KatieLiz Knits

Look at me! Look at me!!

2008-02-11T23:02:00.001-06:00

Don't these remind you of Spring and Easter eggs? They do, me!

Do you love them? Do you know someone that would? Then go here and make them your own; and do a good thing at the same time. :^)

And I was doing so well...

2008-02-05T23:06:00.001-06:00

... with posting more often. Ah, well...

Anyhow, this is the last full pair of socks I knit in 2007. I started them at the UMBS Bead Retreat last March and finished them up in November. They were my "to go" socks that I carry in my purse at all times and only knit on when I'm in the car, standing in line, on the plane, etc. The patterns is the Baby Cable, mindless knitting and perfect for a carry along project. The yarn is Lana Grossa Meilenweit and I love, love, love the color.

Also done are the Lorna's Laces Scallop socks. Bridging the New Year, sock 1 was finished in December of 2008 (OK, except for kitchenering the toe and weaving in the ends) and sock 2 was finished in January. And the snaggle did end up in the foot and not the lace. Good.

I haven't worn either pair yet. I have so many that I wear already, that I don't want to wear them just for the sake of wearing them. I will, however, knit them for the sake of knitting them. :^) What?! So do you!

And here's the new sock on the block... Or in my purse. I'm using Wildefoote Elderberry and I love the color, but the pattern isn't really visible. It's the Woven Rib pattern stitch on page 100 of the new Harmony Guides Knit & Purl book. I think the stitch would be better suited to a solid yarn, but I'm this far and I'm not ripping it out. So there!

Monika has started up the Happy Paw shop on Etsy to benefit the TLC Cat Shelter in Langley, BC, CA. Please go visit because you need mittens! Yes!! You do!!!

National Dress Up Your Pet Day

2008-01-14T21:10:00.000-06:00

It's true! The Internets said so. This was actually taken quite awhile ago (click for big) and he's doesn't have that pissed off look because I dressed him up, but because I woke him up. He's a Harley dude, dude! Not to be confused with Harley, the cat...

I totally meant to do that...

2008-01-11T14:24:00.000-06:00

Or not... This is the first sleeve for the
Hedgerow Coat from the Fall 2007 issue of Interweave Knits.

The ribbing pattern is 2x3 with the wrong side being k3, p2 and the right side being k2, p3. So far, so good...

It wasn't until I was halfway done with the second sleeve that I'd realized my mistake. Since the cuff is turned up, and once done, the k2, p3 ribbing would show. I should have changed the ribbing when I moved from the cuff to the actual sleeve, but instead, merrily continued along with the pattern, thus making the wrong side showing. ARRGGGHHH!!!!!

The cables are correct and, since most of the ribbing will will be on the inside of the arm and not that visible, I decided to continue as is rather than reknit both sleeves. It's a design element... That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

In any event, both sleeves and both fronts are done and blocked. I'm about halfway done with the back, then I get to put it together and add the collar and front bands. Whew!

Not Feeling the Lorna Love

2008-01-03T23:50:00.001-06:00

The very first sock of the new year. It would have been the last sock of 2007, but I was too busy gabbing with Monika online and didn't get it finished. On the first day of January, I kitchnered the toe and wove in the ends. I've heard so much about this yarn and it is nice, but, IMHO, not all that. Especially when I went to wind up the second skein.

Had this been the first skein wound, I think I might have tossed all 4 skeins (2 in another colorway) and called it a day. When I got it on my swift, it was so tangled that I had to wind it by hand rather than my ball winder because I had to weave it over and under strands. Sometimes every round, sometimes after 5 or 8 rounds. Then, a little more than halfway though, I found this mess.

WTF is this all about?! It's not a break, it one ply that's about 3 inches longer and just hangin' out. Hopefully it's far enough along that it will be in the foot and not in the lace. Bugger!

What was supposed to be a 10 minute task took well over an hour. In that time, I had expected to have the yarn wound, the sock cast on and at least one round done.

Anyhow... I used the Scallops stitch pattern from Harmony Guides, Volume 2, page 53 on US size 1 (2.25mm) needles. This is the same pattern I used to make my Tofutsie Socks. Second skein is wound and rewound on my ball winder and the second sock is cast on.

Yeah, Zack wasn't all that impressed either.

A New Year, A New Commitment...

2008-01-01T18:18:00.000-06:00

I'm not sure why I quit posting in October, I certainly hadn't quit knitting! Hopefully with a new year, I can make a new beginning and try to update this bog a bit more often.

First up is Faina, finished and gifted (click for big). I'd actually finished knitting this back in April, but didn't get around to adding the fringe until late November (so much for entering it in the State Fair!). Fringing this was almost more work than the knitting of it. Almost a full skein of yarn was used,cut into 17" lengths and knotted in groups of 3.

Pattern: Faina's Scarf from Fiber Trends, designed by Faina M. Letoutchaia
Yarn: Misty Alpaca Sport; 4 skeins

I also finished another Baby Surprise Jacket; these are fun to make. There's a BSJ KAL starting up this month on Ravelry. If you're a Ravelry member and want some company as you knit up your BSJ, come and join up!

This BSJ was made with a discontinued JoAnn's brand yarn, 100% wool. It was on clearance and I may have bought enough to make four more jackets...

And, another pair of Monkey Socks. These only look complicated and are really a quick knit. It's a great pattern for striped or variegated yarns. I'm not so fond of self striping yarns, so this is a good pattern for those skeins that may have found their way into my stash before I realized I didn't like self striping yarn so much.

I will leave you today with a picture of Harley enjoying the winter sun...

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

2007-10-07T00:28:00.001-05:00

Have you had your mammogram?

2 Surprises and a Pair of 28s

2007-09-20T00:46:00.001-05:00

I have Finished Objects!

2007-08-26T22:50:00.000-05:00

Where has the summer gone? I really can't believe that it's been almost a month (again) since I last wrote. I got a lot done and have a ton of pics I could post, so let's get going...

OK, those of you who have knit one of these, know what it is. How about anyone else?

If you guessed the Elizabeth Zimmerman Baby Surprise Jacket, you would be correct! I think this little sweater is pure genius; knit all in one piece, two little folds and two little seams and a sweater is born! In this picture, I still needed to sew up the seams and add the buttons, but it is finished.

Even more genius is that it cost me under $1.00 to make. I used 2 skeins of Classic Elite London Tweed that I got at the thrift store for $.34 each (the $10.50 price tags were still attached), plus a card of 6 buttons for $.25 at Joanns.

Next up is another pair of socks for B. Made out of Lana Grossa Numero Uno Fancy; a worsted weight yarn on US size 3 needles. Just a simple 2x2 rib and reinforced toes and heels, he loves him some wool socks when he's snowmobiling.

For the Twin Cities folks, this yarn has been marked down to 75% off at the Needlework Unlimited Outlet. If I remember right, it's $1.75 per ball and 3 balls makes an adult pair of socks and one pair of Magic 28 socks.

I also finished a scarf for myself (I think). The colors are to die for and I think this picture is pretty close. The yarn is Crystal Palace Musique, a thick and thin yarn (45% acrylic, 40% wool and 15% cotton) worked up on US 10.5 needles.

When I went out to take the picture of the scarf, this little red breasted nuthatch was scoring some breakfast. He let me get almost 2 feet from him to take this picture and I think it was the camera flash that scared him. I don't know why my camera is set to automatic flash, I keep trying to reset it,but I didn't want to fumble and scare him off, so flash it was... Maybe I should look at the instruction book?

I love how this turned out, I may have to use it for my wall paper! Click for big (on this and any other picture here).

Hello?? Is this thing on??

2007-07-31T23:43:00.000-05:00

The longer one does not post, the harder it is to post. I've been knitting and taking pictures and... not... posting...

So, a few pictures of what I've been doing. First up is my modified version of the Lamb's Pride baby hat. Instead of doing the cable second row, I did it every fourth row and I like the results much better. I hope I took good notes!! :^)

Next up are two pairs of Magic 28 socks. The pair on the left is made with the leftover yarn from the last pair of socks I made for B. The pair on the right was made from some wool I got at Value Village. Ladies and gentlemen, this yarn was spectacularly craptacular. I had the first sock done, except for the grafting and, before cutting the umbilical cord, as it were, I seriously thought about ripping it out and making... I don't know... And, since I didn't know, I knit the second sock.

And, for something fun... I had a bit of i-cord started with some left over Sugar & Cream cotton yarn, did some "knit through front & backs," then some ktogs, stuffed it with cotton balls and and catnip and... Viola!! Kitty toys! Harley, of the Kitty Committee, approves. As do Zack and Sophie.

2 Hats and 2 Cats

2007-06-26T23:55:00.000-05:00

Now that I've sent off my package to Dulaan, it's time to start knitting for next year! This first hat is made from Lamb's Pride Lotus Pink and the pattern is called, simply enough, the Lamb's Pride Hat. This is the larger size and it used most of the skein. I think if you were doing the smaller size, you could get two hats from one skein. A very quick knit, however next time I'll do the right twist, or baby cable, every 4th row instead of every other row. In fact I've started another hat doing just that!

The second hat is Elizabeth Zimmer's Snail hat found in her book, The Opinionated Knitter. This was done in Lamb's Pride Bulky, Pine Shadows. This is the smaller size hat and a VERY fast knit. This could be made in an evening. I modified the pattern just a bit, EZ calls for the piece to be cast on, work back and forth for 5 rows, make the increases, then join and work in the round. I started on dpn's and started working in the round immediately, then switched to a circular needle after the increases, placing markers after each repeat so I didn't have to keep counting; made for much quicker knitting.

