Next project

As I'm knitting away on my shetland shawl, and knowing that the next 3 pieces are just like the first, I'm already trying to figure out what to knit next.

A Niebling, of course. Now which one?

Well, I had a couple choices picked out. Mostly because I said I was going to knit them (and they are all so pretty). It was going to be a table topper, and when I get really crazy, I'd like to do a table cloth for my 'seats 8' dining table...(yeah, that's going to happen).

But, as some of you might know, we're getting some work done on our house, and one of the items on the agenda was to get a new front door. Well, on my birthday earlier this month, they came and installed a new front door. This one has a big giant window in the front, and so, I've got my project.

I'll be knitting Niebling's curtains from Anna 07/92.

I've done a swatch with linen thread and am pretty okay with using US1 needles. I'll be knitting 3 motifs and started with a provisional cast on so that I can do a decorative scallop edging on the bottom.

Wish me luck.

On the edge

One edging, border done (and center). And now, just 3 more edgings and borders. The 2nd edging went quite fast, many thanks to my friend L with KnitVis (he recharted the edging).

But picking up the over 365 stitches was a total pain. I totally spaced and just picked up the stitches at the bar...couldn't for the life of me get any where near that number of stitches...ack! it was so easy the first time. Yanked and retried and picking up stitches where I know you're not supposed to, just trying to make up the numbers. Spent a good deal of a morning to do that...before the epiphany.

psst...reread the following page where it says to YO in addition to the knit. sigh.

Okay, onward to border II.

Happy November and progressions

Well, it's November already and I've been knitting. Here's the progress on my Shetland lace shawl from GoL. I've finished the center and am now working on the other edgings/borders. I really enjoyed the center and it went by super fast.

Not a huge fan of edging, but am now on point 5 of 21 for this one side. Then border and another 2 edgings and borders.

I had the chance to see other shawls in progress this weekend and they all look absolutely lovely. It's really neat the color choices and construction modifications folks made.

Instead of working on the Shetland Lace shawl...

No actual knitting pics here...

So, I've got lots to do...I want to work on the GoL shawl, reading The Road before the movie comes out, laundry before the contractors disassemble the washer and dryer tomorrow morning...to name a few.

Instead, I made these for my kid's preschool Halloween party. The idea is from bakerella. She made these cake pops that are so cool. Anyway, so I made them for the party. I started out making white ghosts, but what a disaster. The cake would not stay on the pop and made the

white candy a mess (you dip the cake into candy melts). I maybe salvaged some, and made some ghosts. Z looked at them, and deemed them to be mummies instead, so that's what they'll be.

And then I ran out of the white. Darn. Wanted to be done with these...

Looked high and low, and discovered I had purple candy melts. Yay. But I need eye balls. What to do what to do?

I opted to use chocolate sprinkles inserted into mini marshmallows cut in half. I did figure out that the white candy melt had a different melting point than the purple. The purple melted beautifully, whereas the white was just stiff and didn't cover well (as you can see above).

I highly recommend making these. (I just followed her methods).

The purple monsters weren't perfect. One slipped as I was making it...oops.

It's Raining

The yarn I found for this project is named 'Rain'. And it looks like rain. It's grey with a tinge of color. When I washed the swatch, it's actually a lighter color.

I decided to knit this the way it's written--the Shetland way. Where one edging is knit, then stitches picked up and the border knit, then the center. Three additional edgings/borders are knit, then sewed on (gulp).

So far, I've knit one edging, and am working on the border. Yep, slow going. Wish me luck.

Knitting Content

I belong to a knitting group. Actually a couple of knitting groups, but I've been doing other stuff (like having the house remodeled) and have not been very good about attending meetings...or knitting, for that matter. (Bad, I know). Anyway, I'm lucky I haven't been kicked out of the groups.

So, one group decided to do a knitalong. And the pattern chosen after an on-line poll is Shetland Lace Shawl from Gathering of Lace. This is a shawl that I've wanted to knit for some time, so I'm happy.

I found this lovely dark purple yarn in my stash -- it's silk/lace from Colourmart. 2500yds of it. It's beautiful. I used 2.25mm needles and finished off 21 repeats of the edging.

