Knitting Angst

It's real people. Just like the agony of defeat, without the skis.

So what happened? I got ready to sit down with some knitting this evening deciding to work on my Simple Brainless Socks. I pulled them out of my bag, adjusted the needles when....what? The one tip has snapped off from the cable. So I know one thing I may need to purchase this weekend at the Northern Michigan Lamb and Wool Festival: size 0, 40 inch circular needle. Preferably wood, but I won't be fussy. I had only used them for the amount of sock you see here.

So, since that won't be getting worked on for a while, I pulled out some handspun, merino silk I believe, and wound it into a ball to start a new shawl. Of course, since my swift is hung up with that mohair I mentioned before, this was hand wound again.

I think this will make a decent semi-brainless traveling project, once I work through the pattern repeat a time or two.

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Poetry Month--Day 3....Silk!

In honor of my newly finished project, here is a bit of haiku, for today's poem.

Silk

Blue shimmers and shines

Finished at last, love the drape.

This one is all mine.

This project was started last fall, with yarn purchased last year with my birthday discount at my local yarn store. Pure silk! Yummy! The yarn had a thick and thin texture that gave the shawl a rustic look. With all my other projects in the last year, it had fallen behind in the pile, but I wanted to finish it before this year's birthday. And I did.

Now I can focus on the Traveling Woman shawl and my sock projects, with occasional dips into the sweater projects.

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Wishing For Snow, Wishing For Wool

Ahh, the good old days. This was about this time of year, back in 2011. Look at all that wonderful snow! We had to call out Older Son with the big guns to plow us out that year.

Hubby was supervising the operation. Wonderful snowy memories. All we have now is a skim of snow over the now frozen slop and slush.

At home and on the knitting front currently, I am bouncing around from project to project. I worked on the rustic silk shawl last night, only a couple rows. This afternoon and evening I have been working on my Navy Tweed Vest. I have started the armhole shaping so am closing in on finishing the back. But I don't think I want to start one of the front sides on that right away. I also grabbed my Smocked Brown Cow Socks briefly to work on.

I am waiting for my "unyarn" to arrive from Iceland so I can participate in Mason Dixon Knitting's "Bang Out a Sweater" Knit-a-Long. I will be just getting started as already people are finishing. It is supposed to be a fast knit. But I will need plenty of time to swatch, wash and dry my unspun yarn. From what I hear the bloom of the yarn changes the gauge drastically after washing. Swatching isn't bad. It is waiting for it to dry that drives me bonkers.

And with Spin Guild on Monday, I foresee lots of fiber coming my way.

 

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Resolutions, Finally

Now that is a week into the New Year, I have thought about at least my knitting goals for 2016.

1. I would like to finish my most active WIPs. Namely the Navy Tweed Vest, the Lilac Cardigan (before a certain purple princess outgrows size 12 months), my Stonehenge Hitchhiker Shawl (shown above before the last half skein was knitted), Sandy's Traveling Woman shawl (before July), the Rustic Blue Silk Triangle, and the Baby Hap Shawl (also for the purple princess).
2. Knit at least one cardigan for me, maybe two. I want to use the Fabjous Yarns fingering weight in Plum Cake that has been in the stash for over a year for one sweater. And I would like to make another out of some of my homespun. I have enough white, light gray, and dark gray Shetland, or some white mixed Leister crossed from a fleece I got a while back, and also I believe I have enough Jacob with all the colors blended together. Multiple choices there.
3. Socks, I need more socks. To that end I signed up for a free Craftsy knit along. Of course I did buy the yarn recommended. It's in the mail now. I need to work at getting them to fit better again.
4. Finish more of my other Craftsy classes.

Of course while these are noble goals for the year, I did accidently cast on something new yesterday. More on that tomorrow. When will I ever learn? At least the Scoreboard Cowl is finished.

Now let's see how well I do with these goals.

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The Knitting Status

I promised an update on my knitting progress.  So here goes.

