Tweedy cable hat

After telling anyone who would listen that I was planning on finishing Wicked EVEN though it was going to be too small ie. I was ready to move onto other projects, I could not stand the thought it was not going to fit me, especially because I love the yarn so much.

So...I frogged back to the the armholes, added a couple more increase rounds, and resumed! I'm very pleased with the fit now. So excited, I took time out to do the sleeves, and the pocket. Currently I'm doing the shaping on the body...it's very easy knitting now, but I still have Christmas knitting to do and feel kind of guilty working on this! Besides which, I am waiting for one more skein to arrive for finishing off this bad boy.

So, a little break I will take.



Here's a little cutie cap I whipped up using some leftover Gedifra English Tweed. I used this pattern from the Yarn Harlot (her free pattern on her website), with one modification to make it bigger since my gauge didn't match the pattern's. The pattern is very fun to make, but I still had to block it bigger because all the cables really pulled it in. It's still a bit small, but sure fits this model rather nicely! I wasn't sure if this would suit my intended giftee, so I started these:



This will end up being a New Year's present, but I know will be gratefully received no matter when I finish them.

This and that

Since the last hat streak, I thought I would work on Classic Cable, ready for something more challenging. I took the pattern out, read where I left off, then sighed heavily and returned it to its little bag....I just don't think I can immerse myself in this attention-needing pattern! I feel kind of bad since I imagined myself wearing this nice cosy red turtleneck at Christmas. C'est la vie, there is always Valentine's!



So I thought I would work on Wicked.



This was ticking along jim dandy when I started to doubt the fit. I knew the gauge was not perfect when I started, but at that point I was so ready (yes, that would be at cast-on) to just whip it up and get on to the next project...I thought I would go for it. Well, ahem, the sweater may turn out to be rather snug. I have not started the sleeves yet, but I think I'll pick up a few stitches when I start (at the armpit) which I find I have to do anyway with a raglan. Then if that doesn't help ease up the fit, I'll block it out a wee bit. If that fails, well, little miss M will hopefully wear it in a year or two! I am down to near the bottom and now I have this bad feeling I'm going to run out of yarn. In a panic I worried about them not having more of this colourway, so off I went and ordered more, yep, one more skein! That should arrive later this week. So, while waiting for that, I churned out a couple more things.



Here's a close-up of a Christmas gift which is just finished!



Here's something else - this little vest was a happy surprise. The yarn is Grignasco Karma, made up in Blue Sky Alpaca's ribbon vest pattern. I did not use ribbon, and the vest turned out to be a little big for me overall (not because of the lack of ribbon, but because I was too lazy to play with the gauge). So after about a year of wondering how to make it smaller, I psyched myself up to bravely put it under the needle of my trusty Bernina. That was fun! I turned the vest inside out, hand basted the fit compared to something else that fit me well, then seamed it on my machine a couple of times (same seam), then repeated this 1/4" away into the seam allowance. Then, with my trusty Janome, I serged off the new seam allowance to about 5/8" and voila, a perfect little vest with some fun colour and little bobbly things! There's deal on this yarn at Urban Yarns this week!

I like hats

During my sock craze, I always had to keep the momentum going between mates so that I wouldn't fall to SSS, second sock syndrome, and have a bunch of singles. That would bother me to no end...so I usually went no longer than a week break between first and second sock. Now I'm kind of into hats, in fact, a lot into hats. It feels very good knitting one thing and being done!


I've been enjoying Noro Silk Garden, using Christa Giles' pattern for garter ribbed hat (purchased from Urban Yarns). She used two skeins, but I found it very easy to get away with one. I was most pleased with the fit, so I tried another colour way.


This the colour I'm on now.


Here's another, made last year, from Noro Iro using a spiral rib pattern.


And here's the one I re-knit sans flaps. I just ripped back to remove the ear flaps, and finished with a simple rolled brim. Quite sweet, oui?



The weather is cooperating very nicely for me right now. It's cold, sunny and dry - I just love having so many choices to keep my head warm!

Cable Progress, not so much

I've slowed down on the Cable Sweater. It takes so much concentration for every stitch I can barely stand it. There are pretty well no breaks at all where I can cruise along. Well, maybe one row per 20 row repeat. I've decided "reddy" is not a good project for hockey games or waiting times. It's only good for an hour ot two of complete uninterrupted time, usually when kids are in bed. Of course this is at nighttime when I don't have the most energy to carefully read the pattern. This could potentially take me more than two months to knit, what a concept! Bottom line is, it's taking a lot out of me, and I had to do something else for a bit of a breather....

.....so I swatched the yarn for Wicked, and am looking forward to some easy knitting on easy street! This colour is very rich and pretty in real life! I got gauge with this swatch and hope to whip it up pretty fast.

One more thing: I took apart a hat I had made for myself (it had ear flaps, it wasn't working for me unless I was cruising around Whistler village, which is not too often, who am I kidding....I digress) and am now re-working the bottom so it is simple ribbing. I feel good about re-making something I know I will wear instead of thinking I will wear. I'm going to need it, it is so cold right now! Thankfully the furnace guy came today to do his magic with the old beast downstairs. It has made a wonderful difference to everyone's (ie. my) disposition.

Sockfest

Finissio! Nice, hm? I'm still a little sensitive to the colour change from sock to sock, from the same skein and all, but I am reassured by anyone I show them to that that is the beauty of hand-dyed yarn, go with it! They are lovely, the colour was most pleasing to knit with all the way through. I knit these from the toe up using the Master Coriolis pattern (from this book) but added 2 extra stitches to the width of the band. I finished off with Elizabeth Zimmerman's sewn bind-off (explained in the same book) which I really like for elasticity at the cuff. These will make a yummy gift down the road.

