Binding Anemone

I finishished my cut down version of Anemone and I have a huge issue. It is binding. I've read about Niebling patterns binding, and smug me, I'm saying "I'm such a loose knitter that binding won't be a problem". Well, it's binding. I guess I could try to block it differently, but that was the only way to get the leaves in the center to lay down flat. Oh, well.

If anyone has suggestions as to how to alleviate binding, please let me know. I did read about going up a size in needles, but It's one section and I'm thinking going up to US1 with #30 thread probably isn't the best.

Any ideas? I'll go post on Nieblinglace group too. Maybe they've got some insights.





Specs:
thread: Cebelia #30 in ecru : 80 grams (that would be 1 3/5 balls)
needle: KP Harmony dpns and Inox circs in US0
started: 1-10-08
end: 1-30-08
mods: omitted the outer section and edging. Added a couple of extra hex mesh rows and used a k2-yo-k2 edging. The next row was k, the subsequent pattern rows (3) were k,k2tog,yo,k2. Finished off with a k row and crochet bind off using 10 sc w/ 5 stitches.



Other than the binding, I didn't have any problems with the pattern at all. It's pretty, but guess what it reminds me of...yep, filigree. here's a picture of filigree:


Is there a pattern I can do that won't remind me of another?

White Elephant preview sale

A friend and I went to the annual preview White Elephant sale in Oakland. This is a sale that benefits the Oakland Museum.

We got there just before they opened and the line was long. Of course we hit the sewing section first since that's where the yarn is. I was bummed that almost all but a few knitting books were already gone. And I mean gone in the sense that there was a man standing guard over TWO boxes full of knitting books! It looked like he went and grabbed all the books and put them in boxes to 'save them'. How lame is that?! Whatever...

This is the yarn I got:

green wool in a DK weight

100% silk cone (yay! My favorite purchase)

#40 cotton crochet thread

Pretty cool. I did get overwhelmed and had to leave after picking up a couple of sports hats for my son, a couple of games, and paper. I will have to go back for their 'real' sale in March.

Upcoming projects

My list of projects just keep on getting longer and longer...




This is 100% linen thread in 2 weights (2 tubes of 20/2 and one of 40/2). This thread is for the curtains in our kitchen. I've been mulling it in my brain for a while and looking through old Anna magazines. I like some of them, but I'm almost thinking that I might try to convert a pie shaped wedge to a flat panel and do a bunch of flowers for my kitchen.

Anyway, I did try to get the thread at Lacis, but they didn't have the 20/2. WEBS had this thread in a number of different weights. And they have really great customer service. I called to ask them about what weight I needed and when I explained what I wanted to use it for, the rep was relieved because I guess folks try to use it for clothing and this apparently doesn't work well for that. I ended up also getting the 40/2 because I couldn't decide which I wanted to use. I figure what ever I don't use for the kitchen curtains, I can use for another room.

Other thoughts going through my brain...I am working on 2 hats, one is a test knit and I love it. I just have to knit the brim, get some hard material to go in it, and sew it up. Here's a pic of the progress of this guy It's called Twister and developed by the lovely Anne Kuo Lukito:


This is a brimless Twister. There's a bowling ball in it right now, and I need to knit the brim. It's very nice knit. I highly recommend when the pattern becomes available.

I'm also knitting another hat (because it's been so darn cold and wet here lately). It's done in Moda Dea Tweedle Dee. This is an interesting yarn that transitions in the red tones. I'll take a pic when I'm done. Or I might rip it and make a toque or something...


And I'm getting geared up to knit Filigree. Colourmart, I think.





And in celebration of The Year of the Rat, I'm going to do a Chalk & Cheese mouse and call it a rat. And I wanted to make snowme for a friend for next weekend.





Oh, and while at WEBS site, I had to get this yarn. It's 100% bamboo laceweight. In hindsight, maybe I should have just gottten this in white for the curtains. Any one know whether bamboo yarn weathers? How does UV light affect it? btw--That's why I chose linen--it stands up to sunlight.








..yikes! gotta get knitting.

