FO - Cliff Diving @ La Push Cowl

After I'd finished my Solitude scarf, I wanted to work with another single ball of Malabrigo Lace yarn. It's so yummy soft, and very enjoyable to work with - but I wanted to design something for myself, not follow a set pattern.

So, I went to my stitch dictionaries and found this pretty Fishtail Lace pattern; and knew instantly that it would be perfect with the yarn colorway I chose, Whale's Road. Blues and indigo with hints of green and purple, this particular colorway really captured my attention - even over the internet! (I love Eat.Sleep.Knit for Malabrigo Lace.) The color is more accurate in the first photo, but I wanted to post a closeup of the lace pattern, too.

I picked a cowl shape because really, they're all the rage right now, and I've knit a butt-load of scarves with ends already and I wanted something new! I started with a provisional cast on, so I could use Kitchener stitch  to graft the ends together when I (almost) ran out of yarn. That meant I could make a long cowl, capable of doubling or tripling to a warm, cuddly neck-warmer. God knows, we still need them here in Chicago - it's cold again this week!

Specs - see this cowl on Ravelry!

• Pattern: my own based on Fishtail Lace pattern (found in Harmony Lace & Eyelets Stitch Dictionary)
• Yarn: Malabrigo Lace in Whale's Road - 247 (one skein 50gr)
• Needles: Knit Picks Zephyr Interchangeables US sz 5 3.75mm
• Cast on: March 10th, 2010
• Cast off: April 4th, 2010
• Completed: April 5th, 2010

FO Friday - Caribeño Clapotis

When I saw this yarn on sale at WEBS, I knew I had to have it. 51/49 silk & merino means it's super soft, and the colors are just gorgeous! It transferred just a bit of blue dye to my fingers while I was knitting it, but not excessively so.

So, normally, the yarn this pattern calls for would cost you 120$ (maybe more plus shipping...) I KNEW I didn't want to spend that much, even though I love the Lorna's Laces Lion & Lamb. So, I waited. And waited some more... A few years later, this wonderful substitute comes onto the market, with even more colors than the recommended yarn. Yeay! So, I bought 5 balls - for a grand total of 45$ and I got the shipping free (because of course I had to order more yarn than THAT! Hahaha!)

I was hoping to have it done in two weeks instead of three, but sometimes you just don't feel like a smurf. Hehe. It was fun to knit, though; and even though I'm onto more complicated projects now - I wish I still had something simpler like this one, going at the same time.



The only changes I made to the pattern were adding one extra width repeat, and 5 extra length repeats. The third ball striped really nicely through the middle, but all of the other ones flashed and pooled like I expected a hand-painted yarn would. Huh?! I like it, though - and that's all that matters!

Specs: see it on Ravelry!

• Pattern: Clapotis by Kate Gilbert, Knitty Fall '04
• Yarn: Malabrigo Silky Merino in Caribeño - 474 (5 balls, Xgr)
• Needles: sz 7 Knit Picks Interchangeable (metal tips)
• Cast on: Friday, July 24th 09
• Cast off: Friday, August 7th 09
• Completed: Monday, August 10th 09

FO - Pretty Cashmere Cowl Thing

knew the instant I saw the Yarn Harlot's Pretty Thing cowl pattern, just which yarn I'd use for it. 

I had one skein left of Handmaiden's luscious 4-ply cashmere in Glacier, a wonderful blend of arctic icey blues, beiges and soft greys. Love it! Couldn't help but buy it on a trip out with my sister, a year ago or more! Haha!

Anyhoo, I didn't bother swatching for this, and yet miraculously I've ended up with a cowl that fits beautifully! Yeay! It flares more at the bottom, so I've flipped it upside down, but that's just personal taste. I even added a repeat in between the purl ridges at the center, and still had over 10 grams left of this yummy yarn!

It's a super fun knit, even though it's only charted (not written out.) I stumbled a couple times with it, but I would imagine I could knit another in a couple of hours; now that I'm more familiar with the pattern. It looks to be a great gift pattern, too - as it takes a mere one ball of yarn, and is a super cute accessory!

Specifications: see it on Ravelry!