The 2015 Lions Scoreboard Cowl continues to grow.  Unfortunately, mostly it is growing in silver, instead of Honolulu Blue.  If I need to start another silver ball during the next game, I will be investing in another ball.  I have four, and each should last four games, but this is game four coming up.  I am getting mighty thin on the silver.  I may get one anyway, just to make sure I have enough.  I can always make a hat or something using the leftovers of all three colors.

Little Farmers Gray Spiral Blankie is in the cast off phase yet.  I have only about 3 sections yet to go, but have been concentrating on a certain baby sweater pretty hard.   Plus until the past couple days, it has been too hot to work on it.  But I have confidence it will be finished very soon.

That certain baby sweater, the Purple Swing Cardigan is almost finished,  the second sleeve is farther along and an evening with that will have that cast off.  Then it is just the finishing details, sewing down the neck and weaving in ends, as well as the ribbon tie through the neck casing.  

And last of all, my most recent cast on, my Rustic Silk Triangle.

The lacy look is caused by the large needles, making it a speedy knit.  I like the squiggles here and there where the thicker part of the yarn shows up.  I hope to finish it soon.  It is only a small shawlette size, although I did purchase two skeins.  It will be more of a scarf than shawl when finished.  I think I will like it. 

Fibery Fun Fix

Saturday was the weekend for a wonderful, little fiber show called Northern Michigan Lamb and Wool. Held at the county fair grounds near West Branch in the northeast lower peninsula of Michigan, it is a low key, relaxing event that doesn't have the heat and crushing crowds of the Michigan Fiber Festival in Allegan in August. Nor is it as ritzy or high toned as the event held in Charlevoix in late July. Instead it has a more comfortable, casual feel, with plenty of yarn and fiber and tools. I saw lots that interested me. One booth was packed with antique wheels and books, from the estate of a fiber crafter. Drool!

Mostly, I served as an enabler this trip. I was once again accompanied by my usual partner in crime and owl lover, Sandy. Unfortunately the shopping experience was hindered by her killer headache and her hubby'spresence. ( Although he was an excellent chauffeur.) He probably was also the reason we got home before 9 pm instead of 2 am.

I talked her into buying a shawl, although it was with the condition that I knit her one like another we saw. I said ok, as long as she furnished the yarn. So...I have a Traveling Woman shawl in my future. Luckily I already have the purchased pattern. We later found some lovely creamy handspun that should work really well.

I scored the last two skeins of a white merino-tencel blend. The tencel gives it a great sheen, and of course the merino makes it wonderfully soft. I also got another fan and small basket and some buttons. I was delighted to find that they were being sold by the daughter of the gal I had purchased my previous baskets from who will soon be a missionary in South Sudan.

Oh, I also got a ball of sock yarn at the festival...a Zauberball, barely seen in the basket below. I have always wanted to try it. Then I get home to an email from my local yarn shop and found they are now carrying it!

We had stopped at a craft store on the way to the festival. And since we had time and money, we stopped again on the way back. I spent a bit more there, tatting needle, (like I need another craft to learn,) some thread, buttons, and two skeins of Noro Silk Garden Sock yarn. Clearly I need to step up my sock knitting.

The night before, because none of my projects were in a state of being good traveling projects, I started to cast on this.

It was part of my birthday splurge at the aforementioned yarn shop. It is, as the label says, pure silk. It is a simple triangle shawl that looks lacy and rustic both, thanks to large needles and the thick/thin character of the yarn.

More on the knitting another day.

 

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Clairvoyant

"Crystal ball, crystal ball what do you see?"

"I see a light turquoise sweater, just for me!

And a lacy silk scarf in luscious blue."

I can hardly wait to start knitting these two.

So I may have gone to the local yarn store and took advantage of my birthday discount. And the yarn shown above may have accidentally fell in my basket and came home with me.

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The So Sari Shawl Finished

The fuzzy wuzzy sari silk yarn has been transformed in to a wonderful shawl.  And with about a skein to spare as well.

