I’m Not Dead

I guess it’s been a couple of weeks since my last post.  I have a good excuse.  You see, my 2 year old quit taking naps, thereby eliminating my usually scheduled time to post.  And, we switched from a pc to a macbook and, as computers are intimidating to me, I put off learning how to use it.  Also, my husband is not good at sharing said macbook.

Cliff is at work, baby’s playing with blocks, and I’m feeling capable.  So here are my newest F.O.’s—

Empire Waist Cardi  by Pam Allen in Madil bamboo print

I am not thrilled with how the picked up stitches for the skirt have stretched out, but other than that, i really like this sweater.  I might dye it yellow.

Reclamation Scarf by Stephanie Japel in Hazel Knits sock yarn colorway Nemo

This sucker came out huge!  I love it!  I get compliments every time I wear and it is just soft enough for my real princess sensitive neck.  I really like the gradual increasing.  It allows me to not guess at the finished size so I can just start without counting and end when the yarn is gone.

Oly’s starting to smash things so I’m out.

 

F.O. Coachella

I finally made mine.  This is a great pattern.  Very quick and easy but interesting and flattering.  Mine is made from Linus by Elann.com.  It is a 100% linen yarn, worsted weight.  Super fuzzy and fluffy at first but really nice texture.  After a machine wash and dry (I LOVE linen!) Most of the loose fuzz is gone and it gets all slinky and shiny.  The pattern is definitely written for a fiber with a bit more memory so I took four stitches out of the extra small size to prepare for the inevitable expansion of the fabric.  It fits perfectly!  If I were to do it again,  I would make my gauge much tighter since the removal of fuzz rendered it a bit too transparent for bare wear.  Now I just need to find an appropriate undergarment and she’s ready to go out.

 

F.O. –Link

It is finished!

 

 

Please pardon the photos.  My camera is on the fritz and little children are distracting.

It came out exactly as I pictured it except for being a bit too big.  Super easy pattern, which I have fantasies of taking time to write up.  It’s just two long rectangles folded over at the shoulder and seamed down the sides, front and back.  The neck and arm holes are attached I-cord and the hem is picked up and folded.  I’m really pleased with it.

 

Slip Stitch Rules!

My latest design attempt has been very satisfying so far.    It’s a little CotLin top using a slip stitch chart from my Barbara G. Walker book.  I had many false starts with gauge ,counting, and construction but once established, it has cruised right along. 

I have already seamed the sides and now must graft the front and back, leaving a v-neck opening.  It’s very curled up on itself so it looks a little small and shapeless but when draped on me, it feels like it will fit. I will then do a knit and turned hem all around or an applied i-cord to finish all the edges.  I will decide once assembled and tried on.

It has been a very fun and easy project.  Just enough going on to not be bored but not so much that i can’t watch t.v.  I so hope my result matches my enjoyment of the process.

 

Pepto

I had a surgical procedure a couple of months ago (I’m totally fine) that required I lay around on the couch for a week.  Perfect!, I thought.  Knitting time.  I forgot that recovering from surgery requires sleeping off anesthesia ,discomfort and occasional percosets.  This meant that ,although I was bored, counting stitches and following a pattern was too challenging.  The fingers had to keep moving so this is what they did.

 

It is completely unblocked as I plan to toss it in the dryer and give it to Bernadette.  Not bad for barely conscious.  I even see potential for a real design in here.  This yarn does not make me happy,though.    It was fine to work with but is uncomfortable next to the skin.  It is Classic Elite All Seasons and has been discontinued. Oh, well.  Bird likes it.

 

I’m On YouTube!

Here’s the link to the episode of knitting dailytv that features my frock camisole!  She even said my name  right.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPaMoa_0-lQ&feature=channel_page

 

Gift F.O.s

I finished the baby blanket on time for the shower tomorrow!

Modeling for our pleasure in the bottom photo is the lovely Lupe.

The yarn is Crayon from knitpicks in cashew, gumball, and flamingo. I am using a variety of photos to ,hopefully, convey how drapey, sproingy and soft this fabric turned out.  All baby blankets should be made from this yarn.   If you wanted a full size blanket, you would need to use a tighter gauge because this is pretty stretchy.  I’d love to tell you my st-per-inch but the boucle garter stitch is tricky to count.  I used a size 7 needle. No noticeable shrinkage, either.

