Disappearing Act

Starlight Shawl

No, I have not disappeared. I am still knitting but have been extra busy and not in a position to blog for a few weeks. However, I have finished the Starlight shawl and it blocked out great. It is a little over 5 feet in diameter. The design is so beautiful. I would consider making this shawl again, even with the beaded edge. The yarn was so beautiful to work with and is so soft. The color was perfect for this project. I used Rebel Yarn’s Laceweight Merino and Silk in the Selene colorway. It looked like moonbeams and is as smooth as butter, especially after being washed and blocked. 

The ever popular edging from Evenstar

In the last month, I have finished one project for Christmas. This is for my sister and because she promised not to read my blog until after Christmas, I will talk about what I am making. I have been wanting to do a special project for my sister, my mom and myself. I had been on the lookout for something special that I could knit for us. This is especially difficult because my mom lives in Africa only 18° off the equator, I live in Portugal where there is no central heating in the houses and in the winter it rains a lot! My sister lives in the States where she may get snow but is more likely to get ice storms. At the beginning of the year, I found Goddess Knits’ Birthstone Yarn Club. On offer was laceweight and sock yarns dyed to match the birthstone of each month of the year. Socks would not be a good choice because my mom would probably not wear them. (My sister and her husband are always asking for more socks though.) So, I choose the laceweight yarn and started looking for patterns. Since it was laceweight yarn my first thought was shawls. However, there are so many shapes to choose from and I only bought one skein of yarn. I finally settled on stoles in a design that would relate to the birthday theme. 

Aquamarine Tulip of March

My sister, born in March, is getting a Spring Tulips Lace Stole made in the Aquamarine yarn with a few minor changes. I did not like the edging, so, not having had enoughto tax my sanity, I used the edging from the Evenstar shawl. It looks great. I started in the middle with a provisional cast-on and worked down to either edge,then knitted on the edging. Using this stole as a general template, I have planned a stole for my mother, born in June, using the Rose Trelis Shawl Vest. I will again be using a different edging, Betsy’s Rose Leaf lace. The yarn is in the Alexandrite colorway. For myself, I will be using the Swallowtail shawl pattern to make myself a stole in the Emerald colorway. I was born in May. Hopefully,I will get these done in time for Christmas so we can wear our matching stoles. 

Sleeves for Rhapsody in Blue Sweater

Also on my needles this month, has been the Rhapsody in Blue sweater. I have reached the sleeves. I worked through the bust darts, not sure if they would look good. They turned out better than I thought they would. You can tell where they are but they do not stand out like a sore thumb in the striping. I am hoping to get thisfinished so I can wear this on the plane home. We will see.

I have been plugging away at the Green Feet socks. One is completed and I am now on the second sock. I also finished the sock cards and they work great. I was even able to complete a set for sweaters. Now I just need measurements or shoe sizeand I can make a sweater or a pair of socks.

I have finished most of a sweater for my new niece/nephew. I worked on this while at camp and am now working on the sleeves. I used the Garter Yoke Baby Cardi and changed the edging. Seems I am changing a lot of edgings lately!

In the last month, I have learned that redesigning a project is not as hard as I thought it would be. That you can find knitting time anywhere if you only look (and have a project always on hand). That children’s socks are faster than adult’s socks. And I don’t knit as fast as I think I do.

On the Edge

Beading on the edge of the Evenstar Shawl!

 I don't know if the edge I am refering to in the title is the edge of insanity or the edge of the shawl I am working on. They seem to be very similar at the moment. I am almost done with the Evenstar shawl. I just have the border edging to finish. The beads I chose look great with the yarn. They are dark beads against the light of the yarn and pop off it nicely. I enjoyed knitting this shawl but I underestimated the amount of time it would take. I was not sure I would get it done in time. I will probably need a few days in August to complete it, but with one week of camp in the middle of July, I think that is acceptable. Especially as there is no one standing over me telling me I must finish it on time. I am looking forward to blocking it and seeing it in all its glory, so to speak. I will need to purchase some bigger blocking boards, however. The ones I have are not large enough for this shawl! It is supposed to be 5 feet in diameter, mine might be a bit larger. I used a size 4US needle instead of the 3 called for in the pattern. We will have to see how big it is when I block it!

