Oysterknits

Miter Madness!

2007-07-18T06:33:00.000-07:00

I caught the bug from januaryone
and it IS addictive. Along with my mom's Lady E,
I think this is my most favorite FO of all time. I didn't know whether my friend was having a boy or girl, so I went with 6 different brights, plus black and white. Red, lime, tangerine, turquoise, cobalt blue, purple. Halfway in, I decided the best size would be 3 blocks x 3 blocks for 9 blocks total, and since I didn't want to do a white block, I needed 2 more colors. Luckily for me, baby J made his appearance 4 weeks early, so I went with 2 more boyish colors, a darker orange and a olive-y green. For the border, I did 4 rows of white garter, 4 of black. The mitering itself only took about a week, it was the seaming that took forever (although I have to say, most of that time was procrastination!). Then, a trip down to Purl for the fabric. It did cost an arm and a leg for the tailor at my dry cleaner to attach it, but since I don't have a sewing machine, I couldn't see another option. I didn't think hand sewing it would have made it secure enough, since the knitted fabric is pretty heavy. I hope to gift it next week - hope she loves it as much as I do!I am so thrilled with the way it came out, I started one for W's bed (twin-size--that's ambitious!) Since there's no rush, I figure it will be a fun thing to work on in between other projects. I guess that I should confess here that after finishing almost all the squares, I realized I'd read the pattern wrong, and had been ssk, k2tog twice the whole way. Oh well, it's a "design element"!

Project Specs:
Baby J's Mitered Blankie
Pattern: Mason Dixon Knitting
Yarn: Tahki Cotton Classic, 2 skeins each of black, white, red, turquoise, lime, tangerine, dark orange, olive green, purple and blue. Little bits of all left over for, hmm, another one?
Needles: Addi turbo 6 (4mm)
Started: May 2007
Finished: July 2007
Finished dimensions: Approx. 40"x40" (each square approx 12.5 x 12.5 after seaming)

Patiently Waiting....

2007-07-16T10:13:00.000-07:00

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The Wonderful World of Wonder Knitting

2007-06-14T07:23:00.000-07:00

About a year ago, wanting to get my then 5 year old boys interested in knitting, and give them a quiet activity they could focus on, I bought them each a Wonder Knitter. They took to it immediately, and began churning out yards of i-cord, which then became bracelets, necklaces, etc (although, as with a lot of knitting, for them it's about the process, not the product). In Kindergarten this year, W's teacher was inspired, after I gave the teachers their handknit holiday scarves, to pick up crochet again after many years. We talked about doing something in the classroom, but since the spring was so crazy, I didn't get my act together until late. I bought 4 wonder knitters for the class, and she and I sat and taught the kids one-on-one, each picking it up and his or her own pace. Some kids were new to it, some had done it before with an older sib, but all really enjoyed it. I was away for a week on vacation, and when I came back, she had turned the yards of i-cord into a wall hanging for the classroom. It looked awesome and I was so proud of them! Next year, I'll definitely do it again, but plan a little better. I have a couple of books that show what you can make with i-cord, and I'll make some prototypes over the summer to give the kids some ideas. I thought it was a great way to introduce knitting to young kids before they have the fine motor skills to manage 2 needles.

Technology is not my friend

2007-06-08T12:23:00.000-07:00

First the cable goes out for a week, then days later, mysteriously, the hard drive fails. As in dies. As in, if we had been backing up on an external hard drive all along, no biggie (except for the need to now replace a 2 year old computer). Documents, pictures, music, gone. People, I'm begging you, go get yourself an external hard drive and back up today! (As I'm sitting here, I just reminded myself that even though we bought an external hard drive with the new computer, it does no good, IF IT'S STILL IN THE BOX.) Luckily, pictures prior to 2006 were backed up on discs, and most of 2006 was uploaded to Shutterfly, and that was all I really cared about.

Anyway, on to bigger and better. Lots of knitting going on while I had no computer to lollygag away the day on. I'll just show one thing today, though, and hopefully this weekend will put the rest of it together. For my dear friend J's baby shower, inspired by the mitre-passion of january one, I decided to do a MDK mitre blanket. Since she didn't know what she was having, I decided to do lots of gender-neutral brights. Started with 2 skeins of 6 colors each, plus black and white. I was feeling the need to add a couple more colors, then baby J conveniently made his appearance 4 weeks early, the week before the shower. So I added 2 more boyish colors. It's really stunning, and once I seam all the squares, I'm going to add a black and white border, then back it with some black at white fabric (shopping trip to Purl planned for Monday).

The Wallarib, aka Stop Me Before I Wallaby Again

2007-03-21T11:51:00.000-07:00

Months and months ago, I got some Cascasde 220 Quattro on closeout, and bought 2 skeins bright pink and 1 orange (sorry, ball bands long gone!) to make a little two-tone cardi for my niece E the Magnificent. Finished all the pieces, and then nothing. Just wasn't floating my boat. Flash forward several months, and I'm in the middle of my wallaby obsession. I've been itching to do a short sleeve version, to go over a long sleeve tee in the spring, and voila! Kill 2 birds with one stone -- clean out another UFO, and more wallabying!

