sweltering sheep

I made it!

I was trying to get my sweater done by the end of June... and I made it!

 

I even really like it. LOL It needs to be blocked so the lace will open up more and I need to find buttons for it, but the knitting is done! =) I'll post pics later on once it's got buttons and it's not so dang hot outside that I can actually put it on for a picture without spontaneously combusting. Yep, 100% wool sweaters and 95-100 degree weather does not mix well. heh

(Ravelry project page for details)

I showed it to my friend and she said how pretty it was... then immediately went into what she would change. This is the same friend who's been suggesting I knit her a sweater. This one took me a month and a half to complete since I have had limited knitting time. Yeah, I think I'll stick to knitting for me. Totally selfish... and I'm okay with that. I do knit for other people, but I don't knit sweaters for other people. ;-)

Next up? Something with this:

Light and summery in both color and fiber content. =)

I've been in a much better mood this past week. Less work and more knitting... good for the soul!

still slow... and not so steady

It's taking me what seems like forever, but I am making progress on my sweater...

 

 

I now have the body and one sleeve done and have started on the second sleeve. Once I finish that second sleeve, I'll be able to put all the pieces on one needle and work the lacy yoke. There's an end in sight! =)

(project details on Ravelry)

Haven't played with the wheel yet at all, but I have been looking at spinning fibers online...

unseasonable...

It still needs to be blocked, but my shawl is done!

(Ravelry link for details)

I even started a new sweater:

Yes, it's almost the end of May and I'm knitting in 100% wool.

(Ravelry link for details)

There's been entirely too much work in my world since last Fall and not nearly enough knitting. That's going to change! I'm taking back control over my time... expect more knitting! =)

At long last...

Proper pictures of my Salem Hooded Jacket!

But first, a better shot of the hat I finished a few days ago:

and a glimpse of the sweater. =) I do like how the color seems to swirl in the opposite direction of the textural swirl. Nice combo of yarn and pattern. I love when that works out!

Okay, you've waited long enough. I'll show you the whole sweater:

I love the ribbon detail:

And I can vouch for it's warmth! wow. So not the day to stand around outside in a wool sweater and hat!

I made it!

I can finally say it... I knit a whole sweater!

That's right, folks, I finished this one. lol

This is the Salem Hooded Sweater (my Rav link) from New England Knits that I started before heading to San Francisco back in January. I came back from the trip with two completed sleeves and about 3" of the bottom hem done (after frogging my first couple inches due to size issues, dang it).

Took a bit of a break to knit another dog sweater, a hat or two and a pair of fingerless mitts... and crochet a couple kitty toys. But last week, I decided I wasn't working on anything else until this came off the needles. I can now move on. =) Still need to pick up a couple of snaps and some ribbon, but ends are woven in, it's been soaked (lavender Eucalan) and is blocked and drying as I type! I think that counts as done. (Better pics once I hit a store)

Added bonus? Total cost: $18 and a little change =D

Next up? Trying something a bit different...

Winter Blues

My sweater's not done yet, but someone else's is!

I did this one in wool and alpaca (details on my Ravelry project page) for a little extra warmth. I'm likeing the color combo. I've had that alpaca for awhile with no idea what to use it for. Holding it with a strand of wool seems to be a good combo. =)

This week has been full of indoor time thanks to ice, snow, more ice and snow.

 Nice, huh? And I'd already brushed the loose snow off the top! That's solid. :-/ The drive was a solid sheet of ice too so I was stuck out of the garage for a few days. Thanks to some fresh snow (and the traction it brought), my baby's back under a roof. It may be a tough jeep, but it's sure a heck of a lot easier running errands when I don't have to chip ice off it first!

  Someone hasn't been at all bummed about the weather. Pure Alaskan, born and raised! =)

He's about 3" off the actual ground there. Still pretty solid under the latest snow, but at least we got off a heck of a lot easier than a lot. Looking forward to the thaw so I can head west... not so looking forward to that thawing and creating a mud pit in the back yard. lol

Current WIPs

Let's start with the most recent, shall we?

 This blanket (Ravelry links, y'all) was started back in mid-Feb... this year. I was working in Dayton. When I left, this went into its bag and has not re-emerged since. I really need to pull that out. I knit/crochet a lot more on the road than I do at home and I've been mostly at home since Dayton.

