And the Winner Is...A Perfect Heel!

While watching the Academy Awards last night, I was working on the heel of my Marble Arches sock, part of last season's Socks that Rock Club. I knew I might be in trouble as I read the heel directions, which kept saying CONCENTRATE and FOCUS in capital letters! I got somewhat bogged down in their directions to YOK and YOP, and decided I would give up and do a basic heel from Knitting Vintage Socks. But after getting my kids to sleep and knowing that there were several more hours of Oscars to watch, I decided to rip out and try the pattern's heel again. This time, I got the rhythm and feel of the pattern and the heel turned out beautiful!

Earlier today, I had been talking ot a knitting group friend about how I really want to learn to crochet so I can do finishing on my knitted items that call for crochet edging or seaming. I told her I hated not knowing how to do something that I feel I am capable of (like crochet) and she said she could tell that I was like that....I can't tell you how gratifying it is for me to look at that pretty heel. I feel like I won an Award!

And the Winner Is...A Perfect Heel!

While watching the Academy Awards last night, I was working on the heel of my Marble Arches sock, part of last season's Socks that Rock Club. I knew I might be in trouble as I read the heel directions, which kept saying CONCENTRATE and FOCUS in capital letters! I got somewhat bogged down in their directions to YOK and YOP, and decided I would give up and do a basic heel from Knitting Vintage Socks. But after getting my kids to sleep and knowing that there were several more hours of Oscars to watch, I decided to rip out and try the pattern's heel again. This time, I got the rhythm and feel of the pattern and the heel turned out beautiful!

Earlier today, I had been talking ot a knitting group friend about how I really want to learn to crochet so I can do finishing on my knitted items that call for crochet edging or seaming. I told her I hated not knowing how to do something that I feel I am capable of (like crochet) and she said she could tell that I was like that....I can't tell you how gratifying it is for me to look at that pretty heel. I feel like I won an Award!

Sidetracked

I have been knitting this week, as always, but my pace has not been that quick and I have not made a great deal of progress on any of the three projects on which I'm working.

First, my Palm handheld has been on the blink, and I've spent way too much time trying to troubleshoot it. Right now I am waiting for Palm to send me some sort of add-on card that will eliminate electrostatic charge...if that doesn't work, I'm throwing in the towel and buying a new one. I have alleviated the angst I was feeling by copying my Palm address book into a Word document so that at least I'll have a hard copy of it if everything fails me.

Along with that, I have felt completely the same way that Jenny and Nicole of Stash and Burn, my new favorite knitting Podcast, have felt--I have been spending a lot of time daydreaming about knitting when I could have been knitting! I have been reading various knitting books, including Tracey Ullman and Mel Clark's Knit Two Together, and coveting a lot of the unique and fun patterns there.

Then, I listened to another new favorite Podcast (with a COMPLETELY different feeling than Stash and Burn), Unwound, hosted by Kelli, who talked about the fairisle sweater she is making for her dog, and how addicting fairisle is. After my recent failed attempt at intarsia, I now really want to try fairisle, so I've been leafing through books, Websites, signing up for Yahoo groups--you name it. I've decided that the KISS Purse from Sally Melville's The Knitting Experience: Color would be great, and I already have two skeins of Noro Kureyon which represents 2/3 of the yarn called for in the pattern. But alas, my WIP's await...and the fairisle will have to wait too.

Sidetracked

I have been knitting this week, as always, but my pace has not been that quick and I have not made a great deal of progress on any of the three projects on which I'm working.

First, my Palm handheld has been on the blink, and I've spent way too much time trying to troubleshoot it. Right now I am waiting for Palm to send me some sort of add-on card that will eliminate electrostatic charge...if that doesn't work, I'm throwing in the towel and buying a new one. I have alleviated the angst I was feeling by copying my Palm address book into a Word document so that at least I'll have a hard copy of it if everything fails me.

Along with that, I have felt completely the same way that Jenny and Nicole of Stash and Burn, my new favorite knitting Podcast, have felt--I have been spending a lot of time daydreaming about knitting when I could have been knitting! I have been reading various knitting books, including Tracey Ullman and Mel Clark's Knit Two Together, and coveting a lot of the unique and fun patterns there.

