FO: Mom Blankie

Yes! It's actual knitting content!

I finished Mom Blankie today. It wasn't the ten days I so hopefully planned on Christmas Day, but I did finish it in just about a month.

The details:

Pattern: Zig Zag sock yarn pram baby blanket by Debbie Orr (free pattern here). Obviously, I used thicker yarn and bigger needles to get a sofa sized blanket.

Yarn: Noro Kochoran

Needles: Size 10 Knit Picks Options circs

Size: Before blocking (as in these pics), it was 48" x 60". After blocking, it is 52" x 64".

Mods: None, other than the size, and the fact that I used self-striping yarn instead of sock yarn scraps. Very easy and relaxing pattern, perfect for tv knitting! And now, perfect for tv watching, too. :)

FO: Ribby

I blogged about this one here. Again, a while ago. It doesn't look a whole lot different now, but I thought it deserved an official FO post.

This is an interesting design, if I do say so myself: nothing more than basic ribbing, with a little shaping, but the horizontal ribbing in the center panel makes for a pretty dramatic design feature and adds curves where they don't really exist.

I used some Rowan cashsoft dk I had in the stash for a long time (I ordered it by mistake, thinking it was cashcotton). I debated for some time about what sort of sleeves to make for this. In the end, I decided to make it a tank top, mostly because I wanted to move on to something new and this was the fastest finish.

I did a quick single crochet finish around the armholes to give them some structure.

I've never actually worn this. I think it would be more wearable with sleeves, and some day I may get around to knitting some. In the meantime, I think it would make a good vest over a shirt, but since that's not really a wardrobe concept I've ever embraced, it mostly just sits on a shelf in my closet.

FO: NLCA

And here it is: The Noro Log Cabin Afghan!

I started this back in March and fairly quickly worked up all the very addictive squares. But then it took a while to plow through all the assembling, which involved miles and miles of garter stitch and almost as much grafting.

In the end, it was totally worth the trouble. The afghan is warm and colorful and lovely to curl up with.

I used 20 balls of Noro Yuzen--which is a wool/silk blend, labeled DK weight, but really a worsted--in 10 different colorways. I made the blocks using this tutorial, which was really easy. Then I picked up and knitted along the edges of the blocks and kitchenered them together to create strips. Then I picked up and knitted along the edges of the the strips and kitchenered them together to create a rectangle. (I used a different yarn for this, which I pulled from the stash.)

I should have made my strips narrower, since a) they ended up wider than the "logs" and b) I ran out of yarn before I could make the border as wide as I wanted. But calculating exactly how wide they needed to be to use all my yarn without running out too soon would have required...well...math. And I try to minimize the need for math in knitting, because, as I have proved time and again, math lies. I know there are those of you who disagree that math is inherently dishonest, and maybe even those who would suggest that I--myself--might in some way bear some responsibility for the way math has repeatedly failed to conform to my knitting reality, but I reject those arguments and repeat: math lies.

So, after much consideration, I decided to use the "ah, screw it" approach to making a border and just started single crocheting around and around the edge of the afghan until I ran out of yarn. Which, naturally, happened two feet before the end of a round. At that point, I extended the "ah, screw it" approach to its natural corollary, "ah, f*&! it!", ripped back to the end of the side (not all the way back to the beginning of the round, which would have made the border the same width on all sides but also narrower on three sides), and tied it off. I figure, no one will ever notice that one side is one row narrower than the other three, and I used up all but a few feet of my yarn.

Being familiar with the ways of Noro, I soaked this baby overnight in some water with a good dose of fabric softener, and it's now drying out on the deck. Since I've also finished Morgaine (modeled pics coming soon!), I am now without project on the needles! I will be remedying that situation in short order, as soon as I decide what I feel like knitting next. I am getting ready to start a new job in a formal office environment (more about that later), so I am trying to come up with a sweater I could wear in that setting. It's the sort of place you have to wear a suit every day. I was thinking a fitted shell or sweater for under a suit, but I been able to find any patterns I think would work. I'm not averse to designing my own, but I don't really have a vision for it. Any suggestions?

