End of Winter?

This is what it looked like here, one week ago.

And I have spent the entire winter knitting one cotton sweater for spring.

I haven't ravelry'd it yet, but the pattern is called Sprout Growing Roots. The yarn is Lion Brand Cotton Ease. (Picot hem treatment.)

It's a top down raglan, very basic, with a cable up the raglan line.

It was one of those very open-ended, design it yourself patterns, which I like. Need to go button shopping after it finishes blocking.

I haven't been blogging much lately and I'm not sure whether I'll get back to it. I'm starting a part-time job next week (employee benefit consulting of a sort) so that's going to take more of my time. I'm having mixed feelings about it, I haven't worked in 13 years, but I think it will help me keep my family from having to relocate possibly. Damn recession. . .

Socktoberfest 2009

I finished this pair of socks in time for Socktoberfest. Amazing, I know. I cheated and started them in September. The pattern is Midsummer Night's Dream from www.knitty.com . More info at my Ravelry page.

These socks are knit from the toe up, with short row heels and toes. My main issue with these is that there are no gussets to accomodate the shaping of the instep. That's why I prefer top down, heel flap/gusset socks.

The heel looks like it has a nipple on it. I guess the fix is to stop knitting so many of the short rows. I just can't imagine who has a heel that looks like this. . . I'm noticing some holes where the heel joins the leg too. I think the pattern is pretty and I wanted to give this sock style one more chance. I've only made one other pair and the yarn felted right away, so I didn't feel like I gave the method a fair chance.

However, I really love this new-to-me Bind Off Method. It was easy and works great, very stretchy. It was worth knitting the socks just to learn this new bind off.

I bought the new Cat Bordhi sock book and I'm going to try making a pair from it next. This book has you make a reusable pattern shaped to your foot, but specific to a weight of yarn, so that you can make custom socks again and again. I think the book uses a star toe and heel, which I've never tried, but incorporates gussets to shape the foot.


Here's my innocent-looking, wooden sock needle chewer. She literally steals the sock out of my knitting back to chew up the needles. Bad girl.

I have a lot going on on the home front right now, but I have some photos from our trip to the mountains last weekend that I'll post tomorrow. October is flying by.

Annette from Knitty

I just finished up Annette from Knitty. Details are at Ravelry. I wore it out to dinner last night and I love it. Now I wish I had one in white or cream, and it's fast and easy enough to make it quickly. I was at my parents' last week, so I had a little more time to knit (no chores!) and I managed to finish the knitting there.

Here's a photo of it blocking, the stitch pattern is *fishnet*. You start at the bottom and knit up and it's made all in one piece.

Closeup of neckline. This is some yarn I had in stash, St. Tropez from Almedahls. It's a blend of cotton, linen and acrylic. I have three balls left and I have no idea what I'll do with them. I guess it's enough for a scarf or something.

I caved and bought some silk dupioni curtains from Pottery Barn last week. I wanted to sew them, but my windows in my living and dining room have been bare for a year since we repainted and I just wasn't motivated. They were on sale enough that I don't feel too guilty about it. I want to make only what I enjoy making and not feel like I have to sew EVERYTHING.

Amelia Cardigan

Finally finished. I used Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted in Black Purl (7 skeins).

Blocking. For details, see my Ravelry entry. I had a few problems with this one.

This is how the neckline looked when I knitted it per the pattern. I think unless your neck is as big as a tree trunk, you might also have to rework the neckline. My best guess is that the grading is off. While people's bodies may grow fatter, their necks don't change nearly as much as, say, their busts.

I'm glad I stuck with it, I really like the finished piece and I think I'll be wearing it.

Stephen Colbert Socks

Can you believe the name of this pattern? The book says *we think he is not only a great American, he is the greatest American.* The caption reads *The First Amendment as Expressed by Socks.* The pattern itself is a design-it-your own, hence the name.

You can read more details at my Ravelry entry. I'm trying to decide whether to keep them for myself or give them as a gift. I might keep them because I've never used this yarn before (Knit Picks Essential) and I would like to see how it washes and wears.

It's really cold here, and I think most of my fall garden may have perished, but I haven't gone out to lift the sheets and check. I'm waiting for it to get above freezing. On the bright side, I've been wearing my new hat and the shetland triangle. Yay for cold weather and knit wear.

Mr. Greenjeans Sweater

At last I finished this cardigan, just in time for cooler weather. I think this is the first project I've knit where I actually have no knitting mistakes. Usually something jumps out during the blocking process, but not this time.

It doesn't fit all that well. I should have sized down for the top and shoulders and up for the hips, but I went with the proper hip size and it's a little saggy on top. I'm planning to machine wash it and that should make it get wider and shorter since it's mostly cotton. More info on the project at Ravelry.

Details of shoulder. I'm finally getting better on the finishing details.

Here's a closeup of the cabling on the sleeve.