The yarn over holes are a bit subtle but their still add an airy quality.  Funny thing though; as holey as it is, it is very warm.  As I finished it during the recent (and very brief) warm spell I wrapped it around me as I knit the last few rows.  And it was very warm.
It has been passed on to it's owner and I am back to working on the Duchess of Cambridge cardigan.  I hope to cast off the second sleeve either today or tomorrow.  Then comes the long task of picking up the stitches up one side, around the neck and down the other side.  And some tedious hours of 1 x 1 ribbing to finish that project.
This shawl was project five for this year.    I promise not start anything new until I finish the cardigan and SWestie shawl.
Except for a possible pair of socks.
I hope.

And I'm Off

The real Winter Games began competing on Thursday, so I started to knit then. Once swatching was done, and the sample approved, there was no reason to wait.

I ended up with size 13 needles, a bit outside my comfort zone. And apparently the ball I chose to start with was the one used in the bottom swatch. It knit up thicker than just the size 11 needles would account for.

it ran out after about three or four inches and the next ball wasn't so fuzzy. But I decided to add random yarn over holes every couple rows to make it more light and airy.

You can see both sections here as Lizzy models it. I will just save the thickest and fuzziest to use at the final end.

PS...You may notice that I avoid the O word when referring to the Games. The official "O" committee threatened to sue in the past when knitters used the word when they celebrated the games with knitting. So I prefer to ignore the the official group.

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Winter Games Knitting

I have been knitting along on my SWestie Shawl.  I love the colors of the Noro and I have started the second color repeat.  I haven't weighed the skein that is left yet, but I judge that I am about half way through that skein.  After going through the stash, and laying several skeins of sock yarn with the shawl, I decided against the green as I mentioned before.  I decided on this lovely skein of Knit Picks Gloss, in Winter Night. I have two skeins, so that will give me about 850 to 900 yards total.  I think it will make a wonderful shawl.

The Winter Night isn't an exact match, but very close.  I don't like things too matchy-matchy anyway.
Now, the Winter Games.  The Olympic committee had a hissy fit before when knitters around the world celebrated the games four years ago by have Knitting Olympics. So I probably won't actually much of the real Winter Games, but I have decided to try to have my private Knitting Winter Game.

My ex-boss, but still friend, had purchased this sari silk at a fiber festival in West Branch one year.  With my enabling, of course.  I mean, after all...what are friends for?  Anyway, as the end was nearing on my job, and I was trying to cheer her and myself with talking about all the knitting time I was gaining, she asked me to knit her a shawl out of this.  Just a plain old rectangle, easy peasy.  I think the biggest problem will be the fact that my largest needles are almost the same colors as the yarn.  I will do my swatching tomorrow and then try to figure out stitch count.  I am planning on garter stitch.  I don't think any fancy stitches would show in that yarn anyway.  Just large needles to show off the yarn.
And then Friday, I can cast on and start knitting.  I better find out how long the real Olympics last so I know when I need to have this finished.
Then I can return to my shawl and continue on my Duchess of Cambridge cardigan.  I am on the second sleeve!

And Non-Progress Report

A great day today, celebrating the coming birth of the baby of some friends. Lots of fun, and I got some baby time with my little buddy Max again.

I finally met Older Son's girl friend, and her daughter. The daughter's sweater was approved of and the sleeve fit at least.

But when I got home, I reviewed some of my projects, and decided to visit the frog pond. The black cotton tee was the first to go. I wasn't going back to knit on It because the dark yarn on my dark size two needles were hard to see. Not to mention slow going. Two balls rewound.

That was at least something that had been worked on this year. The other project was probably from 2005 or 2006. I had started a simple feather and fan shawl out of a skein of Helen's Lace in aqua with blue and purple. I also has a skein of solid JaggerSpun Zephyr in aqua. Both are 50/50 wool silk blends. But I hadn't touched that project in years. So it was frogged as well. Granted, that was ripped back, because I wanted the size 5 needles, but ripped none the less.

