Dashing in Green

While beginning my Stash page, yesterday, I found some green Classic Wool (from Patons) that was left over from knitting my husband a pair of felted slippers. It looks like the right amount of yarn to knit Dashing from Knitty.com. I've been wanting to knit this pattern, for a while, and wanted a quick project that I could finish quickly. I didn't want them to be so long, so I shortened the number of rows between cable rows. They're looking great! I have the first one finished, and the second almost ready to knit the thumb. This is the first time I've knit an afterthought thumb (or toe, or anything) so it has a been a good learning experience. I like it so well that I may even try it on a sock sometime soon.

Last Christmas, I knit a pair of lacy, fingerless gloves for my brother's fiance (now wife.) She absolutely loved them & seemed to always have them on. The last time I heard about it, she said 1 had been misplaced at her aunt's house. Apparently, said aunt is so disorganized that there is little hope of it showing up. I keep hoping, but no news, yet. However, I know how much my SIL likes the gloves & find it difficult to know what to give her for her birthday. Although its in May, not the coolest time of year, I think I'll give these to her, then. Before you ask, no, I'm not really worried about her losing another. Once gifted, I rarely worry about my knitting. The only thing that I care about is whether the person will really like what I've spent time knitting, and whether or not they'll use it. In use, there is always a chance for an item to get worn out, ruined, or lost. I'm just glad she wears what I've made. [smiling!]

Updated to include a picture at 1:18PM.

New Finished Project

I finished my Purple Mix, Sockotta socks. They fit great! These were knit from the pattern Tidal Wave Socks.

Back Home

We left home early Tuesday morning, following my parents up the mountain pass to Coeur D'Alene. As we drove, we hit snowfall at the summit! It was beautiful and was not sticking to the highway, so I loved it! Since dh was driving, I had the opportunity to look out the window, taking in the beautiful scenery.

Coming back down into the valley, the sun was out and it looked so warm. However, we stopped to view the Columbia River from a lookout, it was so windy that we felt like we might be blown down the hillside!

When we arrived at our condo, my mom and I took a few minutes to unpack the food we brought & then headed out to take the 25 minute trip back into Coeur D'Alene. We found the scrapbook store and spent about 45 minutes looking around. I found some great camping/ATV-ing papers and stickers. Afterward, we went looking for the yarn stores. We found 2, but they had already closed.

Most of Wednesday we spent scrapbooking. I finished my album for Christmas 2006, except for a little journalling that still needs to be done. Then, I went on to work on my camping pictures from last year. I was certainly glad to have the papers & stickers that I purchased the day before, as I forgot the notebook with all my outdoors-y stickers & embellishments in it! Although I didn't catch up on any of my knitting, I feel a great sense of accomplishment getting so much done on the scrapbooking.

We needed to be back home by Thursday evening, so my dh & I left around 11AM. He offered to stop at a yarn store, before going home! Isn't he great? I found 2 skeins of Sockotta sock yarn that I loved & we were back on the road. I, of course, immediately cast on! :)

As we drove, the sun was shining & it looked gorgeous, until we arrived back at Snoqualmie Pass. This time, it was raining pretty good!

By the time we arrived home I had about 3/4 of a sock finished in the Purple Mix colorway.

To top off this great trip, I went to the mail box, and what did I find? A great package from Mildred on my Stitch Marker Exchange! She sent some great, purple markers and a skein of sock yarn!

Luna Moth Shawl

Earlier this week, on my Civil War Shawl group, someone mentioned that she wanted to do this shawl as a KAL. After clicking on the link to a free pattern, I decided that I wanted to do this one, only now! So, on Thursday night, I sat and ripped out a completed shawl that I never have liked very well. (The knitting was great, but it didn't fit the way that I wanted.) Then, last night, I cast on. I really, really don't need another project on the needles, right now, but its coming out so great, and I just love new projects!!

Green Gable is coming along. I have only 2 balls (out of 6) of yarn left to knit. I have a feeling this sweater is going to take nearly all that I purchased. It doesn't look much different than last time, so no picture, yet.

