Early May update

What's on my needles: Cabled cardigan for me (The Sweater Sally Knit Instead,
bySally Melville, aka, the sweater that will not end LOL), feather and fan stole of my own design, a pair of socks for my own two feet.

What's off my needles: new cozy for my mp3 player, socks for Ashley's birthday, and a faux Gaptastic Cowl, and a necklace as a complimentary gift to my check for Sammie's FHC.

Busy, busy, busy. We've been having knitting group once a week in which I share my knowledge with Johnnie, Megan, and Brandi. It's fun! And I have ppl to talk to for a couple of hours while we all stitch together. I still managed to keep the necklace a secret as I worked with Johnnie and Megan. Johnnie said that even if Sammie didn't like it, she did, so I'm confident that it'll be worn by someone.

We're onto our summer activities, so that leaves me with less knitting time during the day, but I can in the evenings after bedtime. The kids are enjoying being out of doors more often and we're riding bikes after dinner most every night. We're heading for a trip to Carowinds this weekend. I wish I had someone to drive me so that I could have knitting time, but oh well. It'll still be a good time.

Danny was kind to me again for May. Anniversary and Mother's Day earned me a sizable giftcard to Knit Picks. I was excited this morning when the interwebz told me that the package is in Summerville. Maybe it'll be here today or tomorrow. :) I got a set of KP interchangables, 5 pairs of sock yarn, and a sweater's worth of Chroma in Grey and Atlantis for a chromatic random stripe sweater. Being fingering, it'll take next to FOREVER, but I love the idea it represents. I will try to post a picture when I unpack it.

What's on my needles: Cabled cardigan for me (The Sweater Sally Knit Instead,
bySally Melville), new cozy for my mp3 player, feather and fan stole of my
own design, socks for Ashley's birthday (tentatively named Daisy Dead Petals since they're done in KP Stroll Tonal Nevermore, I'm considering a lighter pair to be named Delightful Daisies), and a faux Gaptastic Cowl (diff stitch count and needle sizes) that is 90% complete.

What's gotten off my needles: Danny's gigantic socks. Mens' socks can easily have over 20,000 stitches per pair, so it's not shocking that I didn't get much completed besides them since my last post. This Gaptastic Cowl is so close to getting finished I should just do it so I can have another FO. I am becoming more of a process knitter than a production knitter, but it still does my heart good to have something declared "done." I've been puttering along on the other projects, as well.

I'm still on track for getting my goal of 12 pairs of socks in 2012 done. I'm almost 2/3 done with my 7th pair for the year and we're in mid April.

I'm mentally designing a LARGE cardigan/duster project. I know that I want it done in fingering weight, but I know that I will have a lot of knitting to do with that weight. I'm tempted to knit it out in sport or worsted, just to get the dimensions of the garment that I want. It involves short rows for shaping, especially in the bottom front. Danny's suggesting a floppy lapel, but I was thinking something frilled, or maybe with short row scallops. I will keep pondering on this while I keep stitching on the projects that are already on my needles. More FO's to show soon.

Danny's Diamond Ganseys

Just posted this pattern for sale on Ravelry. :)

These were a delight to work on and turned out to be wonderfully subtle. If you have a husband who's afraid of color or of wildly textured patterns, you may have just found your winner. I may just have to make a few more of this pattern for random male gift giving in my life.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dannys-diamond-ganseys

It's been two weeks already?

What's on my needles: Cabled cardigan for me (The Sweater Sally Knit Instead, by
Sally Melville), new cozy for my mp3 player, feather and fan stole of my own design.

It's been a long two weeks because I have no finished projects to tell about... That's what happens when you are in the middle of a cardigan that's taking forever and you simultaneously cast on a stole in fingering weight yarn. I seem to be having problems with project monogamy.

The bad news: I'm not quite sure I have enough yarn to finish the stole... I'm working with 3 skeins of Lorna's Laces in Iris Garden. I'm going to throw two balls of a generic lace merino into it, with the Iris Garden on each end. I am hoping it will turn out pretty. :)

As far as the cardigan, I've worked it up thru the armhole, and completed the right front. I'm about 6 inches into the sleeves, which I'm knitting two at a time. Maybe another couple of weeks?

Danny will be home this weekend, so I'll be casting on for his socks while he's home. Finally a decent travel project. I do worry that I will be working on them for weeks and weeks, however, with the size of his feet. You know what they say about men with big feet? They need big socks. *smirk*

What's on my needles: Cabled cardigan for me (The Sweater Sally Knit Instead, by Sally Melville), new cozy for my mp3 player.

I have been concentrating on the cardigan for the past several days. I need to get another pair of socks on the needles, to have a travel project available. I think I'll design another sweet tomato heel pattern. They were quite enjoyable.

I'm listening to tons of older episodes of knitting podcasts. They are invariably women with very calm voices and it's soothing to me.

I want to make a lap afghan for a friend, so I'll be casting that on after I finish this cardigan and Danny's sweater. It will work out nicely. I will be making it out of the Lion Brand Pound of Love, I think because it's soft, washable, and cheap.