POV Socks

I have finished two pairs of socks in the mean time, the POV socks and the Gentlemen’s socks. The POV socks look great and feel better. I have noticed, however, that they need to be reserved for winter as they are very warm. That does not bother me though, I love wool socks in the winter and am looking forward to using them.The Gentlemen’s socks are very soft and look great. I have not seen the gentleman they were knitted for so I still have them. I am sure I will see him before I leave for the States though and they are a weight off my mind. I had taken them to camp to try to finish and they were the only thing I knit on. It was very hot at camp with temperatures over 100°F. With limited time to knit, I am proud of myself for finishing them with everything else that was going on. 

Gentlemen's Socks

I am working on a set of laminated cards for myself. These cards will be used for sock knitting. They contain various styles of heels, cuffs, and toes as well as charts for the number of stitches used for which shoe size and how long I need to knit them to fit a certain size foot. Basically, I condensed a lot of my sock books into a set of cards for knitting socks. The only thing they will not have is the pattern for the instep and leg. There are too many options to choose from to do that and if I did, I would have a stack of cards that would reach the ceiling. They will allow me to choose a leg and instep pattern and make a pair of socks without having to lug around a lot of books or charts. I am thinking of making a set for various sweaters as well, for the sleeves, at the very least. I like the set in sleeves from Knitting Workshop by Elizabeth Zimmerman and the set in sleeves from Knitting from the Top by Barbara Walker. They are both easy alterations to make to any pattern and fit me very well. Set in sleeves are the best type of sleeves for my body type, but I don’t like carrying around the books. As I am trying to keep my luggage to a minimum on furlough, the card system will be better and easier for travel. Best of all, I will have to means to make either a sweater or a pair of socks at my fingertips without having to carry heavy books with me. 

Work sheet for Socks Cards

I am still working on Green Feet and will test-drive my new sock card system with these socks. I also am planning next month’s projects. I have a tiny sweater planned for my new niece/nephew, a present for Christmas and the Green feet birthday gift. The next couple of months may be a bit sparse in regards to blogging. I am getting to the part of the year where I cannot talk very much about my projects, but I will try to at least blog about what I am learning with each one. Some of the recipients read my blog and I don't want to spoil any surprises.

This month, I learned that a slow consistent knitting pace will accomplish more than hurried knitting. That some socks are not meant to be blocked (they turn out too big to wear if you do). And that books on tape make great knitting companions. So, until next time, keep on knitting and learning.

Done At Last!

Argonath

I have finally finished the Argonath stole! It only took me three week longer than I thought it would. However, I will have to say that all the work was worth it. It turned out beautifully. The cables look spectacular. I have left the fringe at the edges uncut. I like the look of the loops rather than a cut fringe. The second border at the top gave me a bit of trouble. I started out and it seemed to pucker, not laying flat like the bottom edge. After frogging it three times, I finally figured out how to make it lay flat. The last little bit seemed to take forever but with persistence I was able to finish.

Starlight

I started on the next project, the Evenstar shawl. I have called it the Starlight shawl in my projects because the yarn looks like spun moonbeams. I have knit to the start of the first chart and hope the work on it goes fast. I have one week marked out for camp this month and am not planning to take this with me. Since lace seems to knit up faster for me I expect that I will be able to get it done by the end of the month using what I have learned this month. Use every little bit of time you have wisely. 

As far as camp knitting, I will be taking a birthday project with me. I also hope to finish the two pairs of socks I have left. I am on the second sock for both pairs. One is at the heel turn and the other is almost to the ribbing on the cuff. They should not take a great deal of time to complete but you know how it is with the best laid plans of Mice and Men. 

Green Feet

I found out that although I did not win first prize in the Mithril KAL, I was eligible for another prize. The person who won deserved it. Her vest was made with a gradient yarn from the Unique Sheep. She started with one color at the bottom and worked her way up to another at the top. All who participated did a great job and every project inspired my creativity in some way. That is what I love about being in touch with other knitters. They inspire you in so many ways. 

