New Projects

When you are a knitter, when you finish a project you start another or maybe even two.  I started two.  This is the beginning of an Ishbel.  I am really enjoying knitting it and it is going quickly.  I think almost anything would seem to go quickly after the end of the Pi Shawl though.
When this is finished it will be #7 in my 10 in 2010.

I also finally got over my sweater fear and decided to cast on Twist.  This is potato chip knitting due to the fact that I want to keep going so I can turn just one more cable.  I am setting a goal of having it finished by Halloween but time will tell if that really happens or not.

Ta Da!!!!

I finished the 100th Camping Anniversary Pi Shawl last week.  It sure seemed like it took forever to bind off those 895 stitches at the end.

Details
Pattern 100th Anniversary Pi Shawl (Camping)
Yarn  Knit Picks Gloss Lace in Port
Needles Size 6
Started August 10,2010
Finished September 22, 2010

The blocked shawl is approximately 52 inches across.  I love how blocking a shawl makes it look incredible.  I am tempted to knit another Pi Shawl but I have a couple of other projects to finish first.

Wow!! September is Almost Half Over!

I have been busy with all sorts of projects.I finished the hat for my friend who was diagnosed with breast cancer.  I had everyone in the family give it hugs before I send it off.  I hope she will like it and I hope she  kicks cancer's hiney.

I finished a sock yesterday while watching the Kansas City Chiefs play.  It was a really late game so I only watched the first quarter.  It is the Hermione Everyday Sock in Colinette Jitterbug in the Fushia colorway.  It was a pretty quick knit for me.

The progress on the Port blob continues.  I am on the third of four repeats of the last chart before starting the border.  The rows at this point have 576 stitches so they take awhile.  I am excited about finishing this shawl and casting on another Pi Shawl because I am really enjoying knitting this one.

For some reason, I thought I needed to crochet something this morning.  I dug out some kitchen cotton and crocheted this dishcloth up.  I am not sure what the pattern is, it was something one of the ladies at knitting was told me about last week.  The dishcloth only took me about 90 minutes.

Is That a Pair of Finished Socks????

I finally finished one of the three pairs of socks that I cast on back in June.

Horcrux Socks
Yarn Colinette Jitterbug in Mardi Gras
Needles Knit Picks Options size 1.5
Started June 19, 2010
Finished August 19, 2010

This is my active sock project that was started at the same time as the finished pair.  I am sitting on the deck and  working on it this morning while Little Buddy is outside playing.  The yarn is Fleece Artist Cosmic Dawn.  I am using the Stansfield 196 pattern from More Sensational Knitted Socks.

A Mess

That is what this shawl looks like right now.  I am on the 576 stitch rounds now.  I am done with the first of four repeats and then I just have the border.  I am really liking this project and I am already thinking about knitting a Girasole or a Shipwreck (ravelry links).

I also started this hat.  I am calling this project on my Ravelry page Hat I Wish I Didn't Have to Knit.  I am knitting a Shedir for my friend who was diagnosed with breast cancer last week.  She has to have four months of chemotherapy and then surgery.  She could use lots of extra prayers right now.  I am knitting this out of Rowan Cashsoft.  I want to make her one more hat before I mail these off if anyone has another great pattern I would love to know.

Anniversary Pi Shawl

Earlier this week was EZ's 100th birthday.  My friend AmandaCathleen (Ravelry ID) decided she was going to knit one of the Anniversary Shawls.  I decided to join in so we are doing a little KAL between  the two of us.  I can't remember which one she chose to do but I am doing the Camping version.  I frogged the Shetland Tea Shawl that I started over a year and a half ago and I am using that yarn.  It is Knit Picks Gloss Lace in Port which I think is no longer available.  I am using a size 5 needle.  I started this on her birthday but had to rip it out the next morning after I made some mistake that I couldn't seem to fix.  I have to admit I am not found of casting on circular shawls but I love how you just get to knit knit knit and not a lot of purling.  If I finish this without too much trouble and it I may try to knit one or both of the others.

Trucks and Trees

Just don't mix.

The night after the moving truck came and got all of our belongings we had a storm.  The tree fought the storm and the storm won.  I am sad that the tree fell.  This is the tree where we raked up leaves every fall and the kids played in them.  The tree that kept the swing set shaded and the one that we sat under and watched the kids play.

I didn't realize just how big that tree was.  The top of the tree reached all the way over to the other side of our breezeway.

The men in our neighborhood were amazing.  There were about six guys with chainsaws helping to get it moved so we could get out of the garage so we could leave for our move.  It only took them about 45 minutes to get it all cleared away.  I think the neighbors that we had are going to be one of the things I will miss the most about Minnesota.

The truck is totaled and I am thankful that no one was hurt when it fell.

Now Posting from Wamego, KS

Wow, what a couple of weeks it has been.  We have moved from Minnesota back to Kansas due to the husband being relocated.   I will save all that excitement for a later post.