Green Gable

I finished Green Gable to the point of removing the sleeve stitches from the needle! I knit about an inch on the body of the sweater, and then went on to finish a sleeve. Since they're short sleeves, it didn't take too long, except I was using a 60" circular needle and the magic loop method. Every time I knit a half round, I would have to stop and pull 60" of the circular through the work! This seemed to take forever, so I really need to put a shorter circular needle on it. (I'm using KnitPicks options needles, so this will be no problem. I just need to remember to grab a shorter cable!) I'm really loving the way that the yarn is knitting up, and so is my mom. She still thinks that the sweater is for me, and, of course, I'm not correcting that mis-belief! I figure that I have it at least half way done. Hopefully, I will get a picture posted this evening or tomorrow.

Knit...Knit...Knit...

I've been knitting quite a lot, lately, but have no pictures to show for it! On Sunday, I started knitting a sweater for a coworker's upcoming baby shower. I wanted something that would be machine washable, so I'm using the softest yellow, acrylic that I could find at Michael's. (Usually, I hate acrylics, but there are some good uses for them!) I have it almost done, but need to finish the last sleeve. When I was tired of knitting on it, I stopped and sewed as much together as possible. I even knit on the button & button hole bands and finished the collar. It has been a quick knit, which is a great way to take a break from some of my other projects.

In other knitting, I have the second Huskies sock almost done...Maybe tonight, or tomorrow. As I wanted to give them to him before Easter, I'm right on track. Phew, what a relief!

My shawl hasn't come very far since I last posted a picture. Its getting up there in the stitch count, so its starting to take a while to finish a row. I still love it, but there are only certain times that it can be worked on. Green Gable has been getting some work put in, as well, but I am still not down to the bottom of the armhole, yet. This is the project that seems to really be taking way, way too long.

I have so many projects I'd love to start, right now, but am making myself finish at least some (maybe 2? :) ) projects before I allow myself to do that! Finishing the project always feels so good, but I often feel like I have to drag myself through the last eighth, or so, of the item.

Oh, I almost forgot! I now have 2 friends at work that are meeting with me on Thursdays to knit! It has been so much fun to work with them. My one coworker said that she wanted to learn, and she has ended up showing me a new way to cast on. Both are working on their own at home, and doing a great job.

My Favorite, Current Project

I have been working on my Civil War Shawl, lately. It has become a favorite project that I just can't wait to pick up. This is because of so many factors. First, I love the pattern. The pattern changes a little every so often, so it really holds my interest. If it were all the same, I think I'd go crazy! Second, I love the yarn. It is just perfect for the pattern as it is super soft and the wool/silk mixture catches and reflects the light beautifully. Being so lightweight, the fabric is coming out very lacy and beautiful. Third, the pattern is complicated enough that this does not make good commuter knitting, so the project is maintaining its newness, as I can only work on it during the weekend. (This is when I get time that is somewhat uninterrupted!) Its going very well and I am looking forward to each new step in this creative process.

A Knitting Weekend

This weekend, I finished knitting the first Malabrigo glove and started on the second. Past that, I worked a little on my Civil War Shawl, Huskies sock & Green Gable. I didn't get much done on any one project. Then, on Saturday, I met a friend at Village Yarn and Tea (one of my favorite LYS and the closest to my house) for tea and knitting. I wanted to knit something small for an exchange that I am finishing, so I bought a skein of yarn at the store & knit the larger "Spiral Bag" from One Skein. I finished it that same day, but didn't have time for any other knitting. The bag came out great, but I forgot to take a picture before I mailed it. Silly me!

A Yarn Gift

On Wednesday night, I arrived home to a package from Jen, from the International Tote Exchange III. In it, there was a skein of Malabrigo in a dark purple colorway. The yarn is so beautiful and soft, I just had to start something with it. I went through a few books, looking for a small project, and came across a pair of gloves in the One Skein book that I had been wanting to make. That same night, I cast on for them. I haven't had much time at home to knit, and these don't make very good commuter knitting, so last night I worked on them for about an hour, getting 1 finger and most of another knitted. I'm very pleased with the way this yarn is feeling as it is knitted. Its also much stronger than I thought it might be. I've often had singles, like this, break too easily. However, I had to go find some scissors to cut the yarn at the end of the first finger! This was a very pleasant surprise. (The color is much deeper than seen here. The flash washed it out some.)

