Besotted Scarf

Besotted Scarf
Pattern: Besotted Scarf
Yarn: K1C2 Paint Box in Walnut Plum #10
Needles: KnitPicks Options US 5/3.75 mm
Start Date: September 5, 2006
End Date: September 27, 2006
Comments: Not much to say on this one. The yarn was very nice. Similar to Noro Kureyon, but a little more consistency on the thickness. The pattern is very pretty and I would absolutely knit it again. Great practice for cabling without a cable needle.

I got a few inches more done on the Elizabeth I scarf, but I really don't like the fabric I'm getting with the KnitPicks Alpaca Cloud. It's just doesn't have enough substance. It's definitely more of a cobweb weight rather than a lace weight. I think I might scrap this project for the time being.

Silk Shrug

Silk Shrug
Pattern: Silk Shrug
Yarn: Blue Sky Alpaca & Silk in Mocha
Needles: KnitPicks circular Size 2 and 6
Start Date: September 7, 2006
End Date: September 23, 2006
Comments: Tiny needles. Endless stockinette. Picking up 300 stitches. Expensive yarn. These are the reasons I should dislike this shrug. However, these things are outweighed by the following: Beautiful stitches, shimmering yarn, elegantly simple design, silk & alpaca. As soon as it is dry I'll be sure to post a picture of me wearing it, but for now all I've got is the boring drying-in-progress shot (I think this photo kind of makes the shrug look like the little green guy on the cover of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy).

The pattern was very simple and easy to follow. Perfect mindless TV watching knitting. I really have nothing bad to say about it. The yarn was a pleasure to work with and I would knit with it again in a heartbeat. The only complaint I have about it is that it is a little splitty, but the end result more than makes up for that.

The Besotted Scarf and Elizabeth I lace scarf will now get a bit more attention. Hopefully I can finish these to meet my September goals. (I have doubts I'll get around to finishing the Trinket scarf...we'll see.) The Koigu socks are going very well so I am sure they'll be done by the end of the week. Here's a group photo of all my works in progress:)

Oh, and for super socky fun, check out Northern Sunshine Designs for some fabulous sock patterns. I've already bought a few (Marmalade, Cedar Bark, and Agate Bay) and they are very well done. The designs are fun, they are written in a very user friendly format, and they are a great price. What more can you want?

And if you truly love knitting socks, be sure to sign up for Lolly's Socktoberfest which celebrates all things about handknit socks! Feel the socktacular love:)

Nearly Knit

Would you like to see my nearly finished Silk Shrug in all it's unblocked and almost-finished glory? Of course you do:) Here it is. I'm a day or two away from completing the knitting and there is really no finishing aside from weaving in ends (and I've been doing that as I've knit). Happily, autumn has arrived in the Chicago area so I should be able to put this shrug to use right away. It's always nice when you knit something and can use it right away. The Blue Sky Alpaca & Silk is absolutely the loveliest yarn I've knit with so far. The stitch definition, the color, the sheen, the texture - all lovely. I can't quite capture it in this photo. I have to get used to shooting in low autumn light again.

The Koigu socks are progressing. The shrug is taking up the majority of my time, but I've been making sure that every day I have a little Koigu time:) I'm so in love with these socks. I find myself looking at Koigu colors online a lot lately, but nothing beats seeing a wall full of koigu like at Three Bags Full. I have a feeling I'll be heading there again soon. I decided to do my favorite Eye of Partridge heel flap, but with these spotty colors I'm not sure if it really stands out. Oh well, I still adore these socks and can't wait to get them on my feet.

In the meantime, I have received more sock yarn (good thing I knit socks all the time). This time I ordered from a new sock yarn online store called Pick Up Sticks. It's a great Canadian store specializing in handpainted sock and lace yarns. I tried to keep from going completely crazy and ordering one of everything. Instead I picked out two Claudia Hand Painted colors (rumor has it that the base yarn is the same as Koigu - sure looks and feels the same) and a skein of Sweet Georgia's Speed Demon in Velvet Underground (Left). The Sweet Georgia feels amazing. The Claudia Hand Painted colors are Begonia (Middle) and Pink Dot (Right). I am seriously tempted by the Posh Yarns and the Apple Laine yarns. I'm not sure how long I can resist:) Oh, and the shipping from Canada was fast! I ordered late afternoon on Wednesday and it was on my doorstep Monday evening. Nice:)