• Pattern: Pretty Thing by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
• Yarn: Handmaiden 4-ply Cashmere in Glacier 40gr apprx.
• Needles: size6 4mm (cast on with sz7 4.5mm & cast off with sz8 5mm)
• Cast on: Friday, October 9th, 2009
• Cast off: Monday, October 12th, 2009
• Completed: Tuesday, October 13th, 2009
  

*Fancy lettering from Daily Drop Cap - so fun!

Finishing Frenzy! (W/O Pics - Sorry!)

Yesterday, I went on a fanatical finishing frenzy on my knitting. Four FO's got their ends woven in; and I took a much more honest inventory of the WIP's I still have going. Some I'll finish knitting, but others need to be ripped back, or out entirely. It's the nature of the universe, I guess - that you can't get everything right all of the time.

I wish I could share more pictures today, but so many are gifts; and I want them to reach their recipients first - before I post pictures. And, to be honest, a few of them are SUPER EARLY - so I was super sure not to be late finishing them. (A fate more than one of my gifts have suffered from. And, one I want to avoid as much as possible! Hahaha!)

It feels good to have them really, finally finished - and wearable. But, if I'm really feeling honest, some have waited nearly a YEAR to have their ends woven in. Poor FO's!

Oh yeah, and how the hell is it June already? I know time marches on, but DAMN man! This year it's feeling a little ridiculous. Rant over.

WIP Wednesday - Tiffany & Co. Empire

I must admit - I was so hurried to start this project, I actually bought the wrong yarn for it! Haha! For some strange reason (that still escapes me, because I questioned the needle size,) I thought this project called for Lorna's Laces Shepard Worsted, instead of Shepard Sport - which is in fact, the real recommended yarn.

So, needless to say I was pretty upset with myself when I realized that even though the yarn had arrived, I couldn't cast on for this delicious little knit t-shirt. I spent a little while feeling sorry for myself, and then I wondered if I had anything on hand that would fit the bill. Surprise, surprise - I did!

I bought 8 balls of Sirdar Snuggly last summer, when the Stargazer Kimono pullover came out in MagKnits*. I knit both of the sleeves up fairly quickly, but then realized I didn't like the side-ways knit construction of the top. My sleeve edges were too tight to function as a bodice top, and so I let it all sit in a bin for over a year. When I realized that the Snuggly might work for this, I dug it out and swatched immediately. Another huge surprise - I actually got gauge with the reccommended needle sizes! I almost always have to go up, and so I was a little shocked when I checked it and then double checked. Hehehe.

I was a little worried that my cast on was a bit too tight, and it probably is. Next time, I'd go up a needle size for the long tail cast on, then go back down to continue knitting. I'm not sure if I'll add the ruffle at the neckline or not; but I am planning on lengthening the sleeves to just above elbow length. I may add the ruffles to the sleeve edges, too. We'll see...

Now I'm thinking it's too big, but the tricky bit is, there's no size in between small and medium, and I'm a 32" (under) bust. Ugh. It means I'll have to rip back to just below the armholes, and start decreasing. I should do some math so I know just how many stitches I'll have to get rid of. The I-cord empire waist should be 16" (for me,) and this one measures 19" laid flat right now. Oy.

*Yes, unfortunately they're closed now, and they didn't even keep an archive up. Ravelry is a good resource for finding old Magknits patterns, otherwise the best method for obtaining unavailable patterns is to contact the author (if you know their name.)

FO - Lilac Evening Shrug (in Bamboo!)

When I saw this shrug pattern in my RSS feeds (via Craft:'s blog,) I knew instantly I had to make one for myself. Bamboo is one of my favorite fibers, it's super soft and has this wonderful quality of keeping me warm in cool temperatures, and cool in warm temps. The hard part was trying to decide if I wanted to make it with SWTC Bamboo in Intensity, (variegated denim blue, teal and lilac) or Habu Bamboo in Lilac - both yarns I have plenty of in my stash.

Since I'd already worked with the SWTC Bamboo, I decided to go with the Habu. Plus, since it's a solid color, I think it'll look a bit fancier with a nice dress. I have another cruise coming up in the fall, and I always need something to keep my shoulders warm in the big dining room. On the last cruise, I forgot to bring a sweater one night and was f-f-f-freeeezing! Hehehe.

After I finished up a quickie Bernadette Scarf, I used my cast-on fever to motivate myself to finish up some chores before I actually cast on for it. A good tactic I'll definitely use again, I really hate folding laundry. What do you do to motivate yourself for chores you dislike?