On a knitting front (since technically this is a knitting blog), I do have a little to show.

First, I have an LYS that is not 40 minutes away!!!!!  It is right here in the town that we moved and it carries spinning fiber.  I am so excited.  

This is the bump of Merino/Silk blend that I picked up when I went to check out the store after a day of unpacking boxes.  

This is my current spinning project.  I am still working on the Chocolate Cherry Frabjous Fibers BFL  I have about three more feet of roving to spin.  I am going to do a two ply and hopefully make a Clapotis with it for winter.

Since most of the boxes are unpacked, I have found a little bit of knitting time.  I had started this before we moved but I made a mistake so I ripped it and started it over a couple of days ago.  It is the Traveling Woman and I am using some of my handspun that I had in my stash.  I am going to increase the repeats to 13 instead of 11 since I still have 81 grams of yarn.  I will probably do two repeats of chart A and one of chart B like the pattern calls for unless I have still have quite a bit of yarn after the first two repeats of chart A.

Shetland Triangle

I love how blocking a shawl makes it look so awesome.
I finished the Shetland Triangle earlier this week.  This is #4 for the 10 in 2010 Shawl KAL.

I used some handspun Tussah silk.  I think it looks really shiny.

Pattern: Shetland Triangle by Evelyn Clark
Started: June 29, 2010
Finished: July 5, 2010
Needles: Knit Picks Harmony Size 6
Yarn: Handspun Castle Fibers Tussah Silk Batts 270 yards.

A New Project and a Tiny Bit of Spinning

Since I finished the Seas Shawl,  I needed to start the fourth shawl for my 10 in 2010.  I am knitting the Shetland Triangle.  I have a few yards short of 300 so it won't be very big, but it will qualify for one of the smaller shawls.  I am knitting in out of my handspun Tussah Silk that I recently spun.

I haven't been doing much spinning this month.  I had grand plans to get through a couple of bumps of my stash but alas that didn't happen.  I am currently spinning up some BFL from Frabjous Fibers.  It is the Chocolate Cherry colorway.  I was a little disappointed when I went to weigh it and it was quite a bit under the 8 ounces that it said it was supposed to be.  I am hoping to knit a Clapotis from it.  I am even considering just knitting it as a single.

Is that an FO????

I have finished my third shawl of my 10 in 2010 shawl Knitalong.  

Pattern Sea Shawl

Yarn Handspun Sea Dream from Gale's Art

Needle Size 7 Knit Picks Options

Started April 23, 2010

Finished June 25, 2010

I had one of my favorite models try it on to show off the stitch pattern.  I think it turned out pretty good.  I think my model would take it if I let her.

Summer of Socks???

I seem to be on a bit of a sock knitting binge lately.  My last three finished projects have been socks.  This is a pair of plain vanilla socks made from Nashua Best Foot Forward in the Berry Cobbler color way.  I used size 0 Hiya Hiya DPN's.  Started June 1, 2010 Finished June 16, 2010.

This is the pair I cast on last night, the marker is where I started this morning.  This is Colinette Jitterbug in Mardi Gras.  The blue isn't quite right it have more purple and greens mixed in with it.  I am using two Knit Picks Options circulars in size 1.5 and the pattern is Stansfield 196 from More Sensational Knitted Socks.  I was afraid that the pattern would get lost in the funky yarn but I can see it pretty good so I will continue on.

I am thinking this handspun will be my next pair.  It is Gale's Art BFL swirl in the Grace limited edition colorway.  I really enjoyed spinning this and I am excited to see how it knits up.

Does the Title of the Blog Say "Stitches"?

It has been a very very long time since I have been motivated to do any cross stitching.  Before I became obsessed with knitting, I was obsessed with counted cross stitch.  I was reading a friends blog where she was posting her current cross stitch project so I went and dug one out of my stash.

I started working on this last night.  I remember why I haven't stitched in a while.  It takes a long time to get a finished object.  I am still wanting to work on it so I guess that is a good thing.  This is about two hours worth of work.  I did have to rip out the the star once because I miss counted.  I am planning to post a cross stitch update periodically so I can see the progress I am making.

I have spinning and knitting to show off in the upcoming posts.  So fret not that I am turning this into a cross stitching blog.

Silky Goodness with a Side of Sock and Shawl

I have been spinning some Tussah silk from Castle Fibers that I got at my LYS.  I have found that I really like spinning it.  I will admit that it intimidated me a little but it was not as difficult as I thought.  I have two ounces and I can't wait to see how many yards I will get from it.  This is about a half an ounce.

I started this sock this week and I am just not sure if I like it or not.  I think I will knit a little further and decide then.  

I have been working on the Seas Shawl.  I won't be able to finish it before the end of the month to get it in the drawing for the 10 Shawls in 2010.  So far it looks pretty good.

