The Baby Blanket is a-blocking...

I blocked the baby blanket and it is almost dry. Here's how it looks while its blocking:

You can see the picot up close if you click on the picture. It didn't quite turn out as nice as I thought, but I guess it works with the blanket.

pinwheel baby blanket

I finished the Pinwheel Baby Blanket, well except for the weaving in of the ends and the blocking. (My least favorite part!). I am pretty happy with the way it turned out. I'm not totally sure how the picot bind off will look post-blocking since the ends are curling. It was a cause for concern for me, but I think it will look okay. Anyway, I think I made pretty good time with this because the baby was born December 13 at about 3 am (her name is Lilian Joy and she was 8 lbs. 13 oz. and 21" long). I can't wait to see her! I guess I have to weave in the ends and block the blanket before I see her. :(

In other news, my mom liked the socks that I knitted for her. The toes look a little pointy but oh well. She likes my Charlotte Web. She says it looks better than the picture of the Charlotte that's on the pattern! I ran out of yarn when knitting my Charlotte since I was using only 4 different colored skeins instead of 5. So I am going to go to ThreadBear Fiber Arts with my mom and get the last skein to finish it up. That will need some blocking too. Blah! I think my mom will buy some yarn for her own Charlotte. The only other knitting project that I brought home with me (home is Michigan) is a pair of Jaywalkers that I am knitting for my sister out of Lorna's Laces Crazy Stripe.

Help me!

My attempt at a Picot Bind Off failed miserably. I was using Vogue Knitting as a reference but it did not look right at all! I will have to consult with an expert!

pinwheel baby blanket -- close to being done (I think)

Here is my pinwheel baby blanket. I mixed in a few different colors (perhaps that was an unwise decision, but I thought it was a good idea at the time). Anyway, I think it will look pretty cool anyway. I think it's close to being done. I have pictured it with the solid skein I was thinking of edging it with. I'm not sure the solid skein is the right match. I'm not sure if I should try find another solid skein that might be good for edging.

I want to buy more STR!

What is wrong with me? Well in my justification I haven't tried the STR lightweight. Only the medium weight, which I think makes a good indoor sock on those winter days, but probably not the best daily wearing socks unless you are wearing birks or clogs, of which I have neither. Plus Blue Moon released all these delicious colorways, including X-Mas Rock which has me thinking of Winter Break. I am trying to decide how many skeins I need to order to make the shipping charge worth it, but how many skeins is too excessive! Oh Gosh, Life is Hard!

Finished Socks for my Mom!

I finished the STR Saratoga socks for mom in record time... well not for the first sock, but that is the fastest that I have ever knit a second sock! A lot of times, I get second sock syndrome. Anyway, enjoy the picture! Hopefully my mom doesn't check my blog too often :)

Socks for my Mom!

I'm knitting plain socks in STR Saratoga for my mom. They are as simple as they could possibly be (with a flap heel -- I really need to learn how to do a short row heel). Anyone want to teach me? Hopefully I will be done with them in time (in time for going home for the holidays). The pattern is pretty interesting -- it kind of reminds me of a Tiger. I wanted to see how the colors would come out if I just knitted the socks plain. I think that if I did a short row heel, the weird pooling things wouldn't happen around the heel. I actually plan to use some of STR to make mittens because I think that would be fun!

I got yarn in the mail!

I got 6 skeins of GEMS Pearl Merino to knit the Artic Diamonds Stole from IK Winter 2006.

I also got 2 skeins of Koigu to finish up my pinwheel baby blanket.

My Knitting is Going so SLOWLY

I'm still working on the pinwheel baby blanket. I have a little more than one skein to incorporate in the blanket. It's currently a bit bigger than 60 inches in diameter. Not sure how big I am supposed to make it. I have this solid color skein of Koigu (the one that I didn't use for my Charlotte's Web) that I could use at the end to do some sort of fancy edging... *sigh*, but I do not know any fancy edging techniques. Perhaps I should invest in one of those popular edging books that I seem to run across now and then. I think a nice edging could really add to the appearance of the blanket if anyone has any suggestions.