Anemone update

Well, I'm still knitting anemone but in a circle, without the sawtooth and edging (will be round and have to find a different edge -- if a edging is to be found). In case you don't know what I'm talking about, here's a pic of it. Isn't it pretty? I'm at the flowers portion, so I'm thinking that I'm going to keep going a couple more rows of the hex mesh and then find a Niebling edge I like and finish it that way. I might end up doing straight knitting on the edge since the center is so frilly--don't know yet.

I'm using Cebelia #30 in ecru w/ US0 needles and am on the 2nd ball. It's deceptive because this is quite large if knitted according to pattern. Like I said, I'm at the flowers (finally) and I'm on row 121. I think that by not forcing it into a square and without the saw tooth thingie as well as that edging, I think it will be smaller.

Oh, and thanks everyone for commiserating with me...

argh!

Just a short post to say "argh!"

you most likely don't do this, but I got it in my brain that the Niebling was easy to remember and I oh, no (now, don't laugh too loud) I don't need to check no stinkin pattern...I knit the wrong row a 1/4 in and then realized it when I started the knit row!


yep, I'm tinking...yep, tinking 3/4 round of mesh knit AND k5tog.


argh.

Good news bad news

The good news is that I finished my bamboo shawl. It's the one from No More Sheep. The other good news is that we switched to a new computer so now everything is much faster.

The bad news...yep, haven't gotten the photo part working yet. So, no pics.

(insert picture here when I get the photo part up)



But here's the specs:

pattern: Tuscany from No More Sheep
yarn: SWTC bamboo in navy 2 balls
needle size: US6
start time: Jan 6, 2008
finish time: Jan 9, 2008

The only modifications I did was to end on row 8 instead of row 16 because I figured I'd run out of yarn and I didn't feel like adding another ball. I also didn't do the purl2tog bind off. I tried that, but it seemed really tight, so I did my normal bind-off and before blocking it was looking loose. Got better after blocking.

edited (thanks for the comment, fleegle-- it would have taken longer...):

here's the pics.

Cursed yarn

I received 'cursed yarn' from knitterbarb on Ravelry. The only stipulation was that I used it to make something and post it up on Ravelry in 6months. This yarn apparently used to be a bright blue, and she overdyed it with darker blue/greens.

She thought it was cotton/acrylic and there were 8 skeins.I opted to use the Spanish Peacock pattern to turn a doily into a blanket because, well, I didn't feel like being one of "506 projects, in 1595 queues" for Hemlock. I might be a lemming, but that is just too many (shhh, clapotis doesn't count).

I modified the original pattern by not doing double YOs (except the center) because I thought the holes are too large. I actually should have ripped the center and redone that part, but I'm lazy. I used 4.5 hanks of this yarn for the lap blanket.

specs:
start: Dec 25. 2007
finished: Jan 4, 2008
needles: 8 dpns and circs
yarn: cursed yarn from knitterbarb

I forgot to add that I knit bound off based on someone (I think it was Charlotte) from a yahoo group.

First FO for '08

Okay, maybe there's a little manipulation there. I am still working on the Spanish peacock doily turned into a lap blanket, but that is sooooo tedious at this point that I had to do a Niebling so that my first finished object of 2008 is a Niebling. It's from Meyers Handarbeitsheft Nr. 14 - Kunststricken

It is called 'Hangeblume'. A quick google translation = Hanging Flower.



This little ditty is only 64 rows, so you'd think relatively quick knit. However, much acrobatics are involved (that's why I'm pretty sure it's HN). There are crossed stitches, there are k6tog, and the new to me slip 3 knit 6 and P3SO the 6...very cool.

Stats:
pattern: Hangeblume
needles: 2.25mm (would have used 2.0mm, but couldn't find them at start of project)
thread: vintage J&P Coats #30 (6 cord merc. cotton). The original price tag for the 400yd thread was $.25 - used less than 1 ball.
start: December 31, 2007
finish: January 2, 2008

This thread was a bit discolored and I had the finished doily soak a bit in oxyclean. Now, back to the blanket...

Happy New Year!

oops. sorry. a bit late