A Proud Frogger!

I was going along smoothly on my BonBon tank, using my Great Adirondack Silk Noir in the Chagall colorway, when I noticed some big blobs of pink pooling. I kept going, but it bothered me as the blobs (one on the front, one on the back as I am knitting in the round) kept getting bigger. Today I surfed around a bit and saw lots of advice about alternating balls of yarn with handpainted variegated yarn. I kept wondering if I should just keep the pooling--you know, it gives that hand-knit character, blah, blah, blah. I came home and took another look and decided I just couldn't live with it, so I bit the bullet and frogged about 20 rows, tangling a little bit of the frogged yarn beyond saving in the process. Then I started alternating balls, and after about 4 rows done, it looks soooo much better. I forgot to take a "before" picture, but here's what it looks like now:

It was just bothering me too much to go on! The plus was that I wasn't sure how the fit was going to be, and while I had it off the needles, I tried it on and I think it will fit fine. I learned a good lesson, and now I'll know about this trick for the future.
It's funny--the pooling never bothers me on socks, but with a garment like a close-fitting tank top, it could look awful.
This is somewhat of a cursed project--this is the second time I've frogged it--but I'm still glad I strove for perfection. Back to knitting.

A Proud Frogger!

I was going along smoothly on my BonBon tank, using my Great Adirondack Silk Noir in the Chagall colorway, when I noticed some big blobs of pink pooling. I kept going, but it bothered me as the blobs (one on the front, one on the back as I am knitting in the round) kept getting bigger. Today I surfed around a bit and saw lots of advice about alternating balls of yarn with handpainted variegated yarn. I kept wondering if I should just keep the pooling--you know, it gives that hand-knit character, blah, blah, blah. I came home and took another look and decided I just couldn't live with it, so I bit the bullet and frogged about 20 rows, tangling a little bit of the frogged yarn beyond saving in the process. Then I started alternating balls, and after about 4 rows done, it looks soooo much better. I forgot to take a "before" picture, but here's what it looks like now:

It was just bothering me too much to go on! The plus was that I wasn't sure how the fit was going to be, and while I had it off the needles, I tried it on and I think it will fit fine. I learned a good lesson, and now I'll know about this trick for the future.
It's funny--the pooling never bothers me on socks, but with a garment like a close-fitting tank top, it could look awful.
This is somewhat of a cursed project--this is the second time I've frogged it--but I'm still glad I strove for perfection. Back to knitting.

Worth the Wait

Today, my One-Piece Lace Pullover (from Spring 2006 Interweave Knits) returned from its journey to my contracted finisher. There had been a bit of a mix-up on the finishing instructions, but the sweater is now back to me and is one of my favorites among sweaters I've made. Take a look:


I also received my "groovy" new DPN protectors from Sherry's Etsy Shop, 3 Owls Knitting. They are compact and functional, as well as beautiful with pretty crystal and polymer clay beads in a lovely deep green. Sherry provided really quick service. These will be great, especially for airplane travel, as they are just beads and plastic, no metal like the bulkier DPN holder I was using before.
They are on my just-started Hederas now:

Back to knitting...have a great weekend, everyone.

Worth the Wait

Today, my One-Piece Lace Pullover (from Spring 2006 Interweave Knits) returned from its journey to my contracted finisher. There had been a bit of a mix-up on the finishing instructions, but the sweater is now back to me and is one of my favorites among sweaters I've made. Take a look:


I also received my "groovy" new DPN protectors from Sherry's Etsy Shop, 3 Owls Knitting. They are compact and functional, as well as beautiful with pretty crystal and polymer clay beads in a lovely deep green. Sherry provided really quick service. These will be great, especially for airplane travel, as they are just beads and plastic, no metal like the bulkier DPN holder I was using before.
They are on my just-started Hederas now:

Back to knitting...have a great weekend, everyone.

Socks Do Rock

I finished the Pittsburgh Steelers Socks. They look great and my little fan loves them.

Now it is on to my Sockapalooza socks--I want to make sure I finish them in plenty of time. I have decided on Knitty's Hedera, a pattern by the awesome Cookie A. I had started a pair last year and felt that the Socks that Rock colorway I was using was too busy. I am going to use Socks That Rock again, in the Mustang Sally colorway from last year's Sock Club. It is mostly reds--gorgeous, deep hues--and I think these socks will look great in this colorway.
So now, with my tank ready to be re-started, I'm back up to three projects at once. But they're all great, and I'm happy.

Socks Do Rock

I finished the Pittsburgh Steelers Socks. They look great and my little fan loves them.

