Two FO Disappointments

I have recently finished 2 sleeveless sweaters that have not worked out quite like I had imagined. Both are knit top down and have issues that will make me rip them back to near the beginning of the project.
The first is the yarn from June's Malabrigo Club shipment, 100% Organic Cotton. I love this yarn. I knit a swatch, washed and dried it. Having done this, I decided that I liked it better knit on the larger of the 2 needles that I used, rather than the smaller. Before the blocking process, the larger needle made a fabric that was too open, but the yarn shrinks, some. So, using a pattern from Interweave and my swatch information, I redesigned the pattern to be exactly what I wanted. Much to my surprise, the sweater is too short and far too wide after washing! I am trying to decide exactly what to do. I will probably pull it out, back to before joining at the underarms, and reknit the armhole shaping and then the body. I have been hesitating to do this as I don't particularly like knitting stockinette stitch in the round and all of the interesting stitches are in the part that does not need to be reknitted. I am also unsure of which needle size I should use to reknit it. However, I do have to keep working on a project with a deadline, so I don't expect to get to it anytime soon.
Then, I began another top as I wanted something rather mindless for when I was at the Women of Faith conference. (I like to have my hands busy when I am listening to a speaker, but it needs to be something that I don't have to look down at.) I designed a simple top using Tuulia Salmela's Tailored Sweater pattern. It is mostly stockinette stitch with a simple eyelet pattern at the front neck edge. I left off the sleeves, and made the top part a crossover design instead of a basic v-neck. I wore it last Sunday and really love it. However, after a day of wear, the top has stretch to where it is not fitting well. This top is knitted with Tahki's Sierra, so it may be the fault of the yarn, as I am not familiar with this one. However, I am surprised as I slipped all of the stitches that I was supposed to have slipped. I am now debating whether to do the same to this top as to the first one listed here. Again, though, am not entirely sure whether to use the same needles or smaller ones.

Here is my finished Mia Bella Shawl. It is lace weight with many, many beads around the edge. I made the version that is just a little bit more than half a circle and absolutely love it! I have been wearing it several times a week. It is great for cooler, summer mornings. (I have just adjusted my work schedule and am now arriving at work at 6:30 AM, so I often need just a little something!)

Kauni Shawl

A couple of weeks ago, I signed up for the Kauni Shawl KAL on Ravelry. I had heard about the pattern, Revontuli, from a fellow knitter on the Seattle to Portland Yarn Train. When I checked the pattern out later on, I found that it was very pretty, yet simple. I also saw where someone else had made all of the increases as yarnovers, instead of doing most of them as make ones. This simple change makes the pattern much lacier and far simpler to knit. If I remember correctly, the point of the knit along is to finish by March 8th and I was a little tired of my current sweater project, so I cast on last Saturday evening. By Sunday night, I had just about 20 rows left to go and finished on Monday afternoon. The picture above is from while it was drying. I’m not sure if is the cold that I had, or the lanolin in the yarn, but I found it difficult to breathe at times while working on the shawl. The yarn is rough to knit with, as well. When I was almost done, I wasn’t sure if I would ever wear the shawl, or just give it away. I finished any way and set out to soak it for blocking.

Because of my difficulties with the yarn while knitting the shawl, I took a few extra steps when blocking. Usually, I just soak it in a wool wash, spin and pin it out to dry. Instead I spent extra time to do the following: I partially filled up my top loading washing machine with “hot” (really just very warm) water and added some regular, scent and dye free clothes washing soap. I allowed the mixture to agitate for a minute or so and then added my shawl, pushing it under the water. I left this in the machine, which I had turned off, for about 30 minutes and then restarted the machine on the spin cycle. Once the excess water was removed, I pulled the shawl out and repeated the above process with cold water and fabric softener. After the rinse, I pinned the shawl out on the floor of my sewing/craft/computer room.

After spending the extra time to soak this shawl twice, the project smells and feels so much better, that I will probably wear it and not just give it away! Whoohooo!!

Just a few days after the retreat, I finished my Brilliance pullover. The fabric has such beautiful drape and is soft. I've never felt a wool like this. The sleeves are a little long, but I'm going to wear it before I decide on shortening them.

More Socks

I finished these socks over the weekend. They are "Jewelled Steps" from "New Pathways for Sock Knitters" by Cat Bordhi. The pattern was a joy to knit and the socks fit great! The yarn is Colinnette Jitterbug in color Summer Berries. The photo looks dark and muted, but the colors are really bright and fun. Knit toe-up on size 1 (2.25 mm) dpns.