I'm also not done with my Charlotte's Web. I'm on my last skein and just have to do the last section, but since each row is bigger than the previous, each row takes a really long time.

I recently bought the Lace Leaf Shawl by Evelyn Clark since I had seen it on a few other people's blogs and thought it was great. I also purchased two skeins of Jade 2-ply cashmere in Sterling to make it. It will be my first project using Cashmere but at this rate I will never get to it.

I am also going to start knitting the DNA scarf pattern. I think I know of someone who would be one of the few to appreciate such a thing. Eventually I would like to knit one for myself. And my mom would probably love it too! Eeek! So many people to knit for. But first priorities are finishing the baby blanket since the baby will likely be born in the next 1 -3 weeks.

WIP - Pinwheel Baby Blanket

I started this because the kit I got from patternworks was a dud. I saw this pattern online and feel in love with it... I saw this pattern on 'Cori Knits' and she knit it in Koigu and I love any excuse to knit in Koigu. Also, what's nice about this is I dipped into my stash of sock yarn (since I have way to much already) and used some of the leftovers from my Charlotte (the light colors). I mixed in a couple colors, hopefully the effect will be cool... This pattern is a lot of fun to knit.

WIP - Charlotte's Web

Here is the progress on my Charlotte so far. I used Minh's suggestion and used the four variegated colors. I admit the colors didn't go together as well as I thought. I thought it would look cool being knit into a light to dark fashion, but I think I was wrong. Oh well, perhaps it will look less strange after blocking. And it will be useful to have around the house on cold days. Especially since we are cheap grad students and don't believe in turning on the heat! :)

I got my new issue of IK in the mail...

And I'm pretty excited about the Arctic Diamonds Stole and the Wine and Roses Mitts (I've never knit in cashmere before!). I was also excited to see that Interweave Knits is releasing some new books in the mail, namely Lace Style and Favorite Socks. They seem like they are going to be great and I love lace and socks and lacey socks!

Socks that Rock has new colorways!

Aren't the new colorways gorgeous? I think my favorites are Fairgrounds, X-Mas Rock, Chapman Springs, Rocktober, Rooster Rock, Love in Idleness and Nodding Violet. I just thought I would mention that in case I have a secret admirer out there somewhere. :) Too bad they got rid of the County Clare colorway, I was a big fan of that one...

Charlotte's Web kit came in the mail

My Charlotte's web pattern and 5 skeins of Koigu came in the mail today, but I'm a bit disappointed with the solid color. I expected it to be darker and I think that it doesn't really go with other skeins. I debating whether to get another skein of variegated Koigu instead. The thing is, I don't know whether to go for a darker purple or a lighter (more pastel) pink/pastel. I was thinking that I would arrange the colors from light to dark and so the shawl would go from light to dark from top to bottom. What do you think?



On a side note, I don't know what to do with one skein of Koigu. Any ideas?

Started Jaywalker Number 2!

I started Jaywalker No. 2 as I was looking for a break in between my researching. This one will also be in Lorna's Laces, in the Tuscany colorway (red, blue, and brown). Not sure why it's called that... I finished a cuff and just started the zig-zag pattern. I will have to do this pattern again in STR at some point since I have not tried that before.

I ordered the Charlotte's Web pattern with 5 purple skeins of Koigu and plan to knit the shawl from dark to light (hopefully it will look good). It will be my first shawl. (I once tried to do Ene's Scarf from Scarf Style and after casting on 375 stitches, I goofed and had to rip it out. I decided I didn't want to re-cast-on 375 stitches.)

I'm also awaiting a baby blanket pattern and yarn (in pink) for my friend's baby who due at the beginning of December. I'm not sure that I can manage in this short of a time, but I'm not in the mood to knit socks these days... I'm in the mood to knit bigger things. I probably just started the Jaywalkers since I needed something to knit.

I want to knit an afghan soon!

I think it would be really cool to knit an afghan and I've never done it before. Not to mention I would use it all the time in the Winter (though I will probably finish it around the time it warms up again). I like this pattern in Fall 2006 Knitty, called lizard ridge, and made with Noro Kureyon (a yarn I haven't worked with yet). I think its mosaic knitting though and I'm not sure if I'm into that. Too messy, how to deal with two strands at once? So complicated! Here is another one that I found off the Knitter's Review Forum, called Noro Squared. Also uses Noro Kureyon and does not involve more than one strand per square. I am also open to more pattern suggestions for afghans if others have some...

