Princess Knits

My finger hurts!

2008-07-09T11:16:00.000-07:00

Well, there hasn't been much knitting around here, the stockinette baby sweater of hell, worsted weight 75% acrylic 25% wool on size 3 and 5 needles. Did I mention the intarsia patch on size 3's that gets buttoned on the front? All the knitting is done, except for the button on thing, and it's making my right index finger hurt! I can't wait to get it done so I can move onto more selfish things. I'm also knitting an adorable trellis for my cousin's new baby, which is due soon!!! It's so cute, knit out of LB cotton ease in terra cotta. I'd rather work on that than the stupid baby sweater. I think once those two items are done I'm going to move onto projects for ME and feel guilt free.

It was a good yarn day

2008-06-26T11:20:00.000-07:00

This morning after my attempts to surf the Internet for all things knitterly failed miserably I took it as a sign from the universe to give dyeing a chance. I had been meaning to try it for awhile but always put it off. I absolutely loved it. I dyed two skeins of yarn today, one worsted weight hank of cascade 220 in the crock pot and a ball of knit picks palette that I hanked up. The 220 turned out pretty, I dyed it green and blue with a hint of purple and for the most part I like how it turned out. It's a little murky in some spots and there's a bit of white left, but for one of my first dye jobs it turned out pretty well! I LOOOOOVE how the palette turned out. I used the cold pour dye method and dyed it red, orange, and yellow. Love. Right now they're drying and then I will take pictures of them hanked and then again after they're reskeined. To dye them I used food coloring. The cold pour was really messy, but only stained my fingers. I am definitely going to do it again!

I also bought some yarn today. I stopped by the store to pick up the cc220 to dye and a hank of Plymouth baby alpaca lace came home with me, too! It's a very pretty orange color and it will soon be a swallowtail shawl.

The new yarns from left to right: Plymouth Baby Alpaca Lace, color 996, Socks that Rock Lightweight, color 'Firebird' and 'Hot Flash'

Best of all? My STR came!!! I got two colors, firebird and hot flash, and I love them!!! I don't know what patterns I'm going to use for them. I know that monkeys would be a good idea, but EVERYBODY uses the monkey pattern with STR. Diagonal cross rib socks? I don't know... I need to get through my spring forward socks (done with #1, onto ribbing of #2) first. Then I want to finish my toe up anklets... And then I'm thinking my orange/red/yellow hand dyed creation should become either a pair of gloves or monkey anklets... And I have the itch to knit a sweater or five... And then I need to finish up the stupid baby sweater for work... So many projects, I need more hands!!!

Finito

2008-06-24T08:18:00.000-07:00

The embossed leaves socks are done!!!

Pattern: Embossed Leaves Socks By Mona Schmidt
Yarn: Two skeins of Plymouth Happy Feet
Modifications: None. If I make them again for my self I will add another leaf to the foot
Thoughts?: I really liked making these socks! They are perfectly knit! The pattern was a little weird, it had me break the yarn after the heel flap to rejoin it on the other side, which I didn't like but I did anyway. Also, the yarn wasn't right for the project. It was too fuzzy and I don't think I'll use it again. It also bled a lot while I was blocking them and stained my sink for a few days. For the price It's a good yarn but for quality... It's okay. Since these were a gift I won't get to see how they wear, but I hope they wear well.

I think I'll do the pattern again with a different yarn and a modified heel and foot. After those were off the needles a new sock went on almost immediately. The Spring Forward Socks (aka, the new monkeys) are almost half way done! I'm onto the foot of the first one. I'm a little worried if they're going to fit so I'm hoping the lace blocks out nicely and I have no idea how many lace repeats to do on the foot. Why do I have to have size ten feet!!! I think this is the universe evening things out, I get to knit small sweaters but I have to knit huge socks. I think once the second spring forward sock is all kitchenered nicely I'm going to cast on a sweater. I have a bunch that I want to do and I have yarn for at least 5 sweaters. An EZ pattern in malabrigo? We'll see...

Socks: 365

2008-06-18T13:18:00.000-07:00

On flickr a lot of people are doing the self portrait 365 project where they take daily self portraits of themselves. I really want to participate, but I don't know if I can commit to it because: 1) I am a terrible photographer. 2) I'd have to get flickr pro... I want to but I don't know if I can justify it. 3) The cameras at my disposal suck. They're good for what I do but... yeah. So I came up with an idea, the 365 sock project. The idea is to knit a pair of socks, one row for every day of the year. This I think I can do. I've been thinking of a few rules so here are a few preliminary things

1. The cast on and row one is day one, row 365 and the toe of the second sock is day 365.
2. Cast ons, heels, and toes don't count as rows, they should just be done with the corresponding row for that day.
3. The socks should either be in stockinette stitch or ribbing except for the ribbing at the cuff.
4. Both socks should have 365 rows together. That means 182 rows on one sock and 183 rows on another, excluding the toes and heels. If you're OCD about it I guess both could have 183 rows, the extra being for luck
5. You WILL only knit one row a day except when you reach the heel and toe of the sock. If you miss a day you can make it up by knitting the missed rows on another day, but missing a day is not encouraged.
6. The 365 socks are meant to make you sit down for about 5-10 minutes a day, add another row onto your socks, and to think about the day. It's supposed to make the passing of time a little more tangible.
7. Pick your yarn according to how you want your year to turn out. Cooler colors for a peaceful year, warmer tones for a happy, passionate year, self striping for a year of change, pick a color that has special symbolism with you. Use needles you like and are willing to have in use for the year.

Well, those are the preliminaries. I'm thinking of a ravelry group, maybe a flickr group (for progress and finished socks) but it's just an idea I'm toying with. Thoughts?

To Do List...

2008-06-16T09:44:00.000-07:00

On the lovely ravelry I have a queue about a mile long. I have 'knitting obligations' that seem never ending. I need a to do list...

1. Finish second embossed leaves sock (to the heel flap!)
2. Knit sample sweater and all the little button on patch things (from a knitter's dozen book, the kids' sweater one)and have it done by july 12th
3. Do swatches for my SCJ class (I'm doing another one!)
4. Freak out a bit because the SCJ is no longer a free pattern. ack.
5. Do last year's christmas knitting.
6. Start this year's christmas knitting.
7. Organize the stash, figure out future projects.
8. Knit spring forward socks. now.

that's not too hard, right?

Also, have you seen the twist collective site? I cannot wait, it comes out on August 1st. It's not a free online magazine but the designs are 'fair trade' and that makes me happy. I like it when the geniuses that bring me great patterns are earning enough money to keep doing it. It looks so high quality and amazing. I kind of wish it was a real magazine and not just an online deal so I could kiss it. Can. Not. Wait!

Well, I'm going to listen to my latest obsession, Lime and Violet! I must have socks that rock now.

2008-06-14T16:44:00.001-07:00

12:30 P.M.- I'm buying some yarn for the new monkeys and since I love my aluminum sock needles but HATE how bendy they get, I bought a set of brittany sock needles that come in packs of six "just in case"

5:20 P.M.- Pulling thread through remaining sts. on my first embossed leaves sock. Break A needle.

*sigh...* This is why they come in packs of six.

When the going gets tough, the tough knit complicated cable charts and fair isle

2008-06-10T12:06:00.000-07:00

I found that when things get a little hairy around here I like to get a really complicated project to keep my mind off of things. I usually go to fair isle when I get stressed but cables and charts also get the job done. Between planning a big party, graduating, and being rejected from a university I should have gotten into right away I was lucky to be stringing together coherent sentences. I had been in a knitting slump where nothing felt 'right' but these mittens changed everything.

Chevalier Mittens

Pattern: Chevalier by Tikru

Yarn: Malabrigo Merino Worstred in Pink

Time to complete: The first mitten took a little more than a day, the second took a little longer.

Mods: I mirrored the cables and I mixed up on the thumb so I just did it again and now it's a mod. I did the thumb increases every other row twice, every three rows twice, and then every two row twice and started the gussest one row later.

Thoughts: Wow. The cables are insane but the second time through was much easier. I really liked the pattern and there were no mistakes, just a travelling cable coming out of no where. This was a fabulous pattern paired with a fabulous yarn (but seeing as it's a single, I don't know how they're going to last!) yeilding fabulous results. Go and knit your own pair, now!

Another debut, well worth the wait: The sunrise circle jacket

Sunrise Circle Jacket

Pattern: Sunrise Circle Jacket By Kate Gilbert

Yarn: 6 Hanks of Cascade 220

Time to Complete: A little more than one month

Modifications: I knit the sleeves in the round and I added a picot edge

Thoughts: Perfect pattern. No mistakes. It fit and it looks great. I might do another. I gave it to my mom for her birthday and she loves it.

So what's up next? Well I'm almost done with a Dale hat and I want to knit some socks as thank you's. I really want to be selfish this summer and knit sweaters and socks and mittens and cowls for ME but I think I need to catch up on last year's christmas gifts and get started on this year's. BUT this is My hobby and it will be fun. Also coming soon a project I affectionately call the dumb fish.

Unfortunate news.

