FO: Traveling Beaumont

I have been wanting to knit Paper Dolls by Kate Davies (only with camels) for a while now but have been intimidated to test my color work skills on such a large project where it could have gone ALL WRONG! And seeing as it's worked from the bottom up I wouldn't even know it's was ALL WRONG until the project was nearly completed... and you all know how much I hate frogging knits that are almost done

So I decided to give color work a try on a smaller scale, like a hat. That way if it didn't work out then I wouldn't be out hours and hours and hours of work... I would only be out of just a few hours!

But it did work and I'm totally addicted. I love it and I just can't stop. I find it so gratifying and entertaining to watch the patterns emerge row by row until finally a picture begins to form. Also seeing colors paired together really adds a new beauty to my knitting that I just haven't experienced before.

Project Details

Pattern: Beaumont Tam by Jared Flood

Needles: knit using magic loop US size 3 and 6

Yarn: Hand & Hand in white and Handmaiden Cabash Sock in Amethyst

Mods: went down by one needle size in both the small and large needles after reading other's comments. I also cast on with the purple then switched to white instead of knitting the entire band in purple to ensure I would have enough purple to make it to the top!

I've already started my second color work project (details on this one later!) because I just can't get enough!

I'm now looking at my stash in a whole new way. Moving skeins around checking to see if they belong together. The possibilities are endless! Endless I tell you!

backwards

I've been teaching my self to knit backwards.

I really hate purling back on large stockinet WIPs. In fact I dislike it so much that I will avoid all stockinet pieces just so I don't have to purl back 100 stitches. But there are so many cute sweaters out there I have been wanting to knit so I have been teaching my self to knit backwards

At first it was like trying to write with the wrong hand. Awkward, sloppy and inefficient to say the least but after practicing i'm finally to the point where I don't have to look at every stitch and I'm about as fast at it as purling. I figure with a little more practice I'll be knitting up a storm in no time!

But let me tell you it uses muscles I didn't know I had

Recipe for a famous sock - KISS in Chicago!

Here's what you need to make your sock (or in this case Amanda's sock) famous

2 good friends on an adventure - one has to be smart enough to think outside the knitting bag - in this case all credit goes to Amanda!

2 tickets to KISS & 2 surprise backstage passes

1 sock in progress

Add a dash of waiting in line and persistence in the backstage area and you get this:

KISS holding a SOCK in progress!

After picture enjoy the concert and let rest for a while in a cool dark room until mid-noon

Wake up, brush off Rock N Roll party dust and send photo to the Yarn Harlot

Watch Amanda's pink sock become famous!

Backstage at KISS and being on the Yarn Harlot's blog in less then a week... This is so exciting I might pass out.

At the airport….

…. Again.
This seems to be a running theme in our lives right now. I calculated and I think we have each flown over 15,000 miles (for a combined total of 30,000) in a month’s time. We are seriously tired of flying. Especially because we have to lug around all of our luggage with us as well. But that is the beauty of moving… remind me why I thought that was such a good idea?
The good part is we’re going home (well my home at least) and I am so looking forward to being in Portland again. Even if it will be for a short period of time before we board another flight on to a new adventure (more later – gotta save something to write about for another day).
The other upside is that we are getting way better at this flying stuff. We’re organized and prepared. Ready for whatever the airline can throw at us. Want more money for extra baggage? You got it. Where’s our ID’s? Right here buddy. Extra security check? Bring it on! We know who is in charge of what bags. The best restaurants in the airport and that we habitually plan for three hours in the airport even though it has never taken us more than a half hour to get from the curb to the gate. We are SET. Unless it snows can’t cope with the snow. NO MORE SNOW!
Another fun thing about the airport is the people watching. I tell you it’s about as entertaining as the Thursday Night Line Up back when Friends and Will & Grace were still on. People are so interesting! I saw one lady wearing all pink and with a pink suitcase and I thought to my self “Wow coordinating for the flight. Ummm ok?” But then I saw her in the rest room and she was re-packing her bag and I tell you EVERYTHING in her bag was pink too!!!!! Her husband was even wearing a pink shirt! Their whole lives are coordinated!
Another girl was walking around in her tank top with her scarf on even though it is FREEZING out side. Have I mentioned the snow?
Oh and we even saw a guy from Heat (the movie) I don’t know which one to be honest cause it was my husband that made the ID. But still!
I keep hoping to see a fellow knitter working on her ravelympic project waiting for a flight but I seem to be the only one. Sigh. It’s ok though I am not shy about KIP (kitting in public) or PDK (Public displays of knitting) as I prefer.


Yup. That’s a new secret project. Tell you about it when it’s done.

FO: Silky Ruffles

I saw this pattern around a few places and just fell in love it it. It is simple but has a little extra something that gets it noticed... I some yarn in my stash the other day and it hit me...

This yarn was made to be a ruffly scarf!


I quickly bought (best $3.50 ever!) the pattern and got to work. I just couldn't wait to cast on!

I love the way the colors work with this pattern



I love how the ruffles stack up when they are wrapped around your neck a couple times


This scarf was so much fun to knit and it knit up so quickly. I love instant gratification!

Project Details:

Pattern: Just Enough Ruffles by Laura Chau
Yarn: Fleece Artist Woolie Silk 3 ply - Just under one skein
Needles: US 9
Mods: none

It's been very difficult not to cast on a second one. The only reason I haven't is that I have loads of projects to get done first!! But that loyalty to my WIPs may not last very long. We'll see.

FO: Husband's Socks!

I just posted these in my WIP Update post a couple days ago and look they are done already!

