April 30, 2008
WIP 'Em Out Wednesday
I was admiring perusing my Ravelry projects page the other day and I realized that I have no in progress photos of any of my current projects. Shame on me! So, what's on the needles at Carole Knits? Glad you asked.
I wanted to cast on for this sweater the minute I tried on Caro's back at SPA. And I finally did a few weeks ago. The back is about 3/4 done at this point. The yarn is Peace Fleece and the pattern is very well written and easy to understand. I'm so glad I got over my fear of cables. You all were right, they really are fun! I've sort of lost my steam on this project since it's gotten too warm to wear it, but I'll plug away at it and be rewarded with a nice new sweater when the fall comes.
Daffodil Socks
Because there are always socks. The yarn is Carole's Eye Candy Friday in Daffodil in Mama E's -C*EYE*BER Fiber Coordinates, dyed for me and gifted to me by none other than Mama-E. I love it! I didn't expect it to stripe but I'm pleased that it's happening. These will be on the plane with me tomorrow.
This shawl has been on my to-knit list forever and I'm so glad to have finally started it. The yarn is Judy's Arequipa from Ball and Skein and I was originally going to use it for Twinings. But the variegations and the pattern weren't a good match and I ditched that for Icarus and I'm glad I did. I'm almost finished with the last repeat of chart one and then it's one to the edging charts. Woot!
So that's what's knitting here. What are you knitting today?
Posted by Carole at 6:30 AM | Comments (43)
April 10, 2008
Spirogyra
I have another small knitted project to show you. That makes for knitting content three days this week. Can you believe it? I know. Me neither.
They are the Spirogyra fingerless mitts from knitty.com
The pattern is well written and very simple. It's easy to modify the length to suit your needs which makes it adaptable for anyone. For instance, I did 30 repeats for the wrist portion so the length is halfway between the two sizes given in the pattern.
Now don't fall over or anything but I made them with some of my very own handspun. It's Spunky Electic coopworth in the color Nightshade. They are a wee bit scratchy but they were the right weight for the project and that was enough for me. And actually, they can't be too scratchy because Hannah wore them for these photos and she didn't complain. Delicate flower that she is, that's saying something.
They will come in handy for reenactments and such this spring. Assuming it ever stops raining and we actually get a spring.
How 'bout that. I made yarn and I made mitts. Will wonders never cease?
Posted by Carole at 6:30 AM | Comments (50)
April 8, 2008
Tea for Two
I don't know about you but when I finish a major knitting project like a sweater I like to knit a few smaller things before undertaking something major again. This time around the smaller things were tea cozies. Two of them.
Aren't they sweet?
The red one is the Kureyon Kozy from knitty.com. Simple and quick and just the right size for this small Brown Betty tea pot.
The green one is Tea Cozy from the book One Skein Wonders by Diana Foster. This one is a little more complex to knit but still very simple and fits my larger tea pot perfectly. The yarn is Tahki Donegal Tweed and I used just one skein. Funny how that's just what the book promises.
They are just what I need to compliment my new obsession with tea. And I blame that entirely on Ms. Knitting the Blues.
Posted by Carole at 6:30 AM | Comments (29)
April 7, 2008
Fionn Sweater
Yesterday Dale and I visited the birthplace of Abigail Adams for a photo shoot of the finished Fionn sweater.
Since I knit quite a bit of this sweater while watching John Adams on HBO we thought it was a fitting place for an excursion.
The weather was chilly and the skies were gray but Dale was warm in his new sweater.
I think the fit is a bit small but it's just what he wanted. In his words, "I want a sweater that fits like a shirt." Good thing I knew what he meant.
The pattern is terrific and available from Figheadh Yarnworks. I'd highly recommend it. It's simple and straightforward, knit in the round from the bottom up and then the sleeves stitches are picked up and knit down. Easy peasy, this one.
The yarn is Ella Rae Classic, purchased online from Lavender and Peonies. It's very reasonably priced and comes in loads of colors.
More pictures on flickr, more details on Ravelry, by the way.
After a quick stroll around the grounds we headed home. Dale's with his new sweater and me with my new pictures. We were both pretty happy with the outcome of this trip.
Posted by Carole at 6:45 AM | Comments (73)
March 13, 2008
Aspen Grove Shawl: Finished
It's been over a week since I finished the Aspen Grove Shawl and it's now been blocked and photographed for posterity. Here she is in all her glory on the back deck:
The shawl is a semi-circle rather than triangle. It's comprised of 4 identical wedges to give it that shape and that made for an interesting knit.
The increases aren't just on the edges and up the center, they happen between each of the 4 sections. The design grows from leaves to aspen trunks to the flora and fauna of the forest floor.
Ahhh, yes, beautiful leaves.
And crazy aspen trunks.
If you've ever seen an aspen grove then you know just what I'm talking about.
And seemingly simple feather and fan. Honestly, I had more trouble with this simple section of the shawl than I did with any other part. Apparently, I cannot count.
It's a wonderful pattern and the yarn suited it perfectly. It's light as a feather but provides wonderful warmth when I throw it over my shoulders.
I just can't resist these glamour shots of the shawl all folded up. Glorious, I tell you. Just glorious.
Posted by Carole at 6:45 AM | Comments (73)
March 2, 2008
Weekend Recap
So, it's not bronchitis. It's a sinus infection. Oh, and also two ear infections. I spent most of Thursday, all of Friday and all of Saturday on the couch knitting and blowing my nose and coughing. Good times.
I did manage to have a pleasant weekend in spite of the sickness. We had dinner with friends one night and dinner at home one night. We watched two movies. Michael Clayton - meh. And Waitress - woot. We played games by the fire. And we went for a Sunday drive. I didn't take a single photo, though. I think I was too busy expending all my energy on coughing. And blowing my nose. And did I mention knitting?
The knitting is significant because all that knitting time allowed me to finish the Aspen Grove Shawl. I thought sure I'd finish on Friday but I didn't. Then I thought sure I'd finish on Saturday. But I didn't. I finally finished last night. Man alive, those rows are looooooong at the end! It's done and ready for blocking.
And now I'm done and need to get ready for work. Have a great day.
Posted by Carole at 6:45 AM | Comments (46)
February 28, 2008
Aspen Grove Shawl: In Progress
Back in the days when I did counted cross stitch I would wake up early in the morning and immediately think about cross stitching. Often I would be so excited about stitching that I would hop out of bed, grab a cup of coffee, and curl up on the couch with my current project. It was my quiet time before the routine of the day kicked in.
I'm finding myself feeling the same way now and it's the Aspen Grove Shawl project that's making me feel this way. I started last week and thanks to Margene I mostly didn't have any trouble. I got stuck on row 5 (pathetic, yes?) but it was because I failed to follow Margene's advice and check the errata. Then I got stuck on row 30 for over an hour - again because I failed to check the errata. By the time I got to the error on row 79 I was ready. Slow learner's school? Me?
Miriam's pattern is wonderful as always. The few errors in the pattern were from the very early releases of the kit and all is fixed now. The design is brilliant - 4 wedge shapes that make up a half circle shawl - and it's a different shape than I've knit before.
I'm on chart 2 now and feel like I'm cruising along. There are rest rows on the backside of this chart and that certainly helps to make things go faster.
Not that it's a race. Right, Margene?
Posted by Carole at 6:45 AM | Comments (36)
February 27, 2008
Blogless Sharon's Shawl
The observant among you may have noticed that in yesterday's SPA photo of Blogless Sharon, she is wearing a lace shawl. This does not make her unique at SPA. After all, SPA is a showcase of hand knit shawls, sweaters, scarves, mittens, hats and other wooly things. What makes this photo of Sharon unique, however, is that the shawl she is wearing is her first ever lace shawl. And, while I had nothing to do with her succesful execution of the pattern, I did block it for her.