2008-06-05T12:44:00.000-07:00

I did not get into the U. I have decided to appeal the rejection and I'm also going to fill out a transfer application immediately so I'll hopefully be there by spring semester. Because I am in the University of Minnesota system transferring will be much easier for me but whether I can do it right away as a freshman is the real trick. There has been some knitting going on, I finished the SCJ, started and finished a pair of chevalier mittens, and I finished my aunt's socks. My gauge changed from the first sock to the second so the leg on the second sock is a bit shorter! I don't think she'll notice though... Well, I have a party to help clean for and a graduation on Sunday.

Where'd I go?

2008-05-24T17:10:00.001-07:00

Where have I been? Well, I am currently a high school senior and I am closing in on graduation! Not only am I dealing with the stresses and excitement that go along with graduating but my first choice college has not accepted me yet. They have not rejected me, either. This really sucks on many, many levels. I have not given up yet and I want everyone to think really, really good thoughts about it. Right now those of you 'in the know' are probably thinking "wait, didn't the deadline already pass?". Yes, it did, but the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (the college I'm madly, deeply in love with, just like every other high school senior) decided that since SO many people wanted to go there, they could impose a SECOND waiting list. I am currently on that. I was lucky enough that my back up school did the same thing and only had a priority date set for orientation (but I don't think I have to worry about that much because I'm in the music school there, but I don't think music is for me anymore and so getting into the U is really important, but that's for another post...). I have been waiting almost eight months to hear a final decision from the admissions people. This waiting thing is getting a little old, but I still feel a glimmer of hope. If good things come to those who wait then the best should come to those who wait 8 months. Especially if they are impatient, like me.

Please send every good vibe you can, and I'll send them right back!

-Becky

Just a quick update!

2008-05-18T11:37:00.000-07:00

Elegant Rib Socks-I haven't touched them in awhile but they're to the point where I need to switch to the size 5 needles
Go With the Flow Socks-Past the heel turn and almost done with the gusset decreases
SCJ- Done! I'm sewing up the hems right now and there should be pictures and thoughts coming soon!
New Projects- The store wants me to do a sample which I want to have finished this week. After that I'm going to work on stuff I've been planning on doing for awhile and once those are done I'm going to get started on the marsielles pullover.

pictures to come soon!

Shepherd's Harvest!

2008-05-11T18:47:00.000-07:00

Well today I went to the Shepherd's Harvest for the second year in a row. I went as an employee for the store and I got to sit at our booth for most of the day and people watch, sell some kits and patterns, and knit a little on the SCJ. It was a fun day, there was indeed some shopping. I got enough yarn to make a sweater and a pair of socks. My goal for the day was to find enough unique yarn to make myself a sweater and I found it! It wasn't the exact yarn I was looking for, since the vendor wasn't back again, and it is commercially available, but it is still unique yarn I have yet to find in a store around here. I bought 5 skeins of peace fleece, 2 in moscow magic pink, and three in perestroikan pink. I was really worried for awhile that 1,000 yards was not going to be enough for a sweater but then I realized it was aran weight and that I'm going to be okay!

Moscow Magic Pink

Perestroikan Pink

Along with the peace fleece I bought some Panda Cotton from the vendor next to us. I originally went over to her booth to buy some trekking xxl, but she was all out and I couldn't afford the austermann step (even though I really liked the colors and how it felt) since I had already bought the peace fleece and I could find the sockotta anywhere, so I went with panda cotton. I've heard about the panda wool, so I hope the cotton is just as good.

Panda Cotton, Sprite Green

Along with vendors, there were animal demonstronstrations. I wasn't able to catch any of these because I was inside manning the booth all day but I did see a big, puffy angora rabbit, lots of well behaved dogs, and a couple of sheep. It was a pretty busy day, but very cold. Nobody told me it was going to be that cold so I showed up wearing shorts and a half sleeved wool cardigan. I froze until my mom brought me jeans and my monkey socks. It was cold. It was a very good day and I hope I can go again next year.

P.S. Happy Mother's Day!

Hey, look! Something sparkly!

2008-05-02T12:42:00.000-07:00

That's what it feels like. I'm about 8 rows away from the hem on the left front of the SCJ and I keep getting distracted. It's very easy to get distracted with ravelry around. I've found that crossing out each row after I've completed it really helps me keep my place. Each row has specific instructions about shaping. It's turning out really cool! The rows are starting to get really long but all things considered this is going by really fast. One thing that bothers me is the progress bars at ravelry. I can never figure out what percentage is done. I know that I could do all the math and go from there, but who has time for that? Socks are easy, once one is done you're half way done. Same with mittens. Hats are so quick they're usually done in a day or two anyways. But with a sweater, is the back the biggest chunk? Sleeves are usually quick but they're long and can get pretty big. What about fronts? Okay, I'm rambling now and I'm going to stop.

Pictures coming soon!

ETA: I just realized why the post title is even more relevant. Can this post get any more random?

May...

2008-05-01T15:45:00.000-07:00

Happy May Day!!!

Beginnings of the Inga Hat

very springy

Are you serious?

2008-04-26T16:30:00.000-07:00

Well, I went away for the weekend and I only managed to come back with 11 new skeins of yarn and 4 1/2 inches of a new sock. The SCJ is still just a back with most of a sleeve. The go with the flow socks just have a sad little heel flap. I started the elegant ribbed stockings from the favorite socks book. And I came back with yarn for 3 new projects and a dale book (the st. moritz book, my mom wants a hat). How does one come back with 11 skeins of yarn? Well, I saw some vibrant orange trekking xxl and since the colors at the shop are mostly natural and cool shades, I had to have it. My mom also got yarn for a St. Moritz hat (6 skeins of yarn for a hat. I do believe there will be a leftover-pallooza after that hat) and since I missed my senior prom to do an audition at a school I don't really like (I don't really want to go into that...) I got yarn for an inga hat. It's going to be pink and green and I'm going to leave out the middle section. Very cute. Well, I'm too lazy to take pictures now, so tomorrow there will be a yarn porn galore.

ETA: I came home with 12 balls of yarn. 4 for the inga hat, 6 for the st. moritz hat, 1 skein of trekking xxl, and a ball of regia silk to line my mom's hat. I have fallen deeply in love with the regia and I might try in vain to squeeze a pair of size 10 anklets out of the left overs.

Baby got back

2008-04-21T09:40:00.000-07:00

So the back of the SCJ is now drying on the bed. I wanted to see how it looked blocked because it was so curly! But I've decided to keep the pictures of the blocked pieces a secret until after my mom gets it.

So here is the SCJ in all its curly glory(or lack there of):

The unblocked back of the Sunrise Circle Jacket

And some lovely back darts (I doubted the double decrease so much, but Kate Gilbert, you are truly a genius.)

And This:

This is the first rinse. It took 6 to get the water almost clear.

The water was opaque orange. I squeezed the fabric and dark orange water seeped out. 6 rinses. SIX! But it is sort of accurate, color wise...

And the go with the flow socks? The heel flap is a little bit longer... Nothing picture worthy. Just some holey grey tubes with a little flappy thing hanging down... I want to finish them before this weekend so I can take something NEW with me when I go out of town (I'm going with my mom so SCJ will have to stay back and watch the stash).

When did that happen?

2008-04-18T12:29:00.000-07:00

The Sunrise Circle Jacket (from here on out the SCJ) is coming along at a good pace! I made it to the dart set up row. I kept feeling like the little bottom section was taking forever and then I looked down and it grew by a few inches in what seemed like seconds! It was the opposite of a knitting black hole!

Here's the bottom part of the back, photo courtesy of swingline (stockinette is so curly!!!) This is right before the darts on the back start.

Now you might be wondering what all those little holes are... Well, they're

Picots!

I decided to add a little something different to the SCJ and totally ripped off another raveler's idea of the picots looking like rays of sunshine (thanks for the idea!)! Instead of doing a knit row on the wrong side for the turn row I did a row of k2tog, yo across.

What's that about the go with the flow socks? There's a heel flap going on? but it's only a few rows long? And they've been on the needles how long? Weren't they a Christmas gift?

The answer to all these questions: yes... I will have them done soon, but my current goal is to have the back of the SCJ done by Tuesday.

Has anyone else ever gone from knitting a heavily cabled/patterned sweater to a pure stockinette sweater? It feels like hitting a wall because the cables stack up so quickly. I went from saying "well, I'll finish this row because I don't want to forget what I'm doing" to just putting this sweater down in the middle of a row. I think the Marseilles pullover will be welcome change from almost a mile of stockinette. But, the front and back of Marseilles are exactly the same, so we'll see.

Well, I have a very sexy date tonight with the SCJ. I hear it's going to get 'dart-y'.

Hey, what ever happened to that budget you had going on?

2008-04-15T12:57:00.000-07:00

Because it has flown out the window...
Good thing I have an employee discount.

I broke down today and bought six more skeins of Cascade 220 for my Mom's Sunrise Circle Jacket. I plan on having it done in time for her birthday at the end of May.
Considering that the arm and its respective front are done at the same time I think it'll go pretty quick. I think the shaping will be the most interesting part. Well, I'm going to knit up my swatch tonight and then the fun will begin!

