Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Got Nothing

It's finally happened...nothing on the needles to knit. I finished my February Lady (Ravelry link) sweater tonight & it's now ready to be blocked. It's the first time I have really nothing left on the needles ready to go. Not totally true because I'm waiting on a yarn order for Webs...it's been almost 3 weeks. Sale yarn is the best yarn, but the wait has been longer than I anticipated.

I do have a couple of projects in mind for one particular yarn, Rowan Calmer in mandarin...Etrusca or possibly the Shay Cap Sleeve top from Webs. I'm also going to cast on another February Lady for my Mom since her Mr. Greenjeans didn't work out too well...'nough said about that one for now. Last week I was able to get 7 skeins of Malabrigo's Autumn to start the sweater while visiting Mosaic so I will have a few things starting soon & there's always socks. I have another new book that I'm dying to get into for some really cool socks...Sock Innovation by Cookie A.

Looks like I may be busier than I first thought...

Monday, April 27, 2009

Whoops

We drove up to the Burg this past weekend...beautiful spring weather & Hokie Spring Football! I was even able to visit one of my favorite yarns shops (Mosaic) & hang out with my knitting group. Our group was created a few months back with the idea that we'd have some opportunities to teach each other something new as well as simply getting together to knit & chat...or more chatting than knitting when it comes to me. It's been a great way to learn a new trick or two.

So on this occasion I briefly did a little demo of how I make my stitch markers...so simple and fun. You need only a few tools (round nosed pliers, wire cutters, & my favorite split ring pliers) a few 'jewelry' making supplies (split rings, beads, & headpins)...that's it. Great gift idea for knitters too...inexpensive & quick. Of course while there I finished using up my last Christmas gift certificate...found some awesome glass buttons for my February Lady (Ravelry access required) cardigan and added a couple more Addi Turbo needles to the stash.

While in the area I had my Mom try on her Mr. Greenjeans sweater....Whoops. While knitting on this sweater it looked so small even though I was right on gauge & measurements I worried that I had failed to get my knitting to come close to fitting an actual body. I hoped that some miracle in the blocking would occur and it would grow...a ton. It didn't. It seems as if my worry was spot on...doesn't fit Mom. No. Way. Now I have a sweater that doesn't fit anyone...too poofy around my middle & the button was set much too low for me. I decided to re-knit the button band, moving the button up to fit me. It's still way too poofy around the middle...per my dear husband. He says it looks "really weird" so no way I'll be wearing it as it is now. What to do?

I could try sewing a seam on both sides taking in the sweater, but I'm afraid it may look even weirder. Now it's sitting folded up waiting on me to make a decision. I'm really leaning towards ripping back the cable/rib section up to the arms and re-knitting it to fit me. It's a shame to let such nice yarn go to waste in a sweater that fits no one. In the meantime I've started another February Lady for my Mom in Malabrigo's Autumn...maybe this one will fit her. I don't want another Whoops...

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

The Need for more WIPS

I find myself in a bit of a pickle...only one wip (work in progress for you non-knitters). You read that right I currently only have ONE work in progress as I write today. I'm about done with February Lady so it's possible that I will not have anything on the needles very soon. I have not had that situation in a very long time...like way back when I first started knitting in 2005.

Way back then I had this attitude that I would only buy yarn as I went...yeah crazy right? I would finish a project before I'd get more yarn. I would never have a 'stash', never have to worry about where to store yarn, never forget what I had, yada yada yada. As a side note I also have said that I'd never knit sweaters, socks or lace...all untrue statements now.

I have a stash and add to it quite frequently as noted in prior posts...here, more, & yet more over the last few months. Not to mention the sweaters I have knitted...starting with my Mermaid and more recently Mr. Greenjeans & February Lady. Socks? Yep broke that one too...along with lace, hats, bags you name it and I've tried to knit it. The great thing about knitting is the fact that there is so much out there to knit.

Which brings me back to my original problem. With so much out there & so many things I want to start...how to pick what's next? So the plan...such as it is...a pair of socks -angee (ravelry link) by cookie a in Sock Innovation, a tank or summer top-Shay Cap Sleeve Pullover and maybe another sweater. I still like to use wool even as the weather warms. Ask me about the Blankie knitted during July and August. I think I can handle knitting a wool sweater...maybe Chicknits Eyelet Cardi?

Now I only need to choose the yarns & needles to go with these projects...then cast on.

Monday, April 20, 2009

An April February Lady

I dragged the yarn & pattern all over the country for over 2 months without doing much other than a gauge swatch. What was I thinking? After casting on I've been rolling right along on this cardigan. February Lady by Pamela Wynn has been a joy to knit...mostly. By the time the lace sections get monotonous you realize that you're done. Perfect! The best part of the whole project has been the yarn. I decided to use Malabrigo's Azul Profundo for the cardigan. Talk about a soft touch...this stuff has been wonderful to knit. I only hope that the pilling that sometimes plagues this yarn won't happen. Most all of my other items knit with Malabrigo have not had any issues with pilling. Time will tell. The color is a beautiful shade of cobalt blues...a wee bit of varigation, but not an overabundance. Love the color!

