WiP Wednesday

Posted on November 9, 2011 by

Sorry I haven’t posted in a while – I keep getting caught up in life and don’t have time (or forget!) to pop in here and post!

If you would please send some kitty mojo to my poor 17-year-old furbaby Harpo, I’d greatly appreciate it – we discovered that he has a growth in his belly (most likely his spleen enlarged) and fluids in his abdomen.  Because of his age and heart condition he is not in any shape to survive an operation, so it’s only a matter of time.  I’m preparing myself as best as I can, but it’s going to hit me hard when it’s time to say goodbye. :-(

My furbaby, Harpo.

I’ve finished more of my Christmas knitting, and I’m almost done!!  Which is a good thing, because both sides of our family are exchanging presents way before Christmas – my side is exchanging gifts at Thanksgiving, and my husband’s side is exchanging gifts the second week of December.  So I’m very happy that I’m almost done with the planned gift knitting!!

Other than gifts that I can’t show you right now, I have a couple other things on the needles – firstly the linen stitch scarf:

Up close

All 450 stitches squished on the needle.

It’s coming along slowly, since it’s worked from side to side instead of length-wise – so each row is 450 stitches long.  whew!  But I’m very happy with how it’s looking so far.  (The pattern is the Koigu Linen Stitch scarf by Churchmouse Yarns and Teas, and the yarn I’m using is three different shades of Claudia Handpainted yarn.)

I dusted off my spinning wheel this last week and I’ve been finishing up my Knit Witch merino/bamboo roving in this lovely green shade:

I hope to have the singles done in the next day or two and then I’m going to attempt to navajo ply them.  I’ve never navajo plied before, so I’m going to finally give it a go!  (hopefully!)  I should have a nice heavy fingering to sport-weight yarn when I’m done.

Well, that’s all I’ve really got in progress right now that I can show you for this week! Be sure to check out the other WiPs over at Tami’s Amis!

Happy Knitting! (and spinning!)

Posted in Shawl, Spinning, WiP | 7 Comments

WiP Wednesday

Posted on October 26, 2011 by

I’ve been knitting away at all kinds of things, mostly Christmas presents, so I sadly can’t show you most of my WiPs or recent FOs.

Now that I finished up my sock pattern and published it (see here!), I have a new design on paper and on the needles – this time for a shawl.  But I also have a new sweater design kicking around in my head.  (My other sweater design is going to have to wait a little while – it’s quite complicated, so figuring out the sizes and grading and writing the pattern is going to be quite a challenge.)  I wish I had more time, or some clones or something, so I could work on more than one design at a time! :-)

I few days ago finished a pair of socks for me:

I’m so glad they’re done, because they are so comfy!!  And now that the weather has started to get cooler I can actually wear them!

Pattern: William’s Socks Expanded by me!
Yarn: Crazy 4 Dyeing JollySock in color Ring of Fire
Needles: US 2
Started: March 8
Finished: October 22

I’ve also pulled out my two at a time socks to try to finish these:

I’m planning on adding afterthought heels to them once I’m done with the legs (hopefully I’ll have enough yarn to do the heels without having to do solid colored heels – I really want to get the ‘bullseye’ look that you get with an afterthought heel and self-striping yarn.)

And I’m rewarding myself for getting 1/2 of my Christmas knitting done (yay! just a few things left to knit!) by casting on today for a Linen Stitch scarf:

I bought the yarn and the pattern at the TKGA conference in Greensboro last month and am itching to start it, so it’ll be going on the needles tonight!

What’s on your needles this week?  Check out some other WiP Wednesday posts over at Tami’s Amis!

Happy Knitting!

Posted in FO Post, Socks, WiP | 4 Comments

FO Friday – New pattern!

Posted on October 21, 2011 by

Well, it’s FO Friday and I have a new pattern to share with you!

Autumn Wheat Socks

Autumn Wheat in FibroFibers Archie

The sample will be on display at SAFF in the FibroFibers booth, so if you’re heading to Asheville this weekend be sure to swing by Jen’s booth and check it out!  (And buy some of her yarn while you’re at it!)