You want to go back a bit farther, you say? How about this?

My Top Down Button Front Capelet, started back in September in Buffalo. Yeah, hasn't made it very far though... I'm getting the urge to pick this back up as well.

More? How about the felted messenger bag that got as far as a swatch and about a foot and a half in length?

Hey, it's only been on the needles since July! heh I'm taking this to Ohio with me in a couple days. Nice, brainless knitting. Probably taking that capelet too just to have a choice.

Can you take a little more? There's the afghan I started last April and had big plans for...

 I'd planned to finish a square each trip out on the road. I guess those plans didn't quite pan out. heh I do think this has some emotional baggage attached though. Someone else in the house decided to follow suit and give this afghan a go and well, I kinda lost my will. I was debating whether to finish this block and move on or just frog what I have done and maybe come back to this later on. I'm thinking frog. So, one less project on the needles...

Speaking of frogging. Remember this?

I'm frogging this today too. Finally.

Let's dig farther, shall we? Last, and smallest... a book scarf started for my mother during her crazy Harry Potter phase.

Yeah, that was started in September... 2007. hahahaha Most boring thing I've ever knit... and on such teensy needles to boot. I think I'll take this too, try to knit on it and if that doesn't happen, I'll frog it.

It's apparently Spring cleaning time for WIPs too! Off to frog...

Had to come back and add this pic. Frogging complete! =)

Yay! Feels good to finally have those off the needles and the possibilities wide open once again. My mother about passed out when she saw me frogging the sweater. How could I possibly rip out something so close to being finished?! heh I didn't love it, that's how. I LOVE the yarn and want it to be something I will love and wear for years to come. That sweater wasn't it. Man, that was fun to frog too! Not sure now why it took me so long to get around to doing it...

Oh, as a follow-up to yesterday. My mother did finally tear herself away from the tv and go to the store... at 1:30 in the morning. I guess there's not much on that time of night. That, and I'm guessing, she didn't worry about "putting on her face" for a trip to Wal-mart in the middle of the night.

Headed to the frog pond...

*sigh* Sometimes you just have to take a step back, take a good look with less-biased eyes and realize... this just isn't working!and isn't going to get finished. =( I want to love it! I really, really do! It's my first sweater ever and I love the yarn but... this isn't working. heh Not sure what I was thinking when I chose this pattern other than I knew it would be simple for my first sweater. I'm not a huge fan of crew necks in general (great choice of patterns, huh?) and I'm not so sure the raglan style was a good choice for my body type either. The second being a bad sign for my capelet I began a couple weeks ago, also in a raglan style though it does have a different collar style. Anyhoo, I tried this on again tonight after I've been dragging it around for months, never getting the motivation to knit the button bands (all that's left to finish this other than weaving in ends). Standing in front of a mirror tonight, it is completely obvious... the sleeves are too big and an odd length, the back too wide, the fronts, well, not wide enough to contain the girls... It's also an odd length... not cropped, but too short to be normal length. What the heck was I thinking?! I think with some tweaking (involving completely ripping this out and starting over), it might be okay but really?! Is it worth it??? I say, nope! I've been wishing for awhile I'd picked a more involved pattern for my first sweater. This was just so... basic. Not that basic's bad, but, well, if I'm going to put all this time and effort into a sweater, shouldn't I LOVE it in the end and be proud to say I made it? This, I do not love. At all. Sadly. So, I'm giving up and it's being banished to the frog pond. Might leave it as is until I decide what to knit it up into later and then knit straight from this sweater, frogging as I go, save a few steps. Or maybe I'll just frog and wind it so I don't have to look at this disappointment anymore... heh I did learn a few things in the process at least. Maybe I should stick with hats, gloves and socks for now...

On a happier note, I made an awesome vegetarian lasagna today! Just look at all those veggies...YUM!

Current State of My Knitting

The perfect excuse to stay in and knit:

That, and I've been sick the past few days. =( I have a few projects to keep me occupied in the a/c...

Those are the three currently in the works. I finished the bottom and the sleeves last night so now my 1st sweater is ready for me to pick up the stitches for the button bands - so close to being finished! I'm on the 2nd sock of my 3rd pair for the year. And I've started the 1st block of my 25-block afghan. =) It's all in the numbers. haha

I headed to Trader Joe's for groceries yesterday (and to avoid the unbearable heat). Wandered around a bit more than usual and discovered a few (new to me) items!