I love the cabling in this shawl!

This month I learned to make the most of small moments of time, always have something handy to knit and don’t sweat the small stuff. Until next time, keep on knitting and learning.

Learning that Sore Hands Means Less Knitting Time

So, I am continuing to work on the Argonath. I have just completed the tenth repeat,which brings me to the halfway point in my journey on the river. The yarn is just as yummy and the cabling looks so beautiful. However, (and must there always be an however?) cabling tends to leave my hands sore. So much so that I don’t want to knit on anything else after having knit a few rows on the Argonath. So, I have learned to space out my knitting through out the day instead of bunching it all up at the end of the day. Any other project I would knit at night when I am relaxing. This stole demands that I break up my day and knit just a little at a time. Good thing I work from my house! My plan is to knit a couple rows, then move on to something I need to accomplish. Then take a short break and knit a couple more rows. This way I get what I need to get done, done and I can still get the knitting done on the Argonath. As an added bonus, my hands don’t hurt so much at the end of the day!

Argonath Halfway

I should not have had to relearn this painful lesson. A couple of years ago, I knit a cabled sweater for my sister. While I don’t begrudge her the work that was involved,my hands nearly fell off knitting it. I hope that in the future, I remember this lesson. If I ever make a project with lots of cables, I need to allow time and realize that it will be slow going. Happily, I don’t knit for my job which would require me to have things done in a reasonable amount of time.

The sweater that nearly made my hands fall off!

Planning is done on my future projects. A couple of birthdays are coming up so I have two pairs of socks to knit before I leave. I have two projects to finish as well. The Gentlemen’s Socks and the Pov Socks. I am on the second sock on both projects so I only need a few days time to finish them. The Evenstar shawl is lined up for next month and the yarn bought (hopefully a much-needed break for my hands). I am going to knit it out of a silk and merino lace weight I bought from Rebel Yarns in the UK. It is a lovely silver color called Selene. When I waswinding the balls, I thought it looked like spun moonbeams. As the shawl has a beaded edge, I bought some beads in a hematite color. They pop against the wool and I think they will look stunning in the edging. Can’t wait to cast on!

Selene yarn and Hematite beads. YUM!

Speaking of winding wool, I have begun the physical preparations for my furlough. I have a list a mile long of things I need to get done in the next three and a half months. The first item off my list was to wind all the wool I am taking with me (as this is a relatively easy thing to cross off the list ;). The yarn is for the projects I have planned for the rest of my selfish year. I don’t plan to take much as I will only have three projects left and they are all lace knitting. I also have to plan how many knitted items to take. I have a limited amount of space and will have even less on the return trip. I am planning to take two sweaters, two shawls and a cowl. I am afraid that if I take more it will get left behind for lack of space. Now on to my next item on the list,cleaning the house.

Wound up yarn.

Since my last post I have learned that slow and steady is better than fast and in a sling. And when knitting cables it is better to be the tortoise than the hare. I also learned I like to knit lace more than cables. Until next time, keep on knitting and learning.

In Which I Learn a Sad Lesson

I have putoff writing this post because I have not wanted to admit that I messed up. Asyou know from the previous post I am working on the Isengard Stole by SusanPandorf. However, due to differences with the yarn, I had to frog the stole.The yarn I chose was not right for the project. It was too thin almost laceweight. That may have been fine for some, but I prefer a more substantial yarnwhen working with this pattern. So I have learned a sad lesson. Sometimes theyarn just screams at you ‘Don’t knit me into this project!’ I guess it isbetter to learn this now than later after much work. I had only knit about 4inches of the pattern so I was not very far along. The good news is I love thepattern and am already looking for a better yarn. I have some Bare Gloss yarnfrom Knit Picks that I am thinking of dyeing and using for this pattern. Thiswill probably be a project for next year when I get back from furlough. As forthe yarn, I think it will end up being a lightweight sweater for summer. In themean time the year of knitting selfishly continues.

The yarn that screamed.