FO - Midwest Moonlight

I finished the Midwest Moonlight scarf (from Scarf Style) using Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk DK. It certainly took a long long time. I used 5 skeins of the Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk DK. Knitting this scarf was pretty monotonous and I don't know that I love this stitch pattern. The Alpaca Silk is really soft and really warm but I don't know that it is the best yarn for a scarf since it is drapey and not very stiff. But I guess this isn't any scarf, since it is thicker than a scarf but not quite as wide as a stole... This scarf still needs blocking. I think it will make the pattern show up better and the ends straight.

Jaywalker socks

I absolutely love them!!! Washed them twice, wear them around the house... in Lorna's Laces Gold Hill. Needless to say I will be knitting this pattern many times over.

FO - My So Called Scarf

I started knitting "My So Called Scarf" not too long ago using Manos del Uruguay Wildflowers colorway (the one that the original pattern from sheep in the city called for). Here is the finished object. Knitting this scarf was a little monotonous, but I like how it looks, I like how it doesn't require blocking and it knit up really fast...

Scottish Highland and Watermelon Tourmaline

Since I've made a habit of flashing my stash as I add to it. Here are my newest skeins of Socks that Rock in Scottish Highlands and Watermelon Tourmaline. I really love these colorways... Perhaps I should get sick more often so I can buy more yarn (kidding, really)!

National Knitting Week!

I didn't know there was such a thing, but apparently there is and it's coming up soon. October 14th to 21st... Hmmm, how should I celebrate it?

I bought more socks that rock!

I deserved it I tell you after being sick for so long... So I ordered two skeins of Socks that Rock in Watermelon Tourmaline and Scottish Highlands... Can't wait for them to come!! Nothing to make me happy like more yarn! :)

Favorite Yarns

I saw a post like this on someone else's blog, so I thought I would do a post like it. The favorite yarns that I've worked with so far are:

1. Socks that Rock
2. Koigu
3. Lorna's Laces Shephard Sock
4. Fiesta La Luz (100% Silk)
5. Karabella Aurora 8 (100% Merino)
6. Manos del Uruguay
7. Rowan Cashsoft Aran

FYI, they aren't ranked since the yarns are used in different projects and I could never do that to my favorite yarns! :)

RPM socks finished!

The RPM socks are finished and on the feet of their proud owner, Lolo. My knitting is so productive when I'm sick... my research on the other hand... hmm

RPM Socks

I had a terrible cold this past week, so what better time to catch up on my knitting... I decided to start RPM socks with my new Socks that Rock yarn (in the Farmhouse colorway). Here is my progress so far. I'm really happy the way these socks are turning out.

My Socks that Rock Stash

A picture of my "socks that rock" is long overdue, so they are! From left to right, they are Highway 30, Dutch Canyon, Sandstone, and Seal Rock. I'm planning to make at least one more RPM sock from them (I'm thinking Sandstone) and a pair of Jaywalkers (I'm thinking Seal Rock). I hear that Blue Moon Fiber Arts are supposed to update their new colorways very soon, I'm waiting!

Socks that Rock really do Rock!

I love Socks that Rock! I just started knitting RPM socks from the summer knitty in the Farmhouse colorway (medium weight). I like the way they knit up and I like the way the yarn feels in my fingers. The colorway is really pretty too (pictures to follow). I finally finished my LL Jaywalkers and finished one of my Garland Lace Socks (also in LL). I have about a million pairs of socks going right now...

New Fall Knitty!

The Fall Knitty came out with lots of fun patterns. I like the diamante and cablenet socks and they seems like they would be perfect for LL. I also like the Ivy wrap/sweater and the tamarah shawl...