In my last post I briefly mentioned all the Christmas gifts I still owe people... Well, these are the Go With the Flow socks I decided to make for my aunt. I'm almost to the heel turn!!!

You can see the finished sock behind it (which I finished a couple of weeks ago). These are very cute socks, the pattern is a winner (interweave seemed to think so) but the yarn... There are more pills on this yarn than there are in a junkie's pocket. It's so soft, but very pilly and very splitty (I split a stitch on the first sock while picking up stitches for the gusset...it looked so icky...)

Well, I'm off to play with swatches!

So... what next?

2008-04-13T06:26:00.000-07:00

Well, now that the lovely Sofia is off the needles and now residing on her hanger by the pure cotton for the next six months, something has gotta come next! I was thinking for awhile "maybe smaller projects, get christmas presents done (from this past christmas, I'm not smart enough to do stuff for next year already), a few small things" but instead I bought this yesterday:

Five Skeins of Cascade 220 in color numberf 7802. 1100 yards of pink woollen joy. What for you ask? Well, as soon as I can get my act together I'm going to swatch and cast on for the Marseilles Pullover by the lovely and talented Veronik Avery (I really think that The best of interweave knits really should have been called Veronik and Friends. She and Norah Gaughan dominated that book! [but for a good reason!])

I instantly fell in love with that sweater and how they modeled it is exactly how I would wear it. I have the outfit already (except the sweater of course. i 'have it' but it's still in non-knitted up form...)! I think I want to finish up my aunt's socks first and then maybe a few mittens that I owe people... you may see an indecent amount of fair isle pretty soon...

Hey Harlot!

2008-04-12T16:19:00.000-07:00

I met the Yarn Harlot!!! The canadian knitting trollop made her way to minnesota again and I got to go to her talk and get my book signed!!! I really enjoyed it and I went with my mom (who laughed, even though she's not a knitter). It was a very fun night. Parking was 'fun'. The weather was 'fun'. Walking in the rain/snow/cold was 'fun'. Once we got their we got tickets (we were on stand by but luckily got tickets anyway) and the yarnery had a little shop set up with a lot of sock yarn and the prettiest color of malabrigo I have ever seen. I walked away (well, not literally, I paid for it) with a skein of Misti Alpaca Hand Paint Sock yarn in a very pretty color way. Pinks and greens and blues and darker colors, just a mix of everything! I expected the auditorium she spoke in to be bigger, but it wasn't (explains why all the tickets were gone so quickly). They had door prizes and the Von Yarnery family singers (very cute). Then Stephanie talked. It was hilarious, interesting, and education all at the same time! After, I waited until 10 p.m. to have my book signed because I didn't realize that the number system was thrown out the window (I had 109 anyway...). I could tell she was tired by them because my book is signed "to becky, stephanie pearlm" and then it is illegible. I got a picture with my camera but didn't have my picture taken so I don't think I'll be featured on the blog (but that's okay, it was late and everybody was tired). I was star struck by her. It's embarrassing to say, but I was so nervous to meet someone that I admire so much. While I waited for her to sign my book, I won a few door prizes! My mom won these knitter's greeting cards from I believe yarn girls (which she gave to me, being a non-knitter) and I won the Shibori felting book and a Habu kit for the silk lunch bag. The yarnery also gave out buttons and back packs but seeing as I work for a rival store I don't think I'm going to get much use out of a the back pack. All in all meeting the harlot was well worth driving in the bad conditions, walking in the cold, and waiting for a very long time. I can't wait for her next book to come out and I hope she comes back to the twin cities on her next tour.

April Showers Bring May Flowers...

2008-04-06T10:54:00.000-07:00

...And what do mayflowers bring? Why pilgrims, of course!!!

Well, last week I spent a beautiful seven days in sunny Cozumel, Mexico! It was a great time, lots of sun burns (i applied, reapplied, and still got burned.) I finished up the second sock of my all but forgotten monkeys. I don't know why I didn't just sit down and do them!!! They're done and they turned out great.

Monkeys
Pattern: Monkey by Cookie A.
Yarn: Knit Picks Essential in Grass (two different dye lots on each of the socks... shhh)
Started: Some time in october...
Finished: March 30th
Thoughts?: Great pattern, I can see why it's so popular. While knitting it the leg of the sock was very square and fun to look at but lies flat nicely when it's blocked. I did the usual 6 repeats of the lace on the leg and 7 repeats on the foot for my size ten feet. There were 13 repeats in all. The first sock I followed the pattern religiously but for the second not so much. I didn't follow her directions on how to pick up the heel sts. and the second sock looks much better than the first because of this. I am glad to have these socks done and maybe I'll do another pair in the future? who knows...

Also, I did some other knitting in mexico that should make its debut here on princess knits soon. I just have to figure out how to do some copy righting and do some designer magic. I <3 designing...

What shall the knitress do next... another pair of socks? mittens? catch up on all those christmas presents that have yet to be knit? more sweaters? We'll see...

ETA: I got the new yarnharlot book! I got it friday night after I arrived home and I have since read it cover to cover! I think this is one of my favorites along with knitting rules!

Oh, Barnes and Noble... I thought you loved me!

2008-03-25T19:16:00.000-07:00

So yesterday afternoon I went to barnes and noble and searched high and low for the new yarn harlot book. It was not on the shelves. An over eager sales person asked if they could help me so I inquired about the book. According to their computers the book isn't out for another month!!! Who is telling the truth!!! It has to be out! Well, after pouting that my book wasn't there I looked around and looked at all the other knitting books in search of something else. I did walk away with a purchase, but it was a tough choice. They had knitting without tears and the new reprint of knitting in plain english. I wanted both, so I went with knitting in plain english because it was bigger. I'm only a few chapters in, but I think i should have gone with knitting without tears, but I'll have to give the book a full review once I've finished. I'm still glad I bought it, though.

On the knitting front, sofia is being difficult! The button band directions say to pick up and knit 70 sts., which is proving to be impossible! I'm sure it's not that bad and if i were to just sit down and do it I could be done by now, but so many new yarns are and projects are being tempting. I think I'm going to cast on for monkey number 2 very soon and hopefully have them done very soon! I think it's too late to start anything tonight, but very soon! I also really, really want to work on designing and self publishing some of my own stuff, but I have so many other projects that need to be done! Summer vacation can't come soon enough!!! I think a bunch of small projects in the next few weeks will be a lot of fun because i did do 2 (small) sweaters in about 5 weeks, starting one right after the other. it'll be fun to cast something on, wave my hands around, and have something fun and new in a few hours.

How could I ever forget NatCroMo?

2008-03-24T14:19:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess march is Nation Crochet Month, and so yesterday I crocheted a hat! It was a basic crocheted hat, top down, crown increases until the crown measures 6 inches across, work until it hits the eyebrows. I did that but added a little picot edge and I sewed on a flower. I have one just like it in pink!!! I think I'm going to do some more and come up with a knitted pattern for it.

In other news, Sofia is DONE! Well, she needs bands, but the last sleeve was completed yesterday afternoon! Right now she is a vest awaiting bands and sleeves, but YAY! I knit a sweater in 2 weeks, granted it was a cropped sweater. I'm so glad to be done with it because although i really enjoyed knitting it, sofia was something I signed a paper (literaly) saying I'd have it done, or else. Now i'm going to move onto something without a dead line. I think that once the bands are on and the sleeves are sewn on i'm going to pick up the monkeys again. According to the rav I started them all the way back in october. Then christmas knitting started and i picked up other projects and they sort of were forgotten. so I've decided that once sofia is done I'm going to work on all my single socks again, from oldest to newest. First monkeys, then the work socks, and then I'll finish up my aunt's socks. I have one of each already knit up so the pairs will be here in no time!

I've been kind of in a sock knitting mood lately. I've been buying fingering weight yarn like it's going out of style. I only have one complete pair of hand knit socks and they don't fit me well. I did another pair for my grandma and she really likes them. I have all these ideas for designs and inspiration for socks.

Well, I'm going to go think about socks and seam a sweater. I'll be back for more later!

(p.s. yarn harlot's book is out and there's a rumor it's in american bookstores TODAY. any idea where my speedy ford contour is heading soon?)