Now it is on to my Sockapalooza socks--I want to make sure I finish them in plenty of time. I have decided on Knitty's Hedera, a pattern by the awesome Cookie A. I had started a pair last year and felt that the Socks that Rock colorway I was using was too busy. I am going to use Socks That Rock again, in the Mustang Sally colorway from last year's Sock Club. It is mostly reds--gorgeous, deep hues--and I think these socks will look great in this colorway.
So now, with my tank ready to be re-started, I'm back up to three projects at once. But they're all great, and I'm happy.

Finished My Scarf

While awaiting my KnitPicks circulars so that I can re-start my tank top, I finished my One-Skein Scarf from One-Skein Wonders, which has been my #3 project and has taken about 3 months to finish. It came out nicely, and I will donate it to a charity, either the World War II Museum's Knitting Project for Veterans that I'd heard about awhile back, or if they have what they need, I'll find another. What's good about this scarf is that it's a style and color suitable for a man, which I know a lot of the charities are seeking.
Now I will probably start a scraf from Scarf Style out of the five balls of KnitPicks Merino Style , in the Moss Colorway, that I bought two years ago!

Finished My Scarf

While awaiting my KnitPicks circulars so that I can re-start my tank top, I finished my One-Skein Scarf from One-Skein Wonders, which has been my #3 project and has taken about 3 months to finish. It came out nicely, and I will donate it to a charity, either the World War II Museum's Knitting Project for Veterans that I'd heard about awhile back, or if they have what they need, I'll find another. What's good about this scarf is that it's a style and color suitable for a man, which I know a lot of the charities are seeking.
Now I will probably start a scraf from Scarf Style out of the five balls of KnitPicks Merino Style , in the Moss Colorway, that I bought two years ago!

One Step Forward, One Step Back

I am cruising along on my Pittsburgh Steelers socks for my son. It is also nice to have such an enthusiastic recipient! He readily tries on the socks at various stages (now that Sock #1 is done, we won't have to take as many measurements), and can't wait to wear them to a football game in the fall.

Sock #2 should be finished shortly, and then I will move on to my Sockapalooza sock.

Speaking of Sockapalooza, I have left a comment on my sock pal's blog, but haven't heard yet from the person who has me. I'm sure I will, in due time.

As for my BonBon tank, it is now this:

I had thought I had gotten gauge, but as I knit in the round, even though the stitches were bunched up on the circular needle, it looked kind of big after about 3 inches were done. I took the stitches off the needle and put them on a piece of yarn, and WOW--this thing was at least 4 inches too wide! For a tank that is supposed to be close-fitting, I don't think this will do. I carefully knit another swatch on size 3 (rather than size 4) needles, and I think that will work best, AND I will go down a size. Watch it be too small now! Anyway, as I didn't have a nice set of #3 circs in my collection, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to order one from KnitPicks as a test to see if I like their circulars--if I do, I will probably treat myself to the Options set. Everyone seems to love them so much! Once the #3's arrive, I will swatch again just to be sure, and then begin the tank again. In the meantime, I will get a lot done on the sock and the scarf that's been languishing for awhile.

One Step Forward, One Step Back

I am cruising along on my Pittsburgh Steelers socks for my son. It is also nice to have such an enthusiastic recipient! He readily tries on the socks at various stages (now that Sock #1 is done, we won't have to take as many measurements), and can't wait to wear them to a football game in the fall.

Sock #2 should be finished shortly, and then I will move on to my Sockapalooza sock.

Speaking of Sockapalooza, I have left a comment on my sock pal's blog, but haven't heard yet from the person who has me. I'm sure I will, in due time.

As for my BonBon tank, it is now this:

I had thought I had gotten gauge, but as I knit in the round, even though the stitches were bunched up on the circular needle, it looked kind of big after about 3 inches were done. I took the stitches off the needle and put them on a piece of yarn, and WOW--this thing was at least 4 inches too wide! For a tank that is supposed to be close-fitting, I don't think this will do. I carefully knit another swatch on size 3 (rather than size 4) needles, and I think that will work best, AND I will go down a size. Watch it be too small now! Anyway, as I didn't have a nice set of #3 circs in my collection, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to order one from KnitPicks as a test to see if I like their circulars--if I do, I will probably treat myself to the Options set. Everyone seems to love them so much! Once the #3's arrive, I will swatch again just to be sure, and then begin the tank again. In the meantime, I will get a lot done on the sock and the scarf that's been languishing for awhile.

A Great Source of Knitting Help

I just finished reading through When Bad Things Happen to Good Knitters, a great new book by Marion Edmonds & Ahza Moore, who "together have more than 100 years of knitting experience between them." Their funny, non-threatening and extremely helpful approach to knitting problems have produced a book that is a welcome addition to the library of all knitters, from beginners to experts.