Coincidentally, I happened to have some Trekking XXL that was a perfect match for the sweater, so I whipped her up a pair of socks to go with it. Kismet.

Pattern: Wonderful Wallaby
Yarn: Cascade 220 Quattro
Needles: Addi US 6 for rib, US 8 for body, Clover dpn US 7 for sleeves
Mods: Ran the ribbing up to the top of the pocket for a more fitted, modern look; made the sleeves 5" with a generous ribbing that could be folded up if the sleeve turns out to be an awkward length on her. I was worried that I would run out of yarn if I did the hood one color, so I striped it.

Socks:
Pattern: Just your basic 2x2 rib, stockinette leg
Yarn: Trekking XXL #05
Needles: Clover dpns US 1 (2.25mm)

It's Love

2007-03-14T13:46:00.000-07:00

And by the end of the day, it was loved with pancake syrup, cherry ice pop, sand, you name it, because she refused to take it off even though it was 68 degrees here today. Is there anything better than a loved-to-death handknit? Scroll down for all the details.

Trekking Socks

2007-03-12T09:34:00.000-07:00

I finished my mom's trekking socks a while ago, but due to the missing battery charger, just got around to taking some pics. Boy, these went fast! I used a pattern by Ann Budd that was free to Interweave Knits subscribers on their website, but now I can't find the link! My mom has bigger feet than I do, so I think if I make them for me, I might go down a needle size, but I love the way they came out. This was my first time using the Trekking, and I can't say I loved these particular colors, but I think my mom will. I haven't washed them yet, so I hope they will soften up.

Pattern: Ann Budd's Diagonal Ribbed Socks (Interweave Knits, Winter 04)
Yarn: Trekking XXL, color Plum/Cinnamon 101 from here
Needles: Clover bamboo dpns US 2 (2.75 mm)
Started: .01.29.07
Finished: .02.05.07

The Devil's in the Details

2007-03-12T08:26:00.000-07:00

I still need to photograph Wallaby #2, but in the meantime, here is Wallaby #3, for my adorable niece, E the Magnificent. This one was all about the details. I had seen someone's wallaby (sorry, I can't remember whose!) with great cabling on it and decided I wanted to do something similar.

I started with a K4xP2 cable rib (every 6 rows) on the bottom and sleeve ribbing.
I left the pocket alone because I knew I wanted to do cables on the raglan, and I thought that might be too much. Years and years ago (maybe 15?) I made my sister a sweater that had cables on the raglan, and I always loved how those looked. So, in case you're interested, here's how I did it: K2tog, K1, P1, K2, sl m, K2, P1, K1, SSK every other round, and cabled the 4 stitches (2 on each side of the marker) every 6 rounds. I just had enough space so that the cables met up at the top of the shoulder (had to fudge it a little).
I made the cables mirror images of each other. Then I carried the cables into the neck ribbing. Here I also had to fudge by adding and decreasing stitches to make it all work out, but you can't even see it. I left the neck ribbing 4x2 between the 2 sets of cables, but I suppose I could have done a 1x1 there -- that might have meant less fudging. Then I carried the cables up into the hood.

I really love how all the little details came together (considering that I made up the neck and hood as I went along!). E the M is coming in to the city today, so I hope to get some modelling shots this week.

Specs: Wonderful Wallaby, size 6 for my very tall 3 1/2 year old niece
Yarn: Caron Simply Soft, Orchid, 2 skeins (I know, I know, acrylic, but I had some from my last trip to AC Moore, it's really really soft, and the whole sweater cost me under $5. Although by the end, it was making my palms itch.)
Needles: Addi US 7 (4.5mm) for the body, Addi US 6 (4mm) for ribbing, and Clover 7 dpns (4.5mm) for sleeves.
Gauge: About 4.75 st/inch

A final note: I know I'm repeating myself, but I love love love this pattern. It's so easy to customize to put your own special touch on it. I also love that the neck opening is deep, which makes it super easy for kids to get over their heads (one reason mine object to certain sweaters), yet it's not sloppy looking. I have some RYC Cashsoft aran I bought on sale for W's batman sweater, and I think I will use the Wallaby base to do it.

Does this happen to everyone, or just me?

2007-03-07T13:22:00.000-08:00

I finally remembered to take the camera battery out, stuck it in my purse, and went to Circuit City to replace the charger that's been missing for at least 2 months now. Came home, opened it up, set it up and plugged it in. Since it's a universal charger, I took the extra pieces that will fit other Canon battery sizes, and decided to put them in a safe place, since we'll probably get a new camera soon, and I'll sure it will have a different sized battery. Open up the drawer in the kitchen where I keep all the phone, IPod, camera etc. chargers, and what is sitting right on top? Yes, you would be correct if you guessed the original charger that I've been scouring the house for for 2 months. AARRGGHHH (insert Charlie Brown scream here). I SWEAR I looked in that drawer first. I did. I really did. Camera charged. Pictures to follow. Sigh.