Now, blocking is not one of my favorite things to do. I think it's a royal pain in the ass, frankly. However, when Sharon - who took spinning lessons with me, who drives me to every fiber event we attend, who hosted Winebeck and Rumbeck with me, who is basically always there for me - asked me to block her shawl, well, I was not about to say no.
And while it was in my possession, I did happen to snap a few photos of it.
The pattern is Susan's Forest Canopy Shoulder Shawl and I think Sharon did a marvelous job, don't you?
Posted by Carole at 6:30 AM | Comments (55)
February 20, 2008
Baby Knits
I spent some time last week knitting up a couple of baby gifts. I don't think the recipient reads this blog but, just in case, I'm not going to tell you who they are for. I will, however, show them to you. They're just too adorable!
First up, socks:
The yarn is Socks That Rock lightweight, colorway Titania from the 2007 Rockin' Sock Club. The pattern is Baby Cable Rib from Charlene Schurch's Sensational Knitted Socks. I cast on 32 stitches on size 1 needles and they make a very nice baby sized sock.
Second up, a hat:
I just adore this little hat and it was as simple as can be. I cast on 80 stitches and just knit around and around and around until it was 3 inches. Then I decreased evenly and called it a day. I think it took less than 2 hours to knit. Talk about instant gratification!
I hope the mom-to-be is as happy with them as I am.
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (38)
February 19, 2008
Noro Silk Garden Striped Scarf
Our long weekend concludes today and we are going to make the most of it. So far our only plan is to go out to breakfast but I'm sure we'll find fun things to do afterwards - even if it's just loafing off at home.
In the meantime, I've finished the Noro Silk Garden Striped Scarf. Say that 10 times fast, will you? And even if you get tongue tied it will still be faster than knitting one of these scarves! Don't get me wrong - I loved it - but boy was I ready to be done with it last week.
And I am. Done, that is. I even have proof.
Honestly, the colors are so beautiful and the combinations all so different that I couldn't stop taking photos. Either that or I was just so happy to be outside in the sunshine that I lost track of time.
Suffice to say, it's gorgeous. I wasn't sure who would be the recipient but Dale and I both really love it so I think we will be sharing the wearing of this scarf.
Posted by Carole at 6:45 AM | Comments (36)
February 14, 2008
Random Thursday
I have some finished knits to show you but the gray skies and rain we've had around here certainly don't lend themselves to photo shoots. That stuff will just have to wait until next week. In the meantime:
~A few of you expressed interest in the Chicken With Mushroom Sauce recipe from Monday night's squirrel/dinner story. It came from About.com and you can find the recipe here. I couldn't get cremini mushrooms at my grocery store so I used regular white mushrooms and it was fine. Also, I didn't add the Dijon mustard. We had the chicken with rice pilaf and asparagus and it was delicious - squirrel be damned.
~I am almost finished with the Noro Silk Garden striped scarf. And that's a good thing because I am so sick of it I could scream. The color changes are entertaining and all but enough already.
~Test knitting for Sock Madness 2 continues. I've got one left to do and then I think we're good to go. We had 86 people return from last year to compete again. Sign ups for everyone else start tomorrow.
~Finally, Happy Valentine's Day. Or, as we say at my house, Happy Cream Puff Day.
Posted by Carole at 6:45 AM | Comments (39)
February 12, 2008
A Sweater? Really? Yes! Really!
How is it that I can knit 4 pairs of socks since the start of the new year but it takes me 4 months to knit a simple cabled sweater? I don't know either.
Whatever the reason, I finally finished the Child's Cable Sweater for my adorable (step)grandson, Patrick.
He chose the color green and I chose the Peace Fleece. I love working with Peace Fleece. The colors are terrific, it's warm and it wears like iron.
Patrick wanted cables so this pattern, the Child's Cable Sweater by Yankee Knitter Designs, was perfect. I knit the largest size and added about 10 stitches for an extra bit of width. It's a bit roomy through the neck and shoulders but we wanted him to have some growing room.
It's a very simple sweater and an excellent pattern. Really, I have no excuse for taking so long to finish it.
Patrick is quite pleased with the sweater and he was perfectly thrilled to model it for the blog on Saturday morning.
He was even more thrilled when he took 2nd place at the Pine Wood Derby later that afternoon. I think he had a pretty great weekend.
Posted by Carole at 6:45 AM | Comments (52)
January 15, 2008
S Day
I haven’t even posted my letter A for the ABC Along but yesterday was all about the letter S.
There was snow.
And seaming a sweater.
And a Siamese cat.
I finished the sweater in spite of Mason’s “help” but you’ll have to wait for the shots of Patrick wearing it until I can get the little guy over here in the daylight.
Posted by Carole at 6:45 AM | Comments (32)
January 9, 2008
Christmas Light Socks
Behold my first pair of socks 2008.
Aren't they cheerful?
The yarn is Sophie's Toes and the color is called "Christmas Lights" and that's just what they look like to me.
Of course, the real Christmas Lights are all put away for the year but these socks will be a sweet reminder of the season until it comes around again.
Posted by Carole at 5:40 AM | Comments (45)
January 8, 2008
Juno Regina
That red coat I mentioned in yesterday's post? I also needed a scarf to wear with it. When I saw Miriam's Juno Regina pattern I knew it was just the thing.
The yarn, ironically enough, is some lace weight that Miriam herself dyed for me last winter. So, both the yarn and the pattern come from the same brilliant designer.
It's nice that she's also my friend.
I love the way the colors swirl and move throughout the length of the scarf. Speaking of the length, it's only about 1/2 the length of the original design. I wanted it shorter so it would be just a simple neck wrap.
Light as a feather but very warm and beautiful.
It's like getting a hug from Miriam every time I wear it.
Posted by Carole at 6:40 AM | Comments (48)
January 7, 2008
Calorimetry
It seems like everyone is talking about diet and exercise these days, myself included. It's that time of year, after all. So let me put it right out: My intention this year is to make physical changes, to get off my butt and get moving, to feel better about myself and the way I look. To that end I've started Weight Watchers online again, I've changed my YMCA membership to a family one so that Dale can go with me, and I've joined the Ravelry group lessw8 in 08.
I'm seeking chemical reactions and physical changes. A calorimetry of the mind, body and spirit, if you will.
Speaking of Calorimetry (nice segue, huh?) I finished two in the week leading up to Christmas. Both are for me, selfish little knitter that I am.
The gray one goes with my charcoal gray coat. The yarn is di.Ve' Teseo and the striping effect is very cool. I cast on 100 stitches and knit until it was about 4 inches wide.
And the brown one goes with my red coat. The yarn is Karabella Boise and it is soft, soft, soft. I again cast on 100 stitches but knit until it this one was only about 3 inches wide.
I'm not a big wearer of hats as I like to avoid "hat head" at all costs. However, sometimes it's just too cold to go without some sort of head covering and I think these two little headbands will see me through the rest of this winter just fine.
Especially if today's predicted highs of 57º stick around.
Posted by Carole at 6:45 AM | Comments (48)
January 1, 2008
Reflections on Knitting, 2007
Happy New Year, everyone! It's become a tradition for me to post about my finished knits and my upcoming goals for the New Year on January 1st. And you know how I am about tradition so you won't be surprised to see me doing this again this year, will you?
First, my stats for 2007:
24 pairs of socks
10 pairs mitts/mittens
9 hats/headcoverings
4 shawls
3 scarves
3 baby accessory items
3 sweaters/vests
3 dishcloths
1 felted bag
That's 60 knitted items in 200, three more than I finished in 2006!
Now that we've seen what I actually did, let's take a look at what I said I would do.
