rabid knitter

Very belated New Year's post

2008-01-31T16:00:00.000-05:00

One of my New Year's resolutions (okay, my only New Year's resolution) this year was not to beat myself up about not getting things done because I'm spending so much time with the baby. I'm not doing so well with this goal unfortunately. I am spending tons of time with the baby, and that is a wonderful thing. I know that I won't ever regret all the time I spent with the baby, but still I get stressed out about the things I'm not doing, like for instance knitting and blogging.

Months ago, I knit a single Knuck, and kept copious notes about it so I could knit an identical matching Knuck. Alas, before I got to Knuck #2, I lost the index card on which I wrote the notes. So that project is on hold, and in the meantime I haven't managed to cast on for much else. I still have a backlog of projects and other things to write about, and someday I will hopefully get to it all.

I also need to just do things and worry less about perfection (which I never achieve anyway of course). Like I should be able to write a quick blog entry and just publish it instead of letting it stew for days or weeks and agonizing over every word and rewriting it several times. It's just a blog, after all! And knitting is just knitting! (Or so I hear anyway...)

Gifts from Aunt Emma

2007-12-20T18:37:00.000-05:00

Baby Helen received some amazing handmade gifts, before she was even born!

Emma crocheted not one, but two incredible afghans which now adorn the nursery. This beautiful hexagonal one she gave us a while back and we knew someday it would be well loved by our future child.

This super-soft Emma original was a fabulous shower gift. (Emma also hosted the surprise shower!)

Emma's afghans look so gorgeous in the nursery!

And then she knitted her a dress! Here is baby H modeling it (at 17 days old) while cuddling with the knitter herself:

The dress has silver lizard buttons!

(That's me holding her in that one.)

Baby H is so fortunate to have such a talented, generous, and loving Aunt Emma!!!

Rhinebeck 2007

2007-12-10T15:42:00.000-05:00

I wasn't sure I'd be able to make it to Rhinebeck this year, seeing as how I had a not-quite-6-week-old baby (this was way back on Oct. 20), but we went and it was a great time! Emma came up for the weekend, and the 4 of us packed into our trusty station wagon and drove up Route 9. Rhinebeck is much closer to where we live now than when we lived in Brooklyn. We didn't get there at the crack of dawn -- it was more like 10am -- but we lucked out and got an awesome parking spot. The day was warm and sunny, full of gorgeous yarn, adorable fiber animals, and decadent food.

Emma and I are overwhelmed by all the pretty yarn...

Baby Helen loves wool; she just doesn't know it yet.

The ever patient husband

Baby Helen hides from the obsessive knitters in her pumpkin hat.

This is pumpkin hat #2. It's a tad big, which is fine because it rolls up (in theory at least) and it will probably still fit her next autumn! (Pumpkin hat #1 I sent to Helen's cousin who was born in August, but ended up fitting the 3-year-old big sister instead! Not sure if it's my own gauge issues, or if the sizing in Itty Bitty Hats is a bit off.)

In the above picture, you can also kind of see the beautiful dress that Emma knit! I have better pictures of the dress, which I will post at a later date.

And here Emma and I are enjoying some of the aforementioned decadent food:

Here are some of my Rhinebeck purchases, which were pretty under control this year:

Two skeins of Brooks Farm Solana, which I'm thinking may become an Elizabeth Zimmerman Baby Surprise Sweater...

One skein of Spirit Trail Fiberworks Superwash Merino, which may be destined to become a baby hat...

Some cute buttons which would look lovely on a baby cardigan...(Getting a bit repetitive here, now that I think of it...)

And a beautiful wooden swift! (Ball winder too, but it's not as photogenic.)

And that's pretty much it, aside from a bottle of lavender Eucalan, which I didn't bother photographing.

Baby Helen's first sweater

2007-12-08T15:17:00.000-05:00

Baby Helen's first sweater
Started: July 8, 2007
Finished: November, 2007 (actually I finished the knitting over the summer but finally finished the finishing in November, once I was able to try it on the baby and be sure it would fit)
Pattern: "One Piece, one button, child's seamless pullover," by Nina Shishkoff -- purchased at Knittingsmith
Modifications: Shortened the neck ribbing, put the stripes on both sleeves, made several other changes to make it fit a 20" chest, smaller than the smallest size offered in the pattern (but I didn't take very good notes)
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted, in Sunshine (less than 1 skein) and Blackberry (leftovers)
Needles: US 5 Denises, US 5 dpns

Gotta start somewhere...

2007-12-03T08:49:00.000-05:00

I've been gone way too long. I've got a lot to blog about, so much in fact, that I'm not sure where to start! Which is probably why I've put it off so long. So finally I've decided to just dive in.

Baby Helen Rose was born on September 10, 2007. 6 lbs., 8 oz. at birth, much bigger now! She is an absolute joy, and I love every moment I spend with her (which is a lot of moments). She keeps me very busy, another reason why I've been such a bad blogger.

Also in the past few months: I went to Rhinebeck; joined Ravelry; knitted another pair and a half of Knucks, several baby hats, tiny baby mitts, and a baby sweater; and bought a fair amount of yarn. More details and pictures to come.

Itty-bitty hats

2007-07-19T20:11:00.000-04:00

My brother very kindly gave me the Itty-Bitty Hats book as a baby shower gift, and it really sparked the knitting resurgence I have been experiencing.

I started with the upside-down daisy hat, which I gave to the other couple in our childbirth education class. They were scheduled to have their baby Tuesday morning. I haven't heard from them yet, but I'm hoping everything went well! The hat came out really tiny. I meant to make the 0-6 month size but accidentally ended up making the "newborn" size -- silly me, thinking 0-6 months would be the smallest size! I'm hoping it will fit the baby for the first few weeks at least. I knitted the petals and did most of the finishing in the waiting room at my midwives' practice during my 3-hour gestational diabetes test, and it was a great distraction from the fasting and blood drawing. (It really wasn't that bad, and happily I passed the test!)

I used Cleckheaton Country 8-ply for most of the hat. It's a relatively inexpensive superwash wool from Australia. Not the softest yarn I've ever worked with, but it softens up quite a bit after washing. The petals are made of a velvety superwash merino also from Australia, called "Extra." For the stem I used leftover Tess' Designer Yarns Superwash Merino from Courtney's placket sweater. It reminded me how much I loved working with that yarn. It's so soft and shiny and I love the subtle color variations that result from the kettle-dyeing. And it comes in such generous skeins! I haven't seen it anywhere but Brooklyn General, and now that I don't live in Brooklyn anymore, I'm not sure when I'll get back over there. The Tess folks won't be at Rhinebeck either, sadly. I asked the owner of my new LYS if she ever carries Tess yarns...apparently she used to, but "they make it difficult to do business with them." Not sure what that means exactly. They have a web site, but it's not a web store, and it doesn't have pictures of every colorway. At some point I may call them up and try to describe some colors I'm interested in and see what happens.

Upside-down daisy hat
Started: June 23, 2007
Finished: June 25, 2007
Pattern: From Itty-Bitty Hats
Yarn: Cleckheaton Country 8-ply (purple, yellow), Extra 100% Australian Merino (white), Tess' Designer Yarns Superwash Merino (green)
Needles: US 6 dpns

I also made this pumpkin hat, recipient to be determined. This one actually is the 0-6 month size, and it's considerably larger. The leaf really wants to curl, but otherwise it's pretty cute.

Little pumpkin hat
Started: June 25, 2007
Finished: June 28, 2007
Pattern: From Itty-Bitty Hats
Yarn: Cleckheaton Country 8-ply (orange, brown), Tess' Designer Yarns Superwash Merino (green)
Needles: US 6 Denises, US 6 dpns

High-top booties

2007-07-17T19:09:00.000-04:00

This pair of booties I started towards the end of my first trimester. While knitting the first bootie I had a little scare with the pregnancy and got superstitious and stopped, then lost my knitting momentum for a few months. These past few weeks I've been trying to make up for lost time. I finally finished the booties, knitted several little hats (not all for my baby), and there are a couple of baby sweaters in the works.

Not sure what to say about these booties. They came out mismatched (likely due to the time that elapsed between bootie #1 and bootie #2) and the pattern may be a little wonky on the eyelet round (it could just be me, though the same thing happened for both booties). But they're done, and time will tell if they are wearable by an actual baby.

John bought us a digital SLR on our one-year wedding anniversary, and this is the first picture I'll be posting that was taken with that camera (photo credit: John).

High-top baby booties
Started: Feb. 24, 2007
Finished: June, 2007
Pattern: From Knitting To Go
Yarn: RYC CashSoft Aran in Haze
Needles: US 8 dpns

Poor neglected knitting blog

2007-04-27T18:50:00.000-04:00

I haven't been updating the blog because I have no real knitting news to report. However I have been plenty busy with other things...

We bought a house and moved upstate and we are expecting a baby in September! I have started knitting baby things but haven't had the time or concentration to finish anything yet. Hopefully that will soon change and I'll have something to post about!

Dad's hat

2007-03-04T18:27:00.000-05:00

It seemed wrong that I hadn't knitted anything for my dad so far, and I was thinking he might wear a hand-knit hat. I found this donegal cashmere at School Products which seemed perfect for him. A few weeks ago I had some gals over for an afternoon of knitting, and I knitted up this hat. The yarn was delightful to work with. At first I tried using size 11 needles, but the fabric was coming out too loose, so I went all the way down to 8's (because I happen to have Addi Turbos in that size). I totally winged it -- didn't bother swatching, just guessed how many stitches to cast on, and how long to knit before starting the decrease rounds. I was a little worried it would be too small, but after washing, it got much bigger (and softer). This was my first time blocking cashmere, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but now I know! Dad says the hat is very warm and comfortable.

Dad's hat
Started: Feb. 3, 2007
Finished: Feb. 3, 2007
Pattern: None
Yarn: Donegal Cashmere from School Products (50 gr., 95 yds., color 10096), 1 skein
Needles: US 8 Addi Turbos

Shedir

2007-02-22T07:37:00.000-05:00

Meet Shedir, the first project I've knitted for charity. I donated it to Support Connection, an organization that provides support services to women with breast and ovarian cancer. My mom has been volunteering there for about 12 years, and they do really amazing work.

I'm pleased with this hat, though maybe it is a bit big. When I tried it on, I had to roll up the brim so it doesn't cover my eyes. But I have a small head. It also used up more yarn than the pattern suggested. My gauge must have been a little off. (I didn't swatch!) The cables probably could have been a little neater, though blocking helped even things out. The Rowan Calmer took a little getting used to since it is so stretchy. (Swatching beforehand could have gotten me used to it!) Towards the end, the pattern involves some p2tog tbl maneuvers, and I had a lot of trouble with those, but I got through it. Shedir is a very beautiful, clever pattern, and I'm happy with how the hat came out, but I probably won't be racing to make another one of these anytime soon. I intend to make more chemo caps for Support Connection, but I'll try different patterns.

Shedir
Started: Dec. 31, 2006
Finished: Jan. 21, 2007
Pattern: Shedir from Knitty's breast cancer awareness special issue
Yarn: Rowan Calmer, 2 skeins (used very little of the second skein), shade #478, "Joy"
Needles: US 3 bamboo circ, US 3 dpns

Knucks for me

2007-01-15T08:49:00.000-05:00

John and I now have matching pairs of Knucks (although mine doesn't say LOVE and HATE).

Here's an almost-done in-progress shot:

Originally I tried the textured cuff suggested in the pattern, but I didn't like the way it came out, and it wasn't stretchy at all. (I did it in the car at night so it's possible I just messed it up.) I ripped out the cuff and re-knitted it in K2P2 ribbing. So much better!

They fit me better than any gloves have ever fit me. I love having my fingers free to operate my iPod or fish my Metrocard out of my pocket. My hands are still surprisingly warm due to the alpaca, especially with the unseasonably warm weather we've been having.