Also, for anyone wanting to make this pattern, when making the decreases, EZ says to knit 13 stitches after the purls first row and that should be knit 15. Another blogger mentioned it and she was right, so I thought I'd pass that along if you want to make it.

I think there's *almost* enough to make another of the same size. I think I'll make the brim with a contrasting color and keep my fingers crossed. :^) Also, I used a long tail cast on and the first row is too tight, so I'll either try using a double strand to cast on, or maybe try a knitted cast on.

Now, here's something I thought I'd never see... Zack (on the left) and Harley sharing the same space. Her ears are back and there's a low rumble when Zack looks at her, but they actually shared the space for about a half hour! There's hope, yet!

And, She Scores!!

2007-06-22T14:04:00.001-05:00

It was a good week shopping at my local thrift store. On Monday, I found this skein of Lamb's Pride Bulky in the Pine Shadow colorway, oh so soft and pretty and only $1.69.

On Wednesday, I found 6 full skeins of Nature Spun in the 720 Ash colorway, $1.69 each. I didn't find anything Thursday or Friday, but a pretty good week, all in all.

Oh wait! I'm forgetting Tuesday. What did I find on Tuesday? Would you believe this?! OMG! I was so stoked when I saw these.

That's right, 3 Barbara Walker books. OK, two of them are both the 3rd book, "Charted Knitting Designs, one paperback and one in hardback; I didn't even notice until I got them home. The Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns is an old library copy withdrawn from the system and in fairly good shape. Both of the hardcover book have some color plates that my new copies don't have. I paid $2.29 for each book.

I'm not familiar with the other two books, but one was $2.29 and the other was $.99 so, of course, I had to grab them. All in all, a good week at the thrift store, indeed!

And, for some actual knitting, here's my first two pairs of Magic 28 socks. They knit up really fast, so this will be a fun "in between" project when... Well... Between projects! :^) And, I need to use all that yarn I've been picking up at the thrift store!

So, what knitty bargains did you find this week?

Clapotis Unblocked

2007-06-12T22:17:00.001-05:00

My Clapotis shawl is done and ready for blocking (click pics for big). It took exactly 2 weeks to do the actual knitting and I wove in all the ends, all 20 of them, on Sunday morning. I'm going to soak it overnight and block it in the morning. I don't want to stretch it too much in the blocking because I like the drape, but I want to soften the cotton and linen fibers.

It's beautiful and I love it! I did have enough yarn to complete the pattern without having to drop a repeat in the third section. I have about half of the last skein left, so I probably could have added a repeat! I think I'll make a headband with what's left.

The yarn is Reynolds Garden Tweed in colorway 04. I picked it up at the Needlework Unlimited Yarn Outlet. That place is dangerous to my pocketbook! Everything is half price all the time. They're only open on the weekends and you never know what they'll have in stock.

This is a squirrel proof bird feeder. It's obviously not chipmunk proof. This little guy is so cute that I can't get mad at him, even though he's stealing and stashing a good half of all the seed I put out. If you click on the picture, you can see how fat and stuffed his cheeks are.

The birds are still getting plenty of food as judged by all the poop on my front porch, more so than any other year! And, while the squirrels can't eat directly from the feeder, they're still getting plenty of seeds that are dropped on the ground.

This one's for Chris. She started quite the phenom in blog land when she started posting belly pictures of Chaos and Mayhem. Sophie is enjoying a nap; she's very good at napping because she practices so much.

OH! I almost forgot! I mailed off my box of items for the Dulaan project. Final count was 7 pairs of children's socks, 29 children's hats and a woman's shawl. YAY!

Hey Monkey Monkey!!

2007-05-31T23:20:00.000-05:00

Monkey Socks! I love me some Monkey Socks as, apparently, does much of the knitting blog world I've found! I saw one pair knit up (besides the ones Cookie A. knit up) and the knitster was so in love with the pattern, I had to try it. I forget who's socks I originally saw because it seems that EVERYone is knitting up a pair... With one exception. I actually read a blog that said she though they were UGLY!! Hello?! All (most) lace looks like goo until blocked (or put on the foot), oh crazy lady!!

Anyhow, here's mine (click for big)! I started the pattern on US size 2 needles and, after the second pattern repeat, went down to a US 1.5 (2.5mm).The yarn is Lana Grossa Meilenweit Cotton Maya in the 7010 colorway. I also used the Eye of Partridge heel rather than a straight stockinette stitch heel. 6 pattern repeats for the leg and 5 for the foot.

And what might this be? Why... It's going to be a Clapotis! So, while I'm one of the first on the Monkey wagon, I'm one of the last on the Clapotis wagon.

Since I last looked at the pattern, they're calling for more yarn. When I originally printed it out, it called for 3 skeins of 205 yards each, or 615 yards. It did say that to complete the shawl as written, you needed slightly more than three skeins. so if you didn't want to purchase a 4th skein, to simply eliminate one repeat in the 3rd section.

So, for a long time, I had the number 650 yards in my head for this wrap, I don't know why, I guess I transpose 615 into 650. I've been watching for the right yarn, not actively until about a month ago and, while at the Needlework Unlimited Yarn Outlet store, this yarn jumped out at me. I wasn't looking for a cotton yarn, but this was like spun gold. The yarn is a 9 ply 40% cotton, 35% linen, 20% viscose and 5% nylon (the metallic threads, I would guess) and 72 yards per skein. There were 10 available, so more than the 650 magic number in my head. Perfect! All the same dye lot and, at half price, only $3.25 per skein.

So, I go back to look at the pattern online. YIKES!! Now the note is gone and it just calls for 4 skeins of the 205 yardage called for yarn. Math equals 820, but I'm comforted with the note on my previous print out. I'm using US size 7 needles instead of the US 8 called for and, if I can get 2.5 repeats on this 5th skein (and I will because I'm trying to knit really REALLY fast so I don't run out of yarn; that works, right?), I'm all set to knit on without dropping a pattern repeat in section 3.

The top picture is more accurate. It reminds me of Rapunzel spinning her hair into gold. The fabric is quite soft for cotton and I was told it will soften up even more with washing. I think this is going to be the perfect summer wrap!

Socks and Other Things

2007-05-19T23:14:00.000-05:00

I've finished a couple of pairs of... SOCKS!! What else do I knit these days?! First up are a pair of Uptown Boot Socks from
Favorite Socks. These were done on US 1.5 (2.50mm) needles in Trekking XXL yarn, colorway 113. The best part about these socks? Learning to cable without a cable needle using Kathy's easy to understand instructions.

This pattern uses all left cross cables, so I still need to master the right cross. I also missed on cable, but it's just below the cuff and by the time I discovered it, I was decreasing the gusset. No way was I going to rip it back!!

Next up is a pair of socks for B. He wanted a pair of thicker socks to wear in the winter when snowmobiling. These are a worsted weight 100% superwash wool Lana Grossa yarn and I reinforced the heels and toes. The pattern is just a simple 2x2 ribbing for the leg and a stockinette stitch foot. Easy mindless knitting and worked up quickly. I used US size 3 needles, so the fabric is quite dense.

I scored at Value Village last week. I got these three skeins of yarn for a total of $5.00. Destined to become Magic 28 socks. The navy Lambs Pride is a bulky yarn, however, so that may become a hat.

And, finally, I leave you with this picture of the sunset last Monday from my front porch.

2000 People can't be wrong...

2007-04-27T01:17:00.000-05:00

Or can they?! I'm speechless...

POODLE SCAM

So, when it got to 200+ pounds, ate their yard and went Baaaaaaaaaaaa instead of woof... And, oh, those hooves!!

Update:

Snopes.com is reporting the story is false. Funny, but false.

Faina Blocking and other FO's

2007-04-23T22:20:00.000-05:00

Faina is off the needles and blocked! All that needs to be done is cut the rest of the fringe, add the fringe and weave in the ends. For the fringe, I will need to go into the 4th ball of yarn.

Anyhow, I do love the scarf and it's sooooo nice and soft. It was a fairly easy knit and, if I were to knit it again, I think I would add one more pattern repeat to give it a bit more length.

Here's a close up shot of the pattern. The color in the picture above is closer to true. The scarf is a tad bit wider and shorter than the pattern states (10" x 52"), mine is more like 12" x 48", but that was all pinned out with the rods in it, so I'm sure once I give it a wee tug, it will be longer.

Pattern: Faina's Scarf from Fiber Trends, designed by Faina M. Letoutchaia
Yarn: Misty Alpaca Sport; 4 skeins

I also finished another pair of socks. These are made with the new Tofutsies yarn in the colorway 723 (Put Your Foot Down). I used the Scallops stitch pattern from Harmony Guides, Volume 2, page 53 on US size 1 (2.25mm) needles. I started out using Crystal Palace bamboo needles, but the yarn was too sticky, so I switched over to Susan Bates aluminum needles and the knitting was much nicer. I don't know how crazy I am about this yarn, maybe because it was so sticky on the bamboo needles, it was not fun knitting. I do think it's ironic that I picked the scallop pattern to knit a yarn with 2.5% chiten in it (shrimp and crab shells). It didn't even dawn on me until I was finishing up the toe on the second sock.

And also... A shawl made of some recycled silk I bought on eBay. I actually finished the knitting quite awhile ago, but it sat most of the winter waiting to be fringed. I think I did this on US size 15 needles and it's from an old dishcloth pattern, cast on 4 stitches, knit the first row, then every row after that, k2, yo, knit to end of the row. Keep on knitting until the shawl is as wide as you want it and cast off. Easy peasy.

