple Socks

2007-09-23T07:14:00.000-07:00

Yarn: Trekking XXL Color 181
Pattern: Simple Trekking Sock pattern by MimKnits
Needles: Size 1 Needles (Lantern Moon Sox Stix)
Mods: None
Comments: Love the pattern and the yarn. The socks fit really well with the ribbing on both foot and cuff. First time using the Lantern Moon needles and although they felt wonderful on the hand I wish they had a sharper point.

Another item is 70 percent complete so watch this space for another finished object very soon.

Check and Almost Check

2007-09-22T11:12:00.000-07:00

All partner stitch markers are complete and were mailed yesterday. I've already received this beautiful set from Kimberly of Woven~N~Spun

and will expect four more sets over the next few weeks. Learned the last swap that international delivery can take a very long time. My partners in Georgia, New Jersey, The Netherlands and England will be receiving these:

Almost check is for the Trekking socks which need only the kitchnering of the second toe to be complete. In a shameless attempt to extend my blogging material you'll see them tomorrow.

Mental Health Day

2007-09-16T08:19:00.000-07:00

Occasionally I need to ignore my usual weekend chores and take a day for myself. Yesterday was one of those days and today I'm feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the weekend laundry, cleaning, and grocery shopping. What did I do on my "me day"? Why mostly knit of course. One Trekking sock is complete and I'm half way through the heel flap on the second. These socks fit wonderfully and the second one is knitting up very quickly. I've seen pictures of many Trekking socks and been told that it is almost impossible to make two of them identical because the color repeats just don't work that way. I was resigned to fraternal socks even though I would much prefer them identical. So when I begin the second sock I just cast on and didn't even try to match but wonder of wonders they look pretty identical to me so that makes me happy as well.

Packed up my 2 scarves for the Red Scarf Project this morning and will get them on their way tomorrow. I'm doing the Stitch Marker Exchange with 5 partners this round and have all my markers designed but am waiting for a shipment of toggle rings before I can complete them. The deadline for Afghan for Afghans is approaching and I'm debating whether I can complete any more items. Would really like to use some of my sock yarn remmants for baby socks but also intend to conquer my fear of the button band and complete a certain unnamed sweater.

I"ve learned long ago that making "To Do Lists" can be dangerous as I can generate many more action items than is physically possible to accomplish. Nevertheless I'm making a list for September.

Finish Trekking Socks for SAM4
Finish CPH
Finish and mail 5 sets of stitch markers
Use remaining Lion Brand Magic Stripe yarn for A4A item - child's socks, infant socks or infant hat
Package and mail A4A items

I'm Still Here

2007-09-10T18:00:00.000-07:00

Work is taking most of my time and I'm frustrated by my lack of knitting time but have managed to finish the Child's socks for Afghans for Afghans. I'm also still working on the Trekking Simple Socks and hope to finish one sock this week.

In a moment of temporary insanity I joined the Hill Country Yarns Sock Club. Sixty dollars, including shipping (such a deal!), for three shipments of sock yarn and accompanying patterns to be mailed in September, November, and December. The first shipment was a lovely surprise - a skein of Sweet Feet Sock Yarn in periwinkle and a Sweet Pea Socks pattern. I wish I could start them immediately but I"m waiting until the Trekking socks are finished.

A Finished Object

2007-08-28T16:44:00.000-07:00

Last weekend found me once again in an automobile for many hours. While DH drove I knit and was able to complete this beauty.

Pattern: Branching Out Scarf designed by Susan Pierce Lawrence

Needles: Size 8

Yarn: 1 skein Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool Color 008

Comments: Very enjoyable knit. The 10 row lace pattern is very manageable for a beginning lace knitter. No modifications to the original pattern except I was able to get an additional pattern repeat from my skein of yarn.

I've found another charity, Afghans for Afghans, which needs hats, socks, vests and sweaters for children. After making two pairs of Lion Brand Magic Stripes socks for myself I was not excited about using the third skein in my stash for me so decided to use this yarn for a good cause. I'm to the heel flap already and although the yarn stripes quite differently on a smaller diameter leg I think the sock will be both warm and attractive.

Fall is in The Air

2007-08-22T09:04:00.000-07:00

The heat wave has broken in Rochester. Days are cool and the evenings are even cooler. It is back to work for me soon. I've always enjoyed the beginning of the school year with the new school supplies, new clothing and new shoes. I am the eldest of three so was always the beneficiary of the new clothing; my younger sisters were not so fortunate mostly inheriting my hand me downs. My mother was a seamstress and back to school shopping was almost always the same. She would decide that she was far too busy to sew the new school clothing and would proclaim that we would be buying ready made. This was always an exciting announcement but greeted with some suspicion after the first few years it was heard.

Shopping was an all day event as we were about an hour away from a major city so we would begin our day at the department stores where clothing was closely inspected and always rejected because of the poor quality. "Look, they didn't even match these plaids." "Look at the poor job they did on the hem." Mentally she was comparing the cost of the ready made clothing with the cost of sewing it herself. And, so it went with none of the ready made clothing meeting my mother's exacting standards. She was not a knitter so there were some sweater purchases and she didn't make our underwear so that was purchased. But at the end of the day we always ended up at the fabric store for the patterns, fabric and notions for blouses, skirts, and dresses.

My school preparations are different now but there is that same sense of new beginnings and new possibilities. Almost the same excitement one feels beginning a new knitting project. This is a knitting blog after all and I must stay on topic.

My vacation sock project kept me busy for some time and is now complete. I present:

Pattern: Jitterbug Ballband Simple Sock Pattern

Needles: Knitpicks Size 1.5

Yarn: Colinette Jitterbug - Gauguin Colorway

Comments: The yarn is lovely - 100% merino which is very soft and enjoyable to knit. Skein yardage is short (292 yards) compared to many sock yarns and I knew many knitters had problems running out of yarn. For that reason I decided to stick with the ballband pattern which is a simple top down stockinette sock. I wear a woman's size 9 - 9.5 shoe. The pattern sizes are in European sizes S (34/35), M (38/39), L (42/43). Since my size falls between M and L and my feet are not particularly wide I opted to make the M and add extra length to the foot which worked well. To my surprise I ended up with a lot of yarn left over (26 grams from a 100 gram ball) and the socks are shorter than I usually wear.

Another skein of Colinette Jitterbug was purchased on vacation at Mosaic Yarn Shop in Blacksburg, Virginia.

I'll be going toe up with this one and possibly incorporating a contrasting (charcoal gray) heel and toe to maximize that yarny goodness. I'm thinking stockinette for this one also. The color repeats are short and I mostly avoided pooling on the first sock except on the ribbed cuff.

I've been working on a number of small knitting projects including a Branching Out scarf in olive green Silky Wool and a Simple Trekking Sock designed by MimKnits.

Trekking is such a joy and I find myself wanting to knit just one more row so I can see what the colors will do next. I'm looking forward to wearing these socks this fall.

Cheryl, glad to see you've stopped lurking and I appreciate your comment.

Knitting for Charity

2007-08-03T07:24:00.000-07:00

I did indeed finish all my knitting projects on the return trip from South Dakota and was left with one whole day of driving with nothing to do. We're leaving tomorrow on another vacation trip with our daughters and I won't make that mistake again. This time I'm packing two sock projects which should be more than sufficient for my time away.

My South Dakota trip knitting was primarily charity items. Why devote time to charity knitting when my queue is so long and my knitting time so limited? It gives me a great deal of satisfaction to produce hand made items for others, even those I don't know and will never see. One of my favorite childhood memories is my mother sewing clothing for a dozen or more Salvation Army dolls who arrived naked at our home in November and left with beautiful outfits so some child we didn't know would receive a Christmas gift. I also remember accompanying my parents to Red Cross blood drives where both were donors. Although my parents were never wealthy, they were always generous to those in need and I'm proud to be able to continue the tradition. So in addition to the Dulaan hats, I've also knit 3 preemie hats for a children's hospital and a second red scarf for the Red Scarf Project.

