This and That

I’m resisting casting on for another project with my delicious Tart with the Olympics just round the corner. 

(don’t these babies look so yum)

I don’t want to tackle something as large as a sweater right now.  Also, anything that I’ve swatched for lately doesn’t seem right.  Somehow my stitches are loose, and I mean REALLY loose.  To get gauge, I would need to go down 3 or 4 needle sizes and so I wait…until I get my swatch mojo back.  There IS a swatch mojo, right? 

This floppy knit and purl has got to be from the lace knitting that I have on my needles.  Yes, I’m back with the lace and my drug of choice this time has been this beauty. 

To even things out, I’ve got another very interesting knit on the needles.  A second shawl and this time by the very talented Lily Kate.  I think she’s only 12 (or maybe 13) years old!!!!!  I’ve found the perfect pattern for my funky Fleece Artist yarn.

There have been plenty of other goings-on in these parts but somehow I only seem to talk about knitting.  We still get out every weekend if it’s not too wet and I have to say that over the past couple months it has rained only two Saturdays, la dee dah!  Our most recent traipsing around was over here.  Will share more next time.

Posted by & filed under Lace, Shawl, Yarn. This post has 8 comments.

In Training

Every skein of yarn in my stash bin has a story.  I can pick out the ones that were bought for a specific purpose and then I have those impulse skeins that just seem to hop on over into the shopping cart, virtual or otherwise.  You know the feeling :: you have the Visa out and you just pick that extra skein because, it’s on sale, or it’s a colorway that always sells out, or because it looks lonely sitting out there on the shelf, or simply because your cart looks kinda empty.  I’m guilty of doing all the above and then some!

But for my projects that I wanted to knit for the Ravelympics, I went to my lovely LYS and picked out yarns that I had coveted for a long, long time.  I knew I wanted sock yarn (but not to knit socks) and that they could be any colorway other than green.  I’ve knit too many green projects lately (remember my pink phase?) and so it was time to veer off that path.  I picked out **Handmaiden Casbah Sock in a lovely blend of reds called Ruby and another called Salt Spray which reminded me so much of the winter sky and sea that seem to blend together when you take the ferry across from Vancouver to Victoria – soft shades of blue.

No yarn trawl is complete without an impulse skein and this time was no different.  A skein of Fleece Artist Merino in only what I can call a most unlikely blend of colors was the culprit.  It’s called Labrador and sadly, it looked waaaay more interesting in the skein than it looks wound up.

Ravelympic athletes just like the Olympic athletes are in training right now.  Our (crafting) version of training is to do with picking out patterns, signing up for teams and swatching.  I am so glad that I swatched and did a bit of browsing on the Ravelry boards about the patterns I wanted to knit.  I was going to go with the Sagano and Citron shawls.  Swatching wasn’t the funnest for both and so they’ve been shelved for another day.  I’m still trawling the world wide web for replacements and I think that I’ve narrowed my choices down to a few.

Glad that I got the “training” out of the way because our house has been invaded again by the sickies.  The 10-year-old has the stomach flu and the 2-year-old and yours truly have the regular flu.  Nothing fun, but we’re on the mend thanks to meds and massive amounts of chicken soup – always good for the soul.

But first, I want to finish my current project which is the Textured Yoke Cardigan before the Games begin and I think that I just might because I’ve joined the sleeves to the body and begun knitting the yoke.  Hopefully, I will have an FO to show soon, but first, I have to pick out the perfect buttons.

 

** If you are looking for the oh-so-lovely Handmaiden Yarns, Yarn Canada has a great selection here **

Posted by & filed under Cardigans, KAL, Ravelympics 2010, Shawl, Yarn. This post has 9 comments.

The Games

Everyone probably knows about the Winter Olympics and if you’re a Raveler then you know all about the Ravelympics. 

Vancouver is the host of this year’s Winter Games and me being a resident of the city (well, technically I live in the suburbs of Greater Vancouver…still) I have to say something about it all.

I’M STOKED!!!!!!

The Olympic torch has been making its way through each Province and we’ve been watching this journey online.  Today (Day 76), the flame has reached Edmonton.  Day 102 is when it passes through our neck of the woods and I can’t wait to catch a glimpse.  We’ve been saying that we will go downtown and check out the Olympic Rings on the Burrard Inlet but haven’t done that yet.  Don’t really know why we’ve been putting this off because I think that it would actually be quite cool. 

History was created with the first “knitting olympics” in 2006 which was a genius idea by none other than the Yarn Harlot.  That first stint had over 4000 crafters sign up to challenge themselves to creating something handmade within the duration of the games.  This year, Ravelers all over the globe are carrying on this tradition and I don’t really know how many people have signed up for this event MOVEMENT (!!!) but I’m sure it’s a lot, ALOT-ALOT!!