After a Long Hiatus

2008-03-17T10:08:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess I've been gone awhile. I'll try to be a better blogger, but I guess it's just more exciting for me to read all the great blogs out there instead of thinking of things to write myself. I'll try to be a better blogger, but seeing as this is a hobby, if I don't want to do it, I'm not going to. I'll also try to post a couple patterns every once in awhile and maybe a few pictures every now and again, but welcome to sporadic blog central. Also, we recently upgraded our internet BUT we only have high speed on one compter, which just so happens to be my dad's lap top, so alas, no pictures (i'm not much of a picture taker, which probably isn't a good quality in a knitter)

For a complete update of all my projects check out my ravelry page (psst, I'm becky09. friend me!)! I've been up to a lot, I designed something which isn't up there (i might publish it, I'm not sure yet) and My mom got a pair of mittens that will be publishable after some tweaking. Ravelry is kind of why I'm getting back into blogging. I wrote so much about my hexacomb sweater I thought 'why not start a new blog' and well, here I am. I guess I just want to talk about what I'm knitting, how I'm knitting it, and what I know about knitting. That's another recent project, the Hexacomb Cardigan. I saw it in spring interweave knits and I knew that I had to have it! it knit up really quickly but the finishing took forever! I guess this sweater taught me not to be such a wimp when it comes to changing a pattern. I knit a few more sweaters since my failed wheat ear and successful mini. For christmas, my grandparents got sweaters. My grandma got emerald from knitty and my grandpa got the manly sweater from stitch 'n bitch. My grandma's sweater was finished right before thanksgiving and I was able to knit my self a shrug as a treat for finishing (stefanie japel's boob holder) but due to some issues going on in my personal life (which I'm not going to go into detail about at all) my grandpa's sweater was finished in January. I also crocheted an afghan (10X10 pink and grey grannie squares) from almost all yarn I had lying around. It was a major stash busting project and I only had to buy 3 skeins specifically for the project. great fun. Also there were many socks. Many socks, but no pairs. I did finish one pair of toe up worsted weight socks for my aunt for christmas, but so far it's the only pair! I have a plain pair of just top down short row heel and toe socks halfway done, one monkey sock, and one sock for another aunt of mine. I guess I'm a pretend sock knitter! I love buying sock yarn and I have a ton of socks queued up on my ravelry page but I usually only finish one and then I'm off to the next one!!! Also so many mittens, hats and scarves to keep me and everyone else warm in the cold minnesota winter (happy march 17th! i'm looking at snow when yesterday there was grass)

Well, I guess what I have to say is welcome to the great american blog: sporadic, stream of concious writing.

What I'm currently knitting is a lot of fun! I'm knitting Sofia from the debbie bliss pure cotton/stella book. It's knit out of pure cotton in lime 12 (although it is FAR from lime) and so far it has basically fallen off of my needles it's so fast! I started it a week ago and I'm almost done with the second front and all that is left is 2 sleeves! I'm doing it as a store sample that I get to keep in six months, I just half to pay for half the yarn cost. A lot of stores give the samples back to the employees but the store usually gets to keep the sample for a year or more. I'm fine with this arrangement because I'm paying about half of what it would have cost me full price. I also get to show off something that I knit and the store gets a better product because I'm making it for myself, essentially. They gave me 6 weeks to finish it but i think I can do it in 2. (watch me eat my words). Well, as motivation, here's the deal I'm going to make with myself.

If I do indeed finish the sweater by next monday, march 24th, I may start a secret project and not feel guilty about all the christmas presents I still have left to knit.

"finishing" is defined at having all parts KNIT, so un-woven in ends are okay, not having buttons, okay, being in pieces, not okay. So it essentially has to be a sweater a person can put on. there. Can i do it? place your bets!

ETA: I did it! the sweater is done and hanging up in the store right now!!!

Finished

2007-10-06T10:23:00.000-07:00

The Minimalist Cardigan

Started: Sometime in august....
Finished: October 3rd
Yarn: About 4 1/2 skeins of cascade 220 in a pretty green color
Thoughts?: It turned out great! I learned a lot about seaming and i know my next project will have even better seams. The sleeves are a little long, like everyone has been saying. I really like it!

Ravelry

2007-09-16T09:34:00.000-07:00

I got my invite!!!!! I'm Becky09. I am so happy!

Nothin' but a copycat...

2007-09-06T18:33:00.000-07:00

I'll stole this from someone elses' blog. but they stole it from some one else, too.

Bold = have already tried this
Italicized = Plan or want to try this
Unemphasized = Have no desire to try this
Afghan
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Domino knitting
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Baby items
Knitting with your own handspun
Slippers
Graffiti knitting (what?)
Continental knitting (yours truly is a continental knitter)
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book (this is a major want)
Scarf
Teaching a child to knit
American/English knitting
Knitting to make money
Buttonholes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dying with plant colors
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on two circulars
Olympic knitting
Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn
Knitting with dpns
Holiday-related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dying yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener BO
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with self patterning/self striping/variegating yarn
Stuffed toys
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mitts/armwarmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair (weird... not for me)
Hair accessories
Knitting in public

keep on truckin'

2007-09-02T22:41:00.000-07:00

Even after the defeat of the Wheat Ear Cabled Yoke Sweater, i'm just going to keep on truckin'. Right now that sweater is in pieces on the table waiting to be wound into hanks to be washed and balled as soon as i get my ball winder and swift. I decided to get that for my birthday, but it might be awhile...

...And i've started some new projects. The minimalist cardigan is chugging along, i'm a little more than half way done with the right (or left...) front. I started this so it can be the 'un-official' first sweater. Seeing as school starts soon (i'm oh so sad) Progress is either going to slow or speed up. I haven't been spending too much time on it seeing as yesterday chico was dropped off at college and i've been wanting to spend lots of time with him. luckily he chose a local college before we started dating and is only thirty minutes away. but seeing as instead of a 5 minute drive on residential streets, it's a 30 minute drive on city freeways (i shouldn't complain, i'm a VERY lucky girl. he was very close to going to a college 4 hours away.) It should go by quickly

I've also got a blanket started. It's going to be for me and chico, it's pink and grey, and i'm about 20 squares in (of 100)

and also a secret project.... i've knit it before. are you clever enough to figure out what it is?

The product...

2007-08-28T11:53:00.000-07:00

*warning* this post contains opinions and was written in stream of conscience form. read at your own risk.

There are two types of knitters in the world: product and process. There are shades of grey in everyone, but when it boils down to it, there are only two. I've found myself in the first category. I knit things because i want them. I don't look at something and think "oh, i wanna knit that." i see it and say "oh, i need that!" and then a few days (or weeks, sometimes months, i know some of you have reached years) i have it in my hot little hands. I am a process knitter when it comes to mittens. I think it's because they're why i started knitting. I used to think that process knitters just did it to knit. They didn't really care what they had when it was finished so long as they were knitting. I recently learned that this is not true. Grumperina said that she was no longer going to knit sweaters. I was a little sad because the stuff she comes up with is always perfect. It turns out that process knitters get bored! Some process knitters don't like knitting sweaters! I thought that process knitters were the sweaters knitters because sweaters have a lot of process involved. I guess it's up to us product girls (and guys) to knit the sweaters. I can see it. In the sweater process, unless it's intricate, it's miles of stockinette (if you were to knit a large sweater, you really could knit a mile of stockinette. isn't that cool to think? knitting a mile...) it's just something to think about

Green With...

2007-08-26T22:16:00.000-07:00

...Envy. I think it's appropriate that my current 'main' project is green. I'm so jealous of all the people on ravelry!!! I keep thinking that i'm so far on the list (there are 2466 people ahead of me at this very moment) that ravelry will be open to everyone before i get invited in. They invite so few people a day. How did everyone hear about this before me? I feel like sitting in a corner and pouting...

What I've learned

2007-08-25T22:17:00.000-07:00

I've been such a bad blogger. I've made so many posts but have left them as drafts because i'm too lazy about pictures. I think i'd be better at it if i wasn't over here suffering with dial up because my dad (i'm a young knitter, here) is under the impression that dsl is so expensive he's going to have to sell his kidney to get it.

So what' i've been up to has been sporadic. After giving all (and i mean all.) my attention to wheat ear for about 10 days, it's mayhem. So far I've knit a pair of gloves, have a fair isle mitten OTN, a new sweater, a crochet blanket that's going to be 100 squares of scrap yarn (i know that there will not be enough, but i keep on truckin' anyway), i have wheat ear un-seamed and half unraveled, and a whole bunch of other projects in mind. Like some socks. And i'm also getting a ball winder and swift for my birthday. And i'm getting a work project soon. Once i get that, it's back to project monagomy.

a bitter-sweet moment

2007-08-18T22:45:00.000-07:00

well, mostly bitter. i finished my sweater. it's way too big. i'm thinking of ripping back to the ribbing and finishing up the decreases to the 140 in the pattern. but i really don't want to since it won't fit anywhere. I think my mistake was knitting the medium size. i thought the sweater was supposed to have 2 inches of negative ease everywhere, but since i'm a little busty but i have a narrow waist (38" bust, 33" waist) so the bust had 2" of negative ease, but the waist have about 5".

There will be no picture because i'm mad at the sweater.

Up next i'm going to knit the minimalist cardigan in the fall IWK. i'm going to again use cascade but i'm going to use green. I've noticed that i have a problem with pink. Expect to be seeing pictures and a KAL button soon.

Also, i'm knitting some more Ken Gloves!!! I'm knitting another pair for chico. This is such a clever pattern! I love the increase for the thumb gusset, i think i'm going to work it into my next design.

So close.... and yet so far

2007-08-16T10:28:00.000-07:00

I'm onto the yoke of the sweater!!!! Looking back, i probably should have done this completely in the round, but this is my first sweater and i wanted to seam it to see if i could. The seams look amazing. i did an invisible seam. it is the only way i will seam from now on. One thing that i have noticed is that i will have to do about 18 cabled rounds before the yoke is long enough. i've done seven. luckily every 4 rounds the st. count is decreased by 8. but still. that's a lot of sts.