Huskies Sock

Since beginning the Huskies sock on the 4th, I've knit the toe and most of the foot. Only one more inch to go, before starting the heel. I'm looking forward to the stitch being a little different as I work a short-row heel. I am doing the entire sock in stockinette, which gets a little boring after a while. However, it makes for great commuter knitting, since I can either look out the window (and knit by touch) or watch what I'm knitting, taking time to admire the way the colors are pooling. It has been a fun knit and is going a little more quickly than I thought that it might. The sock will be about 10 inches in diameter and about 11 inches in length. I split the yarn into 2 equally weighted balls so that I can just knit until I run out of yarn on the cuff. I'm hoping I have enough yarn to make it as long as the foot, but doubt that. Instead, I'll make it as long as possible by not using a hem for the cuff and using ribbing, instead.

One FO, 2 new UFOs

This weekend, I did manage to finish the Blue & White socks. I stayed up a little late, last night to get the ends woven in, but they look great!

On Friday night, I finished all but the hood on my cardigan, and for that I only have about 11 inches left to finish knitting. I'm excited to see this project almost done, as it will make a great Spring jacket. Our weather is warming up, after the snow last week, and so it is feeling like Spring, again. This will be some good motivation to finish the sweater.

I started 2 new projects this weekend. On Saturday, I went to my LYS to return the extra 2 hanks of yarn from the cardigan, and ended up exchanging them for some of Elisabeth Lasvold's Hempathy. I'm going to make the Green Gable for my mom for her birthday, in June. I finished off one of the six skeins of yarn on Sunday afternoon. Its looking good. She saw me working on it, and absolutely loved the soft hand to the fabric and the lace at the front neckline. I asked her a few questions about the style, which she answered as though the sweater was for me, but with an answer like, "If it was me, I'd..." This was perfect!! Then, she had a favorite sweater drying in the bathroom, so I measured it for length and width at the underarm. Green Gable should be very easy to knit to those specifications. I really want to make a new favorite for her.Finally, I started the Huskies socks. I am using my favorite pattern, Wendy's Generic Toe Up Socks, which I have re-calculated the number of stitches to fit a foot that is 11 inches instead of 8. I finished the toe, as seen here, and then worked another 1/2 inch or so on my way into work, this morning. The yarn is so soft and squishy. These socks would be hard to give away, if they would fit me. Of course, they won't, though as they will be way to big!

Lots and lots of knitting!!

This weekend, I took Saturday as a day of rest and knitting...I finished both sleeves on the Curvalicious Cardigan! After all the ripping I had to do on Friday, I was a bit discouraged, but now I have a sense of accomplishment. (The cardigan won't photograph well as I have it scrunched onto a 24" circular. Once I get to the hood, maybe I can get a picture posted.)

On Saturday, I received this in a package from my "Think Green" Stitch marker exchange. My partner even sent some of my favorite flavor of tea! I've even had the opportunity to use one of the markers while knitting my sleeves on Saturday. I'm hoping to finally send out my exchange packages to my partners, this coming weekend. (Packages for both the Tote Exchange and the Stitch Marker Exchange.)
Also, in Saturday's mail were my KnitPicks needles for the Civil War Shawl KAL. Just looking at the cables is enough to make me fall in love with these needles. Typically, I use bamboo needles, but with the increasing size of the shawl, I think that having an interchangeable cable size will be more cost effective than having to buy 3 different needles for the varying widths of the shawl. I'm really hoping to get my cardigan finished before Thursday, when this KAL begins.
Today, my husband will mail out the 2 squares that I finished for the Gracious Parcels Project. I hope that Firefly receives them in time!!

Frogging...

Yesterday was the day of the frog. I finished turning the heel of the second blue & white sock to realize that I had started my short rows on the wrong needle & so the toe was 90 degrees off from the heel. Frog...Then, I started working on the sleeve to my cardigan. The pattern calls for a 12 inch cuff! I could just see those needing to be pushed up all the time, so I did some recalculating and cast on again for an 8 inch cuff. I finished most of the increases and realized I was increasing too quickly and all the increases would be finished in 10 inches instead of 16. So, frog...I did manage to get about 5-6 inches re-knitted before going to bed. It was a very frustrating day. Hopefully, I won't have these problems when I sit down to knit later today!

