31 March 2009

FO: Little Girl's Shrug

Pattern: Little Girl's Shrug from Knitting Pure and Simple Ravelry link
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash in Horizon (less than one skein)
Needle: US6
Size: 6 year old
Mods: I did the optional lace border at the bottom but am not sure how I like it (curls a little), but Isobel seems happy
Notions: Sparkly button from a blazer of mine that had lost the other one, but we may need to find a slightly smaller button
Yarn and pattern from Purl Diva.

This was my first Knitting Pure and Simple pattern, and it sure was pure and simple. I knit this up in two days. As you can see Isobel is quite pleased with it. And I have enough yarn left to knit up a little something for Penelope to match; yarn requirements were 250 yards for the six, but I used less than 220. So, should I do the same again only smaller for Penelope? There are smaller buttons on the sleeves of the blazer...

27 March 2009

For the Love of Ravelry

As some of you may know, Ravelry is looking to hire a new Email Fairy. It's part-time, off-site, and perfect for me! I mean, come on, it's Ravelry! And I need something to do! Besides, we Virgos like to be helpful.

So, if you know Jess, Casey, and/or MH, please put in a good word for me. Mwah!

25 March 2009

THE Joan Schrouder

Yesterday Nick gave me a parenting reprieve for the afternoon so I could attend a shawl knitting class with Joan Schrouder at Knitty City. Yes, THE Joan Schrouder (I always think of the bandito Juan in Romancing the Stone who says "Joan Wilder? Zee Joan Wilder?"). The guru of the Knitlist, designer of the Lotus Blossom Lace shawl on the cover of Shawls and Scarves: The Best of Knitter's Magazine, and general all-around clever lady. Of course, I forgot to bring my camera (blame it on sleep-deprivation, Penelope seems to have gotten a variant of my last cold) but had a really nice time.

It was all about triangular and trapezoidal shawls. Really fun to get a more thorough grasp on the different construction options, rates of increase, top-down vs. bottom-up, etc. And I learned how to do a long-tail cast-on without a slip knot. Clever and useful bit of knowledge.

I have been knitting but, as I posted on Facebook the other day, every project seems to be at a stuck point, so I've cast on something new - a little shrug (Knitting Pure & Simple - I've always heard good things about their patterns but had never knit one before) for Isobel in Cascade 220 Superwash Horizon (a delicious sky blue). Nice, simple knitting. Thanks, Ellen! (P.S. Ellen, Sydney Fox says "hi!".)

The pile of stuck projects include:
  • a vest-y thing for my sister that I'm designing as I go with one skein of Romney Ridge Farm Hand-dyed yarn (64% wool, 36% mohair) - I'm kind of stuck up at the top: bustier? halter? cami?
  • Tempest by Ann Weaver in "Impressionist Sky" Malabrigo sock yarn - delicious yarn - at the making up part where I've discovered that, despite all my careful hash marks, I seem to have not knit the same number of rows for the fronts as for the backs. Very odd, as I knit each piece separately, not both fronts at the same time. I think I may sew up the side seams from the top-down and then snip and frog the longer portion and bind off the bottom. Sigh.
  • the clever, shaped Aran I mentioned in my Shaping post - I messed up the cable repeat and am now not sure I like where I placed the shaping so it's having a little time-out
  • the angora tam theory project - I messed up the lace repeat and am not sure I like the lace now

    You probably want pictures. I don't show many WIP pics these days, but maybe I'll snap some soon, since there aren't any exciting FOs to show. But Isobel's shrug will probably be ready soon - nothing like a little time with a well-written pattern and some worsted-weight yarn when your own theoretical projects (and ones knit in sock yarn) aren't cooperating.