Coriolis.....

or why I think Cat Bordhi is a genius?  Those were the choices for the title of this post.  Once again, I have knit a pair of socks using the New Pathways for Sock Knitters.  I knit these socks toe up using the Coriolis master pattern.  I also discovered that I enjoy toe up socks when you have the "toe" that you really like.  I used the Pontoon toe and it was very easy for me to accomplish.  I also was able to do a "heel flap" heel.
Some of the pluses for doing toe ups for me was not having to sew the toe together at the end (which I really don't mind but I don't always like the points on the ends of my toes), no picking up the gusset stitches (I pretty much always mess this up and have to do it over at least once),  and that it was easier to try it on as I was working on them.  I think I will be knitting more toe up socks and trying other pathways in the book.  I would like to try knitting a pair for someone else using their numbers.

Summer Melons Coriolis Socks
Started May 11, 2010
Finished May 17, 2010
Needles KnitPicks Options DPN's size 3's
Yarn 220 yards of 3 ply handspun from a Gale's Art Corridale Sibling in the Summer Melons colorway.

Little Buddy Saves Socky Saturday

There has been very little sock knitting around here this year.  It hasn't been for lack of trying just a lot of "when knitting attacks".  I have finally finished my first pair of socks of the year.  I finished these last Sunday during my very quiet Mother's Day (since DH had to work).  


Pattern: Charade
Yarn: Misti Alpaca Handpainted Sock Yarn
Needles: Harmony DPN's size 0
Started: April 4, 2010
Finished: May 9, 2010

Here is my current sock project.  I started these on May 11, 2010.  I finished the bind off on the first sock this morning and I am almost up to the increases for the gusset on the second one.  It is amazing how fast socks work up on 46 stitches.  I might actually finish a pair in less than a week.

When I was outside taking the picture for my current sock project my needle fell under the porch.  I didn't really like the idea of having to wiggle under there to get the needle out.

Luckily, I have a Little Buddy who was more than happy to wiggle under there to get it for me.  Thank Little Buddy, Mommy really appreciates it.

Aaaahhhh Handspun

I have been listening to old episodes of Stitch It from when Meghan went to SOAR in 2008.  She was kind enough to pass on the knowledge that she learned in class to her listeners.




I learned how important predrafting was by listening to the episodes.  By predrafting I was able to spin the singles much more consistently.

I think this is one of the most "balanced" yarns I have spun to date.  There are very few spots of thick and thin in this hank.  I have 220 yards of a sport to heavy fingering weight here.  I think I might have enough for a pair of socks since I can get a pair of socks out of one hank of sport weight usually.

I needed a new shawl project for 10 Shawls in 2010, so I cast on the Seas Shawl out of my Sea Dream handspun.    Hoping to finish before the end of the month.

A Red Phase???

I started the Sock Knitters Anonymous May June Mystery Sock yesterday.  This pattern was designed by Cookie A.  I really like her designs even though I have only knit Monkeys so far.  I am using some Happy Feet yarn from my stash.  I have the first sock cuff done.  I am not sure if I will wait and cast on the second sock after the clues are all out or go ahead and knit the second sock up to the end of the first clue.

I have a tendency (if I really like the teacher) to knit something for them before the end of the year.  So far I have knit for all of them up to this point.  I had a hard time thinking of something to knit for Punkin's teacher.  She has very narrow feet and I thought socks might not fit very well unless I could try them on her.  She isn't really a "scarf" or "shawl" kind of person either.  My neighbor who lives across the street from the school thought mitten might be good.  These are the Pop Top Mitts that I knit for her.  They will go live with her tomorrow.

The Transformation of Purple Spaghetti

Doesn't that title sound like some wonderful piece of literature that every high school student (Teen) should read before they go off to college???

After many a moon of working with the incredibly long piece of purple spaghetti, I have bid goodbye to it.  It was a wonderful relationship and I shawl miss it dearly. (Pardon the really bad pun)




The purple spaghetti became a beautiful five course meal.  I am so glad that it reached it's full potential.

North Roe Shawl
Started January 4, 2010
Finished April 19, 2010
Needles US 6 Knitpicks Harmony circular
655 yards of Cascade Alpaca Lace in Thistle

Have I Created a Monster????

Punkinbug decided on Sunday that she wanted to learn to knit. I let her knit a little on a scarf that I was knitting for my sister.  The next morning she wanted me to dig out the yarn and needles that I bought for her a while back.  Yesterday while the agent was showing our house, the hubby took the kids to dinner.  Punkinbug took her knitting.

In the previous post, I showed my experiment spinning.
This is the end of my experiment.  It is around 266 yards of merino/bamboo/silk.  I think it turned out AWESOME.   I am so excited to find something to knit with it.  I think maybe a cowl or a skinny scarf of some sort.