The other day I received the needles I needed to start on the Elizabeth I scarf, but I'm just not very enthusiastic about the project right now...I may push this one off for a little while. A birthday present can easily become a holiday gift when the recipient doesn't even know what they are getting, right? ;)

***Knitting GROUP is tonight (Wednesday) at the Borders' Cafe in Wilmette (corner of Lake & Skokie). We meet from 6:30 until 8:00 and any yarn enthusiast is welcome!***

The Arrival of the September Socks that Rock Rockin' Sock Kit

Hooray! The September Rockin' Sock Club Socks kit came yesterday! I didn't expect to see it until next week so it was quite a surprise to come home to find it waiting. Yea! The color is Titania and it is simply stunning. The kit came with an emergency sock yarn keychain and two patterns. The Titania's Revenge pattern (written specifically for the colorway) is absolutely not my taste (meshy lace with a slanted cable across the foot), but I really like the Central Air pattern. I think it's similar to a lacy one in the Sensational Knitted Socks book that I had already wanted to knit - perfect! Right now I have quite a bit on the needles, so for now I will just admire Titania in the skein:) The two smaller photos are each end of the hank. Lovely variety of fall colors.

And look what arrived from Sunshine Yarns - Here we have Welsh Green Dragon, Swedish Short Snout Dragon, and Brick (The first two complete my collection of the Harry Potter Dragon colors that Dani has created). Since it was Sunshine Yarns' anniversary, Dani included a very nice set of Inox needles and a cute little button with her logo. I just love her yarn! The Brick is perfect for the new Diamante pattern at Knitty.

The weekend with my Mom and Step-Dad was fantastic. We had a great time at the King Tut exhibit and then Saturday we made it up to Wisconsin to tour the Jelly Belly distribution center (Love those jelly bellies!). Then we spent the whole afternoon at the Chicago Botanic Garden. We had so much fun there we purchased a membership so we can go back whenever we want. I look forward to visiting the Garden throughout the different seasons. Ok, time to get some weekend knitting done before the weekend is over!

Knit knit knit

Just a little midweek status report...
Currently on the needles I have my Silk Shrug. This project is not the most exciting knitting, as the photo may indicate (I'm just starting the part that is straight stockinette with no increases or decreases for 29 inches!), but the yarn more than makes up for any boredom. The Blue Sky Alpaca & Silk is absolutely wonderful to knit though it is a tad splitty. I've had to ladder down to correct a split stitch every once in a while. It's going to be perfect for chilly fall weather.

I swatched for the Town & Country scarf from the Elizabeth I lace scarf set. I'm using KnitPicks Alpaca Cloud in Midnight and unfortunately, yet again, I had to order a smaller needle size. The Alpaca Cloud is so fine that the fabric looked best knit on size 1 needles. Of course, the only size 1's I have aside from double points is a 16 inch circular. I cannot knit 60 inches of lace on a 16 inch circular without severe hand cramps, so I've ordered a longer size 1. Maybe by the time it gets here I'll be finished with a project or two (the Besotted Scarf is coming along nicely, but I've been neglecting it for other projects...).

Finally we have my current socks. I decided to knit them at the same time for absolutely no reason. I guess I kind of wanted to get casting on and those first few rows out of the way. That is my least favorite part of a sock so it is nice getting it all out of the way early on. The yarn is some Koigu KPPPM (P704) that I picked up on my recent first visit to Three Bags Full in Northbrook. I say first visit since I know I'll be back (Lots of lovely yarns to paw). This is the first time I'm knitting with Koigu and now I understand what everyone (Jen) is raving about. I really didn't think the yarn was going to be that wonderful when I just touched it in the hank, but once you start knitting - nice! It has a lovely texture, the drape of the fabric is gorgeous and just while knitting I can feel the warmth of the wool.

The pattern is just my plain old sock based off the template in Ann Budd's Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns. I thought about doing a more exciting pattern. I even knit a few inches into one, but this yarn just calls for stockinette, so stockinette it is. The colors make me think of late afternoon sunlight falling on autumn leaves. I can almost hear the leaves rustling.

And how about the new Knitty? I've already ordered the yarn to knit Ivy. So pretty. Oh, and I signed up for the second half of Sundara's Petals Collection. I really went back and forth on whether to do it, but in the end I couldn't resist. I'll just stay away from buying any Socks that Rock for a while:) I just can't get over how elegant and wonderful the kits have been from the earlier mailings. I can't wait until my first kit comes in December!