Then found out that most folks needed not 2500yds, but over 3000yds. I contacted the company and unfortunately, they don't have any more of this yarn. Back to square one.

I have since decided on another Colourmart yarn in my stash. The color is 'Rain'. Upon weighing the yarn, it's clear that I should definitely have more than enough for this shawl.

Holy Cow, where have I been?

Ack! I've been Facebooking. Sorry folks. Took a huge hiatus from blogging and knitting, and spent this summer doing summery stuff.

Anyway, I'm back (hopefully) and I'll be posting a bit more regularly.

While perusing my copy of Pitsilised Koekirjad, I found that I kept coming back to this one pattern. It didn't have 'nupps', it didn't have 'stars', what it did have was cables!. Yep, cables and lace. It's like peanut butter and jelly(which I don't like)...or better yet, like bacon and eggs...mmm...bacon...

Anyway, I digress. Here's the scarf done in Kidsilk haze. Over one ball.


And here's the pattern:


Stats:
Started February 28 2009
Completed March 4 2009
yarn: Kidsilk haze in dewberry --less than 2 balls
needles: size 8US KP
pattern: from Pitsilised Koekirjad and edging from Estonia Lace knitting

CO41

Bad case of startitis

Who me? There's just so many beautiful patterns out there that I must try...

Let's see what's on the needles right now, shall we?

Exhibit 1: Adaptation of Niebling doily (E903_09 -- Magnolie / Frühlingsblumen).

I'm actually more than half way done, but have decided to rip out a huge bunch of rows because I had previously added on extra leaves.

I originally thought that this oval pattern knits along the long axis of the oval. But as I continued the pattern, it was clear that the knit was along the edge of the short axis. I added the leaves to increase the wingspan of the shawl. As I continue knitting, it's become clear to me that this will result in a very misshapen shawl. So to the frog pond it goes. I'm really liking this yarn, tho'. It's Colourmart 50/50 cashmere/wool. Lovely amazing stuff.

If you look closely, you can see a lifeline I put in (yep, was thinking back then that this might be necessary).


Exhibit 2: Since I had to rip, I decided to use my pretty green yarn and make a lace purse. I've checked out the new Mason-Dixon book, and they made a sweet little lace purse with the bleeding heart pattern. I thought I'd try a new-to-me Estonian lace pattern that incorporates lace and cables instead.

I like how it's turning out, but I'm a tad concerned that it's not going to block out right. Hee, not that you can see the lace pattern here.

Which leads us to...

Exhibit 3: lace scarf
I actually really like this simple, yet effective pattern. So I had a couple of ball of Kidsilk haze (aka crack) and casted on for a scarf using the same pattern.



Here's the in-progress scarf:

Is that a cool pattern or what?!

Anyway, that leads me to another project: another cardigan for me. I need like 3 cardigans. I want to knit them all...but I must restrain myself until these get finished or the 1st 2 goes to the frog pond (there's no way I'm ripping Kidsilk).

Wish me luck in getting these projects finished.

All the knitting...

Okay. Here's the knitting content:

Since last I blogged, I've knitted a few items.

I'm still really seriously in like with my book, Pitsilised Koekirjad . I liked pattern 201, so I knit it.


The finished shawl:


Stats:
Started January 25 2009
Completed January 31 2009
yarn: Colourmart laceweight
amount used: 989yds
needle: size 4US

Cast on 113 stitches. 4 rows garter stitch. This pattern is knit on both sides. I modified the pattern by reducing the number of 'vertical' line to 3 stitches instead of the 5 in the pattern.


********************

Next up is Evelyn Clarke's do-it-yourself Lace triangle shawl. This is from her book "Knitting Lace Triangles".


I had my little one pretend she was a red butterfly (getting her not to flap her wings). She was such a great model that I'll have to use her again--but only if she's not busy playing beautyshop.