Here are the first four squares that I've knit for my Great American Aran Afghan. Clockwise from the upper left are the Hanna Burns, Ginette Belanger, Meredith K. Morioka and the Barbara McIntire squares. I'm currently working on the Dana Hurt square. I'm actually learning to like knitting from charts. So far, I've liked the stitches written out, but I decided that it was time to start learning charts and I figured this would be a good project to start doing that.

Harley is not impressed...

Hello? Is this thing on?!

2007-04-06T01:39:00.000-05:00

Yeah, yeah, yeah... It's been forever and I have no excuse other than the longer I waited to post, the longer... well... I waited to post. OK, I had back to back colds. Different colds. The first, I sneezing and blowing my nose so hard I was peeing my pants and the second, I was coughing so hard that not only was I peeing my pants; I also lost my voice.

OK, let's start with Faina. I think this picture was taken on the 3rd repeat at about row 100. I've finished that repeat and have started the 4th (and last) and am at row 120. Then I start the decreases for the end. I'm on the 3rd ball of yarn and am thinking that I may not need the 4th, which means less than the 450 yards called for. Then again, there's the fringe...

Next up is the necklace I made for my Mom for her birthday; mailed late, it has arrived in time. YAY! The focal bead is a piece of Elephant Jasper and the necklace is a simple spiral rope with fresh water pearls and 3mm Czech firepolish beads.

And, this is laying on my latest idea... I finally won a copy of the Great American Aran Afghan on eBay and have been making squares using Lion Brand Wool Ease in Natural Heather. I'm on my 5th square. I like the challenge of all the cables and LOVE that each square is only about 12 x 12 inches. Pics to come later.

And a picture of Zack checking out the log cabin afghan. I think I have one or two more bands since the last update.

Faina, Socks and a Side of Pi

2007-02-20T22:49:00.000-06:00

Faina is coming along nicely, I'm enjoying the journey and I love, love, love knitting with the Misti Alpaca.

This is Faina at 101 rows. I'm actually quite a bit further along since I took this picture. Rows 54 through 133 repeat a total of four times and I'm at row 99 of the second repeat (178 rows total). It looks like a limp blob without being pinned out and I was just too lazy to pin it out again.

Here's a picture of the detail (as always click on any picture for a larger view). I made a few mistakes when I first started out, but I tinked a few times and now I take a quick check (and count) at the end of each even (RS) row and I've only made one mistake in the last 75 or so rows.

Maybe it's overkill to count each row, but I'd rather tink back less than 61 stitches than to catch the mistake rows later and tink back several rows. So, anyhow, I'm 34 rows away from the halfway mark.

I finished my Cherry Tree Hill Baby Cable socks, how yummy are these?! The color is so much brighter in real life, I couldn't capture it on camera. There's not a colorway printed on the label, just "Jewels" is checked off and the colors are rich jewel tones.

I have another skein marked "Water," but I think a better name would be "Easter Eggs." Such pretty bright spring pastels.

As promised from my last post, here are some pictures of the latest Kitty Pi. See how nice and big it is before felting? Sophie and Zack could have both fit in there nicely with room to spare.

See what happens when running it through the wash twice? I should have checked better after the first cycle. Now Zack will sleep ON it, but no way will any of the three cats be able to sleep IN it. :^)

And, finally, I mailed 15 hats today to Kate today. YAY!

In which I return...

2007-02-11T23:12:00.000-06:00

OK, so it's been awhile. So shoot me! No, on second thought, please don't.

January wasn't a very productive knitting month, it seems I did more ripping out than finishing anything. As evidenced by this picture, I started a sock, using a pretty lace pattern that quickly got lost in the variegation of the yarn. I'll do it again, but wih a solid color.

I have some Lang JaWool that I think will be perfect for the pattern.

In the meantime, I decided to go with a simple Baby Cable pattern, much nicer! This is sock number 1, but that's actually finished and I'm ready to pick up the heel flap stitches and start the decreases on sock number 2.

This is my first time knitting with Cherry Tree Hill yarn and I'm absolutely loving it! Because its 100% wool, and a bit heavier than most sock yarns, I'm still reinforcing the heel flap using grape colored Woolly Nylon.

The Faina Scarf Along is about to begin and I think I'm going to use this lovely Misti Alpaca wool. I haven't knit with this before and I'm looking forward to it, it's SO soft!

Harley is checking it out and I think it gets her seal of approval... That, or she wants to know why that basket is occupying HER sun table.

I can't blame her, with as cold and gloomy as it's been, I'd be wanting to boot anything in my sun spot, too.

It got up to 25°F today and it felt warm! How sad is that?!

I also knit up a quick hat for B using some Bernat camo yarn that he picked out. I'd made him one a couple years ago, but he left it at a friend's house out of town. There was plenty of yarn left over, so I tried out the Irish Hiking Hat (Warning: This is a link to a .pdf file). It's hard to see the cables, but I like the way the cream color lined up once the brim was folded up.

I've also knit a few more Fun Fur Chemo Caps for Kate.

All in all, I guess I've been knitting more than I thought! I'll show you the new Kitty Pi next time.

New Socks on My Feets

2007-01-17T23:38:00.000-06:00

I *HEART* THESE SOCKS! They might be my most favorite pair so far, maybe because it's been eleventy bajillion degrees below zero these last few days. I finished them on Monday night, wore them today and my feet are nice and toasty warm. They're made with Lana Grossa Meilenweit Fun, colorway 138 on U.S. 1.5 (2.5 mm) needles. The pattern is
Hello Yarn's Cable Twist Socks.

The modifications I made were to to use a k6, p3 instead of k5, p2 pattern since I'm using sock yarn and smaller needles than called for.

On the Fun Fur Chemo Cap front, I'm working on my 11th hat and I still have a boatload of fur to knit up!

Fun Fur and Red Scarves

2007-01-10T14:13:00.000-06:00

Three more hats finished and another on the needles. The sand colord hat is for a friend of a friend and will be staying in Minneapolis.

I also mailed off my 5 scarves for the Red Scarf 2007 project yesterday.

Fabulous Fuzzy Fun Furilicious

2007-01-08T18:26:00.000-06:00

You know you have some in your stash... It's in that dark place that no one knows about... Admit it, you have some...

Now go dig it out and start knitting some 'No Hair Day' Chemo Caps and then send them to Kate to be distributed to the kids at Childrens' Hospital Boston.These caps are so much fun and so easy to knit up, I finished another one today.

So, c'mon and dig out that Fun Fur you've been hiding. You know you want to!

First Dulaan Cap of the Year

2007-01-03T23:11:00.000-06:00

It may be a bit too big for Harley, but I think it will fit a small child just fine!

Log Cabin Update

2007-01-02T23:37:00.000-06:00

Progress, albiet slow, is happening on the Log Cabin blanket. The rows are now 160 stitches and take about 15 minutes.

Harley needs to think about that.

The second sock now has the ribbing and one pattern repeat done. It's going faster than the blanket.

One Sock Done...

2007-01-01T19:02:00.000-06:00

...And one on the needles. Although officially my first sock finished in 2007, I only had a few rows left on the toe, grafting and weaving in the ends when the clock struck midnight.

I'm ready for my close up.

DecemberFest and Heel Flaps

2006-12-25T23:25:00.000-06:00

Now that my Christmas knitting is done, I started my Sock- toberfest socks again. I'm at the same point I was before ripping them out. This time, I'm using the Cable Twist pattern and switched up to US 1.5 (2.5mm) needles and they fit much better. I'm still loving the yarn and the way it patterns... Or rather, the way it doesn't pattern.

I always have a sock-to-go in my purse, and a child's sock in progress in addition to the sock I'm working on for myself (Sock A.D.D. perhaps?) and all of a sudden, I was at the heel flap on all three socks at the same time! That's never happened to me before. My least favorite part of knitting socks is picking up the gusset stitches, so now I have to do that on three socks at the same time. I picked up the stitches on two of the socks and will have the third one done tonight.

I finished my Wildefoot Columbine Cable Twist socks. I gifted them to a friend I work with, we do a Secret Santa swap each year and this year Becki and I got each other's names. She skis, so I hope she'll like them to wear for skiing or Apres Ski. She said they fit and she loves them (YAY).

On a non-knitting note... I've been playing with polymer clay and made myself a light switch cover for the front bedroom. I think it turned out quite nice, if I do say so myself! I still want to make one for the back bedroom and kitchen.

And, finally, a shot of some more caps and socks for the Dulaan project. I've finished more since this picture. I'm at 22 hats and 5 pairs of socks, almost 6 pairs, I'm working on the second sock of the sixth pair.

The Kitty Committee

2006-12-10T21:55:00.000-06:00

Harley

Zack

Sophie

I Left My Heart...

2006-11-12T14:48:00.000-06:00

... in San Francisco. I just got back from 5 days in San Francisco and, now that I've caught up on my sleep and caught up at work, I have a few things I can show you.

This is the Cable Twist sock that I started in my last post. It flew with me to San Fran and I was able to finish almost all of the sock, I got to the end of the gusset decreases at the airport waiting for our flight back home. I finished it last night.

I was almost done with the foot when it dawned on me that I didn't leave 3 purls on one side of the sock to define the pattern on the top of the foot. I'm not sure if you can see it in the picture (click for big). I took pictures of both sides of the sock. It looks fine, but I'm wishing I would have kept 3 purls on both sides. It would have created an odd number of stitches on the heel flap, bit I could have easily added an extra stitch.

I've decided that for the second sock, I'm going to mirror this one and do a right twist on the pattern. I'll have to move stitched around a bit, too, to keep the purls on the foot mirrored.

