Showing posts with label Grandma Shawl. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Grandma Shawl. Show all posts

26 January 2007

So close!

Just a few more rows for Grandma's shawl, and then I'll have to send it out to Illinois. Three skeins of Kidsilk Haze on your lap is so amazing. And I have another three in a taupey colorway that are waiting for the right pattern, perhaps Wing o' the Moth.

Confession: I ordered some yarn in my first group buy from 100purewool. Very exciting! I chose some bulky Corriedale for a hat project (Undyed, Springtime, Ocean, Rosado, and mmmmmmm Celeste - that last one might be for me), a skein of the merino laceweight in blue knots (now that Handpaintedyarn no longer seems to offer their laceweight merino) for some sort of shawl, some of the worsted merino in Sky for a sweater for me (top-down raglan, I think, with ribs, perhaps), and a couple of skeins of the worsted in Pasionaria for a Minisweater.

Luckily, all that will take a while to get here so I can work on some stash busting: Fetchings for me, a ribbed hat for Peter, and a sweater for Isobel, I think. Then there is that Hourglass Sweater in Schaeffer yarn to think about. And the Slouchy Cardigan from Greetings from Knit Cafe in ??? What yarn? They used Twisted Sisters Alpaca, I think. Maybe Blue Sky Alpacas Alpaca & Silk? I heart that yarn.

Oy, I still have all that boucle calling out to be a sweater, but I'm going to have to write up a pattern and do schematics and measure for that one. I should figure it out though and get started.

Did you catch that? My knitting book diet was blown. I bought Greetings from Knit Cafe after talking about the Slouchy Cardi with a friend. And there are a couple of other things in there worth making: the Alpaca & Silk Beret, that lacy mohair shawl, and a few others I'm spacing on. It's a nice book

22 January 2007

Block Around the Clock

Finito! I did a single crochet around the hem, neck, and edges on Saturday. I tried doing the crab stitch (backwards single crochet - thank you so much, Carolyn, for helping me figure it out!), but it was such a pain and didn't seem to add anything to the finished product. I crocheted around one sleeve and am, apparently, a tight crocheter, so I pulled that out and am leaving the sleeve edges alone for now. I also tried crocheting a little scalloped edge, doing a crochet one, chain three, then crocheting the second stitch (skipping one stitch), which I think I picked up from Annie Modesitt on Knitty Gritty Episode 408, though looking at the page on DIY, I don't think I did it right. Oh, well. It was sort of cute but fussy and kind of a pain. The single crochet firms up the edge, and I think that's enough.

Blocking is like boiling water: a blocked sweater never dries.

I washed it Saturday night after doing that crochet edge and am still waiting for it to dry - hopefully by tonight.

While washing the cardigan, the yarn gave off a little bit of dye and looked more lavender than I had thought while working with the yarn. Maybe it's the bare bulb in the bathroom (267-year-old houses are the ultimate WIPs) or knitting in the dimly-lit Keeping Room. I should compare the yarn to my Pantone books. Hold on... I'm going to go with PMS 214-7 (25% Cyan, 10% Magenta, 0% Yellow, 0% Black). But the lighting here in the office is a little whacked.

So, I'm back to working on Grandma's Shawl (and should join the KSH KAL, no?) and may have exacerbated my carpal-tunnel syndrome doing a couple of squares for a baby blanket in Blue Sky Alpacas Cotton that a bunch of us at Yarns In the Farms are doing together. I'll be fine. But my first square is too small, and I charted and reverse stockinette-stitched a letter on it. My second one seems to be the correct width, and I'm doing a Vandyke stitch from a Mon Tricot stitch dictionary that looks like lacy hearts. But it's on stockinette, so I'm not so sure it's a good idea. Guess I have to check with the gang to see if the blanket should be reversible or if we're not going to line the back or what.

Speaking of KALs, there's a handy list here, and I'm tempted by the year of sweaters but don't know if I'm enough of a joiner.

OK, back to my real job. Watch this space for yarn shop reviews! IMOndays coming your way...

10 January 2007

Knitknitknit

Decreasing is complete for the waist shaping on the first front of the Alpaca Sweater. And I'm almost through the increases. Yay! Bulky-ish yarn is so great for immediate satisfaction. A completely different experience from the delightfully delicate KSH, which reminds me that I need to finish Grandma's Shawl.