The Wonderful World of Wallaby

2007-02-24T08:38:00.000-08:00

Well, I had enough juice left in the dead camery battery (nope, still can't find the recharger) to snap and download W's Wallaby. To everyone who sang this pattern's praises and inspired me -- Thank you! You were right. Great pattern, fun, and open to lots and lots of interpretation. I kept it pretty safe on this one (as I tend to do when doing something for the first time), and just added some stripes on the arms and a stripey pouch. W really likes it and there's plenty of room to grow (a necessity with him, since it seems his arms and legs grow while you're looking at him). I've already finished E's (just plain red, no stripes, Mommy!) and more in the future.

A side comment about the yarn...I used some Lion Brand Cotton-Ease (the discontinued colors) that I got on closeout (even with expensive shipping, it was still worth it, and service was great. I think I received the order in 2 days.) The new cotton ease colors are much more up my alley, but I was being cheap! I'd been wanting to try it, and I envisioned this sweater replacing a sweatshirt (playground, stuffed in backpack, on bottom of school cubby, etc.) so I wanted to use something cheap and durable. We'll have to see how it wears, but I'm kind of iffy on it. It's definitely soft and comfy, but I felt the recommended gauge was way too loosey goosey for my tastes (I think it's 4.25 st/inch on 8s) For W's I went down to a 7 mostly (and 6's for the sleeves) and on E's I used 6's (just adjusted the pattern for a tighter gauge). I liked E's better (a little less "sloppy" looking). I also got some pink and green, so there will definitely be more Wallaby's for the nieces.

Pattern: W's Wonderful Wallaby
Size: I made the size 8, knowing my gauge was off, and it could have been a little wider
Yarn: Lion Brand Cotton-Ease in candy blue from here about 3 1/4 skeins
Needles: Addi US 7s and Clover dpn 6 (4.25mm)
Started: 2.10.07
Finished: 2.13.07
Mods: Fooled around with the size a little because of the tighter gauge; added stripes to sleeves and pockets

A visit from some handknits

2007-02-21T06:09:00.000-08:00

The lack of posting lately is not due to knitting inertia. On the contrary, I've been extremely productive this month. A pair of socks, one Anemoi mitten, two Wallabys, one felted bag...So what's the problem? The problem, my friends, is that I can't find the battery charger to the camera. I'm going for a big clutter sweep today, so maybe it will turn up. Sigh. Story of my life. I'm constantly losing things for days, weeks, even, before they eventually turn up (don't ask about the phone extension that was missing for 3 months before I finally found it behind the couch).

Anyway, in light of no new pictures, I thought I'd share an oldie but a goodie. Not just a goodie, but one of the best sweaters I've ever knit. I've made it 4 times already, and probably will make more. It's from this Debbie Bliss book and it's wonderful. It calls for cashmerino aran, which is just yummy, comes in gorgeous colors, and, although it does pill a bit, holds up well. You can use up lots of little odds and ends in the yoke.

These sweaters were made 2 years ago, when dear friends of ours had twins. I had a great time coordinating the colors so that the two yokes had a lot of the same colors. I never took a picture though, and so was thrilled to see them in action this weekend. The pattern is very generous fit (the one I made for W, a 2-3 size, still fits him at almost 6, albeit a little short). The twins are almost 2 now, and there is still lots of room for them to grow into. Since I've been reading Elizabeth Zimmerman, and experimenting with her seamless styles, I'll probably make some slight mods to the next ones. In fact, I think maybe it's time W had a new one...hmmm....

Not a Poem, but...

2007-02-02T10:29:00.000-08:00

In honor of Silent Poetry Day, this is not a poem, but since it comes from Rilke's "Letter to a Young Poet," I'm sharing it. Our dear friend read this at our wedding, and it still makes me cry. Especially the last paragraph, which just gives me goosebumps. Hope it moves you as well.

Marriage is in many ways a simplification of life, and it naturally combines the strengths and weaknesses of two young people so that, together, they seem to reach farther into the future than they did before. A good marriage is that in which each appoints the other guardian of his solitude, and shows him this confidence, the greatest in his power to bestow. Above all, marriage is a new task and a new seriousness, a new demand on the strength and generosity of each partner.

For one human being to love another human being: that is perhaps the most difficult task that has been entrusted to us, the ultimate task, the final test and proof, the work for which all other work is merely preparation.

Loving does not at first mean merging, surrendering, and uniting with another person -- it is a high inducement for the individual to ripen, to become something in himself, to become world, to become world in himself for the sake of another person; it is a great, demanding claim on him, something that chooses him and calls him to vast distance.

Once the realization is accepted that even between the closest people infinite distances exist, a marvelous living side by side can grow up, if they succeed in loving the expanse between them, which makes it possible for each to see the other whole and before an immense sky.

-Letters to a Young Poet
Rainer Maria Rilke

Moderne Log Cabin Baby Blanket...