I had a bear of a time starting this, I used a long tail cast-on, and had real problems joining the cast-on row. So, I knit a couple rows back and forth and then joined to work in the round. I also used Knit Picks metal dpn's, as my interchangeable circular set doesn't include a 12" cable (and honestly, I don't think I would've been able to join the round on a 12" circular anyway.) Once I got past the garter stitch beginning, I had to be careful not to leave a yo as the last stitch on any of the needles; but once I figured that out, things went a bit better.

The first sleeve worked up super fast, I had it done and split for the back the first day I really worked on it (the multiple cast-ons took me a few days to get over before I tried again.) I actually gave myself a little blister, probably trying to manage the dpn's... the bamboo seemed to stretch a lot though, and I ended up with ladders between where the needles met. No matter what I tried, I couldn't seem to even lessen them, they stretched out after I created them, in the round following; and I had no way of evening the adjoining stitches out to hide them.

I used a 3 needle bind off to finish it, and was very pleased. I only wish the edges didn't curl as much, it rides up in the back, and down in the front! I fudged my measurements a bit, because I knew the edge along my neck would need to be longer than the lower one; so I took them both, added them and then divided by 2, to get a total length from armpit to armpit of 19.5" (9 3/4" on each half of the body sections.)

I don't have a picture with me in it yet, but I love it! It's great for when the a/c kicks on in this humidity!

WIP - Vanilla Clementine Shawlette

When I saw that Octopus Knits had used just under 2 skeins of Bristol Yarn's Buckingham for her Clementine Shawlette, I knew immediately I wanted to make one for myself. Then I spent about 2 weeks trying to figure out what else I could make with my 2 skeins of Buckingham. Hehehe. Okaaaay, I'll admit it… I was scared about the graft at the end, to join 2 pieces at the center back. The pattern calls for Kitchener stitch, and I've never done it before. But with all this fearless knitting going around, I couldn't help but have the thought that if I never try it, I'll never learn how it's done (or maybe more specifically, not done. Ha! Plus, my good friend Karrie swapped me for some of her awesome Kitchener stitch markers!)

So, I set out to wind up my yarn into center pull balls so I could use one ball for each half, working them simultaneously. And then, my ball winder ate my yarn! It got caught in the gears, and I didn't realize it right away, winding more into the gears with each turn. Ugh. I managed to get it off of the gears by winding backwards, but it stained enough yarn black-ish, that I'll almost certainly cut it out and splice back together. Oy.

Considering I would've otherwise not have any splices, since it's knit in 2 pieces and then joined, I'm a little pissed. But, I guess that's what I get for not paying attention to a yarn I've not wound before (80% baby alpaca, 20% silk;) the one time I tried to wind 100% silk, it jumped off the winder like it was possessed!!! Hahaha! Paying more attention, i.e. my full attention, I was able to rewind the first ball and get through the second without any more mishaps - thank goodness!

I'm on row 37 of chart B here.

This is my first time knitting from a chart instead of written directions, and I'm pleased that it doesn't seem nearly as complicated as it looks. I guess it's easy to get intimidated when you're looking at the whole chart, but you don't work all of those stitches at once - just one little one at a time! I'm excited that it's not so difficult, because I've been trying to work up the nerve to start a purple Hanami stole. It's so delicate, and I really like the asymmetrical ends; it's a lovely wrap, and I really want to make one for myself.

And a teeny rant... what the frak happened to January? Hahaha! I bought Patricia's calender back at the end of December, and still haven't finished it yet! (That's not to say it's hard, I'm just super picky about my cuts not being clean enough, and I haven't yet decided if I want to use paper or fabric scraps for the empty spaces! Ack, the choices!

WIPwed - Nightshade MSCS

I had really high hopes of posting about my vacation today, but I haven't gotten all of the pictures organized yet; and I think it's going to be so long it'll need to be broken up into two posts. Sorry to go all Tarantino after the first Kill Bill on you!



So I thought I'd snap a few quickie pics of the progress I've made on My So Called Scarf. I didn't work on it a lot on vacation, but I managed to get it to over a foot. And the colors, oh my… they're working up beautifully. I keep wondering how I let this yarn languish in my stash so long, and the only thing I can come up with it that it was meant for this pattern. Hehehe.

