Closing Ceremonies

Finished on Wednesday with time to spare!


Pattern: Shawl that Jazz
Yarn: BMFA Luscious Single Silk in Beached (almost 2 skeins)
needle: size 9 & 10.5 (bind off only) KP circs - my 8's were tied up on WIP's
mod: the extra ruffled version


top: BFL mix in Bleeding Hearts
l-to-r: Tumbleweed, Lenka (nicely out of my comfort zone), Rabia, ValenTINA, Vancouver Violet

I'm glad I finished early since I got to cruise through the Stitches West Market in a relaxed mode. I spent most of the time looking at lots & lots of fiber, testing spindles, and just enjoying the atmosphere. Aside from a smaller budget, the time spent meant I was a little more thoughtful about what I should buy. My final BMFA buys were nicely restrainted with just some lightweight STR and only one BFL mix roving. I already had some BFL & Polwarth from a Verb from Keeping Warm after my beginning spin class, so I felt I didn't need to get more yet.

After such an exciting end to my February knitting, I can go back to my usual schedule.

Ravelympics update

Halfway through the 17 days of the 2010 Winter Olympics, I am more than halfway through my Blue Moon Fiber Arts Luscious Single Silk (LSS) Beached Shawl that Jazz.


Since the LSS yardage is a little shorter than the pattern calls for with the regular ruffled edge, I'm not going to even attempt to try the extra ruffled version. I might've been further ahead on this Ravelympics project, but I haven't exactly been faithful to all it's garter stitch glory.


Instead, I managed to finish Monkey2's little pair of Fetchings. She loves them so much she asked me to make 2 more pairs...for her 2 BFF's. In the exact same color. LOL! But that's not going to happen.

Cascade 220 in a bright turquoise color
size 6 KP circs
mod: CO 40 stitches


I also messed around with my sister's second pair of Bella's mittens. This time she requested the convertible version that she saw somewhere so she won't need to take a mitten off when she texts on her phone while commuting on mass transit to work. The first one is done 'cept for the convertible part. I probaby won't do the button & button loop though.

Multi-themed weekend

It's been quite busy with the usual President's Day holiday weekend being combined with Valentine's Day, the Lunar New Year, the start of the Winter Olympics, & NASCAR season. The number of knitting projects I've got going seems to match this weekend's multiple events too.


For the Ravelympics which is scheduled for the Winter Olympics, I cast on for my second Shawl that Jazz in the Beached LSS I bought at Sock Camp last year. I decided that I wanted a bit of meditative garter stitch so I could watch the Olympics with ease.


But before that, I finally joined in on our mini-STR February Lady Sweater KAL at work with Tapmouse2 and Calafia. They're practically done, while I'm struggling to not make more errors on my second FLS. This time it's in heavyweight STR in Korppi.

My first set of errors were not doing all my increases in the increase row while watching the premiere of Lost's last season. I should know better than to knit anything that requires even the remotest of attention when Lost is on. My second set of errors was repeating the wrong right side row of the gull lace pattern. With alternating skeins, it's a pain to rip back a couple rows to fix. Then there's the botched garter stitch edge in one little section that I worsened in an attempt to correct it. Apparently, familiarity breeds errors and not just contempt.


The only new pattern I've been working on is the Raven Swirl sock. I won't even start my 2010 RSC sock until this is done. I love this sock, but it would also go much faster if I devoted more time to it. As it is, I get a row or 2 in here & there. But I do love how it's knitting up.


On my quick, but distracting, pile is Monkey2's new K&K Cap. The first 2 were getting too small, so I knit up the medium size. Fortunately or unfortunately, I didn't swatch, so the hat's a little big, but that means she's got room to grow. It's in a turquoise Cascade 220 colorway that she would not let go of the last time we went to visit Purlescence Yarns.

I may need to knit up a second hat as Monkey1 decided to attach her freeform crocheted "snowflake" to the hat. It's very cute, but Monkey2 wants her hat plain.


Of course, the hat wouldn't be complete without a set of mitts to match. I'm almost done with a child-sized version of the Fetching fingerless mitts. I kept the row counts the same mostly, but CO 40 sts instead of the pattern's 45. Fits her great.

And that's not even all. Not pictured are Monkey1's second Regia Flusi das sockenmonster sock on which I'm practicing my lever knitting and my sister's second Bella's Mittens, this time as a convertible pair.

Digitessa

It only took me over a year to finish the pair, 4 months after I finished the first. Which is why this was in my UFO-in-denial project. I kept it as a WIP on my Ravelry project page and only once-in-awhile put it to sleep. But Nathania's call for a UFO Smackdown on Twitter & a Facebook group got me going. So glad I did.


pattern: Digitessa
yarn: Wollmeise 100% merino sock yarn in Digitessa (the yarn & pattern came together in a kit)
needles sizes: 2.50 & 2.75 mm KP circs


Yarnissima (Marjan) isn't lying when she says this pattern is demanding.

Modifications:
Because my row/round gauge was shorter than the pattern spec, I ended up at a different spot on the top of foot chart. I had failed to make clear notes on the first sock, so when I did the second (finally), I didn't quite get it to match. :p

And to alleviate any problems in getting the sock on, I switched to the larger needles on Chart 5B instead of Chart 6 as suggested in the pattern. That's right, there were at least 6 charts for this design. I won't complain though as the alternative would be to have the charts printed in teeny-tiny font which would've created issues for me if I had to enlarge them on a copier.


So now that my UFO-in-denial is done, I cast on the second half of my Mystery Stole #4 (aka the Serendipity stole) a year after I finished the first half. Sense a trend? Hopefully I'll finish this second half before the year is up.


Also done is my spinning class with WonderMike. I may not be drinking the Kool Aid yet, but I do appreciate all the skill and hard work that goes into hand splindling. It does seem to be quite an attractive craft as Monkey1 asked me to show her how. I may need to sign her up for a class sometime 'cause my teaching her is like the blind leading the blind at this point. :p


So to distract her from my lack of spinning skills, she and Monkey2 got to split the wares in Woolgirl's Hello Kitty Valentine's kit. I get to keep the yarn (Curious Creek Fibers in a special Woolgirl colorway & yardage) and project bag of course.