Friday, February 18, 2011

Sweater Troubles

After diligently swatching, I began the first sleeve of my sweater a day or so ago. I got it all cast on and got the cuff all done and then began on the cable pattern that circles the sleeve just above the wrist and discovered a problem with the pattern. As in: it's wrong. Now I was able to go and figure out the proper way to make the patterning work (they just had some directions reversed) and onward I went.
So as of now here is where I am with the sweater: About 10 inches of sleeve#1 done. While I am happy with it overall there is one problem. It is too small. I mean it fits just fine, but a little too close. I also discovered that my gauge swatch is a lying liar and I am getting more stitches per inch than the swatch said I would. So I decided to use my favorite sweater as a template and here is the new sleeve laid over the sleeve of my favorite:So, since I really want to wear this sweater and not go through all of this work just to have it sit on a shelf off to the frog pond it goes. I need to find a bigger set of needles (probably have them somewhere) and I also need to fine a stretchier cast on than a knitted cast on since it is tightest at that point. So little bit of a bummer but I want it to be just right.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

February Spinning Goal

I have just realized we are more than halfway through february and I don't have a spinning goal yet...so since my time is short and my shoulder is killing me for some unknown reason my goal for this month will be a very modest 1/2 ounce batt that I made out of scraps:I will spin it on a drop spindle, hopefully that counts for something right?

I hope to have more spinning this month, and will add to my goals if I see an opening.
For now I am really into the knitting again and am working on my sweater! Yippee!

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

First Hat...


...for me that is. Of all of the knitting I have done in the 5 years that I have been knitting and of all of the hats I have made I have never made a hat for myself. Until now. When visiting the Grand Opening of Yellow House Yarns Andrew bought himself a skein of Cascade Chunky Baby Alpaca to make a hat. This stuff is SUPER soft and I had to have one for myself so I got me a skein and once I finished that DNA Scarf and the Cowl I was working on I made this hat. It only took a few hours, even with the cabling. I Love it. It is excruciatingly soft and when wearing it, you forget it's on because it is so soft and light. It is warm without overheating you. In all, I picked the perfect yarn (actually, I must give credit to Andrew on this one, it was his idea first) and made a very nice Snappy Hat.

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Quick Knit

I just whipped up a quick cowl to test a pattern for a fellow Raveler.
It took about 3-4 hours tops and Abby seems to like it. Here she is wearing it doubled. It was HUGE on me and did not serve as a cowl well but makes a wonderful little shoulder warmer (unstretched it was 30inches around). Now I think I shall go make a hat.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

DNA

This:
is reason for my lack of posting (or laundry or anything else for that matter). I have been knitting like mad on a scarf I was commissioned to make for an Etsy customer. I was thrilled to be commissioned and had fun making it but I confess I think I undersold my services as I underestimated how long it would take me to knit the cable pattern for 5 + feet. It was fun at first but I had just finished my sweater spinning and was waiting for the wool to dry when I got the commission, so rather than casting on my sweater right away I needed to finish (the deadline to get it to her was Feb 14th and that is the delivery date, not the finish date) in a hurry. I think I knit approximately 5-9 inches per day while doing it. At about the halfway point I went to the grand opening of Yellow House Yarns and found the perfect yarn to make a skirt and now I have two projects I am dying to start and this one that I HAVE to finish.But I stuck with it and met my goal and got the scarf finished yesterday and out in the mail today. Thank you to Paypal for their super easy invoicing!
The pattern is Dr. Montville's Double Helix Seaman Scarf. A scarf with a Double Helix DNA strand done in cabling. Very cool, especially for those geek/biology sorts who are into that sorta thing (don't worry I am one of them...not knocking people here).
And hey, the slide-in black background for my light box is pretty snazzy no?

Tuesday, February 08, 2011

Yup....

...I'm still here. Jut knitting. A lot. Details to follow. Someday.

Thursday, February 03, 2011

Timmy The Viking

Here is the birthday boy in his new hat. Hope he likes it. Happy birthday Timmy!