2007-01-26T10:18:00.000-08:00

...or when Hill discovers the joy of AC Moore. In December, we were out at our house in PA for a couple of weeks. Now, I'd brought a number of projects with me, but one day, as we were taking the boys to see this (which they LOVED, by the way!) I noticed an AC Moore in the mall. In NYC, we don't have stores like that or Michael's, so with visions of MDK bibs dancing in my head, I left hubby and the boys in the car "just 5 minutes" and dashed in. Now, I have to admit, I am a total yarn snob. But with a couple of babies on the way, I saw the Caron Simply Soft, and thought, hey, not bad. 4 skeins, Dark Country Blue, Country Blue, Light Country Blue (gotta love those creative names), and Bone. Total cost around $10. Instead of binding off each square, I left the stitches live. For the border, I picked up (or just knit the live stitches) and bound off, then did 2 rows of single crochet and 1 row of backward crochet (shrimp stitch). I think I'm going line the back with fabric to give it a little more polish, then save it for a new nephew due very shortly. By the way, W saw it on the couch, petted it and said, "This is SO soft, Mommy, I want a sweater like this!" This, from the kid with several Cashmerino sweaters in his drawer. Go figure.

If You Knew Sushi...

2007-01-26T09:53:00.000-08:00

Is this the cutest or what? I finally cleared this out of the UFO pile. I'd finished the bag and 3 sushi back in the fall, and then for unknown reasons, it sat. And sat. But I'm on a mission to clear out the pile, so here it is. This little cutie, a kit from here, took no time at all to make (if you forget about the months I let it languish). I even did my first zipper installation without too much heartache. I have lots of sushi yarn left over, so with some extra Cascade 220 and a zipper from here, I can whip up a few more! I'm thinking adorable Valentine's Day gifts.

I have to say, I'm in love with these Pick Up Sticks patterns. They're well-written and so cute. I made this last year, for my Grandmother's birthay, in charcoal gray and fuschia (unfortunately forget to photograph), and in the last 2 days whipped up this out of some stash Cascade 220 (hopefully I'll finish and felt this weekend).

On another note, I just want to thank the people who've taken the time to comment on the blog this week. When I started this, I really just thought of it as a way to record and document the projects I've worked on (since I'm notoriously bad at taking notes). I'm sort of in a little knitting cocoon here, since none of my friends knit (although I think I've gotten my sister to swallow the Kool-Aid). Since I'm such a terrible photographer, I haven't really done a lot of "in progress" posts, but instead focused on the finished projects. I still am working on finding my "blog voice," but the fact that other people have checked it out and left me such lovely messages just really blows my mind. Thank you, thank you.

PS. If you have kids, here's a related idea. It combines 3 of the (I think) most revolting food items ever (twizzlers, rice krispie treats and fruit roll-ups) but it's ridiculously cute and the kids scarfed them down. I'm thinking it's a must to bring to school on April Fool's Day!

10 minutes did the trick

2007-01-22T06:48:00.000-08:00

You may recall that last time I made Vintage Velvet from Scarf Style, I had a little, shall we say, CRS moment (as my grandmother used to call it..."Can't remember sh*t") and left it in the washer the entire wash cycle (18 minutes). It wasn't ruined, but it's definitely worn looking and fragile. This time, for my sister Dub's birthday, I paid attention, and 10 minutes was the charm (might even go for 8 next time around). The terracotta color looked even more beautiful (less orangey) felted and she seemed to love it. Here she is, modelling and holding up her Lorna's Laces socks.

The nicest compliment

2007-01-08T13:06:00.000-08:00

Today was the boys' first day back at school. Since I gave their teachers their gifts the last day before vacation, I was curious to see what, if anything, they'd say. B came running up to me, gave me a big hug, and said "The scarf was ME!" She went on to say that they opened them all together and couldn't get over how each one was perfect for that individual. Since I put a lot of thought into what each teacher would like, I was really thrilled. It was the nicest compliment she could have given me.

Conwy Socks

2007-01-07T08:52:00.000-08:00

Over the holidays, I finished up my second pair of Conwy socks from Nancy Bush's Knitting on the Road. This second pair went much more smoothly than the first, which was my first time ever doing twisted stitches, and it took me quite a while to learn to "read" them. This time was a breeze. I made a couple of modifications, first, casting on 6 more stitches, as the first pair I did was really too narrow. Then on the second sock, I traded the matched decreases that shape the calf for a double decrease (slip 2 tog,K1, P2sso) that was easier to place and made the decrease V look a lot neater. The colorway, Lorna's Laces in Motherlode, was beautiful...a subtle mix of wine, plum, gold, purple and slate. Really really pretty. I'm going to give them to my sis as part of her bday pressie -- hope she likes!

Specs:
Pattern: Conwy from Knitting on the Road
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Motherlode
Needles: Size 1 dpns
Mods: Added 6 st to cast on, changed decrease in calf shaping

Whatever you do, DON'T walk away from the washer!

2007-01-06T12:47:00.000-08:00

When it comes to scarves, or anything around my neck for that matter, I'm like the princess and the pea. Can't wear turtlenecks, even the softest merino is too irritating for me. So when I saw the Vintage Velvet scarf in Scarf Style, I knew it was for me. I've been drooling over Touch Me for years, and then a sign from here -- oops, I mean a sale. Quick knit (maybe 5 days), then into the washer, where, even though I was sitting at the computer RIGHT NEXT TO THE MACHINE, I somehow lost track of what I was doing, and left it in the entire wash cycle. Bits of lavender fluff all over the washer. Not a complete tragedy, but it is definitely over-felted and fragile. But I still love it, and wear it all the time. Next time (like now that I'm making another for my sister's bday), I will pay attention.