Project monogamy is starting to get to me. It's been over a week since i started and i haven't touched anything else. I felt like i was cheating if i opened a book! But i have so many projects in mind now.

Projects My Cheatin' Heart Has Been Flirting With:

A Raspberry Beret, inspired by the Prince Song, in various colors including Romantic Raspberry, Cool Green, and Sophisticated Black
Swedish Mittens of my own design in hand dyed wool
Swedish Mittens of a pattern i've had in 'Sour Apple' green and the pink from the cabled mittens
Entrelac Hat in Cashsoft DK (be still, my beating heart)
The sweater i saw and fell in love with when i was winding the balls for the Wheat Ear sweater....

That and i owe my chico some gloves and i need to start working on christmas stuff!!!!!!! I think i'll have enough left over from my sweater to knit my cousin a sophie bag.

Getting close

2007-08-13T20:33:00.000-07:00

I'm onto the right sleeve!!!! This is exciting! i started the sweater almost a week ago and it's nearly done!!!!!

here's a little peak.

i have the front, left sleeve, and back OTN right now. I want to stay up late to finish the right sleeve and do the yoke tomorrow. i'm excited!!!! my own concern right now is seaming. i want to seam it before i do the yoke, but i can't really block it on the circs. i know that i'm going to do an invisible seam but shirley temple only WISHES her hair was as curly as my sweater. I think that i'm going to put all the pieces on seperate needles or yarn and the block and seam.

Checking in

2007-08-12T20:46:00.000-07:00

I'm done with the front and the back and i've started one of the sleeves. I started knitting the sleeves at the same time... but i got bored and switched. This sweater is going by quickly and i hope to have it done by the end of the week! I'm amazed. My first sweater and i'm almost done and it hasn't even been a week. I was so nervous to start one because it would take me months to finish! it hasn't even been a week and i'm onto the sleeves!!! I quite like this sweater thing...

BIG mistake (well not really, just letting the drama queen out)

2007-08-10T10:44:00.000-07:00

So I totally jinxed myself with the sweater. While knitting it, i thought to myself "wouldn't it be cool if i could knit this sweater without ripping back once? i think that'll be sweet!" yea well...

I was so used to doing m1 inc. for the waist shaping and now that i've started the front it's back to k2togs... I did a make one instead of a k2tog!!!

I've tried to fix my mistake by dropping the three sts. in question (the m1 and the 2 that were supposed to be decreased) and fixing them to how they're supposed to be. it looks like this:

Craptastic.

Maybe it'll block out, i doubt it

This is the second thing i tried

I ripped back the stitches i just 'fixed' brought them both up to the current row, did a k2tog and then an ssk. it looks like this

much more likely to block out.

I think that since the back and the front are exactly the same, i might use this as the back. BUT there was a misbehaving cable on the back and i tried fixing it but it's still not completely fixed. I'm so glad i didn't rip back about 1000 sts.

Now i'm off to knit the rest.

Happy Birthday to me and EZ!

2007-08-09T22:34:00.000-07:00

It was my birthday on thursday!!!! It was a good day, started with knitting, ended with knitting. My kind of birthday. And it was also Elizabeth Zimmerman's (Wikipedia says the 9th, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee says the 10th. I'm going with the 9th for my reasons.) I take it as a sign that i shall be and stay a knitter for a looong time. I got a lot of knitting done.

See how far i've gotten?

The real life color is lighter, this wasn't taken in natural light.

and this much.

Did i fool you?

this sweater thing is going pretty quickly. but then again i knit all. day. long. (bet you wish you could be me).

i want to have the front done by either tomorrow or saturday. wish me luck!!!!

Now go treat yourself to a cupcake in my honor.

P.S. I feel a little bit more connected to EZ because we both knit continental and a while ago i had to wonder when the last time i cast off was because i was mostly doing projects on DPN's. That and she lived in Wisconsin. I live in Minnesota. Small World.

The Plunge

2007-08-08T09:29:00.000-07:00

I took it. I cast on for my very first sweater last night. It's not a baby sweater or a children's sweater, either. My first sweater is a full sized adult sweater. Complete with a yoke and lots o' cables. I'm so looking forward to it.

Here she is!

Not much, but it's mine.

Also, Mittens!!!!!

Free Pattern Alert!!!

Easy Peasy Mitten with After Thought Thumb

What you need: One Skein Cascade 220, 5 size 7 double pointed needles, length of similiar weight yarn (mercerized cotton recomended) Tapestry needle

Gauge 4.5stsX6rows for 1 inch. unblocked (blocking your swatch is recommended. just do it.)

CO 36 sts. and join (9sts. on each needle)

Mitten, Make 2:

k2p2 rib for 15 rows

*k8 inc1* rep 3 more times

k for about 2 1/2 inches

After thought thumb:

Needle 1

k2 k6 with small length of yarn, slip the six just knit back onto left hand needle and knit with MC again. k2

k rest of round

K all rnds until the mitten covers up your pinky (test this out by putting the mitten on where you would wear it normally.)

Dec. Rnds:

Rnd 1: *k8 k2tog* rep 3 times (36sts.)

Rnd 2: K

Rnd 3: *k7 k2tog* rep 3 (32sts.)

Rnd 4: k

rnd 5: *k6 k2tog* rep 3 times (28sts.)

rnd 6: k

Rnd 7: *k5 k2tog* rep 3 times (24sts.)

rnd 8: *k4 k2tog* rep 3 times (20sts.)

rnd 9: *k3 k2tog* rep 3times (16sts.)

rnd 10: *k2 k2tog* rep 3 times (12sts.)

rnd 11: *k1 k2tog* rep 3 times (8sts.)

rnd 12: *k2tog* (4sts.)

Break yarn leaving a good sized tail and draw through remaining stitches.

After Thought Thumb:

Pull out the length of yarn. There should be 6 sts. on the bottom and 5 sts. on top. Put the top 5 on one DPN and 3 sts. of bottom stitches on 2 seperate needles. started with the left needle on the bottom sts., k3, pick up and k 2 sts., k5, pick up and knit 2 sts., k 3. K all rnds until you can put the mitten on the the thumb part covers your thumb

k2tog all sts. to last 3 sts. k3tog. break yarn leaving long tail and draw through rem. sts.

weave in all ends and snug up any holes. block. wear with pride

P.S. this hasn't been proof read or test knit, proceed with caution!

back

2007-08-06T09:36:00.000-07:00

So after being shaken by the bridge collapse (it turns out chico was on the bridge about 15 minutes before the collapse. scary stuff) i went away for the weekend. I went with chico and his family to the dells. It rained. But we went on the roller coasters that night anyway. I got some knitting done!

Finished: Mittens (No picture now, they're blocking and need their ends woven in)
Pattern: My own, really simple.
Yarn: Cascade 220
Start: Thursday, August 2nd
Finish: Sunday, August 5th
Thoughts? This pattern is an old stand by. I started it while waiting for my boss at the yarn store. I bought a set of needles and some yarn, did a swatch, and got going. I absolutely LOVE the needles i used for this. I bought a set of Brittany birch needles. Wow. The whole time i was knitting them i said to my chico "FEEL these needles!!! they're so light, yet sturdy! And look, NO LADDERS!!!!" He wasn't as enthusiastic as i was.
I also did a simple scarf out of Moda Dea Ticker Tape. I've wanted to try the yarn forever, but seeing as it was about 7 dollars for one little 67 yard ball, and it was something from Joann fabrics, i just couldn't buy it. But i saw it for 97 cents a ball and i bought 2!

Another project is a Fiber Trends Squirrel. Right now it's the shape of a peanut, but it's going to turn out so cute!

Remember the yarn next to my harry potter book? It's 4 inches of a hat right now. I want to finish it before i start any new projects, and seeing as i recently bought yarn like it was going out of style, and thoughts of a sweater dancing around in my head, it'll be done and sent of to some one in need soon.

Tragedy at home

2007-08-02T12:35:00.001-07:00

As some of you already know, a major bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota Collapsed yesterday at around 6 PM. I live in a suburb of the Twin Cities and many of my family members and friends drive that bridge daily. My boyfriend was on the bridge not an hour before it's collapse. It seems right now that no one close to me was on the bridge at the time it collapsed, and i feel extremely lucky. This catastrophe is very real to me, seeing as it took place about 40 minutes from my home, and anyone i know could've been involved. I'm asking you, as a Minnesotan knitter, to help out in anyway you can. Even if you are no where near here, help out in other ways. Don't forget one charity or cause for another. If you can't help out here, help out in your own neighborhood. Knit hats for premies, give blood, donate money. There are still other tragedies that won't go away just because a new one has sprung up.

Thanks for your time. Keep Minneapolis in your heart.

What IS it?

2007-07-30T20:47:00.000-07:00

It is the B-4 Bag. I'm knitting it for work. I would not recomend SWTC's karoke for knitting it... the yarn rips easily, the color repeats are not even... it's just frustrating to knit well with. I'm on a bead row but i can't find my F crochet hook. luckily i've found that twisting the stitch between my fingers makes it easy to put the bead on. I'm using glass pony beads. I'm knitting this for work, so i won't get to felt it myself, but the job has a felting machine.

also, i finished the socks!!! i had a job last week that i could just knit away at it, and i finished it! it went from about 7 rows of ribbing to a finished socks in 5 days! wow! my first pair of socks took months, and so did the second. turns out that KNITTING THE PROJECT makes it go FASTER! who could have thunkit?