Before and After -- Misty Garden

I got my La Boheme in the mail not too long ago and used it to make the Misty Garden scarf from Scarf Style, so here are some before and after pictures. This scarf knit up so fast, I couldn't believe it! But after knitting socks for a while the size 9 needles which I used seemed colossal! Seriously, I think this is the quickest project I have ever done. I think this is going to be a nice warm winter scarf since the scarf came both wide and long. I don't know if you can tell from the picture but the yarn shines -- La Boheme is a double strand yarn with one strand of mohair along with a strand of rayon boucle that is shiny. I spent a lot on the La Boheme and am not sure it was worth quite so much, but my roommates really liked this scarf. When I was knitting with the second skein, I sort of had issues with the strands lining up since they have different tensions, so there were parts when I was knitting with one color of the mohair and a different color of the boucle. Luckily I didn't have any problems winding the yarn on my swift that other people said they had. I wound the yarn slowly in order to prevent having a lot of the mohair left over... I do really love this colorway though, Raspberry Mocha! Hmm, that actually sounds yummy, I want a raspberry mocha :)

knitting books

I just got some new knitting books, thank god for Amazon gift certificates! :) Too bad I can't use any of the sock books right now since my RSI is acting up and I don't think I can knit socks for a while now...

People take pictures of their yarn stashes so I thought I would take a picture of my book stashes :) I like all the books a lot, so far the only book that I've used a pattern out of is Scarf Style (where I've used 3 patterns so far) and sadly I won't be able to try any of the sock books any time soon. Vogue Knitting has been a good reference book when I need to learn how to do something. Knitting Rules is kind of a fun, light book to read though not much material in terms of patterns or how-to's or finishing techniques, etc.

Various States of Doneness

I've started four pairs of socks at various times and still need to finish them -- hopefully soon. From left to right Broadripple in Cascade Fixation, Garland Lace Socks in Lorna's Laces Purple Iris, Jaywalkers in Lorna's Laces Gold Hill, and Pomatomus in Koigu of some sort... I think the intricacy of socks make my hands hurt a bit more so I might have to say no to sock knitting for a bit.

crazy sock yarns

I bought some striping Lorna's Laces recently -- Fresh Stripe, Funky Stripe and Crazy Stripe from left to right. Can't wait to see how they knit up -- I bet they look awesome! Lolo has claimed the Crazy Stripe colorway in the Jaywalkers pattern. I'll get around to that eventually if my hand stops bothering me...

WIP - Midwest Moonlight

This is what I'm working on for my mom (hopefully she doesn't read my blog too often), the Midewest Moonlight in Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk DK that I've mentioned about a zillion times before. I'm 40% done with this...

Progress on Jaywalkers

I promised a picture of my Jaywalkers so here they are. I'm actually a bit farther than this now, I turned the heel on the second sock. I made sure that two skeins of Gold Hill were from the same dye lot, but yet one still looks different from the other. The not yet completed sock has more of a contrast in the stripes... oh well, the socks will be fraternal twins.

I also started a new pair of socks knit on two Addi Turbo circulars since I wanted to try knitting with 2 circulars instead of dpn's. In general the Addi's seem faster, yet I miss the sharpness of the Crystal Palace dpn's. The new sock that I am knitting is the Garland Lace Pattern with Lorna's Laces Purple Iris.

Finished one Jaywalker sock!

Now I see why the pattern is so popular... it looks cool, is not super tricky. I started knitting a jaywalker in Lorna's Laces Gold Hill and now I have just one more to do! Pictures to come soon.... Did I mention I absolutely love Lorna's Laces! Can't wait to wear them when they are done.

Socks that Rock!

I broke down and bought 5 skeins of Socks that Rock. I think I have enough sock yarn for a whole year now. Anyway, I can't wait for them to come... I got Socks that Rock in Farmhouse, Dutch Canyon, Highway 30, Seal Rock and Saratoga! HURRAY!

I am still waiting for my La Boheme to show up so I can start the Feather and Fan pattern in Scarf Style -- Misty Garden...

Pomatomus Socks are too complicated!