2006--The Year of the Accessories

2007-01-04T11:27:00.000-08:00

2006 will probably be remembered as the year of the accessories. After years of mostly sweaters, including many sitting unworn because I never like the fit, I changed my focus. First up: learn to knit socks. As I've said previously, I didn't understand this whole sock knitting obsession. But for me, they are addictive, for 2 reasons. 1. Very portable -- can throw it in my bag when I take the boys to gymnastics or another activity. 2. Lot o' bang for the knitting buck. And for a knitter like me, who's more about process than end-product, that's very satisfying! Knit my first one ever in March, and just kept going. Haven't worn any of them yet! But for the record:

Cherry Tree Hill for me

Lorna's Laces Mineshaft for Dad

Regia some color for R

Koigu for ?

Lorna's Laces Amethyst Stripe for ?

Lisa Souza garnet Conwy Sock from Nancy Bush's Knitting on the Road

Lorna's Laces Conwy sock in Motherlode for Dub? I'll have to do a separate post about these since the colorway is really beautiful and I made some mods to the pattern

2 pr. Baby socks with Cherry Tree Hill and LL Amethyst Stripe leftovers (these gifted to a friend's new baby girl)

Should also note that I knit 2 half-Jaywalkers, once with the Koigu, and another with some other Lisa Souza that's in the stash. First pair was way too small, second, bigger size and needles, was pooling the yarn rather unattractively. And since the colorway is very beautiful (turquoise, blue purple), I felt another pattern would show it off better.

Sock resolutions for 2007? Make some more for R and my Dad, one for my mom, and maybe actually wear one of the pair myself. Also, move beyond the 2x2 ribbed leg (Conwy was my first start at that) and attempt some other patterns (Jaywalker 3.0?).

2006 was also the year of the scarf, here inspired by this terrific book

Finished scarves in 2006 include:
R's Leftover Cashmerino Striped Birthday Scarf

Leftover Cashmerino Striped Keyhole Muffler (can you tell I had a lot of leftover cashmerino?)

Mom's Lady Eleanor

Vintage Velvet (See an upcoming post for more)

Itchy's Superman Sweater
Forbes Forest Scarf
Malabrigo My So-Called Scarf and Fetchings
RYC Cashsoft DK Shifting Sands Scarf
Jo Sharp Rosehip Misty Garden

Other knits:
Cashmerino Baby Hat and socks
Linen Handtowels from MDK
Cashmerino Gift Exchange Fetchings
Aiden's Baby Bib o'Love

Started but not quite finished:
Baby Afghan inspired by this in Knit Picks Swish. Review of the yarn so far? Eh. I'll get back to you.

Moderne Log Cabin Baby Blanket in (shhh! don't tell anyone!) Caron Simply Soft. So far? Verrrry nice for the price, indeed.

Started and not finished (and staring up at me with little guilt-inducing eyes):
Kid-sized Ribby for Ella the Magnificent from some pink and orange Cascade quattro, scored on a closeout.

Another EtheM attempt, this, in Tahki Cotton Classic Color. I even got the perfect finish for it here.

A Ribby"> for me in Elann's Peruvian Highland Wool in a very pretty plum and lavender heather.

One little unfinished sushi on this, an adorable kit and would have made a great teacher gift. Don't ask why I still haven't finished this. I. am. lame.

I actually did finish this great bag in chocolate with orange trim, but somehow was trying to finish it so fast I messed up the strap attachment, then felted it. I've never liked how it looked, so I didn't give it to the intended recipient, but I need to figure out how to cut the strap off, reattach, and then re-felt. I made one last year for my grandmother in charcoal gray with fuschia trim, and it was adorable, so I really do need to figure out a way to fix this.

Knitting Resolutions for 2007?
Clear out the UFOs
Project monogamy (within reason, of course)
Try an Elizabeth Zimmerman sweater (maybe experiment with Scratchy's batman sweater)
A Little Lace
Learn how to take a decent picture

That's all for now. Happy and Healthy New Year, all!

It's A Bird, It's a Plane!

2006-12-21T13:49:00.000-08:00

It's SUPERMAN!

More important, it's finally finished! I started this months ago, and kept stalling mightily. But it's done, he loves it, and I think if I would just get over my intense hatred of intarsia, I'd be a lot saner!

Pattern: My own. Cuffs, hem and collar borrowed from a child's sweater in the Fall Interweave Knits. Superman chart from here.

Project: Scratchy's Superman Sweater
Yarn: Zara
Needles: Addis US 5s and 6s

Next up: Batman. Sigh.

When They Say One Skein, They Weren't Kidding

2006-12-21T13:37:00.000-08:00

For a holiday lunch and gift exchange with some of my closest mommy friends, I decided to whip up a pair of Fetching Fingerless Mitts. Hopped over to my LYS, picked up a skein of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran in a yummy raspberry sorbet color, and about 3 hours later, had a wonderful gift.

