Catching Up on the Blog
Oh, I’ve got some catching up to do. Here goes…
Two squares for a surprise project. The first is a series of 6-stitch cables of random lengths out of RYC Soft Lux, soft and sparkly. The second is Noro Kureyon in a log cabin pattern starting with a 5 stitch, 5 ridge square.
Proof #1 that I’m not an expert knitter, my mitten for my mittens class with the most disgusting mitten top. I am not pleased. I have not dealt with this sad mitten yet. I’m angry at it.
Proof #2 that I’m not an expert knitter, my crazy large sock. Look at all that extra fabric. My big lesson learned, I have to do my gauge swatch IN PATTERN, stockinette is not sufficient for me.
But I do love my tubular cast on in the round. Simply lovely. But I have to rip it all out and start OVER. This sock is banished to the same dark corner as the mitten.
Some new sock yarn has appeared in my house. Now how did that happen? The first will become some lacey socks, the second balls will become gloves for the kids at their request. The second photo are gifts from a friend at WEBS who brought these back from Japan. I love the yarn. Cotton/Silk/Yak, together at last!
And today I went to NENA and had such a great time. I came home and Bill asked me how NENA was, “Did they play 99 Red Balloons?” Funny guy. You know he was waiting all day to ask me that. It was fun to see some of the new things coming this Fall. And I came home with a few goodies: Schaefer Anne sock yarn, a Della Q bag, and a terribly cute catnip mouse kit from Bully Woolies.
And I’m swatching for a new summer top. I’m going to make the Surplice Lace Top from Nashua’s North American Designer Series No. 4. But I’m making a yarn substitute. I loved the Classic Elite Classic Silk yarn I used for the swatch, but not for this top. I need a smoother yarn. So now I’m deciding between Valley Yarns Southwick and Ella Rae Silkience. Hmm, what’s it going to be? And of course I had to take the pattern and make a chart of the lace asap. It’s just so much easier for me to knit from.
Finished Project: Valley Log Cabin Blanket
Project Specs:
Pattern: My own, available soon at WEBS
Yarn: Valley Yarns Valley Superwash in seven lovely colors: colonial blue, forest, grass, ice blue, natural, spring leaf, and my personal favorite, teal
Needles: US 8 24″ and 40″
Size: Just shy of 36″x36″
This is the second pattern that I’ve designed for the store. I’m still not tired of log cabin knitting. This is basically the same design as the Nature Wool Log Cabin Blanket but with only 4 squares of log cabin.
And since people tend to ask about the back, here you go.
Sometimes Knitting
I’ve squeezed in a little bit of knitting time. These are the projects I’m focusing on right now.
Shepherd Socks for the Socks from Measurements class
I’m using Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock yarn in Camouflage on US 1 needles. I love my new rosewood needles. So much so, I don’t really mind using double points. I’m using a seeded rib for the bulk of the sock.
Fittin’ Mittens for the Mittens from Measurements class
This is a ball of Valley Yarns Berkshire test dyed by the Kangaroo Dyer. I’ve got a trio of baby cables running up the back of the mitten. I’m knitting these on US 7 needles since I like a firmer mitten.
Valley Log Cabin Blanket for the store.
I’m still not tired of log cabin knitting. So now I’m working on this baby blanket for the store. Still a great portable, mindless knitting project. Yet interesting enough watching how the colors combine together.
I still need to fix my father-in-law’s socks and finished my sister-in-law’s felted bag. Then I need to lengthen my raglan sweater and finish the crochet homework from (gasp!) last summer for review for the Expert Knitter program. Then FINALLY I can work on anything I feel like. Hopefully I’ll get all of this done by summertime.
And I started teaching my first Knitting II class and it seems like a good group of folks. I hope to teach more classes in the fall. All the money I make teaching is my knitting spending money, so there’s some incentive there.
Finished Project: Nadine
Project Specs:
Pattern: Nadine from Berroco Pattern Book #259 L’attitude
Yarn: Ultra Silk color #6117 Jet. Psst, it’s on sale at WEBS through May 25th!
Needles: US 10
Size: XS
Pattern Alterations: Well, there was a bit of a mistake near the beginning of the pattern. But I’m having a hard time remembering it. I think the first time you’re supposed to cast on 3 stitches and K13, you’re really supposed to K16. Then everything works out fine from there. Unfortunately I was already up to the armholes when I finally discovered the mistake.
This is another project for the store. I actually finished this cardigan a month ago. But blogging isn’t at the top of my list these days. Minus the pattern mistake, this is really an easy pattern. No seaming. Just stockinette. And believe me, this looks much better on a person with arms.