I learned a few lessons from John's Knucks that I was able to apply to mine. The pattern says "less is more" when it comes to stitching up the holes between the fingers. I followed that advice on John's, but the holes next to the thumbs opened up after some time and I had to mend them. On mine, I was extra careful in closing up the holes. So far, so good.

I also made the fingers much tighter on mine, since the alpaca has a tendency to stretch out, and John's Knucks are no longer snug on his fingers. Making the fingers tighter may have also helped prevent curling. Only one thumb on mine is starting to curl. I haven't tried blocking them yet -- maybe that could also help keep the curling in check.

The cuffs on John's Knucks ended up being too short to go under his coat sleeves. I made my cuffs just under 2" long, which is proving to be a perfect length.

Knucks for me
Started: Oct. 24, 2006
Finished: Dec. 30, 2006
Pattern: Knucks from Knitty
Yarn: Frog Tree Alpaca Sport, color #0010, 1 skein (130 yds.)
Needles: US 2 dpns

Irish Hiking Wrist Warmers pattern

2007-01-11T20:41:00.000-05:00

This is the first pattern I'm posting. I did my best to write it up accurately and clearly based on my notes, but I can't promise it's error-free. Please leave a comment if you have any questions, suggestions, corrections, etc.

These wrist warmers should fit most people, as the cables and ribs make them both clingy and stretchy. You can try them on as you go, and make them as long or as short as you want.

This pattern was inspired by the Irish Hiking Scarf pattern from Hello Yarn, and by the Uneven Cable pattern from Barbara Walker's Treasury of Knitting Patterns.

MATERIALS
- Less than 166 yards of worsted weight yarn (I used Bernat Satin)
- 5 double-pointed needles, size 8 US
- Cable needle

GAUGE
In stockinette, 18 sts and 25 rows = 4"

ABBREVIATIONS
C6B = Slip 2 sts onto a cable needle and hold to back of work. K4, then K the 2 sts off cable needle.
M1K = Make one knit stitch using the increase of your choice (I used lifted increases: first right-slant, then left-slant)
M1P = Make one purl stitch using the increase of your choice (I used lifted increases: first right-slant, then left-slant)

DIRECTIONS
Cast on 36 stitches and join for knitting in the round, being careful not to twist. Place marker at beginning of round.

Stitch Pattern:
Rounds 1, 2, 4, 5, 6: * K2, P2, K6, P2, repeat from * to end of round
Round 3: * K2, P2, C6B, P2, repeat from * to end of round

Repeat these 6 rounds, continuing in pattern until the wrist warmer is about 3 1/2" from the cast-on (or where ever you want the thumb gusset to start).

On the next round: slip marker, M1K, K2, M1K, pM, then complete the round in pattern.

Knit a round even in pattern. (Starting with K4 now that there are 2 extra stitches)
Continue in pattern, increasing by M1P after the first marker and M1P before the second marker. (These added stitches will be purled in future rounds.)

Repeat these last 2 rounds. There should now be 42 stitches.

Continue in pattern until wrist warmer is 5 1/2" (or desired length) from cast-on.

Bind off the 8 stitches between the markers, remove the second marker, and complete the round in pattern.
At the beginning of the next round, slip marker, cast on 2 stitches using the backward loop cast on, and complete the round in pattern. (These new stitches will be knitted in future rounds.)

Continue in pattern until wrist warmer is 7 1/2" long, or desired length.
Bind off loosely in pattern.

Make another wrist warmer just like this one!

Happy 2007!

2007-01-02T21:45:00.000-05:00

All in all, 2006 was a good year for me, full of knitting firsts. Here are some of the highlights:

- First lace project
- First fair isle
- First pair of socks
- First 3 sweaters
- First baby booties
- First baby blanket
- First wrist warmers and fingerless gloves
- First beaded project
- First attempts to modify and improvise patterns
- First trip to Rhinebeck

I don't have any specific knitting goals for 2007, but I would like to try and keep my stash under control and get braver about modifying patterns and making up my own.

Knitting for the kitchen

2007-01-02T21:43:00.000-05:00

Here's what I did on the ride back from Pittsburgh:

It's the ballband dishcloth from Mason-Dixon Knitting!

It was a fun pattern to knit, even though cotton isn't my favorite fiber to work with. We've already started using it to wash dishes, and it works very well for certain things. I'm used to sponges, so I ended up spritzing myself with dishwater a few times as the cloth flopped around in my hand. Bits of food get caught in it easily. But it's very absorbent and can cover a large surface area at once. And it's pretty!

Ballband Dishcloth
Started: Dec. 27
Finished: Dec. 27
Pattern: From Mason-Dixon Knitting
Yarn: Sugar 'n Cream, 1 skein Bright Navy, 1 skein Midnight Magic
Needles: US 7 Denises

Gimli on steroids

2007-01-02T21:40:00.000-05:00

I finally added a lining to my Gimli hat, something I had been meaning to do since last winter. I used the Morehouse Farm Merino I bought at Brooklyn General.

Here's what I did:

Lining the earflaps
I picked up 25 stitches along the earflap seam and repeated the following two rows:
1) ssk, knit to last 2 stitches, k2tog
2) sl 1, purl to last stitch, sl 1
...until there were only 2 stitches left, which I knitted together. I sewed down the other 2 sides of the triangle to the earflap, and repeated for the other side.

Lining the rest of the hat
I picked up 110 stitches along the inside edge, joined, knitted until the lining was about 2.5 inches long, then began the decrease rounds because I had too many stitches on there. I placed markers every 10 stitches and knitted together the 2 stitches before each stitch marker. I repeated this decrease round every third round (maybe 5 times) and finally every other round, until I had 10 stitches left. I cut the yarn and pulled it through the 10 stitches and weaved in the end.

I didn't swatch or do any math, and it definitely was not a scientific process, but I'm pleased with how it turned out. Basically there is a second hat inside the original hat. And it is super warm and very soft inside! And the hat is ridiculously thick! If it sort of resembled armor before, now it practically is!

It hasn't been cold enough yet to really try it out. In fact, I'm not sure it will get cold enough in NYC this winter! But if we do get a blizzard this year, I'm prepared.

Gimli Lining
Started: Dec. 24
Finished: Dec. 26
Pattern: None
Yarn: Morehouse Farm Merino worsted, 1 skein
Needles: US 8 Denises and dpns, I think...

Self-indulgence

2007-01-02T21:30:00.000-05:00

I generally refrain from buying things for myself before the holidays, but immediately afterwards I tend to go on a bit of a shopping spree.

This snail-like contraption is a needle threader. Until now, I've been using the kind of needle threader that has a wire loop. Those work very well with sewing needles and thread, but they are pretty delicate and have a tendency to break when used with thick yarn. I suspected there must be a device better tailored to threading yarn, and the other day when I was in Daytona Trimmings, I happened upon this cute little item. Unfortunately it has some rough edges from when the metal was stamped out, but it works pretty well and I'm not afraid it's going to break.

One of the Christmas gifts we bought for a friend this year was from the Bust Boobtique, and in order to, um, make the shipping cost worthwhile, I ordered a copy of Stitch 'n' Bitch Nation for myself. I had taken it out of the library a while back, copied a few pages, and made the Fairly Easy Fair Isle cardigan from it. The book contains many good patterns and lots of useful information about modifying patterns, adding waist shaping, etc., so I wanted a copy of my own.

The gizmo above is an "ear light." I have to thank Christine from the Pointy Sticks podcast for sharing her three favorite knitting things: her ear light, highlighter tape, and dpn protectors! Shortly after hearing that podcast, I went to the Discovery Store at Grand Central and picked up an ear light. It enabled me to knit Courtney's tassel hat in the car the night we drove to Pittsburgh. I found it to be more comfortable than my head lamp which I have used for the same purpose.

I also ordered a pair of handmade dpn stitch protectors from Three Owls Knitting on Etsy! She has instructions on her blog on how to make them, but I really like the ones she's selling, and they're reasonably priced. This was my first Etsy purchase!

Tracking down highlighter tape was a little tricky. Staples didn't have it, and I thought Christine said it was made by 3M, but I couldn't find it on their web site. Eventually I found highlightertape.com (they also have an eBay store) and ordered the one-line (1/6") tape. This should be very helpful with knitting charts. I'm currently knitting Shedir and wishing I already had my highlighter tape!

Also for Shedir, I picked up a US 3 circular needle (my first bamboo circ) and dpns (by KA, a brand I haven't tried before).

And...I bought more yarn! I ordered a couple skeins from Lisa Souza. One is a skein of superwash sport merino in the "Violet's Pink Ribbon" colorway. The proceeds from that yarn will go towards medical bills for Violet from the Lime and Violet podcast, who recently found a lump in her breast. The yarn is pink, which isn't a favorite color of mine, but I'll probably use it to make something for a baby. It was a great excuse to try out Lisa's handpainted yarn, about which I've heard wonderful things. While I was at it, I also purchased a skein of merino sock yarn in the "Earth Birth" colorway.

Odessa II

2007-01-02T21:15:00.000-05:00

John got his hat in time for Christmas!

John's Odessa
Started: Dec. 23
Finished: Dec. 24
Pattern: Odessa by Grumperina (sans beads)
Yarn: RYC CashSoft DK, 1 skein
Needles: US 4 plastic circ, US 6 Addi Turbos, US 6 dpns

Cute as a button

2007-01-01T21:31:00.000-05:00

On the way to Pittsburgh I knitted a hat to match Courtney's placket sweater. I casted on 80 stitches, joined for knitting in the round, did k2p2 ribbing for about an inch, then placed markers every 20 stitches and alternated stockinette for 20 stitches, then seed stitch for 20 stitches, etc. I continued this until the hat was about 6 inches long, and then I bound off. I turned the hat inside out, laid it flat so that the seed stitch was in the middle and the stockinette was on the edges, and backstitched the top together. Then I made 2 tassels and attached them at the corners. Very simple, but it turned out pretty cute!

The sweater fits better than I could have hoped -- the sleeves and body are the right length, and there's a bit of growing room. She seemed to enjoy wearing both the hat and the sweater, to the extent that she repeatedly put them on herself throughout our visit!

Courtney's tassel hat
Started: Dec. 22
Finished: Dec. 24
Pattern: Inspired by "Fat Hats" pattern in Hip to Knit, also page 111 in Knitting Rules! (Scarf Rescue Hat section)
Yarn: Tess' Designer Yarns Superwash Merino, leftovers from placket sweater (with still more remaining)
Needles: US 8 Addi Turbos

Knitting-related gifts!

2007-01-01T19:27:00.000-05:00

I was very lucky this holiday season to receive 5 gifts overflowing with knitting wisdom!

Amy and Derek gave me the fabulous 'Knitting to go' patterns, by Kris Percival, which come on individual cards for extra portability. There are some great patterns in there, lots of classic designs plus ideas on improvising. I especially love the men's V-neck sweater and the soft baby blocks.

Mom and Dad gave me the 'Stitch 'n' Bitch Knitter's Calendar,' by Debbie Stoller. I'm very strict with myself about page-a-day calendars (no peeking ahead!), so this morning I woke up eager to open it up and look at the first page. Mondays are "Fave Fiber" writeups, and I learned about a yarn I hadn't heard of before. I'm looking forward to Tuesday tips, Wednesday Web Sightings, Knitting History on Thursdays, and Grab-and-Go Patterns on Fridays!

Elizabeth Zimmerman's 'Knitting Workshop' is also from Mom and Dad. I'm about halfway through it, and I'm learning a lot about sweater construction. I can't wait to try out some of the techniques! EDITED TO ADD: In this book, Elizabeth Zimmerman describes how to add short row shaping to the neck of a sweater in the back to make it fit better. This would have been a big improvement to John's zip raglan cardigan! His main complaint about that sweater is that the collar is too short in the back and won't turn down. Now I'll know for the next sweater!