Are these cool, or what?! Oh, what are they, you ask? They're lemons! They're called Buddha's Hand Citron and they're beautiful. If I had a way to bring one home without breaking it and knew what to do with it once I got it home, I would have bought one... Or several! These were at the Old Oakland Farmer's Market a block from our hotel. There's a vendor there that has the BEST Seafood Gumbo and serves it with cornbread. I had it last year and again this year. Most shrimp dishes it seems you have to hunt for the one lone wee shrimp. I had the small portion ($5) and there were at least 15 shrimp in there, along with chicken and sausage.

In addition to finishing one Cable Twist sock, I also made two more hats and completed a pair of socks to put into my Dulaan project box. The hats I made on the plane on the way out and in the hotel. No knitting on the flight home, it was the red eye flight and I recall taking off and the next thing I knew, we were landing at the MSP airport. Slept like a baby, I did, I did.

My Visit to the Frog Pond

2006-10-31T12:26:00.000-06:00

I tried this sock on before I got to the heel flap and it was really tight going over the heel. I decided to forge ahead and see how it fit after finishing the heel flap, I thought maybe it was just tight because I had all the needles in it. Nope... It was still way too tight.

So, this happened. I could have made another pair of socks that were too small, or I could start over. As you can see, adult beverages were involved.

And what we now have is a lovely cake of yarn. I still love the colors, and just need to rethink the pattern. Either add a purl stitch between each repeat, or knit every other row.

And, so, I started these, that's Harley checking out the new sock. I saw the pair that Kathy made and I thought this would be the perfect pattern to bring on my trip. The yarn is easier to see on the needles, the other yarn had a splotch of tan almost the exact same colors as my needles that made it difficult to see in poor light. The pattern is Cable Twist Socks from Hello Yarn. Like Kathy, I modified the pattern a bit as I'm using sock yarn rather than worsted weight. My pattern repeat is 9 stitches, 6 in the cable and 3 purl on US size 1 (2.25mm) needles.

I have a few more items for my Dulaan Project box. 5 more caps and 1 1/2 pairs of socks bringing my total to 9 caps and 3.5 pairs of socks.

I also went over to Michaels and dropped off 26 squares for the Warm Up America project. Not as many as last year, but still enough to make a half of a quilt.

Socktoberfest Sunday Sky

2006-10-22T23:58:00.000-05:00

It's Socktober and I've made some headway on my Socktoberfest socks. I love, love LOVE the colors! (Click for big.) This is sock number one and I'm thinking of bringing it as my plane project on my trip to San Francisco, but I'm worried about the lighting on the plane. One of the colors almost matches the color of the dpn's and more than once I've thought I dropped a stitch.

Cisco and I are headed out to San Francisco, actually Oakland, again this year to hit the Bay Area Bead Extravaganza, better known as B.A.B.E. We'll be hooking up with some old friends we haven't seen in awhile and be putting faces to people we've known for years on the net. I am SO looking forward to this.

I've finished a few more items for my Dulaan box, three hats and another pair of socks. So pretty! I found I can finish a hat in one evening and a pair of socks in less than a week. I'm using Bernat Softee Baby for the pair of socks in this picture.

I'll be able to get two pairs of socks per skein. This pair was done on US size two needles. I took them and the rest of the skein to the Post Office when taking care of other business and asked them to weigh them separately. The pair of socks weighed 1.8 ounces and the rest of the skein weighed 2.3 ounces. I stepped up the next pair to US size 3 needles and I think I'll be using most of that 2.3 ounces. They are noticeably different in size, so I think I'll keep doing that with each skein.

And, I'll leave you with some Sunday sun and sky. It was cloudy most of the week (and weekend) with the sun popping only through now and then.

3 for 3 with a Bonus

2006-10-11T23:49:00.000-05:00

I ~~had~~ have so many UFOs that I decided I had to set some goals. Last Thursday I decided that no less than three items would be finished by Monday evening. I met my goal and then some! Click pics if you want to see larger pictures.

First up, I finished Mom's Christmas socks. All I need to do is wash them. These came down to the wire. I was done knitting by midnight on Monday, but had the toe left to kitchener and weave in the ends. Because it was late, I left that until Tuesday morning. I don't think that was cheating, if I'd done that, I'd probably still have spent Tuesday morning fixing what I screwed up. LOL

The stitch pattern is the Small Herringbone Rib from Vogue Knitting Stitchionary Volume One, pattern #67 on page 46. (Thanks for asking, Annie!)

I also finished my 4th scarf for the 2007 Red Scarf Project. In truth, it's really only my third, but Einstein Bros. was a drop off point last year and my local store had no clue what I was talking about when I went in to drop off my scarf. I even called ahead of time to make sure they were participating. Surprisingly, Einstein Bros. isn't participating this year. Oh, boo-hoo.

My third item to finish was my first pair of socks for the 2007 Dulaan Project. I bought this yarn in anticipation of learning how to knit socks, it's an acrylic yarn by Bernat. They feel really soft and the yarn was a pleasure to work with.

The bonus is the cap I made in one evening. It's a simple 2 by 2 ribbing in a bulky novelty yarn (Lion Brand Landscape) and will be a great diversion and instant gratification project when I get bored with the other 4,723 things I seem to have in progress. It's a one skein wonder!

And so, I met my goals and then some. I also started another sock for the Dulaan Project and knit a few rows on my Log Cabin afghan. By the way, you have to go visit Susan's blog and see the Log Cabin afghan she's started in Cotton Ease. Now I know what I'm going to do with my Cotton Ease stash. By the way, again, but rumor has it that Lion Brand is bringing back Cotton Ease in new colors.

To celebrate all my finished objects, it seemed only fair that I get to cast on for another pair of socks. It IS Socktoberfest after all. See, these are so fresh that they've been cast on, but not joined (taking care not to twist the stitches). How... Octoberish!

Socktoberfest and Me

2006-10-04T23:14:00.000-05:00

Because it's Socktoberfest, I thought I'd answer questionnaire that Lolly had up on her blog.

When did you start making socks? Did you teach yourself or were you taught by a friend or relative? or in a class?

I made my first pair of socks this past February and there's been no stopping me since. I took a class at my LYS, my Christmas gift from B. Actually, I'd tried taking the class twice before and things didn't work out. The first time, there weren't enough people signed up and the second time I was out of town for the second class, so I didn't sign up.

What was your first pair? How have they "held up" over time?

My first pair was made with Sockotta, 45% cotton, 40% Superwash Wool and 15% Nylon in bright pink and yellow. They're holding up great! Then again, they're only 8 months old and I've worn them maybe a half dozen times.

What would you have done differently?

I would have stuck the U.S. size 2 dpn's I'd brought rather than the size 3's they recommended after swatching.

What yarns have you particularly enjoyed?

All of them, so far. Well, the Paton's Kroy maybe not so much, it seemed harsh to work with, but made a nice fabric after being washed. I think the nicest yarn I've had the chance to use was the Claudia's Hand Painted that was donated to the Socks for Soldiers group.

Do you like to crochet your socks? or knit them on DPNs, 2 circulars, or using the Magic Loop method?

I a DPN kinda gal. Haven't tried socks on 2 circulars, or the Magic Loop yet, but both are on my list of must try. Crochet? Never say never, but I think not.

Which kind of heel do you prefer? (flap? or short-row?)

So far, I've only done flaps.

How many pairs have you made?

16 pairs and 3 pairs on the needles. Whew! That's a lot of socks in 8 months!

Progress - A little bit of this..

2006-09-29T23:01:00.000-05:00

More progress on the log cabin (click for biggie pic). This will probably be the last picture for awhile. The rows are currently 120 stitches, and so, obviously, not as much quick change. I now have two 29" circular needles on each side as stitch holders.

I don't have much progress to show on the blue sock, either, so I didn't take a picture of that. I did turn the heel and am about halfway through the gusset decreases.

I cast on the second pink stripy sock, that will be my new take along project. I have the cuff and one pattern repeat done so far.

And, finally, I finished my 3rd pair of socks for Socks for Soldiers. I think I'm officially burned out on black for a bit! I'll get these sent out along with the leisure socks I made with the Claudia yarn as well as a bunch of Beanie Babies and other goodies.

September Morn...

2006-09-20T14:41:00.000-05:00

This was taken on Sunday morning.

My log cabin afghan is growing. It's going a bit slower now and I have 100 stitches on the needles, it grows by 10 stitches on every other side. Well, I guess it's not really going slower, it just feels like it because I'm not changing colors as often.

I'm also keeping up with weaving in the threads as I go, so the back looks almost as good as the front. Thank goodness JoAnns has lots of coupons this week, I need 4 more circular needles for stitch holders soon, as well as point protectors so they don't slip out of the stitches.

I started the heel flap on the blue sock today, so I'm on the home stretch. On the black sock, I have about 30 rows left and I can start the toe decrease. Both are second socks and the black will complete the third pair for Socks for Soldiers.

Building a Log Cabin

2006-09-13T00:58:00.000-05:00

I've seen a couple of these around blog-land and it started to grow on me; enough that I did a Google search for a pattern.

I found I found this pattern and this pattern. Both called for binding off each color, then picking up the stitches again when getting back to that side of the afghan. I started a square and decided that picking up the stitches was a major pain in the a$$ and, if I continued to make it one large square instead of several smaller squares, it wasn't going to be pretty having to pick up hundreds of stitches with every color change.

I got to thinking, and I'm sure that others have already thought of it... Why not put the live stitches on waste yarn and then just pick them up when ready. Better yet, instead of waste yarn, why not use spare circular needles as looooong stitch holders?! So, I started over and now I only need to pick up 10 stitches on either side of the stitch holder. Yay!