Knit Nite was fun. The group is smaller on Tuesdays, and we had a fella join us last night. A ma-yun! Apparently he's attended Tuesdays before, just not when I've been there. And he was working on matching rollbrim hats to go with mother and child rollneck sweaters in a rich green. Looked like Lamb's Pride Worsted. His other project was an amazing fisherman's sweater that he was about one foot into, with three feet to go. Always the problem with men's sweaters - they're big!

Which leads me to Peter's sweater. I started one for him from the Knitty book before Isobel was born. It took a back seat for a while, then I finally finished and sewed it up last winter, all except for sewing in the zipper (it's a zip-neck pullover). But it's too big. I got gauge and everything, used the yarn called for in the pattern (Manos del Uruguay), but I think the 2x2 rib (which made it take forever) just made it too stretchy, and Peter never wears it. I think it needs to be frogged. Sob. I can't let that yarn just sit there unused, unloved, unworn.

So, I need a men's sweater pattern that will make good use of a lot of Manos. It's a dark grey with pale blue (from my Manos 2x2 poncho) trim. It was a cool pattern to do up, since it has saddle shoulders. And I think I did a pretty good job picking up for the collar. Sigh.

01 January 2007

Happy New Year!

I've had my eye on some Misti Alpaca Chunky at the LYS and just stumbled across this pattern, which looks nice. Just a few more projects to finish up before I'm full-bore on the Knit for Me in 2007 wagon.

I did knit up a little shrug in some bulky merino from Handpaintedyarn.com in Paris Morn, a pretty grey and rose variegated yarn, which they no longer seem to carry (or have renamed - it looks like Paris Night is now Persephone). It's drying now, so we'll see how it works. I may add a ribbed collar/edge since the part along the back is stockinette, so it curls. I ended up knitting it in two pieces (one skein for each) and kitchener stitching up the middle. I thought of doing a three-needle bindoff, since I haven't done that before, but I think the kitchener stitch works better at the center of the back. I could have done it all in one piece, but since the first skein ran out about the time I hit the middle, I thought I'd practice some finishing techniques. I also knit this flat (work on mattress stitch to finish) but could have done it in the round.

So, I'm still working on Grandma's shawl - just added the last skein (of three). I cast on for a 2x2 rib hat for DH in some orange Malabrigo (sooo soft). And then I have to knit up something for my daughter's two daycare teachers, since she's transitioning to the next room this month. I can't believe she's moving up again! I'm thinking mitts of some sort. I found two skeins of Nature Wool Bulky at A.C. Moore - one pink, one lavender - on sale, as well as a skein of their no-name Cashmerino in a rich grey. Or maybe I'll do a pair of the Garter Gloves - they're so quick and toasty.

At the LYS on Saturday I got some Reynolds Alpaca Regal in a lovely periwinkle color. Nine skeins. On sale. Which gives me 990 yards of Alpaca goodness. So, now I have to find the right pattern. I'm thinking a simple top-down raglan sweater with perhaps some pattern stitches somewhere. Maybe some cabling - I think the yarn would cable nicely. Since it's a chunky yarn (ballband calls for US10s), I should be able to get a small sweater out of it. Maybe I need to pick up another ball, perhaps a contrasting color for edging.

I just found a stitch book that a friend gave me when clearing out her unused knitting stuff: Mon Tricot 1100 Stitch Patterns. There are some very pretty patterns in there I haven't seen before, and it runs the gamut. Very inspiring.

11 December 2006

The first rule of Stash Club

The first rule of Stash Club: There is no Stash Club.

When organizing/assessing your stash, make sure your spouse/SO is somewhere else. Not in the next room watching the game and then wondering where you are. Somewhere else. Or just as your cat/dog/toddler will invariably join you in the loo, your SO will come upon you working on the stash and say "Holy bleep, that's a lot of yarn. Why do you keep buying more?"

What can I say?

It's never enough. There is always more. There are so many possibilities out there in the knitting world. Even more if you spin or dye, which I'm sure I'll do eventually.I think we knitters love possibility as much as finished objects. And I think many knitters love the process of knitting.

