GESTRICKTE SPITZENDECKEN Doily 1

Whew, 45 rounds, mostly hex mesh and crossed stitches (yes, the crossed stitches are almost all the stitches NOT hex mesh). That's pretty much the doily. And a row full of errors (okay, 2 errors). I had to change up the binding off so that it would like like the original picture.



Started November 21 2008
Completed November 22 2008
thread: Cebelia #20 in ecru
needles: US0 dpns and US1 circs


Mods: corrected what I thought were errors. there's a move marker row that I thought I moved the wrong way. It just didn't look symmetrical. But it blocked out, so I guess I did it correctly.

The other thing I had to do was to rework the chain togethers. What a pain. But it looks pretty nice, don'tcha think?

Estonian Lace and skimpy nupps

Last weekend, I got together with 2 friends in my part of town and had some tea, and to do some knitting. I was asked to bring my yarn winding stuff and so I did.

What a trial that was, the winding I mean. My friend D had a ginormous hank of laceweight yarn. It didn't fit on my GOKO, since that's the only drawback to this amazing swift--it doesn't expand past 56inches. Anyway, good thing I also brought my squirrel cage swift (that's where my ball winder was on). Anyway, it literally took 3 people 2 plus hours to wind that hank. Maybe we were using the squirrel cage incorrectly, but one person had to wind, one person had to push the yarn along, and the 3rd person had to guide the yarn...

But the Estonian Lace. I'd flipped through it briefly when I was at Lacis. But W brought her copy over and I got to spend more time reading it. What a great book. Such lovely patterns. Such unusual stitches...

Anyhow, I knit the Peacock Tail and Leaf scarf:

specs:
Started November 15 2008
Completed November 19 2008
yarn: Colourmart 100% alpaca 1/16nm doubled (55g used = 490yds)
color: pistachio
needles: US4
size: 14.5in X 52in
pattern mods: I added a few more repeats because I lost track.

About this pattern: I love, adore, will definitely use again, the cast on for this project. It never occurred to me to double the yarn for cast-on. It looks very spiffy. And see all those nupps? Yep, did them all, using non-stretchy alpaca. Altho' you'll see that my nupps aren't plump. I'll have to investigate that further.



What to knit next? I think Triinu is next. Oh, that alpaca is soft. It's divine.

The Dark Side

A bit ago, we (that would be the 'royal we' since it was I) purchased for our son the Lego Star Wars Wii game, and he plays it nonstop. When not playing, he likes to talk about the game...and many of his conversations start with "You know, when Luke (Skywalker)...", at which point, I've been interjecting with "Luke...I'm your father..."

Which he doesn't really get since we haven't let him watch all the Star Wars movies yet (he's 5.75). Yeah, I know, we let him play the game, where the Lego heads go bouncing off, but no, we draw the line at him seeing Carrie Fisher dressed up as a slave girl...

Anyway...what does this have to do with knitting? Well, I have been led back to the dark side...(insert heavy breathing through apparatus). I have been knitting socks.

Who...me? I've knit socks, and I didn't like it one bit. Why would I knit socks when I can purchase them by the pack since I only wear 2 colors of socks anyways--white for the gym and general sneaker wearing and black when I need black socks w/ my Doc Martins.

Well, folks. This is the reason I have ventured to the dark side again.



Are these not the most absolutely cutest clogs ever?! Okay, maybe I'm behind the times as far as clogs go, but these are so sweet. And so comfy. When I saw these, I had to get them. Actually, there was a red pair I really liked, but they didn't have my size. Sadness...

These shoes really do need hand knit socks, so there you go, Bob's your uncle...

Which socks to start with? Well, I got this Regia solid green yarn and was set to knit Biological Clock socks (with DNA up the side). As I started the magic-loop-toe-up-two-at-a-time-figure-8-cast-on, I realized that this is just too dark, and if I'm going to take time to knit wee cables on the sides of my socks, you'd better see them, darn it!


What to do? Toe up socks...did an extensive search and found toe up lace socks in the Fall Knitty. Better yet, it's a free pattern (yay). And it's lace that's interesting (note to self: incorporate that pattern into a scarf).



So, that's what I've been working on. Oh, these were 2-at-a-time until the heel, then went to dpns and once I got to the leg portion, went back to circs. Since this is a lace pattern, I didn't have to count (which is the main reason I do 2-at-a-time) so I did them as singles. Once I was doing the ribbing, I moved them back together on the same needles so that I don't have to count.