Andrew gave me Barbara Walker's 'Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns,' which is even thicker than the First! It contains pages and pages of cable, lace, and color patterns that I'm itching to try out.

Rounding out my library of knitting essentials is 'Knitting From the Top,' also by Barbara Walker (another gift from Mom and Dad). I've started flipping through and it looks amazing. This book, along with the EZ books, should help me go farther in deviating from patterns.

Thanks Amy, Derek, Mom, Dad, and Andrew, for these fantastic additions to my knitting library!

A most amazing scarf

2006-12-31T14:22:00.000-05:00

This is the scarf that Emily made. Isn't it beautiful?!? She alternated 2 rows of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted with 2 rows of ~~Inca Alpaca~~ some Jo Sharp yarn (I think), and the effect is breathtaking! I love the way the colors dance with each other for the length of the scarf. The different textures and weights of the two yarns make it even more appealing, both visually and tactilely. And it's so soft and warm! Thank you so much, Emma!

Emily's Odessa

2006-12-21T10:14:00.000-05:00

Last night John and I exchanged holiday gifts with our dear friends Emily and Chris. They bestowed upon us a most amazing scarf. This is a scarf I had been admiring and petting while Emily was still working on it, before it had a designated recipient. How did she know it was just what I wanted? John and I have both worn it already (not at the same time) and it's around my neck as I type this. Pictures are forthcoming.

We gave Emily this Odessa hat:

I loved knitting this pattern! I didn't make any modifications. It took 121 beads and one skein of RYC CashSoft DK with just a few yards left over. Before I gave it to Emily, John agreed to model it for me:

After trying it on, John wants a hat that fits the same way, maybe even this same pattern but without the beads. I'd love to knit this again, so he'll probably get his wish!

I hope Emily enjoys wearing this hat as much as I enjoyed making it!

Emily's Odessa
Started: Dec. 15
Finished: Dec. 17
Pattern: Odessa by Grumperina
Yarn: RYC CashSoft DK, 1 skein
Needles: US 4 plastic circ, US 6 Addi Turbos, US 6 dpns

Irish hiking gifts

2006-12-16T18:01:00.000-05:00

This Irish hiking scarf and matching wrist warmers are for my mother-in-law. The only modification I made to the Hello Yarn Irish hiking scarf pattern was to use "uneven cables" which I found in Barbara Walker's Treasury of Knitting Patterns. Instead of putting 3 stitches on a cable needle and knitting the next 3 before knitting the 3 from the cable needle, you put 2 stitches on the cable needle and knit the next 4. I like the way these cables turn out, and they're a bit easier to do. I went with a 6-row repeat, as opposed to the 8-row cables in the Hello Yarn pattern.

The finished scarf is about 60" long. The ends don't fan out much because I did the first cable row on row 3 (the Hello Yarn pattern has you do it at row 8). Likewise I ended the scarf 2 rows after the last cable row.

I improvised a matching wrist warmer pattern, after a botched attempt at modifying the wrist warmer pattern from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. The wrist warmers I made are 36 stitches around (3 repeats of the 12-stitch cable pattern). I started at the arm, and after 22 rounds began increasing for the thumb gusset. I increased 2 stitches every other round until there were 42 stitches. In round 35 I bound off 8 stitches at the thumb, and in round 36 I cast on 2 stitches to complete the circle. After another 10 rounds, I bound off.

1/15/07 EDITED TO ADD: I have posted the complete pattern.

Irish hiking scarf
Started: Nov. 1(?)
Finished: Nov. 30(?)
Pattern: From Hello Yarn
Yarn: Bernat Satin, Sterling, 3 skeins (used very little of the 3rd skein)
Needles: US 8 Addi Turbos

Irish hiking wrist warmers
Started: Dec. 1(?)
Finished: Dec. 9
Pattern: My own
Yarn: Bernat Satin, less than 1 skein
Needles: US 8 dpns

FO: Courtney's placket sweater

2006-11-24T14:43:00.000-05:00

This is my first completed hand-knitted holiday gift of the season. Yikes! I'm probably going to have to set my holiday knitting goals a little lower in order to preserve my sanity.

Modifications:

- Yarn substitution. This was my first experience with Tess' Designer Yarns, and I really enjoyed it. I bought this 570-yard hank of yarn at Brooklyn General with what was left of my gift certificate. I had been intending to go with RYC CashSoft DK, but they don't carry it at Brooklyn General. The nice woman who worked there suggested Tess' yarn, and it was love at first sight. The hand-painted color is beautiful and organic-looking, subtly variegated, and, I think at least, unusual in a good way for a little girl's sweater. (Courtney has so much pink and purple clothing already!) This yarn is soft in the skein, and I found that it gets even softer after knitting up and washing. I kept stroking the swatch and rubbing it against my cheek. It's superwash, unlike the Koigu Kersti suggested in a pattern. My only complaint with this yarn is that there were a couple of spots where it was a bit frayed. There were no knots at all; I guess it's acceptable to have a couple defects in such a giant skein. This yarn is light worsted, as opposed to the DK weight Koigu Kersti. My stitch gauge came out to 21 sts = 4" just as the pattern calls for, but I got 28 rows to 4" rather than 32.

- Added 1" to the sleeve length. Courtney just turned 2, and though she is small for her age, when I had knitted a sleeve to the pattern's specifications, it just looked too short (and I confirmed this by checking the baby size chart). I figure they can always be rolled up if they are too long.

- Picked up the 5 stitches for the placket, instead of using cable cast-on and sewing them on later. A cable needle helped to keep the two placket layers separated while they were too short to sit side by side on the circular needle.

- Added buttonholes and buttons. I found the buttons at M&J Trimming, which is just a couple blocks from where I work. They are clear plastic, with flowers painted onto the bottom -- they almost look like real pressed flowers.

- Reversed the placket. This was accidental, but it's my understanding that small children's clothes are meant to have the buttons on the other side anyway, since they generally do not dress themselves.

- Started seed stitch for neckband a row early, worked 6 rows of seed stitch instead of 8. I didn't want such a high collar.

- Upper body is a bit longer due to different row gauge. This should add some extra ease around the shoulders, which seems like a good idea for an active 2-year-old.

Note on Lion Brand plastic double-pointed needles: they rattle! I don't know why they didn't just make them solid. They seem to have some sort of core floating inside. I bought these at A.C. Moore due to lack of other options at the time. I certainly wouldn't go out of my way to buy these needles in the future. I also found them to be a little too slippery for dpns, which may have been part of the reason why I knitted the first sleeve super tightly. I had to rip out that sleeve and start over, thinking "loose, loose, loose" the whole time. A couple times my knitting slipped off one of the needles, but the yarn wasn't very slippery so hardly any stitches dropped.

Courtney's placket sweater
Started: Nov. 6
Finished: Nov. 22
Pattern: Child's placket sweater from Last Minute Knitted Gifts, corrected version found here. Size: 1-2 years. See modifications above.
Yarn: Tess' Designer Yarns Superwash Merino, 1 skein
Needles: US 7 Denises (21" circular), US 7 dpns (Lion Brand plastic)

FO: Efeziya's blanket

2006-11-24T11:25:00.000-05:00

From the blog backlog...

Efeziya's blanket
Started: July 1 (?)
Finished: Sept. 11
Pattern: Based on this recipe. Stitch patterns include Embossed Diamonds and King Charles Brocade from the Vogue Knitting Ultimate Knitting Book. I used a double crochet bind-off, as detailed here. Approximately 36" square.
Yarn: Knit Picks Shine Worsted, 10.5 balls cream, 0.5 ball sea spray
Needles: US 9 Denises

FO: diagonal airy scarf

2006-11-24T11:24:00.000-05:00

I made this little scarf for cousin Marie -- it seemed like a good choice for someone who lives in a climate where it never gets cold. The airy scarf pattern from Last Minute Knitted Gifts is lovely and fun to knit, but I wanted to give it a bit of a twist this time, so I knitted it on the bias. It ended up kind of skinny and required more than just a spray-blocking. I gave this one a proper bath with baby shampoo and pinned it as tightly as I could to open up the lace pattern.

Diagonal airy scarf
Started: Sept. 24
Finished: Oct. 9 (blocked Oct. 16)
Pattern: Adapted from the Airy Scarf pattern from Last Minute Knitted Gifts
Yarn: Rowan Kidsilk Haze, half a skein, Heavenly
Needles: US 10 plastic needles

New Zealand scarf

2006-11-11T16:40:00.000-05:00

The beautiful mohair that Emily brought back from New Zealand turned into a scarf! Before I started, I experimented with some very simple lace patterns, but plain stockinette seemed to be the best way to show off the yarn. As I was knitting, the scarf didn't seem to be curling very much. When I bound off, it turned itself into a tube, which ended up working out perfectly because the reverse stockinette is hidden, and it's long enough to go around my neck a couple times. It's so soft, warm, and fuzzy. There's still a whole other skein, so I may make a matching hat one of these days.

New Zealand Scarf
Started: Oct. 12 (ish)
Finished: Oct. 25 (ish)
Pattern: None
Yarn: Te Awa Wools Soft Spun Mohair -- 78% mohair, 13% wool, 9% nylon -- colorway Gravel, almost 1 skein
Needles: US 10 needles (switched partway from straights to Denises for train knitting)

FEFI FO (finally!)

2006-11-11T16:36:00.000-05:00

Fairly Easy Fair Isle Cardigan
Started: Jan. 11, 2006
Finished: Knitting finished Feb. 5; ends finally weaved in Oct. 21, 2006
Pattern: Fairly Easy Fair Isle from Stitch 'n' Bitch Nation, size XS (with some adjustments)
Yarn: Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Bulky, 5 skeins Deep Charcoal, 1 skein each Spice, Clematis, Oregano (with lots of each color left over)
Needles: Wish I could remember! Denise circs, US 10 maybe???
Modifications: Added waist shaping, adjusted some numbers to accommodate my hips, made garter stitch border a little longer, omitted purl row from yoke chart.

Rhinebeck

2006-11-06T19:40:00.000-05:00

I was fortunate enough to be able to go to the NYS Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck this year. It was a gorgeous day, sunny and cool enough to wear a warm handknit sweater. On the way up, I finally weaved in the remaining yarn ends on my Fairly Easy Fair Isle cardigan. I wore it at Rhinebeck, and it's growing on me, figuratively speaking.

Here's the obligatory Rhinebeck sheep picture:

We watched a few of the sheepdog trials, and some sheep shearing. I got to see some weavers and spinners too. And...I bought some yarn.

Here I am shopping for yarn (behind the lady who's weighing the roving):

You can kind of, almost, see the FEFI cardigan in this picture, though I was wearing a vest over it:

I'll have to post a better picture of the sweater some other time.

And here are some of my purchases:

The yellow skeins at the top will eventually become argyle socks for John (which I plan to do in a knit/purl argyle pattern that I was going to invent but I've since discovered has already been done).

The other two hanks are from Briar Rose Fibers, which I'd heard so much about from Brenda Dayne in Cast On. The red-purple-olive one is 1200 yards of Legend (DK/sport weight merino wool), which I want to make into a short sleeved V-neck sweater to wear over long-sleeved shirts. For the pattern, I'm eyeing the cap sleeve version of Essential Stripe from Knit and Tonic (without the stripes). The blue and green skein is Grandma's Blessing, 400 yards of sport weight superwash merino, and I don't have a plan for it yet but it is lovely!

John ended up spending more at Rhinebeck than I did -- he bought an amazing double-layered 100% alpaca king size blanket for his uncle who just got married, and an alpaca teddybear for his niece. Okay, so really we bought those things together, but I like saying that John spent more at Rhinebeck than I did.