Despite trying to ensure I was getting gauge for Pomatomus, I think it is doubtful that I actually am and am wondering if I should rip out what I've done since I don't think I'll have enough yarn to finish them and I'm not sure they are even going to fit! Somehow the leg looks too skinny. So I've put that project on hold. I started Jaywalkers from MagKnits since I've been dying to try them. The pattern is fun and easy and looks nice. I'm using Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Gold Hill and I like both the yarn and the colorway a lot! I also received my Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush in the mail a few days ago and like a lot of the patterns. They aren't too complicated but I wonder if they will look better in the solid yarns instead of the variegated yarns... If that's the case, then I need to buy even more sock yarns. I also bought the Yarn Harlot's Knitting Rules! book since I thought it would give me a good perspective on knitting. It's interesting and fun since it's humorous but I thought it would have more information on things I'm not very good at doing, such as making gauge swatches and blocking and other things... Perhaps I need to buy a book on finishing techniques.

Other projects I'm currently salivating about: Clapotis, a shawl on knitty that uses Lady Godiva by Fleece Artists, the Leaf Lace Shawl, the Flower Basket shawl, Lily of the Valley Shawl from Fiddlesticks, Peacock Feathers Shawl from Fiddlesticks.... Can you tell it's about time I knitted a shawl!

Update on my Knitting...

I started knitting Midwest Moonlight from Scarf Style in Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk DK. I've never worked with Alpaca Silk before and it's really nice and soft yet I think it's going to be warm at the same time. I also ordered some yarn to knit Misty Garden from Scarf Style (La Boheme by Fiesta Yarns in Raspberry Mocha -- I'm excited about it, hopefully it's very shiny!). Lately I'm missing the no brainer projects (the ones where I don't need to look at a chart and can just take on the bus or the subway with no problems), that's why I'm starting a bunch of easy projects. I don't consider the Pomatomus socks to be an easy project. I'm also getting Knitting Vintage Socks in the mail soon (I love those Amazon gift certificates!).

My start of Pomatomus Socks...

I thought the Pomatomus Socks looked really cool so I started them with my blue Koigu... They are pretty fun and they look cool so far, I guess I'm little tired of all the k tbl's -- I prefer regular knit stitches to k tbl's and not to mention, I snapped my ChiaGoo bamboo needles in the middle. I see they are reasonably priced as compared to Clover and Crystal Palace needles. Hopefully I will finish these without much procrastinating!

Hedera Socks

I finished my Hedera Socks! Now I need to figure out what shoes to buy so I can show off these socks...

Branching Out is Done and Blocked...

I can't wait for it to cool down a bit so I can wear the scarf... Branching Out is one of my favorite lace patterns, I can't believe that I have done it three times now!

More Yummy Sock Yarns

What can I say I'm a shopaholic and I'm building up my stash. I recently got some Lorna's Laces, Cherry Tree Hill, and Fleece Artist Merino Socks... I have plans for some of them including RPM from Knitty, Embossed Leaves from IK, Reptilian Lace from Knitty, and Jaywalkers from MagKnits... Next time I go on a sock yarn shopping spree, I think I will buy Socks that Rock, how could you go wrong with a name like that.

Knitting with Silk

Silk is great to knit with since it feels so nice between your fingers. I've just used Fiesta La Luz (I told you, I find one thing I like and I stick to it!) and I've really only knit with two patterns though I have gifted a lot of these scarves to other people such as my mom, my older sister, my younger sister, my roommate, and my officemate. The light brown/pinkish scarf (actually Fiesta's name for the color is Champagne) was the first silk scarf that I knit... The pattern was very simple and it was my first time doing yarn-overs, so I messed up slightly on this scarf though you probably can't tell, but I thought that YO meant the yarn over and the knit stitch after it so this scarf is actually supposed to have 5 yarnovers per row rather than 4. I don't think the pattern has a name though I bought it from my local yarn store (Woolcott). The darker brown scarf (Pinon by Fiesta La Luz) is knit in Braching Out and I'm not done with yet. Perhaps you can't see the details of this scarf very well (sorry, I think I took a bad picture), but it's a pretty lace pattern with leaves on it. Again I'm hoping that posting it on my blog will help me finish it... I haven't really wore the Champagne scarf yet because as a grad student, I'm not really sure how to wear silk scarves with my daily attire -- perhaps I should have thought about it before I knit it, but oh well, it was fun to knit. I know that my mom and my older sister have been wearing theirs a lot. My older sister's is in in Branching Out and is silver (Silverado by Fiesta La Luz) and my mom's is in the simpler pattern and is in this color called Cinnamon (again Fiesta La Luz). The color of my mom's scarf reminds me of the Grand Canyon since it is the color of rocks.