Autumn Wheat in Knit Picks Palette

The sock is knit from the cuff down, and the pattern utilizes increases and decreases, plus cluster stitches.  This pattern works well with variegated yarns that might tend to pool.  It looks great in a more solid color yarn as well, where the pattern can really stand out!

The pattern includes both charts and written directions, and it’s available for purchase over on Ravelry!  (You don’t have to be a member of Ravelry to purchase it, but you should be a member of Ravelry!!)

I hope you like it!

Have a great weekend, and happy knitting!!

 

Posted in FO Post, Patterns, Socks | Leave a comment

WiP Wednesday

Posted on October 5, 2011 by

Hi everyone!  I promise I’m still here and knitting away at things!

My ‘big’ WiP right now is something I can’t show you just yet – it’s a pair of socks I’m designing, but the pattern should be ready very soon, so keep an eye out for it!  (I’m very happy with these, and I hope you all like them!)

I do have several other things on my needles – my cashmere shawl is coming along slowly:

Queen Silvia Shawl in cashmere

I got quite a few rows done on it over my TKGA trip, but it seems to be growing so slowly now!  I still need to do 6.5 repeats of the lace pattern before I can start the edging.  I’ve kind of given myself amnesia about the lace edging – I keep forgetting it’s lurking out there.  I think I’m not relishing the picking up and working the edging over 776 stitches.  Yep, maybe that’s it.

I’ve pulled my Girl Friday sweater out of hibernation, now that the weather is turning cooler:

Girl Friday

It’s going pretty fast, when I actually work on it.  I’m hoping to work on it a bit more once my socks are all done being knitted up and published.  I’m not quite sure about the front – it seems like it should be wider than it is.  I’m following the pattern, and I know that blocking will make it wider – it also has a pretty wide button band that’ll be added, so maybe it’ll turn out alright?  (I hope!)  Not sure if I want to talk myself into starting the fronts over again to make them wider…

I also have another pair of socks on my needles:

These are for me, and I’m almost done!!  It’s my William’s Socks pattern, which really makes a comfy pair of socks (if I do say so myself!)

I’ve started on another Master Knitter Swatch, but it’s not even halfway done, so I don’t have a picture of it yet.  Maybe this coming Monday I’ll have something to show you on that front!

So… that’s what’s on my needles this week!

Happy Knitting!

Posted in Shawl, Socks, Sweater, WiP | 2 Comments

Master Knitter Monday #16: TKGA Wrap-Up

Posted on September 26, 2011 by

I’m back from an amazing 5 days at the TKGA conference in Greensboro, NC.  The whole experience was phenomenal.  I took a good number of classes, and went to several events, and also met so many wonderful people and had such great conversations!

The ‘On Your Way to the Masters’ day on Wednesday was fantastic.  Spending the day with other knitters going through the program was really great!  And getting feedback on my swatches was invaluable.  I’ve regained my enthusiasm for the program and I’ll renew my efforts to get my level 2 done and submitted.  I had kind of stalled on my progress (as I’m sure you blog readers probably noticed!) but now I’m excited to get back to work and get it done very soon.

My Wednesday night class was ‘Intarsia and Argyles’ with Arenda Holladay.  She is a wonderful teacher!!  I am much more confident in tackling Intarsia now, and after a bit more practice I’ll start my argyle sock for level 2.

Argyle swatch with duplicate stitch lines

My Thursday afternoon class was ‘Colorful Cables’ with Melissa Leapman – another wonderful teacher!!  I learned several different ways to do 2 color cables.  Very neat!!  I’d love to design a sweater for my boys using the one with the blocks of color on each side (the top right one in the photo below).

my colorful cables swatches

All day Friday I took ‘Math for Knitters’ and ‘More Math for Knitters’ with Edie Eckman.  FANTASTIC!  I learned so much on Friday.  I think I’m still absorbing all that learning 3 days later.  I’ve gained quite a bit of confidence about figuring out the numbers for sweaters.  I have lots of ideas for sweater designs floating around in my head now!

Game night on Friday night was so much fun!  Last Knitter Standing is a great game – everyone was laughing so hard the whole time!  I’m hoping the Charlotte Yarn ladies sold lots of copies of the game!

