Suddenly Saturday

Or at least that is how this week seemed to go. 

I made my first attempt at needle felting this week. It didn’t go too badly but I know I have a long way to go as well. My first round resulted in snapped needles and a good deal of frustration. The second try with thicker gauge needles seemed to help. Why I decided to needle felt on a 3d object escapes me though.

So a bit of a sneak peek, as these will be on display at The Knitting Nest during the month of October and just in time for a certain yarn crawl

Gig ‘em, Birdies!

And The All Buttoned Up Nest, dyed with black cherry koolaid then felted.

The big push for this week has been The French Market Bag featured on knitty. At this point I have completed the base increases and am starting the body. I think that it might be a boat before felting.

Ideally I will needle felt veggies and fruit onto the side after felting and use it at the farmer’s market.

Last but not least the Princess Ladybug is growing slowly but surely. I have a few more inches to go in the garter stitch section and I will admit there is an awful lot of garter stitch going on here. I am eagerly looking forward to the stockinette portion on the body so much.

Someone remind me how much I wanted to do stockinette when I am grousing about the two Weasley Sweaters.

And with that I am off to bed. Night y’all!

  

The Monday Mashup

It’s funny how we all get these magical plans for our knitting and how things are going to go only to have them magically morph into something else. I thought I had my knitting all squared away until the end of the year when the (super exciting, wonderful, and very much wanted) opportunity to teach came up. So I started rearranging my goals and adding projects for classes. I am still a bit amazed because I think I am still going to get the bulk of it all done. Ok, quite shocked really.

My plan had been to work on the Iris monsters for everyone, the Weasley sweaters for the kids, my Noro log cabin squares, and the Tuscany shawl as I had time. No big deal right? Since then, I’ve added the Ladybug sweater/coat, a French Market Bag, at least one more Habitat, and some felted birds nests. Phew! My needles are flying these days.

The new plan:

• Nearly Finished WIPs: kool aid dyed bird’s nest (needs button embellishment) and the A&M bird’s nest (needs embroidery)
• Current WIPs: French Market Bag (class on Sept 25/Oct 16) and Ladybug sweater
• Next on the needles: Habitat cast on modeling the “homework” for my class on Sept 12 and the CO for the Weasley sweaters as they have Christmas card intentions.
• The monsters, additional bird’s nests and Noro Squares are mind breaks/need something different/quick items.
• Jan 1 – I plan to start the Tuscany shawl again and declare 2011: The Year I Knit for ME!

In amongst all of this, I am planning the classes including a Clapotis class on Oct 2nd as well. It’s actually really nice because I find that I am taking more notes about what I am doing and the process is enriching my experience as well. I hadn’t expected that, but I think it is making me both a better teacher and a better knitter. Of course, I am also seeing that I am not and probably will never will be a one project at a time knitter. I applaud those that are, but it’s just not me. I apparently like to multitask – a lot. eek!

I am planning my projects for the new year and planning a few things I have wanted to do for a while. Very exciting! More about that later and a few FO/WIP pictures later this week.

Happy Monday everyone!

There is a Clapotis in my Habitat

As promised:

The Clapotis that seemed to never end. However, man… it not that beautiful!?  I am looking forward to a night out with The Husband and cooler weather so I can wear it.

Also on the finished object block is my Habitat hat for the class on cabling without a needle I am teaching at The Knitting Nest on September 12, 2010. This hat is really a lot of fun and a great way to kick off cabling without a needle. Plus, this hat! Gosh that star is a work of art.

Jared Flood has my undying love for this hat. I am admittedly a bit nutty about how much I enjoy these cables…so here is another picture for you to oogle:

My husband graciously took both of the Habitat shots.

Currently on the needles is a Ladybug for The Girl, a monster for The Husband, a few birds nests, and very soon a French Market bag for a class also being taught in September. Not to be left out, The Boy has a sweater being planned and another yet to be determined project.

Happy Knitting Y’all!

Well, Howdy!

Wow… exciting things are happening.

I finished the Clapotis. FINALLY! After starting it in January 2008, getting pregnant, having the needle pulled out multiple times by a toddler, having a newborn, life, and all that stuff, the commitment to finish it worked! It actually only took another month of work. Most of the time, it was only a few times a week I got to work on it. So, for most people, it will take far less time! I am still looking for the great photo opportunity to catch it in all it’s glory. I am sure pleased with the finished product though! WOW!

I have a few new projects I am working on, namely the Habitat hat by Jared Flood. My first one (pictured below) was made as a gift, but I just fell in love with the pattern. Fell. In. Love.  The picture was actually snapped seconds before we had to mail it off to make it to it’s recipient in time.

All the cables (and all that cable practice, come to think of it!) magically work into such a great design! It is also a really fun hat to practice cabling without a needle on! The charted cables repeat so quickly that it just lends itself to this cable method and there is plenty of practice so your hands learn what to do. I have another Habitat currently on the needles for a class I will be teaching at The Knitting Nest on September 12 from 2 to 4. I am looking forward to sharing this hat and the cabling without a needle technique with you! See you there!

Summer of Clapotis

I made a promise to myself that I am going to finish the Deity Damn Clapotis this summer OR ELSE.

So after finishing up the Habitat hat I made, I started back on it on 1 June. Man… still plugging away. I took the stitch markers off save for the one at each end, switched to circular needles, and eventually swapped the bamboo needles for my Addis. Much happier.

On the decrease rows and hoping to finish soon. Looking forward to making this silly thing a FO and posting pictures.

I feel like I need to have a graduation party for this thing. GAH!

What’s on the Needles – Darn Hot Summer Edition

This seems to be the time of “oh knitting” what is that?! Ah good times.

I have been working a bit here and there. Not as much as I want, but I do try to sneak it in when I can.

