Catching Up...

Here are a few of the projects I've recently finished...

Backstory

Pattern: wham bam thank you lamb! neckwarmer
Yarn: Lion Brand Thick & Quick
Needles: US13
Exposition: This neckwarmer took a bit less than skein. I was able to knit this up in one evening. I'm not too happy with the bulky seam, so I think I'll pull it out and graft those stitches instead.

Other than that, warm & cozy. I love the offset-ness of the edges and that you can fold and twist it around your neck...so many different ways to style!

Backstory

Pattern: Marian Cowl
Yarn: Not 100% sure. Did a burn test and am still not sure.
Needles: US13
Exposition: Another super quick, super easy project. My first mobius. I made a bit of a mistake, as I seem to have two twist, instead of one. Can't tell, really, but I'd like to try this again.

And seed stitch is so much less annoying on size 13s...

Backstory

Pattern: Claudia Beanie
Yarn: Patons Merino Wool
Needles: US 4 & 6
Exposition: I got this off the needles and was immediately taken with what a great looking hat this is.

I made a bit of a mistake on this one too. I did the ribbing on size 4s and immediately switched to 6s for the cable trellis section. Lo and behold the instructions say to switch needle sizes after the cable section. OOPS. Why can I never remember to read the freakin' instructions? ugh. Didn't make a big difference though...it's for a guy with a big noggin. I love this hat! You all must go forth and knit one.

And lastly...I'm sure you can guess what this single crochet beaning is going to become...

Fiber!

Yesterday I went down to Torrance for the So Cal Handweavers' Guild Weaving and Fiber Festival. I didn't really know what to expect, but thought it would be a fun adventure. The Fickle Knittress was going to be there, and that was reason enough to go, right? So I called my sister and asked her to meet me over there so I wouldn't be a total loser walking around by myself.

We walked around, checked out the booths, molested a lot of fiber, met Michelle, [who is waaaay cool] and spent practically no money! I didn't buy any yarn, if you can believe it. I think having close to 10 projects in progress was quite a deterrent. We talked to a lot of really nice people [and a few stinkers who didn't know 'excuse me' means move out of the way] and I thought I saw the lovely Natalie wandering around, but wasn't 100% sure, so I didn't say anything to that lady who looked like a fellow blogger. I'm lame, I know.

It was fun all around. I'm especially excited about the new patterns I have to knit up. I could really use an extra set of hands and a month of vacation time.

Every Way Wrap

Thank you so much for all the comments about my little neckwarmer. I'm just glad that it didn't unravel or spontaneously combust. It could happen. Although I have several projects that need seaming or stuffing or hemming, I decided to cast on for something new. Something that won't need seaming or stuffing or hemming! The Every Way Wrap from IK Fall 2009.

I had picked up two hanks of Eco Wool while we were in Seattle this summer. One hank was to be a tam for my cousin and I was planning on using the left over along with the second hank to make myself something. I started the hat - really I did - but realized that this yarn would be entirely too heavy for the hat I had in mind. So I frogged it and now it's mine! All mine! I am amazed by the size of this yarn ball, so I had to take a picture of it, with a tube of Kaiser Permanente Thrive lip balm for scale. HUGE! It will be so warm and cozy wrapped around me! I can't wait!

Of course, I may have to wait awhile, as I am still slogging through the ribbing. I need to take a mental health knitting day. Is there an allotment of days for that?

The Collette Neckwarmer

So, last week I mentioned that I knit a neck warmer without the aid of a pattern.

Yeah.
It actually happened.

As you know, if you've ever read my blog, I am not a big fan of knitting variegated yarn. I am, however, a big fan of buying it. There's something about all those beautiful colors here and there in the hank...so many pretty colors...all in one yarn! But alas, when knitted, I hate the pooling and the splotches of colors...it's all just...BLEH! That being said, I have been bothered by an orange and yellow hank of Elizabeth Austin Andes in my stash and I realized if I didn't knit it up soon, I never would.

I searched high and low for a pattern for my single hank. I knew it would have to be either something lace [bleh again] or something with a stitch pattern that would break up the colors and keep the ugly pooling monster at bay. I had limited yardage, so a neck warmer would be the best bet. I saw lots of patterns, but none of them seemed to gel with this yarn.

At wit's end, I pulled out my copy of Vogue Knitting: The Ultimate Knitting Book and started looking at stitch patterns. One seemed like the right stitch for the job. The Linen Stitch.