The book is divided into four sections:
"Emergency Prevention" (how to prevent problems from happening in the first place by developing good habits, such as the right way to make a gauge swatch and the items to include in your knitting bag);

"The Secret Language of Knitting Patterns," which had a very comprehensive and user-friendly section on how to alter patterns for different sizes and gauges--something I definitely want to try. At 5'2", I often find that my sweaters, and especially sleeves, are too long because I hesitate to deviate from the written pattern. This book has made me feel confident enough to try some alterations. After all, isn't that what makes a hand-knit special in the first place?

"Good Knitting Gone Wrong," a section that helps fix mistakes without too much pain. I've already used this section to help me through ripping out several rows of my lace pullover last month.

And finally, "Don't Let Finishing Finish You Off." As someone who is not fond of finishing, I found that this section made it look easy.

The book has nice, clear illustrations and as I mentioned, it's funny. I loved their commentary on grafting, for example (maybe because for some reason, this is something that I've always been good at): "It's a great status symbol in the knitting world. When you know how to graft, you can boast about it (in an offhand, nonchalant sort of way) and watch nongrafters' eyes widen in admiration." That just made me chuckle!

I highly recommend this slim volume as a useful, accessible addition to your knitting bag!

In other news, I got my Sockapalooza pal information yesterday and I've been obsessing over which socks to make for her! I have several options in terms of patterns, and two beautiful yarns from my sock yarn stash that would both be perfect. I just have to decide which one I want to part with! Once I finish up my son's Pittsburgh Steelers socks (almost done with Sock #1), I will get cracking on the Sockapalooza project. It seems like a great group!

A Great Source of Knitting Help

I just finished reading through When Bad Things Happen to Good Knitters, a great new book by Marion Edmonds & Ahza Moore, who "together have more than 100 years of knitting experience between them." Their funny, non-threatening and extremely helpful approach to knitting problems have produced a book that is a welcome addition to the library of all knitters, from beginners to experts.

The book is divided into four sections:
"Emergency Prevention" (how to prevent problems from happening in the first place by developing good habits, such as the right way to make a gauge swatch and the items to include in your knitting bag);

"The Secret Language of Knitting Patterns," which had a very comprehensive and user-friendly section on how to alter patterns for different sizes and gauges--something I definitely want to try. At 5'2", I often find that my sweaters, and especially sleeves, are too long because I hesitate to deviate from the written pattern. This book has made me feel confident enough to try some alterations. After all, isn't that what makes a hand-knit special in the first place?

"Good Knitting Gone Wrong," a section that helps fix mistakes without too much pain. I've already used this section to help me through ripping out several rows of my lace pullover last month.

And finally, "Don't Let Finishing Finish You Off." As someone who is not fond of finishing, I found that this section made it look easy.

The book has nice, clear illustrations and as I mentioned, it's funny. I loved their commentary on grafting, for example (maybe because for some reason, this is something that I've always been good at): "It's a great status symbol in the knitting world. When you know how to graft, you can boast about it (in an offhand, nonchalant sort of way) and watch nongrafters' eyes widen in admiration." That just made me chuckle!

I highly recommend this slim volume as a useful, accessible addition to your knitting bag!

In other news, I got my Sockapalooza pal information yesterday and I've been obsessing over which socks to make for her! I have several options in terms of patterns, and two beautiful yarns from my sock yarn stash that would both be perfect. I just have to decide which one I want to part with! Once I finish up my son's Pittsburgh Steelers socks (almost done with Sock #1), I will get cracking on the Sockapalooza project. It seems like a great group!

Finally Decided!

I decided to nix the idea of doing a shawl with the Great Adirondack Silk Noir. It was very difficult to wind--I think one of my next knitting-related purchases should be a new swift and ball winder, as mine are probably about 22 years old and the plastic swift is really getting bent out of shape. I deserve something new!

So when I swatched the Silk Noir on size 6 needles, I didn't like the openness of the stitches, and didn't like the look of it in Garter Stitch, which makes up a big part of the Fiber Trends Landscape Shawl.

I've decided that I really don't want a shawl, and will make Lily Chin's BonBon tank top from the Summer 2006 issue of Knitter's Magazine. It is a simple, stockinette, close-fitting tank with seed stitch straps and trim, knit in one piece in the round. I think I'll get a lot more wear out of it, as I tend to wear my knitted tanks out a lot on summer evenings. Here's a pic of the pattern:

I will probably have about 200 yards left, and plan to make this cool "Dreamswatch Head Wrap," from Knit & Tonic's blog, with the rest. I've been eyeing this pattern for awhile, and I should have just the right amount of this yarn left to make it.