Started February 5 2009
Completed February 18 2009
yarn: Colourmart cashmere/merino laceweight
amount used: 575yds
needle: size 4US



***********************

Finally, a market bag. I actually don't own this book, but checked it out of the library. This is from Mason-Dixon's new book, and it's got some funky stitches. But 2 were the same as the ones from Heere be Dragone, so I just fudged it a bit. I figured that it's a market bag...for going to the market. So long as stuff doesn't fall out, I'm doing okay.

Instead of using the thicker Euroflax, i used some #8 cotton I had around. I had to increase the circumference as well as the depth of the bag.

A galaxy far far away...or why I've not updated recently

We had a very cool 6th birthday party. A Star Wars party. Since the party was held at a party place, we just had to do invitations and provide food and drink.

I opted for not going nuts on the preprinted party material and kept it at just the table covering. We got grey silverware and grey napkins. And we seriously had a bunch of Star Wars toys so we used them as table setting.

I thought about baking a Death Star cake, but there was a special request for cupcakes...

The light sabers were made by dipping small pretzels in chocolate.

I also dipped large pretzels in chocolate and made the light saber handles. These were given to the kids.


It was a fun party. The knitting will be in the next entry.

Another test knit for Lacis

I offered to knit one more for Lacis. This is pattern from pg. 72. Wait a minute, you say...this doesn't look like the one in the book...

Well, since this was a test knit, and they asked for it to be completed by the end of January, what was I going to do? As I finished the first set of motif, I realized that after row 87, the pattern is repeated again (2 in each section). So I just made sure that this knit okay, and then proceeded to the edging section.


This took a bit over a ball of the Cordonnet 100 thread.


Started January 15 2009
Completed January 24 2009
needles: 000
thread: Cordonnet 100
pattern: test for Lacis

oops. apologies

whew. What a month. Can't believe it's almost over and I've not posted this:



This is a pattern from my Estonia book. It's pattern 187 which ends up being Frost Flowers plus edging 205. It's done with Colourmart cashmere/wool.

Started December 26 2008
Completed January 10 2009
Needle US 4 / 3.5 mm
Yarn ColourMart Cashmere/Merino 2/28NM Lace Weight
0.32 skeins = 736.0 yards (673.0m)
Colorway ruby

GESTRICKTE SPITZENDECKEN pg 78

Since I was done w/ 2 patterns, I asked for another one to check. I am impressed by the number of errors that can occur in one small pattern. whoah...

But the result is pretty cool.



I'm amazed by how by manipulating stitches, you can get a more 3-dimensional feel. Very cool. See these petals, the crossed-stitches give the petals depth.


When the book comes out (a little plug for Lacis), definitely worth getting. Every pattern I tested has had errors in it.


pattern: GESTRICKTE SPITZENDECKEN pg 78
Cebelia #20 thread in white (less than 1 ball)
needles: 2mm KP Harmony circs
Started January 4 2009
Completed January 7 2009

Xmas Presents

hmmm...it's how many days before Christmas and how many hand-made items are there?

well, there's one. The Icequeen.


I used Crystal Palace Merino in a light blue and blue seed beads. Easy pattern, I might have to make another one for another one of my friends...

Stats:
Started December 14 2008
Completed December 15 2008
Needle US 5 / 3.75 mm & US 7 / 4.5 mm
Yarn Crystal Palace Yarns Kid Merino
0.9 skeins = 216.0 yards (197.5m)
Colorway 4681
beads #6 seed beads (I didn't count)

oh, the recipient is Z's kindergarten teacher. She's getting a gift card for Borders and this. I hope she likes it.

My first Fair Isle

Have I mentioned my son is totally into Star Wars? Yeah, I must have. Anyway, I made him this:



On the bottom, it says " MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU" and since I had to do many calculations since I changed from DK to worsted weight, and then I have a 5 year old w/ a big head (remember emergency c-section), I put a little Ty fighter after that. And on top are AT-AT and AT-ST. On the top he wanted a Death Star.

Cast on 105 stitches.

Started November 20 2008
Completed November 24 2008
size 2 needles (to get gauge)
yarn: woolease since that's one of the only ones I found that carried 2 colors of grey.

Now I've got to make one for myself. I don't think I'll do the Star Wars version. There's a very nice filigree pattern I saw on Ravelry that I'll do...yeah, when I have time.

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).