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Wednesday
An addendum to Knitalong Madness
If you aren't a reader of Wendy's blog, you should be. Today she wrote about a project to make kitty beds in whatever pattern you want, but you can use hers here, for an organization called petfinder.com.
What?! Another knitalong? I prefer to think of it as a charity-along. Of course I'm in! Rini and Chloe will love me for it, and along the way, I'll get around to making Rini a bed, too. Chloe's bed, by the way, need another inch and then to be cast off. I'll get around to that today and post photos later.
As you recall, Rini and Chloe are my two bilingual kitties (Katarina meows in Spanish, Chloe in French) that I adopted from a Denver shelter. I really was looking for only one calico kitty ... but when I found then both together (they're sisters), how could I possibly separate them? Read more in my Aug 27 entry. (Sorry, as a new blogger, I just haven't yet taken the time to figure out how to link to previous entries, although there's got to be a way.)
The Chloe Kitty:
And the elusive Rini Kitty (a.k.a. Rinster, BRK [Big Rini Kitty], and La Mala):
Can you hear them meowing, "We need kitty beds?"
Join! It'll be fun!
As an added note, buy Big Kureyon for this project in my eBay store for only $10.00. Email me if you're interested! [UPDATE: SORRY, I'm sold out now!]
PROGRESS ON MY WIP'S:
Here's Klaralund before I had to frog the sleeve:
and can you see why I had to do it? What a dork. I forgot the garter ridge section. Live and learn ... Meanwhile, I'm finishing the front, still need to do the back ... which means three balls and about three days later, I'll be finished.
AND I told you about my Chain Link Pullover. Here's the beginning of it:
I love this. It's a stealth project, and as my husband is gone on Thursday nights taking classes for his Master's degree, I'm really only working on it then, with a few moments during the day added in. I know I'll finish it by Christmas! The question is, can I keep it a secret? I've already divulged to him that I joined the man-along ... actually, this is how it went:
ME: Guess what? I have a surprise for you but I can't tell you! It's just that I love it and I'm so excited for it ...
DH: Does it have to do with skiing?
ME: No.
DH: Does it have to do with getting your belly button pierced?
ME: No.
DH: Does it have to do with mountain biking?
ME: No.
(and on and on for several minutes ... Finally ...)
DH: Well, I can't imagine that I'll love it if it doesn't have to do with any of those things. What could you possibly love that much??
ME: Well, what do I spend all my time doing? What do I love?
DH: Oh! You're making me a sweater!
Men! :)
This, by the way, is my man-along project.
ONE LAST UPDATE ...
I have been so excited about this for a month! Because I use my eBay store to satisfy my own yarn addiction, it means that I rarely knit with something else unless it's been languishing in my stash, or I really save up for it. SO, when I hear that my LYS Shuttles in Boulder was having a 15% off everything in the store (a once-a-year-event for these non-salers), I saved up $10.00 a week for a month out of grocery money ... and what did I pick out there?
HERE IT IS:
... my stash of Koigu. What for? Charlotte's Web, of course. If you recall, I'd already made a Charlotte's Web Shawl in Noro Iro last summer. I've gotten enough use out of it (once a month usage is good enough for me), that I took the plunge.
During bath time, I wound and cast on:
I really intend to finish this by summer, so it's going to the bottom of my pile until after Christmas. If I'm lucky, I'll get through ball #1 by knitting here and there. I really love this -- I'm so excited.
That's the update for now!
Posted at 9/22/2004 10:38:05 am by Jen
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Tuesday
I am such a compulsive knitter that I am embarrassed to put my WIPs on the side of my blog ... but I'm determined to do it, as I think it will encourage me to finish up projects. I'm definitely a process knitter, as I'm addicted to the rhythm of the needles clicking away (my husband thinks there's a chemical release going on in our knitter's brains, sort of an addictive hormonal thing), and the learning of new techniques. I also just really love nice yarns.
I'm currently fascinated by the unbiased purse in the current Knitty issue.
I love the simplicity of the design, the hippy-cute factor, and I haven't yet knit with recycled silk yet. I'm going to try to snipe some skeins today off eBay.
Meanwhile, I'm joining the Hallowig knitalong going on ... and I haven't yet decided what to do it with yet. I love the pink of the photo:
I also have some orange acrylic in my stash, and also some green. The Klaralunders in Denver have been thinking of using leftover Silk Garden to make Hallowig, and then take a photo of all of us together, wearing our finished Klaralunds. So many choices, so little time ...