FO: Enchanted Wood

Just to prove that I actually have knitted a lace shawl, may I present Enchanted Wood (also know as Hell Freezes Over).

I did this as part of a Unique Sheep KAL in February. I did post blocking shots back then, but never got around to the official FO post.

The yarn is from the Unique Sheep, in what they call a "gradience" colorway, which is a series of specially dyed skeins that progress from on color to another as you move from skein to skein. I like the idea, but it works better in some colorways than others, and the progression is occasionally a little more abrupt than I would like. I suppose that's the nature of hand dyeing. (It didn't stop me from ordering another gradience colorway for their next KAL...which I dropped out of during the eternal and horrific cast on. But that's another story.)

This was also my first (and only) attempt at knitting with beads, and I loved it!

I haven't had an opportunity to wear this yet, but it does grace Bertha (the dress form) in my craft room, so I get to enjoy it every day anyway.

It remains to be seen whether I will (successfully) tackle another lace shawl, but at least I can prove I knitted one once!

FO: Lillian

This is another of my blog-neglected FOs. I test knitted this for Lucy Sweetland of a black pepper last fall. It was one of the more challenging knits I've done, and if I hadn't been on a deadline, I'd never have finished it in less than a month!

Pattern: Lillian, by Lucy Sweetland.

Size: 34" for my 35" bust.

Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Classic Al. I really love this yarn. It's a 50/50 wool and alpaca blend that is soft and springy and holds its shape really well without pilling. Two of my most often-worn sweaters are made of this yarn, and they both look great after much wear. Not itchy, either, and I'm pretty sensitive.

Needles: KnitPicks Options circulars in sizes 5 and 7.

Despite the complexity, it was a fun knit. I love knitting cables, and these ones were relatively easy because the cable repeats all coincide with each other, unlike some complex patterns, where the repeats all fall on different rows (Death By Cables, I'm looking at you!).

This is a great winter sweater. I wore it all last winter with all sorts of different outfits. I particularly like the sleeve detail.

The only things I don't like about this sweater are the i-cord cast on (never, never again), and the saddle shoulder, which makes for an oddly square-ish shape. This is probably due as much to my finishing as to the nature of the saddle shoulder, but whatever the reason, I won't be repeating this design feature in the future.

FO: Knitting Sunshine

I've been remiss, as usual, in blogging my FOs. I had to dig through the blog archives to figure out when I started this. This is the one I named Knitting Sunshine. I knitted it back in April and I've even worn it in public, but this is its official blog debut.

Pattern: Multnomah. This is a free pattern written for one skein of sock yarn. I used 630 yards of dk weight yarn and added a few rows.

Yarn: British Mohair Kidd Silk. Absolutely LOVE this yarn! So soft and slightly fuzzy, and the most gorgeous shade of gold.

Needles: Knit Picks Options circs, size 5.

Mods: Just added a few repeats of the garter pattern to use up my yarn and adjusted the lace pattern for the edging accordingly.

Thoughts: A wonderful, warm shawl pattern. I would happily make this again and again, if I were the sort to repeat patterns. The dk weight yarn made a thick, weighty shawl, due to all the garter, and the fact that I used fairly small needles for the yarn gauge.

FO: Buggy

Buggy--otherwise known as Hey, Teach--is officially done!

The Details:

Pattern: Hey, Teach! by Helene Rush.

Size: Um. Small, I think.

Yarn: Rowan Summer Tweed. No sir, I don't like it! This yarn was a pain to knit--literally. A heavy worsted raw silk and cotton blend with no give or flexibility at all; my wrists and elbows may never recover. It does make for a nice finished fabric, but not nice enough to go through that again!

Needles: size 7 KP Options.

Mods: I made the body two inches longer and did elbow-length sleeves. I also added buttons (6 instead of 4). I added extra ribbing to the neckline to bring it up a little higher and keep it from sagging. Oh, and I did twisted ribbing instead of regular 1x1 ribbing because I prefer it. Otherwise I followed the pattern on this one. It's a nice pattern if you don't mind seaming. Personally, I think I'm going to stick to seamless garments for a while!