Preemie Caps

Preemie to Newborn Size

1 skein Lion Brand Microspun - Lavender

Size 4 Needles

Red Scarf #2 for 2008 Red Scarf Project

2 skeins Paton's Shetland Chunky Tweed - Deep Red

Size 10 Needles

Misti Alpaca Chunky Diagonal Rib Scarf Pattern

I'll have very limited internet access for the next 10 days so won't be posting again until mid-August.

Knitting on the Road

2007-07-29T19:09:00.000-07:00

DH and I are currently approaching the end of our vacation. Rather than fly we drove from upstate NY to the Black Hills of South Dakota which has given me hours of knitting time. I've completed four Dulaan Hats.

Jaeger Extra Fine Merino Chunky - Gray Tweed

Debbie Bliss Chunky Cashmerino - Red

Jaeger Extra Fine Merino Chunky - Teal

Jaeger Extra Fine Merino Chunky - Cranberry

I've also completed the Victorian Lace Socks for the Six Sox Knitalong. These were a challenge in a number of ways. The lace pattern is a 12 row repeat and I am not one of those who memorizes a pattern easily so I found myself constantly referring to the chart and checking off rows to keep track of where I was. Also, this sock pattern specifies a short row toe which was new for me. I did a so-so job of this on the first sock and a much better job on the second. Lastly rather than kitchenering the toes (which I am just starting to do reasonably well) the designer of this sock used a three needle bindoff which I discovered I really enjoy. All in all I am well pleased with these socks and look forward to wearing them when the temperature drops.

Victorian Lace Socks

Apricot Regia Silk

Knitpicks Size 1 DPNs

We have two more days of driving and I'm working on Preemie Hats from Lion Brand Microspun and the second scarf for the Red Scarf Project. Will I run out of knitting before I get home? Let's hope not!

Finding A Balance

2007-07-16T09:09:00.000-07:00

I'm still trying to find a balance between blogging, Ravelry, and actual knitting so there is content when I do blog. At this point my stash is all inventoried on Ravelry. The obsessive photographing of every skein is now complete until I buy again. Most of my projects have been documented and the knitting needle inventory is still on the "to do list". I won't be photographing them!

Daughter #2 created a patio knitting kit for my birthday gift - a sun hat which I wear faithfully (one basal cell carcinoma on my face is enough ) and a small tote bag which is perfect for my smaller projects. Both items are reversible and both have my favorite colors. Isn't she the clever one?

I've not written about Central Park Hoodie for some time because I'm tired of making excuses. I'm happy to report now that progress has occured. The body and sleeves are complete and blocked. The shoulder seams are complete and the hood is done. I stalled for a short time waiting on the smaller needle Addi Turbos but I'm poised for action now. Button bands, hood and sleeve seaming, and buttons are all I need to do. I've been able to try the sweater on and I'm thrilled with the fit so far. Crossing my fingers that the sleeves fit as well since some folks had difficulty with them being too tight.

I've completed one Victorian Lace Sock and I'm pleased with the work although I do have some small mistakes in the eyelets between the mini-melons. This project has been a stretch for me with the complicated lace pattern and the short row toe shaping. Plus I did a 3 needles bind off for the first time. Sock #2 is in progress and I'm hoping to finish this week. The silk yarn is very soft but somewhat splitty which has added to the challenge.

I'm a Winner!

2007-07-01T10:28:00.000-07:00

At the end of May I entered Lia's Blogoversary Contest . It was fun learning more about Lia, who was one of my Stitch Marker Exchange partners in the spring exchange. Lia and I have common favorite colors. I'm all about blue-greens in every shade and she loves blues and greens. Lia also lives in "The Blueberry Capital of the World" which is a great place to be at this time of the year. I'm envious of her access to all those yummy blue fruits. I wasn't the only one who answered all her questions correctly but my name was drawn from the hat as the winner. Lia runs a very generous contest. On Friday, I received a very heavy priority mail box jam packed with goodies.

Two skeins of alpaca/silk sock yarn from Natural Dye Studio, 1 skein of Fortissima Socka Cotton Color sock Yarn (this one is screaming DH's name to me), 4 packets of Soak in various scents, The Knitting Answer Book, and Skacel Sock It to Me sock patterns (with men's sock patterns - is there a pattern here?).

And last, but not least, this adorable little guy who is unbelievably soft.

Thank you Lia!

And a Fine Birthday It Was

2007-06-30T10:08:00.000-07:00

As hoped DH gave me two Elizabeth Zimmerman books, a blocking board, and sock blockers. The blocking board was immediately used to block the Starry Alpaca Scarf and it is my pleasure to show the finished product.

This scarf makes me happy every time I look at it because the colors are so yummy. There are some particularly beautiful shades of blues and greens in this colorway, "Martha's Vineyard".

DH operates on the principle that "bigger is better" and so purchased XL sock blockers. They will fit his feet but not mine. I'm thinking this was a cry for handknitted socks of his own and am keeping them and using some of my birthday money to purchase the proper size for my feet.

Other nice gifts were received but they were not knitting related so I'll not talk about them here.

A Birthday Week

2007-06-26T06:09:00.001-07:00

I'll be celebrating my birthday on Thursday this week but I've already received some gifts and it looks like they will be spread out over several days. DD#2 phoned last evening to tell me her gift won't be in the mail until the weekend.

Yesterday's mail had four packages addressed to me, one from England. Fran, who also received markers from me, sent me these beauties. I particularly like the small "hand made" charm and the rainbow colors.

I'm still waiting to hear if Fran has received the markers I mailed to her. Hope they did not go astray between here and Surrey.

The yarn, ordered from The Loopy Ewe, for the Victorian Lace Socks is also here. Ordered on Saturday midday and delivered to me on Monday. Can't beat that for customer service. I also ordered this sock pattern. Plus Sheri sent all kinds of extra goodies. I see now why so many bloggers and podcasters love The Loopy Ewe. Plan to swatch this yarn today.

The next package contained gifts from DD#1 who said to open immediately so I did. Two skeins of sock yarn (Opal Cotton Hundertwasser in blues and greens and Mountain Colors Bearfoot Tamarack - very autumnal colors which I probably would not have selected myself but love) and a bottle of Eucalan.
The last package contained a wrapped gift from DSister #2 so I restrained myself and decided to save this one to open on "the day". I also received a birthday check from my father which is burning a hole in my pocket. Think I need to visit my LYS or order some of those books on my Amazon wish list.

Summertime and The Living is Easy

2007-06-25T06:02:00.000-07:00

At long last the Starry Cherry Tree Hill glitter alpaca scarf is off the needles. No pictures until I block it (I'm hoping a blocking board will be one of my birthday gifts later this week. )

I'm into the heel flap on the first Hedera

and I've knit 2 skeins of the Patons Chunky Tweed into a Yarn Harlot One Row Handspun Scarf for the Red Scarf Project.

Looks like another 1/2 skein to get the requisite length. This is an ingenious pattern which only requires that one remember to knit two, knit one through the back loop and purl one. Perfect for a lazy summer day when I don't want to think too hard about my knitting although it is getting long enough to be rather warm on my lap.

I've also joined the Yahoo Six Sock Knitalong and am waiting for yarn to arrive so I can begin the current bimonthly sock, Victorian Lace Socks.