And last, but not least, I'm working on the Chain Link Pullover from Tara Jon Manning's book Men in Knits for my Dear Husband. So, what to do? I'm going to join the Man-along!
What does this mean? I need to finish Klaralund today! Here I go ...
Posted at 9/21/2004 10:00:30 am by Jen
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Friday
Take the What High School Stereotype Are You? quiz.
I know how boring it is to see these quizzes, but I couldn't resist the temptation for a quick and easy entry ... and it was interesting, because this is probably somewhat accurate. I never was a specific stereotype in high school, but I was an overall achiever ... and while I'm actually a very smart person (read, I've had my IQ done and it's kinda high, even though I really don't believe in these tests), people did consider me somewhat goofy and flaky... and I did newspaper, student council, (Yes, I was a cheerleader, too), and VICE PRESIDENT of the bike club. You read that right, at my high school we took a week "off" of school to ride our bikes from the HS parking lot (Denver suburbs) down through the San Luis valley of Colorado, and all the way to Taos, New Mexico. We called it the Taos tour.
I finished one Klaralund sleeve last night, and right before bind off I realized that I *forgot* to do the first garter section on the second half! (Did I mention already that I can be flaky?) Darn it! I haven't yet had the heart to frog it, but I will later today.
To console myself, I started a Christmas sweater for my husband in Jo Sharp Aran Tweed, color "ash" -- heaven, and I just bought BAGS of it at a really cheap price. That means I'll get around to listing a ton of it in my eBay store at some point, for around $5.00 /sk (normally $8.95/sk). It's heaven! Photos forthcoming. I'm doing the "Chain Link Pullover" (Was that the name?) from (my friend) Tara Jon Manning's book Men in Knits. A great book for anyone with a man in their life!
Posted at 9/17/2004 1:56:01 pm by Jen
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Tuesday
I took some time off of Klaralund to finish up a sweater that was languishing at the bottom of my knitting bag ... I finished the second half of the last sleeve, had a seaming party, and may I present to you Lia's Aran Sweater, from the pattern Julia's Aran Sweater in one of the Knit It! issues, made with 2 (maybe 3?) skeins Lion Fisherman's Wool, size US 8 needles. This is probably the best sweater in the magazine. It's so cute! You have to see Lia in it, although hot Sept weather and Aran sweaters don't really mix.
This was, by the way, my first foray into cabling, and I'm in love with the technique. I learned how to cable without a cable needle, and it works well for me.
What else did I seam up?
Some dishcloths ... (I know, boring, but I kinda like them):
Waiting for a party another night is my little baby Matinee Coat from DB's book, baby cashmerino. It's the same sweater as the one on the cover. I loved this, but the yarn is really too small for an ADHD knitter like me. Here it is for now, waiting to party:
That's it for now. I think Klaralund needs me ...
Posted at 9/14/2004 7:25:02 am by Jen
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Saturday
On Saturday I made the trek down to the elevation of 5280 to visit my fellow Klaralund-alongers at a fun, hip Knit Cafe in Denver called La Ti Da. I walked up to the porch, and there were about 20 knitters hanging out and knitting! One of the tables waved me down, and I got a coffee and we had a fun time Klaralunding. True to the kickoff date, most of the ladies hadn't yet started ... I, on the other hand, was just finishing my first "swatch," to put it in Wendy's terms.
Here's a few picts of the Klaralunders, many of whom are also bloggers:
Here, we have Michelle (at the time, a non-Klaralunder, but she has since joined the bandwagon), Joanne, and Harriet.
Next, we have Marsha, Stacey's friend Lynh (?) and Stacey.
And a photo of my first swatch, posing next to my jean skirt to show what a lovely "jean" sorta color way this really is!
And the sleeve itself:
A lovely time was had by all.
After that, I took a little drive down to Centennial (S of Denver), and after a difficult time finding it, I explored a new little LYS called Knitty Cat. It was a great store, packed with stuff! All kinds of yarns carried, and I managed to pick up two skeins of yarn destined for the Cowl - Neck Tank from Weekend Knits. I cast on, but alas, no photos.
That's it for now ... Klaralund-on! (Okay, that's the last time I say that. I mean it.)
Posted at 9/11/2004 6:59:26 am by Jen
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Wednesday
May I present Karlsro to you? ...
And may I present the lovely Karlsro to you, knit in Noro Silk Garden, color #82 which I call "crimson reds, pinks" but it also carries a little green.
