Pretending to studiously read.
Really pretending to studiously read.
Deets in previous post.
Showing posts with label Lindy Hop. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lindy Hop. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
The "would you rather" game
"Would I rather do endless applied i-cord?"
Or "Would I rather seam a fingering weight sweater?"
The applied i-cord won out & the Tulip was finished first on Sunday.
I promise modelled shots in the daylight later. I just need to Mr Sun to wake up and for the Monkeys to be in a less recalcitrant mood as it's unusual for them to not want to ham it up for the digi cam. For now, the deets:
First up:
Tulip "Baby" Sweater
Dream in Color Classy - various gorgeous colors (Cool Fire, Giant Peach, Strange Harvest, Spring Trickle, Happy Forest, Blue Lagoon - also the trim color, Some Summer Sky, and Visual Purple)
pattern size 6
needle size - KnitPicks US 9 circs
mod: Sleeves are 1" shorter than pattern to fit Monkey2's current arm length
comments:
1) When the designer up-sized the pattern, she/they kept the proportionally "oversized" width. It doesn't seem too wide for Monkey2, but Monkey1 can conceivably wear it as a 3/4 sleeve bolero. Believe me, she's negotiating heavily on this idea.
2) I didn't need the emergency yardage Nathania kinding spotted me from the shop. I had gotten paranoid I wouldn't have enough after reading Ravelry comments of various knitters running out of the border color given in their kits, but I didn't have to worry after all.
And finally!
Lindy Hop from the Colinette Jitterbug book
Colinette Jitterbug in Alizarine (aka Safety Pink as it's known at Purlescence Yarns where I bought both patterns & yarns/kits)
3rd pattern size
approximately 3 1/2 skeins (the remaining half skein + 1 extra may be knee highs for Monkey2. Maybe.)
needle size - KnitPicks US3 circs
mods:
1) Short row, 3-needle shoulder bind off which meant that the collar was knit in the round as opposed to the pattern's direction to only seam one shoulder, knit the collar back & forth, then seam it with the other shoulder.
2) Monkey1 didn't want the funnel neck, so it's just a plain 1x1 rib crew neck. Actually she wanted a boat neck finish, but I refused to undo the 3-needle shoulder bind off and re-knit the top portion of the front & back, especially when I re-knit part of the back due to my inability to remember which decrease is right and which is left leaning.
So now that I'm done with all the sweaters I've had on my needles, I'm ready to cast on for my Mochaberry Luscious Single Silk (LSS) Shetland Triangle for Ravelympics on Friday. That's some seriously sized yarn cake my LSS wound into:
And as tapmouse noted, I've signed up for the Secret of the Stole iii KAL. Ironic as she got me to join Secret of the Stole ii KAL metaphorically kicking & screaming a good way through.
Due to a rather expensive idle control valve replacement project for the car, I am not buying new yarn for the KAL, but rather using stash yarn. I bought Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud in Moss when it went on clearance a few months ago. It's a bit dark to be considered pastel, but it's still muted. The BMFA Laci Rare Gems I got at Sock Camp are too dark for SotSiii, but should be fine for the Mystery Stole KAL 4. One's a Ravenish colorway and the other, while totally me, is quite the bright blue (uh, yeah, pics later). I have a skein of Dream in Color Baby in Pansy Go Lightly that would be better colorwise, but I've learned my lesson about starting a lace KAL with not enough of one dyelot to start with.
I probably won't cast on for SotSiii 'til after Ravelympics, but I will probably begin the swatch so I can check out some beads which I'm debating on adding in even though it's recommended for the pattern. Who knows when I'll cast on for MS4, but I'll really need beads for that one.
'Til Friday, I'll be working on my second Cleo, but there's absolutely no guarantee I'll be done by then.
Or "Would I rather seam a fingering weight sweater?"
The applied i-cord won out & the Tulip was finished first on Sunday.