I love this pattern, but when they say one skein, they mean ONE skein. This is how much yarn I had left over (and I was sweating mightily at the end):

The only thing I modified was the bind off. I didn't care for the picot bind-off in the pattern, and I wasn't loving the regular bind-off I did on the last pair. So I did this weird method that I must have read about somewhere, but I can't remember where. Basically, you K2tog, then pass the st back to the left hand needle, K2tog, and so on. It gives the edge a very clean look, which I liked.

I'll definitely make these again, but maybe next time splurge for 2 skeins, to make them a little longer, both at cuff and at fingertip.

Scarves are Done!

2006-12-20T14:31:00.000-08:00

Two more teacher gifts finished, just in time for the last day of school tomorrow.

First up:
Project: My So-Called Scarf and fetching fingerless mitts
Yarn: 2 skeins Malabrigo in Brown Berries. Yum!
Needles: Addis US8s

This was my first time using Malabrigo, and it was lovely.

Next:
Project: Shifting Sands Scarf by grumperina
Yarn: RYC Cashsoft dk in poison, 3 1/4 skeins
Needles: Addis US5s

Also a first time yarn -- LOVED it. SO soft and scrumptious. In fact, immediately ordered some for Itchy's batman sweater. Pattern was very fun to knit, although much mind-wandering on my part in the beginning caused much ripping. Cabling without a cable needle a definite must!

Thanks, Dad!

2006-12-20T14:15:00.000-08:00

A while back, I made my Dad some socks for Father's Day. They were only my second or third pair, but they came out very nice. He was very impressed, but I wasn't sure that he'd actually ever wear them. But, a couple of weeks ago, my folks came over for dinner, and Dad showed off his socks. I thought, "Oh, he's just wearing them to show me he wore them once." I don't know why I was so skeptical, but last week my mom called to tell me he was wearing them again. Unsolicited! And not just to show me! That made me feel great, and he'll definitely get more!

Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Mineshaft
Needles: US2's
Pattern: Just your basic 2x2 ribbed leg, stockinette foot

A Tale of Two Scarves, or being organized for once in my life!

2006-11-21T08:23:00.000-08:00

The boys go to a progressive private school in New York City, the kind that firmly discourages extravagant teacher's gifts at holiday time, as can sometimes happen here. Instead, parents are encouraged to donate to a holiday fund, which is then divided up among teachers, specialists, staff, etc. It's entirely voluntary, no one knows how much you give, and I'm sure the teachers appreciate a nice chunk of cash instead of tchotchkes. That being said, in addition to the holiday fund, I like to give the teachers a little something handmade to show our appreciation for all they do during the year. Last year, it was loaves of pumpkin bread. This year, I got my act together early, and planned scarves for the 4 teachers (2 for Itchy and 2 for Scratchy). I tried to really think about each teacher, what colors they'd like, what style, as well as stay pretty economical with my yarn purchases (Stash or @ $15 ea.)

First up, Forbes Forest in Knitpicks Moss. Six skeins on US5 needles. As soon as I saw it here, I knew I'd make it. Brooklyn Tweed's photography is so gorgeous, everything he makes just seems to glow. Took me about a week of pretty monogamous knitting during the end of August vacation (the week it rained every day).

I also fell in love with the Misty Garden scarf in scarfstyle, but I knew I'd never make it for myself. Mohair? C'mon, I can't even wear turtlenecks. But I thought the color would be beautiful for Itchy's teacher Barbara, and she wears scarves almost every day. 3 skeins of Jo Sharp Rare Comfort Infusion Kid Mohair in Rosehip and done.

May I Present the Glamorous Lady E?

2006-11-19T15:06:00.000-08:00

This might just be the most beautiful thing I've ever knit. Here's my glamorous mom modelling her Lady Eleanor shawl
from Scarf Style. I used a yarn from Tahki called Bunny Paint, merino/alpaca/acrylic and because of the shorter color sctions, looks a lot different from some of the beautiful Noro silk gardens that I've seen. But I love the colors -- wine, gray, charcoal, olive, black -- and I wanted something more along the weight of the one used in the book.

It is knit pretty tightly on US 8's, partly because I wanted it dense and warm, partly because I wanted to minimize any stretching and sagging, and mostly because the needle gauge in the back of this book is wrong, and my size 8 Addi's did not fit into the size 8 hole, so I thought they were 9s. Ah well, live and learn. I am delighted with the final project, as is my Mom. This was supposed to be a 40th birthday present for my sister Dub, but my mom saw it shortly after I started and claimed it as her own. How could I say no?

Loved the pattern, easy to put down and pick up, and once I reminded myself how to knit backwards, was pretty quick. No turning was nice! All in all, maybe a month from start to finish, with lots of breaks for other stuff.

Specs:
Pattern: Lady Eleanor from Scarf Style
Yarn: Tahki Bunny Paint, about 15 skeins? I can't remember...mom kept trying it on and asking for it to be longer, so I kept buying more.
Needles: Addi US8
Measurements: I didn't measure before she ran home with it, but 20 x 70?