I loved this project! An easy two-row lace pattern, on size 10s, started at one sleeve and cast off on the end of the other sleeve (with a few cast-ons and bind-offs in between of course). Not the easiest to pick up the stitches for the cute little edging, but that's okay.
The only drawbacks that I detect so far are: 1) no pockets; 2) not an easy take-on and -off kind of a cardigan. That's okay! That's why it's called a wrap -- you wrap yourself in it and leave it.
Highly recommended.
On to other news ... continuing on to my next Noro -addict creation:
KLARALUND in Silk Garden #74 ...
One sleeve (almost) finished, on size 9 bamboos. LOVE THIS PATTERN! I can't get my head around what an incredibly simple pattern this is, and how it looks so sophisticated! I want to make a Klaralund-stashbuster, with every worsted weight scrap that I own.
And ... Why didn't I do the st st part of this on circs? MAYBE NEXT TIME.
And last, but not least, that cute little acrylic baby raglan sweater ... just needs to be sewn up, and he'll be set to give away.
So, how can you tell that I'm an ADHD knitter?
I started another little kid sweater from my Baby Knits book. Here it is:
Sorry for the crummy photo.
I just realized that I have yet to blog about my master knitting program ... I'll have to do that later!
Happy knitting wherever you are -- and for some odd reason, if you're not a knitter but you're reading this blog, happy *** to you (fill in the blank)!
Posted at 9/8/2004 2:13:49 pm by Jen
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Thursday
Confessions of a Noro addict, and other stuff
As I've stated, I'm addicted to Noro ... so much so that I've become a yarn-pusher. Sorry if you're the recipient of my yarn pushing, I just can't help sharing the high with like minded people.
Anyhow, here's more proof -- the Knot Cable Cardigan from DEBBIE BLISS NORO #2, overall an excellent pattern book. Here's one sleeve, with another sleeve, in Noro Kureyon #40.
I really don't intend to finish this until about Thanksgiving, as it will be Very Warm, even for Colorado.
In other news:
While my kids were sick, and my mother (thank goodness) swooped in to pick them up for the day, I felt so nauseous laying down that I had to sit up the whole darn day resting. What better activity to keep you still (and yet sitting) while resting than knitting?, I say. Here's the beginnings of a little baby raglan sweater, made in -- gasp! -- Caron Simply Soft. Yes, I do heed the call of cheapo, easy-care acrylic when it calls to me. I actually like Simply Soft, as it is also a no dyelot yarn, which means it can hang out in my stash forever, until I decide to knit something like this. Here it is:
And why are my photos so yellow?? Note to self: FIGURE THIS OUT!
Posted at 9/2/2004 6:22:36 pm by Jen
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Wednesday
BOOK REVIEW: Debbie Bliss BABY KNITS
And here's my first blogging BOOK REVIEW ...
TITLE: Baby Knits, The Ultimate Collection of Knitwear Designs for Newborns to 3-Year Olds.
AUTHOR: The ubiquitous Debbie Bliss
I really like this book. Not only is it jam-packed with over 30 designs, but they range from very simple and somewhat chunky (read, worsted weight) to intricate heirloom-quality pieces. Not only sweaters and cardigans, there's hats, bootees, donkey jackets, dresses, blanketS, and even a hanger cover. I intend to make many patterns from this book, especially since many of my friends are having babies now. I really love that there are so many garments made of CASHMERINO ARAN, giving the knitter the choice of that deluctable yarn or something cheaper like Wool-Ease. My only two problems with owning this book are: 1) my kids are getting too big to fit into these!; and 2) there aren't any images of what the overall design looks like (à la Interweave Knits or even Vogue), meaning tedious line by line knitting is all you have to go on to imagine the overall shape of the piece. Get over it. This is worth owning if you intend to knit for babies or toddlers! Here are some of my favorites:
I've gotta make this for my 2-yr-old!!
This is most definitely a knit-while-watching-TV-then-get-oohs-and-ahhs-at-a-shower kind of a knit. How cute is this with a garter st hat?
And for you DK-weight fans, here's the CUTEST little lamb dress with matching bootees! THIS ONE WILL definitely get you attention at a baby shower!
I'm myself starting a little raglan sweater for a friend ... photos coming soon!
I apologize if it sounds like I'm trying to sell you this book ... because I am! Go here for the discounted purchase price of $21.95 (retails for $24.95, I think), or CHECK AUCTIONS (Search, then Save Search with Email Notifications) for this coming up soon for $14.00 !