Lace Henley Finished!

I finished the Lace Henley, last night. It is beautiful. Since I made it with a mostly cotton yarn, its still drying after the harsh blocking that I gave it. I can hardly wait to post a picture and wear this beautiful sweater.

I found a pattern in the latest Interweave Crochet that I just love, so I ordered yarn and the magazine. I tried crocheting the swatch last night, but after 20 minutes, my hands and shoulder were hurting so much that I've decided to use the yarn to knit the Auburn Camp Shirt from Interweave Knits, instead. I'm so dissapointed as I really love the Butterscotch Cardigan. The yarn I bought is Elann's Peruvian Baby Silk in Seashell Pink. Its a lovely, soft yarn that I am looking forward to knitting and wearing. I'll have to wait a little while to have much time to work on it, though, as I am expecting the next pattern for Sock Madness by tomorrow night. I'll probably cast on for the shirt tonight, any way though! :)

2 more down!!

After a really long time in the washer, the green felted clogs are finally finished!! My husband says that they should fit his dad perfectly! Somehow, one is a little bigger around the foot than the other, which really surprised me. I didn't want to let that one stay in longer as it is already a little shorter. Oh, well...It will still fit fine. I've been knitting on more of these slippers, but am knitting the next smaller size so that they don't have to spend as long felting. I have the next pair in the washer, now, and am almost finished with another half pair.
In other knitting news: I finished my oldest UFO! The Pink Sweater is done and drying. In the picture you can see the blocking wires are still in it. I'm hoping that both projects will be dry this evening so that they can be wrapped. I am working to have no more than 3 gifts to wrap at a time and have 1 more ornament that I bought Thursday, so that's 3.
On Thursday, I took the day off from work to go shopping with my mom. We had been looking for some time to "hang out" and that seemed perfect. Neither of us likes going to the mall during the Christmas season, at least certainly not on the weekend. So, Thursday it was. She picked me up at 9:45 and that way we were there around the time when they usually open. (I don't think they opened any earlier that day, but we couldn't have made it earlier any way.) My sister met us there and we shopped together for an hour and a half, or so, until she needed to get home to meet her preschooler's carpool. Mom and I continued to shop and then stopped at Starbucks before heading home. We picked up my little brother at school, and then headed out again, this time with my SIL in tow. It surprised me how we looked at such different things with each group. We really accomplished very much on Mom's list. She needed help shopping for my husband and my brother (SIL's husband.) Taking the wife always helps, right? :) So, the day was fun and everyone enjoyed themselves very much.

One More Gift Finished

Here are the finished Garter Rib Socks from the book Sensational Knitted Socks. They were knit on size 2 needles with color Cherries Garcia from Yarnlust. The yarn is a bit on the thin side for my taste, but it is so soft and the color so brilliant that I love them. I am quite surprised at how different looking the 2 socks turned out. I hope the intended recipient (my MIL) likes them!

Green Gable is Finished!

Here it is!! Green Gable is finished, blocked after weaving in all the ends! I'm even more pleased with it than I thought that I would be. Though it was a somewhat boring knit, I love it and may have to buy some yarn to make me one, in the future. It looks great and is just a little snug on me, so it should fit Mom perfectly! Her birthday is Sunday. I don't know if anything is planned, yet, but I know that we will all go see her after church.
(You can see the details here.)

2 FOs!!

I finished the Lacy Mock Cable Socks!! Good thing, too, as my feet have been cold all morning. They're warming up, now!

This pattern was fun to knit and I think I may have even begun to figure out how to do the Kitchener stitch a little better with this pair. I've always knit socks toe-up until these last 2 pair. I still prefer the toe-up method, but am fairly confident at my skills for top-down, now, as well.

I, also, finished the last bit of work on the Dashing gloves for my SIL. I took the cue from Firefly and added a button on the cuff so that it is easy to tell which glove belongs on which hand. This really was not necessary as the gloves could fit either hand, but I found than when worn on the "correct" hands, the last bound off stitch is on the side of the little finger rather than in the palm where it feel like a small knot and irritates my hands. I'm thinking about giving these to her for her birthday and adding in a pair of needles, a ball of yarn, and a certificate for knitting lessons. The last 2 or 3 times I saw her, I was knitting, as usual. She commented each time that she really would like to learn to knit...What's a knitter to do, but enable another person into this great addiction!?