Goooooooooal!

Oh, wait, the World Cup is over, isnt' it?

I don't care: Buggy is done!

The KH and Older Son have been gone all week (at Civil Air Patrol boot camp--more on that later), so last night Younger Son and I had breakfast-for-dinner, we popped in a movie, and I settled in for a marathon finishing session. Buggy is blocking on a lounge chair now, and just needs buttons to be well and truly done!

Now...what to cast on next?

FO: Spicy Tweed

It's been a while since I put up an FO post for an actual knitted object, so I'm happy to present Spicy Tweed!

This was my WIP Cup project, and I finished with five days to spare, even though it took me two days to get around to sewing on the buttons.

Details:

Pattern: Tweedy Aran Cardigan by Norah Gaughan. Great pattern, as usual with Norah, but be aware there are thousands and thousands of twisted stitches, so if ptbl drives you bonkers, you might want to think twice.

Yarn: Harrisville Wool and Flax. This is an odd yarn. I'm still not sure whether I like it. It is composed of two softly twisted, woolen spun plies. It splits easily, which is a pain when working so many cables and twisted stitches. There is also a remarkable amount of scratchy vegetable matter in this yarn--more than Noro by quite a bit. The only yarn I've ever seen so much vm in is the "barn yarn" I used for the KH's On The Road sweater, and that was half price due to the amount of vm. The yarn is light and lofty, but not particularly soft, even after washing. And it grew like crazy with washing. It doesn't seem inclined to pill, though, which is a big plus in my book, and it's very warm. Time will tell whether this one gets a thumbs up.

Needles: Knit Picks Options circs, sizes 6 and 7. I very carefully swatched, measured, washed, and measured again, settling on sizes 5 and 6 to give me just the right size. And after I had finished the back and began the cast on for the first front, I realized I had mistakenly used size 6 and 7 needles. Ripping was out of the question, so I accepted that I would have an oversized cardigan. Which it is. Very oversized. I think it's about 40" in the bust, where I am about 35" in the bust. Not my best fitting sweater, but comfy, nonetheless.

Thoughts: I didn't really enjoy knitting this. I am at a loss to explain why. I was really looking forward to it; I was excited about both the yarn and the pattern, which were well matched; it was interesting without being too difficult--but still, every time I picked it up, I lost interest within a few minutes. That's why I decided to do it for the WIP Cup. Even now, with it done, I'm only lukewarm about it.

At least the weather cooperated for my FOto shoot. It's about 65 degrees here and overcast; It looks and feels a whole lot more like fall than summer!

FO: Skirting the Issue

My first sewing project is done! And it took less than a day. Man, sewing is fast!

I knit because I love it. My motivation for overcoming my long-standing fear of the sewing machine was different: I need clothes that fit. I am tall, with a small waist and curvy hips. It is difficult to find anything that fits when clothing is based on a size and shape that has little in common with my actual measurements. In particular, I've been searching for skirts I like for several years. I don't generally wear shorts--they make me feel too exposed--and long, lightweight skirts are a good option in hot weather, which we have a lot of hereabouts. It's not easy to find skirts long enough, or in the style I prefer.

I was greatly inspired by Stitchywitch of Green Apples, who is an amazing knitter and crocheter, and recently added sewing to her list of accomplishments. She has been documenting her progress in making clothes that suit her style and shape for some time, and apparently it's contagious.

Despite my list of things learned from yesterday, I really enjoyed making this. It's a different sort of thing than knitting, because for me, at least, it's more product-driven. But that's okay when you can whip out a skirt in less than a day! And I'm happy with the results. The fabric is lovely, a linen blend with pretty embroidery. The fit is just what I was going for. The finished product is not perfect. The zipper is a little wonky:

Not too bad, but certainly not perfect. This was the first time I've ever used a zipper foot (obviously), and it was different than hand sewing a zipper. I considered doing it by hand, but decided the object here was to learn to use the machine, so I sucked it up and gave it my best shot.