Then, I listened to another new favorite Podcast (with a COMPLETELY different feeling than Stash and Burn), Unwound, hosted by Kelli, who talked about the fairisle sweater she is making for her dog, and how addicting fairisle is. After my recent failed attempt at intarsia, I now really want to try fairisle, so I've been leafing through books, Websites, signing up for Yahoo groups--you name it. I've decided that the KISS Purse from Sally Melville's The Knitting Experience: Color would be great, and I already have two skeins of Noro Kureyon which represents 2/3 of the yarn called for in the pattern. But alas, my WIP's await...and the fairisle will have to wait too.

Perfection

Today, being a snowy Valentine's Day here in NJ, I took the train to work. Whenever I travel by train, I grab a portable knitting project for the ride home (on the way to work, my luxury is reading the newspaper, something a driving commuter can't do!)

I took my One-Skein Scarf, from One Skein Wonders,

which I'm planning on donating to a charity. I was speeding along on this fairly mindless pattern, when I noticed I was off a row about 2 inches back from where I was. Question: it's not that noticeable, should I rip or leave it be? I'm sure you know the answer--I ripped--probably 3 times--until I got it right, as it was difficult to tell which row I was on after ripping back. Now I'm back on track, and pleased that this project is perfect, no matter who will be its recipient.

In other news, my One Piece Lace Pullover in the gorgeous Brooks Farm Duet is coming along nicely. I'm through the first sleeve and now have the front, back and right sleeve on the needles. The 7-stitch repeat is easy, and I've put markers on the needle to make sure I don't slip up. With 218 stitches on the needle, I don't want to take any chances!

Perfection

Today, being a snowy Valentine's Day here in NJ, I took the train to work. Whenever I travel by train, I grab a portable knitting project for the ride home (on the way to work, my luxury is reading the newspaper, something a driving commuter can't do!)

I took my One-Skein Scarf, from One Skein Wonders,

which I'm planning on donating to a charity. I was speeding along on this fairly mindless pattern, when I noticed I was off a row about 2 inches back from where I was. Question: it's not that noticeable, should I rip or leave it be? I'm sure you know the answer--I ripped--probably 3 times--until I got it right, as it was difficult to tell which row I was on after ripping back. Now I'm back on track, and pleased that this project is perfect, no matter who will be its recipient.

In other news, my One Piece Lace Pullover in the gorgeous Brooks Farm Duet is coming along nicely. I'm through the first sleeve and now have the front, back and right sleeve on the needles. The 7-stitch repeat is easy, and I've put markers on the needle to make sure I don't slip up. With 218 stitches on the needle, I don't want to take any chances!

A New Project

I have gone through a bit of agony with my Brooks Farm Duet. The yarn is gorgeous, soft and wonderful. I had originally bought it to make Clapotis, as I've been discussing. Then I settled on the Panel Party Pullover from Sally Melville's "Color." I wound this yarn and the Cashsoft DK I'd bought to match it onto bobbins. The whole thing became a horrible, tangled mess and I decided that I could not bear to go on!

I looked through a bunch of magazines and pattern books, seeking that elusive sweater that uses less than 1,000 yards of DK weight yarn. I found the One Piece Lace Pullover by Robin Melanson from the Spring 2006 Interweave Knits. It is actually a drop-stitch pattern somewhat like the Clapotis, so I feel that this is the right pattern for me. I did a gauge swatch and off I went. This pattern may be a bit tricky as you have to keep adding into a lace pattern, but so far it seems to be working. I think it will look beautiful if I manage to do it right, and hopefully I will have a beautiful finished sweater to show you soon!

A New Project

I have gone through a bit of agony with my Brooks Farm Duet. The yarn is gorgeous, soft and wonderful. I had originally bought it to make Clapotis, as I've been discussing. Then I settled on the Panel Party Pullover from Sally Melville's "Color." I wound this yarn and the Cashsoft DK I'd bought to match it onto bobbins. The whole thing became a horrible, tangled mess and I decided that I could not bear to go on!

