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.

Lessons learned

I finally, finally finished the Trellis baby sweater for my friend Lauryn's baby girl. I love how the sweater came out, and am now inspired to knit an adult sweater for myself. Lauryn is a knitter herself, so I wanted to make something she would really appreciate. It is knit on size 7 needles in Rowan All Seasons Cotton. I love the way the cables "pop" with this yarn and will use it again in future cabling projects.

Here are the lessons I learned in my first sweater:
1. Cabling. I am now officially a cabling addict. I love them and would much rather cable than color-knit any day!

2. Seaming. I tested out seaming on a smaller side project I did while learning lesson number
3. If I had know easy it was, I am not sure I would have dreaded it so much in the 2 years I have been knitting. I am convinced that I took so long to make the sweater because I wasn't sure how I would sew it together when I was finished.

3. Always buy extra yarn. Repeat: always buy extra yarn. I ran out when I was half done with the collar. Fortunately, I was able to pick up an extra skein with the same dye-lot on E-bay, but had to wait a few days when I was so close to finishing.
Update: Several weeks later I realized I had had an extra skein all along, it was just buried my very disorganized closet!

4. Knit on Cast on method: stretchy, easy.....I have now tried several other methods of casting on that produce much nicer edges for garments.

Fingerless Mittens

Now that Christmas is over and my sister has seen her gift, I can post the photos of the fingerless mittens that I made her.

These are done in Mission Falls 1824 Wool on Size 6 Double-Pointed needles.

The pattern is Fetching from Knitty.com.





These were a lot of fun to make, and knit up quick. It took me slightly more than one skein of yarn to make them. I really like this yarn, it is very soft for a wool yarn, perhaps because it is superwash.

The second picture is how I wrapped them. I made a 3 stitch I-cord and put a tassle on each end and used it as my "ribbon". I think my sister was as fascinated with the ribbon as she was with the mittens!

Running Playlist

In the last year I have learned the merits of running with music. I never understood before what the fascination with running with the little white headphones really was. I was a purist, it was me and the road, and music is for cheaters. But something happened while I was attempting to train for my third marathon this year. I was struggling. Running 16 miles by yourself can be really daunting, so the desperate me grabbed my IPOD and went out for a 16 mile run. By the end, I was hooked. I had a soundtrack to my running and songs to pump me up when my energy was down. I still don't listen to music while I am running with the running club, or with other people (and yes, some people do do that), but now when I run without a partner, it is me, the road and my IPOD. For those interested, here is my running playlist. It might seem like a lot of music, but I have actually run for long enough to get through the whole thing and start from the beginning again.


Baba O'Riley The Who
Babe I'm Gonna Leave You (The Quiver Mix) Led Zeppelin
Brick House The Commodores
Bring Me To Life Evanescence
Bulls On Parade Rage Against The Machine
Do the Evolution Pearl Jam
Enter Sandman Metallica
Everything Zen Bush
Freedom Rage Against The Machine
Going Down/Love In An Elevator Aerosmith
Going Under Evanescence
Hail, Hail Pearl Jam
Hangnail Nickelback
Hella Good No Doubt
I Come From The Water The Toadies
Killing In The Name Rage Against The Machine
Kung Fu Fighting Carl Douglas
Leave R.E.M.
Let's Go For A Ride Cracker
Long Train Running The Doobie Brothers
New Year's Day U2
Not To Touch The Earth The Doors
One Thing Leads To Another The Fixx
Party All Night Quiet Riot
Pour Some Sugar On Me Def Leppard
Remedy The Black Crowes
Running No Doubt
Soul Man Sam & Dave
Star 69 R.E.M.
Strong Enough Cher
Super Freak Rick James
Superunknown Soundgarden
Tainted Love Soft Cell
The Distance Cake
The Fly U2
Through The Never Metallica
Vertigo U2
Wake Up Rage Against The Machine
Without Me Eminem
You Could Be Mine Guns N' Roses

More Knitting Projects

Here are a few more things I have created. Here is my first hat and mittens. They are knitted in Encore Worsted with the edge on Size 5 Needles and the body on Size 7 Needles. This is a pattern from my first knitting book, but I adapted the patterns to be knit in the round. Unfortunately, the book is lost somewhere in my apartment and I can't seem to find it, but I will update this with the name of the book if I find it.
This is a garter stitch scarf that was my first complete project. It was knit on Size 11 Needles in Rowan Wool-Cotton and Trendsetter Yarn Shadow Metal Held together. This is still one of my favorite things to wear!
I should have some more pictures soon, as I am currently working on Knitty's Trellis Baby Sweater in Rowan All-Seasons Cotton. (Yes, this is the same one I posted about back in March.) I had to take a break and knit a few other things, because as beautiful as the pattern is, sometimes you need to knit things that allow you to talk to other people or that you can work on in front of the television.

I am also working on a pair of fingerless mittens also a Knitty.com pattern. (I seem to use their patterns a lot!) The pattern is called Fetching and I am using Mission Falls 1824 Wool. This wool is so soft and is nice to knit with.

I am also knit a hat from Last Minute Knitted Gifts for Dave with a big B in Bengals colors. I still have to weave in the ends and make a pom-pom. I adapted this pattern to use a Bulky Yarn instead of a worsted one. I will post more details once I finish it.

Knitting Projects

I recently finished my first pair of socks. They are the Socks 101 Pattern from Knitty.com. I like the fact that this pattern allows you to make socks for any yarn and for any size feet, but I am not a big fan of the toe, so I might play around with the pattern next time. These ones were done in Encore Worsted on Size 6 Double-Pointed Needles.



This is an IPOD Cozy I created awhile back. It was knitted with Rowan Wool-Cotton on Size 5 Double pointed needles. It is a simple Knit 2, Purl 2 rib with a 3-needle bind off. The yarn is a little slippery for a cozy and the IPOD slips out of it easily, but hey, it was leftover yarn, so at least it went to use!

I Like You

I recently bought the new Amy Sedaris book I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence.

Laugh out loud funny and I was reminded of my friend Adrienne while reading through it. Adrienne is a fantastic cook, and although this book wouldn't neccessarily assist her in that realm, I think she would find it humourous in the same way that I am.

Here is an example of Sedaris' suggested invitation wording: "We are having a barbeque on Saturday the 4th of Julune and would love for you to come. The charcoal will be glowing by two! Bring one of your children."

The book is brimming with dry wit, and is at points what is true about the ettiquette of hospitality, but which no one would dare say out loud! Although it is meant to be funny, much of what Amy writes has a hint of truth to it.

I highly reccommend this to anyone who appreciates the Daily Show/Colbert Report type humor.

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