MilesToGo

noreply@blogger.com (AuntJudyB) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 15:13:00 +0000

A Piece of Pi

Clearly I am not good at focusing my energy on one thing at a time. I unearthed some Koigu KPPPM destined for a sweater with the Noro Kureyon I'm using for the Catwalk sweater and found several more skeins packed away with the holiday knitting from last year. The dye code is 315--cream, taupe and greys--very neutral and subtle. So I started a Pi shawl. After a few false starts with other Koigu colorways, I think I'm going to start with the traditional Pi. The only yarn overs will be the increases. I started on size 3 needles last night and finished five sets of increases (I'm up to 144 and working on the 24 rounds) but had to change to size 4 because I didn't have a larger needles in 3. It's very Zen working straight stockinette in the round. I'm trying not to think about how to finish it off....

I have two other Pi shawls that I need to rip out--they were practice Pis--one is in pink KPPPM and the other in blue KPPPM. There is a third that I started in some delicious Karabella silk merino DK--I think I need to frog half of what I have done...ribbit ribbit.

noreply@blogger.com (AuntJudyB) — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 14:21:00 +0000

Top Down Appeal

I was only introduced to top down sweaters in the last year and I am a big fan. Not only do these patterns eliminate the need for seaming and require little finishing, the seem to move a whole LOT faster. Plus, with minimal to no shaping, the knitting is kind of mindless, which is a welcome relief sometimes. Here's my Noro top down--it's growing quickly!!! The picture is a lot brighter than it appears to me in real life--the darker stripes are more dominant. I think there's about 4-5 more inches to go, then I start on the sleeves and the neck and front bands. Have to think about what buttons to use.

Meanwhile, I'm trying to decide what project to work on for the 2010 Ravelympics. One month one week and two days until the Winter Olympics begin. I am considering the WIP Wrestling event--that would be smartest....but...I have the new Vogue Knitting and there is a cardigan I love--Tanis Gray's XOX Raglan Cardigan. I have some natural colored cashmere I've been saving for a long time as well as some gray suri merino. But...I've always wanted to make the DNA Sweater from Simply Brilliant Knits. It's made with Mission Falls 1824 wool and I've ordered the yarn from The Skein Attractions. Decisions, decisions.

Today I'm going to inventory the smaller projects I have in progress. I need to balance the projects that require thinking/tracking/shaping with straight knitting for bus rides to and from work.

noreply@blogger.com (AuntJudyB) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 14:42:00 +0000

Happy New Year!

I enjoyed a lovely New Year's Eve with my family. We had dinner at Legal Seafoods and played Sketchy and reviewed the monumental events of our lives in 2009. Now we have a brand new year--365 days and a blank slate to do whatever we want and live however we want.

I'm making simple resolutions this year. I'm not tweezing my eyebrows for 6 months in the hope they will fill in. I will try to take better care of myself (okay, that one's not so simple but I'm using the "schedule time with yourself" technique). And I will not feel guilty about abandoned WIPs or the size of my stash. In fact, I'm going to start being honest about whether I will go back to the WIPs and I am going to donate a whole bunch of yarn.

I would like to finish at least one project a month. For January, I'm hoping it's my top down Mission Falls 1824 striped sweater. I just have the sleeves and front bands left.

But I've started a Knitting Pure and Simple Neckdown Cardigan (#221) for my sister. I had some Koigu KPPPM, Frog Tree Alpaca and Kidsilk Haze that I'm knitting up around these heart-shaped buttons. If she doesn't like this, I also have Neat Stuff and Symphony in "Shadow" (grey) from Prism for a shrug, Brown Sheep Wool in a bright pink and some Wedgewood blue Encore and dark blue Kidsilk Haze that I've swatched--very pretty too.

And I'm working on two Noro sweaters for myself--the Kureyon I posted about before and a top down in Silk Garden. So much fiber, so little time!