So I casted on a nice 124 stitches, knit a few moss stitch rows then started the Linen Stitch section. It broke up the yarn enough for a mottled look in some places and stripes in others. I would have loved it to be all mottled, but it's all good because the nasty pool monster was vanquished [for the most part]! The only problem I ran into is the moss stitch border wasn't really working out. It flared a bit too much, so I pulled out what I knit and replaced it with a 2x2 rib. Perfect!

It is still in need of a wash, a block, and a label but I didn't want to delay pictures as people were getting impatient. Geez. Ha ha. It fits nicely and the wool is nice and warm...perfect for a friend who must moved to San Francisco. I hope she likes yellow and orange.

I don't know if I would consider myself a designer just yet, but I do feel freed from the written pattern tether. And now I've got all sorts of ideas running around my head! Is this the slippery slope of designing that I've been trying to avoid?

Umm...

I think I just knit a neckwarmer without the aid of a pattern.

More to come.

Throwing Horseshoes

One step forward, two steps back...but it will all work out in the end, right?

Well, the Stash-to-Accessory Knit-a-thon is still in full effect. One of my goals, besides getting rid of onsie/twosie balls of yarn has been to try new techniques on a smaller, more manageable project. Well the Hanne Muff fit into that category as it incorporates a mock cable. I've never done a mock cable before, but I can do non-mock cables, so how hard could it be?

Next to impossible.

I don't know what the problem was, but I just couldn't get it right. So I totally ditched it [failing at one of my Stash-to Accessories Knit-a-thon goals] and decided to just use a real cable.

Ah, the horseshoe cable. I haven't had a lot of opportunity to use this cable so I thought, 'YIPPEE-KAI-YEA, little knitter!'

Ok, I didn't really think that, but I did give it a go and it's coming along nicely.

It's been slower than molasses in the winter, but I finally feel like I'm getting somewhere with this darn thing. Ever feel like your knitting fer a month'a Sundays and it doesn't seem to make a darn-tootin' difference? Only after a weekend's worth of knitting am I finally seein' that this here project is finishin' up. I really want it out of my hair! It's time fer rustlin' other knits up on them there needles!

Besides, the pom pom hat awaits!

SEX

I had a serious Stash Enhancement eXperience this past weekend. The owner of one of my favorite LYS [it closed a while back] decided to purge her final stock of yarn...so I was there bright and early. Let me show you what I got.

First off, 6 skeins of Shibui Sock, 3 in natural and 3 in black. Y'all know I don't knit socks, so you must be wondering why I would need 6 skeins of sock yarn.
Well my boss was recently gifted with tickets to next year's Olympic Curling event, so I am going to knit her a nice hat and mittens set. I will thoughtfully request pictures of the Canadian debut. I like the Anemoi hat and mittens and think it will be lovely in a black/natural combo.

I also found a bag of hemp yarn. I've never tried 100% hemp, so I'm really excited to see how it knits up. I don't have a pattern in mind for this [I have 2 of the black and 3 of the blue] and am always open to ideas. The one thing I don't think I want to knit is a shopping tote. I have enough of those.

I also picked up 11 balls of Rowan Plaid. I've had the Plaid Collection for years and my intention was to make something from the booklet. But now I'm not so sure. There are a few cardigans I would be excited to make, but with 11 balls of it...my head is spinning with possibilities! If I do make something out of the book, it will most likely be either the Thunder, Lightening [the way she loved me was frightening!] or Shale. Decisions, decisions!

The last item I picked up will probably be used in my next project. 1 hank of Magical Quivit. It's 50% merino, 50% quiviut. I'm super excited to use it! I have just enough to make a lovely smoke ring. HURRY UP, FALL! GET HERE ALREADY!!!

And while I plot the fate of my newest stash yarns, I've picked up an oldie but goodie project. The Cabled Coat.

If you search back into your mind, you'll remember the last time I blogged about this project was back in May of this year. I was trying to decide if I should reknit the front collar because I forgot a rib in betweens the cables.
As you could probably guess, I frogged all 23 incorrect inches and am in the process of reknitting. Yes, I know, I'm crazy obsessive about these things sometimes. But it would have bugged me. And after a year of working on this damn thing, I want it done and I want it done right so I don't wind up hating it. Let's hope I can get it done and seamed by the end of this weekend so I can get back to more important things.