Basically once I reminded my self that I had started them back in JULY! I decided that I had to finish them. So I directed most of my time towards them and got them done in a matter of days.

The color repeats don't really match up on each sock but Husband loves them and that's all that's really important


Project Details

Pattern - Mock Cable Socks by Wendy D. Johnson
Yarn - Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock - Lightweight in Monsoon
Needles - US 2 / 2.75 mm
Mods - I didn't really make any modifications to these. But what I learned are that "mock cables" are the same a regular cables except you have to do them more often! every. other. row! although these gave me great practice in cabling with out a cable needle! Bonus!


I was so excited to finish the socks that I cast on something new... for me!

WIP Update

I know! I haven't done one of these posts in a LONG time!

Partly because previous projects were surprises to one of my regular blog readers and partly cause work is a bit crazy so I haven't had time to make much progress on the knitting... but i feel I have finally got a too a good spot and I want to show you what I have been working on.

So this first one I have started calling Snowfall. It's my first (of many, I'm sure) Ishbel and I'm knitting it in Posh Yarns Miranda in colorway Snowfall! (now you know my inspiration!). I'm knitting this for a very good friend of mine who deserves something delicate and beautiful.


This next project is a baby blanket, of my own design (woot woot) made from Rowan Calmer. It's for a good friend of mine who is expecting her first little one.


Finally these I have dubbed "Husband's Socks" cause they are for my husband (I know I'm really creative with project names) I have been working on these for quite a while but they got shelved a while back when I was trying to get some previous projects done on time. Any how I have picked this back up and am nearly finished! They are made with BMFA Socks that Rock and a pattern from Wendy Johnson's Socks from the Toe Up (love this book!)


I am really loving these current projects. Especially all together they are the perfect balance... a little lace for when I want to work on something complex, some socks for when I want something portable and the blanket for when I want to work on something soft and cuddly!

WANTED: More knitting time

This whole work thing I have going on from 8-6 five days a week is really eating in to my knitting time. Seriously, how much knitting can I get done in an hour or two a night!?! It's just not possible to knit as much as I want to.

The result of this lack of knit time is that I work on only one of my WIPs at a time leaving the less exciting ones to sit and wait patiently for their turn. Case in point. My noro striped scarf is getting ALL the attention right now while my cable purse, phiaro and (cough) textured tunic sit to the side, watching me, taunting me even with their little you-have-done-NOTHING-for-me-in-a-week attitudes. "Ha!" I say back. "I have NO knitting time and I will work on the instant gratification project if I want to. But in the mean time please don't hate me. You're special too and I'll get to you... later"

I wonder if people take vacation time so that they can catch up on knitting projects?

WIPs!

I have three (kinda) Works In Progress at the moment. I don't know how I got to three. Really that's unlike me because I hardly ever have more that two projects that I am working on at a time. But because one is off the needles I suppose that it doesn't count. kinda.

The first one I cast on was a Drops Design Cable Bag. I loved the simplicity of it and could actually picture my self carrying it around so I got the yarn quite a while ago but finally cast on for it last week. I'm telling you Cascade Lana Grande + size 8's = HARD. Not to mention that I needed to increase from 88 stitches to 220! That was just insane. But well worth it. Anyhow I have done two cable repeats so far and I'm really happy with the way it's coming out.


Then yesterday I cast on for the Noro Striped scarf. I know a million people have made this scarf but I just couldn't resist. I love the way it looks with the color changing stripes. The bright colors are fantastic!


Then of course there is the Phiaro. I finally undid all the stitches and wow, that took way longer than I thought it would. I mean you drop a stitch when you are knitting and it seems to slither four or five rows down before you can catch it but when you give them permission to undo them selves they seem to hold on to their spots with all their strength! Anyhow I dropped the stitches and cut carefully down the center and now I'm in the middle of the braiding faze. I have one size done but still have all of side 2 left. sigh. But I won't give up! I have come too far to give up now!!


I'm hoping at the BIG Dubai / Abu Dhabi meeting at the end of the month that I will have some FO's to show off. Fingers crossed.

help! WIP confusion!

so i was all excited to give you project updates on my two WIPs and now i'm worried i have messed up on one... uuuggghhh

but first let me you tell you about the phiaro which is coming along slowly but surly. it's great to work on while i'm in the car (a passenger of course) or while i'm watching a movie and want something more mindless (i.e. headache-less) and well, endless.

here's the updated picture.... i'm not sure it actually looks longer than the last pic but it is. and i feel i work on it a lot so you get a pic anyways.

now for the help.... here is the Back to School Vest. see? i have made a lot of progress from when you last heard me talk about it here. and now it looks like this!


yup the front is all done!


look at that waffle stitch.... i'm really happy with the way it looks and it's so easy to do!


but the back. the back is where all the problems are.... the pattern said decrease one at the end of the next 7 rows. which i did. and then i started knitting on to get the 6.5 inches of length the pattern calls for. but about 5 (cough10cough) rows into the even rows i had a flash back to the baby cardi! 7 really means 14 doesn't it! aakk is 7 decreases RS and 7 WS.

dang. i think i just answered my own question! it's really decrease one at the end of the next 14 rows isn't it? :::sigh::: and i just counted my stitches and i have too many. uuugghhh! why didn't i check earlier!!! oh well i guess i have some ripping to do. at least i didn't get too much further, like to the end and sitting there confused as to why i have too many stitches. however i have heard the back comes in a bit narrow so maybe i shouldn't do all 14... although i'm not sure i could figure out how to fix it from there to match the front. no i think i'll just stick to the pattern.