Mmm, mango and peach! (and contains no gelatin) =) Love me some mango! I came out with my usual salsa - mango/papaya - and some frozen fruit bars - mango, of course! Then, I found the perfect-sized bag of small potatoes... in red, gold and BLUE.

Num! Great with the (vegan) Indian fare I picked up there as well. Gotta love a store with so many vegan/organic/whole food choices! =)

We have visuals...

Woo hoo! My new camera showed up today. I stopped at the front desk to fax in my daily log and asked about a package. Nada. While we were chatting to Sarah (one of the most awesome front desk clerks), the UPS guy walked in with my new camera! So, we now have visuals! =)

Here's the cotton/linen market bag I knit up at the airport and on the plane to Phoenix. I used this pattern. Simple and quick to knit and very handy! I use it daily to tote my lunch and misc items back and forth to the office and in the evenings/weekends to go shopping. =) I have yarn to make a second bag and plan to shorten the handles on that one a bit.

And here's my sweater! It's getting close! Just another inch on the bottom ribbing, then I can knit the sleeves the button band and it's all done! LOVE this sweater already. It's so soft and cozy. =)

That's what's left of skein #3 sitting there. There's enough left of that one to finish the bottom ribbing at least. Should be able to finish the sleeves (not full-length) and the button band out of #4.

Oh, and I started the first block of my afghan! =)

No Arizona pics yet. It was dark by the time my battery was charged...

No visual evidence

Ah, packing is so much easier without a 5-week break. Completely unpacking suitcases between trips means something (or somethings) will inevitably be forgotten, not to be discovered until they're 1700 miles away, completely out of reach. This trip? Toothpaste (yay for hotels that rescue you!), my vitamins and... the card reader for my camera. *sigh* I refuse to buy another when I have a perfectly good one at home. So, no pics for another two weeks! I did order a new p&s camera today though with some of my hotel points - replacing the one that bit the dust in Seattle. (BTW - The card reader that will work with this new camera totally made it into the bag! Of course. heh) I love my Canon 20D, but sometimes it's nice to have a tiny camera that will slip easily into a pocket and this one has gotten great reviews... and it's free. =) Should have it in a week! It even does video! =)

I started a net shopping bag at the airport in Indy waiting for my plane. I worked on that most of the way to Phoenix and finished it the next morning since the view from the plane finally won out over knitting. =) Works great for toting things back and forth to offices! It's in a nice cotton/linen so it should hold up fairly well. I have more of this yarn to make another couple bags, but I'll definitely be getting my hands on some circs for those. Dpns in sz11 are just too heavy and pull too much at the joins to keep it even. All the circs I have... and I don't have the ones I need!

Haven't yet started my first block for my afghan, but at only 12", it shouldn't take too long. Haven't decided yet which block I'll start with though. I still can't believe I'm knitting an afghan...

I did work on my sweater this weekend! I'm now about 3" below the armpits. Transferring those sleeve stitches to stitch holders really makes things move along more quickly! haha Up to that point, it just kept getting bigger and bigger every other row. Looks like I may be able to finish this with only 4 skeins, rather than the 5 I have. I'll be able to combine that 5th one with some of the variegated blue or brown I purchased at the same time. I can't even express how much I love this yarn so far! It's so soft and cozy. (Rhapsody by Dark Horse Yarns) Might be a bit less hilarious knitting it if I wasn't sitting in an air-conditioned hotel room in the middle of the desert knitting pure wool when it was 90+ degrees outside! It's supposed too be 97 here in Tucson tomorrow!! Whew. Good thing the maintenance guys pulled out the umbrellas for the picnic tables at the office! =) BTW - had to go off and buy a set of dpns for the sleeves since, again, I have a ton of dpns on every size from 0 to 11... every size except the one size I need for this project! haha I think I'm covered now though. =)

I've decided I need to learn to knit faster... or stop looking at patterns that will surely temp me! I have so many projects I want to knit now. haha If only someone would pay me to just knit!

