FO: Semi-Precious Shawlette

 

Pattern: Semi-Precious Shawl [ravelry project page]
Yarn: Dream in Color Smooshy
Needle: US8

Another item donated to our soup kitchen's auction. This one a more traditional triangle shape. Super easy pattern, love the colorway with its subtle variation. I did a few extra repeats of the big diamond pattern, yielding an item that is between shawlette and shawl in size. Great for gray northwest days.

FO: Orchid Theif Shawlette

Pattern: Orchid Thief [ravelry]
Yarn: Artfibers Carezza
Needle: US6

This yarn is a super-soft silk-alpaca-merino blend. Raj brought it back from San Francisco. Artfibers is a yarn company in San Francisco with a little shop near the French Embassy. So when Raj had to go down there to get a French visa, he was kind enough to stop in and buy me some yarn. :) He also brought me back this fun cone of greenish sock yarn.

I enjoyed this pattern. It was complicated enough to be interesting, without being difficult. And it knit up pretty quickly. Nice yarn + quick interesting pattern = great project.

FO: Budding Shawlette

Pattern: Budding Shawlette [http://www.ravelry.com/projects/robink/budding-shawlette]
Yarn: Berroco Ultra Alpaca Fine in colorway "Steel Cut Oats"
Needle: US5



This shawl was knit for a charity auction for sister Tracie's club. Pleasingly repetitive pattern, easy to memorize, interesting enough. The color is pleasing, with a bit of heather for interest.



My mom "won" the shawl, and she gave it to a coworker for her birthday.

FO: Late Hours Shawl

Pattern: Late Hours Shawl (rav project page)
Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool

This was a testknit. I'm not sure when the pattern will be available. The designer's project page is here.



This shawl was quick and easy to knit. The pattern is written in such a way that it's adaptable to multiple yarn weights and three sizes. I knit the medium shawl in DK weight yarn (frogged from this, which I never wore because the fit was bad).



I will definitely make this again. The pattern is easy to memorize and I love the result!

FO: Mystery Shawlette

Pattern: Summer Mystery Shawlette (rav project page)
Yarn: Malabrigo Yarn Sock



I had to use my best aggressive blocking skills on this one. The pre-block shawlette was smaller than I expected, but after blocking, I'm happy with the size. I'm not sure about the destination of this one, but I think I'm thinking of entering it in the fair.



A little note about mystery knit-alongs: They're great fun! I've done a couple of socks ones (this and this) and this was my first shawlette. It is a bit of a leap of faith, but it's interesting to have a bit of mystery in your knitting. If you get the chance to do a mystery KAL, go for it!

FO: Taiyo Heaven Shawlette

Pattern: 198 Yards of Heaven (rav project page)
Yarn: Noro Taiyo, one skein--none leftover



This shawlette was great fun to knit. The yarn is showcased by the relatively simple pattern. It really came down to the wire with yarn, though. I barely had enough to weave in the end.



I think I'll save it for myself and wear this coming fall--the Taiyo is a bit warm for this time of year.

An experiment

You know what that means! I'm blocking the purple blob. Finally! Which brings us to the experiment I'm conducting: can I block this shawl on the floor of my apartment without the cat bothering it? I sure hope so. I planned on blocking it on the table using those handy knitter's block puzzle pieces, but it proved to be just a bit too large. I may end up locking Butters out of the living room for the night if I decide he's not trustworthy (he's probably not).

As soon as I put the purple blob into soak, I cast on for a 2nd purple blob! I had a whole 52 grams of the J. Knits Lace-a-licious left over, and decided to knit a shawl from a much simpler pattern that will require far less concentration.

Went for a little day hike on the eastern edge of Mt. Rainier National Park yesterday with the fam. Naches Peak Loop Trail. It was a good hike, though we spent about twice as long in the car, which was kinda lame.

The wildflowers were in full bloom, and they were just lovely! There were lots of people on the trail. The views were absolutely stunning.

I wish it was closer to home, but we have those hours in the car to thank for the finishing of the purple pangea shawl. :)

Wait! I thought I was a loose knitter...

After gauge issues on a few previous projects convinced me that I'm a loose knitter, 2 more recent projects have me totally confused. First, the Greenery Hat. A fun hat to knit, the cables keeping me interested throughout. I used Knit Picks Superwash Merino that I dyed a few years ago--kelly green over royal blue.