Instead ofIsengard, I have been knitting on the Argonath stole. I am up to the fifthrepeat of the center motif. So far, the yarn and the pattern are working outgreat. Since I no longer have Isengard in the lineup for this year, I havedecided to substitute this pattern in its place. The pattern is very fun toknit and fairly intuitive. After reading the Argonath thread on Ravelry, I havebeen able to avoid some of the mistakes that others made. I mentioned last postthat I appreciate the fact that I can look up a pattern on Ravelry and see whatothers say about the pattern. This saves me some hassle and stress, both ofwhich I do not need right now. The yarn I bought for my birthday is yummy. Ilike watching the color changes and feeling the soft yarn as it glides throughmy fingers and onto the needles. Beautiful!

The Argonath

Thecraziness is still ongoing, however. After frogging the Isengard, I cast on asweater in Gloss and Essential from Knit Picks. Some months ago, I watchedLaura Bryant’s video ‘A Knitter’s Guide to Color.’ She stated that you couldtake any three colors in the same value family and make a fabric that appeared tobe a different color by using a single row stripe in the three yarns. I just ‘happened’to have three different colors in the same yarn and in the same value family. (Infact, they were in the same color family too. I do like my Blues.) So I swatchedto see how the colors would interact and decided to try it. I have added afourth blue in Essential to be a stripe at the waistline and across theshoulders. It is also the lining in the turned hems. I am using a variation ofElizabeth Zimmerman’s set in sleeve in the round pattern for the sleeves and adeep v-neck. I am hoping that instead of reading as stripes, the differentcolors will look like one color. We will see how this experiment turns out. Ihave named it ‘Rhapsody in Blue.’

The yarn for Rhapsody in Blue.

Since thelast post, I have learned that yarn DOES scream at you sometimes when you are knittingit into the wrong object. I had heard of this happening but had not reallyexperienced it yet.  I have also learnedthat designing is a lot of fun and I may do more of it in the future. Until thenext time, keep on knitting and learning.

And the Craziness Continues

Well, since the last time I wrote, I have finished the Mithril vest. I have worn it several times and I love the way it looks and fits. The only thing I might have done differently was to put the beading on it. Maybe next time! I do not usually reknit a project but I can see myself knitting another Mithril. This was a fast knit. I just could not put it down. I have yet to get pictures of the completed vest on me, but have pictures of it on the blocking boards.

Blackened Mithril blocking!

I have also completed my Crazy project. The shawl turned out beautifully. I used a variegated yarn I have had for about 6 years. It was some of the oldest yarn in my stash. Even though it was variegated, I went ahead and used a lace pattern. The lace pattern does not show up as well as if it was made of a solid yarn, but I just wanted a shawl with this yarn. Since I did not have very much, I decided to use a lace pattern to get the most out of the yarn. As it was I had to leave off a few rows, but it still turned out the way I wanted. An over the shoulder lace shawl I could wear this summer with tank tops and on cool evenings. Here it is on the blocking boards.

The crazy shawl!

A few days before my birthday, I went to the yarn shop looking for some beads for the Evenstar Shawl, when some yarn jumped off the shelf and wanted to go home with me. It made me feel like Gollum asking his friend for the ring, ‘We wants it cuz its our birthday.’ Only I do not see myself killing someone for the yarn. So,for my birthday, I bought enough yarn to make the Argonath stole by Susan Pandorf. Ever since this project came out, I have been looking at my stash trying to find a way to make it (my mom even asked me ‘When are you going to make this for me?’). I just did not have enough of any one color in the right weight to make it. This yarn made me immediately think of that pattern. So, to continue the craziness, I have cast it on in addition to my other planned projects. I hope that I can get it done in time to wear on the airplane when I go back to the States for furlough.

My stash of birthday yarn with part of the Argonath.

I have also cast on for the Isengard stole. I have called it Orthanc in Ravelry. I have about an inch made and about 71 more to go, but I have a feeling that both this stole and the Argonath are going to be like the Mithril vest… hard to put down. I am making it in black merino wool from Rosários 4. I like the fact that this yarn was made here in Portugal. I have made socks out of this yarn before but I really like the way it is working up as a stole. There is a subtle sheen to theyarn so the twists and turns of the pattern should show up somewhat. It reminded me of the description of the Orthanc.