There has been a long-running conversation on the Knitlist about prices for knitted pieces. But I'm sure some knitters sell their knitted items to get them out of the house and make room for more. If knitting is your therapy and you've already made everything you could use yourself, why not make a profit from your therapy?

But I plan on some stash reduction come the new year. Or, as I like to think of it, 2007: The Year of Knitting for Meee.

I did find a verynearlyalmost FO in the stash. A beautiful little lacy cap from Knitting for Two that just needed the ribbons added, so I did that, and now there's something for my niece in the FO pile. Which is very good, since I seriously sliced my left pinky prepping dinner last night. Ouch! I had to just watch television last night, which made me mopey. Grandma's shawl definitely won't be complete by the weekend. And the SNL we watched was pretty mediocre. What is up with Gwen Stefani?!?

And I finished a mitten for DD from the handpaintedyarns Shells yarn before the injury. Just hope there's enough yarn left for the second. If not, I think I'll frog the scarf, since she doesn't seem that interested in it. Or the too small hat, though I was thinking of giving that to DN or a friend's new baby. We'll see.

01 December 2006

More crack

Yes, I did buy more KSH from someone else's destashing. Sigh. Three skeins of caramel color and most of a ball of Trance (beautiful teal blue), as well as a couple of skeins of DB Cashmerino Aran for some Fetchings. Do I need more yarn, probably not. But I can't resist the siren song of Kid Mohair and Silk.

I worked on Grandma's shawl last night. It's good mindless knitting for those time when you have to watch ANTM. And Top Chef (tonight's viewing pleasure, thank you, Tivo). The color is scrumptious. I hope she'll enjoy it.

So, what shall I make with the new KSH? I think the Haze will have to go towards something like Mrs. Beeton's or maybe the little lacy scarf in Last-Minute Knitted Gifts. Maybe I'll do a Wing of the Moth in the Beige. Although I also have this handpaintedyarn.com black laceweight merino... I think after the holidays I'll be ready to give lace a good crack.

28 November 2006

Crackin' along

Did a few more rows of the shawl for Grandma last night. Unfortunately, it probably won't be ready for Christmas, since there are some other projects to crank out, too. The teachers at Isobel's daycare need gifts (garter stitch gloves? wristlets? hats? gift cards, definitely, or cash), and I have to do a hat for my Dad, but I want some Ladrillo Malabrigo to go with the Azul Bolita for a little contrast.

The beret for Mom is done but needs some blocking, I think, and maybe a bit of elastic woven into the ... brim - part that goes on your head. Purl Scarves for Sis and SIL are complete, as is a funky cable-pattern version in Blue Sky Alpacas Bulky for my Bro. I completed the asymmetrical cable hat from One Skein for Peter in this Chunky Wool from Araucania - I'd made him gloves out of the Nature Wool, which is more like sportweight, last winter. After one repeat of the cable pattern I was ready to rip the hat out, feeling it was too loose on the "prescribed" needles, but in the end I like it.

So, I need to make something for Isobel (probalby mittens to go with her hat and scarf), something for my niece, something for my BFF and perhaps her husband and son, Isobel's teachers, and Dad. Oh, and my colleagues want wristlets of some sort, so I'll have to see about that. Next year is going to be the Year of Selfish Knitting, I think. Until November, of course.

27 November 2006

Cracksilk Haze

It's not enough to own a bag of Alchemy Haiku. Now, I have three skeins of Rowan's Kidsilk Haze in the Marmalade colorway. I'm making a stole for Grandma. I thought about doing Kiri, but then I got a little dizzy and had to come to my senses. I just can't do my first lace shawl. In mohair. So, I was inspired by the tube shawl in Alterknits, but I'm not doing it in the round. Well, I started it in the round yesterday, panicked, frogged, broke the yarn somewhere in the cast-on mess, contemplated Kiri, then decided to just do a simple stockinette stole. I don't think there will be much rolling with this yarn in stockinette on US8s (Bryspun circular for those keeping track).

The tube shawl wants a piece of fabric threaded through. And I worry that the 24" circumference tube won't really cut it as a wrap for Grandma. But if I think the flat shawl is just too flat, I could seam it up and do the tube. I hope to get it done before the trip to Chicago in two and a half weeks. Eep.

That yarn is so yummy.