First up, Mommy Needs a Hudson Hat

As you can see my littlest helper was busy. Here I am doing a wee bit of fixing. Notice that my helper is still overseeing the work being done.

I just got it on the DPN’s last night and am busily decreasing! HURRAY!

The Going Green Veggie Basket…er probably more like Toy Basket.

I thought it worked well for as a hood. Then it just was a bit too Star Wars like. I <3 Jedi! I was feeling very Obi Wan for a while.

Something new on the needles: Purple Princess Hair… it’s a hooded cape or it will be when I finish it.

Fun!

There is also that Clapotis…and I don’t really want to talk about it right now. I will finish it gosh darn it (eventually).

I’m just terribly happy to have made progress and even more pleased that I can finally knit in the car most of the time without getting motion sickness! HURRAY!

A Long Time Promised Hat

The Husband has been waiting a, ahem, while for his very own handknit from me. I’ve actually had the yarn since Feb of 2008 and it has sat there for far too long and the Coronet pattern from Knitty, even longer. So now that it is the blazing hot summer…I finish it!

This hat… let me tell ya, knitting for a guy who needs a 24 inch circumference hat is amusing. It takes a rather large amount of yarn, more than I thought..really glad I got the extra hank. Not only did I knit the body on 24″ circulars, it was the darn prettiest 24 inches of cable I ever laid eyes on. This was my WIP for WWKIP day and I was highly amused when Franklin told me that I should really just put sleeves on it and call it a baby sweater. Really he’s right, it was a huge mass of work and being on 24 inch needles only added to it’s sweateresque. It didn’t look like a hat until I was almost done with the decreases.

The hot head that my husband is, requested something not 100% wool. I thought cotton would be too… meh. I ended up with O-Wool Balance in graphite. I really, really liked it. It was kind of strange at first because it didn’t act exactly like wool or cotton on the needles, but to be totally cheesey, it was a good balance of the two in feel and how it worked. I also really liked how it is a bit tweedy in the look of the yarn.  The only alteration to the pattern was that I did not make the body as long as the pattern called for. I started the decreases almost 2 inches before the pattern said to and the darn thing was still almost too long.

Overall I am really happy with how this hat turned out and I’m really looking forward to seeing The Husband wear it if it ever gets cold enough here!

Donavan’s Panopticon

The newly finished Donavan’s Panopticon shorties with Franklin Habit!

Thank you to Franklin for posing with the pants!!

A fuller shot of the pants. I was a total bonehead and accidentally cut of the leg bottoms with Franklin. So…yeah not the best picture taker here, but I think the colors are truer.

Let me tell you, trying to finish these was a stressful moment. Not a scrap of yarn to spare but by god I used one skein. I was crabby, sweating bullets, but it worked out just barely. Now he just has to grow into them.

Pattern: Picky Pants, option 1 w/ i-cord cuff, size large

Yarn: Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Worsted in Franklin’s – The Panopticon

The Yarn Harlot in Austin!

Yesterday evening, I got the privledge of getting to hear Yarn Harlot speak at Bookpeople!!!

Let me tell you… it was AWESOME!!!

I love her sense of humor and her very astute observations about knitter/non-knitter relations. Shoot, I even have a few ideas for some doctoral thesis projects that I’d love to explore further. I have to admit, she reminded me of my midwives a little bit and I was instantly at ease.  I wish I hadn’t have been as shy, but I’m so thrilled to have met one of my favorites bloggers that I read while NAKing (because knitting while nursing just doesn’t work so well all the time).  To top off the evening, I also got to see Stephanie, Steven, Julia, Stacy, and Abbe amongst all of the knitters there! A very special thank you to Abbe for letting me have her book for signing because Bookpeople was not quite prepared for all of us knitters looking to buy a book at the event.

The Boy was in attendance and was quite a trooper whilst dealing with post vax ick and teething pain. He was quite facinated by Steven and hopes to see him again when he’s feeling better. He’d also like for me to say that he very much loved the sock you were working on and would like to eat taste play with gently pet the yarn.

A few pictures taken by the wonderful Stephanie who graciously took our photograph!

YH: (to me about The Boy) So did you make that yourself?

LOL  love it! Really seriously, I’m still smiling over the whole exchange.

YH, me, and The Boy

Someone commented that we look a bit a like.  Don’t we though!?  I personally think that is very cool, eh?

A really great evening and I’m looking forward to seeing her again! Perhaps next time we’ll get to participate in some “beer-o-clock” festivities while working on our theta wave patterns (first pint is on me!)!

On the Needles: Memorial Day Weekend Edition

Needless to say, I have a few irons in the fire but I am trying to knit as much possible.

Donavan’s Panopticon – shorties using the Picky Pants pattern and Lorna’s Laces in Franklin’s – The Panopticon. I am really trying to get them finished by WWKIP day and a certain someone can model them for Franklin. Hopefully they will not be too big, but I am loving this colorway and want to get the most use possible.

Going Green Veggie Basket – a felted basket using Cascade Yarns Ecological Wool in chocolate. I really, really hope this works.  I needed more baskets for all transporting all of our CSA veggies. I actually have yarn to make two but for now one will be good.

The Long Time Promised Hat – a Coronet hat done using O-Wool Balance in graphite. This is for my wonderful husband who puts up with my enthusiasm for yarn and has never had anything knitted for him. It is by and large a car project still because the head band is really long. In other words big hat size, 24 inches.  I really love the cabling though and see myself doing more cabled hats in the future.

Mommy Needs a Hudson Hat – I started on this for Malabrigo March and got sidetracked with the Easter Bag. However, it is going to be finished. I really like this hat though because it is just plain fun to wear…at least according to my kids. Somewhere along the line I am going to improve the tassels on the first one I made…have the yarn, just need to do it.