In A Funk

I've been in something of a funk lately with my knitting. I still enjoy it when I'm knitting something that holds my interest. BUT, and it's been a big but, I have countless shawls & sweaters that I've knitted for myself & only worn one time. Like this one. Because it's too hot in Texas!  

So, I have been a little depressed and wondering what is the point of all this knitting if I make stuff that just sits in a drawer unused? And honestly, most of the things that I've gifted, I've felt were not appreciated.  I still remember going to the Hospice center & donating the afghan that I made while Angie was in the hospital. The reception was less than thrilling! I should've just taken my afghan and walked out!

I am still working on the Paneled Afghan but I'm so tired of it. I only have 2 more small panels to go & it'll be finished. I swear that I will never knit another afghan! And the Alpine Lace Scarf/Shawl is over halfway finished but I still have lots of yarn left & the miserly way I was raised insists that I use up every last drop of that $42 yarn! It's a really slow knit because of the laceweight yarn & the beads. But it'll be gorgeous. Wonder where I'll ever wear it?


Well, after several days of pattern searching & soul searching I've decided it's ok if I knit just because I enjoy it. TAA DAA!! It's really hard for me to do something just for me. As it is for most women. I have a large queue on Ravelry & many things that I've bought the yarn for. So, I pulled out my #1 and cast on. And I'm loving it. Leaf Yoke Top from Knit. 1/Spring Summer 2009. I bought the yarn on an impulse last November in Fredericksburg because the LYS had one on display & it was so gorgeous. They didn't have the pattern but assured me it only took 1 hank. Oh yeah, this yarn was $40+ per hank. But the hank has 560 yards. I digress...Got home found the pattern, ordered it. Lo & behold I would need more than one hank for the medium size. Called the LYS. They didn't have any more. Found a gal on Ravelry who had a partial hank. Pm'd her & asked if she'd sell it. She GAVE IT TO ME!! However, the dyelots are not the same. It's really really different. So, I'm alternating the two and so far it looks great! I don't have a picture yet because it's not far enough along to look like anything. So, here's a picture from the magazine. And I'm going to look as snooty as she does when I wear it!
 And look at this little top from Caron. It resembles the Leaf Yoke Top. I think I'll make it too! I don't know who it's for and I don't care! Well, maybe a little bit....

Lion Neck Cardigan

I finally got a picture of the Lion Neck Cardigan that I started for DD back in December. I finished it on Feb 5 and mailed it to her. It was really an easy and quick knit, but I had too much dancing to do so I didn't get it finished very quickly.

It fits pretty well, except that the sleeves are too long and they are a little baggy at the underarms. The pattern is from Custom Knits by Wendy Bernard. I made the largest size which had me worried because it was labeled as 3X which DD does NOT wear, she more of a L or maybe XL. But the chest measurement for the 3X was exactly what hers is so I went with that size. I never really did understand the sizing on this sweater...The large size listed a 36 3/4" chest measurement which I think should be a small or maybe a medium. Anyway, I am reasonably happy with the outcome except for the sleeve length and width. When I got to the underarms I only cast on an extra 4 sts which made my sleeves more the large size and still they are too big. I wanted to take the sweater back and fix the sleeves but DD assured me that she likes it the way it is. So, I'm happy!

Details:

Lion-Neck Cardigan by Wendy Bernard in Custom Knits

Needle size 11 Harmony circular

Yarn-Lion Brand Jiffy Camel Spray colorway

Knitting in the Forest

We are having a wonderful time in the cool mountains of New Mexico and Colorado. So far we've spent a week in Ruidoso, a week in Red River and 5 days in Chama, NM. We are now in Towaoc, CO (pronounced toy'yack) which is near Cortez. It is a little warm...got up to 90 today but it was 48 last night.

I finished the Hey Teach! before I left for vacation. I love it. Cool pattern and very fun. I don't have a picture of it here on the laptop so will have to link to the Rav page.

I started the Swirl Scarf while on this trip. Bought the yarn in GT right before I left. I bought the JoJoLand Melody Superwash in ms11. It looks so pretty on the ball but like crap knitted up. I am so dissappointed. I love the pattern and will go back for prettier yarn when I get home.

Too Much to Say

I'm way behind on updating this blog! Now, I have more to say and show than anyone will want to see. Dang! So, I thought if I started with a picture of a sweet little baby deer I might entice you to read. It is birthing time for the deer around here and we have 3 babies sleeping in our flower beds and under the shade trees.