Many years ago when I remodeled and expanded my kitchen a good friend gave me a cutting from her Dieffenbachia plant. My friend is no longer with us having lost her battle with cancer but this plant and a lovely tea cup and saucer she gave me are reminders of her. Over time the plant grows too tall and becomes pot bound and I take a new leaf cutting and start all over again. Dieffenbachias are prized for their beautiful leaves. Imagine my surprise when I saw this.

My Google research informs me that blooms are a rare occurence and I feel fortunate to have seen them at least once on my plant. And no, there is no fragrance.

Ravelry Has Taken Over My Life

2007-06-16T08:36:00.000-07:00

Received my invite to Ravelry mid week and ever since have been busily cataloging my stash and projects for "My Notebook". DH watches in amusement as I photograph each skein of yarn and I'm wondering as well if I'm not giving in to my worst OCD tendencies but the organizational concept is very appealing. I've always wanted an inventory of all my yarn, needles, and projects. Seeing all my stash (and I've not completed the sock yarn yet) has given me a very visual reminder of how much yarn I have so I've stopped haunting EBay for the moment. Plus I have an upcoming birthday and I think (hope) I may be receiving some yarn gifts.

The Magic Stripes Bright Spring Socks are complete and although they are not as perfect as I might like they are good enough. I did end up with sufficient yarn and actually had quite a lot remaining which leads me to believe that there may be variation between skeins at Lion Brand. I still have one more skein of this yarn in a denim blue/red colorway but I'm putting that on hold and trying a more challenging sock.

Final tally on the Microspun Preemie Hats is three. I'll be making more of these in lavender at a later date.

I've started Hedera by Cookie with my Rowan 4 Ply Soft yarn in a color called Clover. Size 1 needles are a little like knitting with toothpicks but I've been pleasantly surprised by my progress. I currently have 8 of 14 pattern repeats complete for the leg of sock one.

Stitch Marker Time Again

2007-06-10T07:59:00.000-07:00

I am once again participating in a Stitch Marker Exchange . These beauties will be mailed tomorrow to knitters in Canada and England. Selecting beads for stitch markers is almost as addictive as selecting yarns for knitting. So many possibilities! Some of the beads came from a great local store I just found. Let's Bead in East Rochester will be seeing more of me. Credits go to Michaels for the colored safety pins which I could not resist for holders.

I've been doing some spring/summer cleaning this week and in the process came across two skeins of Lion Brand Microspun purchased in the distant past. I'm not sure what I originally intended but I quickly found this pattern for a Preemie Hat on the Lion Brand website. My thought was that I would quickly knit up this yarn so I wouldn't have to add it to my already quite long stash list. Good intentions, yes? Well, the pattern has 4 sizes of hats and I opted for the Newborn-3 month size first thinking that would use most of the skein but no, it only took about half the skein. So then I cast on for a Preemie-Newborn hat thinking surely that would finish the skein. Here's where I am now.

Looks like at least one more hat just to finish this skein and I still have another skein of purple. Although Microspun is composed of multiple strands I had no problems with splitting but I was using my bamboo DPNs. The fabric is very soft and stretchy (in a good way).

All of my projects are progressing but none is complete. The Spring Socks are the closest to finishing. I'm reasonably happy with the remainder of this sock in terms of matching the first although the heels are not the same.

Thanks to all who commented about cotton blend socks. You've given me good advice and I'm particularly intrigued with Lia's comment about the princess sole which does sound more comfortable. Just trying to decided if I'm up for that much purling.

A Woman's Prerogative

2007-06-05T14:37:00.000-07:00

I've been happily alternating knitting projects....2 hours in the morning on the sweater, 2 hours in the evening on the scarf, etc. This morning it was time to give the second Bright Spring sock some attention. I was so proud of the first sock as I'm sure you could tell from my close-up pictures. The second one is not going to be so perfect and I'm annoyed.

Midway down the leg I encountered a knot and not only a knot but a knot which had not taken the color pattern into account. Orange connected to green so I untied the knot and wasted enough yarn to match as best I was able. But now I am concerned that I will run out of yarn before finishing the foot. Plus, I'm thinking the woven-in ends will make the sock lumpy. Curse you Lion Brand!

I've had second thoughts about the next socks. This beauty arrived in my mailbox today and turned my head.

Online SuperSocke from the Beach collection in the Pistachio Gelato colorway. The yarn is a cotton/wool/polyamid blend which should be perfect for summer. Although summer in Rochester has been varying between 90 and 65 degree days this week I'm confident we will see the sun again soon. I know from reading their blogs that Hilary and Rahime have had some issues with cotton socks. Anything I should know ladies, or anyone else reading this blog, before I attempt my first cotton blend socks?

Air Conditioning is a Wonderful Thing

2007-06-03T15:53:00.000-07:00

We've been having a heat wave in my part of the world. Yesterday temperatures were in the mid 90's and after DH and I walked into our village for Canal Days we happily returned to our air conditioned home where I've been doing a lot of knitting on my 100% wool sweater. The body is reknit and ready for blocking and the sleeves are progressing nicely. I decided to shorten the cuff by an inch since the original design has extra long sleeves extending down over the hand. I'm more inclined to roll up my sleeves than to pull them down over my hands plus it makes one less inch to knit.

I'm making progress on the Starry Glitter Alpaca Scarf as well. This one too is difficult to photograph.

The Lion Brand Magic Stripe Bright Spring socks have been neglected but not forgotten. I'm trying to limit works in progress to no more than three - 1 sweater, 1 scarf, 1 sock but am already thinking ahead to the next socks. I'm ready for the big time and plan to cast on with the Colinette Jitterbug making the basic sock on the label.

What We Think We Know

2007-05-30T06:39:00.000-07:00

When I recently resumed knitting I assumed I remembered how to knit but as I started creating knitted objects I noticed that my knit stitches did not look as straight as others I was seeing on the web. At first I thought I was just rusty and my stitches would improve but that did not happen. Only when I was looking at one of the knitting books from my local library did I realize that I was wrapping the yarn in the opposite direction from the book's illustration. If one wraps clockwise around the front to the back a twisted stitch results as seen in last post's scarf. I've since retrained my brain to wrap counterclockwise from back to front and am now producing very straight knit stitches.

Likewise I assumed I remembered how to make yarn-overs so blithely started knitting the alpaca glitter scarf but again my scarf was not looking like the pattern illustration. No worries I thought...blocking would fix everything but even stretched the pattern still didn't look quite right. Once again I was wrapping backwards to create the yarn over. I've since frogged the first start and am knitting again with beautiful results. Tried to photograph but my camera did not do a good job of focusing so I'll try again later.

The Booga bag is finished and I did indeed know when felting occurred. It took two runs through the washer to achieve the desired results.

Tarah asked if felting gives me the heebie jeebies and indeed it does. I have a very vivid memory of a beautiful sky blue wool v-neck pullover sweater which DH inadvertently felted for me early in our married life. It goes against my nature to put wool in my washing machine but I'm so glad I overcame my resistance this time.

I've also just completed sock 1 in the Lion Brand Magic Stripe Bright Spring pattern. I really like these colors.

Almost Ready to Get Back on the Horse

2007-05-25T09:56:00.000-07:00

I am not yet accomplished enough to do complicated knitting in a moving vehicle so found the Orange Bliss scarf perfect for last weekend's journey to the Philadelphia area and back. This was my second time knitting this scarf and this picture clearly shows the difference between my early twisted knit stitches (on the right) and my new and improved straight knit stitches (on the left). I like both versions and am surprised that the twisted version did not result in a shorter scarf. Both are going into the Dulaan box which I hope to ship shortly. I'm dithering about making one more pair of Rowan Plaid mittens but most probably will not.