Goals for 2007:
1. Knit 20 pairs of socks. I knit 18 this year without even trying. I think I can do 20. done and then some
2. Knit a Nancy Bush sock pattern. It's hard to believe, with all the Nancy Bush books I have, that I've yet to actually knit one of her sock patterns. This will be the year. I had actually already done this and didn't realize it.
3. Overcome my fear of cables by knitting myself a cabled sweater. again, done and then some
4. Knit a pair of mittens from the book Folk Mittens. done but not exactly. I knit mittens from the Selbuvotter book instead but since my point was to knit stranded mittens then I think I can call this goal done.
5. Knit that cabled vest for Dale. I'll give this one more shot but if I don't do it this year, it's coming off the list. done
Goals for 2008
1. Knit another pair of stranded mittens.
2. Knit a sweater for me.
3. Expand my sock knitting techniques. I think it's time to try toe up, short row heels and short row toes. Just to say I can.
My goal list is shorter this year and I'm not sure what that means. Maybe it's time to push myself even harder or maybe I'm just happy with my knitting skillz as they are. Whatever the case, I'm sure it will be a year full of wonderful knitting.
How about you? What are your knitting goals for 2007?
Posted by Carole at 8:40 AM | Comments (39)
December 31, 2007
Bee Fields Shawl
So the other day I was preparing my first day of the year post. You know, the one where I review everything I've knit all year and set goals for the coming year. Guess what I realized? I never showed you any photos of the finished Bee Fields Shawl. I can't even believe that. It's the most gorgeous, most complex, most time consuming thing I knit all year and I never showed you. Until now.
I've discovered a problem with my new camera, though. All the pictures come out so wonderful I have a hard time deciding which ones to post. I hope you don't mind.
Posted by Carole at 8:00 AM | Comments (51)
December 26, 2007
Twas the Day After Christmas
Thank you all for the Christmas wishes. We had a wonderful Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Some really fabulous gifts were exchanged, we ate terrific food, drank a fair amount of champagne, played silly games, and laughed a lot. There were moments of sadness as we missed those who weren't with us but the over all tone was one of gratitude and happiness.
Nevertheless, last night as Dale and I were getting ready for bed we took a moment to enjoy the Christmas tree together. It was a quiet time in the midst of all the crazy-holiday stuff and I found myself thinking that while it had been a really nice Christmas, I was relieved that it was over. Even when we keep it simple - which we did - there's still a lot of preparation and planning that goes into this holiday. It will be nice to not have anything to do for a while!
The good news is that I can now show you the things I knit for Christmas. Yes, you heard me right, I knit for Christmas. Most of you know that I don't knit Christmas gifts. There's too much pressure and stress to get things done and I've learned over the years that many people just don't truly appreciate hand knit gifts. However, the two I knit for this year were two of my dearest friends and I knew they would be thrilled.
A Fake Isle Hat for Blogless Sharon.
She loved it and put it on immediately, despite her fancy Christmas Eve outfit. It looked really cute on her and she has promised to wear it while feeding the sheep and the alpacas.
And a pair of Serpentine Mitts for my dear friend Wendy.
Wendy was also very pleased with her gift. I made them for her to wear at reenactments but she has declared that she doesn't want to save them for just that and I suspect she'll be wearing them much more frequently.
It felt really great to gift my friends with items. But I still don't knit for Christmas.
Posted by Carole at 8:00 AM | Comments (31)
December 12, 2007
Annemor #16
I finished my Annemor #16 mittens from the Selbuvotter book and I love them!
This is my first stranded colorwork and once I got going I really enjoyed it. My only advice is to keep those floats loose. If you think they are loose enough then make them even looser.
The yarn is nothing special, just some Plymouth DK weight that I had lying around. Next time I'll use a better quality yarn but these are washable and that's a bonus since there's a lot of white.
My favorite part is the back of the thumb. I just love the way the palm pattern continues there. Quite clever, that.
The entertainment factor definitely made these go fast - I finished the pair in exactly one week. And I can't say enough about how wonderful this book is. Thank you, Jan, for recommending it. Allow me to now recommend it to all of you.
C'mon. You know you want mittens like this, too.
Posted by Carole at 6:15 AM | Comments (70)
December 6, 2007
Mittens for Me
Thank you all for the nice compliments on Hannah's new hat. I agree that it looks smashing on her. However, I found it on the floor under the computer desk this morning. You would think that Hannah would know better than to treat hand knits in this manner and yet, there it was. So, Hannah's in a bit of a hand knit time out, if you know what I mean.
The good news about that, though, is that these new mittens are now for me.
This is the farthest I have ever gotten on a stranded mitten. I've tried before but always ended up ripping them out because my tension would be all wonky and it would look like crap. But, a little advice from my library knitting group gurus and I think I'm finally on the right track with this stranded knitting business. Yippee!
I can't say I'm at the point of actually enjoying the process just yet, though. I haven't figured out how to hold both yarns at the same time -- I'm a thrower -- and that makes for slow going. On the other hand, I do love watching the pattern emerge and find myself knitting "just one more row" to see what happens next.
Sometimes I think I am way too easily entertained.
Posted by Carole at 6:50 AM | Comments (53)
December 5, 2007
Fairy Tale Hat
Have you ever seen something on a blog that made you want to cast on right that very minute? Of course you have -- we all have. It doesn't happen to me very often but it did last week when I saw Cassie's Gretel hat. I immediately purchased the pattern from Ysolda. Honestly, if I hadn't been out sick for the previous three days I think I would have feigned an illness so that I could have gone home immediately and started knitting.
I held it together, though, and started Thursday night. I worked on it every spare moment (and there weren't many considering I had to drop in at the paying job on Friday and the Christmas decorating and various social obligations) but I managed to finish it Sunday morning - just in time for our first snow fall.
Isn't it adorable on her?
The yarn is something I bought ages ago at a yarn shop on Cape Cod. I can't remember exactly where and I can't remember exactly when but I it was at least 2 years ago. I had been saving it for something special and it worked out perfectly for this hat.
I love the color and the cable-y goodness.
The recipient is quite pleased with it, too. Even if she is a goof ball.
Posted by Carole at 6:45 AM | Comments (56)
November 29, 2007
A Year in the Making
Before I get into today's post, I just want to point out that one of you, probably today or perhaps tomorrow, is going to leave the 20,000th comment. Amazing! And there will, of course, be a special prize for the 20,000th commenter.
Okay, onward.
Those of you who have been around for a while will remember that Hannah started a dish cloth last year around this time. If you need a refresher, the post can be found here.
Guess when she finished the dish cloth? Last night. And she wouldn't have finished it then except that I got on her case about having my favorite pair of Lantern Moon needles for a whole year.
So, I taught her to cast off and now it's done. Perhaps not the finest effort but done is better than perfect.
We had a little chat about knitting while she was casting off. Apparently, she still hates it. She finds it stressful and figures that it's not worth stressing herself out just to make me happy. I pointed out that we could knit together in the evenings and that if she kept at it she'd get much better. But she said no, she was done with knitting.
And yet, when I sarcastically asked her what she wanted to knit next, she picked up my copy of http://www.amazon.com/Knitting-Pretty-Kris-Percival/dp/0811835332/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196294432&sr=8-1 and started thumbing through it. Next thing I know, she announces that she is going to make "a bunch" of book marks for her friends and then when she finishes those she is going to make the super-long ribbed scarf.
All by Christmas.
I didn't ask her if she meant this Christmas or next Christmas.
Posted by Carole at 6:45 AM | Comments (91)
November 26, 2007
NaKniSweMo --- Check!
Hannah wore her finished Central Park Hoodie on Thanksgiving, for which we were both thankful. She was thankful for a cozy new sweater and I was thankful that it fit because it sure seemed small to me. But Hannah assures me that it fits just the way she wanted and she has already worn it twice since then so I guess I finally hit the jackpot with a handknit for Hannah.