My Mom and Step-Dad are visiting this weekend so there may be less knitting and probably no blogging for a few days. I'm so excited that they are visiting! I'm taking a couple vacation days so that we can go do touristy Chicago things. We're going to go to the new King Tut exhibit at the Field Museum and I think we may also go out to the Chicago Botanic Garden if the weather is nice.

***Knitting GROUP is tonight (Wednesday) at the Borders' Cafe in Wilmette (corner of Lake & Skokie). We meet from 6:30 until 8:00 and any yarn enthusiast is welcome!***

Pssst!

You wanna see what I've been knitting for Matt's winter solstice gift? Here's a sneakpeek of what I have gotten done so far. It's Durrow from Magknits in Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran Tweed (#119 Licorice). (Photographing cables in black tweed on a stormy day may not have been the best idea). I think he's going to love it.

Recently Heather of the Yarn Liberation Front and the Mothlady asked me a couple questions:

Roughly how much time per day do you spend knitting??
and
Are you knitting anything else at the same time, or are you a one project at a time kinda girl?

Ok, I get asked the first one a lot. The answer is some days not at all (really!) and on other days up to 8 hours. Most work days I average somewhere around 3 hours. This is when I get home from work, knit for an episode of The Simpsons, cook dinner, play with the cats, then settle in for knitting for the night. I have a lot of time to knit since a) we have no kids and b) my husband is in graduate school working in the labs a lot. On weekends I knit as much as possible, usually around 5 or 6 hours a day, but it really depends on if we have other plans. I do not knit in public except for when I'm at my knitting group. I am told I am a speedy knitter so I think that contributes to the amount of finished projects I produce.

As for how many projects I knit at any given time, this may be the one area of my life that I have shown any level of discipline. I really try to control how much is on the needles and for the most part I succeed. My knitting project philosophy is to always have the following on the needles, no more, no less:

1) A complicated project such as a cabled sweater or lace shawl;
2) Socks - Always one pair at a time. I attempt to never cast on for a new pair until the old pair is finished; and
3) A simple project to knit at group night or when my brain is tired and I don't want to think (often this doubles as my sock knitting, but this may also be a simple sweater or scarf).

At any given time I try not to have more than 5 things going. This number comes from projects being in various stages, i.e., swatching, knitting, and finishing. (The picture above is going to be my next pair of socks. The yarn is Koigu KPPPM #P704. Sorry for the bad photo. Dreary weather here.)

So, was that more information than you ever needed about my knitting habits? :)

How about all of you? How much do you knit a day?

Widdershins!

Widdershins

Pattern: Widdershins from Knitty
Yarn: Hill Country Yarns Sweet Feet Self-Striping in Honey Butter
Needles: KnitPicks size 1 (2.5 mm) dpns, gauge of 7 stitches per inch
Start Date: September 1, 2006
End Date: September 6, 2006
Comments: My first pair of toe-up socks! Excellent pattern from Knitty. The magic cast-on linked to in the pattern (also on Knitty) was incredibly simple to do and looks fantastic. I am very happy I now have a trusty alternative to my normal cuff-down socks. The reverse heel flap was a cinch and it was a nice change to not have to pick up stitches at the gusset.

As for the yarn, I am quite pleased. The best characteristic of this yarn is the texture. It is a very soft merino wool that just feels so silky while you knit. It has a very nice stitch definition, but on the softer side compared to Socks That Rock or Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock. The self-striping dying was very well done with absolutely no white/undyed spots. Consistent striping action was also a bonus for those that like their socks to match perfectly (I do what I can, but I don't get to upset when they don't).

As I'm still waiting on my needles to start the Alpaca & Silk Shrug I went ahead and cast on for the Besotted Scarf. The K1C2 Paint Box (Color #10 Walnut Plum) is knitting up with the nicest wide striping which works really well with the XOXO cable pattern. Paint Box feels a lot like Noro Kureyon, but with a more consistent thickness. The texture is pretty rough right now, but I'm sure it will soften considerably once it's washed.

I forgot how satisfying it was to knit something on bigger needles with a simple pattern. I'm already through one ball with only two more to go. I am cabling without a cable needle as the little 4 stitch cables would drive me nuts if I was using one. It's working out very nicely.

Three Years Ago Today...

I married my bestest friend ever.

W or L

Win or lose, once you become a Cubs fan you are always a Cubs fan. I grew up in the area of Illinois that is not Chicago. Somewhere in the bottom 1/3 of the state which is approximately 350 miles from Chicago and the Cubs. That area is closer to St. Louis and the Cardinals. Hence the great rivalry in the great State of Illinois between Cubs fans and Cardinals fans. I never really cared much either way, but when Matt and I started dating (nearly a decade ago!) I decided it was funny to be a Cardinals fan while he was such a big Cubs fan. Then we moved to the Chicago area. Then I went to my first game at Wrigley Field. Ok. Now I'm a Cubs fan.