I looked through a bunch of magazines and pattern books, seeking that elusive sweater that uses less than 1,000 yards of DK weight yarn. I found the One Piece Lace Pullover by Robin Melanson from the Spring 2006 Interweave Knits. It is actually a drop-stitch pattern somewhat like the Clapotis, so I feel that this is the right pattern for me. I did a gauge swatch and off I went. This pattern may be a bit tricky as you have to keep adding into a lace pattern, but so far it seems to be working. I think it will look beautiful if I manage to do it right, and hopefully I will have a beautiful finished sweater to show you soon!

Hail Titania, She is DONE!

Yes, it's happened--I've finished Titania's Revenge Sock #2!!! Yay!
Sock #2 was even more challenging than Sock #1, but they did come out pretty. Actually, a sock with a lot of lace that pulls in with k3tog's like these doesn't accentuate my calves to their most flattering, but I'm sure they'll look and feel great, particularly after washing.

I just wound my next ball of Socks that Rock, Pink Granite, which is a gorgeous blend of pinks, creams, and grays. I'll try the STR pattern supplied with this yarn, it's called Marble Arches and the pix I've seen of finished ones look great.

Tonight I will also swatch my Rowan Cashsoft and see what direction I want to go with my next sweater. A quiet weekend is ahead, so hopefully lots of knitting can get done.

Hail Titania, She is DONE!

Yes, it's happened--I've finished Titania's Revenge Sock #2!!! Yay!
Sock #2 was even more challenging than Sock #1, but they did come out pretty. Actually, a sock with a lot of lace that pulls in with k3tog's like these doesn't accentuate my calves to their most flattering, but I'm sure they'll look and feel great, particularly after washing.

I just wound my next ball of Socks that Rock, Pink Granite, which is a gorgeous blend of pinks, creams, and grays. I'll try the STR pattern supplied with this yarn, it's called Marble Arches and the pix I've seen of finished ones look great.

Tonight I will also swatch my Rowan Cashsoft and see what direction I want to go with my next sweater. A quiet weekend is ahead, so hopefully lots of knitting can get done.

Fun Fur Fini!

Tonight I finished the last of my five FunFur hats for Kate's project for kids with cancer. I will try to ship them off in the next day or two. I made the last hat in about an hour! I may try to make another hat, but may save that one for another charity project, as it will not be made of something soft and fuzzy.

I am now furiously working on Titania's Revenge--the second sock is proving even more challenging than the first, as far as the patterning on the foot goes. After a massive yarn tangle last week, I was fearing that I wouldn't have enough yarn to finish, so I want to zip along on these to determine whether I have to order another skein from the ladies at Blue Moon Fiber Arts! I THINK I'm going to make it--yay!

I have not even started my next "big" project yet, just so I will be sure and finish the socks soon. I am debating between making Clapotis out of the Brooks Farm Duet that I bought at Stitches East, or mixing the Duet with some Rowan Cashsoft DK, in the pretty teal "Kingfisher" colorway, that I picked up at my LYS's Super Bowl sale...to make Sally Melville's Panel Party Pullover from "The Knitting Experience: Color." I will swatch the Cashsoft over the weekend and then make my decision. I was all set to make the pullover--hence the yarn purchase--but someone at the Super Bowl Sale was wearing a Clap, and it did look nice!

Fun Fur Fini!

Tonight I finished the last of my five FunFur hats for Kate's project for kids with cancer. I will try to ship them off in the next day or two. I made the last hat in about an hour! I may try to make another hat, but may save that one for another charity project, as it will not be made of something soft and fuzzy.

I am now furiously working on Titania's Revenge--the second sock is proving even more challenging than the first, as far as the patterning on the foot goes. After a massive yarn tangle last week, I was fearing that I wouldn't have enough yarn to finish, so I want to zip along on these to determine whether I have to order another skein from the ladies at Blue Moon Fiber Arts! I THINK I'm going to make it--yay!

I have not even started my next "big" project yet, just so I will be sure and finish the socks soon. I am debating between making Clapotis out of the Brooks Farm Duet that I bought at Stitches East, or mixing the Duet with some Rowan Cashsoft DK, in the pretty teal "Kingfisher" colorway, that I picked up at my LYS's Super Bowl sale...to make Sally Melville's Panel Party Pullover from "The Knitting Experience: Color." I will swatch the Cashsoft over the weekend and then make my decision. I was all set to make the pullover--hence the yarn purchase--but someone at the Super Bowl Sale was wearing a Clap, and it did look nice!