Finished: Self Striping Socks

Yarn: Clown Sock Yarn (it was a gift i got for christmas 2 years ago... the label is long gone. but it's sweet.)

Pattern: A variation of the Yarn Harlot's

Started: A couple of weeks ago... You'd have to check

Finished: July 27th

Thoughts?: Harlot says stop 3 inches before you've reached the length of your foot for the toe... I think i agree more with Grumperina when she says stop 2 inches less than the length of your foot for the toe. I also think i want to add another inch to my length (i have size ten feet. they're about 11 inches long. I made my foot 7 inches long (1 inch negative ease) so then the foot is only 9 inches. next pair of socks: 9 inch foot, then toe.)

I also went here over the weekened and got some lurvely treats. i bought some malabrigo worsted weight yarn which i'm using to do a variation of the basic cable from stitch and bitch nation. It's deliciously soft. I was tempting to buy the lace weight malabrigo. i don't knit lace. i. want. it. (who's got a birthday coming up? oh yea... ME!) and some plymouth encore dk to knit these. I just need to find my threes and maybe get another pack of size 4 needles. Finally i got some Nashua superwash in a grey for gloves for my chico. He felted his last pair and i want him to be warm and stylin' (but not too stylin', still masculine) well now i'm off to dream about malabrigo.... so soft

Expecto Knitronus!!!

2007-07-24T08:23:00.000-07:00

I don't want to spoil the book for anyone, but i just want to say that i didn't really like the last harry potter book. J.K. Rowling seemed to just draw stuff out (i think for length) and the last battle was very very anti climactic... i was disappointed.

But in knitting news, i finished the big surprise (lots of st. st. ...) and i started the hat with the yarn i showed you. it's for the Charmed Knits KAL. I feel bad because it has no wool in it, but i know it'll keep some one a little warm. I'm also glad i found the yarn because it's the University of Minnesota's colors... and i want to go there. Also, i'm getting back to my sock! i finished the first AGES ago and started the second but i got distracted.

(there was a picture... the computer ate it. i'll find it for the next post)

Busy...

2007-07-22T09:41:00.000-07:00

...reading

No tengo los batteries

2007-07-12T14:11:00.000-07:00

do you like my spanglish? i hope so, because i feel awful for not having any batteries in my camera and being too cheap to buy any new ones (yarn stores should start carrying batteries. there are so many knit bloggers, they could make a fortune) but i've made a TON of progress on my socks. i didn't think i was a sock knitter. apparently i'm not a sock knitter for other people. the socks look really good, i'm about half an inch away from the toe shaping on the first sock (!!!) and i hope to finish it later today (famous last words...) and then start on the second! i'm so excited!!!!

also, the hat tuturial requires pictures, so it will be up soon, i hope...

Super Secret

2007-07-08T21:04:00.000-07:00

The stuff that i'm knitting right now (aside from the sock, picture a long tube that's scrunched up at the top) i can't take pictures of. Sorry i had to remove the Chico Pattern, but i think to replace it i'm going to put in a little tutorial on how to design your own hat. I think that my news years resolution for this year (i'm planning a little early so it might be a birthday resolution) is to knit a sweater and instead of looking for a pattern to design everything. It'll be a great learning experience (there'll be a few exceptions. i <3 knitty, for one and there are somethings i don't quite have down to a science yet.) I think another resolution is to knit more gauge swatches. I'm doing better with only buying yarn that has some natural fiber in it. no 100% acrylic has entered my house.

sorry for the ramble, i promise pictures soon!!!!

Fin

2007-07-02T10:11:00.000-07:00

I actually finished these quite awhile ago... i think maybe like a week or so?

Simple Socks

Pattern: Yarn Harlot's sock recipe, slightly modified
Yarn: Cascade Fixation (1 ball!!!!!!!)
Modifications: I didn't knit a leg, i just did a few rows of ribbing and then went right to the heel
Start: Some time in march?
Finish: June 21st

This was my second pair of socks, the first i gave to my grandma!!! i really like them, i think i'm going to do some socks again sometime soon (what's that lassie, you say there's already some wool on my size one DPN's? it's italian you say? and self striping?)

another finish, three dishcloths a la ann and kay. sorry, no pictures i already gave them away, but i knit 2 ballbands and a ninepatch. i quite like the nine patch. it uses very little yarn, but i've had to rip out quite a few mitered corners...

And the time has come to discuss christmas knitting. first i want to decide who gets what, what i'm going to knit it out of, and how i'm going to pay for it...

my chico: a maroon and gold blanket, crocheted
sister: a hat, knit out of acrylic (she loses stuff easy), but ornate
mom: this
chico's mom: cabled mittens in some fuzzy, white wool. maybe a simple wool with a fuzzy lace weight to add a bit of a haze...ooo.
chico's sister: the basic cable from stitch and bitch in a red wool
grandma: that's a tough one. i should crochet her a blanket because i made one for my other grandma. i'll have to tell that story another day
cousin k: i'm going to knit her a sophie bag in cascade 220 quatro in a yellow color. she's the one who moved out to AZ. i might knit her a hat, too
cousin c: last christmas i tried to knit the alligator mittens for her from stitch 'n bitch but they came out huge and i had to give them to an eccentric friend. i'm going to give them another try. that along with maybe a basic cable hat (i <3 that hat)
aunty S: maybe some jaywalkers?
aunty N: she's a knitter, so i'm getting her Knitting Rules! by this lovely lady and maybe some trekking xxl or another sock yarn and some #1 (u.s.) DPN's. louet gems maybe? ooo.

me? what do i want for christmas? oh, a few things...

Where are the batteries!!!!

2007-06-25T08:50:00.000-07:00

My camera has died. i kind of want a new one.

But on the knitting front, there is much to share

i knit and finished a hat (but gave it away already, so no pictures, sorry!!!!)

here's the pattern:

EDIT: I have decided to remove the pattern for reasons. If you really want your own, designing hats is easy peasy, take a crack at it!
-Becky

there are probably going to be some questions about the hat, if anyone finds any problems with the pattern, let me know. i just knit a swatch and did the math and viola! a hat! it took me an evening and part of the following morning to knit this hat. it's really simple and I'm thinking for v 2.o i might add cables. i love cabled hats.

have a question? check here first:

what kind of yarn is Patons decor?
Patons Decor is a wool/acrylic blend that i bought kind of cheap at Joann fabric (i couldn't make it to the LYS and i had a 40% off coupon). The yarn incredibly soft and is just as soft knitted up, but i found it a little itchy against my forehead, but my head has always been a little sensitive to wool. It's a chunky yarn and for mine i used a dark grey color, but the stitches were hard to see in the swatch. If i were to design a hat again with the yarn, i might use a lighter color.

if it's a chunky yarn why did you use size 8's?
I knit this hat for my boyfriend who is going off to college and won't be having a car. He's going to the university of Minnesota, and living here and knowing the weather, it gets cold. I wanted the hat to have a tight gauge so it would trap heat and keep out the cold wind. i don't want my boy freezing to death!

Can i substitute yarn?
of course! i used big box craft store yarn because I'm young, poor, and didn't want my boyfriend to accidentally felt something again (yes, i still love him! wool accidents happen to everyone). I've only knit this hat once with the one yarn, but other chunky yarns that knit up to a similar gauge would work fine! one thing that held me back as a beginner was the thought that a pattern could only be knit with the yarn specified!!! i was a little shocked when people substituted. now i rarely use the yarn called for!

What a great pattern! Can I publish this on my site/sell hats from this pattern at craft shows/claim it as my own?
I'd rather you not. I designed Chico in about 30 minutes. I made a small swatch, took my gauge, and then multiplied the number of stitches per in by the number of inches i wanted my hat. Designing your own stuff is really easy, try it!

enough about the hat, what else are you up to?
good question! right now i have a Ball Band Dishrag in my lap on the needles. my cousin and future cousin in law are moving out of state and i wanted to do something for her before she left. what else could a 20-something moving to a new apartment out of state use? wash cloths! I'm going to try to knit her 2 ball bands and a 9 patch out of just 2 balls of sugar n' cream yarn (super size, yo!) and then go on from there.

also, i finished the socks!!! i had a bout of insomnia one night and just finished them!!! who knew that i could do it!!!! i want to get some koigu and make jaywalkers next. i love Grumperina's blog so much, she's such a perfectionist, so her pattern must be spotless!!!

up next: planning for christmas (in almost july)

Finished, and a sock and a half

2007-06-20T10:44:00.000-07:00

Finished

Pattern: Ken Gloves

Started: Umm...

Finished: June 19th

Modifications: Yarn, i used Caron Soft and Brite (they are bright) in i rubine red

Thoughts: I love this pattern. I've done it once before and i'm pretty sure that i'm going to do it again. The boy accidentally felted his 100% wool gloves. True, they are really warm now, but they're too small for me even!

