Reorganizing

Today was time for reorganizing. I took all of my projects, each in its own bag, emptied every bag, and looked at it all. Make 3 small zippered pouches of tools and implements - markers, tape measures, stitch holders, sewing needles etc. and put them in 3 bags. Then realized that 7 on-going projects is too many. And, almost all of them are blue/black/green/purple or some slight variation.
So I decided I have to realign my priorities, and stick to the list or nothing will ever get done.
1. My Sherlock sweater - only 1 sleeve left to do from the armhole down, front bands, and then figure out what to do about a collar.
2. Jim's Seaweed vest -in case I get into Knitting Camp I want to have it almost done so I can secure the steek and cut it there. I got 8 rows done in about an hour, slow but steady and lots of fun. I decided that, unlike Medrith, I like being able to memorize the pattern so I am not offsetting the strands of seaweed .
3. Anna's beaded sweater from Classic Knits For Real Women. I strung about half the 2500 beads. We're talking real tedium here. And then I got the first sleeve done to the armhole. It's in Brown Sheep cotton fleece, and trying to keep the knitting even is hard because even the slightest variation in tension shows. I love the look of the cotton fleece and know it will be great to wear but I don't care for working on it.
4. Laurel - the back and one sleeve is done, the front is about 5 inches up. Again, I love the way it looks but the cotton is hard on my hands. I want to wear it this summer so I better get moving on it.
5. Malabrigo - 2 sleeves (not matching) are done. One with Joan Schrouder's idea of the decreases down the outside looks great, the other will have to visit the frog pond. One front panel is almost done and now I'm not sure I like the twisted rib stright up the front. It's heavy and very dense. Maybe I'll try again with some plain ribs in between the twisted ones.
6. Socks, more for Jim and some for me, (actually, mine aren't on the needles yet but the needles are ready with the yarn to start)
7. My second Hoxbro Kimono - knit cuff to cuff I'm at the middle of the first shoulder. I like working on this but I'm afraid at this point it's a UFO. Never gets picked up.

So that's the list and here's the plan. I'll alternate a cotton project with a wool one, one day cotton, one day wool, until at least 3 are done.

Poor Frosty, his leg got torn on something outside during his five minute stalk through the back yard, a week ago. He has stitches on his leg and he is shaved in 3 places. Sitches come out Monday or Tuesday. He's getting a lot of extra lap time and for the first 6 days we followed him around to prevent him from chewing off the stitches. He hated the little plastic collar the vet gave us to keep him from licking the stitches and he couldn't navigate in it. Bumped into things and couldn't eat or drink so we mostly kept it off.

Well, that's all for now.

WIPS May 12, 2006

Feeling overwhelmed by the number of things occupying needle space I have decided to cataglogue everything in progress, and try to prioritize/organize what I work on. So, in order of closest to being finished first I have:

Jim's mystery socks-mystery fiber - from the Adella for whom Adella's yarn shop is named. I'm about to turn the heel on the second sock. Part of his holiday present, these are the May socks. On the right - Body of my Sherlock cardigan and a closeup of the pattern. I'm using Carol Hurt's a-lining system of using a larger needle for a-lining the bottom. The bottom finishing is an open question - hem? I-cord? The pattern is a k3 p1 diagonal rib - I thought that no additional bottom treatment would be needed but this curls as if it were all stockinette.

And the next group: On the left, 2 pictures of my Laurel which has become a pullover. The back and a closeup of the pattern. Back and 1 sleeve are done, front is started. And on the right, a neck scarf pattern from Hand Jive Knits in camel, hand spun and hand dyed by a collective in Mongolia. This is another sample for Carolina Homespun. Size 8 needles, the largest in a while!











Next up, a cardigan in Malabrigo, kettle dyed merino from Uruguay. Softest wool I've ever work on. The color is actually deep blues with some blud/grey. I'm doing the sleeve increases in the middle of the sleeve and not at the seam line - a decorative twisted rib up the middle. Joan Schrouder's idea, really, to have the sleeve curve at the outside where the arm it will cover curves. My first time trying this, and I'll keep you posted on how it goes. This is the project I pick up when my hands get tired or sore; working on this spectacular yarn is soothing and calming physically and mentally.