As for the cardigan itself I think I'll be done in less than a week. The first sleeve is about done...deciding where to stop & start the garter stitch cuff. Do I want to stop at the elbow as the designer has done or work down as far as my forearm? Thinking I'll like it better with the longer sleeves. Decisions, decisions...off to finish the sleeve cuff. Ooooh and I need to look through my buttons...more decisions.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Giddy Up

Jeeze, could it take any longer? What you ask...putting together a baby blanket. I mean it's only 16 eight inch wide squares for goodness sake. My plan's have changed more times than I care to count. I originally finished the 16 squares way back in February while on our jaunt across the country. The project was perfect for car travel. At least while on interstates...not so much when it came time to hit the back roads. Knitting actually took a rare back seat as we drove through some of the most beautiful scenery in the country.

My plan was so simple...pick a stitch pattern, cast on enough stitches to create a 8" square and ta-da a square is done in a couple of hours of knitting. I figured that in a few days time I would have enough to make a nice square baby blanket for my husband's new nephew, Benjamin. Of course I originally had planned to have the darn thing done by the time we arrived in San Antonio for our visit...did not happen. Yet another example of underestimating how much time a project would take.

Working on the squares while driving the Interstates worked to perfection...the last square was completed while we were in Taos, NM. The problems starting creeping in after that last square was done. While traveling it became obvious that I would need to hold off putting the blanket together until we were back home. I really needed more space to spread out everything and the brain power to do it. I must admit that the combination of traveling and physical activity drained the energy right out of the brain by the end of our day of adventure.

We arrived back home and after a couple of weeks it was pointed out that babies grow...really? and I should "get busy" before he was driving & needed a bigger blanket. So this past weekend I got back to it and spread out the squares, picked up the needles to add borders to the squares & realized that Plan A was NOT going to work. Of course I realized this after I had picked up stitches on each block, put the squares into rows of 4 squares each, & added another border on the long edge of 2 sets & then trouble...could not line up the edges of these borders no matter how many attempts were made.

What next? First we went out to dinner...my husband knows exactly what's called for in a knitting emergency. Next I frogged all the borders and by the end of it had 16 blocks all alone once again...along with one heck of a pile of tiny groups of yarn. Once done I put Plan B into operation...mattress stitching. Well after a little side trip by way of the whip stitch...didn't work...I moved right to mattress stitch. I worked on each block attaching one to another until I had 4 rows of 4 blocks each. Was it tedious? Yes. Do I like the look? Yes. Is there a border? Yes, one single 2 inch border around the entire group of blocks. The whole thing was completed with the attached i-cord coordinating color'.
The last finishing touch was attaching the most cool flannel fabric that is a perfect match for my theme...think Texas. After attaching the backing using the "overcast stitch" I also added some yarn ties spread around the corners of the squares to keep things a bit more even. Thankfully all is done and ready to mail to it's young owner & he's still under 6 months. Whoohoo!




Details:

Patterns: Texas, Lonestar, Eyelet Mock Cable, The remaining blocks: Diamond Brocade, Garter Ridge Rib, Simple Basketweave, Moss Stitch, Feather Lace & Herringbone Rib came from the Vogue Knitting Stitchionary

Yarn: Red Heart Soft Yarn (Worsted Weight, 100% Acrylic, 256 yards/ 5 oz), colors: off white, chocolate, seafoam. I used one skein each of the seafoam & chocolate for the squares and the off white for the borders. The attached i-cord was done using seafoam.

Needle: Addi Turbo, 40" circular, size 8

Gauge: didn't matter on this one

Size: 35" by 38"

Tuesday, April 07, 2009

Yet Another

I have yet another finished object to post about...Mr. Greenjeans is drying on the blocking mats. I'm thankful to have bound this one off. I have to say that this sweater has driven me nuts in the last week or so. Not so much the pattern, but in the size I was seeing as I knit...seems way to small for the desired XL size.

I'm worried it won't fit the intended recipient...Mom. She asked me to knit this up back in January and I took it on our trip (travel blog). I swatched and determined that I would need to use a size 7 needle in order to achieve the valuted gauge of 18 stitches/ 4". After casting on in Mom's desired size XL I knit until I had to put it on hold so she could give it a test fit. Added another 2 inches to the body after seeing where it hit her body...and on and on.

My problem with this is the sweater just looks way too small...it seems to fit me across the body okay although the shaping is all off for my torso. I don't think this will be fitting Mom as well as I would like. I'll be lucky if it fits across her shoulders much less have it button correctly. The thing is that all my measurements are spot on the schematic...now I can only hope that the magic of blocking will work out and this will fit well.

Details
Pattern: Mr. Greenjeans by Amy Swenson

Yarn: Schaefer Miss Priss [100% Merino; 280 yd/256 m per 113g/4 oz skein], colorway: Elena Piscopia. I used most of 4 skeins with a bit over 1.5 oz left.

Needles: Addi size 7, 32" circular and Knitpicks Options size 6, 60" circular, and size 8 DPN's for the sleeves

Gauge: 18 sts/26 rows = 4 inches of stockinette stitch

Size: XL

Once this is dry I'll finish up the little details...weave in the ends, attach the button, etc. and I'll post a few pictures with a body wearing the sweater. Now off to find the body...