TaDa! Too

Well, Once I saw the wrap coming to an end I wanted another project. I was in love with the Katarina Cardigan http://www.cocoknits.com/knit/garments/sweaters/katarina.html I wanted to knit one for myself -who knows why, I certainly don't need it, but you know how that goes. We knit because we can, right? I went to Twist, my LYS and began hunting for yarn. I found that the pattern calls for a dk weight yarn, but at 4 stitches per inch. I didn't think that would happen, so I used Silk Garden Bulky in color B. It gave me the gague and I think looks great. Here is the finished sweater/jacket: The actual colors are more jewel tone and actually brighter than the picture. It was a fun sweater to knit and now I'm looking for another yarn so I can knit it again! I like the way the sleeves knit, cast on with provisional cast-on then knit down after finishing the sweater! This way the sleeves are the right length! Neat idea, huh?

Next project is the Sampler Afghan from Melissa Leapman's book, Cables Untangled. Here is a picture of it from a fellow Ravelry knitter. It will be a long undertaking, but knits in strips and blocks so that it will travel easily. I'm only on my second strip at present and hope to finish it by next year! I'm using Berroco Comfort in light blue.

Ta Da!

Finished! I didn't work on the Borris Wrap for about 3 weeks due to travel for work. When I picked it up this morning, I was surprised to find that so little remained to be done, so I finished it while watching morning TV. Here is how it looks:

I can't wait to wear it and think it will look great with a black suit for work! The circle is actually a shawl pin that I got at Stitches Midwest from Gita Maria, web site http://www.gitamaria.com/ She had an awesome booth at Stitches and everything was beautiful - enameled silver work! I chose this one to go with the wrap.

I'm now knitting on the Katarina Cardigan - pattern found via Ravelry - using Noro Silk Garden chunky - it's going fast and hopefully will be finished by the weekend. I'll post if I'm finished. Next project for me will be the Sampler Afghan in Melissa Leapman's book, Cables Untangled. Can't wait to start is as it is done in squares and panels so it should make a good project to take with me out of town next week.

Irish knit

When I was at Stitches Midwest in August, I saw the Borris Wrap by Maggiknits - who has wonderful Irish knits designs. I bought the kit, but hadn't done very much with it til this week. I finally started it, the pattern is a bit challenging, but the pictures in the book (which came with the kit) make it easier to follow the written pattern.

I think it is a work of art! The pics are in the blue colors, but I chose the black and red!
Anyway, here is my progress!

Why didn't I think of it?

The more I knit the more I say, why didn't I think of that? My latest knitting project is definitely one in that category! When we visited your LYS in Macon, I bought the Plymouth Yarns Baby Alpaca Grande Vest pattern and enough yarn to knit it. It was truely an impulse buy but one of my best purchases. It is a bulky yarn which is knits fast and is very soft.

Just look at the finished vest!

It doesn't look too much like a vest in this picture, right? It really is a long piece with K2P2 on each end and K1P1 on 1/2 the stitches in the middle. Then it's folded over, like the picture and seamed just on the K2P2 part.

Clever! - Why didn't I think of that?

But here is the way it looks when you wear it! Looks different!

I wore it yesterday to Knittin' on the Prairie KAL (look for a blog by that name later) and everyone loved it. Part of the beauty of this is probably the softness of the alpaca which allows it to stretch. I decided to knit another using wool - actually Cascade Yarns Eco+ in 8448 Crushed Berry color. I'm hoping that the yarn will work and create another great vest.

Catching up - again

Just thought I would blog since it's been a while. Have been too busy lately, but I guess we are all way over our heads with the holidays, work and trying to maintain some semblance of family life.
Last weekend Heidi participated in the local Christmas Ice Show. There were 4 songs in which she skated with 3 of the costumes provided, since they were group numbers and all the outfits had to look alike. She had one solo - skated to Once Upon a December from Disney's Anastasia. Lisa wanted the costume to be similar to the movie, yellow with a blue sash. Of course there is only one way to get that - make it. Luckily we have a great small shop that sells only knits - including Lycra - for swimsuits and leotards. But she didn't have any yellow, so the shop owner dyed the fabric to create the costume. I spent all day Sunday Dec 9 making the costume but It really turned out pretty and she skated so well. The costume really fit the routine and so many of her skater friends complimented her on the dress. I have a home-made video of the performance and am trying to learn how to upload it to the web (file is too large) so all the family can log on and view it. Meanwhile, here are some photos of her solo:

This is her spread eagle position - and here is the ending:

OK, now to my Christmas knitting. I finished the vest for Heidi and her American Girl Doll! I don't know if she will wear it or not, but it turned out cute. I have to get out today and find buttons - then wrap it for the tree.
I have a friend that I wanted to knit something for as a Christmas gift, and gave myself only a few days to get it done since I wouldn't be seeing her again before Christmas after last Thursday - 12/20. I thought the Tickled Pink scarf from the latest Knitter's would be great, but wanted to change it somewhat, varying the shades of the same color.