This yarn is excellent--so soft! And I love how the color came out. The problem with this hat? Well, there's no modeled shot because I cannot get it onto my head. The author of the pattern said that it fit her big head so she thought it would fit anyone. And since I don't like gauge swatching, I didn't. Well, now I have a hat for small-headed person. :/ I want to make again, but I'll have to go up at least 1 needle size, maybe 2.

The next project that's made me wonder about my knitting tension: Columbine Peak socks from Cat Bhordi's book Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles. I feel like factors have conspired against me to make these socks a bit on the tight side. First, I'm using Zitron Trekking XXL Pro Natura, which I don't particularly like for sock knitting because it's finer than I like (why did I choose to use it? because it wouldn't require me to set up the swift/yarn ball winder--aka laziness). Then there's the needle I chose to go with this fine yarn: my US1.5 Addi Turbo Lace. Now I chose both of these things, no one forced them on me, but reading the pattern, I didn't anticipate these socks being too tight--it calls for casting on 72 stitches! 8 more than I usually have for a sock. I thought this would be sufficient to make the socks appropriately sized for me. But no, this will be a pair of socks for a smaller-footed person.

I like the way this pattern has some 1x1 ribbing down the foot, keeping it snug--just too snug for me. :/

I'm wondering if I'm taking my stress out on my knitting. A few months ago, when I was plagued by the loose knitting, I was much more relaxed than I am now (still unemployed, savings slowing dwindling). And I wonder how small and tight the lace shawl I'm working on will end up.

That purple blog is my Pangea shawl. I'm using some lovely alpaca laceweight by J. Knits that I bought somewhere in NYC, maybe Downtown Yarns on Ave A? It's a little bit halo-y, but I haven't any problems with it. And the color is quite lovely. However. I chose to use a smaller-than-usual needle size--3.0mm. The author includes options for working an additional repeat of one of the charts to increase size, so I did that, but I'm nearing the end of the pattern and it's still pretty darn small looking. Of course it will be bigger after blocking, but still, I'm thinking this is going to be more like a shawlette/scarf. :/

Let's see if I an redeem this blog post with one good knitting project to report on! My Noro Kureyon Sock FBS turned out great!

It still needs a soak to open up the lace and some buttons, but I'm in no rush to finish it, since it has no destination as of yet. As with most Noro colorways I've encountered, there's a section that looks like puke--in this case, it's the peach/gray business happening around the chest, but whatever, I obviously didn't object enough to remove it from the sweater. I did, however, avoid using these awful colors on the sleeves, instead working the yarn in the reverse direction than the body, going from yellow to green instead of yellow to puke. One sleeve turned out a bit tighter than the other, but I'm just going to block it a bit more severely and then not worry about it.

A quick note about books: I recently finished reading Persepolis 2 and really enjoyed it. As with Persepolis 1, it was interesting to read a memoir in graphic novel format, and also interesting to hear about life in Iran 10-20 years ago. I also liked the movie, which goes part way into book 2, if I recall. As I said to my mom the other day, it's a great "subtitled cartoon musical"--you don't seem many of those, especially of the autobiographical variety.. Now I'm reading The Reader, which is a good, quick read, though I'm not sure how I'd rate the book if I had to. Maybe 3 stars out of 5?

Hey, Buttercup!

Finished up my Buttercup sweater last week and took it out for an inaugural wear just after weaving in the last threads. I finally got around to giving it a soak a couple of days ago and took some good(ish) pics this morning.

Overall, I'm very pleased with how this sweater turned out. I love love love the yarn, Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool. It was soft to work with and has in interestingly nubby texture. I read complaints about all the vegetable matter in the yarn, but this didn't bother me too much--it made it feel more authentic, like I was knitting with yarn straight from the (blue) sheep. One thing about this yarn, though, it BLEEDS. Seriously, after the first soak, I was afraid the yarn was going to come out without any dye. Use some vinegar.

I changed a couple of things about the pattern. The main change I made was waist shaping. Although I got gauge, I found there was too much positive ease after I did the increases below the lace at the bust. And I realized that if I was to follow the pattern and work A-line increases (no waist decreases called for), it would result in an unflattering tent. So I worked 4 sets of paired decreases, starting a couple inches from the underarm. In retrospect, maybe I should have worked it one side smaller--it is a bit baggy through the bust. But the waist shaping helped.

Initially, I worked a whole slew of increases starting a couple inches above the natural waist line, akin to the A-line increases called for in the pattern, but when I finished, I decided it looked not so good. So I ripped back until I had just 4 sets of increases (to match the 4 sets of decreases), then worked straight until the desired length. The other change I made to the pattern: it calls for 1 repeat of the feather/fan lace pattern at the bottom of the sweater. I did 3 repeats. I like this better.