This is the beginning of the Mermaid vest, a Medrith Glover design in Sweaters from Camp. The yarn is Jamieson and Smith, actual Shetland yarn. I think I'm postponing working on this because the rib is easy in comparison to the body. The plan was to have this done to bring to show and tell at Meg Swansen's knitting camp in July but now that I'm on the waiting list the incentive to get it done isn't as great. Once I get into the pattern it will be closed door knitting.


And the last WIP is the Bead Trellis Jacket for daughter Anna. The pattern is from Classic Knits for Real Women. Changed the pattern, of course, to a smaller gauge yarn (Brown Sheep Cotton Classic) and reworked it so the shoulders are narrower. The beads are sort of clear/irridescent, 1000s of them. The first sleeve is close to being done, and this I think I'm putting off because it means I have to start stringing the beads for the fronts and back.

I also have one UFO. The poor Kimono jacket from Vivian Hoxbro. A picture of this is on an earlier blog; it doesn't get much attention, probably because it is the second one I'm making and I have learned from this that I don't like to do the same pattern twice.

Finally, the next project up: (right afater I said I don't like to do the same pattern twice) is the stitch pattern from my Laurel sweater in Jo Sharp orange classic wool in a knit-in-the-round pullover for Jim. I'm justifying this because
1. I have the yarn and it's different than the cotton Laurel I'm using in my sweater;
2. It is in SF Giants' colors for the first Pitch and Stitch day at Willie Mays Field (correct name: AT&T Park);
3. this one will be done in the round.
So there you have it. TOO MANY PROJECTS!

THe joy of wearing Alka

Here is what my lovely Alka shawl looks like on me. This one I'm keeping, for sure.

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Awesome Alka

Alka is done; she's washed and stretched on the blocking board (with wires and pins) and looks like this:



The yarn is Maritona, a cabled merino wool no longer available. Knit on size 6 needles, when stretched, it measures about 38 inches from the back of the neck to the bottom and the wingspan is about 65 inches. The pattern is from Myrna Stahman's Faroese Shaped Shawls . I ampled it a bit by adding an extra set of center back panel increases and an extra set of side panel increases as Myrna suggested in the book. The yarn split a lot while being knit but that may be because most of it had a previous life as a partially knit and frogged cabled cardigan. Reskeining and washing helped with the crimp but it still was split-happy. The color is a little hard to see - it's taupe, a grayish beige. Should look okay over black, which I insist on wearing despite having a white kitty who sheds constantly. My last post showed the shawl before blocking, and I must say I had my doubts but after being stretched I'm pleased with how it looks.
And while I had the camera out I took a picture of the king-size bed quilt, a sampler I made about 22 years ago while taking a brief break from knitting.

Combination knitting decreases and some more FOs

This is why I love to start lots of things atabout the same time - lots of finished objects at the same time. The black merino topdown raglan for Morgan (designed with Sweater Wizard) is done, well;almost. The zipper is just basted but I'm waiting for the sweater to dry on the blocking board before I sew it in. Waiting to be blocked is my Alka shawl from Myrna Stahman's Faroese Shawls and Seaman's Scarves - tiny before blocking and kind of blobby looking, but hopefully with some serious blocking to show the lace it will be fine and ample enough. Now that I see it I could have done another row of diamonds before the lace edging, but frankly I had enough of those diamonds. Someday soon I'll have to do a lace weight shawl - that will take me months and months of intense knitting but I will do it, soon . . . Here's the black raglan done, and the Alka before blocking.