Which then brings me to my other least favorite thing... Weaving in the ends. Will most definitely need to keep up with this as I go and not leave them all to the end. Just weaving in what you see here took the better part of an hour.

I am liking this tho, it will be nice mindless knitting while watching TV, or late at night when I don't need to concentrate.

Specs: Whatever worsted weight yarn I find at Value Village, or what's on sale at Michaels or Joanns on US size 7 needles. Total un-yarn-snob all the way, baby!

Two Halves...

2006-09-04T18:50:00.000-05:00

...do not, necessarily, make a whole. The pink stripy sock has been my "to go" sock that I keep in the car; I finished it last night. The yarn is Sockotta (The Plymouth Italian Collection, colorway 367). The pattern stitch can be found on June 11th of the 365 Knitting Stitches a Year Perpetual Calendar. Love the way the pattern looks, the stripes? Not so much. (Click pics for big.)

The blue socks are my second attempt at my mother's Christmas gift. The yarn is Fortissima Colori Socka Color (colorway 2429) and I love the heathered look of it. The stitch pattern is the Small Herringbone Rib found in !Vogue Knitting Stitchionary Volume One (pattern #67). Love the yarn, love the pattern and it fits!

The Wandering Trail socks did end up being a tad bit snug. I gifted them to Cisco and they fit her perfectly. Serendipity!

Oh, and the tall mannequin leg? Fell on my foot, my big toe. Hurts like a mofo! I sure hope the nail doesn't turn black and blue and fall off. How do I explain that my leg fell on my foot?!

Knitting at the Great Minnesota Get Together

2006-08-26T23:27:00.000-05:00

Better known as the Minnesota State Fair; this is the second largest State Fair in the country.

I went by myself this morning so that I could walk through the Creative Activities building without the nagging, "Are we done yet? Can we go now? I'm hungry... I'm bored..." No, I don't have kids, I have a boyfriend. LOL

We went back this afternoon (we usually go 3 or more times each season, are we crazy?!) and I had to drag B into the C.A. building to see this:

OMG! How fun is this dress?! (Click for big pic) To see another picture of the dress behind it, please visit the Rainey Sisters blog, from where I borrowed this photo because I'm just too darned tired to dig my camera out of my purse and dump the pics onto the computer. It makes me tired to even think of it. So. Tired.

Speaking of purses, I bought a purse at the fair today. It's just like this one, only black, but this picture shows the front details better. The tapestry portion is two open pockets and the zipper pocket is the perfect size to carry a 50 gram ball of yarn and sock project. The back of the purse has the same open pockets and zipper pocket, but in plain black fabric and the inside of the purse is large without being TOO large. Also, 2 more open pockets and a zipper pocket on the inside. And, it's machine washable.

I got quite a bit of knitting done today, too. We do the park and ride thing when going to the fair, it's $5 per person round trip, the buses leave about every 15 minutes (both from the mall and from the fair) and SO worth it. We'd have to pay that much or more for parking and the mall is less than a mile from our house. A good 20+ minutes each way of knitting time, almost 2 inches on BBS #6.

Oh, and no ribbons for me this year, I can't even be upset with all the gorgeous entries! There's always next year.

Claudia's Blue Sky

2006-08-19T00:00:00.000-05:00

Oh, this yarn is a dream to work with... After trying them on to take pictures, I didn't want to take them off. It's a darned good thing these socks are too big for me, or they might not make it to where they're supposed to go! Thank you, Claudia, for your generous donation of this wonderful yarn to Socks for Soldiers.

Half Moon at Noon

2006-08-16T22:27:00.000-05:00

Can you see it? (Click pic for biggy pic.) I was standing in my front yard yesterday, talking to my next door neighbor, when I happened to look up. There, perfectly framed by the branches of the oak tree, was a half moon at noon.

I finished my Winding Trail socks and didn't have to break into the extra skein of yarn I bought, just in case. They're only slightly snug, so we'll see how they fit after hand washing. I think my mom's feet are a bit smaller than mine, so they may not be too small for her, after all.

Here's a close up of the pattern, how pretty! I'm rather pleased with the way these turned out.

In other sock news, I'm thisclose to having my Claudia socks finished for my Socks for Soldiers group. I think I have about 7 rows left on the toe decrease, then kitchener the toe and weave in the loose ends. WooHoo! Then it's back to finishing Big Black Sock #6.

I also went over to the Minnesota State Fair with my friend Cisco to drop off our entries for this year. I entered the Baby Cable socks I just finished and the Paws to Remember shawl as well as a few beaded items. Cisco entered 2 of her gorgeous silver pendants and a polymer clay dragon. Wish us luck!

Knitting in tandem

2006-08-08T13:12:00.000-05:00

I started a pair of socks for my Mom for Christmas. The stitch pattern is adapted from the Winding Trail stitch pattern found in
Big Book of Knitting Stitch Patterns. I'm using Lana Grossa Meilenweit with Crystal Palace US size 1 (2.25mm) needles. (As always, click for bigger pics.)

I haven't knit socks in tandem for awhile, so I thought I'd go ahead and knit both socks at the same time... So of course, the socks are going to be too small (read tight) and, by the time I figured that out, I was too far along to want to rip out and start over. If it was just one sock, maybe, but two?!? Plus, and I can't believe it, I think each sock is going to go over 1 skein! Zoiks!

How do you like my new necklace? I got the sheep bead at the U.M.B.S. Spring Bead Retreat in March (sorry, I don't recall who the lampworker is) and couldn't decide what I wanted to do with it... Until just recently.

The Clover stitch counter goes well with a simple spiral stitch rope and Padparadscha Swarovski Crystals, I think. Love me some crystals! I made the pendant detachable so I can use it for a big ol' honkin' stitch marker, or I can slip on a different stitch counter for another project.

Reason number 473 (like you really need a number) to keep a project to go in the car with you at all times. Although a relatively short train, it kept going back and forth and back and forth to add new cars to the train, so I got in about 15 minutes of knitting and a good photo op. ;-)

Of Socks and Blogging

2006-08-06T12:52:00.000-05:00

I don't know why I'm such a bad blogger. I think it's because the bloggers I read manage to post long witty entries almost every day and it me weary. LOL I've seen a few bloggers add just a picture or a couple of sentences throughout the day, or every other day, so maybe I'll try that approach.

I finished my "Trek Along With Me" socks in Trekking XXL colour #67 (click pic for biggy pic). I did a Baby Cable pattern on Crystal Palace size 1,5 (2.5mm) needles. I love the socks, but think I'll go down to size 1 (2.25mm) needles next time I use this yarn (LOVE this yarn). I was also pleased to see that I had quite a bit of yarn left over, no clue what I'll do with it, but now I know I can make the leg longer,if I choose.

I have several socks on the needles. Actually, the first sock of this pair is complete. Claudia of Claudia Hand Painted Yarn donated $1,500 of her hand painted yarn to my Socks for Soldiers group to knit up leisure socks to be sent overseas. The stitch pattern is the Double Herringbone Weave adapted from Barbara Walker's ."A Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns." This yarn is a dream to work with and it's a good thing this sock is too big for me or it might not get shipped out! I will be purchasing some of her yarn to make something for myself. For anyone in the Twin Cities area, Borealis carries her yarn. Try it, you'll like it. I swear!

Socks For Soldiers

2006-06-29T23:10:00.000-05:00

This spring I joined a Yahoo group called Socks for Soldiers. Kim's long term dream is to gather 100,000 pairs of handknit socks to send to our troops overseas. Her short term goal is send 500 pairs by the end of October.

I finished my 2nd pair of BIG BLACK SOCKS today, this is actually a picture of the first pair. The second pair has a 3x3 ribbing all the way down to the heel. I used Paton's Kroy sock yarn for both pairs and I have enough yarn to make another pair (I ordered 10 balls and will probably have one left over). The scary part was tossing them into the washing machine and washing them in HOT water, then tossing them into the dryer. I was SO afraid to look at them, but I had to wash them in the conditions that they'll be washed in over in Iraq or Afghanistan. When I pulled them out of the dryer, they looked like they'd shrunk quite a bit in the foot, however, when I tried them on, they fit just fine. YAY!

I also scored 11 balls of Lily Chin Gramercy yarn at the Needlework Unlimited Outlet Store. The great thing about this store is that you never know what they'll have on any given weekend.

To take a break from all that BLACK, I made up a pair of slippers to send along. They're made out of Lionbrand Homespun and Fun Fur, quick and easy.

And the River is Deep...

2006-04-16T00:34:00.000-05:00

My sock odyssey continues. First up are the River Rapids Socks, pattern from SockBug. Lana Grossa Meilenweit Cotton Maya (45% cotton,43% Virgin wool and 13% Polyamide), colorway 7020. Crystal Palace bamboo dpns, US size 2 (2.75mm). Modifications: None, except that I knit these on DPNs, rather than on 2 circular needles.

Once I finished this pair of socks, I was feeling pretty cocky and was ready to design my own socks. I started looking through my 365 Knitting Stitches a Year Perpetual Calendar and decided to use the April 19th stitch, Bluebell Rib.

These socks looked great, I took detailed notes so I could share the pattern when I was done. I knit them up on Crystal Palace Bamboo dpns US 1.5 and used Fortissima Socka yarn in the 1014 colorway.

And, when I was done, I started to look for something new to knit. And, found the free Mock Croc Socks pattern on Knit Picks. Well I'll be a son of a bitch! Great minds DO think alike! LOL

Finally, another pattern from SockBug, this time the Bubble Wrap Socks. These really do remind me of bubble wrap and are a quick and fun pair of socks to knit up. These were done up on Crystal Palace Bamboo size 1.5 dpns using Sockotta yarn, number 08 colorway. Don't you just love my sheep mug? I got it for 29¢ at my Value Village thrift store.