Yesterday I learned how to make I cord. As I write, my Karaoke bag and cord are agitating in my washing machine. (It was not a problem finding laundry to accompany them.) Everything I've read says it may take multiple washes before sufficient felting occurs. I'm a little uncertain as to how I will know if it is done. Is it like pornography? Will I know it when I see it? I hope so. Southwest Trading Company calls the color Autumn but it looks like summer to me and I'm looking forward to the finished bag.

Although the instructions for the bag specified 3 skeins of yarn, I used exactly 2 so have an additional skein of Karaoke with no definite project. I suppose I could make these, but already have a pair of fingerless gloves.
CPH is still residing on my dining room table. It was tempting to ignore my error but I couldn't have done it in a more obvious place than the center front neck opening. Shouldn't take long to frog the extra cable repeat and reknit the shoulder.

Let The Wild Rumpus Begin!

2007-05-23T05:56:00.001-07:00

The long awaited summer vacation has begun! And knitting did occur when I was not blogging. I finished 3, count them, 3 Chunky Cashmerino hats

and a pair of Artful Yarns Museum mittens for Dulaan.

I also frogged this

and turned it into this

I'm probably the last knitter in the world knitting a Booga Bag but I want to try felting and I wasn't particularly liking the Karaoke Scarf.

My weekend included several hours in the car and I also knit an Orange Bliss scarf for Dulaan and think I've finished the Booga Bag. Need to count rows this morning to verify and then I'll just need to knit I cord for the handle.

Not This Week

2007-05-06T11:02:00.000-07:00

Despite my best efforts the CPH body is not quite complete. I've been oh so close several times and today I thought it was finished but just discovered that the right front is one cable repeat longer than the left front. I'm taking a break. This particular knitting project is too involved to complement the rest of my life right now. Maybe tomorrow after work I'll be ready to reknit the remaining few inches and maybe I'll return to this project when the semester ends in two weeks. In my drive to meet my knitting goals I've killed the joy of the process and I'm making silly, dare I say stupid, mistakes.
My most recent EBay bargain was three skeins of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Chunky in a color Debbie Bliss calls Lime

and DH calls Puke Green. Perfect for knitting up the Simply Soft Cashmerino Dulaan Hat.
Tonight, after the laundry, cleaning and grocery shopping are done, I fully intend to plop myself in front of the TV to watch my Netflix West Wing Season 7 episodes. I'll be knitting hats until further notice.

The NY Train Socks are Done

2007-04-29T09:04:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned earlier, I decided to start a small project on my train ride to and from NYC and did indeed start and complete most of the first sock in the bouncy train car. At home I decided to continue with the first sock and finish the second prior to returning to CPH. My sock skills are tenuous and I'm still looking at the step by step instructions to graft toes so I didn't want to leave this project in an unfinished state. Both socks are now complete and guiltily I must admit I've also cast on for a second pair of these socks from the Bright Spring colorway but I've also unraveled and rewound all the CPH yarn and fully intend to start knitting on it again tomorrow evening. I'm only a little more than an inch away from the armhole so should be able to complete the body this week. At least that's my goal.

Pattern: Lion Brand Magic Stripes Basic Sock

Needles: Knitpicks DPN Size 3

Yarn: Lion Brand Magic Stripes Brown Blue Pattern (75% wool, 25% nylon - machine wash and dry, sport weight)

Comments: Socks fit well. Leg is only 6 inches to the heel flap and I had only a few yards of yarn remaining so not for those who like tall socks or with bigger feet than my women's 9.5. I didn't initially like the feel of the yarn (something like plastic string) but I got used to it and the yarn softened up considerably after washing. I expect the socks to be durable. I'll be making these again as I have three more skeins of this yarn but don't expect to buy any more when this is knit up. There are too many other yarns out there I want to try.

We had wonderful weather for our trip to NYC and were able to enjoy basking in the sun in Central Park

and walking the Brooklyn Bridge

which has been on my life list for a long time. The Brooklyn Bridge is a major civil engineering achievement and has a very interesting history. David McCullough's The Great Bridge tells the story much better than I could ever hope and I highly recommend it for those who want to know more. I have great admiration for the Roebling engineers, especially Emily, so it was exciting to finally see the bridge up close and personal. Walkers and bicyclists are on a wooden platform at the center of the bridge above the car traffic (3 lanes each direction) so the views are amazing.
We ate wonderful food including an excellent lunch/dinner midafternoon meal of Turkish food at Dervish on 47th street where DH's Cilek Soslu Firinda Armut (Poached Pear dipped in crushed East Anatolian pistachios, served with cinnamon flavored strawberry couli) was so beautiful he photographed it

and cheese blintzes for dinner at Roxy's Deli prior to our show. We bought superb chocolate at Scharffen Berger and Vere and one skein of sock yarn, previously described. We saw Monty Python's Spamalot and visited the Radical Lace and Subversive Knitting exhibit at the Museum of Arts and Design where we were also able to attend a lecture by one of the artists, Janet Echelman. Add in a pedicab tour of Central Park with our intrepid Turkish guide and a choral concert by the Brockport school choruses in St. Patrick's Cathedral and we had a very satisfying weekend.

Pretties for Me

2007-04-24T17:03:00.000-07:00

A wonderful time was had in NYC and I will write more about that later. Today, I want to show off the stitch markers I received and the single skein of yarn I purchased on my trip. The first markers are from Leslie in South Carolina who made me beautiful turquoise markers with small rings, at my request, to use with sock needles. Aren't these gorgeous!

Today, after a very long work day, I arrived home to find a second package in my mail. Patty from Minnesota sent me these elegant markers along with a mini-skein keyring made from baby alpaca yarn. I love these markers as well and the alpaca is oh so soft!

My swap exerience was excellent and I'm thinking of signing on for the next go-round which starts May 1.

Eldest DD and I visited Seaport Yarn in Manhattan and found it to be just as most bloggers describe it... a office space with multiple rooms packed with yarn. She bought a single skein of Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Monet and I bought a single skein of Colinette Jitterbug Gauguin also for socks.

Snow Day

2007-04-17T04:28:00.000-07:00

Some towns in my area received as much as 22 inches of snow yesterday, but we saw lots of wet gloppy snow/rain which fell most of the day and evening with little accumulation of snow but lots of standing water. DH went to work but I got to stay home. When I stepped into my back yard to take this picture I could see and hear Canada geese on their northward migration. They are more optimistic about spring than I. Our local weather man seemed to delight in calling this a crocus crushing storm but I fear for my daffodils.

Lots of knitting occurred and I am now at 12 inches of sweater body....2.5 inches more until the armholes.

The Lull Before the Storm

2007-04-15T12:38:00.000-07:00

We're waiting for a major ~~winter~~ spring storm attack. The National Weather Service is forecasting a weather event for our area with the possibility of 6-10 inches of wet snow by Monday 6pm. In addition, we should expect consistent wind of 20-25 mph with gusts higher. East and southeast of Rochester (where I work) may get as much as 12-18 inches of snow by storm end. The possibility of a no-work day is tantalizing and I'm neglecting my usual weekend chores which I will probably regret.

I've been devoting considerable time to CPH and have 9 inches of the body complete. The 40" Addi Turbos arrived on Friday and I'm very pleased with them. I'm also glad I decided to reknit because I can see a clear difference in the quality of my work from old to new. The old cables were "fuzzy". These are crisp and well defined.

I've been contemplating my NYC train knitting project and have finally decided to make Lion Brand Magic Stripe Basic Socks with my Lion Brand Magic Stripes Brown/Blue pattern yarn. I've had this yarn for a long time and I want to do some more sock practice before I use the better, more expensive yarns.