Well, here's to 2010--best wishes that you all are happy, healthy, wealthy and wise in this new year!

noreply@blogger.com (AuntJudyB) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 17:43:00 +0000

Holiday Knitting

I never seem to be able to get ahead of holiday knitting. I bought more festive holiday-ish yarn with the intention of supplying loved ones with scarves by Thanksgiving that they could wear throughout the holiday season. When productivity on that idea slowed to nil, I changed my idea to hats. But can't seem to get the assembly line momentum going. I have been bouncing back and forth on knitting projects for myself. The newest addition comes from the second edition of the Noro Catwalk patterns. It calls for Silk Garden Lite--I'm using Kureyon and my friends at The Skein Attraction helped me choose the appropriate size. They ordered yarn in a different colorway for me but I couldn't wait so I started knitting with Kureyon #149. I ordered additional yarn from someone on eBay. That turned into something scary--the lot of 9 skeins should have been around $72 plus S&H. They ended up multiplying $72 x 9--I nearly fainted when I got the PayPal receipt! Luckily I was only charged the appropriate price. I've already finished the left front. Now I just need to figure out what to do with the other Kureyon.

noreply@blogger.com (AuntJudyB) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:51:00 +0000

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! : )

noreply@blogger.com (AuntJudyB) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:43:00 +0000

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.

noreply@blogger.com (AuntJudyB) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 22:16:00 +0000

I couldn't be more proud

My niece 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!

noreply@blogger.com (AuntJudyB) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 19:33:00 +0000

On the Road Again

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.

noreply@blogger.com (AuntJudyB) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:13:00 +0000

Summer Reading, Some Are Not

There's nothing like a warm sunny day and a good book, although my ideal scenario would be a shady spot at the pool with a book on tape and my latest knitting project.

I have given up on the idea of a customized Pi shawl for the niece who is getting married and am focusing on finishing the Tilli Tomas shrug for her. I'm almost done with the second sleeve and took the body to The Skein Attraction for some help. The neckline on each side was different; turns out I used armhole shaping to make the neckline on one of them. Ooops! Any way, it's coming along nicely.

The other niece demanded (oh yes, she did) a rainbow sweater like the one I made for a family friend's daughter. We could only get two skeins of Kudo in the colorway she wanted (EXACTLY like the other one) and here's hoping I have enough left over from Project 1 to successfully complete Project 2. Meanwhile, I told her that I would not get to her new sweater right away (this is the girl I made the two pink shrugs for!) and she replied "What am I going to do with a sweater in the summer?"

Meanwhile, she found a pattern book for little characters called Pocket Pals--they are 3" tall. These are made on #1 needles with DK weight yarn. I knitted one last night; need to add the detail and hair--her hair is curly so this is going to be a challenge--fun, but definitely a challenge.

Finally (honestly there is much more to add but I haven't taken pictures)--I am doing to do a KAL in August--the Central Park Hoodie. I'll be honest, I've been looking at it for a while although I don't think I want a hood per se. I decided to use Sublime Cashmere Merino Silk Aran--I had twelve skeins at home for a project I didn't get very far on and thought this would be a good stash buster (stop laughing). However, I needed 25 skeins total. It was my good luck that the ladies at The Skein Attraction found the extra yarn on site and--wait for it--it's the same dyelot. How lucky is that? The photo shows my chosen color--Noisette. I'm using #6 Addi Turbo lace needles...people who made it say that it's lots of fun, so I can't wait to start.

I'm trying to finish Purple Passion (Giotto and Banyan shell) while on the bus these days. So pretty! The colors match so well.

noreply@blogger.com (AuntJudyB) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 22:50:00 +0000

On My Way to Cape May

On Thursday. Can't wait. I have assemble several "almost" done projects to work on for a long weekend at the shore.

I have to finish Hannah's Rainbow Shrug (she's expecting it this weekend; I promised).

I also have the Tilli Tomas Shrug for my niece who is getting married in August.

And I have a third shrug that I am making with Wild Stuff Half and assorted other yarns (of course, my intention was to work with leftover yarns but "had" to purchase new skeins to make it beautiful).

And then there are three shells for me!

I found my camera and will post photos shortly!

noreply@blogger.com (AuntJudyB) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 22:41:00 +0000

Knit Faster!