The TKGA dinner and fashion show on Saturday night was wonderful as well.  I chickened out on modeling my own entries into the show, but it was very neat seeing my shawl and sweater being modeled on the ‘catwalk’, and having Lily Chin rib me about being an overacheiver with my Ravelympics sweater. :-)

my Lilah shawl being modeled

My Ravelympics sweater being modeled

I also splurged a bit at the Shopping Floor – but I stayed within my budget (for the most part!)  Found a new-to-me indie dyer (Unplanned Peacock Studio), and got some roving from an Alpaca farm based in Kentucky (Flaggy Meadow Fiberworks).  I also got some gorgeous glass buttons and a couple necklaces, as well as finally getting a pair of earrings from Sassafras Creations (been wanting a pair for forever!)

Overall, it was a fantastic 5 days that I will never forget!!

Posted in Master Knitter | 1 Comment

Check-In from TKGA

Posted on September 22, 2011 by

Yesterday I spent all day at the ‘On Your Way to the Masters’ Day at the TKGA conference in Greensboro, NC.  In the morning we had several general sessions with committee members and co-chairs of the Master Knitter program – where they shared information applicable to all knitters working through the Master Knitter program, no matter what level you’re on.  Then, in the afternoon (after a wonderful lunch!) we broke into groups and covered topics more specific to the particular level we are on, and also had a chance to have our swatches looked at and reviewed by the committee members. 

The whole day was just so informative!!  It was invaluable to have the chance to talk to the people who actually do the reviewing of submitted notebooks, and to get constructive feedback in person.  And to also see what goes into the reviewing process was very insightful.  The swatches of mine that I thought were not good were actually fine, and some of the ones I thought were fine were actually not!  I’ll be able to approach the rest of level 2 with a renewed energy and excitement, and with some great tips on how to improve my work.

The chance to meet and make some new friends was just as invaluable.  I contend that knitters are the most wonderful and friendly people on the planet.  My table-mates were so friendly, and I had a wonderful day from start to finish.

I finished off the day with the Intarsia class with Arenda Holladay, and it was a fantastic class.  Arenda is an amazing teacher!  I was able to see her fair isle sweater (from the cover of the Aug/Oct Cast On magazine) in person, and it is even more impressive in person than it is in print (if you can believe THAT!)

I have another class this afternoon, and a full day of classes on Friday.  As well as several evening events, too.  And shopping.  I’m breaking my yarn diet, oh yes.  My wonderful mother-in-law gave me a gift of some fun-money, and it WILL be spent on fun stuff! :-)

Maybe I’ll see some of you over the next few days!  (I already met some blog readers yesterday!  Which totally blows my mind, by the way!)

Happy Knitting everyone!!

Posted in Master Knitter | Leave a comment

Socks!

Posted on September 16, 2011 by

I finally finished the pair of socks I had on the needles for my son!

They had been hibernating for so long, I wasn’t sure they’d still fit him (he’s growing so fast!) but there’s still an inch or so of room at the end of these, so they should last him for a little while, at least.  (Then he can give them to his little brother when he outgrows them! Or he could give them to me – they just about fit me!) :-)

Pattern: (my own!) William’s Socks – Expanded
Yarn: Patons Kroy Socks 4 ply in ‘Cadet Colors’
Needles: US 2 (2.75mm)
Started:  March 22, 2011
Finished:  September 3, 2011 (they were hibernating for a long time)

Not much to say about these!   I love the stretch in these, even when they get a bit on the small side for him they should still fit him alright – the way the ribbing sits on these allows for lengthwise stretch as well as widthwise.  He’s very happy to have a new pair of handknit socks from me (he outgrew his three other pairs!).  I really need to knit him a few more, since he’s always so happy to have something his mommy made for him!

I’ll be in Greensboro, NC next week for the TKGA Fall Conference – I’m very excited!!  I have several classes I’m taking, and I’m going to go to the Game Night as well as the Dinner/Fashion Show.  I’ll try to blog a bit via my phone from the Conference to fill you in on all the happenings!!  (And yay for a mommy-vacation!)  ::jumping up and down::

Happy Knitting!!

Posted in FO Post, Socks | 1 Comment