First Assignment

For all the Ravelry users (and those who aren’t), I have joined the Harry Potter Knitting and Crochet House Cup. For those who are unfamiliar, this community is run a little like a semester at Hogwarts. The teachers give an assignment, in some way related to their class (i.e. posions, herbology, muggle studies, etc.). Then students choose which classes to take and complete the assignment. Points are awarded for starting, completing and sometimes other reasons the teacher denotes. Anyway, I finished my first assignment…on to the information and pictures.

Pattern: Go Gryffindor socks
Yarn: Lotus Yarns Nirvana (Superwash Wool) in Rumplestiltskin AND Yarn Chef Minestrone in holly berries
Needles: US 2.5/3.00 mm

Started: May 1, 2009
Finished: May 13, 2009

Socks before duplicate stitch

Gryffindor G's

Gryffindor Lions...roar

Front and Side

Knitting Goals for 2009

My goal this year is to continue knitting all year. I know to most that sounds like a ridiculous statement. For me it’s just the cycle of the year, I ususally start and end strong, but at some point in the middle, knitting output hits the skids. This year, I am hoping that my choice of projects will help me keep things moving along.

I started my red version of the Barn Raising Quilt [Ravelry link]. I am hoping the fact that I want to knit 99 squares (9 squares x 11 squares), will always give me a TV / baseball watching project to work on. Here are my first 2 squares.

Red, brown and gray = Knitterly Things Vesper Sock – Hot Metal
Red and white = Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock – Team Spirit

Last year, once the baseball season started, the only project I started and finished was Sawyer’s Pinwheel [Ravelry link]. I always seem to have good intentions and am constantly inspired by the projects others are making (Ravelry is full of new ideas on an almost daily basis).

In addition to the Red Barn Raising Quilt [Ravelry link], I have several other projects in mind for the year. I hope to knit my first lace project, I have the Woodland Shawl in mind. I also want to knit my first plush, a giraffe for my mom. There are a few other projects on my 2009 “To Do” list, so I will try to keep knitting at least a little everyday.

Porom Por Moi

Let me start by saying that I visited my grandma over New Years weekend and she was thrilled with her Hemlock. She was impressed with my ability and said that my aunts (fellow knitters/crocheters) would be jealous.

After completing Hemlock and the Chevron scarf that I knit for my best friend (that still requires blocking), I decided that I would knit a little something for myself. After a little prodding by Yarn Snob, I decided to knit another brooklyntweed creation.

Pattern: Porom
Yarn: Frog Tree Meriboo
Needles: Knit Picks Harmony in US 6 and 8

After knitting Porom and fixing the beanie I knit for my dad (last year…shhh), that I think I need to reknit, I couldn’t decide on a new project. BUT…just today, I decided that I am going to knit myself another hat (I’m in the mood). So, I started Mary Jane’s Pithy Hat [Ravelry link], the Elizabethtown cable version.

Ready for it’s close-up

Hemlock Ring Blanket is blocked and ready to be admired in all “her” glory.

I’m so pleased with how this project turned out. I really hope my grandma loves it as much as everyone else has. I love this pattern (thanks to brooklyntweed for bringing it to the masses). The Cascade Ecological Wool certainly softened up after a washing, but I would really like to knit this again (or something similar) with a softer yarn. If only I could knit as fast as I get inspired.

Must be a Christmas Miracle

Two posts in one week?!?! Wow…it must be a miracle!

After posting about my Hemlock Ring Blanket earlier this week and the fact that it’s supposed to rain for about 5 days next week, I got the kick in the butt that I needed, to finally wash and block the blanket. As a knitter whose never really knit anything large that needed to be blocked, I have to comments on blocking:

1. WOW, what a difference blocking can make!!

2. WOW, what a pain in the butt blocking can be!

I love what blocking does, but getting down on the floor for about an hour, pinning and re-pinning, is not my idea of a party. I must admit though, that the Hemlock would never look like anything, but a blog with out it. I can’t wait for it to dry so that I can take a good look at the finished product.

Here are a couple of pictures of the blanket mid-block:

Now, I really have to hope there are at least a couple of people out there reading, cause I have a question. Which of the 3 button choices should I use for my “so called neck warmer”?

Button A

Button B

Button C

Please leave button choice comments…I’m torn. Thanks!

MIA

WOW!!  I have really been gone a long time, haven’t I?  Hopefully I haven’t been forgotten (though I think I probably have).  I went MIA because I actually didn’t knit most of the summer.  I finished Sawyer’s Pinwheel (Ravelry link). It turned out just as I hoped and the mommy was exceedingly pleased…Sawyer quite liked it as well, I think. =o) After knitting that blanket as quickly as I did, I just hit a knitting funk. I would see others projects. I would see beautiful patterns and lovely yarn, all of which I wanted to make or use, but I just couldn’t get anything started. That lasted most of the summer I’m ashamed to say. At the end of September, I started a pair of socks in celebration of Socktober. I worked on them diligently until I realized I knit too much before starting the heel…and they’ve just been sitting on the needles (out of sight) ever since.

Then, as the holidays loomed ever brighter on the horizon, I decided it was time to get my act together. After knitting, the previously mentioned pinwheel blanket, I felt it was time to pull out my Cascade Ecological Wool and cast-on for everyone’s favorite, Hemlock Rink Blanket. I had purchased the yarn last year with plans to knit it as a Christmas present for my grandma, but just couldn’t seem to start in the round to my own satisfaction. This time, I was able start without a hitch and knitted to my little heart’s content. I still need to block it out, but it was nice to complete a project for the first time in 6 months (yikes…I didn’t realize until now that it had been that long). I’m very pleased not only with my ability to complete a project, but with the way it turned out…I can’t wait to see it blocked. Here are some, in progress, pictures:

Next, I tried starting on Eunny Jang’s Endpaper Mitts, but I just couldn’t seem to get the cast-on to work. Instead of using another cast-on, I decided to put them on hold. I decided to jump on another bandwagon and knit up a Chevron Scarf. It’s a work in progress, but I really love the pattern and the yarn.