You're really here for the pictures, though, aren't you? Never let it be said that I don't deliver.
The commitment to NaKniSweMo is complete!
The yarn is Plymouth Galway Highland Heather bought from kpixie.
The pattern, I understand, is currently unavailable as the issue of KnitScene is sold out. However, according to the Central Park Hoodie Knitalong Site, it will become available as a downloadable PDF from Knitting Daily some time in December 2007. So, if you haven't bought this pattern yet, keep the faith. Frankly, a downloadable PDF would have been my preference as Interweave soaked me $5 shipping when I bought the back issue of KnitScene.
The buttons came from Saftlers.
The attitude came from the teenager.
The knitting skillz came from Mom. And that makes the teenager happy. I'm thankful that something does.
Posted by Carole at 6:55 AM | Comments (80)
November 20, 2007
What's Knitting?
So, apparently Kim is worried that bloggers aren't showing their knits in progress these days. Seems that perhaps there is a trend towards waiting until a project is finished and then having a great unveiling. Well, I'll admit to that having done that several times but I wouldn't consider it a habit.
And, to prove my point, here are today's works in progress:
Mittens. One completed, one in progress. Okay, so the only part left is the thumb, but they aren't done so that counts, right? These are for Knit Unto Others, of course.
Socks. Because, you know, there are always always socks in progress here at Carole Knits.
And that's all I'm working on this week. Which means, if you've been paying attention, that Hannah's Central Park Hoodie is done. I never showed you progress photos, did I? Whoops.
Okay, here's a blocking photo. Does that count?
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (44)
November 6, 2007
Central Park Hoodie
Thank you all so much for your kind words yesterday. They were like a balm to my hurting soul, I tell you. Words can hurt but words can also heal and many of you brought healing words to me. I am grateful and blessed. And, of course, Dale and I have made up. There was hugging and crying, followed by much kissing. Ahem.
But let's move on, shall we? Because I have knitting to talk about. Sweater knitting. That's right, dear readers, I am knitting a sweater because I signed up for NaKniSweMo. Really, it's all Margene's fault. She signed up and then wrote about it and before I knew it I was signing up and showing Hannah sweater patterns and ordering yarn and that was that. Truly, though, a sweater for Hannah is a joy to knit because she's so tiny.
She chose the Central Park Hoodie. As much as I love tweedy yarns, Hannah hates tweedy yarns so, while I pushed hard for Peace Fleece, the yarn she chose is Plymouth Galway Highland Heather in a really soft shade of gray.
The back is done.
See the pretty cables? Ooooh. Ahhhh.
The left front is about half done.
At the risk of incurring the wrath of the Knitting Goddess, I may actually finish this thing by the end of the month.
Posted by Carole at 6:40 AM | Comments (55)
October 30, 2007
Elegant Gauntlets
I've wanted to knit a pair of Elegant Gauntlets since Margene made her pair. Somehow, though, they never made it on to my "to knit" list and I forgot about them. Then a couple of weeks ago Teri posted a pair and I remembered.
So as not to forget again, I went straight from the computer to the sock yarn shelf. I pulled down out some Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn in shades of brown - perfect for fall and perfect for a 3/4 length-sleeve shirt I was going to have to stop wearing soon because my arms would be cold.
I cast on right away and finished them in less than a week. The pattern, in Sally Melville's The Purl Stitch, is wonderful and the shaping makes for a great fit. And I think they go very nicely with my brown shirt.
I wore them on all day long yesterday - working on the computer, knitting, driving - whatever I was doing. The town electrician stopped by my office and when he saw them he asked if he should be contacting the heating company because I must be cold if I was wearing gloves. I tried to explain to him that they are a fashion accessory but I'm not sure he understood. He's a man and a muggle, what did I expect?
I'm already plotting my next pair!
Posted by Carole at 6:35 AM | Comments (45)
October 18, 2007
Corrugater Scarf
The never-ending, long-suffering Corrugater Scarf is finally finished and I love it. To refresh your memory, it's my own handspun from Crown Mountain Farms Sock Hop Roving. While it was originally going to be socks, I'm not at all disappointed that it has become a scarf instead.
Can I just say, though? This thing took forever and a day. Never again will I knit a scarf on size 3 needles. Never.
On the positive side, the length is perfect and it's soft and squooshy and I can wrap it around my neck and my face.
The obligatory reflection-in-the-bathroom-mirror shot.
And the also obligatory outside-and-I-hope-the-neighbors-don't-see-me shot.
Both photos presented as a visual aid for those of you playing Rhinebeck Blogger Bingo. I'm a square, doncha know. I hear it'll probably be too warm for this scarf and it may be rainy so I'll be wearing a green rain jacket with a bingo button (courtesy of Norma) and I'll be carrying a big-ass L.L. Bean bag filled with fiber.
Be there or be square.
Posted by Carole at 5:30 AM | Comments (37)
October 3, 2007
WIP 'Em Out Wednesday
I have this tendency to show you finished objects only. In fact, I can't remember the last time I posted about any of my knits-in-progress. So, today, I present The WIPs.
#1. Bee Fields Shawl.
I love just about anything that Anne designs and this shawl is no exception. The yarn, from The Other Anne, is equally fabulous, so soft, so sproingy and so delicate. I have finished the set up chart and the first chart and am a little more than halfway through the second chart. I won't kid you, this pattern is a challenge. There is lace knitting on both the right and wrong sides and some of the knitting maneuvers are reminiscent of acrobatics. But I know it will be worth it when it's finished. And with any luck that will be before Rhinebeck.
#2. Child's Cable Sweater.
This is for my (step)grandson, Patrick. The yarn is Peace Fleece and the pattern is a simple cabled sweater. It's fun to knit and pretty fast going, too. I originally thought I'd have it done for his birthday at the end of this month but the call of the Bee Fields Shawl has been loud and I've neglected the sweater. Looks like I'll be shopping for a birthday present instead. There's always Christmas except that I don't knit for Christmas. The bottom line is it will be gifted when it's finished, whenever that may be.
#3. Corrugarter Scarf.
I feel like I've been knitting this FORever. The yarn is my handspun from Crown Mountain Farms Sock Hop Roving in the colorway "Twist and Shout." The design, of course, is Paula's. And I love it but I'm knitting on size 3s and it's slow going.
#4. Peppermint Mocha Socks.
Mindless socks. Because there are always socks on the needles.
So, I WIPed 'em out. How about you?
Posted by Carole at 6:45 AM | Comments (27)
September 6, 2007
Baby Knits
Today's post has nothing, I repeat, nothing to do with Hannah. If I talked about her again I was going to have consider changing the name of this blog to Hannah Knits. Except that she doesn't. Knit, that is. But I do and today I even have proof.
A finished baby sweater.
The pattern is The Babies Neck Down Cardigan #982 from Knitting Pure and Simple.
The yarn is Cascade 220 Heathers.
The buttons are sheep. And they really couldn't be any cuter.
It's now winging it's way to my friend, who is due in just a few weeks. I can't tell you who she is because she reads this blog and I want her to be surprised. Although, I think this pregnancy surprised her to the point that she may never be truly surprised again.
That, my friends, is a gigantic hint.
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (39)
September 5, 2007
Shetland Triangle Shawl Photos
Hannah was in such a good mood on her birthday that I was able to get her to agree to pose with my finished and (finally!) blocked Shetland Triangle Shawl.
The yarn is my handspun and it's not as light and airy as I was hoping it would be.
And it's a tad on the small side.
But I'm happy with it, overall. I love the color.
And the pattern is wonderful.
The model isn't half bad, either.
Posted by Carole at 6:00 AM | Comments (53)
August 22, 2007
Things That Make Me Go Hmmm
Time for a new edition of Things That Make Me Go Hmmm, kids.
