Knitting Rings

This is blog is shaping into a very knitting focused entity. I am actually considering changing the name of the blog to reflect its primarily knitting composition. This week I added an element to the page: knitting rings. This is an interesting concept where a link on your page links to other members of a ring with similar content of some common theme. I added two knitting rings: Philly Knitters and Knitting Bloggers. I think this may add some exposure to other knitters across the globe, who, unlike my non-knitting friends and family, may actually be interested in the content of this page. It will also allow me to find ideas and advice from other knitter's blogs.

Fruit Caps

Everyone is having babies! I picked up the Ann Norling Fruit Cap pattern recently, and set out to make these adorable hats for all the girls that I work with who are having babies. I was a little nervous about the color knitting after Dave's Bengals Hat, but it went very smoothly, and now I want to try some Fair-Isle! So cute.


The yarn is Cotton Classic, 100% Mercerised Cotton. This is machine washable. I also bought yarn to do strawberries, but the lemon is perfect for little boys or unknown sex as most of my coworkers don't know what they are having. Size is 6 months. It is knit using Size 8 double-points. I must be a tight knitter because I find that pretty consistently I have to go up a needle size for almost all patterns.

2 skeins of yellow and 1 skein of green will make 3 hats. I have one more lemon to make, but yarn to make 3 Strawberry caps, plus some leftover green as I bought 1 skein of green to each of the contrasting color when I really only needed 1 for every 2 skeins of color.

Tuesdays with Morrie

Started Tuesdays with Morrie this morning and will probably finish it sometime tonight. What a tear-jerker! I highly recommend reading this book. The basic story line is a dying professor and his prior student sit down on Tuesdays to discuss life. I can't put it down! It is a very quick read, so I think I will read it cover to cover in 1 day.

Lacy Success

So I finally got the hang of Branching Out. I am stubborn, so on Friday I picked it up again after color-coding the lace chart and taking out the dental floss. I read online that if you periodically place dental floss through your stitches, if you make a mistake, you can rip back to the floss and start there instead of frogging the whole thing. So far so good. No pictures yet, as I think it will look much better after blocking, so I will wait till I am done to post any pictures.

In My Knitting Library

Stitch 'n Bitch

Yarn Girls' Guide to Beyond the Basics


Last-Minute Knitted Gifts

Mason-Dixon Knitting

Debbie Bliss Simply Baby
Stitchionary, Volume 2

Frustration

So, I was feeling pretty confident about myself as a knitter....until last night. Yesterday I found this gorgeous lace pattern called Branching Out. I have a skein of lace yarn from Knit Picks called Alpaca Cloud that I was going to make Airy Scarf from Last-Minute Knitted Gifts. However, when I saw Branching Out, I decided that this was what I should use this skein for. Knitty even states that this is a great first lace project. So I sat down last night and put Not Your Standard-Issue Sweatshirt aside and attempted to tackle lace.

After ripping it out 4 times, I gave up. First I had trouble with the counting aspect of it. After consulting a great lace tutorial called Majoring in Lace, I successfully fixed the pattern reading aspect and started over. Then I just had trouble seeing what I was doing and had no idea how to begin fixing dropped stitches and mistakes; something I have quite proudly mastered in non-lace knitting.

Perhaps I will use that skein for Airy after all for a truly beginner lace project. I may return t0 Branching Out, but may try it in a larger yarn such as sport weight until I get the hang of lace so that I can actually see what I am doing.

Progress

So I have made significant progress on Not-Your Standard-Issue Sweatshirt. Unfortunately, the sweatshirt will be fun to wear, but I am a little bored knitting it. It has a very basic cable and seed stitch, but my next big project will be a little more challenging and fun the knit. Just one sleeve and the hood left on this one, so I should be done soon.

In other knitting topics, I have added a list of unfinished projects and projects I am thinking of knitting on the right hand side of the blog with links to patterns for those interested. I have that unfortunate afflication that all knitters have that I am eager to start a new project before I finish up my works in progress. It keeps me knitting but also makes finishing anything difficult.

I also found out that someone else I know has a knitting blog. Check out Knitting Along!

Not your standard issue sweatshirt

So I am about 2/3 done with the back of this sweater I started on Tuesday. I have never made an adult-sized one, so its a little intimidating. I keep envisioning an elephant or toddler sized result....not something I want to spend so much time on.

So far my comparisons to a sweater I own that fits me seem dead on, I am hoping it fits me!

Here's what I have so far.


Oh, and I officially love Addi Turbos. I won't be giving up Bamboo anytime soon, but I bought a pair of circular Addi's for this, and am simply amazed. Who knew knitting could come so close to sex?

Projects on my needles

With a few unfinished projects now successfully finished, and inspiration in the form of a knitting group I have started attending on Tuesday evenings, I have some grand projects on the horizon.

I am currently working on a poncho that I knit very quickly on Size 13 Needles in Caron Simply Soft. I am done with the knitting aspect, and am now putting fringe on the edges. The only tough part of this project will be the crochet neckline. My friend Jackie, a skilled crocheter is going to guide me through it.

Next, I am planning my first adult-sized sweater. I have been eying the "Not Your Standard Issue Sweatshirt" pattern from Yarn Girls' Guide to Beyond the Basics. I bought the yarn last week from Knit Picks. Main Line in Red Velvet Cake. I am knitting a swatch and so far love this yarn. very soft: part cotton, part wool. And who can beat Knit Picks prices?

Hats, Hats, Hats

With the unfortunate resurgence of cold weather this week, I have been busy making hats to keep ears warm. The first are two baby bonnets made for friends and family who are soon to be parents. They are knit from a pattern from Last-Minute Knitted Gifts. They were knit with size 9 Needles with size 10.5 for the cast-on and 10 for the I-Cord. The yarn is Rowan Calmer. Very soft!

Next I finally finished Dave's Bengal's hat. My finance is a huge Bengals fan, and what better way to try intarsia than a big old orange and black hat for football season! I wasn't happy with how the "B" came out, so it took me awhile to complete the finishing work. Steam blocking with an iron helped a bit, and Dave likes it, so I guess I will live with its imperfections. Again, this is a pattern from Last-Minute Knitted Gifts called "Kim's Hats". It is knit with Lambspride Bulky on size 9 needles for the brim and 10.5 for the body (although it has been so long since I knit this, that it may have been size 10); I really can't remember! The pompom was a first and very easy to make!

Next I made a honeymoon hat. Honeymoon hat? Yes, we are going to Alaska, and although it will be August, I figure I need a wool hat to keep me warm while cruising among the glaciers. Warm but cute. I will be a newlywed, after all! Again this is Last-Minute Knitted Gifts "Kim's Hats" knitted with Lambspride Worsted on size 10 needles.