Three Knucks

2006-11-06T12:46:00.000-05:00

I finished John's Knucks the night before Rhinebeck, so he was able to wear them at the fiber festival. The gauge issue was fixed by ripping back to the fingers and reknitting with US 2 dpns. I used K2P2 ribbing for the cuffs. One of the fingers is curling a bit -- maybe the cast on wasn't tight enough. After John had worn them a bit, he mentioned the cuffs are kind of an awkward length. It wouldn't be hard to take out the bindoff and make the cuffs longer, but John won't let me! He's wearing them a lot, so that's good.

John's Knucks used up almost exactly one ball of the Frog Tree Alpaca -- less than a yard is left over! Since I had bought two, I started a pair for myself. I just about finished one Knuck, but I tried the "textured cuff" and I'm really not crazy about it. It's not very stretchy, and it doesn't look so great. Maybe I messed it up since I was knitting with a headlamp in the car on the way to Rochester. Or maybe it's just that alpaca doesn't lend itself well to textured stitches. At any rate, I'm thinking I will rip back and redo the cuff in ribbing.

John's Knucks
Started: Oct. 7
Finished: Oct. 20
Pattern: Knucks from Knitty
Yarn: Frog Tree Alpaca Sport, color #0010, 1 skein (130 yds.)
Needles: Fingers: US 4 dpns; rest of gloves: US 2 dpns

Celebratory knitting purchases!

2006-10-12T11:37:00.000-04:00

My wonderful husband got a new job, and to celebrate, he gave me a gift certificate to Brooklyn General! We walked over there on Saturday and he waited patiently, reading about Japanese textiles, while I looked at every item in the store at least 3 times. I ended up buying the Mason-Dixon Knitting book, a skein of Morehouse Farms Merino worsted with which I'm planning to knit a lining for my Gimli hat, a couple balls of Rowan Calmer which were on sale, and a crochet hook in a size I didn't have. I spent just over half the gift certificate, and I'm looking forward to going back and buying more stuff in the future. Note the awesome tattoo lettering on the envelope -- John is not only generous and thoughtful but talented as well. Okay, enough bragging!

Monday was another beautiful day and I had off from work so I walked over to Knitaway and bought The Knitter's Companion. I love that it shows how to fix a dropped stitch when it's at the end of a row. Every time I've been in that situation it's taken me way too long to figure it out and I'm never sure I've done it right.

Also I went a little nuts on Amazon and bought Barbara Walker's Treasury of Knitting Patterns, Knit Fix, and two Elizabeth Zimmerman books (Knitting Without Tears and Knitter's Almanac). My knitting reference library is starting to take shape!

Pile o' baby knits

2006-10-12T11:24:00.000-04:00

Here's a peek at all the baby knitting I've recently completed, along with a cute sheep-featuring card we bought for one of the new babies.

Knucks yarn

2006-10-11T14:00:00.000-04:00

Emily and I went to Knitty City and I picked up some sport weight alpaca for Knucks I'm knitting for John. I started one but ended up having serious gauge issues and it's coming out way too big. I'm not sure yet what I'll do, but maybe I can get away with ripping back just to where the thumb is joined and switching to smaller needles. For now I've set it aside.

Modified roll-top booties

2006-10-09T15:47:00.000-04:00

I made a new pair of booties with many modifications -- stitches adjusted for aran/worsted weight yarn, all stockinette except for the bottoms, knit in the round (mostly -- the bottoms are seamed). They came out according to plan. I wrote up the revised pattern and maybe I'll post it soon.

Roll-top booties
Started: Sept. 30
Finished: Oct. 1
Pattern: Based on this one but heavily modified
Yarn: RYC CashSoft Aran in Haze, 1 ball
Needles: US 8 circ, US 8 dpns, US 6 dpns

Somewhat oversized baby things

2006-09-28T04:01:00.000-04:00

This hat is for my friends' baby who's due at the end of October. It's the Umbilical Cord Hat from Stitch 'n' Bitch. I substitituted the yarn and, since my gauge was slightly different, started with 72 stitches instead of 64 and added an extra decrease row. It was a very quick, easy knit -- just what I needed!

It seems a little big for a newborn, but it's 16" like the pattern says. According to this chart, a newborn's head circumference is 13-14" and this hat would be a better fit for a 6-month-old. (I probably should have checked the chart first!) Maybe with the roll brim it will be sort of adjustable and he'll grow into it. And maybe I'll just knit another smaller one since they're so quick.

Umbilical Cord Hat
Started: Sept. 23, 2006
Finished: Sept. 23, 2006
Pattern: Umbilical Cord Hat from Stitch 'n' Bitch
Yarn: RYC CashSoft Aran in Haze, 1 ball
Needles: US 8 circ (Addi Turbos)

I wanted to make roll-top booties with i-cord ties to match the hat. I scoured the internet but couldn't find exactly what I was looking for in worsted weight yarn. This pattern looked pretty close except it had ribbing at the cuff. That seemed like an easy thing to modify. I read the pattern several times but couldn't wrap my brain around the construction, so I decided to just jump in and give it a try. My gauge was a little off, but rather than tamper with numbers I couldn't even comprehend, I wagered that a little big wouldn't be so bad, especially with a drawstring tie.

It came out 1/2 inch too long, which is probably a significant amount of extra length for a baby bootie. But more importantly, I didn't take into consideration that seams will show in a rolled cuff. I've been thinking about it, and I want to try this bootie again but in the round, and starting with slightly fewer stitches. Fortunately a bootie isn't a huge commitment, and I still have enough time to experiment. (I guess I'm in denial that less than 3 months remain for all that holiday knitting I haven't even begun!)

And this of course isn't knitting, nor a baby thing, but here's a little tea cup I painted at a paint-your-own-pottery cafe a couple weeks ago. I gave it to John. Yellow's his favorite color. Tea, however, is one of his least favorite beverages. Fortunately there's nothing to prevent one from using a tea cup to hold something besides tea.

Knitting in style

2006-09-13T13:44:00.000-04:00

My cousin Marie, a very talented and prolific knitter and crafter, made this beautiful quilted bag, which has become my new knitting bag! It's a much lovelier way to tote my knitting projects than plastic shopping bags. I love it!

As if that weren't enough, yesterday a package arrived from Marie and it was a matching bag for my knitting notions! It has a little pocket inside that fits all my stitch markers and point protectors, so I'll never have to go fishing around for them. I transferred all my notions out of the zip-lock bag I had been using, and there's room to spare.

Thanks so much Marie! I feel so spoiled! And inspired to learn how to use my sewing machine!

Quick stash roundup

2006-09-12T10:55:00.000-04:00

On Sunday John and I took a nice walk over the Brooklyn Bridge and somehow found ourselves at P & S Yarns. I purchased 6 balls of light gray Bernat Satin with which I plan to knit holiday gifts for John's mom, who is allergic to wool. (I'm allowing myself to buy yarn as long as it's for gifts and I don't already have something on hand that will work. I bound off the baby blanket last night, and with two big projects finally off the needles, some space has freed up in my yarn closet.) We also made it over to Brooklyn General for the first time. It was full of amazing things I had only read about, like Morehouse Farm Merino, Lobster Pot Cashmere, and Ozark Handspun, but I managed to restrain myself and not buy anything.

Below are some pictures from my stash that I've been meaning to post. All were purchased many months ago. This should help remind me that I've got lovely yarn on hand, just waiting to be knitted up.

Malabrigo merino wool in burgundy, ordered online from WEBS in February. Described by many as "buttery soft" and I have to agree. There are 215 yards in each skein. I plan to make it into a cozy scarf for myself. In the meantime I just pet it from time to time.

Rowan CashSoft Aran in color "haze" purchased on eBay in March. It was a really good deal that I couldn't pass up. This yarn is soft, warm, and machine washable -- perfect for gifts. I think I still have almost a full ball of the "oat" color left over from previous projects, so that could be good for accents.

Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool, bought on sale last winter at Yarn Connection with Branching Out in mind. Any lacy pattern would probably work with this yarn. I only have one skein but it's 190 yards.

Cascade Fixation purchased at The Point in April, intended to become a bikini, which I started swatching for but never got around to knitting this summer. In a pinch it could be turned into stripey socks.

FO: John's zip raglan

2006-09-09T13:19:00.000-04:00

John's sweater is finally finished, and just in time for autumn! It isn't perfect, but I'm pretty happy with it, and John seems to be too. He'll wear it, and I suppose that's all that really matters.

I pretty much stuck to the pattern, though I substituted Cascade Eco Wool for the Manos, reducing project cost by about $50. I think I may have used different increases in the sleeves than kfb's indicated in the pattern. There may have been other minor changes, but I didn't take very good notes and most of the knitting was done six months ago.

The pattern didn't say to block the sweater before attaching the zipper, but I'm glad I did. It made me more confident that there wouldn't be too much bulging or puckering. The only negative thing that happened in blocking is that the sleeves had been the perfect length and are now a tad long. I may block it again to try and restore them to their original length.

I ended up hand-sewing the zipper because I knew I'd have more control, and I wouldn't have wanted to mangle the sweater in the sewing machine after all the work I'd put into it. The hand sewing didn't really take that long. First I pinned it (with 'Enter the Dragon' playing in the background, which has resulted in a rather strange kung fu association with the sweater), and the next evening I sewed it on while watching Project Runway.

Some of the complaints I've read from other people who knit this pattern were that there wasn't enough shoulder room, or that the collar was too floppy. For whatever reason, these don't seem to be issues for this particular sweater. The ribbing on the body doesn't match up perfectly with the ribbing from the sleeves along the raglan lines in the front, but that doesn't bother me. Before I started the sweater, I was trying to do the math to fix that (following Alison's suggestions on the blue blog), but it started getting really complicated and I decided it would have changed the fit in a way I couldn't really predict and it wasn't worth the risk.

When I started this sweater, John was my boyfriend/fiance, and now that it is finished we have been married for over 3 months. It would appear that the boyfriend sweater curse has been defied.

Thank you John for patiently waiting all those months and for trying on the unfinished sweater countless times, especially on those hot summer days! Not to mention for setting up your photo equipment and modeling for the pictures! And for taking the work-in-progress shots, and the photos of all my other knitting projects. I hope this sweater keeps you nice and warm!

John's zip raglan cardigan
Started: Feb. 15, 2006
Finished: Sept. 7, 2006
Pattern: Men's Zipped Raglan from Last Minute Knitted Gifts, 42" size
Yarn: Cascade Ecological Wool, color 9010, 3 skeins (used very little of the third skein, so probably about 1100 yards or so)
Needles: US 9 Denise circs

John's cardigan is almost done!

2006-09-02T15:58:00.000-04:00

All it needs now is a zipper.

Mohair from New Zealand!

2006-07-30T17:54:00.000-04:00

Emily returned from New Zealand with two luscious hanks of mohair yarn for me! It's really soft and so pretty -- the color ranges from dark to light gray, which I love. I can't wait to see how it knits up! I'm thinking it would make a great lacy scarf or shawl.

Thanks so much Emma!

Blanket in progress

2006-07-30T17:29:00.000-04:00

The baby blanket is still around 24" square. Progress is slow these days due to the fact that each round is now 96" long! And I'm not a very fast knitter. And sometimes it's just too darn hot to knit.

The center is stockinette, then I did some weird thing that was supposed to be moss stitch but wasn't, then there is some seed stitch. The outermost stitch is "embossed diamonds" from the Vogue Knitting Ultimate Knitting Book. Next I'm planning to do the "King Charles brocade" stitch from the same book.