In case there is any interest here is how I manage left and right slanted and centered double decreases when doing the combination purl. Description and a video about how to do this simple and quick purl stitch can be found at: http://www.anniemodesitt.com/purl.html

When using the combination purl with the knit stitches mounted so the back leg is the leading leg to get a:

Left slanted decrease - knit 2 tog. through the back loop

Right slanted decrease – slip the 1^st st. off the needle and twist it so the leading leg is in the front and replace on left hand needle. Then knit 2 tog. through the front loop . (this is what non-combination knitters do to get a left slant – it’s called SSP, only our way you only have to slip the first st. and not both of them)

Centered double decrease: slip first st. off left hand needle, and replace it on the left hand needle twisting so the leading leg is in front; then slip 1^st 2 sts. (as if to knit the noncombination way) back to the right hand needle. Then knit the 3^rd st. and pass the 2 slipped sts. over the knit stitch.

Okay, now I'm off to finish the birthday socks and a couple of sweaters before starting on the Seaweed vest.

FINISHED OBJECTS! The Cascading Hearts shawl from Jackie at www.heartstringsfiberarts.com as a sample for Morgaine Wilder of Carolina Homespun, who models it here. I used 6 skeins of Malabrigo, kettle-dyed merino in a heavy worsted weight on a US size 9 - the whole thing weighs only 21 oz. The yarn is a joy to work with and very very soft - I can wear very little wool but this I can wear next to my skin. The pattern is well written and easy to follow. The scarf, also a sample, is of merino twist and mohair dyed by Morgaine in a ruching pattern. Patterns and yarn available from www.carolinahomespun.com

Having finished two projects for samples I decided it was time to start something complicated again. Not fussing around, I ordered and promptly received Jamieson and Smith Shetland jumperweight from Medrith Glover's Woolroom in Quincy, CA for her Seaweed vest from Sweaters from Camp. The colors are glorious and the yarn easy to work with. It's naturally sticky so the steeks won't be as scary as cutting smooth wool would be. My husband will get to wear this, not like the pink Susan shawl he modeled! I did a circular swatch on US size 3 but thought it was a bit dense, so then did a "quick swatch" using the method suggested by Meg Swansen in the book on size 4. After steaming it was limp as a wet dishrag and the swatch on size 3 was lovely and held its shape nicely. So size 3 it is, but it didn't photograph well so the photo is of the size 4 swatch. I thought while reading the pattern I would be able to use the figures Medrith worked up but forgot to compare them to my husband's measurements, and I have to re-work the entire pattern fitting in the seaweed fronds. Silly me to even think of knitting something in a pattern without changes. Actual casting on will have to wait until I finish Cheryl's birthday socks (Lorna's laces sport weight; they will be fraternal twins), and the lace edging on the Alka shawl for me.

Now that baseball is upon us I also have to work on a couple of projects that don't require great attention so I can, um, "watch" baseball with Jim. Can't really complain; he is going to go to knitting camp with me if I get in, and puts up with my draping the stairwell with yarn and leaving knitting bags next to every chair in the house and telling him things like: I don't care if you'll wear it, I'm knitting it. SO I'll get some time to finish the diagonal knit in Sherlock, and the Laurel sweater that I already posted the first sleeve. Ok enough blabbing, now to the needles.

Knit Net button

Too many projects!

This is a close up of the cardigan in Laurel from Shaefer yarns; the pattern is taken from Basically Brilliant Knits modified to a tighter gauge and set in sleeves. Not as hard on my hands as some cotton, and the colors are lovely.
My first knitting teacher, my grandmother Rose (I'm named for her). The portrait was painted in 1946 and I just got it from my parents' home in Pine Plains, NY - a winter trip there that also included a visit to Morehouse Merino. Yummy stuff there!
Above is the Sherlock yarn top down raglan in a diagonal rib. I did the pattern on Sweater Wizard (www.software4knitting.com) I'm going to make it a-line by changing needle sizes when I get to my wider parts, a first for me, and a technique suggested by Carol of St. Louis on the Ample Knitters list.
Below, the first finished sleeve from the Laurel sweater. I do wish I could make Blogger put my pictures where I want them! But being more computer illiterate than many I can't seem to move them to the right places.