The other thing I wish was different about this sweater, besides the baggy bust, is the placement of the lace panel. I wish it had started sooner. If I were to make this sooner, I would start the lace panel an inch or more sooner. But still, I love this sweater! Especially the little sleeves. :)

I'm taking a break from yarn shopping, and so also taking a break from sweater knitting. But this doesn't mean I haven't been busy! I started a new lace shawl as soon as I finished the Buttercup.

It's Pangea by Sarah-Hope Parmeter. I'm using some lovely laceweight alpaca that (I think) I bought at Downtown Yarns in NYC. It's J. Knits Lace-a-licious, color "Tennessee." The yarn is just a little bit fuzzy, but the color is so lovely. I'm using size 3.0mm needles, a decision I may end up regretting. My previous lace shawls have been made on larger needle sizes, so we'll see how this goes. I think it will be fine, since the yarn is so fine.

I'm almost done with the Eunice socks, will post a finished object pic soon. My newest project is EZ's Baby Sweater on Two Needles, aka February Baby Sweater.

I'm making it out of Noro Kureyon Sock, color 95, purchased at Hilltop Yarn a few weeks ago. I think I've mentioned this before, I love Noro Kureyon Sock yarn. The color changes captivate me. I'm a bit worried this sweater is going to turn out smaller than any baby, besides a fresh new born. But I don't care. I love it anyways. And, it may be a bit scratchy for the skin of babies, but whatever. Maybe I'll put it on a stuffed bear.

Knitter's Mission, part 1--complete!

I cranked out this Second Shawlette in just about 2 days of devoted knitting. I'm pleasantly surprised with the results.

First of all, the yarn was wonderful to work with. And I don't think I've said it before, so I'll say it now: I am hopelessly devoted to the Addi Turbo Lace Needle. I wish ALL my needles had such pointy points--really makes things easier. So far I have sizes 1.5, 2.5 (x2--my most frequent sock needle size), 4 and 5. Someday I want to have one in every size. Anywayzzz.. back to the shawlette. The single skein of Dream in Color Smooshy has a pretty generous yardage, so I was able to get a good sized shawlette from it--though at the end I was consulting the scale after each row to determine how much I had left.

I would have liked to do a few more edge rows, but I'm still happy with how it came out. I ended up using the lace pattern from the Matilda Shawl for the lace portion of the shawl. I like the simplicity of it, and it was super easy to memorize, which is always convenient.

This shawl is basically a pretty scarf, just big enough to wrap around the neck. I kinda want to keep it--a sure sign that I'm pleased with the result. It's hard to tell in these pictures, but the color is just gorgeous--a deep purple with the slightest variation in tone.

Now I'm onto the second part of the Knitter's Mission: wrist warmers. These should be done in no time. :)

What's that saying?

When life gives you lemons,

knit a shawl!

I'm pretty sure that's how it goes.

I took a break from the sweaters in progress to whip up this little shawl over the weekend for a loved one who's sick. I used sock yarn and US 5 needles and improvised the design. I'm very pleased with how it turned out. I think it's just the right size for its designee--about 51 inches across and 26 inches long. I particulary pleased with how the little hearts turned out.

I wish I'd had enough of the black-pink yarn to complete the border, but I'm not displeased with the solid black border.

Annoyance

Despite that forecast I mentioned, yesterday was kind of sunny. I seized this opportunity to get some pictures of the finished Bee Fields Shawl. I blocked the thing a couple of nights ago, using every single T-pin that I have.

Despite the fact that I made the "petite" size, this is a sizeable shawl. Still not sure what I'm going to do with it.

The pattern called for US 5 needle; I used US 4, and mine is still bigger. Which brings me to a realization that's been reaffirmed for me over the past couple of days: I'm a loose knitter. I wouldn't believe this to be true, but I've been trying to do a gauge swatch for my next project, and I had to go down 2 needle sizes, and even then I don't quite get gauge. But any smaller and it hurts my hands too much to knit. The reason I have trouble believing I am a loose knitter is that my knitting doesn't look loose. Of course, my perspective is not impartial. But even if I try, I can't seem to get my knitting much tighter.

And I'm a little bit annoyed by this. It kind of feels like an inadequacy. Though I know I shouldn't think of it this way. I just wish I could get gauge with the prescribed needle size. Oh well.

Tomorrow is my big exam. Then game night to (hopefully) celebrate my success.

Music to my ears!

The blue bee shawl is done!