Recent acquisitions, what I'm working on

2006-07-10T15:12:00.000-04:00

While in Turkey I did a little online yarn shopping as well as the aforementioned bazaar yarn shopping. Jannette's Rare Yarns had an amazing sale going on at the time, and I couldn't resist purchasing a 10-skein bag of Debbie Bliss Aran Tweed in off-white flecked with bright blue, lemon, and black. Methinks it will make lovely cabled scarves and hats or something like that. (Maybe a cabled sweater for my little niece? It is machine washable...) By the way, Jannette's Rare Yarns provides the best, friendliest customer service I've ever come across on the internet!

When I returned from the honeymoon, I ordered 14 16 balls of KnitPicks Shine Worsted: 8 in Cream, 4 6 in Sea Spray, and 2 in Bachelor Button. I also ordered shade cards for Shine and Shine Worsted for future reference. This was my first KnitPicks purchase, and I have been pleased so far. The yarn has a nice luster, and it is very soft, especially after it is knitted up. There have been a few nubby spots as I've been knitting, but nothing too serious. The bulk of that yarn is on its way to becoming a baby blanket for John's friends in Istanbul who were so generous and hospitable while we were there. They have a 3-month-old -- well actually, by now he must be at least 4 months old. I'm using Cris's Sampler Baby Blanket pattern (it's really more of a template), and it's currently about 24" square. My goal is 36" square, so, if my math is correct, I'm only about 45% done. The remaining yarn I will knit into chemo caps and donate to Support Connection, an organization where my mom volunteers. They provide all sorts of great services to women with breast and ovarian cancer. In the future I hope to make chemo caps whenever I am between projects.

Now I am on a self-declared yarn purchasing hiatus. I have even been to a wonderful new yarn store (Knitty City) and not purchased anything! I have decided I need to knit up enough of the yarn in my stash to free up some space in my closet before I can make any more purchases.

Yarn shopping in Turkey

2006-06-28T11:45:00.000-04:00

While honeymooning in Turkey, I couldn't resist checking out the local yarn shops. Thanks to Polly, I knew just where to go to find yarn near the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul.

I purchased three hanks of sparkly fakey-fake yarn in turquoise, lime green, and burgundy. I'm not sure yet what I'll use it for -- it might make a cool bag. Or I could carry it along with something softer and fuzzier and make some funky scarves. We also spent a few days in Izmir, on the Aegean Sea, and there we located the covered bazaar, Kizlaragasi Han, which also has several yarn shops in the vicinity. (Again, thanks, Polly!)

At one of those shops I found some really soft, really pretty gold-flecked bright orange yarn for Emily's birthday. I can't wait to see what she turns it into!

Kiri and Clapotis in action

2006-06-19T14:49:00.000-04:00

Here we are, the happy newlyweds and Kiri, at the conclusion of the wedding ceremony! So far none of the pictures show off Kiri very well, but the official wedding photos aren't in yet.

Jessie wore Clapotis at the wedding too, as you can see here.

Ring-bearing pouch

2006-06-19T14:29:00.000-04:00

John and I may have gotten a little carried away in our frenzy to make stuff for the wedding. He made all the invitations, stationery, place cards, and centerpieces, and I knitted my shawl and gifts for the bridesmaids. Somewhere along the way I got it in my head that I would knit a little pouch to hold the rings during the ceremony, instead of those funny little pillows that are traditionally used. Last Minute Knitted Gifts had the perfect pattern for a drawstring pouch, which I modified to make it smaller (about 2 inches by 3 inches) but otherwise followed pretty closely -- used the same yarn and construction. This ended up being pretty last-minute -- completed just 5 days before the wedding -- but it was also a real quickie. My mom says it looks like a willy warmer, but we used it in the ceremony anyway. I made an extra I-cord to thread through the rings inside the pouch, in theory to make the rings easier to retrieve, but in practice probably just an extra layer of complexity. Everything went smoothly nonetheless and we are now happily married!

Ring-bearing pouch
Started: May 21
Finished: May 23
Pattern: Soft Drawstring Pouch from Last Minute Knitted Gifts
Yarn: Blue Sky Silk Alpaca, ecru, much less than one skein
Needles: US 6 dpns

Emily's stripey socks

2006-06-19T13:21:00.000-04:00

So I decided to make a pair of socks for Emily to thank her for being in the wedding and for being a wonderful friend in general. Envisioning colorful stripey socks, I purchased these lovely skeins of Charcoal and Rainbow Lorna's Laces sock yarn on eBay. I found this Spun Magazine pattern for Basic Ribbed Socks, which looked nice and simple. This article was also very helpful, especially for pointing me to the twisted German cast-on, which is so easy and stretchy! This was not the first pair of socks I ever started, but it would be the first pair I'd complete. (The Koigu sock is still on the needles, but I plan to rip it out and start over one of these days, probably with a different pattern -- maybe something toe-up with a short row heel.)

Before I started the actual socks, I did a little swatch in the form of the first few rows of a sock. I wanted to make sure my gauge was right (which it wasn't -- I needed to go up a needle size) and figure out what looked best -- single rows alternated, or multiple rows of each skein at a time, or some funky fair isle pattern. It was fun to experiment and spontaneously change whenever I felt like it. In the end I went with alternating single rows of each skein. The fair isle looked kind of neat, but I wasn't sure I'd be able to get the tension right for the floats.

Here's how the socks came out. They aren't identical twins (maybe my gauge changed a little on the second one), but they're pretty close. Best of all, they fit Emily!

Emily's stripey socks
Started: May 11
Finished: May 21
Pattern: Basic Ribbed Socks from Spun Magazine
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, 1 skein Charcoal, 1 skein Rainbow
Needles: US 2 dpns

Kiri, blocked and ginormous

2006-05-12T11:33:00.000-04:00

It's done and it's huge! 34 inches long and 74 inches wide! I wasn't planning to make it that big -- this was only 11 repeats of the main pattern. It barely fit on the bed when I blocked it (using Yarn Harlot's lace blocking method). Fortunately I am told that the shawl doesn't look ridiculous on me.

The scalloped edges didn't come out very scalloped, but I'm okay with that. I went up a needle size to US 8 on row 11 of the edging, then did row 12 on size 10's, and bound off very loosely with the 10's, but I guess it still wasn't as loose as it could have been. During row 11 I also added irridescent off-white seed beads to what would become the points of the shawl, more or less following instructions I found on the Kiri Shawl Knitalong Yahoo Group.

Today I will see how the shawl looks with my wedding gown.

Kiri
Started: April 17 (after many false starts)
Finished: May 9 (blocked May 11)
Pattern: From All Tangled Up
Yarn: Rowan KidSilk Night, color Starlight, 3 skeins (very little left over)
Needles: US 7, 8, 10 circs (Denise -- the 40" and 52" cords I bought on eBay really came in handy!)

Halfway to Kiri

2006-04-28T21:15:00.000-04:00

I've almost completed the 8th pattern repeat on Kiri. It's approx. 42 inches by 21 inches. I'm in the middle of the second ball of yarn, which means I'm probably about halfway done with the shawl, perhaps even a little more than halfway. I'll want the shawl to measure at least 60 inches in width (my armspan). Still got a ways to go!

Today I took Amtrak up to Albany and back, and knitted the whole time. It was a beautiful ride along the Hudson. I made lots of mistakes in my knitting, partly due to too much sunlight! It was so bright I couldn't see the sparkly white stitches very clearly against the white Denise needle tips. Most of the mistakes were pretty easy to fix, but towards the end of the trip home I really botched up one of the leaves. I realized I wasn't going to be able to fix it on the train, so I stuck safety pins in the stitches I had unravelled so they wouldn't drop any further. When I got home i had to rebuild the leaf loop by loop. That actually wasn't so hard, and it seems to have turned out okay.

I've been leaving in two lifelines at all times, just in case I notice a mistake way back. So far I haven't had any mistakes requiring me to use a lifeline...knock on wood!

Here's a closeup:

And now, back to knitting!

Kiri redemption

2006-04-18T11:05:00.000-04:00

Last night I made some alterations to my mother's 39-year-old bridal veil, which I will wear at my wedding ceremony. I removed the large flower decoration, which is lovely but a little overwhelming for the hairstyle I will be wearing. I then sewed on some bridal loops, which my hairstylist had suggested instead of attaching the comb directly to the veil. I slipped the wire comb into the loops and tried on the veil. Altering the veil was something I had been starting to dread, since my sewing abilities are rather limited, and I was worried about damaging a family heirloom, but it seems to have worked out just fine.

Sailing on the sense of accomplishment from the veil, I decided to attack Kiri again. I tuned my mp3 player to a relaxing podcast (Irie Knits), ripped out my wangulated runt of a Kiri, took some deep breaths, and started again.

So far, so good.

I completed the cast-on and startup rows, then put in a lifeline and began the first repeat. I took my time and made sure to do a thorough visual check after each completed row. I marked off the rows on the pattern and made tally marks, while also using the post-it to keep my place in the chart. Perhaps most importantly, I put down the knitting when I started feeling tired. It's still not back to the point it was at on my first attempt, but it looks much better this time. The stitches are more even, and so far there are no noticeable mistakes. The lifeline is a piece of orange Bernat Super Value, and I'm a little worried that fibers will stick to the Kidsilk. This weekend I will try to pick up some smooth cotton, which seems to be what everyone recommends for lifelines.

Clapotis triumph; Kiri woes

2006-04-17T12:58:00.000-04:00

This is the finished Clapotis. I did 4 repeats of the increase section (the pattern calls for 7) and a full 13 repeats of the straight row section. It's very drapey and the soy silk feels soft and smooth against the skin. The ends are weaved in but I haven't blocked it yet. Blocking probably isn't even necessary.

What a lovely, relaxing knit!

Clapotis
Started: April 1
Finished: April 13
Pattern: From Knitty
Yarn: South West Trading Company's Oasis, 2 skeins, Parrot
Needles: US 8 circs (Addi turbos)

Kiri, on the other hand, is causing me nothing but grief!

I knit up this mini-Kiri to familiarize myself with the pattern, to see how the Kidsilk Night would knit up, and to try out a little beading along the edges. I had no major problems with the swatch. The beads are subtle and I like the way they complement the yarn and the pattern. I haven't blocked it yet, but I'm happy with how it came out. I would totally wear this shawl if I was 18 inches tall!

Then I started the actual grown-up shawl. I got halfway through the first repeat and realized something was amiss. One of the leaves was all mangled, and unfortunately it was several rows down and not worth tinking. I had only spent a few hours on the shawl at that point, so I decided to rip it out and start over. I then endured several false starts (butchering some of the yarn in the process) before I came up with an acceptable cast-on, and it still wasn't perfect. But the mistake wouldn't be noticeable to anyone else so I proceeded onto the startup rows. I was knitting along nicely until I noticed that once again there's a yarnover in the wrong place, way down near the beginning! At this point I became too frustrated to deal with it, and I put it away for the night.

I'm not sure what the problem is -- perhaps I have gotten overconfident, and have not been referring to the charts as diligently as I should be. I've been knitting in cars and in front of the television. I haven't been tallying my row count (and I don't have a row counter that fits the needles) and was only using a post-it to keep track of my place in the chart. I guess I'll have to combine the post-it with a written tally. And I'll have to use lifelines.

I will not be defeated!

Busy knitting...no time to blog

2006-04-10T17:00:00.000-04:00

I don't have any pictures to show right now, but I have been knitting! Right now it's all about my wedding, which is happening at the end of May. So sadly John's raglan zip cardigan is on hold, as are many of my other projects.

I swatched for Kiri, which if all goes well will be my bridal shawl. Went on eBay and ordered three balls of Rowan KidSilk Night in Starlight from Jannette's Rare Yarns, and the Denise Companion Set from Woodland Farms Fibers and Yarns. You know you are knitting too many simultaneous projects when you run out of Denises! I'm thinking of adding some sparkly beads along the scalloped edges of the shawl.