Yarn: BMFA Socks That Rock in space dust and Miss Babs Yummy Sock in cleoptra
Needles: Knit Picks Options US5

I’ve also purchased WAY too much yarn (between actual shopping and Ravelry destash purchases). Here are some of my faves:

My most recent purchase:

Plucky Knitter in Hot Lips (the perfect red)…I haven’t decided what this will become (I will have 800 yards), but here are some more yarns that I have projects in mind for.

Malabrigo Sock in persia…this beautiful yarn is going to be transformed into a Woodland Shawl. Aka my first lace project. =o)

These 2 are custom requests created for me by Melanie of Lotus Yarns (Falling Away (Redux) and Rumpelstiltskin). I had these to knit a giraffe for my mom (they’re her favorite animal) and hopefully a pair of ankle socks.

I have a TON more yarn I could share, but I won’t. I’m glad to be back…I hope someone’s out there reading. =o)

BIG UPDATE

From the lack of posting around here…it would look like I haven’t been doing anything. Quite the opposite. While I may not have completed A LOT, I have a completed project and one that is just about finished.

Pattern: Koolhaas Fingerless Gloves (see Koolhaas by Jared Flood – Ravelry link)
Materials: Jaeger Extra Fine Merino DK in charcoal
Needles: US4 Addi Turbo

Started: January 2008
Finished: April 8, 2008

I love this picture taken at the Big A (Angel Stadium of Anaheim)…and boy was it too hot to be wearing them. =o)

Next up, is the project I have been working on diligently and faithfully since April 26th.

Pattern: Pinwheel Blanket
Materials: Kona superwash DK (dyed by the wonderfully talented Lotus Yarns) and Cascade 220 superwash
Needles: US5 and 6 knit picks interchangeables and addi turbo 60″

Started: April 26, 2008

I’m sure you all recognized this as the Pinwhell Blanket. I’m really happy with how it is coming out. I am currently working on the border and hope to be finished no later than tomorrow. The pinwheel, for my friend’s baby Sawyer, also took a trip to the Big A (several actually as I worked on it there all last week).

There’s this…which has been put on the backburner for now because I ran out of yarn and haven’t made getting more a priority.

Pattern: Fidget
Materials: Debbie Bliss Superchunky Cashmerino
Needles: US10

Started: March 5, 2008

Lastly, I have another WIP I have been working on, for far too long. Sadly, as new things come up, these keep getting put on the backburner.

Pattern: Cut & Paste socks
Materials: Dream in Color Smooshy in Lagoon
Needles: US2.5/3.00 mm

Started: February 18, 2008

FOs and Yarn P0rn

I finished a pair of socks for ME!!

* Pattern: BFF socks
* Yarn: Koigu KPPPM, P425
* Needles: Addi Turbo 3mm, 32″ cable
* Modifications: Made them into ankle socks.

Close-up of stitch pattern

I recently ordered and bought quite a bit of yarn. Here it is:

Dream in Color Smooshy, lagoon

RYC Classic, red

Schaefer Anne, no color name

Tempted in “Roxanne”

Family Pendradon in Literary Dragon (I ordered this from Woolgirl, it came with a nice card and a little bar of soap)

Just yesterday, I started knitting my first toe-up socks, using Cut & Paste sock pattern, and the Dream in Color Smooshy pictured above.

I’ve been knitting up a storm since my last post (which I suppose with show how slowly I knit).  I finished the first Koolhaas fingerless glove:

I really like the way it turned out, but I must admit all those little cable are a bit of a nightmare. After completing my Koolhaas I decided I needed a break from them. It was time for a new project.

After having such a great time knitting up socks for my mom, I wanted a pair for me too. I was trying to pick out yarn a week or so agoand came across some Koigu sock yarn I bought ages ago, early in my knitting career, and not knowing it was sock yarn, only bought 1 skein. Well, here it was a couple years later and there was no chance I could find the same colorway (let alone in the same dye lot). That’s where Ravelry comes in. I searched through the Koigu yarn and found someone selling 1 skein in the same colorway (which was close enough for me) and I snapped it up. It came and wasn’t an exact match, but hey…beggers can’t be choosers, right?

I started knitting up my socks using both skeins at once.

I’m actually quite a bit further now, just a bit short of the toe decreasing, but I need to upload the photo. I couldn’t be more pleased with the finished product and I can’t wait for them to be a pair of socks.

Koolhaas

Ravelry is love.  Where else could you find new and interesting ways to use patterns that you like.  Since seeing Koolhaas in the Interweave Knits Holiday issue, I have wanted to knit it.  At the time, I had neither the time nor the right yarn.  Now that I have the time, I still don’t have the yarn.  I started looking through all the Koolhaas hats on Ravelry and was surprised to run across mpifilms’ Koolhaas mittens. I never would have thought to take the pattern and use it for fingerless gloves insead. As I already had some Jaeger Extra Fine Merino DK just lying around, dying to be knit into some fingerless gloves, I decided to give it a try.

I have finished another 2-3 repeats since I took these pictures and I really like how they are turning out so far. I just wish I could cable faster. =o)