I promise modelled shots in the daylight later. I just need to Mr Sun to wake up and for the Monkeys to be in a less recalcitrant mood as it's unusual for them to not want to ham it up for the digi cam. For now, the deets:
First up:
Tulip "Baby" Sweater
Dream in Color Classy - various gorgeous colors (Cool Fire, Giant Peach, Strange Harvest, Spring Trickle, Happy Forest, Blue Lagoon - also the trim color, Some Summer Sky, and Visual Purple)
pattern size 6
needle size - KnitPicks US 9 circs
mod: Sleeves are 1" shorter than pattern to fit Monkey2's current arm length
comments:
1) When the designer up-sized the pattern, she/they kept the proportionally "oversized" width. It doesn't seem too wide for Monkey2, but Monkey1 can conceivably wear it as a 3/4 sleeve bolero. Believe me, she's negotiating heavily on this idea.
2) I didn't need the emergency yardage Nathania kinding spotted me from the shop. I had gotten paranoid I wouldn't have enough after reading Ravelry comments of various knitters running out of the border color given in their kits, but I didn't have to worry after all.
And finally!
Lindy Hop from the Colinette Jitterbug book
Colinette Jitterbug in Alizarine (aka Safety Pink as it's known at Purlescence Yarns where I bought both patterns & yarns/kits)
3rd pattern size
approximately 3 1/2 skeins (the remaining half skein + 1 extra may be knee highs for Monkey2. Maybe.)
needle size - KnitPicks US3 circs
mods:
1) Short row, 3-needle shoulder bind off which meant that the collar was knit in the round as opposed to the pattern's direction to only seam one shoulder, knit the collar back & forth, then seam it with the other shoulder.
2) Monkey1 didn't want the funnel neck, so it's just a plain 1x1 rib crew neck. Actually she wanted a boat neck finish, but I refused to undo the 3-needle shoulder bind off and re-knit the top portion of the front & back, especially when I re-knit part of the back due to my inability to remember which decrease is right and which is left leaning.
So now that I'm done with all the sweaters I've had on my needles, I'm ready to cast on for my Mochaberry Luscious Single Silk (LSS) Shetland Triangle for Ravelympics on Friday. That's some seriously sized yarn cake my LSS wound into:
And as tapmouse noted, I've signed up for the Secret of the Stole iii KAL. Ironic as she got me to join Secret of the Stole ii KAL metaphorically kicking & screaming a good way through.
Due to a rather expensive idle control valve replacement project for the car, I am not buying new yarn for the KAL, but rather using stash yarn. I bought Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud in Moss when it went on clearance a few months ago. It's a bit dark to be considered pastel, but it's still muted. The BMFA Laci Rare Gems I got at Sock Camp are too dark for SotSiii, but should be fine for the Mystery Stole KAL 4. One's a Ravenish colorway and the other, while totally me, is quite the bright blue (uh, yeah, pics later). I have a skein of Dream in Color Baby in Pansy Go Lightly that would be better colorwise, but I've learned my lesson about starting a lace KAL with not enough of one dyelot to start with.
I probably won't cast on for SotSiii 'til after Ravelympics, but I will probably begin the swatch so I can check out some beads which I'm debating on adding in even though it's recommended for the pattern. Who knows when I'll cast on for MS4, but I'll really need beads for that one.
'Til Friday, I'll be working on my second Cleo, but there's absolutely no guarantee I'll be done by then.
Friday, July 25, 2008
The semi-monthly warning
That's right, it's time for my fellow Rockin' Sock Club members who do not like to be spoiled to stay away from the 'net or at least, don't scroll past the stinkin' cute Tulip sweater (in progress) pic. So instead, I will do a belated Wednesday WIP report.
The Grace sweater sleeves & body are slowly being seamed after I seamed the shoulders and knitted the collar. I'll need to re-block as I don't like how the bottom of the collar is pulling up the bodice, assuming the silk content will relax the fabric enough to counter this issue.
I started this project thinking I would be making this for me, but I'm considering passing this on to my mom. I think the silk content and the lace should keep it cool enough for winters in Hawaii.