I wish I were able to knit a lot faster than I do. There are so many projects I want to work on. I keep buying yarn, but things take a whole long time to make. I have to go find my camera so I can post what I'm working on now.

noreply@blogger.com (AuntJudyB) — Wed, 20 May 2009 15:17:00 +0000

Crazy Days

I've been busy at work and I'm not complaining because, as I like to say, consider the alternative. But I have been lucky enough to be able to make a few visits to The Skein Attraction on Wednesdays, which is their late night. On my first trip, I found some Prism "Stuff" and Shaina wrote a pattern for me to make a pullover for myself. We added in some additional yarns like Colinette Giotto, Trendsetter Dolcino and Charm, Louet Euroflax and Luisa (can't remember who makes this). I'm using a cotton blend from Plymouth for the ribbing and am happy to report that I love it! It's so soft and I love the feeling. I'm knitting this on size 11 needles so it's going quickly--in fact, I started on Wednesday night and had the back done by Friday night. I love the play of different colors and textures--the "Stuff" is the color "Sky" which you can see in the photo here.

I went back last Wednesday to have them measure the back for safety and Adina helped me design a shell using Colinette Giotto. My vision was cotton on the bottom, Giotto on the top. They had something called Banyan from Colinette in stock--it's also a cotton blend and the colorway matches the Giotto exactly. I'm doing my shell in purple passion which is a surprising choice--I'm more of a beige/neutral person, but the purple is sooooooo pretty.

I need to post photos of the two shrugs I made for my younger niece--she made her First Communion a few weeks ago and her dress was sleeveless, so I made a shrug using Tilli Tomas Disco Lights. I loved it but later learned her dress had rhinestones on the top, so I quickly made a second version in Pure Merino. I think I liked the merino better because the stitch definition is so good. And my niece reported that the sequins on Disco Lights were scratchy.

I'm still working on a similar shrug in Disco Lights for my older niece who is getting married in August. I'm doing hers in Natural. I'm hoping to finish soon so I can have the shrug lined so we don't repeat the itchy problem.

I've also started another shrug for another young friend. Her color request was "rainbow" so I got a new yarn from Plymouth called Kudo. It's a cotton blend with rayon and silk and it's self striping (yippee-I didn't' want to stripe different colors and have to weave in all those ends). I like the feel of it and am considering something for myself too (I know, I have to finish the above mentioned projects plus a boatload of others first).

And if that's not enough, I've been working my way through Elizabeth Zimmerman's knitting workshop book. I have made half a hat so far, and cast on twice for a sweater, although I'm reconsidering which yarn to use for what. I really like the jerkin but with sleeves--I have a lot of Noro Silk Garden I can use. And some Manos. Or Brown Sheep. I did cast on for the Pi shawl using some Koigu KPPPM that I had originally bought to make a Charlotte shawl. The first 48 rows went quickly but my enthusiasm is already waning. I'm looking for lace patterns to work into it to keep my attention. I'm having a hard time imagining what this will look like after it's blocked and may be on a needle that's not large enough. But maybe it will be fine. Just worried about all that work and having it be a mistake, you know?

One of the challenges I'm facing is finding portable projects--with shaping and patterns, it's difficult to knit on the bus or a plane. Well, I'll just have to soldier on!

noreply@blogger.com (AuntJudyB) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 15:04:00 +0000

Two Rows of Fish

I finished the "Mother-of-Pearl" color and "bubble" lace for the seashore shawl and started the darkest blue. I knit two rows in garter and six rows in Stockinette then started the lace pattern for fish--got one row in pattern and one purl row done. I should listen to my instincts more often--I don't love the spacer rows but there are too many stitches to frog unless I make a mistake.

noreply@blogger.com (AuntJudyB) — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 15:50:00 +0000

I Am a Process Knitter

I read somewhere that some people are project knitters--they want to work on something because they like the progress, and other other process knitters--people who like the planning and starting etc. That's me. Which accounts for the inventory to over 100 started and unstarted projects in my closet. I gave the two baby sweaters pictured here as gifts recently so there is evidence that I actually do finish things--eventually. The neckwarmer has been done for months now but I just recently weaved in the ends. I bought the yarn, which is silk cashmere from Elsebeth Lavold several years ago in Dallas, TX. It's almost too pretty to wear.

noreply@blogger.com (AuntJudyB) — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 15:42:00 +0000

