Branching Out

I received my ISE5 pal's info, and it appears that she really likes lace and cables. She also specified that she likes single-color items rather than a mix of color, so the Chevron scarf is OUT (for her, anyway!) Since I know I will have limited time to work on the scarf, I opted for lace over cables. Also, I've been wanting to try lace --real lace, with laceweight yarn--for some time.

So, I got some gorgeous Misti Alpaca laceweight in one of her favorite colors, and cast on for Knitty's Branching Out. When I started with the laceweight, I just couldn't handle it...it is soooooo fine. Since I had enough to do so, I got the idea to double the yarn. The pattern has two options, one with DK weight, so I knew doubling would be OK. Now things are moving along well, and I can see that once this is finished and blocked, it will have a totally different look--that "magic" moment that lace knitters talk about. Here's where I am so far:


So far though, this project has brought me to the realization that I don't think I'll knit with laceweight yarn anymore. I like knitting lace patterns (like many of those in my recently acquired Lace Style), but with heavier yarn, thank you very much.

I hope my pal likes her finished scarf, and I'll have to thank her for providing me with a teachable knitting moment!

Branching Out

I received my ISE5 pal's info, and it appears that she really likes lace and cables. She also specified that she likes single-color items rather than a mix of color, so the Chevron scarf is OUT (for her, anyway!) Since I know I will have limited time to work on the scarf, I opted for lace over cables. Also, I've been wanting to try lace --real lace, with laceweight yarn--for some time.

So, I got some gorgeous Misti Alpaca laceweight in one of her favorite colors, and cast on for Knitty's Branching Out. When I started with the laceweight, I just couldn't handle it...it is soooooo fine. Since I had enough to do so, I got the idea to double the yarn. The pattern has two options, one with DK weight, so I knew doubling would be OK. Now things are moving along well, and I can see that once this is finished and blocked, it will have a totally different look--that "magic" moment that lace knitters talk about. Here's where I am so far:


So far though, this project has brought me to the realization that I don't think I'll knit with laceweight yarn anymore. I like knitting lace patterns (like many of those in my recently acquired Lace Style), but with heavier yarn, thank you very much.

I hope my pal likes her finished scarf, and I'll have to thank her for providing me with a teachable knitting moment!

International Scarf Exchange

I may have mentioned that I got a spot on International Scarf Exchange 5, which is still taking sign-ups for a short while, I believe. I might want to dive into my sock yarn stash and make the Chevron Scarf as part of this project, assuming it's something my "giftee" likes once I see her/his survey answers. Another thought I've had for this is that I make the person a small shawl, which I think is acceptable, as I have been dying to do shawls but just don't generally consider myself a shawl person. If any of you out there have made the Chevron Scarf, how have you liked it? It's gotten very positive reviews on Ravelry and other sources.

I've been catching up on lots of knitting Podcasts and blogs the past week, in between the now hectic fall parent-chauffering schedule that is well under way. Progress continues on the Gatsby Girl, my husband's Sock #2 (fingers crossed that I'll have enough yarn), and the Midwest Moonlight Scarf, which could also be a candidate for ISE5.

International Scarf Exchange

I may have mentioned that I got a spot on International Scarf Exchange 5, which is still taking sign-ups for a short while, I believe. I might want to dive into my sock yarn stash and make the Chevron Scarf as part of this project, assuming it's something my "giftee" likes once I see her/his survey answers. Another thought I've had for this is that I make the person a small shawl, which I think is acceptable, as I have been dying to do shawls but just don't generally consider myself a shawl person. If any of you out there have made the Chevron Scarf, how have you liked it? It's gotten very positive reviews on Ravelry and other sources.

I've been catching up on lots of knitting Podcasts and blogs the past week, in between the now hectic fall parent-chauffering schedule that is well under way. Progress continues on the Gatsby Girl, my husband's Sock #2 (fingers crossed that I'll have enough yarn), and the Midwest Moonlight Scarf, which could also be a candidate for ISE5.