Let's see...I finished Flit N Float and it is lovely! Thanks to Birdy for such an awesome pattern! I used Jaggerspun Zephyr in Cassis on size 4 needles. My Rav project page has more information.

I also finished the Ballet Sytle Sweater from Lion Brand. I used Yarn Bee Icelandic jewels and size 10 1/2 needles. That yarn was not my favorite to work with. But I like the sweater overall. I used a button closure on the outside rather than the bow that the pattern called for.

The MF group is so much fun and I just love them all. Some of us have gotten the bug to make vintage style aprons lately. I've made two which are so much fun. The first one I made using leftover scraps from my kitchen curtains. It turned out great. 

The second one I made using some Christmas fabric that I bought on the remnants table at Joann's. I used an old pattern Simplicity 9807. Turned out pretty cute I think.

If you've made it this far you deserve an award!! One last picture to share..my Hey Teach! using Hobby Lobby's I Love This Cotton and size 7 needles. I have the back completed and about one third of the left front.

The Alpine Lace Shawl was frogged due to losing a stitch somewhere. I will restart it this week!

I Just Can't Get Enough

Of these bags! This is my favorite one so far. Done with el cheapo Red Heart and a crocheted star. I also have a star button to add one of these days.
My next project is the Flit N Float scarf which I have blogged about before. I love it and am nearing the home stretch on it. Although, I have had to frog almost all of the work I did on it last weekend. Seems I was buzzing along on the wrong chart. Damn!

The Ballet Style sweater from Lion Brand is nearing the home stretch too. I have one sleeve half done. But I am not sure what I'm doing because I made the armholes 8" instead of 7" as the pattern says. I just thought a 7" armhole would be too tight. So, now I am winging it on getting the sleeve to fit. This sleeve is made differently than any other that I've done so I'm even less sure than usual how it's going to go together! No picture worth showing at this point.

I think my next project will be Hey Teach! from Knitty. I am planning to use I Love This Cotton in forest. Should be fun.

Playing Catch up

I haven't posted in several months and so I'll try to catch up. I have been busy. Finished the Moss & Ribs Cardi. Not in time for Kid N Ewe but a few weeks later. I love it even though it is a little tight across the mid section and I really can't button it. The button band gaps and I hate that.



And I finished the Santa intarsia pillow KAL. I really love how it turned out. I gave it to my sister in law yesterday and I think she liked it. Although, she has Alzheimer's and so it was a little confusing for her.




My current projects include the Rivulet scarf, Irish Ewe's 2 needle slippers and several hats for the guys Christmas presents. I want to make some fingerless mitts for my granddaughter and myself but I may not have time. Here is the Rivulet after a few inches. I have about 3' now and so not much more before I finish it.



I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas! I plan to start Jared Flood's Girasole after Christmas. I have the yarn, the pattern and the needles. Can. Not. Wait.

Do YOU wear the stuff you knit?

Not a very catchy title, but it's what I am thinking about. I have been knitting for 3 1/2 years. And I've knit a lot of stuff. Started off with the usual scarves, ventured out to hats, moved on to lace shawls, then shrugs and cowls and sweaters. Now, I'm in a baby knitting phase. And I suspect it has a whole lot to do with the fact that I almost never wear anything I've knitted. And even the things that I love the most...I loved knitting them and I love looking at them...why don't I love wearing them?


Well. Let's face facts. I live in Texas. South Central Texas. It never gets cold here. And when it might be cold in January and February...I'm in deep South Texas. Ok. That is probably a lot of the reason. But it's not the entire reason.

Another reason is that I knit things like this. And while it is really pretty to look at...I feel like an old frump when I wear it.

I tried giving it to my mom and she said it was too "old lady" for her. She is 70. Oy. So, it sits in the closet and I take it out occasionally and fondle it.And yet, it has the most favs of my Rav projects-16. What does that say about it?

Now, I do wear the shawls more than anything else that I've made. But even that...how often do you get the chance to wear a shawl? I have the lovely Sunray Shawl hanging in my bathroom window as a curtain/valance.


So, in an effort to find things to knit that I might actually get some use out of...I've entered the sweater knitting phase. I am working on the Lace T right now and am about halfway done with it (provided I don't run out of yarn which is a very real possibility). Next will be the Moss & Ribs Cardi take 3. I got more yarn from Plain & Fancy Sheep & Wool Co (love this yarn!) yesterday so I am really excited to start this one. I plan to wear it to KidnEwe in Novemeber. Wish me luck.

I'd really like to know if y'all wear the things you knit or do they lie in your drawers and closets only to be taken out and petted on occasion?

And if you made it this far...go over to the sidebar and vote in my poll.