So far, I'm still on the 1-inch seed stitch bottom border of the tank. I'm loving the way it looks--I think I made the right decision. I'll keep you posted.

Finally Decided!

I decided to nix the idea of doing a shawl with the Great Adirondack Silk Noir. It was very difficult to wind--I think one of my next knitting-related purchases should be a new swift and ball winder, as mine are probably about 22 years old and the plastic swift is really getting bent out of shape. I deserve something new!

So when I swatched the Silk Noir on size 6 needles, I didn't like the openness of the stitches, and didn't like the look of it in Garter Stitch, which makes up a big part of the Fiber Trends Landscape Shawl.

I've decided that I really don't want a shawl, and will make Lily Chin's BonBon tank top from the Summer 2006 issue of Knitter's Magazine. It is a simple, stockinette, close-fitting tank with seed stitch straps and trim, knit in one piece in the round. I think I'll get a lot more wear out of it, as I tend to wear my knitted tanks out a lot on summer evenings. Here's a pic of the pattern:

I will probably have about 200 yards left, and plan to make this cool "Dreamswatch Head Wrap," from Knit & Tonic's blog, with the rest. I've been eyeing this pattern for awhile, and I should have just the right amount of this yarn left to make it.

So far, I'm still on the 1-inch seed stitch bottom border of the tank. I'm loving the way it looks--I think I made the right decision. I'll keep you posted.

The Big Pink Bag is Done!

I have completed the pink cotton/ribbon duffel that I made for my lovely daughter. While this was not the most exciting or challenging project to knit, I did working with the Peaches & Creme, and I got satisfaction out of combining a few patterns and techniques to make this the first project I kind of designed myself. I made eyelets and sewed down a tube through which to thread them, using the instructions for "Folded or Hemmed Neckbands" in The Knitter's Book of Finishing Techniques. I then made a 56-inch long I-cord and threaded it through, then sewed the ends of the I-cord to the base of the bag to give it straps like a backpack.
Here are some images of it:


And here's a closeup of the drawstring area:


I have a whole POUND of the Peaches & Creme left, because I had no idea how much I was going to use and ordered two cones! I may try to destash it (if anyone is interested, let me know in comments...) or I may save it for some holiday gifts I'm planning to make: washcloths, bath sachets, that type of thing.

Now comes the fun part: casting on for something new! I am finally going to use the Great Adirondack Silk Noir that I bought last summer at Rosie's in Philadelphia. I was originally going to make Rosie's own Half Pi Shawl, but have since decided that I will try the Fiber Trends Landscape Shawl--I am not really a shawl-wearer, but I think I will like this one and it will show off the yarn nicely.
On to swatching!

The Big Pink Bag is Done!

I have completed the pink cotton/ribbon duffel that I made for my lovely daughter. While this was not the most exciting or challenging project to knit, I did working with the Peaches & Creme, and I got satisfaction out of combining a few patterns and techniques to make this the first project I kind of designed myself. I made eyelets and sewed down a tube through which to thread them, using the instructions for "Folded or Hemmed Neckbands" in The Knitter's Book of Finishing Techniques. I then made a 56-inch long I-cord and threaded it through, then sewed the ends of the I-cord to the base of the bag to give it straps like a backpack.
Here are some images of it:


And here's a closeup of the drawstring area:


I have a whole POUND of the Peaches & Creme left, because I had no idea how much I was going to use and ordered two cones! I may try to destash it (if anyone is interested, let me know in comments...) or I may save it for some holiday gifts I'm planning to make: washcloths, bath sachets, that type of thing.

Now comes the fun part: casting on for something new! I am finally going to use the Great Adirondack Silk Noir that I bought last summer at Rosie's in Philadelphia. I was originally going to make Rosie's own Half Pi Shawl, but have since decided that I will try the Fiber Trends Landscape Shawl--I am not really a shawl-wearer, but I think I will like this one and it will show off the yarn nicely.
On to swatching!

Rockin' Socks!

This week has ended up with somewhat of a focus on socks. While I am still plugging away at my large pink cotton bag (see last post), I have turned back to my Socks That Rock Marble Arches socks...which are finally finished:

I really like these socks. The colors are among my favorites, and the pattern was fun to knit and looks unique. I also love how the repeats in the yarn worked with the pattern--even though the repeats are different widths on each sock, each one is uniform and I like the way they look as a pair. Both have cool little stripes on the short-row heels--one of the first time I've done this type of heel.