So, there's my update! Check back in a week or so for pics... and possibly something that looks an awful lot like a sweater. =)

Dealing with the DMV... and a new WIP

So, I moved from Washington to Indiana last June... and never changed my driver's license or license plate. heh Yesterday, I was out and about and decided to pop in to the DMV, er BMV here, to find out how much cash I needed to get my new plates and license. Discovered they take credit cards! Woo! Airline miles!! =) Also discovered my old registration expired... yesterday. Oops! Thought I had until the end of the month. haha So, I was there and figured I should go ahead with the plates before they expired. Really nice lady behind the desk, getting ready for a trip to Alaska this summer for her 40th anniv. So we start... dang, I don't have my title with me - wasn't planning to do this yesterday. So I have to run back across town to the house and get my title and run back across town to the BMV. Get another lady, not quite as friendly, but still way friendlier than most in these places! haha So we start again. Ah, now I need a whole string of things. Seriously?! The first woman couldn't have given me a list of all the paperwork I needed? It's not as if everyone carries around not only their driver's license, car registration and proof of insurance, but also the title, social security card and a bill/pay stub with their current addy... Had I been ready to change my driver's license as well, I'd have also needed my birth certificate too. So, one more trip back and forth across town and finally, my car would be legal past midnight!! Thank goodness I had a couple hours before they closed when I went in the first time! At least they hand you plates on the spot so you don't get one of those stupid temporary paper plates and have to wait for real ones to come in the mail. I'll have to go back for my license. I have to take the written test again. Ah, Washington just took my old license, punched a hole in it to invalidate it and gave me a WA one. I'm pretty sure registration was cheaper too. Ah, well. Done until next year at least.

I've given up waiting on my yarn order from Little Knits and began working on a sweater from some of my stash yarn. (It took 10 days for them to ship it and it'll be another 4 days in shipping time - slow, but great sale prices! Totally worth the wait. FYI - don't bother with emailing them ever. Go through Ravelry or call if you want a response.) Monday, I knit up the swatch and (yay) got gauge my first try. So off I went on my very first adult-sized sweater. =D This is a great project for knit nights and lunches since it's so simple. I'm loving this whole top-down raglan style (in part because I loathe seaming). This will be a perfect neutral cardigan to take along on the road - great for thise chilly offices! I foresee more of these in my future...

Tito's Cool Greens Sweater

As usual, I like coming up with my own dog sweater patterns so when a friend got a new dog before Christmas, I knew I wanted to come up with something cute for him. They live in Seattle so it didn't need to be super warm. I went with wool though since it stays warm even when wet. We all know Seattle gets wet. haha After finding some great self-patterning wool, I decided to try a blanket style sweater in stockinette stitch to take full advantage of the pattern of the yarn. Here's what I came up with:

Simple design, knit all in one piece and shows off the pattern of the yarn nicely.

Not sure I'm in love with the front. Actually, I know I'm not. I'll change that the next go-round. Maybe stockinette with ribbing just at the edges? This works though. And just a simple graft at the front to avoid seams.

PATTERN

CO 54 st. Work 2x2 rib for 1".

Work stockinette for 3", slipping first st each row (knit-wise on RS, purl-wise on WS), ending on a WS row.

Turn your work to the RS and add on 26 stitches (I used the knit-on method), placing a stitch marker before the added-on stitches.

1) Right side band row: (k2,p2) 6 times, k2, slip marker, k to end of row

2) Wrong side band row: slip first st pw, p to marker, (p2,k2) 6 times, p2

Button hole row - (k2,p2) 6 times, k2, slip marker, k until 4 st left on left needle, YO, k2tog, k2

Repeat band rows 2 & 1 until belly band measures 2", ending on a WS row.

Repeat button hole row.

Repeat band row 2.

Next row, bind off in pattern until you reach the st marker (54 st remaining).

Continue in stockinette until you have about 2" past the belly band, ending on a WS row.

1) RS neck band row: Sl1kw, k15, *p2, k2* 5 times, p2, k16

2) WS neck band row: Sl1pw, p15, *k2, p2* 5 times, k2, p16

Repeat neck band rows 1 & 2 twice.

Next row, sl1kw, k14, BO 24 st, k15.

You now have two sets of 15 live stitches each to begin the front portion of the sweater. Transfer half these stitches to a stitch holder. It doesn't matter which side you choose to work from. The front band will be worked from one side and then grafted to the live stitches on the other side.

