Purl Up With A Good Yarn

Afghans Everywhere

I'm still making ripples. I can't stop.

I even started knitting ripples.

Fruits on Fire

While listening to the Lime N Violet podcast, I clicked over to the chevronscarf flickr group while they were chatting about it and fell instantly in love. I've always admired the pattern in Last Minute Knitted Gifts but never wanted to splurge on 4 skeins of Koigu for a scarf. I got to thinking about my voluminous sock yarn stash and some of the Rockin' Sock Club Socks That Rock kits that I received last year and decided to use up my December kit which was a skein of Mustang Sally (the berry colored skein on the left) and my Rare Gem called Unusual (obviously the skein on the right). I was not fond of the Rare Gem in the skein, it was very purple and orange. Once I wound it into a little yarn cake, I liked it a little better because it was easier to see the colors blended together and once I started knitting the Chevron Scarf, I fell in love.

I have not forsaken my Central Park Hoodie, I am on sleeve island. I am knitting both at once and I need a little respite from the green. There's nothing like a scarf that reminds you of a ripe summer fruit basket to break up the monotony of sleeve island!

This is also the second Rockin' Sock Club kit that I have used and not made socks with. I might use up the rest of my kits for non sock projects and see if I can come up with creative ways to use up the pretty club colorways that I am not absolutely in love with.

Central Park

Well, I did not resist the temptation to cast on for the Central Park Hoodie for too long. I think I cast on the very next day after I posted. I can't stop knitting this one. Here's proof:

I also have one front finished as well. I'm going to cast on both sleeves tonight during my lunch break. One week for a finished back and 1 front. Maybe I'll be wearing it by the end of the month!

Sweaters

Well, I've managed to finish the knitting on one sweater so far this year. I have no picture. It's another baby surprise sweater in a pale lime green. I need to sew it up and pick out some buttons for it.

Other sweater news, Durrow still needs one side of the front finished and the sleeves done. I've been ignoring it because I am afraid the neck is going to be wonky and I'm going to have to rip and reknit everything anyways.

I'm also working on a yoked sweater from an Elizabeth Zimmerman pattern. I've got the body complete and one sleeve nearly done. Here are my yoke colors :

and the contrast hem :

I also swatched today for the Central Park sweater from the Fall '06 issue of knitscene. I bought some discontinued Rowanspun Aran from ebay earlier this year. I used this yarn to make a French Market Bag and was sad to hear they had discontinued it. I'm thinking about buying another bag if there are any left because I love it.

I'm trying really hard not to cast on for the Central Park Hoodie but I'm not sure how much longer I can hold out!

Advanced or Lazy?

I'm nearly finished with the front of Durrow and I have to vent a little bit. The directions for the front are rather vague and confusing.

This knit is rated 'advanced' but I thought that was because of the cabling on the sleeves which is definitely an advanced cable pattern. I find that the instructions for the front are a sort of cop out, especially the shoulder & neck shaping parts. 

I'm slightly grateful for the brief instructions since they make me think about what I am doing but I'm also irritated since I know I will probably have to rip stuff out. The neck is looking a bit largeish.

Oh well,  I should cast on the sleeves  tomorrow and hopefully will get a lot of work done on them this weekend since we're going away to a cabin in the mountains with half a dozen of our closest friends.

In case you were wondering, the yarn I'm using is Debbie Bliss Donegal Aran Tweed in a nice chocolate brown.

Fake Isle

Pattern : Fake Isle from Magknits
Yarn Used : Noro Kureyon in color 188 (I think) and Wool of the Andes in Cloud, 1 skein of each
Needles: Bamboo dpns size 16
Started/Finihsed : Saturday 12.16/Sunday 12.17

I love these colors together. The hat is the s/m size and is too small for most adult heads that I know. I plan on donating this to a silent auction at our local Twelfth Night Celebration since I don't really know anyone this will fit.

The Year In Review

Well, this year in kntting was not very productive. Matt and I joined the SCA last autumn, quickly got involved and met some great new friends. It really keeps us busy between events and being officers in our local group. That was one of the reasons for my summer hiatus in knitting. We went to Pennsic this year and it took a lot of preparation which left me with little time to knit or even see my knitting friends.

For those of you who don't know what the SCA is, it's a non profit organization that promotes and the recreation of medieval society from about 600AD - 1600AD. Pennsic is the biggest gathering/event of the organization. It's 12,000 people camping together for 2 weeks in August in Pennsylvania (about 45 minutes from where we live) medieval style. It's incredible. You can't even imagine what it's like. During the year, there are much smaller events/gatherings. If you're interested in hearing more about the SCA or Pennsic, or if you're a fellow SCAdian, please let me know in the comments and I'll do my best to answer your questions.

So, my geekery kept me away from the knitting this past year. I just filled out my 2006 Photo Album and realized how little I had actually finished. I knit a lot more than I finished this year but more on that later.