Tiny Bubbles

I haven't had a whole lot of time to work on my new seashore inspired shawl but I have been having fun with it. The first photo shows how large it is--290 stitches! The second is a close up of the "bubble" lace pattern I started for the bottom edge. The bottom few rows do look like bubbles, but then I put it down for a few days and when I continued, forgot I was spacing each YO row with three additional rows (P K P). I thought it would look more frothy but am getting a mesh feeling from it. Since the next row will be fish, still will work, right? Have to clean up around the house and also have work work to do, so I'm not sure how much progress I'll make this weekend. I'm hoping to at least finish the bubbles and get in a couple of rows of fish!

noreply@blogger.com (AuntJudyB) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 19:38:00 +0000

In the Mood

I've been so busy at work that I haven't been able to spend any time online and have had precious little time to knit, much less update this blog. Well, can't complain considering the alternative, right?

I need a better storage system for my yarn--I have a problem working on one thing at a time and I'm always pulling out multiple projects at once and somehow they don't get put away...I like to keep them close at hand. I thought I might get a handle on the projects I have by assembling a list of projects on needles as well as yarn in my stash. There are over 110 items on the list--time for a purge, I think.

I hae been looking for a KAL to participate in and really liked the Yahoo group for the Creatures of the Reef shawl. You work at your own speed, which is entirely up my alley. However, finding the pattern has been a problem--it's not the cost of the pattern (which is about $12.), it is the S&H (which is about $10.50!). Frustrated, I checked my LYS. They don't carry the Fiddlesticks line but said they would look into it for me. But they also suggested that I could design my own shawl, which we are doing...I'm so excited.

We're using Mica from Berrocco and I'm knitting on #4 Addi Turbos for lace. I bought the second Barbara Walker book because that has most of the patterns although I also bought another pattern for a shawl that had nautical themes as well as one of the Great American Afghan booklets. I feel like I shouldn't say too much about it because it will jinx my progress, but I can't resist.

The final size should be about 60" long x 20" tall. I cast on 290 stitches in Mother of Pearl last night and started a shell pattern but got all jumbled up, so I switched to bubbles. I got through 12 rows which is just about a full skein of Mica (108 yards). I hope to get through another 12 rows of bubbles, then I'll switch to Vivianite, an almost navy blue and knit in some fish. After that, I'll use Abalone, a silvery gray, to knit fish hooks out of the BW book and then I'm switching to a nice sandy beige (can't tell which it is from the color card) to represent the shore. I really really really liked the starfish in the Reef shawl but couldn't find a pattern but found one yesterday--I ordered Ocean Breezes: Knited Scarves Inspired by the Sea from Barnes & Noble and hope to have it in hand later this week. I need to decide whether to switch colors for the starfish or if I want to use the same beige I'll use for the sand. I have some Tilli Tomas Disco Lights in beige as well as one skein of brown---I'm a sucker for sequins anyway. Or I could just get some brown and have it represent wet sand.

Shaina from The Skein Attraction found a pattern for a gingerbread house in the BW book--I'm going to put that in the middle of the back in the sandy color and I am making applique crabs and snails from the Great American Afghan booklet in Cinnabar and Purple Pectin. Then I'm finishing it off with an edging pattern from one of Nicky Epstein's books--I'm using a blue called Lazulite, which is meant to represent the sky, but I'm using a pattern that looks like a wave.

In other news, Adina (also from Skein) wrote a pattern for me so I can make my youngest niece a shrug with some Tilli Tomas Disco Lights--I only have two skeins in a very light pink--gives me 450 yards. I started this yesterday so I can work on it on the bus--there's no shaping for anything to keep track up so should be easy enough to commute and work on it.

I'm also trying to make the Aran sweater for the American Girl doll. Berrocco had a free pattern online recently, however, I haven't been able to find Comfort in DK weight and I'm struggling to get gauge.

Finally, Shaina was wearing a great sweater on Saturday and I had to get the pattern and some Euroflax in Terra Cotta for myself. I started it but frogged it because I don't like the increases...need to give that some attention.

noreply@blogger.com (AuntJudyB) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 21:52:00 +0000

What A Day

We have a new president! I was watching coverage on NBC news and the anchors were joking about how they became emotional as they watched President Obama being sworn in. Well, me too. I'm hoping this is the being a wonderful new era for us.

