Saturday, March 24, 2007

Just Another Saturday

Well, I finished the I Love Ruffles sweater.....Again. but it definitely fits me much better. I washed it to allow the yarn to "muush" together in the ruffles. It is drying on the ping-pong table.

And I got started on my summery tank top. I am making it in the style of Macie from Berrocco. I cannot get myself to buy patterns anymore. For something like a tank top I can wing it. I cast on with the Channel Isle cast on ( this adds a bead at the cast on edge.) I really like the effect with the garter stitch.
100_1591

100_1594

I'm doing it in Cotton ease. I really love working with cotton. I know most people like wool. Don't get me wrong.....Wool is very Nice. But I like how soft and drappy cotton can be. I'll keep you posted on the progress. I don't expect this to be too difficult. I'm really just planning on a simple st st tank. I'm a simple girl.

I've been listening to pod casts today. I listened to the new Christa Knits. I liked it. Also, Brenda Dayne of Cast-On had Amy Singer from Knitty magazine on. She was talking about her new book "No Sheep for Ewe." She recommended the cotton blend yarn Calmers from Rowan. I may have to try it. She said it is the best substitute for wool in any Aran or Fair Isle knitting. I love Aran knitting so I may have to try. The only thing that will hold me back is my stash is still too big.

I fell off the wagon this week. I bought some Katia, Beetle and some Sportive, Marathon yarn on Ebay. Alot of it. It was so worth it. About 2 -3 sweaters full. 26 skeins of Marathon (10-Black, 10-White and 6-Red) and 6 of the Katia Beetle.

I was planning on using the Beetle in my new tank project, but decided that there wouldn't be enough because I was making it very long (mid thigh) So I am saving it for another project. I did knit up a quick swatch, and it seemed to knit up very nice. It had a great spring to it. It forgot to mention that it is a nylon tubular type yarn. Not usually what I even consider, but I think I like the way it knit up. It looked very smooth and defined. It needs to decide what it wants to be yet. I'll let it stew for a while.

Enough rambling....Off to Knit........talk to you all soon.

Saturday, March 17, 2007

DeConstruction - The Decision to Fix

I hate to ripe apart my knitting once I've finished a garment, but in this case I just had to!!. My I love Ruffles sweater needed something. I loved the way it fit everywhere but in the shoulders. It was very wide and kept slipping off. I tried to live with it. You know, I kept telling myself it would be sexy for the summer. Like all those photos of models with their sweaters off one shoulder. Well, let me tell you in real life this is just plain annoying.

There is nothing sexy about washing the dishes in your flannel PJ's and having your sweater keep falling off you shoulder!!

Okay. So I ripped out all the crochet frilly edging. This was not easy because it kept getting caught on the woven in ends. Then I decided to pick up stitches along the collar and about 1/2 ways down the front. I worked some short rows at the shoulder seams ( only 2 row) and kept going back and forth until I had 9 rows. I did some shaping at the front edges by binding off about 6 stitches, 3 times each side.

ruffles sweater neckline


This picture shows the neck line. The shoulder seam is at the right of the picture. You can see how the knitting is coming toward you or "up" the neck. I am now to the point where I am re-adding the crochet frill......... again.


One other change I had to make. I would have run out of yarn, but I decided to do the crochet with 1 strand of the yarn. I had plied 2 strands of this beige yarn together for the knitting part. This has actually worked out really well. Crochet fabric is so much more dense you really don't need as heavy weight a yarn as you do with knitting. Good thing, because I think I would not be able to add the frills in the same yarn if I did not do this.


Knitter REPRESENT!!

Guido, from It's a Purl Man, will be on Good morning AMERICA ( March 19th). I've sent him my idea for the poster he asked for on this last Pod cast. My slogan was

KNITTERS - Take their Yarn All the Way

Tune in if you can and look for Him.

Sunday, March 11, 2007

Papa's socks done too

Wanted to let you know I've finished my Dad's socks. The anniversary present is finished. I think they will like them. I made them in 3x3 ribbing. My dad has really wide feet and he says he has a hard time finding socks that are not too tight. After listening to Line&violet talk about the Grumperina socks being very loose because of the 3x3 ribbing pattern, I figured that would be great!!!! ( I just Love them!!! Done you?). Any way.
Papa's socks 2
Let me explain the sock yarn.
Papa's sock yarn
Papa's socks
I like to resue yarn ( oh yeah - and get a great deal!!) So i hunt ebay for good yarns that are seeking a new life. They York yarn came from a lot of sock yarn I bought from a woman in Canada. I got about 25 skeins of wool/nylon for about $25 .00) It was mostly solid colors, but that is what I like working with the best. I love making lace socks. I think the solids show off the pattens the best.


I'm glad they are done. Because now I can work on something else. I'm thinking about Macie from Berroco. I like the simple style and I really love the (cotton) easy-breezy look. I'll keep you up to date.
http://www.berroco.com/255.262/261/261_macie_lg_pv.html

I have another project that I could work on. It is a Gansey wool sweater. I bought some handspun wool on ebay ( reminded me of Bartlett's but it was from a small farm in Connecticut). I could not pass it up. I got a sweater's full ( 6 skeins of about 200 yards) for 20.00 dollars!!!! I will let you know how that is going. I'm working on it between projects because I cannot wear it until next winter so there is no hurry.

Saturday, March 03, 2007

Getting Back on the Band Wagon

I've been gone a long time from writing. My life has been crazy. Actually I just recently got my picture program put back on my computer so I can now download pictures again. (YEA!!!!!)

I've been knitting up a storm. Still working on Socks. I promised my Mom and Dad Socks for their 51st wedding anniversary. So I did the Edelweiss sock in Browns for my Mom and a loose 3x3 ribbing sock for my Dad. He always complains that Socks are too tight so I am hoping he likes these.

eidelweiss socks

eidelweiss socks 2

I also completed the I Love Ruffles from Creative Knitting March 2007 issue.

I love Ruffles

I did it in a Cone yarn of Wool acrylic & cotton Blend. I think it will be great for the summer. Also, I've finished a few hats from he book my daughter got me for Christmas. So far I have pretty much loved all the hats. I'm not sure if Berets are my style but the felted hat and the non felted version of the hat in the picture are Great.
felted hat

Actually, President's Day I went home to visit Family and my Sister-in Law (CA) loved my hat so much I let her keep it. She wore it the whole weekend. I'm really glad she liked it. It was my favorite hat too. I will need to knit myself another one. These were actually the first hats I've ever made. I'm just not a small project person. Unless you count socks. But I will say, they are super quick and fun.