What's on my needles: I Heart Rainbow Socks for Becca, a second gauntlet in icky green Red Heart Super Saver for Aaron, and the cabled cardigan for me (The Sweater Sally Knit Instead, by Sally Melville)

It's been a little over a week since I posted my goals, so I thought I would update. I'm currently working on my 5th pair of socks. (Ravyn's, MIL's, mine, David's, Becca's, for clarity) I love the yarn I'm currently using, Felici by Knit Picks. I will definitely order more of this yarn in the future. Don't tell Danny. *smirk* He's still freaking out about the Wool of the Andes I ordered for his sweater costing $51.11 plus tax. I could easily spend that much or more on a beautiful sweater at a store, so I didn't bat an eye. Add into this the hours of entertainment I will get on the sweater and it was worth it. I will remind him of this the next time he wants to spend $65 on a round of golf. *eyeroll*

I'm still enjoying knitting podcasts. They're calming. And since most of the ones I've picked started in 2008, I have plenty of listening time before I am caught up.

I am coming up with a few more patterns for socks and other designs for sweaters. I will post as I can. Does anyone know how to insert a table in blogger so that I can make up charts along with the written patterns? Please leave a comment if you know what I can do!

I Heart Rainbows Socks

I got my Knit Picks order today that I placed for Valentine's Day. Could you hear the squee? It was wonderful. I got 4 pairs worth of sock yarn and a sweater's worth of Wool of the Andes. Oh, and I got approval to buy a swift and a ball winder. I haven't played with those much yet, because when Becca saw that I had her much coveted Rainbow yarn, I had to immediately start on her socks. At first I wanted to do these in plain stockinette, but I knew I would get bored with that, so I grabbed some graph paper and quickly sketched out a little bit of lacework in the shape of a heart. I would love to share the pattern with you.

Information for the heel technique in this pattern can be found at: http://catbordhi.com/books/cats-sweet-tomato-heel-socks-3/
A youtube video demonstrating the technique is available at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRc3309JUyc


I Heart Rainbows Socks for Big Little Girls

Materials:
2 balls Knit Picks Felici in the Rainbow colorway, or other fingering weight yarn to give proper guage.
Size 1 sock needles of choice (40" circ for magic loop, or two circ recommended)
Stitch marker, if desired to differentiate between front and back before lace pattern is begun.
Darning needle
Gauge:
8 stitches per inch

Toe Cast On:
Round 1: Using your favorite toe up cast on, CO 12 st on each needle for a total of 24 stitches
Round 2: Knit around
Round 3: K1, Kfb, Knit across to last 2 stitches, Kfb, K1
Repeat rounds 2 and 3 until you have 30 stitches on the front and back needles, for a total of 60 stitches.

Instep: (Note that every even round is knit across, excepting row 2 and 12. On these rows, knit across to the double yarn over, knit the first yo, purl the second, knit across to the end of the needle.)
Front needle: K5, work lace pattern, K5
Back needle: Knit across
Knit to appropriate instep length before beginning heel of choice. I am using Cat Bordhi's Sweet Tomato Heel

Work Sweet Tomato Heel (Be mindful to continue lace pattern across front needle during the rounds between heel wedges)

Ankle/Leg:
Front needle: K5, work lace pattern, K5
Back needle: K5, work lace pattern, K5
Continue until desired length. Calf shaping can be added in the stockinette border on the edges of the needles as appropriate if knee high socks are desired.

Ribbing:
Work K2, P2 ribbing for 1 inch. Use preferred stretchy bind off.

Lace Pattern: (20 row repeat)
Row 1: K2tog, yo, K6, K2tog, double yarn over, SSK, K6, yo, SSK
Row 3: yo, SSK, K5, K2tog, yo, K2, yo, SSK, K5, K2tog, yo
Row 5: K2tog, yo, K4, K2tog, yo, K4, yo, SSK, K4, yo, SSK
Row 7: yo, SSK, K3, K2tog, yo, K6, yo, SSK, K3, K2tog, yo
Row 9: K2tog, yo, K2, K2tog, yo, K8, yo, SSK, K2, yo, SSK
Row 11: yo, SSK, K1, K2tog, yo, K3, K2tog, double yarn over, SSK, K3, yo, SSK, K1, K2tog, yo
Row 13: K2tog, yo, K1, K2tog, yo, K2, K2tog, yo, K2, yo, SSK, K2, yo, SSK, K1, yo, SSK
Row 15: yo, SSK, K3, yo, S1 as if to knit, K2tog, PSSO, yo, K4, yo, S1 as if to knit, K2tog, PSSO, yo, K3, K2tog, yo
Row 17: K2tog, yo, K16, yo, SSK
Row 19: yo, SSK, K16, K2tog, yo

What's on my needles:
Socks for the MIL, and a cabled cardigan (The Sweater Sally Knit Instead, by Sally Melville)

I want to lay out some goals and publishing them to the internets seems like a way to get accountability for myself. Even if no one reads the blog.

In 2012 I want to knit 12 pairs of socks. I'm currently on my 3rd pair and it is mid Feb. I felt confident enough to cast on the sweater. Turns out I've been knitting since 2001 and I have never made myself a sweater. Just plain neglectful. Then I'll get to work on another. I like the idea of more sweaters for me since I'm cold all the time.

The knitting of the sweater is quite cathardic for me. I will post a pic when I get a little further. The next step would be to design my own. Eeps! We'll see how that goes.

I've been listening to a couple of knitting podcasts. Knit Picks, Knit Views, and Whatcha Swatchin are all fun and cute. I have learned a lot from Kelley on the Knit Picks podcast. She almost has me convinced to try steeking.. I will have to find an appropriate pattern and gather my courage. ;)

I'm trying to talk a few of my irl friends into letting me give them knitting lessons. I think it would be so cool to have friends to sit and stitch with. We'll see if I can cajole them into it.