So only negative progress today,aside from the second sleeve on my pink purple sweater. But I did gain more yarn to knit. For free!

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Social Networking Comes Through

My post from last night came through for me.  I got a reply on FaceBook about the fiber.
According the the amazing Rachel of Counting Sheep Farm, and Ewe Hottie, I was right.  The fiber was from her booth.  I think I got it from her rapidly dwindling supply over a year ago at the Michigan Fiber Festival in Allegan. 

The fiber is her cormo, plus alpaca and silk from my friend and shetland source, Sheila.  It is almost scary how I guessed the fiber content of that.
On the knitting front, I am on the home stretch on the Leftover Pi shawl, shown below.

I am probably three quarters through the border.  Last night at Knit Nite I had a great chance to spread it out on one of the round tables.  The colors are blacker than shown here.  I am beginning I will need to block this either folded in half, with the fan on, or else first one half and then the other.  But the eyelet rows will need the blocking to fully bring them out.
Warm and toasty.  I look forward to using this, whether as a shawl, or afghan.  If to awkward to wear, it will still use as lap robe or afghan.  But I have to wear it enough to show people how to wear it.  I still have people asking where is the hole to put over my head.

Turkey Time

Boy, is it dark out, even for 5:00 pm following the "stupid time change" (long time readers may remember that I detest daylight savings and wish we were on standard time year round). We probably have about an hour of daylight left (as I type this.) I am already tired, thanks to the mucking around with the clock.

But enough of my blather. I have knitting to show off. I have completed a bit more on this than the picture shows. It the Two to Triangle shawl from the latest Knitters Magazine, option 2. I love the Panda Silk yarn, and am looking forward to the great drape.

And as usual I have markers to mark all the crucial increases points. With only 4 pattern stitches and the yarn overs always lining up, it is easy to keep track of the repeats.

And here is a picture, such as it is of Evelyn's faroese. I have added at least a couple more inches to this, as it went with me to the genealogy conference I mentioned yesterda.

I had some comments on it. People loved the alpaca yarn, and were wishing they had brought their projects along. I have said all along, I can concentrate much better with knitting in my hands.

Oh yeah. Wondering about the title of this post?

The Catholic church in a nearby town was holding their annual turkey dinner, with all the fixings. Since Hubby gets to that town nearly every week for the livestock auction, he had made note of it and so we went there after church for dinner. Yum. And since I was able to swap his dressing for my potatoes, it was extra wonderful. I can't wait for our Turkey.

One Great Project Deserves Another

I have truly been loving knitting the Faroese shawl for Evelyn. Aside from the black hole thing, which actually makes it great travel knitting. I think it may just accompany me to a genealogy conference tomorrow, as it is easy peasy and I can knit and listen with only 4 spots where I have to check if I am on increase row or not. Other than that, straight knitting. Not exciting knitting, but great travel knitting, if I can find a smaller tote for it.

No new pictures of it however. I can't even find the "toe shot" so I can add that to Ravelry. I did, after due consideration, decide that another project was ready to cast on. (What works in progress are you referring too? You mean I have enough WIPs already? Oh well, too late now.)

This is a pattern that was in the latest Knitters magazine, K104, called Two to Triangle. It is a basic triangle shape, similar to my Red Roses Triangle. The magazine shows several options for the lace and I have chosen option 2. This picture is just the set up, but I have gotten into the lace. Only one pattern to memorize, 4 rows long. Now that I am past the shoulder shaping on the faroese, these increases are similar to that. But with the lace I can get a little challenge and a break from plain garter stitch.

And for my fiber friends...the yarn is Panda Silk, hand dyed by Yarn Hollow. One of the two skeins of yarn I got at the Michigan Fiber Festival this past summer in Allegan. The colorway is Paisley, it has magenta, navy and brown and the white of one of the fibers (silk perhaps) resists the dye so there is a white heathery look to the yarn as well. Despite the many colors, the lace seems to show up just fine. When I get some more length on it, I will share a picture.