I worked a 2x2 rib on this sweater, but a simple garter stitch would work just as well. My next sweater will more than likely have a stockinette stitch front with a few stitches of garter stitch at the top and bottom edge to prevent rolling. Or I'll do a 2x2 ribbing lengthwise. The choice is yours.

My front band measures 5" unstretched. If you have the dog you're knitting this for handy, try it on him/her for a good fit.

After knitting the front portion to an appropriate size for your dog (end on a RS row), graft the two sets of live stitches together. I used the tutorial here.

All that's left is sewing the buttons to the belly band. I love that there's absolutely no seaming! I avoid seaming at all costs. haha

Yep, I'll definitely choose another pattern for the front of the next one. This works, but I think one of the other methods might look a bit more polished. I've never been a huge fan of garter stitch and this is just too close. I'd change it if I hadn't already woven in the ends and had it ready to give away. Next time... =)

Back Knitting in Seattle!

I'm back in Seattle at last! I headed onto the plane with three WIPs to keep me busy. =) I finished Tito's dog sweater (other than finding buttons) and had mostly finished the scarf on the plane. I like the look of ribbing, but geez, that's a lot of 1x1 ribbing! It is finished now though.


Not so sure I'm loving this yarn though. It's Moda Dea Tweedle Dee. Seems like it might pill badly and look kinda ratty rather quickly. Too bad. It's so pretty. I have another skein of this yarn too.

The socks have made it past the heel finally! Took a few tries to get it right, but I finally got the hang of the short row heel. Had to try a couple different methods to find one I liked the look of. I'm now about an inch into the ribbing for the cuff. =)

How many do I need?

Just how many WIPs do I need? Apparently, FOUR. heh

There's a ruffly scarf that I ended up frogging last night. (Soon to be replaced on the needles by a cabled hat to match... this scarf:

Sort of. The yarn's the same, the pattern doesn't really match, but whatev. =) Different ruffly scarf pattern from the first, turning out better due to a more appropriate yarn choice. I'll definitely try that first pattern again... with completely different (much less droopy) yarn. =) Then, there's the dog sweater that I still need to finish:
Kinda stalled on that one a bit. I'm about up to the shoulders and need to figure out how I want to do the front portion. I'll have to go in search of buttons in Seattle. Luckily, there's a yarn shop just half a mile from my hotel!

And last, but not least (def. the one I'm most excited about!), my socks! Here's my second (much better) attempt after frogging the first. It's actually an inch or so longer than in this pic now. =) I'm starting to get the draw of socks. It's fun knitting round and round and seeing something wearable come of it (that's not a hat)! And so small and portable too! I see many socks in my flying future...

Love, love, love the colorway! It remains to be seen how many of these will need to make the trip to Seattle this weekend to be finished. The socks, surely. The sweater, possibly. The hat, probably. The scarf, doubtful. =)

Excited again!

My Branching Out scarf is just over halfway finished and it looks like I have just enough yarn with the two small skeins to get a scarf of a decent length. Blocking will help. Not sure yet who's getting that one. I picked up yarn tonight for my sister's wrist warmers. She likes black so I'm hoping she'll like this:


It'll be more fun to knit up than just plain black and I'll be able to do a simpler (quick) pattern and it'll still look good. =) I also picked up something for a friend's new puppy:


Had to find something appropriate for a boy and again, I'll be able to do a simpler pattern and get something more impressive looking than just a solid color. =) Gotta remember my tape measure tomorrow to measure the pup for his new sweater.

Off to work on my scarf...

Learning to make repairs

Well, I learned pretty quickly that Reilly doesn’t appreciate wearing a sweater for too long in the house. Not long after I finished his Besotted sweater last year, he decided he’d had it on too long - maybe he got hot? - and decided to take matters into his own paws, er teeth. Yeah, wool’s tough, but it’s no match for little doggy teeth! It’s been sitting since last winter (Nov/Dec ‘07), waiting to be repaired. I finally got around to it today. Since the damage was on the cast ON edge rather than the cast OFF edge, that complicated things just a bit, making it harder (and much slower) to rip back the damaged rows. I finally got it all the way back past the mangled area and re-knit the 2x2 ribbing (this time on size 5 dpns to tighten up the neck a bit) and it’s fixed! Goofy little dog! =)