Here We Go Again

2007-04-12T03:40:00.000-07:00

I'm off and running again on the Central Park Hoodie. Work is particularly demanding right now with advising appointments with my students to discuss pre-registration for the fall semester but I'm squeezing in some knitting time every day. Today's picture reflects my knitting status as of yesterday morning with almost all of the ribbing complete and a second ball of yarn just added. DH gave me a set of Denise needles for Christmas and I've enjoyed having any size needle available when I needed it. But, I'm getting frustrated pushing this tweed yarn over the join so I've ordered 40" size 8 Addi Turbos to complete this sweater. I've never tried them before and am anxious to see if they are as fast as the claims. (You knew there would be shopping involved somewhere, didn't you!) I'm tempted to cast on for a small project as well but so far have stayed focused. Next week DH and I are taking the train to NYC for the weekend and I'm thinking I will want a smaller project for the trip so may break my resolution at that point.

They're Finished

2007-04-09T04:49:00.000-07:00

A fine Easter celebration was had AND a pair of socks was completed.

Pattern: Ann Norling Adult Socks II: Play on Ribs - Wide Wale Rib
Needles: Knitpicks DPN Size 2
Yarn: Opal Magic- Orange
Comments: Great fitting sock. Pattern works well with self-striping yarn and I'll likely be making these again.
Cast on for CPH again last night...194 stitches makes for very long rows but when I'm finished I'll have the entire body with no side seams so should be worth it.

Staying on Task

2007-04-07T09:27:00.000-07:00

I've resolved to focus on a single project until completion before flitting off to start new ones. Therefore, I'm working away on the second Opal sock and I've made good progress...well into the foot and the second sock is matching the first perfectly. I'm so pleased. Possibly I'll finish this weekend depending on how much time I devote to our Easter celebration. A photo will be posted when I'm finished.
Stitch markers for my two swap partners are complete and mailed. No pictures so as not to spoil the surprise for the recepients. Making markers is very addictive. I've loved every set I've created and it is difficult to part with them but I also mailed a set to eldest DD. Hope she appreciates them.
After taking a long break from CPH I have a new plan of attack. I was almost finished with the second front when I realized I was wrapping my knit stitches incorrectly. After knitting a few rows correctly I could see a clear difference between "good" knit stitches and "bad" knit stitches. At that point I paused for reflection. I've decided to frog everything and start again knitting the body as one piece to eliminate side seams. It is still snowing here so I'm not yet too late for a wool sweater.

I'm a Sucker for a Bargain

2007-03-31T09:26:00.000-07:00

Although I don't necessarily need to pinch pennies, I cannot resist a bargain. So, when Webs sent an email informing me of their Regia sock sale I immediately went to the site and started shopping. There were many attractive options but ultimately I purchased two skeins of 4ply Color, two skeins of 4 ply Stretch Color and one skein of 4ply Ringel Color. All this beautiful yarn including shipping for less than $30. Who could resist? I currently have enough yarn for 17 pairs of socks so I'm done shopping for sock yarn, regardless of how good the bargain is, until some finished socks are produced.

I'm particularly looking forward to knitting the ringel. Aren't those skinny stripes awesome?

Presenting two more finished objects:

Pattern: Fiona's Friends Lamb's Pride Hat for Infants & Kids
Needles: Clover Bamboo DPN Size 7
Yarn: Lamb's Pride Worsted - Aran
Comments: This hat is the infant size and was a fun knit with a two row pattern which was easy to remember. I'll be making more of these.

Pattern: Fiona's Friends Lamb's Pride Hat for Infants & Kids
Needles: Clover Bamboo DPN Size 7
Yarn: Lamb's Pride Worsted - Supreme Purple ( almost a full skein)
Comments: This hat is the kid size and was also a fun knit with 8 more stitches and a lot more rows.

Just received my partners for the Stitch Marker swap and I'm looking forward to making markers for Lia and Sulah.

Sunshine in NY and a Yarn Update

2007-03-30T13:18:00.000-07:00

At long last I am at home when the sun is shining. That is not to say that we've not had some sunny days this week. But after I've made my way home and then prepared and eaten dinner it is too dark for flashless pictures. I've been working away on my Opal sock and am very pleased with both my progress and the noticable improvement in my knitting skills. Having an electronic balance at work is a good thing and I was able to weigh my remaining yarn and determine that I had used much less than 50% for the first sock and so could indulge my desire for symmetry. I could not be happier with the results and as you can see I'm almost to the heel flap.

Now for an update on the yarn purchases. In order of purchase:

First, I bought a skein of sKnitches Syncopation sock yarn in the Day Spa colorway on EBay. This one is hard to photograph. The official color description is chocolate brown, warm pink, and leafy green. The leafy green approaches lime and the warm pink is closer to peach in my book. Syncopation is a self striping yarn with stripes of various widths. I'm thinking a simple stockinette pattern for this one.

Next, on my spring vacation, I checked out Simply Socks where I purchased 2 skeins of Claudia Handpaint in Begonia, 1 skein of Fleece Artist Merino in Paris and 2 skeins of Lorna's Laces in Denim.

As I mentioned earlier, I had google searched a yarn store on my route to Grove City and originally planned to stop there on my way back to NY. Instead I stopped on my way to Grove City to break up the rainy drive and had no difficulty locating Butler's Country Knit Shop. The shop is on a residential street in a house and Marge Butler has 3 rooms full of yarn at 10 percent discount. I walked away with a skein of Lamb's Pride Worsted in Supreme Purple which has already been knitted into a Dulaan hat, a skein of Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool in olive green which is reserved for a Branching Out Scarf, and a skein of Trekking XXL which had a teal cast to it in the store but now appears to be purely shades of gray. Perhaps a pair of socks for DH if he continues to be so helpful...more about that later.

.

In addition to my purchases, my cousin gifted me with a skein of vintage Tahki Donegal Tweed (purchased when the skein price was $4.50). I'm looking for a good project for this one.

We had an exciting Thursday evening turning all my new yarn into "cakes". DH watched me wind the first skein and after receiving much helpful advice and feedback about all the things I was doing incorrectly I turned the task over to him. It's a win-win. He has something to do and I get more knitting time.

Stay tuned for pictures of the two Dulaan hats which are currently blocking and my "very last" sock yarn purchase from Webs.

Waiting for Sun

2007-03-27T04:12:00.000-07:00

The promised update did not occur because I was waiting for sun. I have lots of beautiful yarn waiting to be photographed. Spring has arrived but instead of sunny days we're seeing lots of rain with intermittent sunshine. Unfortunately the sunshine has occured when I'm working and don't have access to either my yarn or the digital camera. The mystery project was a Lamb's Pride Fiona's Friends infant size hat in the Aran colorway. It's complete and I've made a child's size version in a luscious purple purchased at Butler's Country Knit Shop. My original Dulaan committment (5 items) has been met and exceeded. I'm tempted to purchase more bargain Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Chunky for hats but am resisting for the moment and returning to knitting for me. Cast on this morning for the second Opal sock and will focus my efforts there for a while.

Road Trip and Retail Therapy

2007-03-22T06:35:00.000-07:00

I'm off to meet my sisters and a cousin in Grove City, PA where much shopping will occur and also some knitting. A small knitting project is accompanying me and no it is not on my WIP list but it looked interesting so there you are. I've located a yarn shop in Erie to explore on my way back home although I've been doing some Internet shopping this week as well and probably should not be buying any more yarn.
Used my Amazon credits to purchase both Lace Style and Favorite Socks which arrived in yesterday's mail. I'll update again on Saturday.

Taking Care of Business

2007-03-20T08:23:00.000-07:00

Weekends are usually my best time to knit but knowing that I had a week of vacation ahead of me I used my weekend to see a movie preview - "The Last Mimzy", plan my summer travels and finally attack the income tax. Having done that I once again turned to the small projects which can be completed quickly and neglected CPH.
First up is a pair of Rowan Plaid mittens for the Dulaan Project. The yarn was purchased from Webs on closeout as a "must try this once" yarn.