~I am very sorry to have missed the Fiber Revival. I'm also sorry to have missed an afternoon in Boston with Dave, Sandy and Norma. Could you all please remember that I go on vacation the second week in August and not plan anything fun while I'm away? Thank you.
~I am participating in Dish Rag Tag and my team's name is Rag Racin'. As Team Captain, I got the box first. I knit a dish rag that night and mailed the box off to the next team member in the morning. Right now we're about half way through the race and most of the teams seem to be in about the same spot in the relay. Wish us luck as we race to dish rag glory!
~Dale's routine colonoscopy screening was yesterday. Everything is A-OK and he doesn't have to go back for another one for 7-10 years. This is a good thing since colonoscopy prep in a one bathroom house is rather challenging. Ahem.
~There is still time to sponsor me in the 2007 Massachusetts Race for the Cure. Several of you have already donated and I thank you - I'm halfway to my goal! And I know there are a lot of worthy causes out there, including Norma's Red Scarf Fund and Cara's Spin Out fund raiser for Heifer International. Nevertheless, if you can spare a few dollars, my teammates and I would greatly appreciate it. You can click on the button in the sidebar to make a donation. Thanks.
~I started Weight Watchers online again. This may or may not be directly related to my commitment to the Race for the Cure. Heh. Anyway, I lost 5 lbs before vacation and didn't gain any while on vacation - something I consider to be a huge accomplishment. I'm taking it one day at a time and so far, so good.
~There are many trees in my area that are already starting to display their fall colors. Ummm. It's August. WTF?
~Tonight will be the first Wednesday night quilt night since Debbie's death. I'm looking forward to seeing my friends but I'm dreading it all at the same time. Think of us, okay?
Posted by Carole at 6:24 AM | Comments (47)
July 25, 2007
Shetland Triangle Shawl
I have wanted to knit the Shetland Triangle by Evelyn Clark for ages, it seems. I think Cheryl's was the first one I saw and hers is gorgeous. So light, so delicate and in her own handspun, too. Kim has knit it and so has Susanhttp://knittingasfastasican.com/2007/to-the-moon-baay-bee/ with Margene's handspun, no less. Their shawls are also light and delicate.
Inspired by my friends and also Spun Stitches, I decided to knit this shawl with my handspun. I've got 9 repeats done and here it is so far:
Light and delicate? Not so much. The yarn is heavier than I'd like it to be and I probably should be using bigger needles. The variegated green/yellow is sort of hiding the lace and I'm not thinking this is a great yarn/pattern match. However, I'm too stubborn to rip it out and start over with different yarn so I will persevere. And I will finish.
But given what came in the mail on Monday, well, it's not going to be easy.
Posted by Carole at 7:15 AM | Comments (29)
July 11, 2007
Dream, Grrl
I knit myself a Dream Swatch Head Scarf from one skein of Lana Grossa New Cotton. I think I kind of like it and it must be cool because Hannah wants one.
Dale says Mod Squad. I say Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves. What do you say?
Posted by Carole at 6:42 PM | Comments (57)
June 27, 2007
Just a Scarf
First of all, Dale wants to thank each and every one of you for your warm birthday greetings, wishes and even videos. He reads every comment on my blog anyway but when they are directed at him, well, he reads them over and over again. When he's supposed to be mowing the lawn. And then he feels the need to repeat to me what you all said. Over and over again. It was a fun day. Heh. Seriously, though, I'm glad you all enjoyed the video and I love that you all took the time to wish my man a happy birthday. You made us both feel really special.
Now, on to the business at hand. It's not all about vacations and birthdays around here, you know. It's about knitting, too. And today it's even about finished knitting because I finished (and blocked) La Dentelle Belle Scarf.
The pattern is free and available from Knituition. It's a truly fabulous design and I love it. The yarn is Brooks Farm 2 Ply Kid Mohair that I bought at Rhinebeck last year and I love that, too. However. The yarn and pattern together? Not feeling the love. It's not that I hate it - I just feel sort of "meh" about the whole thing.
Let's get those compliments comments flowing. Change my mind, okay?
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (46)
June 19, 2007
Flowers Everywhere
It must be summer because my three most recently finished projects are cotton. And flowery.
Behold:
A reverse-bloom flower washcloth. The pattern comes from Weekend Knitting and the yarn is Crystal Palace cotton chenille and only requires one skein. These make a great gift, especially when you include a fabulous bar of soap. The washcloth will be off to it's recipient this week.
An Eyelet Sun Hat. I just think this is the cutest thing! The pattern is from Knitting at Knoon and the yarn is Tahki Cotton Classic and like the washcloth it only uses one skein. This is a birthday present for Ambrynn - can you believe she will be two at the end of the month? And, as you may recall, they are moving to Florida so a cotton sun hat seems like just the thing.
A Petal Bib. Also, so very cute and also a gift. The pattern is from One Skein and the yarn is Debbie Bliss Cotton DK and, again, only uses one skein. And talk about fast! I knit this on Sunday morning.
These one skein gift projects have been just the thing for making me feel oh-so-accomplished. But honestly, I'm ready to sink my teeth into a bigger project. I think a shawl is coming up next!
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (47)
June 13, 2007
It IS Easy Being Green
When it comes to memes, I'm generally in the "been there, done that" camp. However, yesterday I read a meme over at Kristi's and I just can't resist this one. It's pretty simple: make a list of the things you're doing to help our environment.
~I knit with green yarn. Okay, so this isn't really an environmental thing but I wanted to show you how the Early Spring Maple yarn I dyed is knitting up. And let's face it, all that wool I have around my house must be acting as some sort of insulation. Right?
~ I signed up for Green Dimes. Not only are they reducing my junk mail but they are also planting a tree in my name every month.
~I use a company called Green Earth Cleaning for my house cleaning services. This company is owned by my two sisters-in-law Mary (the one I knit socks for) and Jen (the one who finds spinning wheels at yard sales). They use only natural cleaners and essential oils and everything is environmentally friendly. No harsh chemicals for my home, thankyouverymuch.
~Dale wrapped our hot water heater in an insulated blanket.
~We switched to compact fluorescent light bulbs. This one is a no brainer, people.
~We wash only full loads of laundry, in cold water, and hang things outside on a clothes line whenever possible.
~We recycle everything that can be recycled. Curb side recycling in our town has made this very simple.
~Dale installed a digital programmable thermostat for our furnace but we primarily heat with wood. And our wood stove has a catalytic converter. We also have ceiling fans.
~Our refrigerator and dishwasher are both new and have great energy efficiency ratings.
~We joined a CSA this year. We expect to pick up our first share next week and are really excited about this. We also eat local beef as we have friends who raise their own beef.
~Dale and I work to make our schedules compatible in the summer months so that we can carpool to work. This one involves some sacrifices on both our parts but it really helps with the gas bill.
As you can see, most of the things we do at Chez Carole Knits are very basic and pretty simple. But, there might be something new to you on this list and that's why I think this is a really worthwhile meme. So go on, show me your green list. I bet I'll get some great new ideas.
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (38)
June 7, 2007
Library Knitters
The peony is completely irrelevant to this post. However, all the cool kids are posting peony photos and I didn't want to be left out. Plus, you know how I feel about a pictureless blog post.
Remember how a while ago I started a spinning group at the library? By doing that I finally figured out a way to get paid to spin since I'm "on the clock" during those spinning nights. Well, hold onto your knitting needles because I've done it again. I started a library knitting group.
The whole thing got going about 6 weeks ago in a very roundabout way. I saw an email on a local yahoo group and someone was saying how they thought it would be great to have a knitting group at the Carver Public Library. Frankly, I almost deleted this email before I realized it was MY library they were talking about. So I responded and said I'd be happy to set something up and we now have a group of library knitters.