Stats:
Pattern: Interlocking Leaves from Knitty Fall 2008
Yarn: Schachenmayr nomotta Regia Uni / Solid 4-ply / 4-fädig
Started November 6 2008
Completed November 12 2008

Mods: well, I started knitting Biological clock socks, didn't feel like ripping back, and decreased 1 stitch before starting lace pattern. I didn't make it as long as the pattern specified.

Why no pics of socks in actual shoe? Well, battery died.

New Anna magazine and Lily of the Valley

While at the Lacis lace knitting group this weekend, I got to check out their wonderful books (including the Estonia book). On my way out, I spied w/ my eyes the new North American Anna Burda magazine. hmmm...

Yep, I came home w/ it. I also decided that this little doily needed to be knit with 100/2 linen thread. (I did mention that there's a gap in my small needles collection and I don't have 0000 circs). So, I pulled out my 000, and got started.


The start is on 16 stitches, and I just couldn't do it w/ dpns. So I modified the start by casting on 8 stitches, and the next round, increasing to 16. Pretty easy knit but I did curse the k5tog...okay, not so much except last night, when I was on row 81, only to realize that I missed one of those k5tog back in row 77! From row 77 to 81, it's just stockinette, but there was no way I could drop down and knit that 5 stitches together (oh shoot). I ended up tinking back to row 78 -- yes, that is over 1800 stitches (thank goodness it was all stockinette). Then as I was crochet casting off, I managed to yank ~50 stitches off the needle...yikes. Anyhow, here's the finished blocked item.




As for the 100/2 linen? It has a little wee bit of slub, but that was it (definitely not like thicker linens I've used). I don't think I'll be knitting our kitchen curtains with the 100/2...the thought of 000 needles for curtains (sigh). I think I'll stick w/ the huge thing of 40/2 linen. One thing of note is that the linen thread is much more unforgiving than Cordonnet. You see all that unevenness of the stockinette? Some of that came about in the blocking.

Right after I knit myself a pair of socks (shh...I'm going to knit these. They have DNA on the side).

My new favorite sweater

Yes. I finally finished my sweater. I've wanted to knit another cardigan for myself for awhile now...But in looking at the finished cardi, well, maybe I should try to knit something a bit different. Yep, all my 3 cardigans I've knit so far pretty much all have the exact same shape! How'd that happen?!

3/4 sleeves....check
scoop neck...check
uhmmm... pretty much the exact same sweater. Oh, well. Did I ever mention that I had 15 black skirts at one time in my closet? So at least the colors...oh, wait, I've knit one green, one haystack, and now one taupe...argh!

Anyway, here' the sweater. (color is much darker than actual)

pattern: Hey Teach from Knitty
Started August 21 2008
Completed November 1 2008
yarn: Cotton-Ease in taupe
amt used: almost all of 4 balls
needles: US6 Options

Mods:
Since I've knitted a sweater (leaf) with this yarn, I pretty much knew how to get gauge, and made a size medium (probably should have made it smaller, but I'll get some elastic and put it in the middle band).
Anyway, mods...I opted for the 3/4 sleeves and changed the number of stitches for the button band. I also knit the sweater 1 inch longer than specified.

If I were to knit this again, I'd knit it in the round. And I'd probably knit the whole thing as lace (I may do that anyway). As for problems with the knit, as I mentioned, I picked up and knit the button band, only to look at it after it was cast off that it flared and rippled like crazy (it was also difficult to pick up that many stitches). So I ripped and went back and picked up 63 stitches and it looks much better. I also had to re-cast off the neck region since I was paranoid about it being too tight so instead, it was floppy and again, very ripply (sigh). The pattern? easy to follow, it was just me not checking the row gauge (shhh).

Fun Fur?!

I've got a new project commissioned by the Creature. She wants mommy to knit her a Grumpy Old Troll. Here's a pic.

Okay, it looks like this will be a pretty easy knit. But I'm now in search of fun fur. Yep, yellow, and TWO shades of orange fun fur! If you think it can be knit w/ something else, please let me know**. I've got all sorts of yarns, but nothing in these colors (apparently, I don't work in this color palette).

**I really don't want to spend $50 on 'fancy' yarns for this project.

Anyway, I'm going to find the camera and take some pics of projects today.

Bad Me

Is it already November? Bad me. I'll take pics of what I've been working on and will post soon.

Hope all had a great Halloween!