Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Making plans

Okay I swear I won't actually cast on for anything new until I've finished at least a couple of things I'm working on but there's no harm in planning out my next projects, right?

In Asheville a couple weeks ago I went to the wonderful Earth Guild where I bought some roving to try needle felting and some pretty nubbly cotton yarn that was $4.80 for 328 yards (!!!). I was wondering about the perfect pattern for this stuff and *drum roll* I HAVE FOUND IT.



It's Memories of Ukraine from the beautiful book The Natural Knitter which I bought a few days ago mainly for this pattern although there are other definite possibilities in it. The original sweater is made in linen so I thought cotton would work out well. Due to my intensely pathetic photography skills, you can't see that the sweater has a very appealing texture that I hope will be perfect with this yarn. And quite possibly the BEST PART ABOUT THIS SWEATER is that it's top down with no, that's right NO, sewing at the end. You just block it and wear it. Shazam!

Also....

I'm very into berets right now. A while back I bought some lovely Blue Sky Alpaca & Silk sport weight with the express purpose of turning it into a beret. I love Grumperina and her patterns, but the picture of her Art Deco Beret in the Fall 07 Knitscene did not excite me. Something about the variegated purple with purple beads and it looked so large. Then I saw this. Now I have decided I want this beret. I think the pale pink with purple beads will look nice, what do you think?

(sorry for crappy picture! I don't know how to improve!!)

This next one is also a beret but I'm VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT. I don't know if I should even talk about it before I make it since there's a very good chance it will turn out horribly. But I think it's fate...First I bought a plain wool beret at a thrift shop and decided I wanted some kind of embellishment for it. Then I bought some wool roving at Earth Guild in these colors to experiment with needle felting:



Then I saw this AWESOME IDEA in Interweave Felt (a special issue) that I had to had to make and it just happens to use the exact colors I bought.


I'll let you know how it goes. Any tips for needle felting?

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Bored

I'm bored with all my projects. It's all I can do to keep from casting on for something new but then that would be, oh, 6 active projects at once and I can't handle that. Here's a glimpse of what's boring me these days...

I've finished the back and just about finished the right front of my Hideout Coat from the Fall 07 Knitscene.


It's a quick knit but it's been put on the back burner until the weather cools down more due to its largeness. Also, I have been bit in the butt by my cheapness. Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick. How can something that's 75% acrylic felt so easily as I'm knitting with it? Knitting this is soooo mindless but after working on it for an hour it's too big to be very portable so I pick it up during especially mind-boggling episodes of the X-Files.

Moving on.


The Chelsea Sweater from the loverly Twinkle Big City Knits. I really do like it. It fits nicely, the yarn is soft. I just hate setting in sleeves! I've done the one as you can see and the other is just sitting there patiently for me but there's just this mental block. Another issue: why, oh why, did I think that sage green and deep violet would look good as the edging on my coral cardigan? I'm thinking I'm going to have to rip out the purple and just have the green. Yes?

I've made good progress on my dad's Sinead Scarf from the Berroco website. I do like the pattern and when I actually sit down with it I can pump a good deal out. I guess subconsciously I've decided that since I'm more than halfway done and it's only SEPTEMBER I can take a break, right? I mean, see how it stretches all the way across my ugly yellow chair?



This is me thinking can I get away with it only being 50"? (It's a little over 30" now).

=-)

Apparently my lovely knitting buddies CiCi and Chelette tagged me as a !! Thanks ladies, you rock too!!!

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

A couple of hats

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I like making hats. They're quick, useful, and creative. This past week I made 2 fun hats from patterns that I loved. I will definitely be making more than one of each of these patterns for gifts and for myself!


Pattern: Odessa by Grumperina
Yarn: Rowan Cashsoft DK, color 525, 1 ball
Beads: size 6
Needles: Susan Bates 16" circulars #4, #6
Started: 9/14/07 Finished: 9/18/07
Recipient: undisclosed for now :-)
Modifications: none! I love this pattern!


Pattern: Crochet Hat from Classic Elite Uptown Knitting book
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Pure Cotton, color 39014, 1 ball
Hook: Susan Bates 7
Started: 9/10/07 Finished: 9/10/07 (about 2 hours!)
Recipient: me
Mods: hook size

I made one of these hats for the shop one day at work (out of the lovely Classic Elite Lush that the pattern calls for) and it took me around 2 hours start to finish. I thought it was super cute so I made one for myself the next day out of some of my DB Cotton. I started it before my first class on Monday and had finished it by lunchtime!

P.S. Sorry my photography sucks. It is my goal to become a better photographer!!

Thursday, September 13, 2007

9223 people are ahead of you in line

I guess that's what I get for signing up for Ravelry so late. But damn I didn't even know there were that many knitters in the world! It's just as well, though, since I really don't need yet another distraction from the things I should be doing such as school work. But I'm jealous of everyone who's talking about how much fun Ravelry is!

This weekend Adam and I are going to Asheville and Boone, North Carolina to check out a graduate school for me (Appalacian State), a Farm Festival in Boone, a Folk School, and other fun stuff. I'm planning on taking a lot of knitting and visiting some of the awesome fiber shops in the area. I'll let you know what I find!

Sunday, September 9, 2007

Eating my words

Okay, can someone PLEASE tell me what the big deal about socks is? For some reason, everyone and their mother is obsessed with socks and seems to be knitting almost exclusively socks. What's the big deal? Just that they're portable? Lots of projects are portable. Why spend so much energy and hurt your hands working on teeny weeny needles when they're just going to go in a shoe? Maybe I'll change my mind and eat my words someday but right now I think there are many things more interesting than socks. Geez!

-
Me, June 24, 2007

Okay, okay. Socks are pretty fun. I'm really enjoying making Adam's socks on the Magic Loop and yesterday I found myself lingering a little more than usual near the sock yarn contemplating my next pair. I'm on the heel flap now, almost to the heel turn and what can I say? I LIKE SOCKS. THERE I SAID IT, HAPPY?! Now in no way will this become an exclusively sock-focused blog like so many out there. But there is something so satisfying about those teeny tiny little stitches. Here's progress...


And I finished my mom's knitting needle holder and gave it to her yesterday (her birthday was Aug. 29). She was very excited and I was pretty pleased with it, it being one of my first sewing projects. I'm going to make some more once I get around to it. The pattern is from the first Stitch 'n' Bitch book.



Oh! And in non-knitting related news, Adam finished the AWESOME PINK BIKE he was building for me!


Thursday, September 6, 2007

Giving in to peer pressure

Socks. Everybody seems to be obsessed. Why, I ask? I'm still not sure, but I have started my first pair of sock-weight yarn socks. My co-worker Pat (I feel weird calling her that since she's lightyears ahead of me) taught me the Magic Loop last night and so I'm about an inch into Adam's socks. I like this method because (1) I really dislike DPNs and (2) I only had to buy one needle! I'm using a 40" #1 Addi Turbo and I'm using the Opal Hundertwassers yarn which I gotta say I'm digging. Adam picked out the color...dark blue but with the awesome designs found in this yarn. So, so far so good. I'll keep you posted.