I'm very tired of large projects right now. I made 3 cardigans over the summer/fall and now I want to make socks and smaller things for a bit. I have an idea for a felted letterboxing backpack. I haven't felted anything in a long time, but I have to remember I am usually disappointed in that area, so lower my expectations if I go forward.

February Lady Finished

I really like how this sweater came out. If you're interested in the gory details, you can read my Ravelry entry. I used Lion Brand Cotton Ease, color Hazelnut.

Yesterday I bought some buttons, it took me almost an hour at JoAnns to find three I liked that were big enough. You know how frustrating it is when the buttons are too small and keep coming out of the buttonholes.

I love the fact that this design was originally a baby sweater found in Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitter's Almanac. I was looking through it last night, it's one of those little books that you can just pick up and put down as time permits. It has patterns along with little snippets from her life, which make it quite sweet and interesting. I know there are some knit-alongs for the book, but many of the projects are for cold weather climates (September's is for handknit tights, I can't imagine ever being cold enough to need those, personally.)

This is the second EZ design I've made this summer, the last was the Baby Surprise sweater I made as a gift. I'm really enjoying making these. EZ was a genius. She designs for circular needles, so there is minimal sewing up. I love it.

I'm also realizing that this is the 4th garment I've made from Cotton Ease. Knitpicks has a new cotton/acrylic blend I want to try, guess I'll head to Ravelry to read some reviews of it.

Socks at Last

I finally finished the Noro Kureyon Sock socks. If you want details, Here is a link to my Ravelry notebook entry. The yarn isn't the softest, but I won't be wearing and washing them until fall, so I don't know how I'll like them.

I really don't know what to work on next, maybe some crochet.


Went fishing again. Caught this delicious bass. Big un, ain't he?

Took ds to the playground this morning and guess what we saw in the creek?

It's a Common Snapping Turtle. I didn't have my camera with me, tried to take a cell phone picture, but you couldn't see beneath the surface reflection and it was too far away. I was so shocked, this creek reeks of pollution and I didn't think anything could live in it. I have never seen one of these for real, outside of an aquarium, I was so amazed. . .

Finally an FO

I don't know why this tiny item took me so long to make. The pattern is Elizabeth Zimmerman's Baby Surprise Jacket. The yarn is Malabrigo Melilla worsted weight (color 226) and it took two skeins. I used size 6 needles and now I think maybe I could have gone up a size because it's a little tinier than I expected. The baby was born a few weeks ago, and I hope it fits her next fall. I put a 12 MO size tag in it (wishful thinking).

I used the notes that function as a sort of cheat sheet, with the stitch counts included. You can find it at the ravelry link (The author is Dawn Adcock). I don't think I would have finished it otherwise. I was really distracted on this project (Puppy!) and had to rip and redo things a lot. I think the finished item is really cute.  The mom is a knitter so I hope she appreciates it and that she doesn't hate me for making a handwash only item.





*This is how I roll. . . *

We are leaving day after tomorrow for our annual trip to the beach. I'm coming back a day early to go to my cousin's wedding with my parents. Luckily, a dress I made last year (Hot Patterns) fits fine and has never been worn, so I didn't make anything this time.

I wimped out and failed to make my regular teacher's gift of a custom bag, just contributed to the group gift from the class. I feel bad, we had an awesome teacher this year, but I just couldn't get it together. Dh has been out of town a lot and I had a surprise visit from a friend last weekend (Eagles concert!) plus the pup. I know, enough excuses. . .

See you guys in about a week!

Green Sweater

It's finished and I love it. This is the Knitting Pure and Simple Neck Down V Neck T Shirt for Women #993. Size 46. Modifications: Made long sleeves by decreasing twice on each side of the marker every 6 rows (21 times). Instead of ribbing, made a crochet shell edging on the neckline and sleeves.

Instead of ribbing at the hem, I did a row of Knit 2 together, yarn over all the way across. After you knit that row, you knit 6 rows of plain knitting for the hem.

Then I sewed each live stitch to a stitch on the back to fold up the hem.

Originally, I wanted to use the crochet shell edge on the hem but it kept rolling up, so my mom suggested this hem. It looks so pretty and feminine, I love it. After making something as boring as this, I wanted to try some new and interesting finishing techniques.

Also, I made the sweater a bit longer than I want it because my gauge swatch shrunk lengthwise in the dryer. I lengthened the body by 2 inches and the sleeves by 1.5 inches, so I hope it works out. I used 7 balls of Lime Lion Brand CottonEase and size 7 needles.

We went to my parents' for the weekend and had an early birthday party for my dad. We also did a little letterboxing, although it was cold, and it seems like our luck was really bad. We searched for 6 boxes and only found 2.


We saw some cute llamas (or alpacas?) around the corner from the house I grew up in.


Batty by the fire, yesterday afternoon. I think he missed me this weekend.