Well it was a disaster - butt ugly actually. Here is how far I got before I decided to abandon it.

Isn't it horrible? Looks like a bunch of snakes. Who would wear this around their neck?

Anyway I had some Rowan Wool/Cotton in a cream color and knit another scarf with the same pattern but didn't get it done in time. I'll have to give it to her after the holidays. The scarf pattern was easy to knit, once I put it on shorter needles. It is just 4 stockinette stitches knit from bobbins and occasionally twisting the yarns to join two strips for 4 rows. I really enjoyed knitting it, but since it is in such a bland color, I don't know if she will ever wear it. If I had time, I would try to dye it some color. Sorry that I don't have a picture of the finished scarf. Once blocked it looked good, otherwise it kinda just bunches up into a long skinny strip.

How is your knitting going. WFAT finished? I'm trying to decide what to bring along for my trip to your house. I have several projects going, but mostly with multiple colors - making it necessary to bring along more yarn than I want to carry.

Hope you have great holidays! Looking forward to our trip to your house. Next year, Kansas for Christmas?

WFAT - Underway

WhereFore Art Thou (WFAT) is underway. I love the design of this pattern and the lace is easy to knit up. Today's fashions crack me up. Everyone is questionably expecting - it's why I've nicknamed this sweater WFAT. It could mean a lot of things - Wonderfully FAT. Wickedly FAT. Whoa FAT! Whoknowsmaybeshe'sjust FAT? In any case.... that's what this is becoming. I took this photo on Friday. I'm now through three repeats of the lace pattern. I secretly hope that I'm done with it by this weekend so I can wear it to the Steeplechase Races, but I'm going to be realistic. I'll have a back up outfit in mind - just in case.

Oh, and Ravelry is AWESOME. You should absolutely sign up if you haven't already. I bought some cheap chunky yarn to knit the girls snoods this weekend. A snood is designed to keep a greyhound's ears and neck warm in cool weather, as they have the tendency to catch a chill easily. A friend of mine calls my dogs "snake dogs." When he heard that I was knitting a snood for them, he asked if a snood was hood for a snake dog. Here's a picture of the snood I am making for them, thanks to a great new friend I've met on Ravelry.

Lizard Ridge and Gloves

My local yarn shop is doing a Lizard Ridge KAL so I am knitting along with them, even though I can't make the meetings. Here is my progress so far! 7 of the 24 blocks done. The color isn't so good in the picture, but these blocks are ADDICTING! Don't start them unless you are really ready to spend all your time knitting blocks. They are a great portable project, in case you are traveling soon.

I am having fun with the blocks and the different Noro Kuyreon yarn! This blanket should really be warm! I just hope I don't felt it by mistake! I have an afghan that I knit for my mother in the 1960s out of some wool and I know she must have machine washed and dried it because it is slightly felted. Thank goodness she took it out of the dryer when she did or it might have been a potholder when she finished.

My other project has been the gloves from Colinette Jitterbug sock yarn. I've found that I would rather knit gloves than socks so I'm jsure these won't be my last. I have some Louet Gems sport weight that I'm going to use for some gloves as well. I haven't tied in the loose ends on this picture, so I won't be wearing them with the strings hanging!

I used the Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns by Ann Budd for the directions to knit the gloves. Do you have that book? It was the first place I looked when I thought I would knit gloves. Made the process easy.

That is so cooooool!

I am so delighted to pass to you the "official black sheep of the family" baton! HAHAHAHAHA! OK, so do each of your aunts get one for Christmas?

Seriously, that is such a wonderful thing to do. Just think of the stories you'll tell. I can't wait to see it all! No pun intended. With your experience, maybe we can do one that is knitting related!

My alpacha gloves were cute but not too serviceable. The yarn doesn't have the stretch you need for the gloves to fit the hands. So,now I'm using some Colinette Jitterbug sock yarn to knit some gloves. To be on the safe side, I am using K1P1 from the cuff all the way to the fingers. The gloves look kinda strange, but they fit and hopefully will stay on.

Here is my latest finished project.

It's my red sweater from the Red Sweater KAL. I need to post the picture to that blog as well.
I have too many UFOs to even begin blogging about them.
I'll write more later, meanwhile keep the posts coming!