There is also a modified Clapotis on my needles, close to being finished. I'm using South West Trading Company's Oasis (100% soy silk) in the "Parrot" colorway. This Clapotis is about 13" tall, just over half the height of the standard Clapotis, so it's more of a scarf and less of a stole. I'm liking it! It will be a bridesmaid gift, so hopefully she'll like it too. If nothing else, she will like the fact that it's eco-friendly and cruelty-free, since she's a vegan.

FO: Mom's wrist warmers

2006-03-21T11:02:00.000-05:00

So far I have nothing but good things to say about the Last Minute Knitted Gifts book. I have a recent edition in which most of the errors have been fixed, and I've been thoroughly enjoying the patterns. I even love just looking at the pictures in the book.

So one weekend I brought the book up to my parents' house and had Mom look through it to see if there was anything she liked. Although she had once declared that she wasn't interested in wearing any hand-knit items, when she got to the wrist warmers, she said "ooh!" Her hands get cold when she drives, especially since she's been parking the car outside all winter (the garage has no room for cars for the duration of major home improvements that are taking much longer than planned). She has gloves, but she doesn't like to wear them because they interfere with her grip on the steering wheel.

I couldn't find the Noro Cash Iroha that the pattern suggests, but I came across the loveliest skein of Classic Elite Inca Alpaca at School Products. I believe the color is called "Island of the Sun," and it's a heathered blend of royal blue and teal blue, two of Mom's favorite colors. The yarn is the right weight, and very soft.

The pattern calls for two 8-inch circular needles. I have no circs that short, and the Denise set doesn't even allow you to make circs that short (though I tried!) After reading the pattern I decided there was no reason I couldn't use double-pointeds instead, which I happened to have on hand in the right size. They worked out very well, especially for the thumb opening.

It seemed important for the second wrist warmer to be a mirror image, as opposed to a duplicate, of the first, but the pattern didn't mention how to achieve this. I briefly considered altering the pattern so the twisted ribs would go in the opposite direction for the second one. Then I realized I could knit the second wrist warmer according to the pattern, and just turn it inside out when it was done. It worked out splendidly. No blocking was necessary either.

I gave the wrist warmers to Mom for her birthday, and she loves them. She wore them yesterday and they kept her hands warm while allowing a solid grip on the steering wheel. Yay!

Mom's wrist warmers
Started: March 11
Finished: March 12
Pattern: From Last Minute Knitted Gifts
Yarn: Classic Elite Inca Alpaca, 1 skein, Island of the Sun (1146)
Needles: US 6 bamboo dpns

FO: Airy scarf

2006-03-20T15:19:00.000-05:00

On the way up to Pittsburgh, I knit an Airy Scarf from Last Minute Knitted Gifts for my aunt. She's been asking me to knit something for her ever since I started knitting. I chose the Airy Scarf pattern because it looked like something my aunt might wear, it seemed appropriate for spring, and I've been itching to try out Rowan Kidsilk Haze. It turned out to be a fairly mindless, relaxing knit, perfect for a road trip. I only had to count up to 10, which I can usually handle. (Anything higher than that and I start running into trouble!) While in Pittsburgh, I weaved the ends in, but decided to wait till I got home to block it.

Since this is my first finished lace project (I will finish Branching Out someday!), it was also my first attempt at blocking lace. I don't have a blocking board, and the dog sleeps on the bed, so the only appropriate surface I could come up with was our ironing board. I decided to more or less follow Yarn Harlot's lace blocking method. I threaded all four edges of the scarf with crochet cotton and pinned it down to the proper dimensions. Then I took a spray bottle and spritzed it till it was damp. The spray bottle I had on hand doesn't do a fine mist, just a rather powerful stream. I tried to angle it so I could hit a larger surface area with one spritz. Mostly I ended up with droplets on the surface of the scarf, which I patted with a towel. I suppose I could have soaked the scarf in the sink, but I was afraid to subject the delicate Kidsilk Haze to that kind of abuse. The next evening I freed the scarf from the pins, strings, and towels, and it retained its shape . . . for a little while at least. Before long though, the ends flared out again. I left it at is, since it's a birthday gift and there wasn't enough time to re-block it, plus I don't think it looks that bad, especially if it's going to be tied around a neck. At least the stitches look more even than they did before blocking.

Airy scarf
Started: Mar. 10
Finished: Mar. 10 (weaved in ends and blocked later)
Pattern: From Last Minute Knitted Gifts
Yarn: Rowan Kidsilk Haze, half a skein, Heavenly
Needles: US 10 plastic needles (cast on and bound off with Grandma's US 11 plastic needles)

Raglan cardigan pieces

2006-03-16T13:50:00.000-05:00

Here's what John's raglan cardigan looks like so far:

I put this sweater on hold for a few days, since we went to Pittsburgh for a long weekend and it's becoming too big to take with me places, but I knitted a few more rounds last night.

During our trip, I made a couple of Last Minute Knitted Gifts, of which I will post pictures soon. On the ride home from Pittsburgh, I knitted a few more rows on Branching Out, until the flu overcame me and my eyelids got too heavy to knit. Perhaps I should clarify that my eyelids don't actually do any knitting, but when they're open, they do enable me to see, which helps greatly when knitting lace. At any rate, it appears to have been a 24-hour bug, and I am feeling much better now.

It would seem that I am becoming obsessed with knitting podcasts. Cast On, Pointy Sticks, and KnitCast are probably my favorites at the moment. I have yet to actually knit while listening to a knitting podcast, though I have listened to them at work, at the gym, and while washing dishes. I find it very soothing to hear their lovely voices talking about knitting (and other things -- I honestly enjoy the digressions that sometimes occur though I know others have criticized them).

I have also been watching some knitting television. I checked out Lily Chin's Stitchcraft on Oxygen, which was fun though not terribly informative. I had heard it was a pilot, and I was curious to see how it would be developed into a series, but it doesn't sound like any more episodes are in the works. Then I found out about Vickie Howell's Knitty Gritty on the DIY Network, and I've watched a few episodes so far. The one on decorative stitches was actually very informative. Coincidentally (or perhaps not), Lily Chin was the guest on that one. She's very good at explaining and demonstrating techniques. Now I have somewhat of a clue how to do bobbles, drop stitches and beadwork, and the instructions are all available on the web site.

Vintage magazine, sweater progress

2006-03-07T14:30:00.000-05:00

This issue of Woman's World Knit & Crochet is one of the interesting finds from Grandma's apartment. It's from the late '60s, I believe. Some of the patterns are actually pretty cool and I may eventually try and make one of them.

I blocked the Fairly Easy Fair Isle sweater (thank you John for finding a suitable bin for blocking larger items!) and it's still a bit large but not completely unflattering anymore. I tried it on this morning and it was so cozy I didn't want to take it off. So I wore it to work even though I haven't finished weaving in all the ends. There are so many ends! The sweater is very warm, actually a bit too warm for my office most of the time. And it sheds mohair everywhere! But I think I kind of like it anyway. I'll have to get a picture of me wearing it.

I'm almost halfway through the second sleeve of John's zip raglan cardigan. The sweater looks super tiny right now due to all the ribbing, but it should grow a lot when it's blocked.

Incidentally, this amusing advertisement appears on the back cover of the Knit & Crochet magazine:

WWII Red Cross pattern

2006-03-07T14:15:00.000-05:00

I found the above pattern for a V-neck Sleeveless Sweater in Grandma's folder of knitting patterns. (You can click on the thumbnails to view larger images.) It appears to have been typed up verbatim from this 1941 Red Cross pattern. Apparently the Red Cross had a campaign to recruit civilians to knit for the troops. I don't think Grandma used this pattern during World War II -- more likely she copied it from a friend several decades later and used it to knit vests for herself and her family. We did find several of these vests in her dresser, and I took one home with me even though I'm really not a sweater-vest kind of gal.

Here's Grandma's handwritten note which was paperclipped to the pattern:

478 yards of skeinly goodness

2006-02-23T14:40:00.000-05:00

I just had to include some pictures to illustrate how freaking big the skeins of Cascade Ecological Wool are. Here's how it ships in hank form. Looks innocent enough...

And here's how it looks rolled up into a ball! That is a quarter next to it! That is one big ball o' yarn.

I think I'm getting better at rolling my own center pull balls. It took most of Project Jay last night for me to roll up this one, but isn't it pretty? The first ball isn't used up yet and I've already knitted close to 16" of the body with it. The ball is all hollowed out (more of a bowl now) but the yarn still feeds quite effortlessly from it.

I only had to order 3 of these skeins for the Men's Zip Raglan Cardigan. That ends up being more yarn than the 9 skeins of Manos I would have needed for the 42" size sweater had I not substituted. So much savings! And it's ecological! Did I mention it's soft?

Knitting inheritance

2006-02-21T16:12:00.000-05:00

In the process of going through Grandma's apartment, we found needles and crochet hooks of every size, all sorts of notions, patterns, books and magazines, and a carton full of yarn! As the sole active knitter in my family, I have inherited all these treasures. The patterns are especially exciting because they're covered in Grandma's notes. Judging by the sheer volume of knitting stuff, it would seem that Grandma was much more of a knitter than she made herself out to be. Mom recognized a short wooden needle with a red ball on the end (sadly, without a mate) as what she learned to knit on when she was a child. (Apparently my family is full of closet former knitters!) Most of the yarn is acrylic, but there are a couple of skeins that say 100% Pure Virgin Wool, as well as some unlabelled mystery yarn. Everything is at least 20 years old, some of it dating back to the '50s and '60s. There are also bags full of small crocheted squares. I'd like to learn how to crochet so I can finish the afghan project that was probably started 25 years ago. I hope to post pictures of some of these items in the near future.

For now, no new pictures, but I have been knitting! Branching Out is probably close to halfway done, and the lace pattern is showing up better now that it's weighing itself down a bit. I'm also about a foot into the Men's Zip Raglan Cardigan. I was originally going to use Happy Wool but due to a fire in a Jerusalem post office storage room, that fell through. Instead I went with Cascade Ecological Wool, color #9010, and I love it! It comes in such enormous skeins (478 yds.) and it's so soft!

The Fairly Easy Fair Isle stares at me from its hanger, taunting me with its dangling ends and its unseemly proportions. I still think blocking could turn it into something I'd actually wear, but the sweater is too big to fit in the bathroom sink and I'm reluctant to use the bathtub and waste all that extra water. Excuses, excuses!

FO: Angora baby booties

2006-02-09T13:46:00.000-05:00

These are the angora baby booties I knit for our landlord's new baby. I'm not sure I bound off loosely enough, and it might be tough to get the baby's feet in them, but angora baby booties are pretty impractical anyway. No matter, they look pretty and are very, very soft! I just hope no bunnies were harmed in the making of this yarn.

Angora baby booties
Started: Feb. 4
Finished: Feb. 5
Pattern: From Last Minute Knitted Gifts
Yarn: Belangor 100% Angora by Joseph Galler, one skein, white
Needles: US 4 bamboo dpns

Socktopus and odds and ends

2006-02-06T15:17:00.000-05:00

John made a Socktopus for a friend's birthday, and every socktopus needs a hat so I knit him one. I improvised the pattern and used leftover Bernat Satin and bamboo double-pointeds (size 8, I believe). It was a very satisfying, instantly gratifying knit. I finished the hat just as John was adding the final touches to the socktopus. I have to say I really like working with that yarn -- so soft and shiny.

This is the beginning of Knitty's Branching Out with some 100% cashmere I got at School Products. I can't decide if the yarn is too lightweight for this pattern. It might be fingering weight but I'm not sure -- the tag doesn't give much information. Maybe it would look better with a smaller needle size rather than the US 8 which the pattern suggests (if that's even what I'm using -- to be honest, I can't recall), but then it would be super skinny. I'll have to do a few more pattern repeats and see if it shapes up. The Silky Wool suggested in the pattern sounds lovely and is surprisingly inexpensive -- I may order some online since I can't seem to find it in stores. I'm sure I can come up with something to do with the cashmere if Branching Out isn't the answer. The trick is I only have about 250 yards.