I have too many projects! All of them are fun and none have risen to UFO status, except maybe Morgan's black raglan, which needs only a neck finishing and zipper --- close to done but not quite there. Eris has been done for a while, and I seem to reach for it first when needing a medium weight sweater. I am pleased with the way it fits, and someday might even do a second, but without the zipper.
This is a photo of my knitting bookshelf. It doesn't include the five Rubbermaid containers of pattern books from the 1960s through 1999, or the other books scattered all over the house in case I am in immediate need of inspiration. The photo on the right is where I'm working on Alka, with the chart on a large magnetic board and row counter. It needs about one and a half more pattern repeats plus the edging and then it will be time for blocking. Sometime in the middle of knitting it I thought it was going to be too wide butafter stretching it out and trying it on again it will be generous but not enormous. I can't wait for this to be finished!


And here is the latest new project - Cascading Hearts from Jackie E-S at Heartstrings (www.hearstringfiberarts.com) in Malabrigo, Uraguayan merino. It's wondrously soft and a pleasure to work with. When finished it will be a sample for Carolina Homespun (www.carolinahomespun.com)

What's on my needles now

After looking at all the other Ample Knitters' blogs I figure I had better do some additions to mine. Here are two scarves in progress: the gold one is silk from Art Fibers, a place I no longer shop at. If you want details about why, email me. It is for my daughter Anna. The other is Fleece Artist dyed BFL and is for Anna's best friend, and my very good friend, Julia.







Here are the most recent socks - the smallest is my own, in Lorna's Laces sport weight. Soft, comfortable, knit in 4 days. The other two are for Jim; the beigey one is sport weight from Ellen's Half Pint farm, which we visited last year. Can't remember which company made the stripey yarn; but there wasn't enough in two balls to cover Jim's feet, so I added the grey Regia for toe, heel, and cuff. He's happy to get new socks, and prefers to wear nothing but hand knits. Since a sweater for him is a several month project, I'm glad he's happy with socks!
This is my Alka Shawl from Myrna Stahman's Faroese shaped shawl book. Looks kind of like a snail at the moment but when it gets stretched out I'm pleased with it. This is "don't bother me" knitting -chart on a magnetic board, no music, phone turned off. Now I have a goal for it - a family Bat Mitzvah April 8 in New Jersey - over a black top and pants should be just fine.



Here is my second shadow knit Kimono from Vivian Hoxbro, the first sleeve. The yarn is the same as comes in her kits but I selected the colors myself. Slow going, on 3 mm needles. The pattern show up well here. This is in between knitting, some attention but I can have the tv on in the background. This is in danger of becoming a UFO; I should know better than to knit the same sweater twice, even in different colors. I'm a process knitter; once I've figured out the issues in a design I'm done with it. But I'm hoping that the desire to wear this will get it back on track soon.

And a small FO, a scarf for Carolina Homespun, in Meilenweit sock yarn. The pattern is from Not Just More Socks. It's garter stitch short rows; my garter stitch wrap needs some work to become a bit less visible. The yarn isn't perfectly dyed for this pattern; it required some cutting and piecing to get the stripes in the right place in the pattern. Next time if there is one, I'll use a 2.25 mm needle instead of the 3 mm called for.

January 26, 2006

I joined the Knitting Olympics initiated by The Yarn Harlot - promising to knit a pair of cable socks for my husband, starting at the moment the flame is lit and finishing by the time the flame is removed to make its way to the next venue. Not a big project but since I'll be travelling from Feb. 15 through 23 helping to clear out my parents' home and visiting my daughter in Baltimore my time will be limited. Can't figure out how to get the button on the blog side. Also joined the Yahoo group KAL for shawls knit from patterns in Myrna Stahman's Faroese Shaped Shawls and Seaman's Scarves. I've copied charts from the book several times for various projects and it started falling apart. Sooooo - I had the book binding changed to a spiral bound plastic thingy that is pretty sturdy and allows the pages to be turned completely flat. Not good for the knitting archives but I plan on using the patterns several times more and have to enlarge the charts to see them. Morgan's plain black sweater is 3 inches from having the second sleeve finished; then just the collar, placket with buttonholes, and fixing the bottom rib that is curling up and IT WILL BE DONE. Freeing up much guilt and allowing more time for Olympic socks.