Overall, this receives a B+. Worth owning!
Posted at 9/1/2004 6:22:45 pm by Jen
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Monday
Klaralund update:
I'm deciding on what color to choose, and here are my choices:
#88 -- Sable greys, browns, a little purple and red thrown in
#73 -- DISCONTINUED, Light blues grays and greens, or
#37 -- Medium Pinks greens and blues
Here's what I think:
#88 is great for Fall colors, but I don't think that this sweater is as fall-y as it is spring-y. Thus, I'm looking for cheery colors.
#37 is a little bit too bright for my tastes.
#74 is discontinued, so THIS IS MY ONLY CHANCE to knit with it; and being sort of gray-ish and white-ish, it will look good with a gray or white or blue shirt under it. (A consideration!)
LOOKS LIKE #74 wins!
Here's a photo of the same color of Silk Garden in another project:
This is the Knot Cable Jacket from Debbie Bliss Noro Two.
What? Does this seem familiar, you say?
YES! Because --
I'm using Kureyon #40 for this sweater. I'm calling it my "winter cardigan," and it's slated for completion by Thanksgiving. One sleeve done, the other is started. Photos forthcoming, as soon as I can locate the digital camera. [Note to self ... had it with me at the zoo last week ... where the heck is it?!]
What is life without an addiction of some sort?
Posted at 8/30/2004 8:55:17 am by Jen
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Friday
Karlsro is coming along, and other projects
My Karlsro is coming along. I'm using Noro Silk Garden #84, which I call "crimson reds", and it is just so pretty. I laid it out on the bed, came back for a photo -- oh! and who is this?
It's of course Chloe, who I maybe haven't quite introduced very well yet. Chloe and Rini are my two calico cats that I adopted while I was in grad school at CSU in Ft Collins, CO. Chloe has a French name, because she speaks French, and Rini has a Spanish name (Katarina, actually), because she speaks Spanish. Or rather, I speak those languages to each of them. Hey, I have to practice, don't I?
Anyhow, Chloe is the one that we lovingly call "La buena," or the good one. She hangs out, she loves us, and she only puts on the minor whiny meow for wet food (her personal favorite). On my Karlsro, she's saying, "Why did you wake me up? Is it time for wet food?"
Rini, on the other hand, is the one that we lovingly call "La mala," or the bad one. I say lovingly, and I actually mean that I call her that lovingly ... she and my husband don't really get along very well. She's never forgiven him for moving into our house (oh, about 7 years ago), and she has a rather spiteful personality. She and Chloe are sisters, and look surprisingly alike. Many of my friends are surprised when they finally see the two of them in the same room, as they tend to think that I have only one cat. She hangs out in dark corners, and runs from everyone but me. She's rather hard to take pictures of. To prove this, I went to find her, and this was the result of my efforts -- out of about 15 shots I tried to get.
Back to Chloe... I am making a little bed for her out of double strands of "tweedy" Wool-Ease, so that she can learn to sleep with my son on his bed. I'm going to sneak some catnip into the bed to entice her. Conor loves Chloe, and I even caught him singing a lullaby to her the other day, which he says was "her favorite song." Ahhh, how sweet!
She's not crazy about her half-made kitty bed yet.
On to other topics ....
Look at what came in the mail yesterday! A little eBay fairy delivered two Barbara Walker books to me -- I must be in a BW phase, as this now makes 3 books of hers that I've bought this month.
Can't wait to delve into them.
And I have finished two squares for my son's Learn To Knit Afghan -- you remember that's my other BW book -- (which I am calling the LTKA), made of Encore Chunky. These are BIG squares and go quickly! I'm using the same red WoolEase to crochet them together. I figure that this way Chloe's kitty bed will match Conor's stuff!
Square #1 was a garter-stripe square, with two colors.
And here's Square #2, a basketweave pattern:
And just in case you think these have made me neglect my Noro obsession, here's the update on my daughter's mitered squares hat, in Kureyon #95, which I call "limeade pinks."
And a tiny Booga Bag that I made using only one skein of yarn (I think), with a little flap over it. It's in Kureyon #40, gorgeous "jewel tones".
And the over-the-shoulder view:
Sorry my camera is sort of yellowish. I need to figure that out.
Happy knitting!
Posted at 8/27/2004 2:44:31 pm by Jen
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