First inch of the Orthanc

I have learned that some craziness goes a long way and that it is ok to be crazy occasionally. I have also learned to read the Ravelry notes on patterns. If not for them, I might still be stuck at row 57 on the Mithril vest. It helps a lot to go and see what someone else who has made a particular pattern says about it. Sometimes it saves you a lot of time, hassle and of course your hair. Until next time, keep on knitting and learning.

Mithril almost complete

Just a quick update today. I will write more when I have more time.

The Mithril vest is almost complete. As I write, it is on the blocking wires. All that needs to be done for it to be complete is the back neckband. It was a relatively fast knit, but it was also hard to put down. This allows some time for me to complete my craziness.

Until next time, keep on knitting and learning.

Progress and some craziness

Prana Socks

Now that the birthday’s I was knitting for have come and gone, I can share what I made for the girls. The first birthday gift was a pair of Flutterby socks by Cat Bordhi. They used her new sweet tomato heel. I like how the heel was made and will probably use it again in the future. Sorry I did not get a picture before I gifted them, but they were made of a lime green yarn that you can see here. The second birthday gift was a pair of Prana socks from the Knitter’s Book of Socks. I enjoyed knitting these and since they had no heels or toes the knitting went faster than normal. 

 

The lovely silk and merino Blackened Mithril vest.

 I have made some progress on the Blackened Mithril vest. The pattern calls for beading but I could not find any beads that I liked so I am just knitting it plain. The yarn is Knit Picks Gloss fingering weight in Black. Knitting with the silk and merino mix is lovely. I have to stop occasionally to pet the vest. I am nearing the part of the pattern where it makes its first deviation from straightforward. However, the vest itself is lovely to knit. It is a challenge and because of the complexity of the charts, it is a home project. I learned this the hard way. I unexpectedly was able to go to a football game and thankfully had brought my knitting bag along. However, the only thing I had with me was the Mithril vest and it is not conductive to sitting in the bleachers with a big binder holding the pattern. I had to settle for knitting on the sock I keep in my purse. Live and learn.

Today ,I am borrowing a segment from the Knitmore Girls. My knitting attacked me. Actually I did not pay attention to the chart and therefore made several mistakes. I was able to use a couple of double point needles (DPNs) to drop down and fix the problems in just the affected areas. The fix is unnoticeable and is much easier than ripping out a couple rows and then trying to pick up the stitches hoping and praying that you will not lose any. 

My bit of craziness.

And now for some craziness. As if I did not have enough going on this year with planning my furlough, ministry here and the year of knitting selfishly, I decided to cast on something extra. Here it is, the EZ 100th Anniversary CampingHalf-circle shawl. Yes, this is my bit of craziness in the midst of all the normality. I have named it Crazy for casting this on. It is made from Lorna’sLaces Shepherd sock multi in the Devon colorway. I have had these two skeins of yarn for almost 6 years. I just could not find a sock that it wanted to be. Therefore, I finally pulled them out and said this year I will make something with these. Voila, the half-circle shawl idea was born. I wanted to wear these next to my face and since I am planning my furlough wardrobe to revolve around peach and teal, this would satisfy both. I have no set schedule for when this will be done so you may see it for a while or I just may surprise myself and whip through it. 

This last week has taught me that a bit of craziness now and then is a good thing. To be thankful for double points that can fix mistakes in the middle of knitting without ripping back. To have two projects on hand, one of them simple. I also learned that masking tape makes a good chart marker when you use it in combination with plastic sheet protectors. So having learned a lot in the last week, I admonish you to keep knitting and learning.

Dreaming and Planning

I have started the Mithril vest. In honor of knitting this pattern, I watched thefirst Lord of the Rings movie. I thought it was apropos. The vest is about an inch and a half long but so far I am enjoying the pattern. At this stage, I am finding that it is less complicated than the In Dreams shawl that Susan designed at the beginning of last year. However, I think that it will complicate itself soon. 