I'm not at all sure I got the hem straight, either. I pretty much just folded the edge under, ironed it in place, and sewed it down. And I tossed out the pattern instructions when I hit the waistband, because I realized that adding a waist band would make the skirt sit higher than I wanted. In fact, I ended up ripping and resewing some of the seams to create a little more ease around the hips so that the skirt would sit lower than it originally did. I also ignored the length of the original pattern and made this significantly longer. But the pattern was really useful for getting the panels shaped right.

In fact, I've already bought more fabric for another skirt based on the same pattern. And maybe some for a summer dress. And...um...

Here we go again.

FO: Patience Socks

And they're done!

The nifty sock blockers were a Christmas present from my husband--he came up with it all by himself! I can't imagine using them to block socks--do people really do that?--but they're perfect for taking FOtos.

The Details:

Yarn: Mountain Colors Bearfoot in Sweetpea. Definitely my new favorite yarn. I've been snatching it up in Rav destashes as fast as I can hit "pay now."

Needles: Size 2 Bryspun dpns. I really wanted to use the Bryspun needles and size 2 is as small as they go, so even though I'd prefer a smaller needle, I gave them a shot. They socks turned out fine. I think this yarn is a little thicker than most sock yarn. I did the cuffs on size 1s (some new wood dpns I got from DyakCraft--formerly Grafton fibers--thanks to a tip from kmkat), because I was hoping tighter ribbing would help them stay up.

Pattern: Winged it. Cast on toe up and increased to 56 stitches. Worked in k2, p2 on the tops only for four rounds, then switched to p2, k2 to get a checkerboard pattern. Toe, bottoms, and short row heels are plain stockinette. When I got to the ankle, I continued the checkerboard pattern all the way around. The cuffs are k2, p2 ribbing. I really like the finished texture. It looks almost like a diamond weave.

Size: Women's 11. I worked the foot until it measured 8.5 inches from the toe, then started the short row heel. After the heel, I worked about an extra inch before beginning the ankle. Foot length is about 11 inches.

Name: Well, that's pretty straightforward. I started these waiting in the doctor's office--for hours--and finished them while waiting for the release of Clue 2 of the Enchanted Wood mystery shawl. "Patience" seemed appropriate. I wonder if wearing them will give me more of it?

Socks and More Socks

I would never have believed it possible, but I think I've caught the sock bug.

I finished the Mountain Colors toe-up socks a while ago:

I love these socks! Despite the wonky toe on the first one, I think they're the most comfortable socks I've made. The yarn is amazing; the colors are great and it knits up into a soft, dense fabric that responds really well to machine washing. I do think they got a bit shorter with washing, though. I really, really like knitting socks toe-up. I can use all the yarn and I don't have to graft the toes.

I enjoyed these so much that I immediately cast on for another pair. I had a 150 gram ball of Supersocke dk weight, so I made knee highs!

I prefer longer socks, so these really please me. The top ribbing is a little floppier than I'd like. Next time I will use a smaller needle for the ribbing. I did these on size 2 (2.75mm) dpns. Yes, dpns. And despite my great love for magic loop...I had so much fun!

I did them simultaneously on two sets of dpns, to prevent second sock syndrome. I used Bryspun nylon needles, which are my favorites for sock knitting. Unfortunately, 2.75mm is the smallest size they make. They worked well for this yarn, but for most sock yarn I prefer a size 1 (2.25mm). I haven't yet found any dpns in that size that I really like; I'd like a slightly flexible, non-metal, short (4-6") needle. Any suggestions?

Redemption

Aaaaand they're done! (They really do match, right down to the last row. The picture just makes them look like they ended at different places. I think I was curling my toes.)

The yarn is Supersocke Summer, if I recall correctly. It's a wool/cotton/nylon blend, which my feet like, but my hands don't. It's kind of splitty and doesn't really have the bounce of wool, although it's not terrible.