Judging from the look of it, I originally thought it would be a fairly complex stitch pattern; but as it turns out - it's actually pretty easy! I just have to be careful not to knit too tightly. The different colors are just interesting enough to keep me going on this one, it's funny how the Knitting Daily emails have started covering "Why UFO's stay UFO's?" It's a very interesting concept, to examine why something I was so excited to start lays languishing on the needles for such a long time. Maybe I should save those thoughts for another day! (This one isn't languishing, but I have several other that are.)

WIPwed - Nightshade My So Called Scarf

After I saw Alice's My So Called Scarf, I knew I had to make one for myself. I had originally thought I'd use a bit of leftover Malabrigo worsted merino; but I had less than one skein and it just didn't feel right for this project.



Then, earlier this week I realized I had the perfect yarn for it in my stash already - Colinette Mezzotint in this awesome nightshade colorway. It's not as soft as the Malabrigo would have been, but I doubt I could ever find a pattern better suited to showing off this yarn's spectacular colors.

Simply put, they're gorgeous! Teals, blues and purples swirl with bits of green and a fair bit of grey mixed in - the finished object will look stunning with my new grey wool peacoat. (I'll try and get a pic of that soon, too - but no promises, I'm gone on Friday!)

Now, I'm flaking on my needle size choice, and wondering if I should frog it and restart with larger needles. I started with 10.5's and now I'm thinking I need to go up to 13's. Hhmmmph.

I'm going to Hawaii...

...next week! I can hardly believe it! But, I really had such high hopes for posting more regularly this week. See, I have a lot of it already written, I've just been procrastinating the photo shoots. I know I need to set up some lighting, I rely on the sun right now (and I'm sure I've said it before,) but Chicago isn't that sunny - even in summer. Actually, this summer was much sunnier than last; but it was so overcast and rainy. Plus, I'm not that good at balancing priorities - especially when there's more than one important thing to juggle.

Since I'm going to be on a cruise to Hawaii for 2 weeks, I needed to pick up some fancy clothing. It's really been preoccupying my brain lately, because I don't generally get dressed up that much anymore. I can't believe how much work shopping is, especially when it's not the season you're shopping for (I was looking for spring/summer tops & skirts, and it's all fall stuff - darker colors and much heavier textures.) Oy! I did find some really great stuff, but all of the mall-hopping and walking really did me in. I'm glad my vacation's in a week, I need it! Hehehe.

I'm glad to report that I also got a fair bit of Christmas shopping done, and I'm so glad! Since my birthday is so close (3 days before,) I always end up stressed out - and who wants that for their birthday? I started a few months ago with what's turning out to be one of the only handmade gifts I'll be giving this year. It was a big project, and it's been tough not to spill the beans here, but the recipient is watching! LOL

WIP Wednesday - Glacier Geometric Scarf

Ever since I picked up this cashmere yarn at Knitche, I've been really trying to come up with what I wanted to make with it. I kept hoping it'd be something other than a scarf, but when I was flipping through my knit inspiration binder, I came across the pattern for this Geometric scarf. I spent another few days trying to fool myself into thinking it would not be; but I was wrong, and I just couldn't get it out of my brain.



So, start-itis set in and I cast on for it. At first, I started with 40 sts; the yarn I'm using is significantly heavier weight than the Koigu Merino the pattern calls for, so I guessed. Well, once I got to the termination of the purl to knit rib transitions I realized I needed another 2 sts to make the pattern work. It was painful to rip cashmere back, but I think it was worth it, because I'm really pleased with how it's knitting up. Well, except for one of the edges - my tension seems to be really wonky and I can't seem to get it right. The color play is what really distracts me form any flaws, though! It's gorgeous, and I'm really enjoying working on it!



Ginger just couldn't resist joining the photoshoot fun, but I'm glad I finally got a good picture of her gorgeous brown eyes! They're hard to capture, and most of the time I end up having to photoshop the red eyed pupils out, too!

Good Girl!

Hidden Treasure!