The first inch of the Mithril vest

In addition to the Mithril vest, I am still working on the last part of the second gift. I must finish it this week as it is for a birthday in the early part of May. I think that I will be able to finish in time, but who knows the future … only God and I am not Him.

Corrie Vest pattern

I have also been plotting and planning a sweater that I will be knitting in September. I will be using Palette yarn from Knit Picks and the Corrie vest pattern from the same company. Because the vest pattern is a strong horizontal, I will only be using part of the pattern as an accent to emphasize the waist. I am planning for it to be a long sleeve, deep v neck cardigan with the pattern only at the waist and a bit at the cuffs. My sister, the artist, helped me pick out the colors. I would not normally pick the peach color, but the blues are my favorite colors.She said the contrast would be good and peach looks good on almost everyone. The photo above is the portion of the pattern I am using along with the color choices. Also pictured is a small sketch of the sweater shape. What do you think? Leave me a comment about the design. 

The sketch

I think that I have a lot of learning in my future. I will try to share the lessons here on the blog as I learn them. ‘Till then keep knitting and learning.

Finished ... Almost!

I finished the knitting on Drily Amused last night. I wove in all the ends and popped it over my head. I made a good choice in making the sweater a size smaller than normal. I modified the sweater by making the waist shorter and the ribbing not as long. However, the sleeves were supposed to be 3/4 length and ended up at my wrists because I forgot to allow for the armhole. The armhole is a little longer than I normally make it. My gauge had less stitches in the height than the gauge called for in the pattern and so I ended the raglan shaping early and just cast on the needed stitches at the underarm. Still it is longer than I usually calculate for and so my sleeves by extension are longer than I normally make them. I am going to rip back the cuffs and reknit them at a shorter length. I will also use a smaller needle to make the ribbing at the cuffs tighter. I am going to try to have this done so I can wear it this weekend. 

As far as my other projects, I am half way through my second gift so I should be able to finish it on time. If I can get some dedicated knitting time. The first half went a lot faster than I was anticipating. When I have given the gifts away, I will post pictures of them here on the blog. Until then you will have to make do with the hints I have given you.

My shoulder is doing better and this allows me a longer knitting time. I am still taking frequent breaks, however. I don’t want to be in a position like that again. I missed the knitting. 

Next month’s project is the Mithril Vest by Susan Pandorf. She is running a KAL (Knit a Long for you newbies) that runs through the 10^th of June. I am hoping to get this one done before the end of May. As this will be my only project, I have a good chance at getting it done but it is also a complicated piece of knitting. The charts alone are complicated enough. However, I am looking forward to the challenge as the last few months have been mostly in stockinette.  I have named this one Blackened Mithril because I am using black yarn. I was thinking of the black armor that was used in medieval times. 

I have learned this month to take things slowly. Sometimes the race is not worth the pain. I have also learned (again) that the height of stitches on a gauge does make a difference. For now, I am signing off and looking forward to learning more in the months to come. Keep on knitting and learning.

One Down and Two to Go

Remember my challenge for this month? Well I am one third of the way done. The first of the birthday gifts is done. I have started on the second of the birthday gifts and hope to have it done in time. I have three weeks to complete it.

The Green

Meanwhile the Amused sweater is coming along. I have reached the ribbing at the waist. After that I just have to finish the sleeves and the collar. I think I have made pretty good progress considering that I took on three projects this month and I have done something to my right shoulder. With my shoulder acting up I cannot sit and knit for very long. I have to take a break and then come back to it. Guess I will be taking Jasmin from the Knitmore Girls Podcast's advice, knit for about 50 minutes, then take a short break. With the regular rest periods, the shoulder is doing better.

Guess what I have learned so far this month is to take it one day at a time, don't stress your body just to complete a ridiculous time frame set by you and take regular knitting breaks to rest.

The Red

Now to leave you with a hint of what I am making for the second birthday gift. Remember I said that this month's colors were Green and Red? Well, you have seen the Green and here is the Red. Until next blog post, keep on knitting and learning.