Sunday we got to go see the Cubs take on the San Francisco Giants. A couple good friends game up from the middle 1/3 of the state (Illinois really is not only Chicago. It is hundreds of miles long filled with rivers, lakes, cornfields, and a National Forest). We had a fantastic time eating hot dogs and nachos and watching the Cubs (who unfortunately lost).

Ok, enough with the baseball. Here's the knitting.

Yesterday was spent watching the extended versions of the Lord of the Rings and the Two Towers (ran out of time for the Return of the King) and knitting my Widdershins in Hill Country Yarns Sweet Feet Self-Striping Honey Butter. These are flying off the needles! This yarn is a little splitty and unfortunately not superwash, but it is silky soft (merino wool).

This is my second attempt at toe-up. My first attempt was frogged as I could not get the hang of the short-row heel (stupid holes). I'm not a big fan of the short-row heel anyway. The traditional heel flap just seems to fit better and it provides that extra cushion and durability. Well, Widdershins is a toe-up pattern with a heel flap! Hooray! I like this pattern a lot and it will save me some grief since I will know I won't run out of yarn at the toe (like I did with a certain pair of socks). The reverse heel flap was very simple to do and I only got one tiny hole which I think washing and blocking will take care of anyway. I kind of went crazy knitting these rather long, but it was fun to maximize the yarn with no fear of running out. I added a few increases as I continued up the leg, but otherwise I followed the pattern.

September Goals

Another month goes by and with it my finished Heather sweater, two pairs of socks, and very good progress on a top secret winter solstice sweater. August was a nice month as it was the return of winter knitting which I just love. There is nothing like using some lovely wool to create a garment that will keep you or a loved one warm even in the middle of a Chicago winter. Only a couple months until sweater season arrives!

For September I have the following knitting goals:
1) Silk Shrug in Blue Sky Alpaca & Silk
2) Elizabeth I scarf -Town & Country pattern
3) Besotted Scarf
4) Widdershins socks in Hill Country Yarns Honey Butter
5) Finish Trinket (now that it's finally cooler I can actually think about touching mohair again)

Two of the weekends in September we will have visitors so I hope I'm not casting on for more than I can knit. As you saw the other day, I've already swatched for the Silk Shrug. The yarn is simply decadent. I was lucky enough to find a great deal on the color I wanted on Ebay. This yarn may be the nicest, loveliest yarn I've ever knit up. There are not enough superlatives to express how fantastic this stuff is - the shine, the smooth texture, the rich color. Mmmmm...

Unfortunately my swatch on US 3 (3.0 mm) needles is very close to gauge, but not exactly the gauge I want so I have to wait a few days for a pair of US 2 circulars to arrive from KnitPicks. Oh well, just gives me a chance to start on my Widdershins socks (seen to the right - that's lovely Hill Country Yarn Sweet Feet Self-Striping in Honey Butter). I think it's time to give toe-up sock knitting another shot, especially since I almost had another shortage tragedy on my Isosceles Socks:

Isosceles Cherries Jubilee Socks

Pattern: Wildhorse Farm Designs Isosceles pattern
Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Sock Candy in Cherries Jubilee
Needles: Size US 0/2.0mm (8 stitches per inch)
Start Date: August 13, 2006
End Date: September 1, 2006
Comments: First off, the second sock had to be modified with a slightly shorter rib cuff and toe as I ran out of the first ball of yarn at the toe decreases of sock #1. I decided then to simply shorten the ribbing on the second sock and hoped that would be enough. Well, this time it just barely worked out, but as I'm worried about the frequency with which I appear to be running out of yarn before my socks are finished, I am very excited about knitting the Widdershins toe-up pattern.

Anyway, as for these socks, I love this yarn. This yarn is the first cotton I've used for socks and I loved every minute. It was not hard on the hands and has a lovely little cushiness to it. Another great product from Blue Moon Fiber Arts! (Just be careful about yardage...these socks have a six inch leg and 10 1/4 inch foot and I nearly ran out. Any future Sock Candy socks will have 4 inch legs just to be safe). As for the pattern, fun, fun, fun. I'm sure I will use it many times as it works really well to bring out the variegation in the handpainted yarn. I look forward to seeing how it looks with more contrasting colors.