New Year New Knitting

New on the needles is another shawl from Myrna Stahman's Faroese shawls. This one is Anka, in Maraton, a very very well aged stash item. Part of it previously was the back of a cabled pullover that was frogged, then part of it became a diagnonal knit cardigan that got left on an airplane when I broke my foot and wasn't all there. There isn't enough left for a sweater but there should be plenty for this shawl. I used Myrna's idea for upsizing the shawl by doing one extra set of increases on the back panel and also one set of additional increases on the shoulder seam. A pleasure to work both because of the yarn and the instructions.
Oops - mywhite kitty, Frosty, becomes a part of whatever I knit. He loves sitting on my lap while I knit but leaves the needles and yarn alone.

Also new for 2006 is doing some samples for Carolina Homespun. So far I've completed two Moebius scarves based on Cat Bordhi's Treasure of Magical Knitting. The first is in Mountain Colors Moghuls with a mohair border, and the second is all lovely cloudlike mohair. The mohair is hand dyed by Morgaine at Carolina Homespun and was a pleasure to work with.


Other things still on the needles:
-More socks for Jim - using hand dyed sport wt. yarn from Ellen's HalfPint Farm in Vermont

-Morgan's black Gems Merino pullover - top down, in the round, and the body is done! Now to the raglan sleeves. Frosty is particularly fond of this one, being black.

-shadow knit Kimono jacket for me, to replace the purple one being used by Morgaine for a sample.

Goals for this year: I will do a fair isle vest, at least, for me. The purple and black Sherlock will get knit up! More lace - using the lace weight alpaca from Knit Picks my Secret Pal Colette sent. More socks. Sweater for friend Sheila - this is swatched, but I'm not happy with the fabric so I'll have to do another on smaller needles. Cotton beaded sweater for Anna - from the new Rowan Classic Knits for Real Women.

AND: starting the Master Knitter program from TKGA, next month!

December 24, 2005

I finished my husband's golf club covers at 1:30 pm December 24 just in time for Chanukah tomorrow night. Actually since they weren't a surprise he has them already. Plymouth Encore, so when they get full of grass and dirt I can dump them in the machine to wash. Attached in groups so one can't get left on the links; and seven covers for the irons so they don't clank against each other in the car on the way to the course. The pattern is from Patons' Canadiana. Only one cover for a driver; the others came with covers and I'm sick of knitting these things. There is enough yarn left so I can do them at my leisure later.

Here is the 3 to 2 sweater, in alpaca/wool/elastic from Artfibers. It measures 50 inches around, 24 inches from shoulder to bottom, the sleeves are 16 inches from the underarm to the cuff. The diagnonal neckline opening is not shown cause I sewed it closed. A very square sweater that made me look well, square. and short. First response from an AK lister who wants the sweater as is, without planning to frog it, gets it. Shipping will probably be about $4, I'm guessing. Payment of actual postage to Shelda@ample-knitters.com to offset list expenses.


And lastly, my daughter Anna, home from Johns Hopkins, has finished her first project that is not-a-scarf: a hat. simple ribbed watch cap or toque; she is very proud of it. Mangaged 4 dps like a pro after about 1 minute of complaining!


Happy holidays to all - and may all your knitting be fun.

Holiday projects finished

Finally finished: Niece Rachel's afghan. 10 balls of Encore chunky in the autumn colorway. Came out well, I think, but next time (if there is a next afghan in my knitting life) I'd make it longer and narrower. But it will be cozy to curl up in, and can be machine washed and dried to take off her kitties' black hair. Also pictures of DH in the Susan Shawl - fits him well although I doubt he'll wear it. Off to the Post Office to send away the afghan and the shawl (it really belongs to my sister Lynda)