What's on your knitting bookshelf?

So far I just have Scarf Style and Vogue Knitting. I've only knit one thing from Scarf Style but it seems like it has a lot of fun stuff in it, like Midwest Moonlight, the ruffled scarf, Ene's scarf (though it's really more of a shawl), etc. Other books that I am interested in are Wrap Style, the sock books mentioned in my previous post, Louisa Harding's Hats, Gloves, Scarves and Folk Shawls... Are there other books I should be interested in? :)

Socks! Socks! Socks!

I kind of wondered what the craze about sock knitting was, since sock yarn really isn't that cheap and you spend all this time knitting something and it just goes in your shoes anyway so what's the point? But then as I was browsing more and more yarns I realized that sock yarns come is some really awesome colors (like these ones I just got in the mail :) :) ) The two skeins on the left are Lorna's Laces in Somerset and the remaining six skeins are Koigu. Who knew that I would end up with Merino socks!

Having started a couple of socks myself, I realize that socks are fun to knit since working with small needles the stitches look more uniform, you can incorporate all sorts of lace patterns, and turning the heel is cool...

I haven't actually finished a single pair of socks. I can sometimes have a really short attention span when it comes to the various projects that I start, so I'm hoping that in part, this blog will help me finish the projects that I start if I post my half done projects on this website. So I'm posting two pairs of socks that I started. They are competing for the title of first pair of socks that I have ever knitted. One is knit in the Broadripple pattern from Knitty using Cascade Fixation and the other is knit in the Hedera pattern from Knitty using Koigu. I don't have any sock books yet so I'm all about the free patterns (though it's no sacrifice really because Knitty seems like it has a lot of great sock patterns. But if I did buy a sock book next, it might be Sensational Knitted Socks since it seems like everyone raves about that book or Socks! Socks! Socks! because it has tons of patterns and got really great reviews as well....

My first scarf from Scarf Style

Scarf Style is actually one of the few knitting books I own and so far I have only done one pattern from it. I did the Backyard Leaves pattern and here it is. This pattern is knit in two pieces and then grafted together. I hate grafting! Perhaps this is why it sits, still not grafted... But the pattern was really fun otherwise (I guess I'm using the word fun too much on this blog), but I really enjoyed the way the leaves came out as I was knitting and the though the lace chart looks intimidating at first it really wasn't that hard to get the hang off. For this scarf, I used 4 skeins of Karabella Aurora 8 in Herb on size 7 needles.

Cashsoft Scarf

I knit this scarf from Knit Ponchos, Wraps, and Scarves (my officemate lent it to me) using 2-3 skeins of Cashsoft Aran. The cashsoft was fun to work with since it feels so soft in your fingers and I enjoyed the fan pattern... I hadn't really worked a lot with increases and decreases so the fan part of the scarf gave me good practice with that... must block! I wish I had a huge apartment to lay out my drying scarves all over the place.

My first experience with cables

I also knit this scarf from Knit Ponchos, Wraps, and Scarves (again the officemate lent it to me) with two skeins of Manos (I guess once I find something that I like, I tend to stick with it). It was my first time doing cables -- I must say that I don't really love cables, though it was kind of fun using the cable needle the first time around. I have not yet worn this scarf, I hope that it doesn't look too manly for me to wear and I've been debating whether or not I should block this scarf... perhaps the cables would show up better if I blocked. My apartment isn't that big and I don't have that many pins, blocking is always a chore since I have to do them one at a time.

Garter Stitch Scarf with Fringe

This was the second thing that I ever knitted. I used two skeins of Manos and it's just your average garter stitch scarf with fringe...

Hola!

I have decided to create a knitting blog because knitting is fun and I'm proud of my creations. Hopefully it will also help me finish those pesky projects that I decide to start but never finish... I've been knitting for less than a year, I started in December of 2005 when my officemate taught me how to knit...