End of August

So I'm just half a sock away from finishing my projects for this month. I think I'll be able to finish up the Sock Candy Isosceles Socks by the end of the day, but for now I will distract you with pretty yarn.

Here is the swatch for my next project. The yarn is Blue Sky Alpaca & Silk in Mocha. Absolutely lovely to knit. Just swatching this yarn was luxurious - I can't wait to wear it against my skin. More details in a couple days:)


And here's my latest purchase from Sunshine Yarns. From left to right, Violets, Hungarian Horntail Dragon, and Chinese Fireball Dragon. Recognize the last two names? It's Harry Potter dragon names from the Goblet of Fire! (I'm a nerd).







Finally I present an adorable Kilby picture. I try to keep this blog all about knitting and only occasionally toss in a cat, but when a Kilby bear climbs into your knitting basket, it's just too cute to ignore.

Trekking XXL #71 Socks

Trekking XXL #71 Socks for Matt

Pattern: 6x2 rib using Ann Budd's Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns for the framework
Yarn: Trekking XXL #71 (blues)
Needles: KnitPick's dpns in sizes 1 and 0
Start Date: July 31, 2006
End Date: August 26, 2006
Comments: Why oh why did these socks feel like they would never end? It makes no sense. I like the color, it was a simple pattern perfect for movie-watching, the yarn is nice to knit with - geez! I really felt like I would never finish these. Oh well, they are done now and Matt really likes them. Now I can work on finishing up my Isosceles Socks. That should keep me busy over the next couple days.

And look what showed up in the mail recently - this gorgeous Rowan Tapestry. I saw it online and knew I had to have it. I controlled myself and only ordered a little selection, but wow! Wow! The colors! The texture! It's even more lovely in person than I imagined. The Pot Pourri color (on the left) is for me to make a scarf/hat/mitten set while the Rainbow and Whirlpool is to make fingerless gloves for some friends. Fabulous yarn!

Today is Matt's birthday:) We're going to go out for breakfast, play a little mini-golf, hit the driving range, then go to a great little Irish pub. All the birthday fun will start once he is finished meeting with his PhD advisor this morning to determine how his research his progressing and how much longer he has before he defends. Wish him luck!

Thar Be Knitting Here

The last few days I've been knitting on a spontaneously chosen project. According to my knitting plan I should be working on Matt's holiday sweater and some socks. However, in the true spirit of pirate life, I've thrown all my lists to the wind (for a couple days) and I've knit the We Call Them Pirates Hat for Matt. Here be the specifics:

We Call Them Pirates Hat

Pattern: We Call Them Pirates
Yarn: KnitPicks Merino Style in Coal and Vanilla with leftover Rowan Calmer for the lining.
Needles: Size 5 for the fair isle, size 1 for the lining
Start Date: August 20, 2006
End Date: August 22, 2006
Comments: Matt asked me a few weeks ago if I could knit him a skull and crossbone hat he found online. I told him I wasn't very good at 2-color knitting so I probably wouldn't. Then I decided to give the old fair isle style another shot. This pattern was a blast and it is as close to instant gratification as you can get while still using the words knitting and fair isle. I think this pattern will be knit again - definitely for some of the crew from our last sailing trip:) It looks a little wonky towards the top, but when it's on Matt's head it lays nice and flat. The KnitPicks Merino Style was a delight, as always. Incredibly soft and knits up nicely. (Oh, and Matt loves it!)

I also finally got around to doing the finishing for the Tasha Bag I knit in June. I was dreading the finishing, but it went off without a hitch and now I've got myself a pretty new bag.

Tasha

Pattern: Tasha from Knitty
Yarn: Rowan Denim in Nashville
Needles: 5's and 6's
Start Date: June 17, 2006
End Date: August 22, 2006
Comments: What can I say? The yarn turns your hands and needles blue. The pattern requires you knit half a dozen pieces then seam them all. But I really love the finished bag. It's all worth it in the end, but halfway through, with blue fingers, I wasn't sure it was worth it.