I gave some thought to what would be challenging for me as a knitter and I realized that having more than one project on the needles is what causes me to stress-out, making me lose steam and flake out on my knitting.  That is when I realized that for the Ravelympics, this is exactly what I was going to do – have two WIPs on the needles and try to get them BOTH finished before the end of the games.  No easy hats here or garter stitch scarves, I’m thinking shawls.  Well, shawlettes actually but we’re still talking skinny yarn, million stitches and a deadline.  For this knitter, that is a challenge!

  

At the end of the Ravelympics, I hope to have two shawlettes for the wearing.  It’s still winter here in Canada and even though us BC-ites are enjoying some really warm winter days (read 8 degrees Celcius almost everyday this past week, thank you global warming or grrr global warming whichever way you decide to look at it) these FOs will be much appreciated by my cold neck!!!!

I’ve signed up to be a part of Team Amiras (have to join in the fun with my peeps) and also a part of Team Canada (proud to represent my country).  I’m still sorting through patterns but like you see here, I already have some yummy yarn picked out for my projects.  Still undecided about the brown-blue Fleece Artist though because I wonder if it will be too busy for any pattern that does not have expanses of stockinette or garter stitch.  Hmm, while I’m wondering about my yarn choice, the Harlot is mulling over how she would like to execute the Knitting Olympics via her blog this year.  Great fun all around!

Cast on is scheduled for February 12, 2010 during the Opening Ceremonies.  Hope you’ve signed up!

Posted by & filed under Canada, KAL, Rambling, Ravelympics 2010, Shawl. This post has 8 comments.

The Christmas Sweater

Christmas has come and gone and we’re well into 2010 but here I am blogging about the only Christmas knitting I did.

This sweater has been off the needles and used so much that I almost forgot that I hadn’t blogged about it.  I finished Kiki’s Christmas sweater well before the holidays and I think that the blocking took longer than the knitting!

It fits!!!

The cuffs are a bit snug but not so tight that they threaten to cut off circulation.  I used a bunch of leftover scraps for the yoke and am still not sure about the colors working together or cancelling each other out. 

This sweater is very warm even though it’s no soft merino and it is so bright and cheerful that I loved knitting it.  The best part is that Kiki loves wearing it and even said in her own version of toddler-speak, “Mama, I like it sweater“. 

The Christmas Sweater

Pattern: Drive-Thru by Wendy Bernard
Yarn: Cascade 220 Wool  in “Ruby”
Needles: Size US 8/5.0 mm

Posted by & filed under Cardigans, Family. This post has 10 comments.

Mitten Mishap

Happy New Year everyone!!  I am sure that most everyone like me had a busy holiday season.  We had family visiting over Christmas which made us laugh louder, made our home warmer and feel so thankful that loved ones are just a plane ride away.

We still haven’t finished eating the last of the Christmas cake and treats but we’re already well into the first week of 2010.  Time doesn’t wait for anyone does it! 

My mittens that I talked about last time almost got knit before Christmas Eve.  When I got ready to finish off the second thumb, I realized that I had overlooked a very important line in the pattern… 

….Left Mitten: Knit like the right mitten, but knit thumb increases as a mirror-image 

I forgot to do the switcheroo, Duh-oh!!  I couldn’t really fudge and continue knitting and so I hung my head in shame and continued on in classic knitters avoidance fashion by casting on for another project.  However, I have learned that henceforth reading a pattern completely before knitting anything is a really good idea. 

I recently signed up for the Madelinetosh Sweater Club and received my first shipment of the most gorgeous Eyre in the deepest shade of green.  

 

I couldn’t wait to try out this yarn and despite having company over managed to swatch and cast on for a cardigan with such a “charming” name (not!)  113-17 Jacket with Raglan Sleeve and Pattern on Yoke by DROPS design. 

It’s knit from the bottom up and while the stockinette rows are looooong, the only consolation with this method is that there’s hardly any seaming once the knitting is done.  I’m almost done with the waist shaping and the yarn is just so beautiful and luxurious that I don’t really mind the multitude of rows. 

Posted by & filed under Cardigans, Mittens. This post has 8 comments.

The only Christmas knitting I did this year is the Drive-Thru cardigan for Kiki.  The knitting is done and it’s been blocking for a couple days now but still feels damp.  Time to move the blocking board up close to the heat.

With all the Christmas frenzy that has befallen us again this year, I haven’t really wanted to cast on for a large(r) project (my Vine Yoke Cardi is still on the needles, but I wanted something new) and I also haven’t been able to shake off the cable craze that I talked about recently. 