Looky what else I found there for $3.00, clear tennis shoe clogs!! Aren't they just too kewl for words? What a fun way to show off my socks!

Socks, socks and more socks

2006-04-04T23:20:00.000-05:00

I've been bitten by the sock bug. Bit hard... I'm a self taught knitter, but I'd never tried knitting socks. And, so, for Christmas, I was gifted with a sock class at Needlework Unlimited.

It was my Knitting Olympics project and, although I technically started my first sock before the Olympics, I did start the 2nd sock during the opening ceremonies. That counts, right? It was a project new to me and a challenge. Here's my first pair of socks:

These were made with Sockotta yarn 617, 45% cotton, 40% superwash wool and 15% nylon. I did my swatch on US size 2 needles and he teacher suggested hat I use a US size 3. They're nice... Great, in fact, for my first pair, but I wish I would have done them on the 2's.

Next, I had to make B a pair of socks. He did pay for the class, after all, it was my Christmas gift from him. These are made with Lana Grossa Meilenweit Fun & stripes on US 3's. He loves them, he was afraid to wear them, because he didn't want to ruin them. Now he wears them all the time.

Next on the needles were "Child's First Sock in Shell Pattern" from Nancy Bush's "Knitting Vintage Socks." The first pair is made with Lana Grossa Meilenweit 1300 on size US2's. I almost ripped these out because I didn't think the pattern was showing up well, but decided that if I finished the 3rd pattern repeat and wasn't in love, tink, they would go. I'm SO glad I kept going, I'm totally loving them.

Next came another pair in the same pattern, but I used Jo Sharp Silkroad DK Tweed, Pulp, 85% wool, 10% silk, 5% cashmere and 100% YUM! I did these on US 5's, cast on 48 stitched instead of 64 and adjusted the patterns accordingly. I made detailed notes because I have more of this yarn. The only downside is that they're hand wash only, but I guess that's not really a problem.

Finally, hot off the needles and drying as we speak are Mom's birthday socks. They aren't going to get there in time for her birthday, tho... I used Jeanie Townsend's Cascading Leaves pattern with several modifications, but first...

I started knitting these with Trekking XXL 113 on US 2's. The swatch seemed fine, but the gauge was too loose, for my liking, and once I got going the color seemed too wintery. So, off the needles and on for the perfect yarn. Here are the specs:

*Yarn: Dalegarn Baby Ull in mint green (9013) and reinforced the heels as the yarn is 100% wool (superwash).
*Needles: Crystal Palace US 1.5 (2.5 mm)
*Modifications:

~ After ribbing, I slipped everything over one stitch on the needles so each needle began and ended with a purl stitch. In this way, the ribbing lined up to the pattern. (Thanks to Diana for the tip.

~ I did 8 pattern repeats for the leg

~ I also continued the pattern on the top of the foot. For this, I had to slip 8 stitches from each needle to the next needle so that the pattern laid the way I wanted it. The pattern comes to a ^ over the heels and toes rather than a v.

~ Decreased toes to 24 stitches, rather than 40, before kitchnering.

Reworking the pattern to continue the pattern on the top of the foot was what took so long. Well, that and a dropped stitch that I didn't see until rows later.

Now, to check the socks and see if they're dry so I can wrap them and get them into the mail!

Kitty Pi x 2

2006-01-02T00:10:00.000-06:00

Kitty Pi 2 is finished and Zack is a happy cat. Again, this is made from Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick and, sans washing, is just as floppy as Kitty Pi, the first.

Sophie likes Kitty Pi 2 also. I did rewash Kitty Pi, the first, with jeans and air dried it. Floppy, floppy, floppy and the towel pills remail. The cha-cha fur did un-mat somewhat, tho.

Zack, ever uber chic, lets Sophie enjoy Kitty Pi 2.

All good things come to those who wait.

From us to you, a safe, healthy and happy new year.

Shoo Fly, Kitty Pi

2005-12-27T23:02:00.000-06:00

I no sooner got the Kitty Pi off the needles and Zack claimed it for his own. I didn't even get a chance to weave in the ends or wash it. I should have left it that way...

I used Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick yarn in Cabin Brown on US 10.5 needles The fur is Patons Cha Cha in Tango. It took 2 1/2 skeins of the Wool-Ease.

Once Zack got done with it, I washed it, then made the mistake of tossing it in the dryer with a Bounce fabric sheet. With towels. It came out soft and full of towel lint. And matted the Cha Cha trim CRAP!

But, Sophie didn't seem to mind. I started another one, the bottom will be the rest of the Cabin Brown skein and I got two skeins of the same yarn in Cranberry. I may or may not wash it, but if I do, I won't be tossing it in the dryer... And I won't be using towels as agitation, I'll toss in a pair of jeans.

In the end, both Sophie and Zack seem happy. And, in the end, isn't that all that matters?

In or Out of the Blogging Closet

2005-12-21T01:39:00.000-06:00

Kathy, aka Grumperina, challenged her readers to a meme:

"Who knows about your knitting and your knitting blog, and what are your reasons for revealing (or not) its existence to these folks?"

I started this blog, not so much to keep track of my knitting, but to let other bloggers I read know that I really DO knit. I don't know if they read me or not when I leave a comment on their blog... If they do, they've certainly never left a comment for me, and that's OK. Although I do admit I get giddy when I get a comment that wasn't spam! :-)

I've told two friends about my blog. Both are recreational knitters and both are beaders. Beads and beading are my first passion and I took up knitting again after burning out on one too many bead projects last year. I don't know that either one has read this.

Oddly, another beading friend found my blog from a comment I posted on another Minnesota knitters blog. Small world.

How Cozy is My Camera

2005-12-05T22:35:00.000-06:00

I like to carry my camera with me, but the case I have takes up too much room in my purse. I was carrying it without a case, but I didn't want it getting all scratched up. And so, a camera cozy is born.

I had a skein of Lion Brand Micro Spun in my stash (don't ask why, I don't know) and knit it up in the round on US size 6 dpns. I made a three stitch i-cord drawstring and cast off the tube using the three needle cast off. I used much less than half the skein, I'm sure.

I really like the feel of the fabric and I think it's just enough protection to keep the camera from getting mucked up in my purse. I did, however, end up winding the yarn into a ball and found 3 joins, or knots in it, 2 were less than 2 feet apart!

In other knitting news, I have nothing, nada zip... I'm working several things at once, so there's not much progress on anything, although there is progress on everything. LOL

And, it's COLD! Damn, it's cold. Got out to my truck this morning, started up just fine, but the door mechanism froze and the door wouldn't stay shut. Not too inconvenient until you go to make a right turn. LOL It's currently -2ºF with a -15ºF windchill.

Off the needles...

2005-11-29T22:22:00.000-06:00

OK, it's not all that exciting, but I did finish up two projects this week. B's mitts are done. These were made with Lion Brand Wool Ease in Pines. I used US size 8 needles and didn't modify the pattern otherwise and they fit him. WooHoo!

I also picked up a ball of colorful cotton yarn when we were at Walmart and made my mom a dishcloth for a Christmas stocking stuffer. It looks like the site is down right now, but I got the pattern at www.jimsyldesign.com. It's called Chinese Waves and I really like both sides. It got Zack's seal of approval, too.

Saturdays are not for knitting

2005-11-21T22:33:00.000-06:00

For the second Saturday in a row, I've had to frog back 7 rows on my green "Here and There" scarf (as opposed to my Koigu "Here and There" scarf). This time was not a dropped stitch, I knit one row too many in a repeat and didn't discover it until I completed the next repeat and was doing the cable row. If you look at the upper right corner, it's really noticeable. I was knitting in the car as we were out and about and, obviously, was distracted and didn't mark off a row on my cheat sheet. It's all fixed now, but I hope I don't have to stop knitting on Saturdays!!

On a happier note, I completed another repeat on River, so that's ten done. I also started the second ball of yarn and I'm glad that I got three balls. The first ball did 9 1/2 repeats, but only measures 28 inches. Which means that I'll be doing more repeats than planned, but I think I have time enough to get it finished before the warm weather returns.

It all made Zack and Sophie very tired. Cute, but tired...

Here and there...

2005-11-14T21:11:00.000-06:00

BABE 2005 was much too fun, good friends, great beads and we even managed to visit two yarn stores. Click here if you want to see their photo album.

On Friday I took a Kumihimo Braiding class with Alethia Donathan of DACS Beads. This necklace is from Alethia's Gallery and is similar to what we made in class. I don't have a finished picture yet, I didn't like the beads that came with my kit, so I'm rebeading it.

I bought a Marudai (Kumihimo loom) and set of weights, so I'm looking forward to creating more braids with my yarn scraps. I'm thinking of joining a "Yarn of the Month" club just for the samples.

On Saturday, we hopped the bus to The Knitting Basket in Montclair Village, a quaint little shopping area in Oakland. I bought a pattern for their "Koigu Wave Scarf," a drop stitch pattern and got two balls of Stacy Charles Ritratto colorway 81. Yum! The store was nice and bright, the yarns were displayed by color, rather than by type. I can see pluses and minuses for that type of display, very nice if you know what color you might want to work with, but not what yarn.

Going back to the hotel was a bit of an adventure. We were told we could catch the bus back to the hotel at the same stop we got off at, as that was the turn around point. They neglected to tell us there were 2 number 15 busses. Guess which one we got. LOL Fortunately, it didn't go too far out of our way and rather than pay a quarter to get a transfer, we decided that we could walk the 10 blocks faster than trying to find which bus we needed and where to catch it.