This next F.O. is a birthday present for a friend.  I used Ella Rae Silkience in Yellow.  It’s really more of a goldy-green.  The pattern is Dropped Stitch Scarf from ravelry. 

This one shows the bright, shiny threads that make this yarn so pretty.

I am hoping to start a garment soon but the time to do all the math and prep has been eluding me.

 

Non knitting related but noteworthy–

Please check out this podcast on raising globally aware students and how to save thousands on college costs.

Follow this link  and click on “global students”.  http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast.php?id=510053

The author’s website is http://www.mayafrost.com/

It’s a really inspiring story and totally worth your time.

 

Unfinished Business

I now have four things started that need to be finished.  The matching pink vests for me and Bernadette, baby blanket for a friend’s baby shower, and my CotLin top.  Sigh… I hope to have the blanket finished by the end of the week.  It is made from knitpicks Crayon and is soooo soft knitted up.  I went with a looser than recommended gauge (size 7 needle) because the boucle is a bit hard to knit and I wanted it to knit up fast.  The openness of the stitches gives it a waffle weave effect.  Also, it is super drapey.  I figured it might shrink a bit in the dryer, being cotton and all, so I am making it longer than a square.  The stripe size is determined by the skein yardage.  I just use one color up and then switch to the other.  I was actually able to knit through the whole Star Trek movie this way!

 

When this is done, I am going to start a  scarf for a friend whose birthday is at the end of June.  I bought a skein of Ella Rae Silkience for it and am going to use the Drop Stitch Scarf  pattern from ravelry.  That should wrap up my deadlines and let me get back to my selfish knitting. 

Now I am going to go knit.

 

New Yarn

I received my summer Knitpicks order!  I got some CotLin and some Crayon. 

The CotLin is so much softer than than I expected.  I pictured kitchen cotton plus euroflax.  Somehow they got some air in it and it’s pretty cushy.  I have been imagining a little mosaic knit top for summer in green so I had to order a book of mosaic charts, too.  I’m hoping this try at design works out a little better.  It’s a pretty simple shape so as long as it’s not too tight, it should work.

The Crayon is for a baby blanket for an expecting friend.  They found out they are having a girl so I’m justifying trying out a couple of pinks.  This is not at all what I expected either.  I have felt the Lion Brand cotton boucle and thought it horrible.  It felt grabby and squeaky and dirty.  I wanted something lightweight and washable and the yarn reviews on ravelry raved about Crayon’s softness so I ordered it.  Not disappointed.  It’s like someone took a good quality cotton ball and stretched it out and wrapped it in another soft thread.  I tried swatching it with my knitpicks nickel needles but they were too pointy and grabbed all the wrong things.  It wouldn’t slide in the nickel, either.  I’m going to try my bamboo needles next.  I hope that will do the trick since it is so nice.

I had some Classic Elite 4 seasons in a very pepto pink that Bernadette, of course, loves.  So I’m making a couple of matching mommy/daughter summery vests for us.  Super mindeless knitting and minimal seaming so they should be finished soon.  Mine is done minus the belt and hers is almost half way.  This is hers-

 

I Feel Some Berroco Comin’ On

I love linen for summer knitting.  A fiber that improves with washing and drying should be worshipped. It annoys my hands and wrists but the fabric is just so delightful, it’s totally worth it.  Berroco has a lot of linen blends so I was checking out their website.  I never think much about Berroco or Norah Gaughan.  She usually seems a little too arty or funky to me.  Her pieces are stiking as statements or geometry lessons but don’t usually look very flattering.  As a pale, orange-haired, tattooed lady, I like interesting and different but never at the cost of pretty.  Pretty comes first.

But Oh my Goodness!  I found so many patterns that I LOVE!

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Not only are these pretty and interesting patterns, but the colors are gorgeous.  Usually, summer yarns are icky,precious pastel or day-glo bright.  These are so rich and flattering on me!

I’ve got an order of CotLin on its way from knitpicks so I doubt I’ll be diving into any of these yarns right away but it was so fun to discove a whole new pattern resource.