So, I found the perfect pattern to… 
* get my cable fix
* stash bust
***** turn out to be useful once finished

The pattern I chose is Chevaliar Mittens.  I’m already done with one mitten and I might even finish the second mitt before the Drive-Thru has Dried-Thru (cheesy, oh well!!!)  These mittens……..sooooo warm, me likes!!!  No knitting pictures this time with all the greylight that has sucked away our daylight.  Sunshine predicted tomorrow, although, the weatherman has been getting things consistently wrong lately!!!

Posted by & filed under Cardigans, Family, Finished Knits, Mittens. This post has 6 comments.

Warmth

Those pretty little leaves all in a row are done and I have myself a shawlette which I have begun to love.  This winter accessory is perfect to wrap around your neck without having to scrunch it up and is actually quite warm. The silk content in the yarn, makes this shawlette so soft and luxurious just like wrapping yourself in a warm, velvety hug.  Nice! 

The construction is done in plain stockinette with a twist a.k.a short-rows.  The result is a lovely curved shape – perfect for draping over your shoulders without having to “adjust” the whole  time.  This pattern took less than a couple skeins of Silky Merino and blocked out really lovely.  I went with wet blocking by dousing the finished project in a cool bath with some Soak and laid it flat to dry.  Thanks to indoor heating, it took just a couple days from sopping wet to soft and dry.   I think that the leaves really perked up with the blocking.

Cedar Leaf Shawlette

Pattern: Cedar Leaf Shawlette by Alana Dakos
Yarn: Malabrigo Silky Merino in “Sand”
Needles: Size US 7/4.5 mm

More pictures on my Rav page

Posted by & filed under Finished Knits, KAL, Scarves, Shawl. This post has 6 comments.

Little Leaves

It’s December one!  The Most Wonderful Time of the Year is finally here and I’m so happy.  But that’s not what I’m going to talk about first…. 

There’s been some progress on my shawlette and I’ve reached the edging.  This shawlette (which is more scarf-like for me since I didn’t check row gauge::my bad) is knit first and then the leaf edging is knit and attached with a fantastic method of using the simple p2tog.  Great plan, since it does not involve any picking up of stitches!! 

These leaves are so cute and serve to make up for the loss of the ones on our “neighborly” trees. 

Alas, the going on this project has been slow because my pre-Christmas list is enormous.  Doesn’t everyone have such a crazy list??  A leeeeetle too much going on right now but that’s ok!  I think that all of it doesn’t sound like pandemonium in my head because I love Christmas and everything that surrounds it!  Hopefully, I can check back soon with a finished shawlette (scarflette?)  Or maybe some other randomness on this blog which threatens to keep going into hibernation.

Talk to you soon:)

Posted by & filed under KAL, Scarves, Shawl. This post has one comment.

Think cables…Knit stockinette

No finished object this time although, I have some stuff on the needles. 

I would love to say that I have some tweedy number flying off the pointy sticks with plenty of interesting twists and turns, preferably a cardigan with waist shaping, knitted in the warmest wool and in a lovely shade of wintry grey.  Did I mention that its tweedy?  That’s all just in my head. 

In reality, I have some lovely projects on the go that I’m enjoying but there ain’t a single cable in sight!  Given that Christmas (my absolutely favorite time of the year) is almost here, don’t cables sound perfect?

The beret is Aira by the lovely Lily who is an amazing knitter like her mom and who is also turning out to be quite the talented designer.  The yarn is Araucania that I’ve never knit with before.  I haven’t blocked the beret yet – well, I’m not even half way through the pattern and so I can’t say for sure if I like this yarn or not.

The shawlette is Cedar Leaf done in drool-worthy Malabrigo Silky Merino.  The picture makes it look like a swirly mess but it’s actually almost 300 stitches across.  The pattern is lovely – short row heaven with a wonderful leafy edging.

Then there is garter stitch madness in the form of the Vine Yoke Cardigan.  I have never really liked garter stitch because I can never seem to keep an even tension when all I do is knit every row.  Despite the garter crazies, this is a very, very interesting pattern and my first sideways knit sweater.  I’m not too thrilled with the Cascade 220 Heathers I’m using for this project – not as soft as I expected it to be.  I don’t know if I’m turning out to be a yarn snob, I sure hope not!!

Lastly, a just-now-cast-on toddler sized Drive-thru cardigan done in Cascade 220.  If you look on Ravelry, this yarn has held first place for the longest time.  I guess that the 100% wool content, the amazing range of colors along with the fabulous price tag is what makes Cascade 220 a popular yarn.  This cardigan is knit in Christmas Red – perfect for the holiday season!

Having so many projects on the go usually overwhelms me but I’m trudging along and actually enjoying knitting them.  I’ll get them done soon so that I can actually knit cables with that tweed.  Mmm, mmm, mmm!

Posted by & filed under Cardigans, Hats, Shawl, Yarn. This post has 7 comments.