Pattern: Plaid Mittens
Needles: Size 10-1/2 Clover Bamboo DPN
Yarn: 1 skein Rowan Plaid Nuzzle
Comments: Loved the pattern and the yarn. Only concern is the color left on my towel after a Eucalan bath and blocking. Liked this one so much that when I saw an even better price for the yarn at Richesse Online I purchased an additional 4 skeins.
Next project resulted from a Christmas present false start. I made my SonIL a scarf for Christmas and originally purchased 2 skeins of Lion Brand Cashmere Blend in red. DD vetoed my color choice so I went searching for another use for this yarn and found Valentine Socks. In my case they turned out to be St. Patricks Day socks.

Pattern: Valentine Socks
Yarn: 2 skeins Lion Brand Cashmere Blend, 1 skein Lion Brand Tiffany
Needles: Size 4 Clover Bamboo DPN
Comments: Extremely frustrating experience with the Tiffany yarn initially. Numerous attempts starting the first cuff as I kept either losing or increasing stitches. Second cuff went much smoother. Cashmere Blend yarn quantity sufficient for my size 9 foot but only had 6 inches left from first skein and about a yard from the second. Very warm and cozy "girly" socks and I can see good progress on my sock making technique.
Socks are becoming very appealing and I can see many more of them in my future. But for now, I'm headed back to my Central Park Hoodie.

No Knitting Today But Yarn to Show

2007-03-12T16:46:00.000-07:00

Work days leave very little time for knitting. As promised I'm showing off my latest stash acquisitions. First, from EBay some lovely sock yarn. The psychology of auction bidding is fascinating. I started bidding on yarn like this when it was going at a bargain price hoping to get a "buy". When the price exceeded the "Buy It Now" price of another vendor I laughed out loud at those fools who were paying inflated prices and immediately purchased a skein. Never mind that my original intent was to get a bargain. I give you Cherry Tree Hill Supersock in the Spring Frost colorway.

The other yarn was acquired on the day trip to Buffalo. The purpose of the trip was to take the four Pella windows in for drilled holes so that the between window shades could be installed. To make the trip more interesting I decided to locate a yarn shop to visit. The Elmwood Yarn Shop came highly recommended on the web and it was a very pleasant little store with a friendly owner. My purchase was 3 skeins of Plymouth Baby Alpaca in purple for a scarf for DH.

I've also joined the Stitch Marker Exchange which should be great fun. I'm looking forward to both making stitch markers to send out and receiving packages in my mail box.

I've Made a Sock

2007-03-11T13:14:00.000-07:00

I prefer not to think of myself as an ADD knitter. Rather, I have different projects which I work on at different times depending on amount of available time, difficulty level and required amount of concentration. CPH can be worked on almost any time and I squeeze in a few minutes in the morning prior to work and random bits of time in the evenings. My sock, however, requires much concentration since it is my first. I've been stalling on moving beyond the heel flap until I could devote my entire attention to the work with little chance of interuption. Saturday morning, I successfully made the gusset, picked up stitches on the heel flap and started knitting the foot. I was so delighted with the result that I kept stopping to admire my work every few rows. Eventually, I realized that if I kept plugging away I might conceivably finish the sock. By Saturday evening I was done except for Kitchnering the toes and I was very tired so postponed that task until this morning when I was alert. Amazingly, when I slipped them on they fit perfectly. I'm still not wild about the yarn but am glad my first sock is with a forgiving yarn. Little mistakes aren't visible. I have the small holes at the heel flap corner which everyone writes about so next sock I'll have to work on "fixing" those and I'm not very confident about my seaming technique yet but I'm very excited to have actually knit such a complex object.

Now I have to decide if I'm going to try to match the pattern on the second sock or just start knitting where the yarn ended. I really want matching but don't know if there is sufficient yarn.
Friday, DH and I drove to Buffalo on a window related trip and I visited a yarn store. A small amount of yarn was purchased and I have one more EBay purchase to show. Stay tuned.

A Finished Object to Report

2007-03-07T18:26:00.000-08:00

Pattern: Helmet with Earflaps by Lipp Holmfeld (Vogue Knitting on the Go Chunky Scarves & Hats)
Yarn: 1 skein (8 oz.) Brown Sheep Yarn Co. Burly Spun Wild Oak
Needles: Denise Size 15 and K crochet hook

A Last Blast of Winter

2007-03-06T11:11:00.000-08:00

Mother Nature is giving Rochester one last taste of winter with high winds during the night, blowing snow, and sub-zero wind chills. My employer decided to close early yesterday and for the entire day today so I've had unexpected time at home. As a result, the Burly Spun Helmet is finished and blocking. This is one manly hat and I hope it keeps someone in Mongolia very warm. Look for a picture tomorrow or as soon as I am able to get sufficient natural light. In the meantime I wanted to contrast the size of the Burly Spun yarn with my other two active projects. Below you can see the Burly Spun, Skye Tweed, and Opal sock yarns.

I'm actually happy to return to the smaller yarns and corresponding needles.

One of my Ebay purchases arrived yesterday, via Royal Mail. I can highly recommend Jannette's Rare Yarns where I purchased 2 skeins of Rowan 4ply Soft in the Clover colorway. This yummy yarn will eventually be knit into a pair of Hedera socks.

The Celtic buttons also arrived yesterday and they are every bit as beautiful as their picture promised. Good incentive to keep knitting on the CPH.

Cheating on My Main Project

2007-03-04T09:07:00.000-08:00

Those who know me well would confirm that I am not a patient person. I see this quality in my knitting at regular intervals. Yes, I spent most of the day on Friday with CPH and much progress was made. But, by Friday evening I had decided I really needed to start a project which could be completed this weekend so I could cut another notch on my Completed Projects list. None of the WIPs were going to work so I eyed my Burly Spun Lamb's Pride and cast on for the cabled helmet hat. And besides, I really need to be working on those Dulaan projects. Thus I fell into temptation.
I've been working off and on all weekend but see that my original goal is not going to be met. I still need to seam the back, knit on earflaps, and crochet tie strings. Working on size 15 needles feels awkward after the smaller needles of my other projects but there is something satisfying about the speed of completion. Here's a picture of my progress so far.

(The picture is a little bit deceptive as you're only seeing half of the hat. There's another half underneath.)
As promised yesterday, here are some pictures of my Wide Wale sock. When I look closely I can see some laddering at my DPN junctions. A part of me wants to frog but reason has prevailed and I've resolved to figure out how to do better in the future.

Borrowed the idea of stretching my sock over a drinking glass from another blogger who shall remain nameless since I've forgotten where I saw it.
Some stash enhancement occured via EBay but I'll not update until the items actually arrive.

A Break from Blogging

2007-03-03T06:45:00.000-08:00

Although I've not been blogging for a variety of reasons, I have been knitting. The back and left front of CPH are complete and I'm approximately 10 inches into the right front. I've been thinking ahead and have ordered Celtic buttons so I'll have them when I need to make the buttonholes.

I've also completed the heel flap on the Opal sock and am ready to turn the heel but no pictures of that item today.

Beads from Fire Mountain Gems arrived and DH has asssembled two more sets of stitch markers. I love the frogs! If I use the frog stitch markers I shouldn't have to do any frogging, right?

Last weekend I visited Spirit Works and purchased the Jo Sharp Gathering book which has a couple of sweaters I like and also one skein of Jo Sharp Silkroad DK Aran Tweed in the Granary colorway for a trial knit to see if I like this yarn well enough to commit to a sweater.

