End of May WIP roundup

Time to get the works in progress together so that I can update my plan of attack.

The lace shawl. It sits next to me on my desk. I am on the last row of the pattern and will be starting the edge. I can see that I will run out of yarn soon. I gave Little Knits a call today and fortunately she has the same dye lot, so that has been ordered.


The mosaic zip-front cardigan. Slow but sure.
I have barely started the second toeless sock (aka Why Bother sock). I wanted to have that finished by now. I feel the interest waning.

The Seamless Hybrid...

A journey into garter stitch mitered squares - an afghan for my son. I want to like this more than I do. The colors did not come across very well in the picture - dark brown, orange, burnt orange, dark green. I plan to gradually change to lighter colors as I knit across the afghan. I wanted to knit it with uneven, mismatched stripes, but I know my son would prefer nice even stripes in the squares. For me, that is like wearing a shoe that is too tight, but I keep reminding myself that I am knitting this for him, not for me. I don't know if I am strong enough.

There are 3 or 4 projects I am anxious to start, so I am motivated to get some of these WIPs off the needles. I hear the crack of the WIP, er I mean whip. (sorry, couldn't resist)

Shifting the sweater out of reverse

The Seamless Hybrid, the final chapter

I ripped out the neck and the saddle parts of the shoulders while I watched Wallace & Gromit today. Now to pick up the stitches and move forward. I purchased an extra 2 or 3 balls of yarn for this sweater by accident which works to my advantage now. I think I will add in the new yarn instead of using the yarn that has been ripped out and re-knit a couple of times.


The Sock Hop yarn is playing with my imagination:

I have waited six months for this

This deserves drama, so play along with me .

This arrived today....


peek...
Yippee!


I have waited six months for this yarn:

Sock Hop Yarn from Crown Mountain Farms
Superwash Merino sock yarn
Colorway: My Boyfriend's Back
Approximately 200 yards


The long version: Last fall I saw Wendy knitting socks from this yarn and the vision of it smacked me upside the head. It was what I had been looking for but did not know it until then - know what I mean? I immediately followed the link with every intention of finding a spot in my budget to purchase this yarn, but found that when they posted the sock yarn it sold out within an hour. So I put my name on their e-mail list and have been patiently waiting ever since. Last Saturday they posted sock yarn for sale and I grabbed 2 hanks. I want to study the play of color, maybe enjoy holding it in my hand a while, and then knit something special. This is a special treat. Hee hee.

Tagged!

I have been tagged by Knitting on the Rogue River for the '7 random facts about me' meme.

Ahem, lets see...
1. I knit continental style and I have been experimenting a little with combination knitting.
2. When I buy yarn it is usually for a specific project.
I cannot think of any more knitting randomness, so how about non-knitting randomness...
3. I have a degree in biology, specifically wildlife biology with a minor in fisheries.
4. I don't enjoy eating meat or eggs - I have studied it too much. I am not a vegetarian, though. I just find it more enjoyable to eat cheese, veggies, rice, and beans.
5. I like savory flavor more than sweet.
6. In the past, I have enjoyed backpacking, horses, bicycling, canoeing, and birdwatching. In this chapter of my life I spend most of my time working at a computer, but I look forward to being active again.
7. I enjoy studying the Word of God immensely. I get excited when the 'layers' peel back and I glimpse the depth of the meaning.

I am supposed to tag 7 people with this meme, but most of the people I know have already been tagged. If you are reading this and have not done this meme then consider yourself tagged.

Do Over!

The E.Z. seamless hybrid. This was finished but has not been blocked - no need since I am going to rip it down the shoulders yet again. It is just a little too loose in the shoulders. I told my son (the recipient) I could fix it *cough, choke*. It is easier for me to knit a new one than fix one, but I will learn to figure out what is wrong and what to do about it. I hope. I tend to lose interest ..... like the socks I knitted for him that are waiting to be fixed. Oh well, building character - or maybe I am knitting character.

Prom night

My youngest getting ready for his first prom.

There is a great picture of camelid yarn over at Grumperina's blog.

Speaking of cats...or not.... I stumbled across this blog - I can has cheezburger. Some of the pictures are really cute.

Found a good reference for knitting vintage

'String or Nothing' has a great post listing some references for knitting vintage patterns. (yes, I am playing with the fonts)

Whoh Hoh Hoh, me like-ah dees!
I did not know that knitting lace was so fun.