Reorganizing

At the start of this weekend, I took a look in the closet where my stash is kept and got a little panicky. All of the shopping bags full of yarn were a bit disorganized, and my Vogue Knitting issues from 1992-93 seemed a bit dated--I never look at them and, having just read and enjoyed the 25th anniversary issue of Vogue Knitting and realized that most of the older styles that were shown had been rewritten and updated with new yarn, I felt it didn't make sense (and I didn't have the space) to keep all of those old issues.

I bought some plastic storage bins and some cardboard magazine storage units and now the closet is in some semblance of order. All of the sock yarn is in one bin (just barely fits), all of the yarn for specific projects in another, and miscellaneous yarn for projects TBD in the third. My Manos--enough to make the Four Seasons Throw that I have not yet begun--had to remain in its shopping bag as there was no room in the bins for it.

I feel better about my newly organized stash, and it happened not a moment too soon, as my first installment of the Hill Country Yarns Sock Club arrived the day after the reorganizing! It's a lovely Periwinkle Blue in their Sweet Feet yarn.

It looks somewhat thick for socks (it calls for a size 2 needle), but it is extremely soft and squishy and is a gorgeous color. The pattern that came with it, called Sweat Pea, is very nice too. Into the sock yarn bin it goes!

Reorganizing

At the start of this weekend, I took a look in the closet where my stash is kept and got a little panicky. All of the shopping bags full of yarn were a bit disorganized, and my Vogue Knitting issues from 1992-93 seemed a bit dated--I never look at them and, having just read and enjoyed the 25th anniversary issue of Vogue Knitting and realized that most of the older styles that were shown had been rewritten and updated with new yarn, I felt it didn't make sense (and I didn't have the space) to keep all of those old issues.

I bought some plastic storage bins and some cardboard magazine storage units and now the closet is in some semblance of order. All of the sock yarn is in one bin (just barely fits), all of the yarn for specific projects in another, and miscellaneous yarn for projects TBD in the third. My Manos--enough to make the Four Seasons Throw that I have not yet begun--had to remain in its shopping bag as there was no room in the bins for it.

I feel better about my newly organized stash, and it happened not a moment too soon, as my first installment of the Hill Country Yarns Sock Club arrived the day after the reorganizing! It's a lovely Periwinkle Blue in their Sweet Feet yarn.

It looks somewhat thick for socks (it calls for a size 2 needle), but it is extremely soft and squishy and is a gorgeous color. The pattern that came with it, called Sweat Pea, is very nice too. Into the sock yarn bin it goes!

We Interrupt Our Regularly Scheduled Knitting...

...for some charity projects.

I have been enjoying my beautiful STR socks, Gatsby Girl pullover and Midwest Moonlight scarf. But was that enough for me? No...I had to work on some charity projects. I had done some scarves for the 2008 Red Scarf Project, and now is the time to send them, so I hope to package them up and get them out this week.
This weekend I took a bunch of leftover wool of various kinds and cast on the Canadian-Winter Hat from Sally Melville's The Purl Stitch. It was a fun and easy hat to make--I'd even make it for myself or my kids for winter. It is made from some toasty warm wools in earthy colors, and I hope that it goes to a worthy home for someone in Afghanistan.


I'm following links to lots of worthy charity opportunities; I hope to fit in more of this knitting whenever I can.

We Interrupt Our Regularly Scheduled Knitting...

...for some charity projects.

I have been enjoying my beautiful STR socks, Gatsby Girl pullover and Midwest Moonlight scarf. But was that enough for me? No...I had to work on some charity projects. I had done some scarves for the 2008 Red Scarf Project, and now is the time to send them, so I hope to package them up and get them out this week.
This weekend I took a bunch of leftover wool of various kinds and cast on the Canadian-Winter Hat from Sally Melville's The Purl Stitch. It was a fun and easy hat to make--I'd even make it for myself or my kids for winter. It is made from some toasty warm wools in earthy colors, and I hope that it goes to a worthy home for someone in Afghanistan.


I'm following links to lots of worthy charity opportunities; I hope to fit in more of this knitting whenever I can.