We meet on the first and third Tuesday of each month and, while we're pretty small at this point, I think this group has great potential. We don't have a lot in common, we are all ages and come from different backgrounds. Some of us work and some of us don't but all of us knit and that's enough common ground to bind us together. It's pretty amazing to me that a group of women who have known each other for about 3 minutes will just start spilling their guts about all kinds of personal stuff. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that you can look at your knitting instead looking at people's faces and there's a sense of anonymity in that. Whatever the reason, I think it's great that people feel able to share some very personal things while knitting at the library.
And all the while I am getting paid to knit. I love my job.
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (49)
June 3, 2007
Where Have All the Good Times Gone?
The vacation is over and I'm back at work. Ugh. At least it's raining. Last week was a seriously wonderful week. Dale was at work, Hannah was at school and I was . . . at home. By myself. Let's take a look at my previously stated vacation goals and see how I did.
~weed garden
~plant annuals
Check. Hannah helped with the weeding and Dale helped with the flower selections and planting.
~get haircut & color
Check. It looks good, too but you'll just have to trust me on that one.
~spin every day
Check. I have a bobbin and a half full to prove it.
~practice spindle spinning
Check. I put that basket of spindles on the hutch in the dining room. Sitting right there it's so easy to grab one and spindle for a few moments a few times a day.
~go to YMCA 3 times
Whoops. I never even made it once.
~dye some yarn and/or roving
Check. I'll have more on this tomorrow.
~fix the everyday cardigan
Whoops. I thought about it and read about how to do it. But it was pretty warm last week and the idea of sitting with a wool sweater in my lap was less than appealing. I'll tackle this one soon, though, because I really want that sweater to be wearable.
~knit a pair of bootees
Check. They are my first pair of baby bootees ever and they were quick and fun to knit. The pattern is Herringbone Bootees from 50 Baby Bootees to Knit. Size 2 needles with Rowan 4 Ply Cotton. These are a gift for a friend and they're getting mailed off today.
I also did several other things that weren't on my list like have breakfast with a new friend and go shoe shopping and have lunch at Panera and watch my soap every day. It was a fabulous vacation. What a shame it had to end.
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (55)
May 24, 2007
Things That Make Me Go Hmmm
~Kristi is editing the next edition of Yarnival. She's looking for entries, particularly ones about fiber festivals, so go on and submit something for her to consider, won't you?
~I spun a few more silk hankies and then wound the singles into a center pull ball and then plyed them on the Lendrum. Is it cheating to ply spindle spun singles on a wheel? It's a very tiny skein but it's my first ever silk and I'm damned proud of it.
~Have you contributed to Claudia's Ride yet? There are some great yarn-y and fiber-y prizes to be had, not to mention the over all good feeling you get by supporting such a worthwhile cause. Go on, you know you've been meaning to get to it.
~Erin has two new colorways inspired by my Eye Candy Friday photos! One is Lilacs:
And the other is Daffodils:
I think they're gorgeous and I'm thrilled to have provided Erin with the inspiration for these yarns. Are you going to buy some? Tell her Carole sent you and you'll get a special discount.
~Remember the Mad Weave socks from Sock Madness that you all liked so much? The pattern is now available for free at Tina's blog. Speaking of Sock Madness, I won't be competing in Round Two. Instead, I'll be co-hosting with Hillary. Squee!
~Speaking of worthwhile causes, I knit four squares for the Rebuilding Greensburg project. Lois knit a square, too, and the five of them are winging their way to Laura as we speak. Err, write. Err, read. Whatever, I've mailed them. There's plenty of time for you to knit and mail a square, too. Just saying.
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (44)
May 23, 2007
Norma Bag
If you've been around the blog long enough you'll remember that I went to Vermont in September 2005. While I was there I spent some time shopping with Norma and she helped me pick out yarn to make Kaleidoscope Yarn's "Project Bag," a rather large felted bag. The yarn had been marinating in the stash ever since but last month I pulled it out and wound it up and cast on. I finished knitting it last Friday and was anxious to felt it. But I also really wanted to take a photo that would show you just how ginormous this bag was pre-felting. Alas I was home alone and not really coming up with creative photography ideas.
I tried draping it on the back of our computer chair. But that doesn't really convey the feeling I was hoping for. I tried a couple of other things like attempting to get the cat to get inside or bribing the dog sit on it but none of that worked. I finally settled on this:
Yup. I put the bag over my head and took a photo. The things I do for the blog, eh?
Once I pulled that sucker off my head, I threw it into the washing machine and set about the felting process. After a lot of hot water (sorry, Al Gore) and a bit of agitation and twenty minutes time, I had this:
Quite a drastic difference! It shrunk up nicely and the fibers felted together and made for a very strong bag. It took from Friday afternoon until Sunday evening to dry. Technically, it was done at that point but I decided I really wanted to line this bag so I went trolling through my fabric stash to see if I had anything that matched.
Look at that - I couldn't have done better if I had purchased the fabric specifically for the project! And I've had that fabric even longer than I had the yarn - I'm pretty sure I bought it at Keepsake Quilting about 4 or 5 years ago.
Monday night I met up with Lois and she helped me make a lining.
We started by measuring the bag and then calculating how to cut the fabric for the lining. We cut a rectangle the size of the bottom of the bag plus 1/2 inch all the way around for the seams. Then we cut a long rectangle for the sides. We seamed the rectangle into a tube and then pinned the bottom onto that. We also made a pocket for my camera and put in a D-ring for my keys. We pinned the lining in place and then turned the bag inside out to sew the lining in place - by machine, thankyouverymuch. The felted fabric on this bag is so thick that the machine stitches don't even show. Once the lining was sewn into place, we threaded the handles through the slots and tied them in a knot. It only took about an hour to make a really beautiful lining for this felted bag.
It's quite large and can hold both current knitting projects along with a spindle.
And I absolutely love it! Thanks to Norma - for the inspiration. And thanks to Lois - for the finishing details. I now have a great new knitting bag
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (64)
May 22, 2007
Let Me Entertain You
I have two new projects on the needles:
Garter Rib Socks. The yarn is Claudia's Handpaint in the color "boot camp." These are a gift and I can say no more than that.
La Dentelle Belle Scarf from Knituition. I'm using the Brooks Farm 2 Ply Kid Mohair that I bought at Rhinebeck. I haven't gotten very far but I'm loving it.
Since neither of those things are very entertaining, I'll leave you with something that I find highly entertaining.
Ambrynn, Grandpa aka Dale, and Daddy aka Brant. When Ambrynn says "dance" . . . you'd better dance!
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (40)
May 16, 2007
Yarn Stash Overhaul
Most of my yarn is kept on shelves in the computer room. There is a bit more in some boxes under the computer desk - four sweaters worth or so - and there's also a basket full of Sugar 'n Cream - and a really big basket of handspun - but the bulk of my yarn stash is sock yarn and I keep it on open shelving. Oh sure, there's some lace weight and some odd skeins of Noro and other worsted weights and some plain yarn for dyeing but mostly what I have is sock yarn.
These last few months it's gotten a little messy. Blame it on Sock Madness, blame it on the winter blahs, blame it on the fact that I don't spend a whole lot of time in this room, but it was definitely out of control and maybe even a little overwhelming. So last week I decided something needed to be done and I set about reorganizing the shelved yarn stash.
Of course things always look worse before they look better.
I was brutal with the stash and only put back the stuff I know think I will actually use. The rest has been set aside for prize donations and gifts - it's good yarn just not yarn I love.
And see how nice it looks? That top shelf is worsted weight and dye-able yarn and the bottom shelf is lace weight and miscellaneous other yarns. Those three shelves in the middle hold the sock yarn stash. It's good sock yarn, too. Lots of handpainted stuff along with Opal and Trekking and Fleece Artist. I'm really happy with the way it all looks.