On Monday, we went back in to San Francisco (we'd been staying in Oakland for the show) and visited ArtFibers. What a nice shop! We got there before the store opened and had a breakfast of fresh fruit at the small buffet downstairs. ArtFibers sells sample of yarns, 6 to 12 yards for $2.50 each. Great for Kumihimo braiding!

If you go, read the signs on the meter posts, not just the street signs. We thought, from reading the street signs, that there was no parking from 3 - 6 p.m. for loading. That's on Saturdays. If we'd read the meter pole, we'd have realized it was all day during the week, so parking ended up costing us $60.00. CRAP-O-RAMA!

I did get quite a bit of work done on the Here & There Cable scarf. I was going to finish up the first skein on Saturday and post pictures, but as I was knitting, I dropped a @#$%$#@ stitch and had to tink back 6 1/2 rows. Again, CRAP-O-RAMA! At the end of the night I was right back where I started.

Anyhow, I have pictures now. I don't think I'll be needing 7 skeins, so maybe some matching gloves or fingerless mitts... Hmmm... Will have to figure out how to work that pattern in the round. As is, this measures 12 inches, but will need to be blocked and stretched widthwise to show off the cables.

Here's a picture that I pinned out to show a bit more of the detail. Since I'm using Koigu KPPPM, I added another repeat (18 stitches) to the width. One skein of Koigu did 15 pattern repeats plus 3 rows.

If You're Going to San Francisco...

2005-11-02T23:42:00.000-06:00

Look me up at B.A.B.E. 2005! W00t!

I solved my problem of what to bring to work on. I've decided that I really don't want to make the Clapotis, so I decided to use the Kiogu KPPPM yarn to make the "Here and There Cables" from "Scarf Styles." What a fun pattern it is! I have two repeats done and it's scrumptious! I'm using the Koigu 603 colorway on size US 5 needles. I also added another repeat (18 stitches) to keep the width. I have 7 hanks for a total of 350 grams and 1225 yards.

In other news, look what I scored at Value Village the other day, almost 2 full skeins of Rowan Kidsilk Haze. I from my web searches, I think the color is discontinued, Chill. Oh yeah, the two skeins cost me a grand total of 79 cents.

Paws to Remember is off the needles

2005-10-31T21:41:00.000-06:00

WooHoo! Paws came off the needles last night and is blocking as I type.

It was a race to the finish, as well, to see if I was going to have enough yarn to finish. From the first hank of yarn, I was able to do 21 repeats of the pattern, but with the second hank, I was only able to do 17 before I decided that I better do the border. I have about a golfball size ball of yarn left, although with laceweight, I may have squeaked another repeat out of it... Nah...

On the pattern, I added an additional 4 repeats to the width and an additional 9 repeats to the length, so that I have a shawl instead of a scarf. The overall dimensions blocked are approximately 69 x 25 inches. I'm quite pleased with that.

The yarn I used is from the Davidson Corp. out of Eaton Rapids, MI, purchased at Creative Fibers in Minneapolis, a Domy Heather in the Charcoal colorway, laceweight 100% wool. I used US size 7 Clover Takumi Bamboo needles. I don't remember when I started this, but it was hot, so I'm going to guess sometime in late June or early July.

89 stitches per row x 508 rows = 45,212 stitches ZOWIE!

Now to concentrate on River, but I still want to cast on for something new, too! I have all that Koigu I was going to use to make a Clapotis, but I'm also thinking of trying the "Here and There Cables" out of "Scarf Styles." I need a take along progect for my trip to San Francisco and River is too fussy for that. What to do...

Ene Complete

2005-10-26T23:46:00.000-05:00

Finally finished. Actually, this was finished a few weeks ago except for weaving in all the yarn ends. Each of the 4 skeins I used had one splice knot in it, so it doubled the part of finishing I hate most.

I also hate weaving in thread ends with beading, so I tend to do them right away. I seem to recall that you shouldn't weave in yarn ends until after blocking and that make sense with natural fibers since you're stretching the item.

Also, I want to re-block this. I don't like the pointy things across the long end where the pins held it. I want to go get some welding rods (don't know the correct term, B rattled them off and explained the virtues of all, but all I want is something 3 feet long that is skinny and won't bend or rust, LOL) to weave through the lace on that side to get a straighter edge.

And my hair, look how long. I just had 3 inches cut off and I thought it was shorter than this before I got it cut. Since I want it long, that works!

In other news, less than one repeat left on Paws to Remember. Can I have it off the needles and blocked before my trip to San Francisco and B.A.B.E. 2005!? Why yes! I think I can!

And then, my attention can focus on River. W00t!

Weekend Ketchup

2005-10-23T00:41:00.000-05:00

Not much new to report. River is still at 8 repeats of the pattern. I did get another repeat done on Paws to Remember, so that's at 36. I think I have enough yarn left for two more repeats and that's done.

I started another pair of fingerless mitts with Lion Brand Wool-Ease, The white multi with the strand of glitter in it. It hates me and I was pretty sure this was a project that wasn't meant to be. I think I started and ripped out 5 or 6 times. I never got more than 6 rows on any of the tries, so it was easier to rip out and start over.

The first time, when I crossed the first and last stitches on the needles to make a tighter join, I actually cast off one of the stitches, so ended up with 39 stitches instead of 40. The rest of the tries, I screwed up the pattern. I now have 3 repeats (12 rows) done and I think I'm finally on the right path (knock wood). It was pissing Sophie off, too.

I also started a pair of slipper boots to be felted. I've never felted before, so I think it's going to be fun to see what happens. I'm using Cascade 220 for these, I like it!

Finished Mitts

2005-10-20T00:35:00.000-05:00

YAY! I finished my mitts tonight and I love, love, LOVE them! I don't have a picture yet, because my pics in the bathroom mirror sucked big time, but they look like the pic in my last post, only two of them. LOL

I got another repeat done on Paws, but... As I completed the repeat and held it up, I noticed something not quite right.. I dropped stitch about 6 or 8 rows back!! OMG!! How can that be? I count my stitches after EVERY row and I had the right amount on every row.

I can only think that I dropped it on a k2tog or a ssk. Fortunately, the wool held and it didn't run. I didn't want to rip back that many rows and I was way too afraid to try dropping the stitch from the top and run it back, not with lace! Nuh-uh, no way!

With patience and a crochet hook, I was able to weave the stitch through the rows, around the eyelets and back up to the top, then did a k2tog. It's invisible to the naked eye, if you know it's there, you can feel it, but I think once it's blocked, it will be just fine. I wish I would have caught it when I did it, but I'm just SO glad that I noticed it at all!

So is Zack...No, really, he just looks pissed coz I wouldn't let him go back to his nap. He loves his Harley vest.

Drive By Post with a Pic

2005-10-16T22:58:00.000-05:00

Not too much to report from my last posting. I did complete another repeat on River, so that's eight done. No progress on Paws, I need to get that done, I'm so close!

I did complete one mitt and cast on for the second one. I love this mitt!

Cables and DPNs

2005-10-13T23:30:00.000-05:00

So, Paws to Remember and River are both coming along nicely, I have 4 repeats left on Paws and another repeat (7th) done on River. I made a Feather & Fan dishcloth out of some scrap yarn and a cute little coin purse, so I'm looking for a portable project. Something that doesn't require a lot of concentration.

Then I saw Cari's cute gauntlets using Jodi's pattern (this is a pdf file link, FYI).

Let's see, I made sweaters with cables 20 years ago and I have some DPNs, so I must have done something with those, too. What, I don't have any idea, but I have them, so I must have used them, right? So, piece of cake, should be like riding a bicycle... Right?

Well, sort of. After a couple of false starts and fiddling 5 DPNs and a cable needle about, I'm doing pretty well, I think. I thought about trying cabling without a cable needle, but I'm not that brave yet. Although, I forgot I'd bookmarked Kathy's tutorial and I think I can do this!

I'm using Patons Classic Wool in Denim Marl. How do you like them so far?

Summer Tank and a OSW

2005-10-10T22:18:00.000-05:00

Since I was so bad about blogging this summer, I do have some finished things to post. The first is this tank top from Leisure Arts
Trendy Knit Tops. Paired with a matching
One Skein Wonder and this girl is ready to go!

For this set, I used Moda Dea Curious yarn (45% nylon, 28% cotton, 27% acrylic ) in Black Cherry on US size 10 needles. Oddly enough, Moda Dea doesn't show this yarn on their website.

I started a Feather & Fan dishcloth yesterday out of some scrap Sugar 'n Cream yarn in "Hot Blue" (turquoise). It will be as big as I have yarn. I also made a credit card holder out of scrap Sugar 'n Cream in "Summer Splash." These are both leftover yarns from Stephanie's Waist Pack pattern.

River Along Update and an FO

2005-10-08T22:25:00.000-05:00

My progress on River is coming along nicely. After my horrible luck with the second repeat, the waters have calmed down and I've completed the sixth repeat. Since I dropped down to US 8 needles, that's about 15 inches (not including the border), so I think I'll be doing about 18 repeats instead of the 12 called for to get a decent length.

I don't have the pattern totally memorized, but I did write down the rows on index cards to make it more portable. I also think it wil be safe to take back the third skein. I bought three skeins thinking I was going to make it wider... Didn't happen.

I also finished my "on the go" scarf, a project I carried with me to work on after my walks at the lake or other odd moments. This scarf also went with me to Salt Lake City.