Sadly enough, another era ended for me and my family yesterday--we said good-bye to my grandfather who was 101 years old. You can't be sad too long when you think about it but it's still hard. I had made a list of all the wonderful things he saw in his lifetime when he turned 100--too bad he didn't get to see this day.

What does this have to do with my knitting? Well, I still haven't finished my inauguration day scarf that I started in February 2008 and was supposed to finish and wear today. But I did give my youngest niece a new pink scarf made from a fuzzy polyester called Cocoon from Universal Yarns. I'll post a picture of it later.

Meanwhile, I took the opportunity to take pictures of my nieces and nephews before the funeral yesterday. Aren't they a great bunch?

noreply@blogger.com (AuntJudyB) — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 17:42:00 +0000

Happy New Year!

I can't believe it's been so long since I've posted, but considering how hectic the holiday season can be, I shouldn't be surprised. Thanksgiving was at my house and I had decided to make everything from scratch this year--delicious but very ambitious and I have a tendency not to read recipes through completely in advance of cooking. Good thing my mother was here to help.

I am the eternal optimist and convinced myself that the year end at work would be quiet and I would be able to accomplish much of my holiday goals in the weeks before. Wrong, again. It was however a wonderful holiday and I can't complain. I took a cooking class at the Institute for Culinary Education, spent Christmas day at my sister's home, where everyone gathered and unfortunately we didn't take pictures! and went to Hershey Park in PA for a few days.

The photos with this post show my Muses, a wildly successful store-bought Christmas gift and a handknitted one--the neckwarmer is the Elsbeth Lavold pattern I posted about previously.

I visited my LYS several times over the holidays and that is always fun. I am making a few things that I will post later.

noreply@blogger.com (AuntJudyB) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 17:15:00 +0000

Back from Baltimore

I've been tremendously busy of late. I changed jobs on October 1 and also signed up for several writing classes. Between work and my homework assignments, I haven't had much time to blog but will make an effort to bring this up to date especially since I've been working on many new projects.

I decided, perhaps too ambitiously, that I would make scarves and neckwarmers for everyone in my family and present them at Thanksgiving (which is, you know, two weeks from yesterday!). I've got three versions of neckwarmers for the ladies: a cabled design with ruffle from Elsebeth Lavold, a pattern from a recent holiday knit magazine (details to follow with photo) and simple circular knits. I'm using a silky blend (new yarn--need to update with the details) with two strands of Koigu for the ruffled neckwarmers--I did one with only one strand of Koigu already and it's okay but a little too short. I got Torino in bright red and greens for the magazine pattern--I have two darling buttons that look like candy cane stripes for the red and got red glass buttons for the green version. The simple neckwarmers are my own (extremely simple) design--I'm using Zara mixed with New Smoking for red and white stripes for one and red and white baby alpaca for the other. I bought some tiny red and green bells to knit into the second one for holiday cheer. I also have some fancy white yarn with little beads that look like snowmen already wound in for one of my nieces.

The scarves for men are going to be more challenging just because they need to be longer. I am making a seed stitch scarf with alternating colors of Frog Tree Alpaca for my dad. You start with 3 strands of color A for 5" then switch to 2 strands of A and 1 strand of B. Then 1 strand of A and two of B, then three of B, etc. I have red alpaca for my brother-in-law and green alpaca for my niece's fiance. And red wool for both nephews. I'm toying with the idea of red and green stripes--need to see how it goes.

I didn't really didn't buy much yarn at Stitches although I did get a kit to make needle felted elves for Christmas as well as molds for needle felting little shapes. I got roving in holiday colors and the molds are leaves and berries and snowflakes--you've picked up on the holiday theme, no doubt. I'm thinking of a red sweater for my youngest niece and embellishing it with these things--but I feel like gifting something like that on Christmas is a waste because the time to wear it is so short. Maybe I'll make it a Valentine's Day theme...