Central Park Hoodie Part Two

2007-02-14T13:51:00.000-08:00

Today was a lovely day for knitting. Snow day with classes cancelled at my workplace so I could stay indoors and knit away on the back of my Central Park Hoodie. I made significant progress, starting the bindoff for the sleeve and progressing beyond to the neck. I had hoped to complete the back today. But,when I noticed that I had placed a cable two rows too early I decided to call it a day, frogged back to the mistake and got my stitches back on the needles. When I first began the sweater and completed the ribbing I decided that I was making the sweater too large so went down a size. Today I decided perhaps I should check the back against some of my sweaters that I frequently wear and love. To my surprise most of them are wider than I thought. Alas, my CPH is too small. Tonight I will frog and tomorrow I will begin again. Will it knit more quickly the second time? We'll see. I keep reminding myself that this is my first sweater and a learning experience so I have indeed learned something about sizing.

Almost One Ball Complete

2007-02-11T13:03:00.000-08:00

After Friday's post, while I was waiting for the drying of my Skye tweed swatch I decided to try socks with the bargain skein of Opal sock yarn. In the past I've not been very satisfied with my joining method when begining a circular piece either on DPNs or circs. Searched my small knitting library for a solution and came across Nancy Bush's Cross Over Join which worked like a charm. Although the orange yarn would not have been my first choice I'm rather pleased with the socks so far. For my first pair of socks I'm doing a simple 3x1 rib pattern on number 2 needles. One evening yielded 3 inches of cuff so progress was not as slow as I had thought it might be.

Saturday, I coerced DH into accompanying me to Michael's for supplies to make stitch markers. I selected the beads and he did all the work with pliers to produce these.

Somehow I thought they were essential to the making of CPH and once they were complete I cast on and made it through 4 inches of ribbing and the beginning of the first cable repeat. I'm close to finishing the first ball of yarn, but this ball also produced my swatch so there is much knitting yet to be done. I'm loving the color even more as I see it on a larger canvas. You can see a picture of my progress to date on the sidebar.

For those of you who've been following the bathroom story, I decided to return both shower curtains and use a white curtain. Too much color going on all ready in this room. Robe hook has now been installed on the door.

I've Been Tagged

2007-02-09T12:04:00.000-08:00

I've been tagged by Rahime. First time and I'm not sure what to write so will stall a little bit longer before I post "Five Secrets about Me".

No work on Fridays is a good thing. I'm still in my pajamas and I've been knitting and catching up on my podcasts. Both of the One Skein Baby Hats made from Artful Yarns Candy are off the needles. I just need to seam them and then I'll take some pictures. What a fun project. The yarn varies in both texture and color and the finished result is very fabric like. Fiber content is mostly cotton with a smidge of acrylic and a little bit of nylon and elastic. And best of all the finished product can be washed in the washing machine on the gentle cycle. Never mind that I have no recepient in mind for these. They were fun to make and when I need a small baby gift I'm ready.

The yarn for my Central Park Hoodie arrived today from Webs (all 16 balls!) and I've already made a swatch. I love the color and can't wait to begin on the sweater. The picture you are seeing is pre-washing and I'm anxiously waiting for my swatch to dry so I can double check my needle size and get started. The yarn is not scratchy which was a concern and I'm sure it will be softer after washing so should result in a very comfortable sweater. The scanned image looks pretty good to me in terms of color reproduction - background color is a light blue-grey with flecks of brown, white, shades of gray, and violet blue. The cables should look great.

Classic Elite has some other patterns for this yarn which I really like. For example,
Cable Pullover from Tweed Four

If CPH goes well I may have to visit WEBS again and purchase more yarn before it is all gone.

My Interweave Knits spring issue arrived in yesterday's mail. Wasn't expecting it until later. I'm loving Stefanie Japel's
Cable Down Raglan Sweater.

and
Kate Gilbert's
Slanted Neck Pullover
but am not sure my OCD personality could adjust to the asymmetrical neckline.The bamboo yarns look interesting.

The bathroom is almost complete. DH has been working on various tasks diligently every evening after work including painting the linen closet while it is empty. The new satin nickel doorknob arrived very quickly and has already been installed. It looks wonderful. We're still lacking the window shades and the new door hinges and I need to hang the pictures and decide about the shower curtain but we're almost there.

Progress Has Occurred

2007-02-03T09:50:00.000-08:00

The remodeled bathroom is slowly getting its paint. Yesterday, Friday, I was home during the day so was able to get some pictures with natural lighting thereby eliminating glare off the mirror and tile and I'm quite pleased with both my pictures and the room. I did eventually decide to choose a tan color for the walls and I'm very pleased with the way it punches up the teal in the floor tile. I currently have two potential shower curtains and am debating which will be allowed to stay. One is a stripe with various shades of teals and the other has a cream background with medium large stylized teal flowers. Thought about posting pictures and doing a poll but this blog has very limited readership, which is fine with me, so didn't think the poll would be worth the effort. The windows still need painting but since we are having what is projected to be the coldest weekend of the winter no work on them is occurring today. Window shades from Pella have been ordered and we're waiting for their arrival. The major outstanding item for the room is locating a new door and arranging for its installation.

Progress has also occurred on the knitting front. My multidirectional scarf is almost complete. I only have 1-1/2 of the isosceles triangles to complete and then a right triangle on the end. I should be able to finish knitting today, block today and tomorrow, and wear on Monday. Will also figure out how to block the Diagonal Block scarf at the same time so I can move both into the completed column. The Starry Scarf is still an ongoing project but requires a lot of concentration so I'm looking for another project which I can work on during the short intervals of time I am able to eke out of my busy days.

Yarn purchase for the week was 2 skeins of Koigu sock yarn. I love the colors and think they would look good as Jaywalkers but I need to make a simpler sock first. I'm thinking I will use the Opal Magic yarn and the Knitting Pure and Simple Basic Sock Pattern for my first venture into socks.

As I think about the scarves I've made I'm beginning to realize that an equivalent amount of knitting could have produced a sweater and my thoughts are returning to the Central Park Hoodie. Although the Tahki Donegal Tweed is a little pricey for a first sweater attempt, WEBS has Classic Elite Skye Tweed on clearance and my shopping basket at their site currently has balls of both the Scottish Mist and Dungeon colorways. The darker gray Dungeon is the more practical choice but I love the name of Scottish Mist and the lighter gray with flecks of blue would also be a very wearable color for me. An Ebay seller has a third color option, Island Foam, which is also appealing but the price is not right. Which should I choose?

Work is Interfering with my Knitting

2007-01-29T18:30:00.000-08:00

Returned to my job today after a very pleasant long vacation. The weekend was spent preparing for classes and writing letters of recommendation for colleagues applying for promotion. Knitting is definitely going to be taking a back seat and I'm not pleased. I've started another project as I could not resist casting on for the multidirectional scarf pattern I received from the MD Yahoo Group with the Supermerino Artyarn color 101 I received for Christmas. The yarn is beautiful and I'm really enjoying the process of multidirectional knitting. The finished scarf will be lovely with my new chocolate brown coat. Pictures are coming.

I'm a Big Girl Now

2007-01-24T13:40:00.000-08:00

At last I got brave and took some pictures with the digital camera. Some are good, some are not, I will get better with practice.
First the pictures for the bathroom.

Then the "manly" Burly Spun yarn with a ballpoint pen for comparision.

And last my beautiful starry scarf made with Cherry Tree Hill alpaca with glitter.

I'm feeling a sense of accomplishment now.