I've also made some more progress on the Koigu sock (hopefully someday to belong to a pair), my ongoing portable project. The heel flap is almost done. Over the weekend I borrowed the needles I've been using for the sock to make a pair of angora baby booties from Last Minute Knitted Gifts for my landlord's baby. Those are complete; pictures to come.

While watching the SuperBowl and the L Word last night, I finally seamed up the Fairly Easy Fair Isle's underarms and sleeves. The fit doesn't appear to be too bad -- the sleeves are snug and longish, just how I like them. The jury's still out on the body -- might be a tad looser than I'd like -- but today I bought buttons at M & J Trimming so soon we shall see. There are also a gazillion ends that need to be weaved in.

Socktopus hat
Started: Feb. 3
Finished: Feb. 3
Yarn: Bernat Satin leftovers in sapphire
Needles: US 8 bamboo straights

Grandma, I miss you

2006-02-06T14:39:00.000-05:00

Friday night, Grandma passed away. She had been very sick so it wasn't unexpected, but it's still hard to accept that I'll never see her again. Grandma was such a warm and caring person, always thinking about everyone else, no matter what she was going through. Somehow there was always a sparkle in her eye and an incredible smile on her face. You could count on her to find the bright side of any situation. And she had such a great sense of humor -- she was so quick with the one-liners, even on the way to the operating room. All of these things that made her so special will stay with me forever. She set one heck of an example for her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, not to mention everyone who was lucky enough to have met her. I am so grateful to have had her in my life!

Fair Isle almost finished

2006-01-27T13:17:00.000-05:00

My Fairly Easy Fair Isle is coming along, though the proportions are looking a bit odd. Last night I finished the yoke, which just about completes the knitting for this sweater. All that remains is to add the button/buttonhole bands, sew up seams, weave in ends, and block it into a hopefully wearable shape!

Here's a closeup that shows the colors better:

In other news, I've also been working on the Koigu socks on and off. They're a much more portable project than the FEFI. I'm still on the first sock, but on Wednesday I began the heel flap -- woohoo!

Fair Isle sleeve

2006-01-19T10:09:00.000-05:00

Here's a close-up look at one of the sleeves. The green and purple are pretty subtle against the dark gray, but I think the colors will work once the Fair Isle on the yoke is there to tie it all together.

Plodding along

2006-01-18T11:34:00.000-05:00

No pictures today, as we haven't seen the sun much these past few days. I've been knitting as much as I can in the midst of family crises and wedding planning.

The body of the Fairly Easy Fair Isle sweater is complete, and I've gotten past the Fair Isle parts of both sleeves. It's taking me some time to get acclimated to knitting with the Brown Sheep bulky yarn, as well as to get the tension right for the Fair Isle. I've frogged the sleeves several times, but I think I'm on the right track now. I'm pretty happy with how the waist shaping turned out, though the whole thing seems to be a little bigger than it should be. Darn gauge issues! Hopefully it will all work itself out in blocking. I put both sleeves on the same needle so I can work them simultaneously and they should hopefully come out the same. (Actually I did the Fair Isle parts of the sleeves individually because I was too lazy to set aside an extra spool of each color.)

Probably the most invaluable lesson I've learned so far is, when starting a new skein of Brown Sheep yarn, to take the label off the skein. Both ends are wrapped around the outside of the skein, under the label, for easy access. No need to dig around in the middle of the skein, as I so foolishly did the first time, ending up with an "abortion" of red yarn. (You have John to thank for that lovely metaphor.)

Also, I now know why you're not supposed to put two decreases right next to each other: big ugly holes! Fortunately I was able to go back and fix those, even though I had already done all four sets of decreases. How I love looping up the ladder with a crochet hook! (When it's stockinette or ribbing. I hate doing that with garter or seed stitch!)

I've also learned how to M1F and M1B. Fun!

FO: Grandma's vest

2006-01-09T11:25:00.000-05:00

Grandma's vest is done! I finished it last night. I'm about the same size as Grandma (she's an inch or two shorter) so I tried it on. It fits pretty well, though perhaps a bit on the short side. I tried to elongate it in blocking. It's still drying, but here are a couple pictures:

I don't think it's actually lopsided -- that's probably just the camera angle. There are a few mistakes, but hopefully I'm the only one who will notice them.

I made a few modifications to the pattern:

Used garter stitch, rather than stockinette, between the cables
Rounded armholes -- I didn't like the squared-off armholes in the pattern
Fewer decreases along the V, so as not to disrupt the cable pattern
After the first three twist rows, I switched from twisting every 10 rows to twisting every 8 rows. This started out as an accident, but I liked the way it looked with the cables getting a bit smaller as they go up so I just went with it.

This is the first article of clothing I've knit. (Prior to this it's been all accessories: scarves, hats, and that one pair of mittens.) I learned a lot in the process of making it, including how to make a buttonhole with a yarn over, how to join shoulders with kitchener stitch, and how to make the most of the Denise interchangeable needle set. Kitchener is cool -- I like how the vest came out virtually seamless. Perhaps most importantly, in the process of knitting this vest, I forced myself to relax my tension, so not only was I able to achieve the recommended gauge (by only going up 2 needle sizes!) but there was less wear and tear on my hands. Some of the stitches came out loose and uneven, but blocking seems to have evened it all out splendidly!

The buttons, incidentally, are from a store called Botani around the corner from where I work. They're made of real stone.

Grandma's vest
Started: Jan. 3
Finished: Jan. 8
Pattern: Pretty in Pink
Yarn: Lion's Brand Wool-Ease Worsted in Cranberry, 3 skeins (actually less than 2 1/2)
Needles: US 9, 10.5 circular of varying lengths (hooray for the Denise interchangeables!)

FO: Courtney's mittens

2006-01-04T10:16:00.000-05:00

The extra-long thumbs were bothering me, so the other day I undid the seams and took off 2 rows from each thumb so they look a little less mutant. I also made an I-cord to connect the mittens. I don't have a picture with the I-cord, but you can at least see the new and improved thumbs.

The mittens didn't seem to need blocking, plus I wanted to send them out ASAP, so I called them done. I hope they're warm enough and the seams aren't uncomfortable for little Courtney!

Courtney's mittens
Started: Dec. 27, 2005
Finished: Jan. 2, 2006
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted in Blackberry (leftovers from hat)
Needles: US 9 bamboo straights, US 6 bamboo straights, US 6 dpns

Future project: Fairly Easy Fair Isle sweater

2006-01-03T13:27:00.000-05:00

I am not to begin this project until I finish Grandma's vest (which I haven't started yet), but the other day I bought the yarn for a Fairly Easy Fair Isle sweater from Stitch 'N Bitch Nation. School Products has a pretty good selection of Lamb's Pride Bulky. The label is off the ~~cranberry~~ "spice" skein because I started attempting to make gauge. I tried the recommended US 10.5 needles, but of course my stitches came out way too small. (I also messed up the skein in the process -- disemboweled it to locate the end, then tried to stuff the "innards" back in. Now the yarn keeps getting knotted up in itself!) I do love the yarn though. And now that I have the Denise needle set I will be able to gauge my little heart out. This will be my first sweater, and my first venture into Fair Isle.

Koigu socks

2006-01-03T13:16:00.000-05:00

After the holidays I treated myself to a couple skeins of Koigu Painter's Palette Premium Merino. I've been wanting to try a pair of socks, and I've also been itching to knit with some wild multi-colored guilty pleasure yarn. Ultimately I hope to make fair isle socks, but learning to do socks and fair isle at the same time seemed overly ambitious.

I found a pattern for Koigu socks that looks to be just perfect. The pattern calls for US 2 dpns, but since my stitches are so tight, I'm using US 4's.

All is going well, except for a little oopsie the other day. Somehow I ended up knitting with the work pointed away from me instead of towards me. I didn't notice the hole until I had knitted this way for an inch or so. Fortunately I have gotten fairly adept at inserting the needles below the mistake and frogging back to that point. I haven't figured out how not to make the stitches twisted, but untwisting them isn't that big a deal.

It was a small setback, and I'm already past the point I was at before. These socks are going to be crazy-looking, but I'm comfortable with that.

FO: Griffindor scarf

2006-01-03T13:07:00.000-05:00

Done! This took more yarn than I expected -- 3 skeins of each color instead of 2, but knitting it wasn't as time-consuming or tedious as I expected either. I ended up not blocking it, since I flattened it out as I knitted, keeping the color changes along the edge. Also, accounts seem to differ as to whether blocking is effective on 100% acrylic yarn.

Griffindor scarf
Started: Dec. 20
Finished: Dec. 31
Yarn: Tolegno Lana Gatto Luxor, 3 skeins scarlet, 3 skeins yellow
Needles: metal circular size 8

Happy New Year!

2006-01-03T11:32:00.000-05:00

On Sunday I celebrated Hanukkah and New Year's Day with my Grandma (and many other family members). You can sort of see the scarf I knit for her in this picture.

The Denise needles arrived today, so I can get started on Grandma's vest tonight! It will be a belated Hanukkah gift. I used Grandma's Hanukkah gelt to purchase the needles, so it all comes around full circle.

I've been reading Elizabeth Zimmerman's "Knitting Without Tears" and she's convinced me I need to try and relax my stitches a bit. This will be one of my New Year's resolutions.

Holidays are for knitting

2005-12-29T14:07:00.000-05:00

My long weekend in Pittsburgh was a great opportunity to get some knitting done. First I worked on the Griffindor scarf until I ran out of yarn. I've still got a few more stripes to go, especially now that I've found out that Andrew wants to wear it doubled up and looped through. (Is there a name for that method of scarf wearing?) We're talking about a guy who's never even had a scarf before. But apparently law students spend a lot of time discussing things such as how scarves ought to be worn.

Then I finished up John's double-knit ski cap. My purls must be looser than my knits, as the yellow side came out significantly bigger than the gray side. I'm hoping blocking will fix it. The stripes also didn't land where I wanted them. I had envisioned the hat being long enough to fold the edge up, so I started the stripes later, made them thicker, and added some extra rows before beginning the decreases. It still ended up being just long enough to cover John's ears without folding up the edge. And the stripes are very close to the top of the hat. Oh well -- live and learn. John says he's happy with it. Still, I know he'd prefer to wear it with the gray side out, but as it is right now, the extra fabric on the yellow side gets all wadded up inside so it isn't comfortable. The good news is, the reason I haven't had a chance to block it is that John has been wearing it every day!

While in Pittsburgh I got to see Courtney wearing her Kittyville hat. It fits her perfectly, and her parents like it because it covers her ears. One potential danger is that the pom-poms are just the right size to fit in her mouth. I probably should have made them bigger. During our stay I learned that she needs a pair of mittens, so the night I got back to Brooklyn, I found a pattern and made a pair from the same yarn I used for the kitty hat (Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted). The thumbs came out very long even though I made them shorter than the pattern suggested. I don't think it's something I can fix with blocking, so I'm planning to try and redo them. It's going to be tricky since I already seamed up the thumbs and weaved in the ends. Once I get a measurement from her mom, I will also make an I-cord to connect the mittens.

I also started trying to make gauge for Grandma's vest. It calls for size 8 needles, but I know my stitches tend to be tight, plus the yarn I bought (Lion's Brand Wool-Ease) is on the lighter side of worsted, so I started with US size 9. My stitches came out way too tiny. I didn't have any larger needles, so when I got home I bought some cheap 10's and 10.5's. (I was hoping to come across a Denise interchangeable set, but couldn't find it in stores so I bought it on eBay.) Last night I started a new gauge swatch, following the method outlined in Stitch 'N Bitch Nation, which I have out from the library. With US size 10's I was still way off. With 10.5's I'm getting closer, but I'm wondering if 11's might be better. At this point I'm not going to purchase any more needles, but will wait for the Denise set to arrive. (I'm so excited!)