I did snatch up some nice black yarn that has silver flecks in it--knitted up into a shawl, it looks like there are spots of silver on it--very nice for evening wear and it's knit on BIG needles. I also got some new Colinette Zanziba and Fandango. I loved the sample but didn't realize that the pattern was One Size Fits Most. I ordered extra of each yarn (they are knit together) so I could size up a little but have gotten bogged down in the math. The pattern calls for size 19 needles. I'm a loose knitter in general and tend to go down two needle sizes for regular needles and at least one size down for the larger needle sizes. I don't like the look on #19s as it is too loose but can't get gauge on #15 and #17. I'll put that down for a while and focus on other things.

I got some beautiful sweater picks from the Great Yarns booth at Stitches to gift along with the neckwarmers and lovely beaded handles for a bag from the same place.

I had a hard time selecting classes for Stitches this year. There are several teachers who I enjoy very much--Melissa Leapman, Lily Chin, Chris Bylsma (sp?) and Gwen Bortner are a few. One of the things I've found is that the class description doesn't always accurately communicate what the class is about. For instance, last year I took a color class--I thought we were talking about theory and in reality it included intarsia knitting, which I do not know how to do, which frankly blew. So I'm pretty careful. I was signing up for a Saturday afternoon class with the same teacher as the class for Sunday morning. I'd never taken a class with her before and knew it was a risk and (unfortunately) threw caution to the wind and signed up anyway.

What a CRAB!!!!!!!

Our classroom was at the back of beyond and I was a few minutes late. She didn't greet me but was compelled to shriek at me to sit upfront. I don't know if you have ever been to one of these classes, but they are typically set up classroom style and in the manner of first come, first served, people spread out and move their chairs. I was not interested in sitting squished between two people who are already nesting or getting stuck by the table leg and sitting uncomfortably for three hours. And that was just the first three minutes.

After much consideration, I bagged the class Sunday morning and will eventually get around to sending Rick Mondragon a strongly worded letter about this experience.

We had incredibly gorgeous weekend in Baltimore and I set off for home at around nine in the morning; stopped in East Brunswick to pick up my coats that were in winter storage and drove right up to The Skein Attraction in Teaneck, my LYS. There, of course, I was greeted warmly. They were holding a copy of the new Mason/Dixon book for me and I bought more holiday yarn as well as some Manos to make the bag to match the handles I bought at Stitches.

I had seen a lot of ruffles at Stitches and wondered if there were an easy way to accomplish this. They came up with an awesome idea to use Touch Me in between the Manos to create that effect after felting. I'm so excited to see how this turns out. The colors of the beads on the handles are different shades of pink, black and maroon. The Manos is pinky maroon and the Touch Me colors are wine, a similar maroon-ish color and light pink. It might get a bit tedious because I have to increase 50% of stitches when I go from Manos to Touch Me then decrease those stitches when I go back to Manos and I'm going to do it three times. but I think it will be worth it. I ordered the mesh to put in the felted bag from the Yarn Lady today and still need to find someone to line the bag for me and attach the handles, but I'm excited--can you tell?

I'll try to get pictures up this weekend so show you what I've been up to.

noreply@blogger.com (AuntJudyB) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 14:41:00 +0000

I Love Sparkly Things

Unfortunately I'm having a problem keeping track of my projects. I started this Artful Yarn shrug--it's brown silk mohair with beads and sequins, but I can't find it! Have to make my way through the piles of summer clothes set aside for the semi-annual closet turnover to try to uncover it as well as my pearls (yes, I'm on a roll--in a downward direction!).

So in the meantime, I started a bolero using Trendsetter Aura. I thought it was a beige color but it ends up being gray. I like it a lot and it's going fairly quickly. However, I only have three skeins and will need more. I haven't checked to see if the color is available--oh I like living on the edge. I'm going to need a metallic yarn in light worsted weight for the trim.

noreply@blogger.com (AuntJudyB) — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 19:45:00 +0000

It's Fall

And where has September gone? I can't really say I've been excessively busy so I have no good excuse for not posting. To catch you up, I mailed the last package to my SP 12 recipient. I'm not sure she liked the last package--she never alerted me that she received it but did mention it on her blog. This time I gave her a hand-dyed purple nubby skein that would make a nice scarf, a skein of ombre sock yarn--I forget the name of it but I was intrigued because the fiber is impregnated with some kind of lotion that rubs off on the knitter's hands to moisturize them and then also moisturizes the feet of the wearer of the socks--so clever! I also put in a tiny skein of novelty yarn--it's beaded and purple. The yarn is rounded out with a purple tape measure, needle sizer pendant and some NYC souvenirs. I hope she likes it as much as I liked my SP 12 packages.