I did make one fatal error, though. I counted the skeins of sock yarn. 80 pairs worth. Oy.
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (78)
April 12, 2007
Flower Basket Shawl
The Flower Basket Shawl had been on my "to knit" list for ages - before I even started knitting lace, in fact. The problem was, I had sort of moved beyond a beginner lace project and I wasn't all that interested anymore. Then I had a moment of brilliance and decided to knit a Flower Basket Shawl for my dear friend Lois' birthday.
The yarn is some unknown hand painted lace weight I had in the stash and the colors are perfectly Lois. While I generally prefer to knit shawls with solid color yarns, I do think this pattern works well with the variegated yarn. I knit 14 repeats of the flower basket pattern and used a size 4 Knit Picks options needle. It took me just about two weeks to complete the project. Hannah was thrilled to model it for me this week and I gifted it to Lois last night. She's even more thrilled than Hannah and has promised to wear it on her European cruise this summer.
Sigh.
I suppose that one of my handknit items cruising through Europe is almost as good as cruising through Europe myself.
Sigh.
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (72)
March 27, 2007
The Interview
I read an interview over at Knitiot Savant yesterday and decided that looked like fun so I asked Susan to send me 5 questions to answer for ya'll. Really, it had nothing to do with the fact that I have nothing else to talk about today.
1. Has spinning enriched your knitting experience? If so, how?
Now that I am spinning yarn and actually knitting with it, I can say that spinning has definitely enriched my knitting experience. There's something truly satisfying about knitting with your own handspun yarn. It may not be as perfect as commercially spun yarn but it feels like a great accomplishment. I'm prouder of the things I've knit with my handspun than any other things I've knit.
2. What's your favorite quilt block pattern?
Oooh, a quilting question! My favorite quilt block pattern is Log Cabin. It's so versatile and looks great whether pieced with scraps or newly purchased fabrics. There are loads of different layouts and I just never get tired of making Log Cabin quilts.
3. What's a 'comfort food' for you?
My favorite comfort food is mashed potatoes and gravy. I'm also big on homemade mac 'n cheese. Bring on the carbs.
4. Why did you become a librarian?
I became a librarian because I like research. There's nothing so satisfying as answering a tough reference question. Of course, most of what I do on a daily basis has less to do with libraries and more to do with management, but that's okay because I like management, too. I wrote a post about my childhood librarian and the way she inspired me here.
5. What's your favorite book and why?
Now this is tough because it changes depending on my mood, my age, my experience and my surroundings. I will say that the book I've read more times than any other is Pride and Prejudice. Honestly, though, I think my favorite book ever is The Time Traveler's Wife. Heartbreaking but satisfying.
Thanks for the great questions, Susan, I had fun answering them. And I hope you all had fun reading my answers. If you want me to interview you, just let me know and I'll send you five questions.
And, finally, because a blog post without a photo is like a day without coffee - dull and lifeless - I give you a photo of Hannah taken while we were shopping a week or so ago. She just lurved this shirt.
No. I did not buy it for her.
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (52)
March 22, 2007
Seraphim Shawl
I finished my Seraphim shawl in record time - only 2 weeks from start to finish! I had the perfect opportunity to wear it Tuesday night as Dale and I were going to give a talk on Civil War reenacting at a local library. I insisted that we squeeze in a photo session before we left the house.
Here's a smirk only a husband can appreciate.
While I don't intend for this shawl to be exclusively for reenacting, I do think it goes very well with my red day dress. And because I know someone will ask, no I did not make this dress myself. My dear friend Wendy made it for me. I did put on the trim, though.
The yarn, as you may recall, is my handspun from an Indigo Moon blend of merino, silk and alpaca. I knit one less pattern repeat than called for as I was worried that I would run out of yarn - and I would have. But the shawl is plenty big as it is so I'm not sorry about making it a wee bit smaller.
The stockinette portion went very quickly and the lace charts are easy to follow and make a really beautiful pattern all along the edge of the shawl. Miriam is an excellent designer and this shawl is just one of many gorgeous patterns available on her web site. Just sayin'.
I really love the way it comes together at the point in the back.
It's very warm and very soft and very cozy. I spun it myself and I knit it myself and I absolutely love it!
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (135)
March 19, 2007
Use Your Imagination
[I'm sorry to be posting this so much later than my regular posting time. I've been down with a sinus infection since last Thursday. I thought I'd feel better by today but I'm just so damn tired. Anyway, I wrote this post yesterday about the one thing that I actually did this weekend. Tomorrow, I'll be better. Or something.]
Do you ever forget that you're a blogger? Or not even so much forget as just have a brain cramp and not take pictures of stuff? Then when it occurs to you that you could have had a viable blog post if only you'd taken a picture you feel sort of undeserving of the title knit blogger. Yeah, me too.
Saturday I knit a washcloth. Not my usual ball band washcloth from the Mason Dixon Knitting book but the other washcloth from that same book. The one that's shaped like a hexagon. You know, the one with the bobbles. It's a great pattern and you can bang one out in an afternoon if you persevere. And you need less than one ball of Peaches 'n Cream.
It makes a great hostess gift and that's why I knit it. See, we were invited to a St. Patrick's Day dinner at a friend's house but she wouldn't let me bring anything. Wine seems so overdone but that's what I was planning on bringing until inspiration struck on Saturday morning and I decided to buckle down and knit her this washcloth. The yellow/white/lime green color combo was very cheery and spring-like and when it was all done it reminded me of those God's Eyes we used to make at summer camp. I steam blocked it and then threaded a white satin ribbon through the eyelets. I tucked two cakes of Blessed Juno's soap inside, drew up the ribbon and presto, a really nice hostess gift.
It wasn't until Sunday morning that I remember that I should have taken photos for the blog. I'm sure you can picture it, though, as you're a pretty clever bunch. And speaking of clever, I think I will get clever and knit up some of these every now and again. Then, next time I need a last minute gift, I'll be good to go. Maybe I'll even remember that I'm a blogger and take a picture. Don't count on it, though.
Posted by Carole at 8:35 AM | Comments (33)
March 15, 2007
Forgotten Knitting
One day a couple of weeks ago I left the sock in progress sitting on my desk when I went home for the day. Arrrgh. At the time the sock was my mindless knitting project since the only other thing on the needles was the Cable Moss Vest. What's a knitter to do?
Whip up a couple of dishcloths, of course.
Here we have two new dishcloths from the ever-popular and oh-so-fun pattern in the Mason Dixon knitting book. I not only decreased my Sugar 'n Cream stash by a couple of balls but I wound up with some functional knits, too. And also a bit of blog fodder for a day when I don't have much else to show you.
Is it the weekend yet, Dave?
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (29)
March 14, 2007
Cable Moss Vest
Today is my dear friend Margene's birthday. Go show her some birthday love please!
As I told you last week, I finished the Cable Moss Vest for Dale. You want to see some pictures?
I'm so proud of this vest. As you may recall, this was originally to have been my Olympic Knitting Project. But after swatching, I realized there was no way I could complete a project of this magnitude during the time frame of the Olympics. So I set it on the back burner for, oh, about a year. Once I got going on this, though, I found that it went pretty quickly.
The fit is perfect. It's just the right length with just the right amount of ease. Dale has worn it several times already and he says it's warm and cozy and just what he wanted in a vest. There's nothing like that kind of praise to warm the heart of a wife and knitter.
Before I started I was quite intimidated by the cables. Truthfully, it was more the cable charts that had me worried. Unlike lace chart and symbols, the cable charts and symbols don't come easily for me and I had to refer to the charts throughout the entire project. I did color code them, as I showed you in my first post about this project, and that really helped. After the complexity of these cables I feel a lot more confident in my cabling skills.