The shoes (my new favorites) are Born Joey clogs. They're super comfortable, lightweight, and go great with jeans or pants. They also show off handknit socks nicely. I got mine at theshoemart.com, but they're available all over online.

I don't know how all you sock knitters get decent pictures of your own feet.

FO: Chevron Scarf...and a whole lot of excuses

I realize I owe y'all some actual knitting, and despite my lack of blogging, I have been knitting, so let's get right to the FO, shall we?

This is my Chevron Scarf, which I started about two years ago. Apparently, I am not a scarf knitter. This one would probably have sat for another two years without any further attention from me, except that Suzanne blogged about her new Signature needles and showed them in use with a Chevron Scarf, and I am nothing if not corruptible. My excuse for ordering a pair of my very own was that the only size 3 needle I had was a 40" Addi circular, and knitting a 6" wide scarf on it was driving me crazy (I know, I know...it's not a very long trip). But the theory seems to have been correct, since once the Signatures arrived, I finished this long-suffering UFO in a couple of days. It's not very long, since I only had one skein of Koigu and one of Fly Designs Monarch, but since I'll probably never have a reason to wear it, the length doesn't really matter. It goes perfectly with my brown faux lamb coat--which I'll probably also never have a reason to wear. (Gotta love the land of eternal summer.)

Now for the excuses. You may have noticed my lack of blogging. Mostly I'm just lazy. But there have been some extenuating circumstances. Such as, I got a new laptop! No, not a Mac, although I considered it. I got a Sony Vaio. I used to have one, and I loved it, but when it was time for a new one, I got an HP. It worked. Sort of. But I've had it for three years, and it was starting to fall apart. Literally: the hinge on the top broke and now it can't be opened or closed, which kind of defeats the purpose of a laptop. Also, there is a short in the screen, so that it only gives a picture if the screen is opened to exactly the right spot. It if moves while in use, the picture disappears. This is a little scary when you're in the middle of putting together a gazillion forms and documents and you're not quite sure when you last hit "save". Much as I love the new computer, it takes time to install applications and move files, and...well. You understand.

Second, the kids have been busy, ergo, I have been busy. Some of it has been not so much fun, but some of it has been great. Like this:

That's Younger Son on the left, intently setting up his team's Lego robot to compete in the regional FLL qualifying tournament. (In case you're not interested in clicking the link, FLL stands for "FIRST Lego League," which is an international engineering competition for 9-14 year old kids. They use the Lego Mindstorms robot kit to build robots to complete a variety of preset tasks. They also have to come up with and present a unique project to a panel of judges based on a given theme, which was "smart move" (future transportation). They are judged on robot performance, robot design, teamwork, and presentation. At the end of the day, awards are given in a variety of different categories, the finale being the presentation of trophies to the three teams that earn the highest total points.) There are about 15,000 teams internationally, with about 200 in California. There were 22 competing this day; the top teams qualify for the state competition, which will be held next month at Legoland California. Younger Son's team consists of nine 9-10 year olds. They've been working on their robot and project for several hours a week for the past couple of months. They have awesome coaches and are sponsored by BAE Systems. And I guess it paid off:

Here they are at the end of a very long day, collecting their awards!

They took second place for Robot Design, and first place in the overall competition! They were so excited. They were also exhausted, as the day began before dawn and went until 5 pm. Now they have three weeks to recover before the next competition.

And that brings me to my third excuse for poor blogging performance, which may be a little startling to those of you suffering through storms and cold weather. This is the peak of fall gardening season here in San Diego. I love to garden. Although spring is my favorite season, there is definitely something to be said for fall, with its cooler temperatures after a long, hot summer, and the chance to clear out all the summer overgrowth. This year, there was even more to do, since the puppies ate my entire yard over the summer, and we had the pool redone and built a deck. After several weeks of work, I've got it just about under control:






This is one of those times when I really appreciate living here. Because, really, how many people can do this in the backyard in the middle of November?