Actually, I LOVED my packages--every single one of them. The last package had some beautiful ombre fingering weight yarn and three (yes, I said THREE!) skeins of Debbie Bliss Pure Cashmere--oh so beautiful. I swear I went and washed my face so I could rub them on my cheek--they are so soft and fluffy--I love them! There were also other goodies in the package, like a really nice knitting journal and some KnitPick needles and chocolate--a wonderful bar of Godiva chocolate that I ate on the spot and something very unusual--its called Brix. At first I thought it was a bar of soap because it comes packaged elegantly in a box. On closer inspection I realized that it is a bar of chocolate specially formulated to enhance the flavor of red wine. Now that is a wonderful idea, don't you agree? Thank you, Barb (sipknitter)!

Since I cannot ever work on just one thing, I have made some progress on my Rowan Cocoon pullover, the Tahki Bianca/Blue Sky Suri Merino cardigan and that (darned) Log Cabin blanket. I have also started a Snuggle for the Sit and Knit NY group, a hat for Hat Attack 2 and a neck warmer for the Sit and Knit NY exchange.

I love the neckwarmer--I had gotten the pattern in Dallas, TX a while ago and have some yarn to make it with, but never got the chance (or was motivated--I think I was daunted by the cables and ruffles involved). The woman I was assigned wanted cables so I found the pattern, bought some Frog Tree merino at Modern Yarn in Montclair, NJ and cast on. The cable is actually a "mock" cable so it was pretty quick to knit the main body. The first ruffle is knit on the bottom and then a second ruffle is knit along the cast on edge. I finished the first ruffle last night and picked up the stitches for the second ruffle and started working the increase rows early this AM. I'm a little confused because I picked up the 130 stitches on the RS but you're supposed to start on the RS--my fault for not understanding the instructions. So I had made it through four rows of the second ruffle and wanted to finish the last three and bind off at lunchtime today, but realized that I was making the ruffle backwards! So I ripped it back--luckily I just went down to the first row and didn't have to go through the pick up exercise again (that was a little tricky!). So I'm now where I thought I was this morning. Hopefully I can finish it this evening. The exchange meeting isn't until early October, but I do want to wash it and block it nicely. I'm debating whether to crochet on loops for buttons or not.

I have taken two classes at the Skein Attraction in Teaneck, NJ recently. The first one was to make a scarf with a reversible cable in Touch Me. I struggled a bit with the pattern on either side of the cable and realized I was working too loosely. Touch Me has a tendency to worm and even though I'm going to felt the scarf, it would be obvious. So that had to be frogged.

I did much better at the Charlotte's Web class. This is lace knitting using Koigu. I had originally bought yarn in blue colorways and tried making it on my own with limited success. I opted for new colors in an autumnal (browny-beige-greenish) colorway and with the wonderful instructions from Adina at Skein, was able to "get" it. I don't always pay close enough attention and have to do a lot of counting and tinking to ensure I have the right number of stitches but I am in love with it. The colors are gorgeous, if I do say so myself, and this is going to be a work of art (again, if I do say so myself).

The other things I'm excited about the new spiral hat I'm making myself with Kureyon and novelty yarn and the cardigan I'm going to make in Suri Merino in a gray colorway called Fog. I am toying with the idea of cat buttons--I have several that are rather small and each has a mouse dangling from it. I guess I have lots of time to decide since I haven't cast on yet.

And finally, I am dead. I received the death blow from my assassin in Hat Attack 2 yesterday. I have to say though that I am delighted. She knit it in brown and white which are excellent colors for me and the hat is large enough for me to wear (unlike the weapon I got in Hat Attack 1). Unfortunately for my assassin, redhead1968, I haven't made much progress on my hat so I'm mailing it off to her today so she can finish it and "off" my target. I have to say, I didn't mind getting killed when I got the hat!

noreply@blogger.com (AuntJudyB) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:54:00 +0000