***Knitting GROUP is tonight (Wednesday) at the Borders' Cafe in Wilmette (corner of Lake & Skokie). We meet from 6:30 until 8:00 and any yarn enthusiast is welcome!***

Heather

Heather

Pattern: Heather from Rowan's A Season's Tale
Yarn: Jaeger Shetland Aran, Sage Green
Size: 40 inch (the finished sweater is made to allow for 4-5 inches of ease)
Needles: KnitPicks Options sizes 6 and 7
Start Date: July 31, 2006
End Date: August 17, 2006
Comments: There is not one thing that I did not enjoy while knitting this pattern. I love the Jaeger Shetland Aran yarn. I love the simple yet lovely Rowan pattern. I love the color. I love the finished sweater. This sweater will be worn happily and often this coming winter. I didn't alter the pattern at all and it knit up rather quickly. From the moment I saw this pattern in the book I knew I had to knit it. I just love the big flat cable crossings.

I am very pleased with my finishing on this sweater. My sweater-finishing skills have improved immensely since my first seaming attempt a little less than two years ago. I've really learned to slow down and take the time to put it all together neatly and correctly. No point knitting something for weeks to only mess it up on the last day:)

Oh, and look what came in the mail recently:
My very own Socks that Rock in the Lucy colorway from Blue Moon Fiber Arts. This color was inspired by Wendy's cat Lucy (Wendy Knits blog). Laska however was greatly displeased by this and forced me to cross out Lucy's name and put her own. Who am I to say no to a spoiled Siamese cat? :)

Supposed to be

This post was supposed to be about my finished Heather sweater. Well, after spending all last night seaming it, I decided to give it another quick bath and as everyone in the Chicago-area knows, it's a tad bit humid right now so it's anyone's guess when it will be dry.

So, I will distract you with the lovely little notecard and stitchmarkers Kim sent. She has put out a request for sock yarn scraps so that she can knit a sock yarn log cabin blanket (crazy!). Well, as you may have noticed, I've knit a few socks and I almost always have scraps. In return for my bag of sock yarn scrap balls Kim sent me the cutest stitchmarkers (and a check to cover postage!). Thank you, Kim! I'll be sure to send all future sock yarn leftovers your way:)


I'll leave you with a picture of the not nearly finished Trekking XXL #71 socks. I spent so much time seaming that sweater last night, I didn't get a chance to knit at all! (Plus I played Ages of Empires II for a few hours -hehe).
These socks are going to be great when they are done, but I'm starting to doubt they ever will be. Not sure why they are taking so long. I really like the yarn, the color, and the pattern (6x2 rib). Oh well, I'm sure if I just spent an evening on them I would finish them in no time.

Look for the finished Heather posting this weekend!

Yarn Hangover

Days later and I'm still basking in the afterglow from the Stitches Market. I had a wonderful time and I have been busy admiring all my newly acquired yarn. I've been occupying myself trying to figure out what pattern to use with each of the new sock yarns - that may be my favorite way to pass the time when I'm not actually knitting.

For knitting progress, I have completed all the parts of Heather and it is blocking and drying quietly (or as quietly as it can with a 7 pound Siamese cat draped across it who cleverly moved the moment I brought the camera out). Seaming and finishing should happen within the next couple days depending on drying time.

The Trekking #71 socks seem to have no end. I've been knitting on them at odd times for a couple weeks now and so far I've only gotten the first one done. Maybe I can get the second one finished by the end of the week.

I've also started another pair of socks in the wonderful Blue Moon Fiber Arts Sock Candy in Cherries Jubilee, their cotton sock yarn. I really love the way it knits up. Wonderfully springy fabric. The pattern is the Isosceles pattern from Wildhorse Farm Designs. There are quite a few nice patterns on that site - I'm sure I'll be getting more. I think the Isosceles pattern works very nicely with this lightly variegated yarn, but I'm curious to see how it will work with a more heavily contrasted colorway. Guess I'll be knitting this pattern again. :)

***Knitting GROUP is tomorrow night (Wednesday) at the Borders' Cafe in Wilmette (corner of Lake & Skokie). We meet from 6:30 until 8:00 and any yarn enthusiast is welcome!***

Stitches Midwest 2006

August in the Chicago area brings not only more unbearable heat and humidity (thought it's actually pretty nice weather right now), it also heralds the arrival of Stiches Midwest and the glorious Market. This year none of the classes called out to me so it was all about the Market.

I went with my friend, Alice, and had fun seeing my friends from knitting GROUP. We had a terrific time. My group was all very concerned that I would buy up all the Socks that Rock at Blue Moon Fiber Arts before they got there, but I left them a few skeins:) Here's Alice buying up some lovely sock yarn at Blue Moon Fiber Arts. We actually ended up at that booth three times during the day! The booth was packed from the moment the Market opened. There's no denying those sock yarns really rock.