Revisiting the Main Line Disaster

I posted about this disastrously pilly yarn a while back. I think the worst feeling in the world is spending hours of your time and a fair amount of money (not a lot, thank goodness) on a sweater only to wash it and have this happen. I remember I swatched, but I guess I didn't put the swatch through the washer and dryer.

So, I'm getting up, dusting myself off, and trying again. This time using Lion Brand's New Cottonease. I've made two sweaters from this yarn (one with the old and one with the new) and I know it holds up and washes well.


Here's the swatch, which has been machine washed and dried. Looks fine. I haven't done a shrinkage check yet, but I traced it on a piece of paper before I sent it through, so I just need to do a comparison.


This is what I've knit so far. You start at the neckline and work down to the yoke, making raglan increases on the way down. It's definitely a boring, TV project, but I know the finished result fits so well that it's worth it. My mom made this for me about ten years ago from a yellow acrylic and I wore it so much that it's nasty looking. Maybe this time it will work out. I would love to have a soft springy-looking pullover to wear next month during the cool mornings.

In letterboxing news, the kids and I planted our first one on Monday. Now I'm just waiting for someone to find it. It's actually sort of thrilling, but I was reading on a letterboxing message board about box placers getting nasty emails from boxers who couldn't find a box, stuff like *your directions are bad, we got muddy, what a waste of time!* etc. I guess I hadn't considered the possibility that people would get ticked off if they couldn't find it. It's supposed to be a fun hobby, after all. Ah, people, you gotta love 'em. . .

Snow Day II

Thanks to everyone for your good wishes about Maggie. We had her for so long, it almost became impossible to believe she would ever be gone. . .


It had been at least 3 years since it snowed here, and then it snowed twice in the same week. The kids were blissfully happy, of course.

The snowman is wearing the Santa Hat from Handknit Holidays and the Griffyndor Scarf from Charmed Knits. The buttons are Painting Red Rhinos leftovers. I bought a pound of these buttons in a coop many years ago. Most recently, the kids have used them for games pieces for a school project.

Cute, huh? It only took ds an hour to knock him over.

I posted about my hate for the Modern Quilt Wrap, but I decided to go buy some bamboo needles before I gave up. I am so weak when I enter a yarn shop. Not only did I get the needles, but also I bought 4 skeins of the new Noro Kureyon sock yarn.

I'm not that much of a pig, y'all. Two skeins are for my mother for her birthday. . . I also picked up a copy of New Pathways for Sock Knitters by Cat Bordi. I've seen great reviews and I can't wait to try some of these patterns.

I'll show an update of the Modern Quilt Wrap this week. I'm making much better progress with the new needles. I have such a big investment in the yarn, so I'm glad I didn't give up.

Monkey Socks

So I jumped on the bandwagon along with everyone else (Monkey is the most popular knitting pattern on Ravelry with 181 people listing it as in progress, 3239 total projects either completed or begun. . .)



The only changes I made were to knit one less pattern repeat on the leg (worried about running out of yarn, of course), and to make a slip stitched heel instead of a stockinette heel (I think they wear better). It's a good pattern because the lace is easy to memorize, it looks much more complicated than it is. I think I might like it better in a solid yarn, even though the pattern was designed for hand-dyed yarns. I used Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock Lightweight and size 2 dpns.

I wore them all day yesterday and they stayed up just fine, felt perfectly comfortable. I'm at the point where some of the socks I knit a few years ago are felting and need to be tossed, but I still feel sentimental about them, and want to keep them.

I want to cast on for a hat next -- I have some nice light blue alpaca, but can't find a knitting or crochet pattern I like, so I might invent something.

My next BIG knitting project will be the Modern Quilt Wrap. I've never used the Rowan Kidsilk Haze, so that is exciting.

Unoriginal Hat

We're having some cool weather, and my yarn finally came. I used the yarn called for in the Yarnharlot's free pattern, Blue Moon Fiber Arts Leticia, colorway Froggin'. It's too small for me, but fits both the kids. I used size 10.5 (6.5mm) needles, because that was all I could find at JoAnn's yesterday. Also, I had very little yarn left and might have run out if I'd sized up. It was so fun to make, and I made it in an evening, shame no one will wear it. . .

So, ds has to make a diorama for a book report and he chose Peter Rabbit. This is Mr. McGregor's garden.

I have to resist my urge to fancy things up, it's supposed to be a 1st grade project, but I love working on things like this. See the little carrots and cabbages? I need to find a tiny rabbit today. It's killing me that I know we USED to have a tiny one from a Lego set that would have been perfect, but I'm sure it's long gone now. I searched the basement toy bins and can't find it. I will probably spend an entire day driving around to find a tiny bunny. . . Gah!



Here's batman, helper on the diorama. The cats are loving the afternoon sun in the dining room. I completely admire people who can take great pictures of their cats. Mine just won't sit still. . .