In other news, the second sock is coming along great!!!

I'm actually a little farther than what the picture shows. Three inches until toe shaping!!!

I think the next socks i'm going to make are going to have cables to keep things interesting

An update: Slacker Style

2007-06-18T10:37:00.000-07:00

Here's what i've got goin'

Going clockwise from the 12 o'clock position: The gloves. I really like the pattern, i've just gotten project ADD. I think i'll be able to finish these today! (how many times have i said that?)

3 o'clock: Thrummed mittens. I believe this is their debut. They're kind of large... i'm going to finish this one and see where it takes me.

9 o'clock: Little Pink Shocks. I finished the first one!!! i took an inch off the length of my foot because i'm using cascade fixation. i really like it and as you can see, i've cast on for the second.

Middle: The Nine Patch. It was fun, my first project with miters!!! I would probably make one again, as soon as i forget how many mitered corners i had to unravel. Shortly after i took this picture i added a crocheted boarder and i think it really makes it look nice. if you don't already know how, learn to crochet. it can make your knitting so much better!

Ressurection....

2007-06-15T11:39:00.000-07:00

...a sock

i actually started this ages and ages ago but recently dug it up. it's a modification of The Yarn Harlot's sock recipe. instead of doing a long cuff and a leg, i just did five rows of ribbing, a plain round, and then went into the heel flap.

I'm also working on these. These are amazing gloves, i think the thumb is so clever! I'm onto the thumb on the second one. My one complaint is that i'm using a different yarn than specified and it's really slippery on the fingers and thumbs. My goal is to finish these today so maybe a write up tomorrow?

and possibly a stash enhancement picture?

What've i been up to?

2007-06-12T11:43:00.000-07:00

Oh, nothing really...

i finished the cabled mittens

They're in need of a severe blocking, though.

I made a few simple accessories

also, although i can't post any pictures, i did a few rounds on the thrummed mittens (which i'm thinking of ripping out, sadly), i'm almost done with the first glove, i made a sweet little crocheted dodo, and i've got a few ideas for a sweater. my first!

I'm back...

2007-06-10T08:41:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile.

Hiatus... Sigh

2007-06-08T22:28:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true. I cannot find my digital camera to save the life of me, and i know some people only read blogs for the pictures, and i myself have pictureless blogs. So, i am putting the blog on hiatus until i find the camera. I will keep knitting and keep pictures of everything i've done, but until then.... i'm sorry. please come back, once i find it the posts will be plentiful and full of pictures. here are some things to look forward to

cabled mittens
gloves
thrummed mittens
various designs
maybe some patterns?

it'll be all around fun.

see you all later!

To Do List...

2007-06-03T08:43:00.000-07:00

1. Find this http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/sr=1-13/qid=1180885914/ref=sr_1_13/601-3637556-6639307?ie=UTF8&asin=B000CDA7US
2. Finish these: http://www.berroco.com/exclusives/ken/ken.html
3. Finish the thrummed mittens... poor forgotten soul
4. Knit more for work
5. Find out about the new project spectrum colors
6. Get on Christmas knitting (if you're new to knitting, these may seem blasphemous until december 23rd)
7. Buy sun screen and touch of sun so i can sit outside and knit. Why not knit, get a tan, and get cheap highlights?
8. Do homework.
9. Go to zillions of graduation parties
10. Start to enjoy summer by hoping for the new knitty. i love knitty.

Where'd that camera go?

2007-05-23T12:48:00.000-07:00

I'm really sorry i can't find the camera, i know a lot of people just look at pictures on blogs...

i've been working on a few things for the job (which never calls and i never get money for...) and i've got more ideas. i think i almost have the beginner projects done for awhile, and maybe a few advanced beginner projects. so far for beginners i've got a swatch, a simple garter stitch wash cloth, a ribbed scarf, and i'm going to design a hat. for the stockinette stitch project i decided on a hat. they can handle simple shaping and seaming. i believe in them. i think for the advanced beginners i'm going to start them with shaping and stockinette for those not familiar with it with either a ribbed hat or a simple stockinette hat. and then mittens, maybe some pattern reading. i think with my group i'll have to assign homework (nothing like do 35 inches in garter stitch... in one color. unless they want to make a short simple scarf) i have no clue what to do for intermediate. the line between intermediate and advanced is a very fine one. my idea is that if you can read a pattern you can do anything. i'd also really like the advanced group to be more of a KAL. i hope the ladies at the store want to go along with my ideas. they're more focused on the business aspect, i'm really focusing on the projects now, and getting the sample patterns knit up, considering i have to knit everything twice, maybe even three times...

in other news: projects!!! the cabled mittens turned out BEAUTIFULLY... that is until i reached the grafting. i hate it when designers use grafting in a pattern because everything turns out square. i do not have square hands. i think when i make these mittens again i'll use my own shaping. grafting is for socks that are going to be heavily blocked and worn...

progress on the thrummed mittens is... slow. but then again i won't need them for quite awhile.

the second ribbed scarf has come to a screeeeeching halt. i cannot find the other needle. any one seen a pink plastic size 13 needle?

i got some cream colored yarn that i hope to use to design a simple hat. part of me wants to whip out the circs but the other part knows that it's for beginners... i'm planning on using knitting in the round for intermediates... maybe advanced beginners

i also need to design another pair of mittens and maybe some fair isle wrist warmers? i already have a pattern for that, i just need to knit a pair with the fair isle i designed (i'm going to design everything for my 'class' because i don't want to deal with copyright laws and all that junk...)

well now i'm just rambling...

i'm off to look for my camera

Alas, still no camera

2007-05-19T09:50:00.001-07:00

My camera is still MIA so you'll have to do with out for awhile... sorry. Well, i've been doing a lot for the job lately, i'm working on the beginner stuff. Right now i've got a swatch, a garter stitch washcloth and a ribbed scarf. What else should i do? I still need a stockinette stitch project and i thought "coaster" but what teenager wants a coaster? I can't do anything in the round because it's a beginner course thing... can't do a hat because it's got shaping... i'll just have to reference my books. In other news, i've gotten farther on my thrummed mittens. They're looking very good, and i'm past the thumb! my one problem: they look huge. so huge they're almost yuge... But i suppose that's for the thrums. Another thing: i think i've got startitis.... i just want to start a new pair of mittens!!!! what's a girl to do... start a crochet project???

it's also hard to find out what to do with all my little balls of scrap yarn. i'm thinking striped hat? striped mittens? the ribbed scarf used up a whole ball of yarn i didn't really like. i like the finished product, though. i think i might use the other ball i have to make a pair of mittens to match for the intermediate group.

New projects!

2007-05-16T18:56:00.000-07:00

I'm a good chunk into the first thrummed mitten. I think i'm going to take my liberties with the pattern. almost 5 inches until the thumb?! nuh uh. i would take a picture... but alas, no camera. I was also thinking about my classes and what to have them knit. i think i've got it down. But what to do for the beginner stockinette project? not a hat, too soon for increases and decreases... i'll find something

back to the thrummed mittens: they look interesting... very interesting...

I have some vacation coming up followed by a very big vacation with a boyfriend who has a full time job...

bring on the knitting

Fin ( a two for one kind of a day)

2007-05-12T11:55:00.000-07:00

Yes, two for one. I finished the butterfly discloth in time for mother's day with time to spare. and i started and finished a crocheted hat yesterday

zee butterfly, shee eez fineeshed!

Butterfly Dish Cloth

Free pattern from the knitlist http://www.knitlist.com

Materials: Lily's Sugar and cream

Modifications: needles (it called for 7's. i preferre 8's)

Inteded recipient: my mom

uh oh, another quick crochet project that snuck up on me...

"boy beanie" from stitch and bitch 'happy hooker'

Materials: All red heart (i'm trying to get rid of all the plastic stuff...)

Modifications: I only loosely followed the pattern.

Start date: May 11 around 3-ish

Finish: May 11 around 6-ish

i'm in love with the flower. I'm also done with all my project spectrum projects for this part of the CAL (craft along!!!)

To go along with the hat i'm thinking of knitting some mittens and then giving this as a christmas present. one can never start too early. I thought i had a jump on it last year. i was wrong. so wrong.

Today was also the Shepherd's Harvest on the fair grounds and i went with my mom. It was pretty cool, i saw parts of a sheep shearing demonstration but left because people kept standing in front of me. The food smelled pretty good but i didn't eat any because it was really expensive.

I did buy yarn. I got one skein of a very soft wool with the color name of 'sour apple' it's a very, very, very bright green, but you've probably noticed already that i like bright colors.

The other yarn i bought was a very pretty pink from a new line called 'shepherd's wool' http://www.stonehedgefibermill.com from those lovely people. It's very soft. Incredibly soft.

I also bought some roving that i intend to make thrummed mittens with. I've been wanting to make them for a long time, but never could find roving.

Flutter by, butterfly

2007-05-08T12:53:00.000-07:00

The butterfly lace cloth is just flying by (hehe)... right now i'm on the 8 repeat of butterflies of 12, so i should finish either later today or tomorrow and then i'll be able to start on another one. This is a really simple lace pattern. 2 repeats is only 4 rows. wow. well, here she is

want a closer look?