It was neat to meet Debra, one of the dyers, and Kaci, who helps coordinate the sock club as well as do all the things necessary to make Socks that Rock rock. (I asked her about the Rockin' Sock Club for next year and she said they should be able to accommodate pretty much everyone as their new production centers are much much bigger - yea!) There were so many amazing colors to pick from - pictures further on in this post.

During the afternoon we ran into fellow knitting GROUP member, Jen, and her mom, Margaret. They were having fun picking out the best colors at Brooks Farm. Look at those gorgeous blues. Mmmm, Brooks Farm. Other fellow knitting GROUP members, Claire, Lynae, Liz, Kathy, and Adrienne, were all enjoying the Market too. It was fun running into each other occasionally and seeing what purchases had been made. I think our next meeting on Wednesday will be a great show-and-tell.

So enough with the words, here's the wool!

Here are the most drool-worthy acquisitions - my new Socks that Rock and Sock Candy!

Top photo from left to right: Covelite, Cracked Canyon, Spot Rock Two, Smoky Topaz, and Rooster Rock.
Bottom photo from left to right: Lovers Leap, Rock My World, Blue Brick Wall, Philosopher's Stone, Kabuki (Sock Candy), and Hurricane (Sock Candy).

I can't wait to figure out what to knit with each skein. I made sure to pick out a few colors that were Matt-friendly as he hasn't gotten any Socks that Rock socks yet. This yarn is simply beautiful. As we shopped around the Market I kept stopping Alice to look in our Blue Moon Fiber Arts bags to admire the beauty. Yea! Socks that Rock! (We won't go into the fact that I'd been having anxiety dreams all week about them being sold out before I got there:)

Next stop was Brooks Farm. I couldn't resist picking up a little more Brooks Farm Four Play. I picked out a couple colors and I think I'll make simple tops with it. Inspired by the Reluctant Mango's beautiful T-Twist top from Knitty, I may try adding that twist edging to the Shaped Neck Tee pattern.

One thing I really kept an eye out for was sock yarn in colors that would appeal to Matt (aside from the super Socks that Rock). I had some luck finding some Lana Grossa Meilenweit Colortweed #1008 and a couple balls of Trekking XXL (#69 and #102). I also couldn't resist the bright colors of the Trekking XXL #136 for myself.
Webs was there with their terrific bargains. I had been busy pricing Noro Kureyon the last few weeks because I plan on knitting Rosedale United (from Knitty) sometime this winter. Well luck would have it that a really great color of Kureyon was on Stitches Special sale (even cheaper than their website!). It's color #157 and has lovely purples, greens, and rust.


My final big splurge was a couple bargain bags of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran at half off. This red color is just gorgeous. I had picked up the Knitting Pure and Simple Shaped Cardigan #241 pattern earlier and I think this yarn will be perfect for it.



Oh, and I had my first blogger sighting. While at the Blue Moon Fiber Arts booth someone asked me if I had a blog because they recognized me! It was Heather from Yarn Liberation Front. Hi!

There you have it. It was a fantastic day overall and I was exhausted by the end. I think Stitches Midwest Market 2006 was a success:)

Shaped Neck Tee

I realized I never got around to posting my finished Shaped Neck Tee from June, so here it is:
Shaped Neck Tee

Pattern: Shaped Neck Tee
Yarn: Rowan Calmer in Peacock (discontinued color)
Needle: KnitPicks Options size 4 and 6
Start Date: June 22, 2006
Finish Date: July 1, 2006
Comments: Very nice easy knit. The Rowan Calmer was a pleasure to knit with though I did unfortunately have to track down a sixth ball because I was a few yards short in the end:( The amazing story regarding getting a sixth ball is that I had purchased the first five off of ebay a couple months ago. The sixth ball I ordered from a little store in England. It arrives and I could not believe it when I compared the dyelots. It was from the same dyelot! That was lucky. I really like this color and the fit is very good (I knit the large size). I can easily see making more of these in different colors and yarns (especially the recommended allhemp yarn). Overall a nice project due to a good pattern and luscious yarn.

Progress is being made on both Heather and the Trekking XXL #71 socks. I'm almost done with the front of Heather and then it's on the sleeves.