The Christmas scarves seemed to go over well. Turns out Amy had her eye on a cashmere cable-knit scarf from L.L. Bean, so the Irish hiking scarf worked out nicely. Though now I wish I had used cashmere instead of acrylic! Derek seemed pleased with the Broncos scarf. Apparently the blue I used is their "old" blue, and one of the patches is their old logo, which seemed to be plusses.

Last night I tried to attend the local Stitch 'n Bitch group for the first time, but when I got to the designated coffee shop, I couldn't find any other knitters. I bought some tea, settled down on a couch and started knitting, waiting to see if anyone else would show up, but nobody did! I guess a lot of people are out of town the week between Christmas and New Year's.

John's double-knit ski cap
Started: Nov. 30
Finished: Dec. 26
Yarn: Tolegno Lana Gatto Luxor, 1 skein yellow, 1 skein dark gray
Needles: metal circular size 6, bamboo dpns size 6

Griffindor scarf

2005-12-22T10:38:00.000-05:00

The Griffindor scarf for my brother is about 1/3 finished. At this rate it will be ready in time for Hanukkah, no problem, assuming I don't run out of yarn. The pattern is the Hogwarts scarf from Atypically.Knit, and I'm using the same Lana Gatto Luxor yarn that I'm using for John's double-knit ski cap (on which I've made some progress, but am having some difficulty changing colors for the stripes). It does look like I'm going to run out of yarn, and getting back to School Products may be challenging in light of the transit strike. I've been working from home since Tuesday and haven't set foot in Manhattan. Tomorrow we leave for Pittsburgh. Oh well, my brother won't mind if his gift is a little late.

The big thing on my mind right now is my grandma's health. She had her leg amputated yesterday. I really want to get started knitting that vest for her. I feel so horrible about what she's been going through, and I'm hoping a hand-knitted gift will cheer her up some.

Finishing touches

2005-12-20T10:12:00.000-05:00

The patches arrived yesterday, and last night I managed to sew them on without injuring myself too seriously. (I'm not used to using needles that are actually sharp!) I also added the fringe, which nicely covers up the fact that one end of the scarf is narrower than the other.

Having done that, I decided to see if fringe would also cover up the fanned-out end of the Irish hiking scarf. I'd say that was successful as well. I used yarn from the very inside of a skein so it's all curly, which I think goes nicely with the cables.

Diagonal Denver scarf
Started: Dec. 12
Finished: Dec. 19
Yarn: Bernat Super Value, 1 skein Carrot, 1 skein Royal Blue
Needles: US 9 bamboo straights

Irish hiking scarf
Started: Dec. 8
Finished: Dec. 12 (added fringe Dec. 19)
Yarn: Bernat Satin in sapphire, 2 skeins plus a little extra for the fringe
Needles: US 9 bamboo straights

Holiday crunch time

2005-12-19T10:08:00.000-05:00

The gifts are almost ready! I just have to add some fringe to the Denver scarf. And maybe sew on patches if they arrive. And perhaps try to redo the bind-off on the Irish hiking scarf. And possibly block both scarves. And finish John's hat. And, oh, knit a Griffindor scarf for my brother. And a vest for my grandma! Fortunately Hanukkah's late this year -- we're celebrating on Jan. 1 -- and at least I'm in pretty good shape with the Christmas gifts! I'll have lots of knitting time when we drive to Pittsburgh on Friday.

Over the weekend Mom took me clothes shopping at the Danbury Mall. I kept getting distracted by all the knitwear. Instead of looking for things to buy, I kept thinking, "I bet that wouldn't be hard to make!"

I also stopped at JoAnn Fabrics and bought some alpine fleece to sew inside my Gimli hat for extra warmth and softness. That will of course have to wait till after the holidays. I'll also try and fix the tassels which are coming apart strand by strand.

Diagonal progress

2005-12-16T07:58:00.000-05:00

Almost halfway there. I'd be much farther along, but I keep making dumb mistakes and having to go back. This is definitely the most frogging I've done on any project so far. Last night I tried to knit on the subway but somehow ended up making negative progress! When I got home I made actual positive progress though.

Yesterday I purchased a couple little Broncos patches on eBay. I'm thinking it might look cute to sew one on either end of the scarf, but I'll have to see how it looks. If the patches even arrive in time.

It's kind of weird to knit something I'd never wear myself. John assures me the recipient will like it, and that's all that really matters!

Diagonal Denver scarf

2005-12-13T12:22:00.000-05:00

This is going to be a Christmas gift for a Denver Broncos fan. I started it last night, using the Diagon Alley scarf pattern from ohmystars. The yarn is Bernat Super Value, which happens to come in the right colors (Carrot and Royal Blue, I believe) and is quite affordable. Can't say I really enjoy working with this yarn -- it's so rubbery it almost squeaks. Too bad I got spoiled on luxurious yarns so early in my knitting career!

Started: Dec. 12
Finished: not yet!
Yarn: Bernat Super Value, 1 skein Carrot, 1 skein Royal Blue
Needles: US 9 bamboo straights

Irish hiking scarf

2005-12-13T10:07:00.000-05:00

Last night I finished the Irish hiking scarf which will be a Christmas gift. This was my first go at cables. I love the way they thicken the scarf.

Looks like I will have to block this one. I'm not sure I bound off quite right -- it seems to have flattened out at the end, but maybe that's normal? I also made a couple mistakes along the edge, but I don't think they're terribly noticeable. I know how to turn knits into purls and purls into knits (thank you Stitch 'n Bitch handbook!) but when the mistake happens along the edge, I get all confused when I try and fix it.

The scarf is 52 inches long. It would have been longer, but Norton the dog got a hold of the third skein, and in the process unravelled and drooled all over the yarn. That was a fun scene to come home to -- at first I thought he had unravelled my work. I was relieved to discover that it was just unused yarn. 52 inches should be long enough for this scarf, as its intended recipient, like me, is a hair under 5 feet tall.

Started: Dec. 8
Finished: Dec. 12
Yarn: Bernat Satin in sapphire, 2 skeins
Needles: US 9 bamboo straights

John's double-knit ski cap

2005-12-13T10:05:00.000-05:00

A couple weeks ago I started this hat for John, but it's on hold while I churn out some X-mas presents. It's the double-knit ski cap from the blue blog. I wanted to make John a hat to match his scarf, but he said the Manos would be a bit too scratchy on his ears. Also, I've been spending way too much money on fancy yarns. So I went to School Products and found this 100% acrylic yarn called Luxor by Tolegno Lana Gatto in a very similar yellow and a lovely dark gray.

I did a real gauge swatch for this one, and it came out perfect for the pattern. So far the hat seems to be exactly the right size. Maybe my stitches aren't as ridiculously tight anymore.

Double knitting sure is time-consuming! I can't wait to get to the stripes.

Started: Nov. 30
Finished: not yet!
Yarn: Tolegno Lana Gatto Luxor, 1 skein yellow, 1 skein dark gray
Needles: metal circular size 6

Gimli hat

2005-12-13T10:00:00.000-05:00

I made this hat for myself using some Fantasy Alpaka yarn ("100% Alpaka") I found at A.C. Moore. I believe it's real alpaca, but the spelling and the low price do make me wonder. At any rate, it was fun to knit. I didn't follow a pattern -- pretty much made it up as I went along. I quadrupled the yarn so I could use US size 15 needles. I think it sort of looks like chain mail. Emily says I look like Gimli from Lord of the Rings when I wear it.

Started: Nov. 23
Finished: Nov. 28 (added tassels Dec. 3)
Yarn: Fantasy Alpaka (2 skeins dark gray, 2 skeins light gray but there's lots left over)
Needles: metal circular size 15, bamboo dpns size 15

Courtney's kitty hat

2005-12-12T20:03:00.000-05:00

This is a modified Kittyville hat from Stitch 'n Bitch I made for John's niece's first birthday. I checked the gauge first, but somehow it still came out extra tiny. Courtney is small for her age, but maybe not that small. At any rate, everyone seems to agree that it's very cute! Maybe it will fit one of her dolls or something.

I used Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted in Blackberry. It's a superwash, and so soft! I probably only used half a skein.

It only took me a few days to complete due to my obsessiveness and insomnia, but I came upon lots of challenges with this project. I had trouble with the invisible cast-on (which I later realized wasn't even necessary). I tried a cable cast-on, but finally gave up on that in favor of a crochet chain cast-on. The trouble is, I'd never crocheted, so that was a real struggle. Also, I think I knitted a whole round before I joined, so there's a weird uneven spot in the back. Later I got confused when it came to decreasing in the seed stitch, so it came out a little funky but apparently no one else can tell.

I chose not to sew up the outer edges of the ears, because I thought it looked neat open like that.

Started: Nov. 16
Finished: Nov. 20
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted in Blackberry (1 skein)
Needles: metal circular size 8, bamboo dpns size 8

Grandma's baby cable hat

2005-12-12T16:50:00.000-05:00

This Baby Cable Ribbed Cap was done in 4 days. It goes with the ribbed scarf I knitted for Grandma the week before. She's been in and out of the hospital for the past few months, and she's always cold, so I wanted to make her things that would both cheer and warm her up. And make me feel useful. It was something to do while I awaited news from her doctors.

Started: Nov. 8
Finished: Nov. 12
Yarn: Rowan CashSoft Aran, Oat (2 skeins), and Mole (leftover from scarf)
Needles: metal circular size 8, bamboo dpns size 8

The beginning (my first scarf)

2005-12-12T16:00:00.000-05:00

A few months ago, on a train headed upstate, Emily gave me a lesson on knitting. It felt funny to me, coming as I do from a line of women in which each generation is successively less gifted in the "domestic arts," to be holding knitting needles. Nevertheless, I managed to grasp the basics and completed several rows of garter stitch on that train ride. After the first few rows my stitches started to tighten drastically, resulting in a very irregularly shaped swatch.

A few days later, I went out to Purl in SoHo and bought some yellow Manos del Uruguay yarn which John picked out, and started my first scarf. Just plain and simple garter stitch, as I had not yet learned to purl. I started with 40 stitches and soon counted 42, but fortunately my mistakes were not too obvious. During my first few knitting sessions I would concentrate so hard that I'd forget to breathe, and I'd get all queasy and headachey. But as I plodded on, my fingers started to memorize the movements, and my breathing fell into step with the rhythm of the stitches. John likes his scarves extra long and wide, so I didn't finish that scarf for another three months.

Since then, knitting, like most things in which I get involved, seems to have become an obsession. I bought myself Stitch 'n Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook and started to get a little more ambitious. I am now halfway through my fourth hat and close to finishing my third scarf. With each new project I have tried to learn something new. I made a scarf for Grandma and learned how to purl, rib, and make stripes. Then I made her a matching hat and learned to follow a pattern, knit in the round with a circular needle and double-pointeds, make baby cables, and decrease. The Kittyville hat I made for John's one-year-old niece taught me to pick up stitches, seed stitch, and make I-cords and pom-poms. And so on and so forth (hopefully more details and pictures to come).

I find myself spending much of the time that I'm not knitting looking at other knitters' web sites. It occurred to me that I really ought to start my own knitting blog, if only to keep track of my projects.

I will try to get pictures of my already completed projects so I can post the backlog, plus there will be lots more in the near future as I am in the process of cramming for the holidays.

John's scarf
Started: July 17, 2005
Finished: Oct. 25, 2005
Yarn: Manos del Uruguay Handspun Semi Solid Goldenrod, 3 skeins
Needles: US 9 bamboo straights