Curvalicious Progress

I had about an hour to work on my cardigan, last night. It is finished to the bottom of the sleeves! Feeling a great sense of accomplishment, I really wanted to start a sleeve, last night. However, I knew I needed to get some sleep, so I postponed starting it.
On another note, I have been working rather feverishly on the Blue & White Socks and have the second one almost to the heel. I really want to get these done so that I can start working on the Huskies socks. Maybe, I'll get to start those this weekend.

When I arrived home last night, I checked my mail, and what did I find, but the All Things Heather yarn that I ordered from The Loopy Ewe, only last Friday! The yarn is super soft and I am really looking forward to working with it. I just have to finish the socks that I've already started, as I need the needles! These socks will be my March socks for the Sock a Month KAL.
The color is "Huskies," and is for a pair of socks for my husband. I wanted them to be a surprise, but when he saw the color name, he asked if it was for his socks! Of course, I fibbed and said, "No." I'm still hoping that I can make them while not at home, so that he doesn't catch on in an even bigger way!

Sock Progress!

I've been knitting almost exclusively on the blue & white "Sock-It-To-Me" sock. I have the first one done and just finished the toe of the second one. I've decided that they will be a birthday present for my mother-in-law, who loves my hand knits, but is afraid to wear the last pair of socks that I made as I told her that it is best to hand wash them. These will be machine washable so I'm sure they'll get much more use. After all if they aren't used all the time spent knitting, seems like such a waste.

On Saturday, I went shopping for some green beads to make stitch markers. Here are the ones that I found. They're bright green glass with parts that are cloudy & parts that are clear. I might even do something with some of them, today!

UFO's

This sock yarn has been in my collection since just before Christmas. I started the sock on Christmas Day, but when it turned out too small, I set the yarn aside in favor of a new project. Last night, I frogged the whole thing and wound it back into a ball. Then, I started over again, finishing the short row toe, before going to bed.
This is the Tied Up Tee from White Lies Designs. I've been working on this since last September. I have the front, back and one sleeve done. Maybe once I finish the socks, I'll get a little more initiative to get this one finished! This color is one of my favorites and the yarn is a cotton/rayon blend that is beautiful. The rayon causes it to shimmer.

Great Mail!

I had a busy morning today. All the stuff I had planned were things that I really wanted to do, but there was just so much. First, I met my mom and swimming partner for 45 minutes of lap swimming. Then, I rushed to get showered so that I would only be 15 minutes late to the church musical practice. Afterward, I stayed after the practice for the women's fellowship time at church. I was so blessed to have a long conversation with my friend Julie. I finally arrived home about 2:00, pretty tired out. But, when I opened my mailbox, I saw the large envelope from The Knitting Guild Association. I ordered the pattern for the Civil War Shawl Knit Along. I was starting to open it, before I even had the door to my condo opened. However, before I did get to look through the magazine, I found a package on the counter from my upstream partner in the International Tote Exchange III. She sent coffee, chocolate and a large travel mug. Since my favorite one just broke, this could not have come at a better time!

Once I got over the excitement of such a fun package, I began to look through the back issue of Cast On that I had ordered. I was, then, a bit disappointed. I ordered the issue from 2002, instead of 2001. So, I am now in the process of ordering a pattern from the author (which is what I would have done in the first place, if I had finished reading the blog entry before ordering!) I also stopped by my LYS, Village Yarn & Tea, to see which lace weight yarns they carry. They had the Jaegerspun Zephyr, but wanted 16.95 (plus 9% tax) for 4 oz! I had already checked out the prices online and knew that I could get it online for around $35 (plus shipping, but no tax) per 16 oz. I know where I'll be buying it from, if I decide on that yarn. It is a beautiful yarn, and it probably is the one that I'll end up with, but I have to consider all my options. (Isn't that part of what its all about when you have almost a month to get the materials?) I am very much looking forward to beginning that project, but must get some others done first.

Fulling finished!

Here is the fulled bag. (It is still drying & so you can see a little of the Tupperware container that I'm using to help it keep its shape. This weekend, I plan to sew on the handles, and sew a lining into the bag. At that point, I'll really be finished. I hope my secret pal loves this bag as much as I do!

While the washing machine was working on the fulling, I made some more progress on my cardigan. I am almost done with the decrease rows for the waist shaping.

Tote Knitting Finished!

Here is the finished tote before fulling. It has been fun working with this pattern. I plan to full it tonight & then I'll have the real finished photos!