My first lace shawl

Knitting adventures begin with one stitch.


Pattern: Sun Ray Shawl
Designer: Shui Kuen Kozinski
Yarn: Peru DK Luxury
Needle: Knit Picks circular Size US10.

I already hear the little voice inside saying, "I wish I knew what I was doing." It sounds a little bit like the voice of Mr. Bill - remember? long time ago.

Now that sock knitting class #1 is done I have to put the finishing touches on my notes for class #2 - the flap, heel turn, and gusset. That will be a busy class. It was comforting to have my knitting buddy - The Intrepid Knitter - in the class. Her friendship has been a special blessing to me.

Family....

The Seamless Hybrid is sputtering along

Molly Knits Sweaters gave me good advice. She said if I get stuck while doing an EZ pattern to just walk away from it for a while and then, when I come back to it, it will probably make sense. I took her advice and did not touch the hybrid for about 4 or 5 days. During that time, the solution to my dilema came to me. It was simple, which is probably why I could not find anyone else having problems with it. The decreases continue up the sides of the saddle but the saddle does not decrease, so I centered the decrease over the join of the saddle and body and then moved this stitch to the saddle side of the marker.



Now I have a new challenge. EZ says to knit 44 rows on the saddle and then bind off half of the saddle stitches to shape the neck opening. When I knit 44 rows on the saddle it will take me to the center of the body which then moves the neck shaping to one side. When I look at the picture, the saddle stitches do not meet in front - they stop at the neck opening. So now to determine where she got the 44 rows. I have been following her recipe fairly closely and I should not be this far off in numbers. The only difference is the way I did the double decrease. Hmmm... but those decreases happen at the same rate as the ones in the picture - I think. The only solution I have come up with is to take the number of stitches that are remaining on the front after the double decreases and divide that number into thirds. Then knit 1/3 of the way with the first saddle, bind off half the saddle stitches to make the neck opening, and continue across the middle third of the body stitches and stop. This brings the saddle to the far edge of the neck. Then knit the second saddle from the opposite direction across the remaining third of the body stitches to meet up at the edge of the neck opening. This will follow her hand-drawn diagram. My next concern is whether the neck opening is big enough. The total stitches allowed for the neck opening (if I follow my plan) will be 96 stitches, which is a little more than I would cast on for a hat, so I know it will fit over the head and allow me to knit a 1x1 rib band at the neck line. This is the only plan I have come up with that makes sense to me.

What I thought I wanted was to follow along and let someone else do the thinking, but there is satisfaction in working through the process. The good thing is this keeps those little gray cells in my brain all working together towards a common goal.

I finished the sample for my sock class...


I was not concerned about making the sock proportional - hence the short foot, etc. My goal is to have a sample of sock construction that can be held and studied; I believe that learning is also tactile. Today I get to put the finishing touches on my handouts and make the copies at the office supply store. I teach the first sock class tomorrow!

T.K. asked what my biggest project has been so far, and I think a sweater has been my biggest project. I have flirted with the idea of a sampler afghan. I think it would be fun to practice different stitch patterns and use them in an afghan, but I do not know when I will do it. Someday.

Opposing gray cells

If you could listen in this is what you would hear.....

Gray cell A: Come on! I am done with the class sample sock and now I have room for another project.

Gray Cell B: Nope. I have 2 sweaters on the needles that need attention. When I get one of those done then I can start something new.

Gray Cell A: We bought that circular needle from KnitPicks so we could start the shawl. Don't you want to start the shawl?

Gray Cell B: Nope. If I start a new project then I won't get the sweaters done, and I want to get at least one done SOON.

Gray Cell A: But we already have the needles, the yarn, and the pattern. Can't you hear it calling to you.

Gray Cell B: Nope. No No No. la la la la la la la

Gray Cell A: Think of how many months we have waited to knit our first lace shawl. There will always be a project in the way. Come on!

Gray Cell B: I wonder what kind of cast on the pattern calls for.

Gray Cell A: While we are sitting here working why don't we just cast on. It will be fun.

Gray Cell B: I could just look the pattern up to see what kind of cast on it calls for and how many stitches.

Gray Cell A: Yes! Now you're talking.

Gray Cell B: Well........ I really shouldn't.......I have too much to do...... Maybe I will just go touch the yarn again. It is only 5 feet away from me.

*sigh*

You gotta hand it to her.....

This project over at Needles & Hooks is amazing. Wow.