Now I am about to cast on for my son's "Pittsburgh Steelers" black and gold socks. I am going to use the Garter Rib pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks, one of my favorite sock books. I'm reading comments about Charlene Schurch's second volume, More Sensational Knitted Socks, and hope to get it soon. This was the book that taught me to knit socks, and I am going to use this pair to try socks on two circulars.

I have also decided to participate in Sockapalooza 4, hosted by Alison over at The Blue Blog. I figure, since I have such a large sock yarn stash, two new sock books and a good amount of time (the socks are "due" August 2), I'll go for it!

Finally, I have been a beta tester for the next version of Sock Wizard software. I responded to an invitation to participate on one of my Yahoo Groups, and decided to give it a try, as I've toyed with buying some sock software but have not felt that I would design my own socks just yet. The testing has been enlightening--Carole, the software designer, and her team have been quite organized, dividing up the group of us into teams who check each aspect of the program for bugs, typos, etc. A lot goes into developing these tools, and I really appreciate them more now! With all the sock focus, it probably does make sense for me to try out this product--once all the bugs are worked out, of course!

Rockin' Socks!

This week has ended up with somewhat of a focus on socks. While I am still plugging away at my large pink cotton bag (see last post), I have turned back to my Socks That Rock Marble Arches socks...which are finally finished:

I really like these socks. The colors are among my favorites, and the pattern was fun to knit and looks unique. I also love how the repeats in the yarn worked with the pattern--even though the repeats are different widths on each sock, each one is uniform and I like the way they look as a pair. Both have cool little stripes on the short-row heels--one of the first time I've done this type of heel.

Now I am about to cast on for my son's "Pittsburgh Steelers" black and gold socks. I am going to use the Garter Rib pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks, one of my favorite sock books. I'm reading comments about Charlene Schurch's second volume, More Sensational Knitted Socks, and hope to get it soon. This was the book that taught me to knit socks, and I am going to use this pair to try socks on two circulars.

I have also decided to participate in Sockapalooza 4, hosted by Alison over at The Blue Blog. I figure, since I have such a large sock yarn stash, two new sock books and a good amount of time (the socks are "due" August 2), I'll go for it!

Finally, I have been a beta tester for the next version of Sock Wizard software. I responded to an invitation to participate on one of my Yahoo Groups, and decided to give it a try, as I've toyed with buying some sock software but have not felt that I would design my own socks just yet. The testing has been enlightening--Carole, the software designer, and her team have been quite organized, dividing up the group of us into teams who check each aspect of the program for bugs, typos, etc. A lot goes into developing these tools, and I really appreciate them more now! With all the sock focus, it probably does make sense for me to try out this product--once all the bugs are worked out, of course!

The Big Pink Bag

I'm back from a week of vacation, refreshed and happy that I had a lot of knitting time by the pool. I am on the home stretch of my Socks that Rock Marble Arches sock (about 16 more rows on the foot, before I begin the always quick toe decrease rows). I am, however, getting further and further behind on my sock yarn stash as I await the next STR Rockin' Sock Club delivery later this month!

I also started the pink cotton duffel bag for my daughter. This is somewhat of a freeform/experimental effort, as the two patterns from which I'm working do not give finished dimensions. My daughter insists that she wants a large bag, suitable for stuffing with clothes for a sleepover. The circumference of the base is about 13 inches, which is quite large in my opinion. Right now we're thinking that we'll go about 13 inches high, and then I'll do an I-cord drawstring. I've added one stripe of the pretty Kristha Mehta ribbon, and it looks very cute so far....just BIG. See:

The knitting on this is pretty mindless; I'm already looking forward to a challenging shawl that I hope to tackle next.

The Big Pink Bag

I'm back from a week of vacation, refreshed and happy that I had a lot of knitting time by the pool. I am on the home stretch of my Socks that Rock Marble Arches sock (about 16 more rows on the foot, before I begin the always quick toe decrease rows). I am, however, getting further and further behind on my sock yarn stash as I await the next STR Rockin' Sock Club delivery later this month!

I also started the pink cotton duffel bag for my daughter. This is somewhat of a freeform/experimental effort, as the two patterns from which I'm working do not give finished dimensions. My daughter insists that she wants a large bag, suitable for stuffing with clothes for a sleepover. The circumference of the base is about 13 inches, which is quite large in my opinion. Right now we're thinking that we'll go about 13 inches high, and then I'll do an I-cord drawstring. I've added one stripe of the pretty Kristha Mehta ribbon, and it looks very cute so far....just BIG. See:

The knitting on this is pretty mindless; I'm already looking forward to a challenging shawl that I hope to tackle next.