Sunday, November 15, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Work Work Work
It keeps me in fiber and nice shoes, but it also keeps me too busy to knit as much as I'd like. I think I've finally found things I like to do most--I was warned away from bulkier yarns because of the bulk they add, but I am a loose knitter and I will simply not finish a worsted weight project knit on #6 needles or, Heaven forbid, a DK weight project unless it's for a child. I'm also a lot better at top down, minimal finishing pieces than I am at knitting all the pieces individually.
I finished the Plymouth Mulberry Merino shrug for my sister's MIL and am now concentrating on a couple of treats for me. I saw an adorable baby sweater at The Skein Attraction knit in Mission Falls 1820 and have started a top down striped cardigan for myself. I learned to add stitches on the ends of my work in the middle of the project--woo hoo--shout out to Carol who showed me how.
I'm also making a pink Mulberry Merino shrug for myself--knitted doubled and it will be trimmed with Cha Cha from Trendsetter. It's supposed to ruffle--can't wait to see that. While I was at Skein, one of the ladies was finishing a pretty fall sweater--the pattern is called Nimbus and it's from Berrocco. I think she used Peruvia as called for but I am doubling a new Colinette worsted weight and also knitting in some Kidsilk Haze. There's not much of an aura from it but it transforms the ombre yarn, which is grays and browns and a little umber/orange.
I'm also trying a new boucle from Plymouth--I've always wanted to knit a "Chanel"-like jacket for myself but was confounded by the loops of boucles in the past. This is pretty easy so far--I'm also working it doubled so I'm getting a nice fabric from it. It will have to be finished at the LYS though--I'm having troubling "reading" the work and I'll never be able to pick up stitches for the edgings.
Finally, I dug out a project from last year--it was going to be a shawl alternating 2 rows of Touch Me with four rows of Tilli Tomas Disco Lights knit in a seafoam-esque pattern. I was on #5s but the Touch Me still wormed. So I frogged it and swatched the Touch Me on smaller needles. I'm down to a size 2 (they suggest 8s or 10s on the band!) and the fabric looks great but I'm waiting to see if the worms pop out later. Now the dilemma is whether to start the shawl again, or make something else. Such problems! : )
Wednesday, September 02, 2009

I Cannot Resist
I love Debbie Bliss. Her patterns, her yarn and now her new magazine. There are so many projects I would love to knit... Started the Moss Stitch Jacket last night. You heard me.
Stopped at The Skein Attraction in Teaneck for needles and stitch markers. I started the Kim Hargreaves Tender sweater on Saturday but the points of my Addi Turbo Lace needles are scratched and I needed new ones. I also have misplaced my tool bag and cannot find small stitch markers and need them for the Koigu Pi Shawl.
Skein had just received a shipment of new yarn which included some Blizzard from Plymouth. I've worked with it before and grabbed 20 skeins in a faded red, almost tomato color and cast on last night. I got 13 rows done last night and added another 3 this morning before leaving for work. It's a bit fuzzy and I'm hoping it won't pill. Otherwise I'm loving it.
Monday, August 31, 2009
I couldn't be more proud
This is my niece. She learned to finger knit at Girl Scout Camp and on Saturday night, I helped her braid three super long strands together to make a scarf.
We spent some time together yesterday and I taught her a rhyme (left to right, around the back, through the window, off jumps Jack), then I gave her needles and some Zara and she picked it up right away. She's thinking of being a Gingerbread person for Halloween and will need a pink scarf. She was a little disappointed with some of the stitches but I convinced her that they should be considered design elements!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Still traveling and making very little progress on my CPH--which is an AUGUST KAL with the ample knitters' group on Yahoo. Oh well. I do have the back done.
I had delusions of knitting on the plane to Chicago and Miami and then to Dallas and then San Diego, but no such luck. I'm feeling like I need to be on a strict knitting regimen to work through this. Some of the ladies zipped on through theirs! How do they do that?
Meanwhile, I've purchased some Koigu and have started another Pi Shawl using it. I've not done anything fancy with the stitches and it is zipping along. I started on size 4 needles but realized that was going to take forever so began again with 8's.
I discovered Kim Hargreaves while buying the Koigu at Patricia's Yarns in Hoboken (love Margo and her enthusiasm!). I bought her pattern books "Nectar" and "Breeze" and have been trying to find "Precious" because of the designs I've seen. Oh so pretty. And I think I can use many of these patterns to stash bust. I have some really nice cashmere and a big lot of alpaca crying to be used. But of course I'm drawn to "Tender" which is made with Kidsilk Haze. I'd need 7 skeins for me and wouldn't you know I have 5. I do have some Suri Merino that I'd like to see if I can substitute--it won't be as airy but maybe I can use needles larger than #2! I have these cute cat and mouse buttons that I could use.
Monday, July 27, 2009