Not Enough Time

2007-01-23T17:28:00.000-08:00

Finding time to update the blog is becoming challenging and I've still not learned to take my own photos so you'll just have to imagine them.
Bathroom completion is progressing slowly. I did take a bath in the new tub and it is glorious but water splashed on the the new dry wall and I can't do that again until the painter recovers from surgery. I've located beautiful teal (sea glass) towels and brushed nickel curtain rings. Thought I had a shower curtain but Bed Bath and Beyond was sold out of the teal color and the internet store doesn't even show that color as being available. I seem to be at the end of a color trend cycle. Linens and Things had a wonderful set of two pictures which incorporate all my colors and the frame is a silver which nicely matches the nickel plumbing fixtures so purchased those for the wall above the toilet. I also purchased a clearance shower curtain at LNT but am not sure it is the best option so am hanging on to my receipt. I've looked at several paint chips from Sherwin Williams and am leaning toward a off white with the tan/peach undertones rather than the teal undertones I initially though I wanted. We've called the Pella window folks and are attempting to get the in-window shades like the ones in our powder room.
Knitting is progressing well and I've done some major stash enhancement since my last post. The Brown Sheep Burly Spun I purchased on Ebay arrived and it is truly manly yarn. Somehow the Ebay picture did not prepare me for either the size of the hank or the yarn diameter. The hat from it should be quick but I'm resisting casting on for yet another project until something else is finished. Finished off a quick 2x2 rib scarf from some Ebay Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Super Chunky for the Dulaan project on the weekend while I listened to pod casts. Just needed to have a completed object quickly. My alpaca glitter scarf is coming along nicely and I'm trying to spend at least an hour a day on it.
Stopped at New York Knits this evening for some double point needles and walked out the door with a Jo Sharp pattern book, 1 skein of Opal sock yarn and 2 skeins of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran in addition to the needles. In my defense, everything but the needles was on sale. Clearance for the book and sock yarn and 25% discount for the cashmerino (Valentine's sale on anything red or pink).

Bathroom Pictures Are Here

2007-01-18T18:52:00.000-08:00

The contractors finished up this afternoon. Isn't it beautiful?

Almost Complete

2007-01-18T04:18:00.000-08:00

The Diagonal Block Scarf is off the needles and the bathroom contractors will be finished today. Both projects will have loose ends to finish. The scarf requires blocking and my ironing board will not be adequate for this task. I need a better option preferably one which has a background grid so I can square up those diagonal blocks. I'm thinking of buying a cardboard Dritz cutting board if those still exist but know that the water from blocking will shorten its life. The bathroom will still need painting, a shower curtain, window treatments and a new door. Many of those tasks are dependent on DH who is having minor surgery tomorrow so patience is necessary. I'm not sure what color I want for the walls as the tile and countertop have lots of color. We may end up with white walls.
New resolve - must learn to take my own digital photos so I can post whenever I choose and not be dependent on others.
Misty Garden is still not calling my name and I may frog the Karaoke scarf as I like the design but the width is a little narrow for me. I know my knitting time will soon be severely restricted so the next project was a difficult decision but here it is.
I have a skein of Cherry Tree Hill Glitter Alpaca acquired via EBay in the Martha's Vineyard colorway (and it is first on the stash list) which I intend to turn into a Starry Scarf as seen here.
Bathroom pictures WILL be taken this evening. Watch for them!

A Good Day for Knitting

2007-01-15T15:49:00.000-08:00

Woke up this morning to icy rain which was coating the trees and shrubs and threated to make travel difficult. The bathroom construction workers cancelled for the day and I ventured out to the dentist during the morning for a crown preparation. Fortunately the roads were not icy. I had intended to continue to my office to pick up spring textbooks but instead came home and spent the rest of the day knitting and listening to a book on tape - The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory.
Two completed objects today - the Besotted Scarf for the Red Scarf Project is blocked and ready to mail and the Malabrigo Hat is complete as well. I decided it was time to knit for myself and not wanting to tackle the mohair Misty Garden at the moment pulled out the Reynolds Andean Alpaca for the Diagonal Block Scarf from the Vogue Knitting Scarves book. The design is intended to simulate entrelac but is really alternating squares of garter and stockinette on the diagonal. I tried it once before but didn't like my method of adding stitches and so frogged it. I've now mastered a better method of adding stitches and am finding the knitting is going quite quickly.

The Challenge is Met

2007-01-13T13:44:00.000-08:00

At last I have obtained photos of completed work and all my works in progress. You can see them on my sidebar.

In my Kyarns order I also received two skeins of Artful Yarns Candy (on clearance, of course). It is an interesting yarn with a one skein baby hat pattern on the label which I intend to try at my earliest convenience. Looks to be a quick knit and perhaps something I can do while I wait during DH's upcoming surgery. The color names are quite creative and don't really tell one much about the color - Sweet Tart and Jelly Bean.

Bathroom remodel is continuing to proceed at a rapid clip. One worker was here today finishing the dry wall so tile work can begin first thing Monday morning. I wish I had taken "before" pics but I do have construction photos and will update as progress occurs. The long awaited bath tub is in place.

I'm in Love

2007-01-12T18:42:00.000-08:00

Besotted is off the needles and tomorrow I will weave in the ends and block. The mailman brought my Kyarns order and before I knew what I was doing I had rolled my new Malabrigo yarn into a ball, cast on to my new Denise needles and was making a hat (2x2 rib). I'm having a little difficulty with the circular needles...yarn isn't moving along them as nicely as I would like. Although the pattern called for 16" circulars, I think I should have used a shorter cord. I can't stop admiring the colors (Stonechat) and the softness of the yarn. I must have a sweater from this yarn.
Bathroom remodel is progressing nicely. By yesterday evening everything had been removed from the room(vanity, toilet, tub, tile floor, tile walls, medicine cabinet). Today my new tub was installed and the dry wall replaced and repaired.

The Stash

2007-01-10T13:03:00.000-08:00

Still no photos and the bathroom construction start was postponed until tomorrow. I've waited this long, what's one more day. Winter has come to my part of the world. Snow was falling when I woke up this morning and continued until midday. We've had one snow plow visit at least from our seasonal contract and I suspect there will be more.
Worked on adding my stash inventory to the blog. I knew how much yarn I had but didn't realize quite how long the list would be. Good incentive to stop browsing EBay for bargains and get to work using up some of the yarn I already own plus there are a few items still in transit (but they don't count yet, right). The Cherry Tree Hill Glitter Alpaca I bought on EBay arrived today and it is as lovely as I hoped. Now, if only the pattern would arrive. I could have one more WIP. Besotted has past the 50% point. I finished the first ball of yarn last night and she measures 34" so it is all downhill from here. Tried cabling w/o a cable needle but didn't seem faster for me so I'm back to using one of my double pointed needles for the cables.

Deadlines

2007-01-09T09:35:00.000-08:00

Deadline person that I am, the project with a deadline, Red Scarf Project, is getting the most attention. I'm using Cascade 220 Washable in Really Red and making Besotted from Hello Yarn. I'm loving the cables and only occasionally am I frogging because I've turned my cables the wrong way. The first skein of yarn is almost finished and I'm almost half the suggested scarf length, so life is good. Pictures are still pending until I can coerce DH into taking some photos for me.
I've been sidetracked from knitting because my long awaited bathroom remodel is finally going to happen. The contractor is scheduled to be here tomorrow morning between 8:30am and 9am so the bathroom and adjoining linen closet's contents must be relocated so the workers can perform their magic.

Getting Started

2007-01-08T11:48:00.000-08:00

At the urging of my eldest daughter I am launching my own blog. Late in 2006 I rediscovered knitting after a 30 year hiatus. After knitting a series of hats and scarves for charity to refresh my rusty skills, I am well and truly hooked. So many beautiful yarns, so many patterns to try, so many new skills to acquire. My main purpose for the blog is to document my knitting but I expect to comment on the occasional other topic as well. Next post I'll show some of my 2007 knitting.