I found this questionaire on Lolly's blog who got it from Elizabeth.

• What is your absolute favorite project you've ever knit (one that fulfilled both process and product)?

It has to be my Sockapaloooza socks that I sent to Sherry earlier this year. They just flew off my needles and were so beautiful when they were finished. I really had a hard time sending them away.

• Which of your handknits do you wear the most often?

My capelet, Dibs on Ribs and all of my socks. The capelet is great for keeping my shoulders warm, Dibs on Ribs is just fun to wear and my socks keep my feet warm.

 

• What was your favorite gift to knit?

Henry the Bear was so fun and quick to knit. I made him for my friend's new baby.

• Which of your handknits are gathering dust your closet?

Sadly, my Calmer top and the Shoalwater shawl. The Calmer top just didn't get much wear this year. It fits me and I like it. I don't know why I didn't wear it this year. The shawl is a bust. It isn't the right size and doesn't really go with my wardrobe.

• Which of your handknits have you gotten rid of?

None yet. I have a cardigan that I started last year that I am planning on ripping out. I have the back and two fronts finished. The sleeves needed to be redone because the sleeve cap was too small. But it's been so long, I think I may rip the cardigan out and reuse the yarn (Kathamandu Aran Tweed) to make Durrow. I will also most likely get rid of my Shoalwater Shawl somehow. It just isn't me.

• If you've knit socks, what is your favorite pattern?

Um, this is a tough one. I love garter rib, baby cable rib and railroad rib the best.

• What would you like to make in 2007?

Hah. I want to finish up some of the things that I've left unfinished this year, like the bag from Sally Melville, the Dale baby sweater, my Calmer wrap sweater from Big Girl Knits and the mate to the purple Trekking Sock.

Other than that, I have a burning desire to make a tweedy cabled sweater, another sweather for Matt, a lace shawl and more socks.

I did learn to steek this past year and I did improve my stranded colorwork skills. Next year, I need to work on more advanced techniques and really focusing on my knitting despite being so busy.

Garter Stitch

I have at least one Christmas present that I have to knit and one that I want to knit. Matt asked me to knit him something for Christmas and I can't say no to the man who washes our wool sweaters with such care each season. He wears the sweater and socks that I made him all of the time. Originally, he asked me to knit him a pair of socks but then I suggested I make him a small drawstring pouch to keep his dice for playing games in, so I have the yarn and I have an idea of what he would like in a pattern, but I have not cast on for it yet.  I would also like to knit him another sweater and I even have wool in the stash for 2 different ones to knit for him.

I would also like to knit my mother a scarf sized version of Kiri since she is going through a divorce and we will not be seeing her over the holidays and she feels really alone right now. I started one for her using some white Kid Silk Haze that I bought 2 years ago at the Liberty Sale when we lived in London. I have done about 6 pattern repeats and would like to do a few more before I cast it off and block it.

This is not to mention the Dale of Norway baby sweater that just needs the button bands knit on it and has for months or the sweater I am knitting for myself out of Big Girl Knits or the 1 single purple Trekking sock that needs a mate and a few other miscellaneous projects that are sitting around.

And all I really want to knit is garter stitch. I'm on the second to last block of the Moderne Baby Blanket from the Mason Dixon knitting book and I cast on for another Baby Surprise jacket just yesterday. I can't stop the garter stitch. It's mindless and I can knit it on the bumpy bus rides and did I mention mindless? I've been so busy lately that I don't really want to think about my knitting, I just want to sit and knit. I want simple process, the basic of basics. Cast on, knit every row, bind off. Repeat.

Dear readers, I'll gladly accept advice and encouragement so I can finish up what I can and start the New Year off fresh and clean of knitting projects hanging over my head.

Socks That Rock But Not

Pattern : Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmerman, Christine's Baby Booties

Yarn Used : Socks That Rock medium weight in Fairgrounds colorway

Needles: Knit Picks Options in size 4 for sweater, Brittany dpns in size 2

Started/Finished: 24.11.2006/28.11.2006

Dudes/Dudettes, a sweater and booties that knit up in a weekend. What else is there to say? I admit that I did a lot of knitting over the weekend but it was still a quick knit. I am in the Rockin' Sock Club and this was one of the colorways that was sent to me and I didn't really like it but now I think it's adorable knit up into this set. This is the newborn size.

The booties were super easy and quick, I knit those last night. I still have to finish an i-cord for the second bootie and get some buttons but I couldn't wait any longer to take pictures and post.

I have a friend who is pregnant and if she has a girl, this will go to her. Otherwise, I will hold on to it until someone else I know has a girl!

These are the true colors.

(*^&@(&^&*%!@!

I have lost my ball winder. It's not in the place it should be in.

Frak. That's annoying.