The Baby Shower

2006-11-12T12:54:00.000-08:00

I've been really lax in posting this last month, and it's not due to lack of progress, but simply lack of photographs. I have several items I have yet to take pictures of, hence, no blogging. But here's one, gifted today to the wonderful Adele (of the linen hand towels). It's a striped brown and lime hat, with a tied i-cord topper, and lime baby socks with a brown i-cord knot embellishment. Very cute! Inspiration came from this book itty bitty baby hats.

Project: Baby Hat & Socks
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran, 1 skein ea. brown and lime
Needles: US6 (hat) US3 (socks)

More about Sox

2006-10-09T08:04:00.000-07:00

So my package from Lisa Souza arrived, and I have to say, I'm a little disappointed with the garnet color. I was expecting something a little richer, more cranberry, and this is a little dull. But the Berry Poppins is beautiful. I debated returning it, but going to the post office is one of my least favorite errands ever! So I wound it up and started the Conwy socks from Nancy Bush's Knitting on the Road. Since I'm a mostly self-taught sock knitter, I haven't yet attempted a "real" sock pattern yet, and I've been wanting to try this one after reading how well they fit due to the calf shaping. It was a little rocky in the beginning, but so far, so good. The picture didn't quite capture the color. It's not as red as it appears -- more maroon, really.

In other sock news, I needed a little baby gift for a friend I was going to visit last week, and I decided a little pair of baby socks using some leftovers would do the trick. I used the Lorna's Laces Amethyst Stripe, and of course, forgot to take a picture. But I did another pair one night using the leftover Cherry Tree Hill, and they are very cute. I cast on 32 stitches on US1s, then did my basic 2x2 rib (in hopes that would help them stay on better -- I can't tell you how many baby socks we lost on Riverside Drive!). They are about a newborn size, so I guess I'll save them for the next baby gift.

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About (my) Sox But Were Afraid to Ask

2006-10-03T13:24:00.000-07:00

When did you start making socks? Did you teach yourself or were you taught by a friend or relative? or in a class?

After about 15 years of pretty non-stop knitting, I finally succumbed to the lure of the sock only about six months ago. It was about the same time I discovered the whole (addictive) online world of knitters and knitting blogs. Until then, frankly, knitting socks had never even occurred to me. No knitters I knew made them, and my LYS, despite their extensive selection, didn't even carry any sock yarn. But every blog I read waxed poetic about knitting socks. Still, I didn't get it. I mean, how hard was it to buy socks that fit? To be honest, I only ever wear black nylon thin thin thin trouser socks anyway (except for one thick pair I save for snow boots!) But I was going on vacation, I needed a small, portable project that would last the week, and I was afraid that my beloved (and expensive) Addi's would get confiscated on the plane.

So I went to a new LYS in my neighborhood, one that had a very different selection of yarns, and turned myself over to them. One skein of Cherry Tree Hill, in a fuschia/purple/turquoise colorway, size US3 dpns and a store pattern later, and I was on my way.

What was your first pair? How have they "held up" over time?
That Cherry Tree Hill was my first pair. I just followed the pattern, written for 4 dpns, got somewhat confused around the heel, but figured it out. Since this was just this last spring, I haven't worn them yet!

What would you have done differently?
Knitted on the size 3s, they are a little loose. It took a couple more pairs to figure out that moving from 4 to 5 dpns would (mostly) correct my ladder problems. Still having ladder trouble on the SSK decrease...when I went back to the LYS for help fixing that, the woman said, "That's just the beauty of handknit socks, they all come out like that!" Since it drives me crazy, and I know there are many more finicky and experienced sock knitters out there, any suggestions or help would be much appreciated!

What yarns have you particularly enjoyed?
Second pair: Regia that I got on sale for my hubby. Little scratchy, even after washing.
Third: Lorna's Laces in mineshaft for my Dad. Much better! Really lovely colorway, and so so soft. He hasn't worn them yet either.
Fourth: Koigu. I was desperate and leaving for vacation. Beautiful, but handwashing is SO not going to work for me. I think I'll throw them in the wash and hope for the best.
Fifth: More Lorna's in amethyst stripe. Love the yarn. Stripes? Not so much. I'm more of a variegated girl.
On deck: Lisa Souza sock! yarn in garnet, raved about by the very entertaining Lime & Violet
Do you like to crochet your socks? or knit them on DPNs, 2 circulars, or using the Magic Loop method?
Pretty stuck on 5 dpns for now. Don't have size 2 circs and the dpns are really portable, easy to do just one needles worth. I throw it in a little bag, and into my purse for the kids' gymnastics, playground, the car, whenever I have a few spare minutes. Rarely do I work on socks at home.

Which kind of heel do you prefer? (flap? or short-row?)
Flap. Haven't been very adventurous. All mine so far have been your basic 2x2 ribbed leg. Next pair, I'm going to attempt an actual pattern (gasp!): the ubiquitous Jaywalkers or Conwys.

How many pairs have you made?
Five.

Picture Day

2006-09-28T07:48:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is picture day at school, and every year, I try to send the boys in something handmade. It's the only day I can get them to wear something other than sweatpants to school and the pictures always come out great, unlike the pictures I take!

