Grab your knitting needles and come relax with me.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
What's New Cock-A-Do!
I started my own Snow Flurries Blanket. Some of my mates think I'm crazy, but it is a fun pattern.
At this stage many are confusing it for a hat. And really it could be, to do so I would just stop increasing. While I was knitting the first one for my cousin, I thought it would be cute to make a matching sweater/hat set.
I also swatched up the border...it's a bit insane because at the point where I cast off--I have about 700 stitches that I then increase by 4 times. But i don't think the cast off will be as brutal since so far i am not planning on a marathon cast off session like last time. Grin.
The yarn I am using for the edging doesn't actually have any green in it, but I think the colors are just cute and will make a precious blanket. Who for, well... Idon't want to go there right now.
I am nearly to the heel on my sock...
For a while I was unsure if I liked how the design was coming. Still not sure, it might grow on me, but I am more unwilling to frog back to were I started the increases.
The gusset increases are inspired by Car Bordhi's sock-itecture....where the increase on on the top of the foot. In the increase section that will become the leg of the foot, I decided to center the ribbing on the purl instead of the knit...just to mix things up a bit. I might do another version after I finish this socks.
I had to frog my newest Super Secret project, it looks beautiful, but was coming out too big. Redux!
I can finally let one Knitting Bunny aka Super Secret Project #1 out of the bag.
I had entered it in the Lone Star State Knitters Dogs Days of Summer design contest and it won first place (it tied actually with a sock design from one of my best friends--oh sweet!) I have been waiting to tell its story for months!! It was knit for Jamey's newest baby cousin and despite some problems with the edging motifs--I was able to gift the blanket before we left Virginia this summer. My job on vacation was to finish this blanket. The picot bind off (on very nearly 700 stitches) took me 3 solid 16 hour days. It nearly undid me, I had to place warm cloths on my arms to go to bed at night. But it turned out beautifully and I am very proud of it.
I played with different snow flake motifs and finally decided on one I worked up myself (but I am sure it's already been done before)--it's the motif between the white and red pins. I had originally wanted to use a rocking horse motif for the edging, but I was having problems turning it upside down so I decided to go with the pinwheels for a more blizzardy snow theme.
I hope y'all enjoy it, it was a blast to design and knit (even though the cast off can be brutal if tackled as I did--in one fell swoop). It was so fun I am working on another one right now.
Life interrupted once again...I have also been extremely boring in the knit department. I am still working on sock and scarf. Although I am about to release a new pattern!! But I am waiting on my techie guy to create the shop page.
I am working on a new pattern, but I am submitting it so I can't show and tell...just say right now---it's going into fits and not cooperating. Grrr.
I have loads of knitting pictures--but I need to unload them still. Tomorrow!!
Tomorrow will be a busy day though. Eeek! Revise previous statement: Birdy WILL be a good girl and will release knit pictures for blog!!
I can never walk into a yarn store without leaving with some yarn, especially if it's empty and I am being talkative with the owner/clerk (it just seems wrong not to support the local business). On Friday we were checking out a new HEB (Alon Market place--Allons-y Alonso!!!) and Jamey just had to drop this gem: Do you know where we are? Looking around real quick: Aha! Yarnivore! I relieved a few balls of yarn from their clutches.
Look closer, ain't it GORGEOUS! (I do love Fall--the light is just wonderful for taking photos!!)
I think I'll be making another Samara Scarf. These were the last two balls and I had to have them. I may make a scarf as a gift or just gift the yarn and pattern to someone. So pretty.
On Saturday (which needs a post all it's own), I got some of this beauteous yarn from our yarn bob. I know it's superwash wool, but I am at a loss to figure out where it comes from (can't find it in Ravelry). Anyone here read German???
The yarn wants to be a pair of wrist warmers....it speaks to me.
I learned something about myself this week (well lot's of somethings, but this is a knitting blog...so I am talking about something knitted). I need to have socks on the needles. It just feels wrong not to have a socks to knit on.
The opportunity presented itself at the Austin Knit Out last Saturday (Sept 27th) in the form of this luscious and much coveted skein of sock yarn.
It was a door prize and I won one of the two balls in the offing!! It just came out in our area and has been eagerly awaited for at least 5 months in the knitting/Harry Potter community. Now there is a discussion if the colors make sense....they are all named after characters from Harry Potter, specifically the Half Blood Prince. This beautiful skein of yarn is named "Harry und Ron." (This is yarn from a German yarn company. In fact they also made the yarn I made Micci's Tiger socks out of and I really like this yarn.)
I started knitting the socks as soon as I came home. They are my own design. Not sure what I am calling them, but the plan is knee high, 4x2 ribbing with gusset increases at the top of the foot, so the ribs will start to travel. They are gonna be marvelous! However, I frogged them after screwing up the toe increases (yes another toe up--luv me some toe up). As of right now I have already begun the gusset increases. But not to far in where you can actually see the gussets traveling.
I took pictures this morning before I started the gusset increases and it should be a few days of knitting before I can take pictures that show the travelling ribs.
Socks on foot
Sock unfulfilled
Sock, behind.
My favourite bit of the sock are those two green bands with the fire coloring in between them. Oh and this range of colors is the entire spectrum this colorway represents. I am just about to start knitting the blue again.
I am not sure how the colors relate to Harry or Ron, but I love the color. Fun and funky socks: just how I like them.
