Vacation Time!

Yay! Off to Colorado for a much needed break. I'm all packed. But I'm stressing about what knitting project to take.

Stay tuned for the Colorado knitting report ... probably Sept. 4th.

Have a great week, and knit on.

Someone Knit For Me!!!

Happy Birthday to me! My daughter knit me a scarf with a cable in it! She is just learning so I am pretty impressed! I am gladly doing the blocking honors. It's done in a Wool In The Woods wool acylic blend. Although you can't see the big cable in this photo...it's really there!

Thank you Kelly!

PS... I think we may have a new addict on our hands.

Fall Knitting and Yukky Weather

It would have been nice if the rain could have been spread out a little at a time over the summer instead of coming all at once. There is flooding everywhere here. And it is cold. And when it gets cold, all I can think about is winter knitting. This didn't help:

I think this is a great issue. There are several things in here I would knit. (If I had time)

This is one of them:

I think I have enough of the yarn from Ireland left over to do this sweater. I'm going to have to measure it out. This would be great with jeans.

There was another cable V-neck sweater I liked in this issue but it is too similar to something you buy at T.J. Maxx to take the time to knit it. I have a rule about knitting sweaters. If the pattern is something you could buy very easily, then why bother knitting it? Case in point:

Very cute. Very "me". But I could walk into any store and buy a very similar sweater. The sweater above is unusual and unique. I couldn't find that anywhere so might as well knit it.

There is another very unique cardigan in this issue that I'd knit. It has a tangled cable yoke. Cute cute cute.

The beach was great. I want to go back.

Off to the beach!

As for beach knitting, I'll be taking it. I just don't know if I'll be DOING it.

I've been working on some spa cloths... experimenting with different patterns... more about that later. Kertzer Butterfly Cotton is an awesome yarn for those cloths if anyone is thinking of getting started on some Christmas gifts.

And the surprise project is....

Knitty's Monkey Hat!

Pattern: Sock Monkey Hat by Sheryl Lange (on knitty.com)

Done is size M

Materials Used: Kraemer Summit Hill superwash wool - worsted weight - two strands held together throughout.

Colors: Topaz, Pearl, Ruby (I used left over black yarn for the eyes and nose)

notes: I started the small for Colin and realized it was too small. I did the medium and it barely fits. However, I used substitute yarn and I did not check gauge so that's what happens. I'd knit the large for a toddler if I was doing it all over again with this yarn. The yarn the pattern calls for is no longer available.

Yay! Friday!

I'm not sure what I'm "yaying" about because I have an insane work day and an insane work weekend ahead of me. I guess it just sounds good. Friday. Thank God it's Friday. I can dream.

Anyhow, I have a secret project. I'll share it when it's finished but it's a surprise for someone who lurks here from time to time. It's so darn cute I can't stand it. And of course it wormed it's way in among all the other things I have started and put the kabosh to those projects. I guess that's what knitting is all about. I will say one thing about it. I'm knitting it with worsted weight superwash wool (Summit Hill) by Kraemer Yarns. That is one nice yarn. It feels good and looks good. I'm not knitting a sweater, but this yarn would make an awesome sweater. I got it here:
Victoria's House of Needleart

I'm still stuck on Colin's sweater. The dirctions are so wrong. I think. I'm going to try hard to find time to get some help tomorrow. I was zipping right along on that until dang row 14 of pattern. It's so wrong. And no errata to be found anywhere. That is so frustrating.

Have a great weekend! Knit on.

C'mon n' Vogue

It's out. I wait for this. I'm always fascinated by this magazine. If someone said to me... There will only ever be one knitting magazine printed again and you can choose which one, this would be it. The patterns are incredible. The modeling and photography are awesome. I think what sets it apart is the presentation. It's what you would expect from Vogue.

Now, having said all this, here's the thing.... If it was the only knitting magazine ever printed again, I'd be up the creek. I KNIT from other magazines. I utilize them. I wear them out. I've never knit anything from a Vogue Knitting magazine in my life. But I keep a pile of them a mile high. I throw other magazines out after time. I keep these.

I'll never figure it out. When I analyse it, I think that these patterns are patterns I aspire to someday when I get good. (and, really, they aren't that hard!) Do they just seem intimidating because some super fashion model with weird lipstick and eye make-up has them on? Do I attempt even more difficult patterns from Interweave Knits because the people wearing them look like they might have walked out of the house next door?

Interesting. Huh?

Oh, by the way, there is a really neat Debbie Bliss cabled jacket in this issue and the pattern can be downloaded free at www.vogueknitting .com. (I don't know if I'd use the DB cashmerino aran yarn it calls for though... from the looks of things, the sleeves in the photo are already looking a tad fuzzy)

Weekend Knitting... and lots of it!

I was a bad bad girl. I neglected housework. I neglected the shopping I needed to do. But I did knit. Since I didn't have any socks on needles I decided to stash bust with a pair of little toddler socks. I forgot about all the pink in that Trekking yarn when I started them for Colin. So, now, I may just include them in some charity knitting.

As you can see, the back of Colin's sweater is coming. I am on row 14 (after the moss stitch border) and it isn't making any sense at all so I'm wondering if there is a mistake in the pattern (or, more likely, a mistake in my brain) These cable patterns usually flow, and you can tell what you're doing makes sense, and this row is not making sense. I've knit it and ripped it 5 times now. I guess the next step is ...HELP!

I put a few rows on the never ending pink lace shawl too. I think I'm done with that until my new needles come. I need POINTS!!

Thank Goodness For Lifelines

In the last two weeks, I have ripped down to the lifeline 3 times on my shawl. I'm not sure what my problem has been after not making any mistakes on it for months. But those lifelines sure are handy little things. I've even gone so far as to keep two lifelines in the piece just in case. (I'm a little neurotic)

















I keep thinking that if I had known about lifelines when I started (and started, and started, and started) the Michaela shawl, I'd be wearing it now instead of having it on the "to do" list.

Colin's sweater is a blast. I LOVE cables! It's going to be so cute. Photos soon!

Colin's Sweater

I started Colin's new sweater last night. On size 2's. Ugh. It's going to be a long haul. I bought this book last year and I'm happy to be using it. She wanted the pullover for him so that's what it will be. It's being done in Kraemer yarn's Tattamy Tweed (dk) which I have used before.

As for the pink lace shawl, I'm using the rationale that it has to be put on hold until I get the proper tool to finish it. I ordered a new addi turbo circular needle specifically designed for lace knitting with much pointier tips than the needles I had been using.

I bought a book last night with patterns for knit toys. I'm sure that was a wise investment. Because I have so much time to sit and knit toys. :-)