I've also been busy making up my shopping/wish list for Stitches Midwest this weekend. No classes for me this year, but that just means I can spend a little more on yarn, right? I'm most looking forward to seeing all the lovely wares at Blue Moon Fiber Arts and Brooks Farm. I'm sure my credit card will get a workout:)

***Knitting GROUP is tonight (Wednesday) at the Borders' Cafe in Wilmette (corner of Lake & Skokie). We meet from 6:30 until 8:00 and any yarn enthusiast is welcome!***

Sweater Status and a Finished Project

This weekend was filled with excellent Indian food with friends, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, the fifth season of Curb Your Enthusiasm, the Lakeshore Arts Festival, and a bit of knitting. Here' s a picture of the knitting. I finished up the back of Heather and I've made solid progress on the front. I'm hoping to finish this piece up in a couple days so that I can knit the sleeves and finish up by the end of the coming weekend. We'll see how that goes.


The Trekking #71 sock looks very much like it did last time. Busy weekends cut into knitting time. Instead here's a little finished object from June (I finally put the liner in...hand-sewing is a pain. I really need to buy a little sewing machine).


Chinese Charm Bag
















Pattern: Chinese Charm Bag from Stitch 'N Bitch
Yarn: Noro Gemstones (discontinued)
Needles: size 10 Denise Needles
Start Date: June 24, 2006
End Date: Knitting done June 25, 2006 - Finishing happened on August 6, 2006

Comments: Overall I really enjoyed knitting this bag. It was a quick project aside from actually hand-sewing the liner. I haven't sewn for years and I didn't do the best job. Maybe someday I'll redo the lining, but for now I will hope that Pikachu makes up for any poor sewing by being so darn cute:) The bag used 4 skeins of the now discontinued Noro Gemstones. I wish they hadn't discontinued that yarn line though because it was lovely to knit with and the resulting fabric is stunning.

Friday progress

You may notice this photo is a little bigger than usual. That is to distract you from the fact that not too much is happening here. I'm up to the armhole shaping on Heather and I'm about to turn the heel on good ol' Trekking XXL #71 sock.

The oppressive heatwave is moving on, but it's still hot. I don't like hot. My people are from frozen tundras not tropical climes. I cannot wait until autumn with the crisp air and cool winds. I don't remember not being hot, do you?

August Goals

Yowza! July was a blast! Six pairs of socks was the goal and I ended up with....six pairs of socks. Hooray!

Now on to my August goals. For this month, sweaters are back on the list. For myself I will knit Heather from Rowan's A Season's Tale pattern book. I am using some gorgeous Jaeger Shetland Aran in a sage green color that works very well with this pattern. I started knitting the back Monday night and I've already made terrific progress. After all that sock yarn, this aran weight yarn feels like rope (really nice soft rope)!

This month I will also knit a sweater for Matt. He reads this blog now and again so, unfortunately, to keep it a bit of a surprise, I will not blog about his sweater until after it is finished and gifted to him sometime around the winter solstice. He knows about the yarn (he helped pick it out), so here' s a picture of lovely Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran Tweed in Licorice that will become his sweater.

Aside from the two big sweater projects, I will be knitting various socks as well. Here's a picture of the sock I've started for Matt. It's in Trekking XXL #71 in a basic 6x2 rib. I will also probably knit another pair for myself with a new pattern I just purchased from Wildhorse Farm Designs. Maybe some leg warmers too (nothing says "August!" like leg warmers). After completing six pairs last month, I'm not putting any pressure on myself sockwise in August so if these socks get done, great! If not, I won't stress about it:) I have been considering joining Sock Wars, but I'm just not sure...it looks like a lot of fun though...hmmm.

Many thanks to the Crazy Colorado Knitter she gave me some great advice about using photos on my new Mac. Firefox did the trick! Thank you.


***Knitting GROUP is tonight at the Borders' Cafe in Wilmette (corner of Lake & Skokie). We meet from 6:30 until 8:00 and any yarn enthusiast is welcome!***

Frustration

Ugh. So, yesterday Matt and I got our new computer. We found out a couple weeks ago that the his brother was wanting his computer back (we've been using it for the past year) so we started looking for a new one. After a lot of thought we decided to go for an Apple. We both had only ever used PC's, but after so many crashes, we thought maybe Apple was the way to go. I used to play a lot of computer games which was the main attraction to the PC, but now, all the good titles end up on Mac anyway.

Anyway, long story short, our beautiful new Apple is all set up and I've already had a lot of fun playing with it. Unfortunately I have no idea how to quickly use iPhoto and hence my well-written and fascinating blog post that was all ready to go sans pictures is on hold until I figure stuff out tonight.

:(


***Knitting GROUP is tonight at the Borders' Cafe in Wilmette (corner of Lake & Skokie). We meet from 6:30 until 8:00 and any yarn enthusiast is welcome!***