Yarn:Plymouth Yarn Italian Collection: Spazzini
75% Wool, 25% Nylon; 5 skeins
Pattern:Feather & Fan
Needles:Clover US 10

Because this is a novelty yarn,instead of purling row 2, I knit every row other than the pattern row. Heck, for all you can see of the pattern, I could have knit that too. :) It's nine inches wide and about five feet long without stretching. It's going to be nice and toasty on my neck this winter.

Paws To Remember Update...

2005-10-07T00:13:00.000-05:00

Last you saw, I had about two inches done. I think I was on the eighth or ninth repeat of the pattern when I made a mistake and made a botch of trying to correct it.

I also wanted it to be wider, I wanted a shawl. So, I ripped it all out and ended up with this grey wool snowman.

I added 4 increments (32 stitches) to the width. The pattern calls for 29 repeats, but for a shawl, that's too short. I got 19 1/2 repeats of the pattern from the first skein, so I know I can go to 38 repeats. I'm on the 32nd repeat and am loving it! I tried to get a WIP pic, but it just looks like a gray thing. LOL It may have to wait until blocking.

Ene's scarf

2005-10-04T22:05:00.000-05:00

One of the items I just completed... OK, almost have completed, is Ene's scarf from "Scarf Styles." It's blocked, but I still have some ends (15) to weave in.

Here's a picture about two days before it came off the needles. As you can see, Zack approves.

For this scarf, I used some of the wool yarn I scored at Value Village, the thrift store where I do volunteer work.

Here's Ene stretched out on the blocking board. I'll have to get some *glam* shots once I have the ends woven in. I think I'm going to block this again after I get some rods from a welding supply shop, I don't like the points across the top.

Once I figured out the rhythm of the pattern, this worked up fairly fast. I really liked that every other row got shorter, too. :) I think I had this completed in under a month.

The yarn is Columbia Minerva Featherweight Knitting Worsted, 100% virgin wool on US size 7 needles. I used just under four skeins for a cost of $2.20. Not bad!

Rolling on the River...

2005-10-03T23:48:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's been awhile. I have no excuse other than the longer I didn't post, the easier it became and, the guiltier I felt.

Now, I want to join the River Along that Savannahchic is hosting and I figured I should start posting again so I can show my progress.

I was going to use Knitpicks Alpaca Cloud in either Tide Pool or Stream, but couldn't decide, so hadn't ordered. Then I saw the Dollar Yarn at Target and was going to at least start this pattern using the "Fuzzy Fur" to see what knitting with thread was like.

Then I stopped in at Creative Fibers and fell in love with the Crystal Palace Kid Merino yarn colorway 9812 Violets.

After reading all the posts, I decided to use US size 8 needles and I'm pleased with the fabric I'm creating. I made it through the first repeat of the pattern with absolutely no problems at all.

Then I read the update progress on Sunday and saw that a few people were having problems. Bad Karma! Every row I knit on the second repeat, I made a mistake that resulted in much tinking. At the end of the night, all I had left was the last row of straight knitting (except the 3 stitches at the beginning and end of the row). Can't screw that up, can I? HAW! I have NO idea what happened, but I *think* I fixed it. I have the right amount of stitches and I think I picked up whatever got dropped.

Little bit of this and a little bit of that...

2005-06-29T21:02:00.000-05:00

I have some finished things! CaraMia is done, she went from 25 inches to just over 6 feet once pulled. Here's a picture of the scarf about a quarter pulled:

And a close up in the hosta beds:

A storm knocked down a tiger lily branch, pretty, no?

I started another magic scarf using Paton's Grace in Tangelo. It's actually finished, but I forgot to take a picture before I dropped the stitches and started pulling, the pattern was almost argyle looking. I haven't taken a finished picture yet, but here's an in progress picture taken last Saturday at our favorite watering hole:

I also started a lace scarf, Paws to Remember , a pattern from Fiber Trends. I'm using a 100% wool laceweight yarn form Davidson Corporation called Domy Heather in Charcoal.

I think I might need to invest in a yarn winder. I sat in a very unladylike position with the yarn draped across my knees while I wound 475 yards of yarn. LLLOL

My sweet cat Max crossed over to the Rainbow Bridge in April of this year and this yarn is just a bit darker than his fur. I wanted to make this scarf as a remembrance, we were together for 17 years and he was 19 years old when he died. I miss you every day, Max!

Magic Scarf

2005-06-24T22:22:00.000-05:00

Wadda bum I've been in blogging... Or, not blogging, as it were.

Last weekend was the Bead & Button Show in Milwaukee and it was a non stop three days of shopping and visiting with friends that I only get to see once a year. Good times.

Remember the CaraMia Magic Scarf I started a couple of weeks ago? I brought that along to knit on the train and during any down time (read, in the mornings befor the show floor opened). I realized on the train that two 30 gram tubes of beads weren't going to be near enough and, although I was able to get more beads at the show, this meant that once I knit up the beads I had already threaded, I had to add the new beads at the end of the skein and push them aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaall the way back to where I ended. That took me a whole evening, not so much fun.

Here's Cara checking out the Hostas in my front yard:

And here's Cara bound off and ready to have the stitches pulled, it's currently 25 inches long, I wonder how long it will get:

Soleil is finished!

2005-06-16T23:07:00.000-05:00

Soleil, she is finished:

The V neck is lower than I would like, so I did two rounds of crochet around the neckline. Still lower than I would like, so I'll need to wear something under it (a bra camisole) or find a nice pin to pin it together a bit more.

Stats:
Lion Brand Cotton-Ease (Pistachio)
Clover size 6 needles
Knit size 36

Now, when I knit my swatch on Susan Bates US size 6 needles, the gauge was a bit larger than called for, so I knit a size smaller than I would have had my gauge been right on.

So far, so good... Until I get to dividing the front from the back and then dividing the back. I thought it might be easier to switch to straight needles rather than continue using the circular needles. So, I go get the Susan Bates needles. But, wait, I must have grabbed the wrong ones, they're definitely smaller.

Upon further investigation, Clover US size 6 needles are 4.25mm whereas Susan Bates, Lion Brand and Boye (the 3 brands I checked) are all 4.mm.

So now, coming down the stretch, not only is my gauge bigger than called for, but I've been knitting on needles that are .25mm larger than called for. Not the US size 6 I'm used to, but a US size 6 1/2.

So... If I make this again, and I probably will, I'll make the same size, but on true US size 6 (4mm) needles. I will also cast on my first row on a size or two larger needle to try and avoid the curl that happens. I ironed the begjeebers out of the lace, but I'm afraid that it's still going to curl when I wear it.

Also, the ends that I wove in are already peeking out, I'm tempted to get out my Tacky Glue...

Saturday score!

2005-06-12T00:26:00.000-05:00

Soleil is almost finished, I have the left front done up to the last of the decreases and I'm working on the right front. When I get the decreases done on that side, I'll put them both back on the circular needles and knit them up to the correct length at the same time. Then I don't have to keep track of how many rows I'm doing and both sides will be the same.

I started a scarf that I've been wanting to make. It's a version of this Magic Scarf . I'm not knitting it the round and I've added beads, but the principle is the same, dropping every other stitch at the end to make the lacy effect. I'm using TLC Cara Mia in the 2501 Aqua. It's really more of a seafoam color, I think. It took forever to string all those beads.

Here's a picture of the beginning taken at Don Pablo's:

I also stopped at Value Village to see what was new there. I always look to see if they have any knitting needles that I don't already have. I try not to look at the yarn as I already have a ton yarn to use up for charity projects, but today I scored!

Someone cleared out their stash of better yarns and I picked out a few nice yarns, most priced at $.69. With my volunteer discount, I paid $3.48 for everything.

I got 2 balls (20 grams, 154 yards) of Nevada super kid mohair (originally marked $6.95 each) for $2.29 for both. That's the only yarn I got that was labeled, but I also got some cotton yarns and (I think) some fingerweight wool. I'll have to try the match test tomorrow and see if it melts or burns.

I also signed up for a sock class at Needlework Unlimited. Socks are something I haven't tried yet and, while I think I could learn on my own, I'm looking forward to the class environment. Theyre also having a 20% off sale on all their yarns, 15% off needles and books, patterns and magazines are buy one, get the second one at half price. Great for the stash, bad for the wallet. :-)

Hmmm... I wonder if there's anything I forgot to get, maybe I better go back tomorrow...

Soleil gets a mammogram...

2005-06-10T00:18:00.000-05:00

Here's where Soleil is now:

And getting a mammogram:

Have you had yours?

And, for my first post...

2005-06-09T00:27:00.000-05:00

This is harder than is should be. I'm using the WYSIWYG text editor and it's giving me HTML errors. I thought it would be faster that typing up my own HTML. Go figure.

Anyhow... Welcome to my corner of BlogLand. My first love is beads and I've been creating with beads for the past 15+ years. Needing a break after a couple of major projects this past year, I dug out my knitting needles for something different.

Who knew that, instead of a temporary diversion of a few Fun Fur scarves, I woke up a sleeping muse! After reacquainting myself with the basics and making several scarves and a couple of ponchos and shawls (OK, really BIG scarves), I'm making a tank top.

I'm making Soleil in Lion Brand Cotton Ease Pistachio. Last Saturday, I took Soleil with me to Don Pablo's:

I'm quite a bit farther on this, I've divided the front and have them on stitch holders and am working on the back. I need to get a close up picture of the front as the technician at the Dr's office and I decided that, in its current state, it's the perfect mammogram top. I did take a picture of Soleil on the mammogram machine. Ya know, that machine would be really good for pressing when this is ready to be blocked... Heheh :-)