Here they are in nursery school, March 2004, wearing cotton sweater vests, self-designed in Tahki Cotton Classic:

Nursery school again, September 2004, wearing the baseball sweaters made with Zara:

For tomorrow? Sweater vests again, made with Zara. Love this yarn! Show stitch definition beautifully, comes in fab colors, and machine washes like a dream. These are my own design, and trying to get that center cable just so was a bear. The other cables are different on each. They are pretty big, so I'm hoping to get a couple more years out of them

A Tale of Two Sweaters or why I Hate Intarsia, part 2

2006-09-23T17:39:00.000-07:00

Of course, I couldn't make Itchy a sweater without making Scratchy one too. He wanted a dinosaur sweater, and my creative juices a-flowin', I decided to design it myself. I had a big dinosaur chart from a long-lost pattern, I went with turquoise cotton classic, with a lime green dinosaur with tweedy green/blue cotton classic for the spots. I started it with all good intentions right after I finished the pirate sweater, and then hit the wall. Couldn't decide on cuffs, neckline, just major indecision. It took a year of Scratchy saying "Mommy, when are you going to finish my dinosaur sweater?" (heartbreaking, right?) that I sucked it up, picked a path and finished it. Ok, but here's the crazy part: so turned off was I by intarsia on the pirate sweater that I duplicate stitched the entire dinosaur! I figured that it would look better (it did), cause me less agita (it did) and be quicker (it was). He loves it. Didn't wear it to school every day, but still loves it.

Specs: Scratchy's T-Rex Sweater
Began: Spring 2005?
Finished: Late Winter 2006
Yarn: Tahki Cotton classic and Tweedy cotton classic
Needles: US6

A Tale of Two Sweaters...or why I hate intarsia

2006-09-22T11:55:00.000-07:00

When Itchy was 3 or so, he saw me looking through Zoe Mellor's Adorable Knit for Tots , spied the Pirate sweater and begged me to make it, "but make it red, Mommy." As anyone knows who has had to bribe, er, I mean coerce children into wearing any sweater in general, handknits in particular, I jumped at the chance. Machine washable cotton classic, red of course, being the only color he'll wear, I set off on what looked like a fairly straight-forward quick knit. Ah, silly me. I forgot about the intarsia. I'd never done it before, but I figured, how hard could it be? After all, I'm a gal that likes challenges. The more cables the better. One big motif in the middle? Bring it, baby. Yes, there were tears. Much frogging. The inside is an unholy mess. But I finally finished it and got the greatest reward known to knitters. Itchy wore that sweater to school every day for a year. I had to sneak it out of his room to wash it. It's been two years now, he stills wears it (though thankfully not every day) and every time he complains it's getting too small and I need to make him a new one, I just wash it, lay it flat to dry and tug the sleeves and the body and extra inch. This thing's going to make it to middle school, if I have anything to say about it.

Specs: Itchy's Pirate Sweater
Pattern: Zoe Mellor's Adorable Knits for Tots
Yarn: Tahki Cotton Classic
Needles: US6s, I think
Completed: Winter 2004

Next up: A Tale of Two Sweaters, part 2

Aiden's Baby Bib o' Love

2006-09-21T07:37:00.000-07:00

Can I tell you how much I love Mason Dixon Knitting? The great thing about it is how it's inspired so many knitters to use it as a jumping off point to stretch their own creativity. So, here's my Mason Dixon inspired baby bib, made for my cousin Jennifer's new baby. Usually, when I want to give a little something handmade for a new baby, I'll whip up a little cotton hat, but since Jen lives in Florida, that wouldn't work. I have tons of leftover bits of Tahki Cotton Classic from many many baby sweaters (also using it to go a little miter-crazy), so I decided to make baby Aiden a little bib. I duplicated stitched a sailboat motif from Style your own Kids Knits -- I absolutely hate intarsia (more about that in a future post), found a very cute sailboat button that matched exactly, and voila! A perfect little gift.

Specs: Aiden's Baby Bib o' Love
Completed: July 2006
Yarn: Tahki Cotton Classic (less than 1 skein of the blue)
Needle: US4

Adele's Handtowels

2006-09-20T09:56:00.000-07:00

As soon as I saw the linen handtowels in Mason Dixon Knitting, I knew I had to make them. And luckily for me, my dear friend and yoga teacher Adele was about to get married. She was about to move, so I didn't know her colors, but since I did know that she had painted her last bedroom a french blue, I figured I couldn't go wrong with cream and blue. I did have to drop down 2 needle sizes to get gauge, which is pretty unusual for me, but this was the first time I had worked with linen. It softened up beautifully after washing, and I found if I laid it flat to dry instead of putting it in the dryer, it stayed a little stiffer, which I preferred.

Specs:

Began and completed: July 2006
Yarn: Louet Euroflax Originals cream and blue, 1 skein each towel
Needle: Size US3
Do it again: Absolutely!

The Baseball Sweaters

2006-02-26T08:36:00.000-08:00

This is a test run of my new blog....Oyster. Name conceived by my brilliant creative hubby. Here's a picture from Sept. 04 of my adorable boys wearing their mommy-knit baseball sweaters. Yarn: Zara. Pattern from the Yarn Co. Got quite a bit of wear, but unfortunately too small now. Hope to post more pics of finished items and some unique designs that I'm currently working on.