Ends woven in, but still needs to be blocked. This will have to wait until after the move. Even unblocked, this shawl is bigger than either of my 2 previous--and I made the "petite" size. Good thing I didn't go for the "tall" size. This is all the yarn that was left over:

Only 5 grams!

I made broccoli onion quiche for dinner tonight.

I used Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian for the crust recipe and for guidance with the fillings. Here's what went into the filling:

• 5 smallish eggs
• A little less than 2 cups of minced white onion--sauteed until super soft
• 3 cloves of pressed garlic
• 2ish cups of broccoli (originally frozen, then thawed in the microwave), cut into small pieces
• <1>
• ~1/2 tsp each of salt, pepper and dry thyme
  

As directed by the recipe, I used the food processor to make the dough, and it turned out great! I (heart) quiche.

Bzzz Bzzz

I had an Aha! moment the other day, plugging away at this Bee Fields Shawl. After working about 1/2 of the first repeat of the bee swarm section, suddenly--I saw the bees!

Do you see them?

How about now?



They're so cute! I'm onto the second repeat of the bee swarm section of the shawl. Still in love. Though I keep being reminded of a cardinal rule of charted lace knitting: do not try to knit lace when you're super sleepy. You WILL make mistakes! Thankfully, none of my mistakes have required much more than ticking back 10 or 20 stitches.

What I've been cooking: I've been cooking a lot lately, but I always neglect to take photos of the yumminess I craft. Today I made some of my Grandma Vernie's super yummy triple chocolate cake-ies.

Ingredients: 1 package of moist chocolate cake mix. 2 eggs. 1/2 cup butter or margerine. 1 tsp vanilla (I forgot this, and they were still tasty). 6oz chocolate chips (1/2 bag). 1/2 cup walnut pieces. Mix together. Bake rounded teaspoons on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes. Frost if desired. They're super yummy.

Today, I emraced my inner nerd and went to the main branch of the library to watch The Great Debate.

Harry Potter vs. Twilight. The debate was conducted between 2 teams of 3 high school girls. Now, it's obvious to me that Harry Potter is the better fantasy series for so many reasons. I just went for the spectacle. And spectacle it was! Hehe.

Stay tuned, coming up next on Bird About Town, a review of Neko Case's new CD, and a bit about what I've been reading. :)

Socks, and other knitting

Sittin' Knittin': I finished those Traveler's Stockings from Knitting on the Road. I think they turned out just lovely.

When I finished the second sock, I did a regular toe, liked it this way better, and went back and changed sock #1.

Still plugging away at those brown socks I showed you last time. #2 is almost half way done. I started a new pair of socks out of some Noro Kureyon sock yarn I purchased a couple weeks ago up at Hilltop Yarn. I just love Noro Kureyon sock yarn. People complain about it. But I would happily knit with it every day for the rest of my life. The first pair of socks I made out of this stuff, I used 2.5mm needles. But I'm using 3.0mm needles for this pair. And I think it's working out just fine. I'm about a 1/4 of the way through sock #2. No pics of these, sorry.

As I mentioned, I'd been seriously missing my stash the past couple of weeks. So this past weekend I went to my mom's office, where all the boxes of my stuff are being held until I get to move into my apartment (everyone cross your fingers for this weekend!), and went rummaging for yarn. It was like shopping! I pulled out enough yarn to keep me set for at least a month, plus my trusty ball winder and swift. I pulled out mostly sock yarn, but I also pulled out a few skeins of laceweight. After some browsing through ravelry, I found a beautiful lace shawl pattern and went to it. I'm using some pale blue merino wool I found on etsy. And let me just be honest: I'm in love.

I did cheat on the lace for a one night stand with some kitchen cotton to make this bag:

The pattern is availabe in the second Mason-Dixon book, or free online. While going through my mounds of junk in mom and dad's attic, I found a couple of bags I'd crocheted many years ago (back before I was a knitter), and decided to repurpose them into some awesome shopping bags. There are a few nifty stitches in the pattern for this bag that give it a take-any-shape expandable mesh.

I'm gonna take a quick sec and talk about books. I've been reading David Sedaris's newest book, When You Are Engulfed in Flames. I hate to say this, but I've been underwhelmed by the whole thing. For probably 90% of the stuff in this book, I feel like I've read some version of it before. Probably in the New Yorker, possibly he's had some of them on This American Life. And the stuff just isn't as funny the second time around. If you don't read the New Yorker of listen to TAL, you might like this book better than I do. I'm glad that it's a library book and not a purchase.