See the butterfly?

the most frustrating thing is that i keep screwing up at the BEGINNING of the rows, and since this is a gift and lace, i have to rip back and fix it!!!! grrr!

but it's a score for me because

1) i'm using up yarn that i have

2) it's another project spectrum color (i still need yellow!!!!)

3) i'm learning more lace!!!!

I should probably check up on when the next phase of project spectrum starts... i think the next set has metallics in there. how is one going to find metallic yarn? (a metallic bead purse project??? i could make a cool bag with black yarn and metallic pony beads (lack of money, woe is me!!!)) i can see it now....

for the other wash cloth i'm thinking a multi colored ball band warsh rag... i don't want to buy more yarn, but it gets harder and harder every day not to...

do needles count?

Finished (quick, i know!!!)

2007-05-06T10:04:00.000-07:00

Finished: Fingerless Gloves

Pattern: Fingerless Gloves by Laurie-Ann Schultz www.soysilk.com

Yarn SWTC Karoke (i used almost the whole skein!!! If you like having things that look similiar, use two balls and start from the same repeat)

Modifications: There were some problems with the pattern, like the hands were reversed and it was written kind of funny... but other than that i did it like i was supposed to.

I don't really like how they're basically two different mittens, but i was just doing them for work (!!!) and just did as i was told. I'll offer to knit another pair so that there will be two matching pairs instead of one mismatched pair. I really like the right hand one, though.

For mother's day, i've decided to knit my mom, grandmas, and aunt wash clothes!!! i know i'm cutting it close seeing that mothers day is in a week and i have about 7 ladies to knit for... but i can do it!! i might have to crochet some... 8 if i knit one for my boyfriend's.... what's a girl to do...

Right now i'm working on the 'Butterfly Lace Dish Cloth' from the knit list. I really hope that i have it finished by this evening....

Finished!

2007-05-05T16:36:00.000-07:00

The cable purse. I finished it this morning. It sat on my floor for quite a bit because i had a bunch of other stuff going on and i just didn't feel like finishing it, but i came home last night from spider man (it was pretty good. the american flag part was unnecessary...) and was still very awake so i just finished it up. lining and all. so here she is.

Cabled Purse

My own Design

Materials: Red Heart super saver and 2 quilter fabric things...

Alterations: none, it was my pattern

It's already gotten some you. Today me and the boyfriend went to Cinco de Mayo in west Saint Paul.

It was very crowded. And rained. So we went to Boca Chica while the rain was at its worst, and of course once we got home the rain stopped. All in all it was a fun day.

In other news, one soysilk fingerless glove is done!!! The pattern is written strangely and the right and left hand directions are reversed. I'm sure that once they're blocked they'll look great, but right now they're kind of gangly. One left!!! i hope i can finish it tonight

Also, mother's day is in a week or so, so i think i'll start a secret project ....shh

I got the Job!!!!

2007-05-01T17:30:00.000-07:00

So this job i've been going on about this whole time, I got it!!! Barb was almost overwhelmed by all my stuff and i don't know exactly what my job title is, but it's something along the lines of 'teen knitting club consultant' (that probably gives a little hint to my age) So i'm basically going to be a teacher! I'm really glad i got a teaching job because it'll give me a chance to try it out and see if i could really do it. I'm also getting paid to knit samples. My first project (which i'm NOT going to screw up) is a pair of fingerless gloves. amazing. with 50/50 soy silk and wool. wow. (they're paying me, did i say that!)

In other news: the carrot bag is Finished!!! i'll report on that tomorrow, though

Finished

2007-04-30T18:33:00.000-07:00

Yep. I always thought that i was a faster knitter than i was a crocheter. This would have taken me about a week to knit.

Finished
Springtime clutch http://cache.lionbrand.com/patterns/60030.html

Started April 29
Finished April 30 (another quick one)
Materials: Patons Astra (light pink) Red Heart Sport (dark pink and white) Some DK weight... I think it might have been rowan? (green)
Modifications: Yarn

I really liked this little purse. I knit it because i needed something more for my interview (i really hope i get the job but i know i might not!) that was more compicated and crocheted. I have a lot of knitting, but not a lot of crochet ( i swear i knit more).
Crochet this clutch!!!!

*pssst* while typing up this post i replaced the light pink bobble

New projects!

2007-04-30T13:14:00.000-07:00

Because of the job interview, i decided i didn't have enough complicated crochet, thus the hat, and now i've started a little clutch from lion brand that says it's 'intermediate advanced' (i don't think any free sites ever put 'advanced' as a rating, they just want people to buy their yarn, and lots of it...) but so far it's pretty easy, but I am also only on the long rectangle. I should probably mention that contrary to the blogs title, i do crochet! And since i have only done a long pink rectangle, i won't post a picture until i get some lace done (and seeing that crochet goes by quick quick quick, that'll probably be tomorrow, after the interview.)

Because the clutch will be pink, i think i'll join project spectrum and count it for that project. But considering that The others colors are orange and yellow ( i don't really remember to correct me if i'm wrong) i'll still make something for those ('carrot purse' any one? maybe a nice yellow cotton something or other? some one said something to me about cotton the other day... so much yarn, so little time...)
well this is taking away from my valuable crochet time...

in other news, i still need to do another strap for the 'carrot' purse. I did the first one using the cabling with out a cable needle method (it's sweet) and i just need to do a three needle bind off with the other side of the first strap and then i'll start on the other. i think that i'll have just enough yarn to finish the purse.

Finished

2007-04-29T09:01:00.001-07:00

No, I did not finish the massive orange bag. I finished a crocheted hat. Didn't even have time to blog about it it went so fast.

http://www.crochetme.com/the-professional

'The professional' By Emily Nelson

Started April 29th (around midight) Finished April 29th (a little bit before 2)

Materials Red heart super saver in a gray color (i'm trying to use up all the cheap stuff i have...)

Stuff I changed I added two rows of shells instead of just having four... not such big fan of skull caps...

I did this up for the job interview (they called!!!) I decided that i didn't have enough crocheted stuff and i had seen this hat before and thought 'hey, i can do that'

i don't crochet much and it's one of the best things i've crocheted (the blankets don't count, those are simple repeats of the same thing over and over)

I might do a few sample blocks or something just to show that i know what i'm doing and what not.

The woes of the provisional cast-on

2007-04-28T10:17:00.000-07:00

My current project right now is a purse that I really don't want to weave in the ends for. So instead of doing that i've decided to pick up stitches at the bottom and do a three needle bind off where i can. I've decided too late that i should have done a provisional cast-on. I do not know how to do one of those. I think in version 2.0 of the bag, i'll add that. The bag is fairly simple, a different version of my typical bag. I'll get a pattern out once i can figure out how to write it...

In other news, I'm feeling like designing some fair isle. I've dabbled before, but one i finish the bag i think that i'm actually going to try out the pattern. I also think i need to go on a yarn buying hiatus. I know i have some ways to go before i have an actual stash, right now mine could probably be added to some of yours and you wouldn't even know. Also, having only been knitting for about 3 years and being young and not having a lot of money to blow on nice yarns, my stuff is mostly from joann fabric, or left overs from single balls of basic yarn. I did apply for a job at a yarn shop and if (that's a big if, i applied over a week ago and no call yet, I even went in again to see what was up!) i do work there, the yarn diet is possibly off... How can i work there and make money only to be surrounded by stuff that i want, need, have to have! so as of today i won't buy yarn until i have saved up enough money that i deem necessary. I have never, ever saved money in my life. What am i going to do with that money? I'm going to buy something worth while... I think of something expensive that i want.

Princess Knits

My finger hurts!

It was a good yarn day

Finito

Socks: 365

To Do List...

When the going gets tough, the tough knit complicated cable charts and fair isle

Unfortunate news.

Where'd I go?

Just a quick update!

Shepherd's Harvest!

Hey, look! Something sparkly!

May...

Are you serious?

Baby got back

When did that happen?

Hey, what ever happened to that budget you had going on?

So... what next?

Hey Harlot!

April Showers Bring May Flowers...

Oh, Barnes and Noble... I thought you loved me!

How could I ever forget NatCroMo?

After a Long Hiatus

Finished

Ravelry

Nothin' but a copycat...

keep on truckin'

The product...

Green With...

What I've learned

a bitter-sweet moment

So close.... and yet so far

Getting close

Checking in

BIG mistake (well not really, just letting the drama queen out)

Happy Birthday to me and EZ!

The Plunge

back

Tragedy at home

What IS it?

Expecto Knitronus!!!

Busy...

No tengo los batteries

Super Secret

Fin

Where are the batteries!!!!

Finished, and a sock and a half

An update: Slacker Style

Ressurection....

What've i been up to?

I'm back...

Hiatus... *Sigh*

To Do List...

Where'd that camera go?

Alas, still no camera

New projects!

Fin ( a two for one kind of a day)

Flutter by, butterfly

Finished (quick, i know!!!)

Finished!

I got the Job!!!!

Finished

New projects!

Finished

The woes of the provisional cast-on

Hiatus... Sigh