I just found the greatest show on the Travel channel yesterday, called Hidden Markets with Marisa Tomei. She travels to different cities, and visits local markets finding all sorts of wonderful treasures. I must confess, this show speaks to my greatest loves - travel and shopping! I wish I had found more souvenirs to pick up on my honeymoon in Europe, we went through several markets in Barcelona, Marbella and Nice. We also went to this wonderful medieval village in southern France, called Èze; but the shop owners were so frigid! I tried to give my best Bon Jour, but was barely greeted most places. Eh, the other market people were very friendly and forgiving of my lack of French and Spanish.

I'm really looking forward to shopping some local markets on my upcoming trip to Hawaii. I'll be hitting Maui, Kailua Kona, Hilo and Honolulu and although I am interested in doing some of the standard tourist stuff, I would love to get a chance to see the local crafts in person - like quilting! As well as local markets, so if anyone has any suggestions, I'd be really grateful! I'm also hoping to find some local yarn or fabric - anything crafty, really!

How I spent my Labor Day weekend*...

*Also Known As - I HATE dhl and bluefly! (Angry rant w/ no craftiness!)

Someone had a much better day than me on Friday. Someone got a gorgeous cyan silk jersey convertible dress from bluefly. Someone got MY dress from bluefly, and I had the worst day ever.

See, I ordered said dress the weekend before last, and was tracking the package though dhl's website. They said it would be here on Friday, Aug 31. So, the day finally comes, and I check the tracking page again. It said delivered, and I was ecstatic to check my doorstep. And then my heart dropped, because it wasn't there. The delivery driver had marked it, "Left at front door" to my address, and it wasn't there. I started to freak out….

So I called bluefly, and they asked if it was behind a bush. I thought that was hilarious, because the delivery drivers around here don't bother hiding packages. If it wasn't on my step, it wasn't here. That's it, not hiding on my property, not anywhere up or down my street in fact (my sweet husband checked.) Then, the girl told me that they had one left, and I could purchase it, while they figured out what happened to the first one. That's right folks, she recommended I purchase ANOTHER dress, even though the first had failed to be delivered properly.

Meanwhile, I called dhl, and they paged the driver. Of course, his reaction was that he left it on the front door step. Obviously not - I was home all fricken day! So they tried to page him again, after he was supposed to return to my address; and the asshole had gone home for the day. Of course, it was Labor day, and everyone and their brother just wanted to get home for the long weekend.

Whoever you are who got my dress, I bet you had the best day of your life on Friday… a free 200$ silk jersey dress out of nowhere - but you cost me the worst day I can remember, as well as the cutest dress I could've found before my Hawaii trip. I still can't believe how badly bluefly's treated me, and I'm shocked at dhl's performance, too. Caveat Emptor I guess… but it gives me little comfort right now. Oy.

ETA: Bluefly has now promised to ship another dress via dhl at no cost to me. Can you guess how much faith I have in them actually getting it here???

WIP Wednesday - Stargazer Kimono Sweater

I really liked this sweater when I first saw the pattern, but I was not feeling the Red Heart 100% acrylic yarn that it called for. Plus the author made her own ribbon yarn for the sash; and while I can admire her clout - just couldn't be bothered to make my own yarn for this, especially when I found a suitable bamboo tape yarn to substitute. (Sirdar Just Bamboo, in Lotus white - I bought an extra ball so I could lengthen the sash slightly, to 3".)



I'm planning on avoiding as much of the seaming as possible, as it's my least favorite knitting related activity. I knit as much of the sleeve as I could in the round, and I'll pick up along the split edge for the bodice; first the "sash" in white bamboo (seed st,) then the ribbed lower body in the main color again. If I can manage it so I only have ends to weave in to finish, I'll be a happy camper!!!

This is Sirdar Snuggly DK in 398 Soft Mint, on size 6 needles. Surprisingly, I only went up one needle size to get the pattern's reccomended gauge; so I was pleased. Normally it's 2, and sometimes it's 3 or more!



I sorta have a beef with this yarn though… so far, each ball has a very strange defect. Between 1/8th and 1/5th of the way into winding center pull balls (from the outside,) the strand was cut. It just ended, but it was a clean break - not like the yarn had been pulled apart. I was so baffled for the first and second balls, that I could barely believe my strand wasn't knotted to the adjoining end, or had obviously split from it. Now, I'm keeping track of it, and will have another update once I wind the rest of it. Ugh. I may write Sirdar about it, splicing in all of those extra ends (if I end up needing to, cross my fingers I don't!) is going to be a bitch.