Another One Done

I must say, not working, whether it is unemployed or retired) is good for the knitting time.  I have finished my fourth project for the year already.

When I had given Lil Farm Gal the doll hat and sweater at Christmas, she said she wanted one, and tried to stretch it to fit her.  Since it was tight, I decided I had to do something about that. 

I even splurged on non-stash yarn.

The yarn is Encore Tweed, a worsted weight, wool blend.  The color is called Grape Jam, but it looks more like a grape milkshake to me.  A lavenderish gray.  I ended with a small bit of I cord at the top of the hat to finish it up.  Right now it is stretched loosely over a plate to block and dry.

Which leaves me to contemplate what to knit now.  I have lots of already started projects to choose from. What will win?
Stay tuned to this space. 

Plodding On

I finished the Black  Cotton Cardi with glee.  And, although surrounded by WIPs (Works In Progress), I still feel the need to cast on.  I have been intermittently working working on the Silver Dove socks, started eons ago.  When I picked those up, I was barely past the cuff on the second sock.

As you can see, I have turned the heel, and since this picture have gotten about half way to the toe.  

I also cast on for the first doll sweater.  This is for a girl at church.  After stash diving I found plenty of this minty green heather.  It is also 100% acrylic, as is needed for non-fibery people.   That one took me about 2 days to finish.  I haven't changed it to finished on Ravelry only because I still need to sew on the sweet little buttons I found.  I hope to do that after posting here.

I also promised the so-called "glamour shot" of the Black Cardi.  I'm not sure how glamorous it is, but I do like the sweater.

It was funny, but as I designed it, the only thing I imagined differently was the length.  I always imagined it as more of a high hip length.  But as I knit, I couldn't believe the length was enough, so I probably could have quit a couple inches shorter and done fine.  But the yarn, Knit Picks Shine is so soft.  I really like it.  I have a couple skeins of the black left.  I had also purchased some pink and burgundy that will be combined with the black for a cotton shawl some day.
In the meantime though, before I cast on for another doll sweater, and the matching (or at least coordinating) one for Lil' Farm Gal, I want to finish the second sock of this pair.
Then I can perhaps start a new pair.  And cast on their sweaters.  And decide which WIP to throw into the rotation next.

And The First of 2014

Buttons are on and I have my first finished project of the year.

The yarn is Knit Picks Shine, in black sport weight, a cotton/modal blend (That's kind of like rayon.). It feels great.

Gertrude looks pretty good in it, now that the buttons are on. The sleeves may look really short, but they are a perfect three-quarter length on me.

I think I have also mastered the art of taking a selfie.

I just need to get better backgrounds.

 

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Perils in Knitting

While I have enjoyed the knitting adventure that has been my black cotton cardigan, there have been dangers I didn't anticipate when I bought this yarn.

The first problem came in the first incarnation of the black cotton, when I attempted a simple black cotton tee top. But, alas, trying to knit it with my dark Knit Pick multicolor needles was next to impossible, especially on size two needles.

After frogging back, and regrouping, I invested in some of the Knit Pick blond Sunstruck needles. I started over as a cardigan, with size five. The knitting went much better. However, sometime after originally purchasing the yarn, I had acquired a mostly white cat. A cat who loves to climb on my chair and walk over me as I knit....always leaving a few hairs as a reminder that he had passed. Can you see them?

And lastly, once the problem of dark yarn on dark needles was solved, and the white cat hair resigned to, there were a ton of stinking ends to weave in. Let me saw right now, for the record: I hate yarn that only comes in 50 gram ball, as opposed to 100 gram balls. They have twice as many ends to contend with.

There are at least eleventy nine ends to weave in.

But after that, the buttons!

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Good Knitting Weather

With temperatures in the single digits, so far, and a bit lower wind chills, it has been great knitting weather.
The body of the black cotton cardigan is off the needles. So before picking up stitches for the neck band and front button and button hole bands I reviewed my button choices. Against the black sweater, the camera doesn't do justice to the buttons. So here is a picture of the choices.

On the left is a light gray with a brushed finish. The center choice is shiny ball shaped black. And on the right is the clear sparkly buttons. I like all of them, but my feeling is that the solid black of the sweater needs the sparkly clear buttons.

The flash washes the buttons out in this picture. But even here I think the sparkles win out.
Now, back to my knitting.

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