The photographer of the above socks showed off the ones he was wearing - these are also Fleece Artist Basic Merino in mineral. This was my first ever pair of socks I knit, and it's been a sock craze since.



Here's another pair from Cat Bordhi's book, the Tibetan Sock. This sock I knit in a class with Sivia Harding at Urban Yarns, using Koigu's Kersti yarn. It is modifed from the pattern: the original calls for casting off a few rows above the top of the heel so it's kind of like an ankle sock. Instead, I repeated the leg pattern until the skein was gone. The colours are so rich it's a shame not to use it all. It is quite thick, and knit up very fast on 3.75 mm needles! Seriously, I knit the second sock in two days, it was that quick. It washes up so well and is incredibly soft, I am looking to knit more in another stunning colourway.



I have lots more special sock yarn stash, not sure if I can whip up another pair before Christmas, but ya never know!

Diversions

I was gung-ho to finish the socks. I left the first sock cuff on a scrap of waste yarn, then started to knit the second from the other end of the ball, knitting from the toe up, so that I don't have to worry about running out of yarn. This is what I noticed:

The colour seems to have changed a bit. This gorgeous handpainted wool seems to have more oranges and pinks in this end of the ball, while the first sock, knit from the other end of the ball, had more blues and greens. I'm not sure what to do. What would I do? Cast off the first sock, then start the second from where I left off? Or just carry on? I must stop the sock for now and mull this over.


This was a happy distraction. M and I worked on some painted and stitched paper tidbits for future cardmaking.






She had painted cardstock in a set of colours and textures, cut them up after drying, and then set about adding tissue paper, beads, sequins and simple stitches with embroidery floss. We were very productive (rather, she was, since I was fussing with my sock colours).


Embellishments for cards!








There was a hockey game on Saturday night and I did not want to waste valuable knitting time while sitting in front of the TV (since the sock is on time-out), so I rummaged around in my stash and found a big lovely ball of Colinette point 5 (one skein). I started something new in the second period..


...and I finished it during After Hours HNIC. A beautiful new scarf! 8 stitches. Row 1: k1,yfwd, repeat across row ending with k1. Row 2: k across row, dropping the wraps in between each stitch. I used the whole ball. Love this!

Cashmere cloche complete

This was fast and easy! Made great progress while waiting at the dentist's office for M, and her brother D was busy playing video games. Next thing you know I was saying, voila! The swirling stripes are quite pretty and I'm happy with the effect, not to mention the softness of the knitted fabric. Sorry I couldn't get a model to show the exact depth on a human head, but I'll round up someone sooner or later for one of my FOs. This little hat wil make a great gift, it's already destined for a friend!

Speaking of which, I found a friendly looking little package waiting for me on my front doorstep when I got home this morning. Look what I opened up!

This is Artyarns Supermerino, earmarked for Wicked by Zephyr. 500 yards of sheer beauty in dusty plum! Sigh...can't wait! I ordered from fabulousyarn, based in NY. They have a discount program which I took advantage of, and with our dollar, well, why fight it? It was a great deal!



But first...I must do my best to avert second sock syndrome, and this weekend, I'll begin the mate. That's right, I finished the first one already, and it's as pretty knit up as it was on the skein!

Cashmere at night

The kids were full of beans today at school and tonight with friends. Whilst they were enjoying the festivities in the classroom, I was cosy by the fire, working on this hat. It's the Cashmere Cloche from HandMaiden, in the Origin colourway. I had bought the yarn intending to make it in a k2p2 ribbing on straights (like Devin's Toque, also by HandMaiden). I thought I would be clever and knit from two balls of yarn to mix it up . After knitting about 5 inches worth, I saw it wasn't blending how I thought it should (it was more like two inches worth, but I kept thinking it would improve, I should give it time). I continued patiently when finally it occurred to me something was most definitely wrong: the purple pooled in the middle and it looked like a big eye staring at me. A sign! Of course I had to mull this over for awhile, consult a few friends for their opinion and make a trip to my LYS just to make sure the staff there felt the same. And they did. So I ripped it out, and began again, this time, in the round. Now, I like how this is turning out. This is the after. I forgot to take a picture of it before I frogged.

It was cold out there tonight but with all my hand knits on I was comfy!
Cashmere, it's a wonderful thing.

Knits begin!

I'm completely into knitting socks right now, they are so comforting, easy to tote, not to mention the yarn comes in such delectable colours I cannot resist. This yarn is Fleece Artist's Basic Merino Yarn, in the colourway pinata. Totally delish. Unfortunately the yumminess of the colour is not reflected in the picture. The pattern is from Cat Bordhi's book New Pathways for Sock Knitters (Simple Master Coriolis). Going from the toe up!




That's for the mindless knitting times...my current big project is from Debbie Bliss' Out of Town book. I'm making the Classic Cable Sweater in DB alpaca silk aran. This is my second project from her book. I have to really pay attention with this pattern, there are about 15 abbreviations I constantly refer to. I cannot work on this one when I watch TV! I've already messed up once, but I'm not telling you where! The colour is actually a deep cherry red, not fuschia as it came out.


Her (Debbie Bliss) patterns are quite good, I have not encountered any problems with them. The other project I've made from that book is the Flared Cable Jacket which most of you have seen me wear. I made it out of what the pattern called for: Cashmerino Aran, but it has begun to pill with frequent wear. Oh well, I like it so much it does not matter, I'm really enjoying it.













Happy day!

First one

Here it is, folks. First post. Ta da!

Nothing to show you yet, still need to take photos of my stuff, but in the meantime I'm experimenting with this thing. I know this photo is out of season but it perks me up a bit on such a blustery night.

Yarn pictures coming soon!