The technical details:
Pattern: Lisa Lloyd Cable Moss Vest
Yarn: Classic Elite Skye Tweed, 9 balls
Needles: Addi Turbos size 5 and 7
Time: January 4 - February 26, 2007
Now that's a satisfied man. If only he'd stack that wood.
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (86)
March 12, 2007
Sock Madness and Sadness
I've never considered myself to be a fast knitter. I actually think my time is rather average - faster than some but slower than some, too. And yet, with the pressure of Sock Madness, I managed to knit a sock in a day on Saturday.
That, my friends, is a new record for me.
And I woke up Sunday morning and thought: my progress is good. I may not be loving the pressure of knit, knit, knit, but I'm making progress and I'll get most of sock two, it not all of sock two, done by the end of the day. I was hedging my bets because I knew, what with church in the morning and our kids coming over in the afternoon, that I wouldn't have unlimited knitting time, but I still thought I'd have decent knitting time. And I still believed that it was a priority.
progress as of Sunday night
And then our kids (meaning my stepson Brant, his wife Heather, and my step granddaughter Ambrynn) came over and dropped a bombshell. They're moving to Florida in July. We're in Massachusetts, in case you aren't following this geographically.
Florida.
That's damned far away form Massachusetts. I get the reasons for the move, I really do. Massachusetts is expensive, they aren't getting ahead, they can't afford a house, Brant would have to work two jobs and he'd never see Ambrynn, Heather's mom and brother are in Florida. I get all of that, I really do.
And you know, you want your kids to be independent and self-sufficient. That's sort of the whole point, isn't it? You raise them to go out in the world and make a good life. This is what Brant and Heather believe is best for their family and it's exciting for them. But for Dale and I, it's just so sad. We managed to hold it together while they were here, putting on a brave face for their sake and self-medicating with a martini or two. And then we went to bed and cried together and felt miserable. We also realized that this is something new for us to face. A challenge of a new sort for our marriage, learning to miss such close members of our family. I know we'll figure it out and I know there are worse tragedies in life but I just keep coming back to this photo and thinking how precious few of these we'll be taking in the coming years.
Suddenly, competitive sock knitting just doesn't seem that important anymore.
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (86)
March 6, 2007
For My People
As we all know, sometimes it's hard to come up with stuff for the blog. That's when it's nice to have friends that inspire you demand stuff from you. So, today is about satisfying 3 different friends. Hopefully the rest of you will also be mildly entertained, too.
For La.
Mason's feet. Aren't they just about the cutest kitty feet you've ever seen? Rich and chocolate-y brown and oh-so-fuzzy. I just love Mason's paws.
For Margene.
Here is Seraphim in her current state. Lots and lots of stockinette and just a tiny bit of lace so far. The yarn is the handspun I showed you last week and it is so soft and silky. I love knitting with it and I can't wait to finish it and wear it because it's going to be toasty warm and wicked soft.
For Scout.
My tattoo is on my right ankle. Damn, it's hard to take a picture of your ankle. But just because I love Scout (and all y'all, too) I not only took the picture but I shaved my legs for the occasion.
That should satisfy the masses. And if the rest of you want anything, get in line. Mwah.
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (46)
February 7, 2007
Walk With Me Wednesday - Sort Of
First of all, let me just say how much I'm loving your comments on my anniversary post. The poems and haikus range from the hilarious to the thoughtful and back again. All the sentiments are much appreciated. Keep 'em coming!
Second, I have a pair of finished mittens I haven't shown you.
Why yes, I am all about the hand coverings these days. The yarn is Freedom Spirit by Twilletys of Stamford and I picked it up at Saftler's when they had that sale last month. Lois told me I'd need 2 or perhaps 3 skeins for a pair of mittens. I thought that was a bit much but I trusted her and bought 3 skeins. I made the pair with only 1 skein. Lucky for me, Saftler's will exchange yarn.
Finally, while I don't want to bore you with another post about my adventures at the Y, it is Walk With Me Wednesday. So, I will tell you that I'm still at it and averaging about 3 times/week and 3 miles/visit. To pick up the slack I've actually tuned into the Exercise TV feature of my cable television subscription and done the "1 mile work out" at home on the days when I haven't gone to the gym. It's a Leslie Sansone thing and she's annoying as hell but since I'm about 7 miles behind where I should be I figure it will help me to catch up. The ipod song of the week - the one that makes me want to throw my hands up in the air while on the treadmill - is Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girls."
We make the world go 'round, you know.
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (39)
January 23, 2007
Pie!
While certainly not as exciting as finding a lost hiker, the astute among you will understand that the title of this post signifies the return of the lost mittens. Can I get a woo? And while we're at it, how about a hoo?
The credit for the find is two-fold. Vicki suggested looking under the seats of the car. I had already done that, but I had only looked in the Jeep. Dale, always my hero, looked in the Suburban, and there they were, crammed between the two front seats.
And just in time, too, since we actually had a teeny bit of snow on Monday morning.
The return of the mittens meant really only one thing, though.
Now I shall have some pie. Chocolate cream pie, in fact, to match the mittens.
Mmmmmmm.
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (60)
January 10, 2007
Fear Factor
Teyani left the 10,000th comment last night at 7:26 pm. Thank you all for every comment. Your encouragement, advice, and support is so important to me. Not to mention the wise cracks and sarcasm. Heh.
So. I thought I was afraid of cables. Turns out that fear was all in my head. Behold the progress on Dale's Cable Moss Vest.
That is the back almost to the point of the armhole decreases. This cable knitting with worsted weight yarn (Classic Elite Skye Tweed, in case you're wondering) goes pretty durn fast.
I got lots of hints and help, including a fabulous cable needle from Maryse and some real-time positive reinforcement on the difficulty of memorizing cable symbols from Martha. Lois gave me what is perhaps the best hint of all, though. She told me to color the chart with colored pencils. So, I colored the symbols in the key to match the symbols on the chart.
Isn't it pretty? And it's so easy to read now. It really really takes the confusion right out of those scary symbols.
I'm showing you a close up because I'm just so damned proud of myself and the conquering of the cable fear factor. Now if you could all just cross your fingers that I don't run out of yarn.
Fear Factor. It's not just about cables anymore.
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (78)
January 8, 2007
A Saturday Jaunt
I have a cold. It used to just be in my nose but now it's in my head and my throat and my back, too. Other than the little jaunt that comprises this post I spent much of the weekend on the couch. I assumed that resting a lot would mean I'd be better today but that's not the case and I'm home from work. I have to be better by tonight as it's a spinning night at the library and I'm the one with the key! That's my health situation. We now return to our regular blogging.
I do not have a local yarn shop. This is something I lament frequently. Yes, there are a couple of those big box craft stores 15 minutes away. And yes, there is a small but lovely yarn shop 20 minutes away. But right in my town? Nada.
The closest thing I've ever had to a truly local yarn shop is Saftler's but they specialize in fabric and haven't really invested a lot in their yarn department. Until now. You see, Saftler's has undergone some major changes over the last year, including a complete redesign of the store.
One of those changes resulted in moving the yarn department to the front of the store and surrounding it with this cute picket fence. It's adorable and it's only 7 minutes from my house.
So, Saturday morning Blogless Sharon, along with our friend Debbie, and I went out to breakfast and then headed to Saftler's for their grand re-opening celebration and sale. Lois was there demonstrating Magic Loop and the yarn department was bustling!
They still have a lot of ack-rylic yarn but they've got some decent things to choose from as well - including Trekking XXL, thankyouverymuch. And Addi Turbos. Ahh yes, I can now purchase Addis without shipping charges. Squeee!
There were lines at the cash register all morning, a he