Lessons I've Learned From Moss & Ribs Cardi

• How to read the chart. Ok, now I am a fairly intelligent person and I do know how to read charts. I've knitted lots of things from charts. And I could not figure this one out. Period. So, I emailed the designer. She answered me quickly and didn't make me feel stupid! Cool beans!
• When you do a swatch (and I know we all makes swatches) be sure you make notes as to the size before blocking and what needles you used. Don't do what I did...I made my swatch a month or more before I was ready to start the sweater. When I went back to it, I couldn't remember what needles I had used. Not good.
• When you begin knitting a pattern make a few notes on the pattern itself so that if you get distracted by some other shiny project and have to steal the needles...you can come to your notes to remind you what size needles you were using. "Oh I'll remember" did not work for me!
• When knitting a cardigan with a button band that is added on by picking up and knitting it's not a good idea to slip the first stitch on the edge where the button band will be added.

See how much I've learned so far? And right now I have zero, zip, nada to show for it.

I did my swatch for MRC back in March. No notes. I'll remember what size needles I used. Uhhh huh. Well, of course by April when I started the cardi I could not remember what size needles I had used on the swatch. So, in keeping with my pattern of behavior I made no notes as to needles used on the cardi. In my defense, I normally finish a project within a quick enough time frame that I don't have to rely on my memory because the needles are with the project. In this case, that didn't happen because of the unfortunate incident with the unmatching 2nd ball of yarn. I finished the back and did about half of the front before deciding that the 2nd ball was decidedly lighter shade than the other 2.

I bound off the half finished front and blocked it figuring I might as well get something good from it. Sure enough it is not going to be large enough. So, I put it all aside (once again I did not make any notes as to what size it was before I blocked it)and out of my mind until last week when I decided that I love this yarn and this pattern so much and cannot quit thinking about it. So, it must be knit!

This is when things really went to hell.

So, I contacted the yarn company and she is going to try to match the yarn I have and send me two more skeins. Yippee!

I am so excited and thrilled. I dug out the pattern and the parts that I had knitted. My memory tells me that I used the size needles listed in the pattern. My other memory tells me that was 5's and 6's. Well, one of you is wrong because the pattern calls for 3's and 4's and for some unknown reason I have removed the needles from the completed cardigan back and left it dangling on the cable. Now, I do seem to remember removing those needles for another project but I don't remember having a project since April that used size 4 needles. Oh dear. This is getting so confusing. Why would I have removed the needles if I didn't need them for another project? (Edited to add: I finally remembered why I removed the needles from the back. It was to start the front you moron!) Well, sometimes I do get into an organizing frenzy.

Ok, thing I know-the cardi as I knitted it thus far will be too small. My memory says I used the needle size called for in the pattern. So, I bravely cast on using 4's and 5's and knitted merrily along.

I actually had to resort to looking at pics I had taken in an effort to figure out what needles I had used. If you look at this picture really closely you can see some white plastic showing through the stitches. This tells me that I used the Boye set. And the only reason I would've used it is that the Harmonys don't come in size 3. Ahh Hah!

My next screw up: I read somewhere that it's a good idea to always slip the first stitch and knit the last stitch and this helps those pesky loose edges. Great! I'm doing that and it looks great. Then I read ahead in the pattern and see where the front band will be picked up and knitted 2 stitches for every 3 rows. Now, I do know enough to realize that by slipping the first stitch I only have one "chain" along the edge for every two stitches. This is not good. I check with my knitting gurus who inform me that this was a bad idea.

So, guess what I did today? Frogged it all. The whole sheebang. And I am not going to start again until I get the new yarn in hand and verify that it matches the 2 that I have.

But it will be knit.

Moss & Ribs Cardi Disaster

Moss & ribs Cardi
Originally uploaded by wendydancer

I am feeling really sick right now. I've been trying to tell myself that it's my imagination or the lighting or that it'll look ok once I get more of it done. Well, I'm nearly halfway done with the front left and it definitely is lighter colored than the back. Even DH says so. And we all know that men can't see color variations, right?

I think you can see it in the picture. The back has a lot of really dark blue bits and the front has none, zero, nada. It's almost a stone washed denim look. Very pretty, but not very matchy!

The yarn co/dyer was very accomodating and offered several options to remedy the situation. One of which was for me to frog, send her the yarn back and she would dye me up 3 hanks that match.

I told her that I will try to find another project or projects for this yarn where it doesn't matter so much that the color varies. I do love this yarn. And I love the sweater pattern and I think it would look awesome in this yarn! Waaaaaa!