Also on a slow pace are Monkey1's Lindy Hop front piece and my second Cleopatra's Stocking. I had a brief bout of Second Sock Syndrome 'cause I so didn't want to knit another short row toe.
There's some seriously small gauge stockinette stitch going on here.
And what's making those 2 WIP's even slower (aside from the small needle thing) is that I have been sucked into the utter cuteness that is the Tulip Sweater. The smaller Monkey2 size and the bigger size 9 needles makes for darn quick work too. Plus it's fun to change colors only every 10 rows. The only drawbacks are that I didn't read all the Rav notes (my bad!) recommending NOT slipping the seam stitch and for a superwash wool yarn, it's got some funky crunchiness/squeak to it.
So. Finally - my eagerly anticipated July RSC kit!
Not just one, but 2(!) patterns by a great teacher & BMFA's tech editor, JC Briar, and our totally fun Sockateer, Hot Flash! I love reading Tina's Dyer's Notes as they give a fascinating insight to her color aesthetic and news of the next color collection.
The Grace sweater sleeves & body are slowly being seamed after I seamed the shoulders and knitted the collar. I'll need to re-block as I don't like how the bottom of the collar is pulling up the bodice, assuming the silk content will relax the fabric enough to counter this issue.
I started this project thinking I would be making this for me, but I'm considering passing this on to my mom. I think the silk content and the lace should keep it cool enough for winters in Hawaii.
Also on a slow pace are Monkey1's Lindy Hop front piece and my second Cleopatra's Stocking. I had a brief bout of Second Sock Syndrome 'cause I so didn't want to knit another short row toe.
There's some seriously small gauge stockinette stitch going on here.
And what's making those 2 WIP's even slower (aside from the small needle thing) is that I have been sucked into the utter cuteness that is the Tulip Sweater. The smaller Monkey2 size and the bigger size 9 needles makes for darn quick work too. Plus it's fun to change colors only every 10 rows. The only drawbacks are that I didn't read all the Rav notes (my bad!) recommending NOT slipping the seam stitch and for a superwash wool yarn, it's got some funky crunchiness/squeak to it.
So. Finally - my eagerly anticipated July RSC kit!
Not just one, but 2(!) patterns by a great teacher & BMFA's tech editor, JC Briar, and our totally fun Sockateer, Hot Flash! I love reading Tina's Dyer's Notes as they give a fascinating insight to her color aesthetic and news of the next color collection.
I think I'll do both patterns, but using the July yarn with JC's pattern and another lighter colored STR skein for the anklet pattern. I am tempted to use Hot Flash's colorway for her pattern. It's only fitting since Monkey1 chose the colorway on my last BMFA purchase and the anklets would be uber cute on her.
That is, after I finish that darn sweater of hers. Someone shoot me the next time I say okay to knitting a fingering weight sweater for anyone, even my darling Monkeys.
Monday, July 07, 2008
Officially off Sleeve Island
...for now. Gotta love long holiday weekends when I get 2-2.5 hours each way for some focus knitting time. While I'm almost at the end for Grace (blocking, sewing, collar), Monkey1's Lindy Hop is nowhere near done since I still have to do the front.
I also made some progress on my Cleopatra's Stocking. It took me awhile to get used to the pattern, but I'm still not used to the left twist as it's not the yarn over that I keep losing, but the regular stitch.
But I'm loving the quick knit that is the Spring Forward sock from a fellow sock camper, Linda Welch. The STR Motley Hue I'm using reminds me more of a SF Bay summer than a typical one, especially when the fog rolls in and the bay gets all choppy. Miserable as all get out if one was out there on a boat, but really cool looking in that moody Gothic novel kind of way.
The sock does go nicely with the new Namaste Newport bag I got in Charcoal from Woolgirl. I love this bag. Perfect size, classic color. Perfect. And it came with it's own little white cloth bag like those fancy high end bags do!
Of course, I can't just get a bag, so I finally ordered a couple little skeins of Pigeon Roof Studios in Pink Lady light (so cute!) and knitspot's fine cabled fingerless mitt pattern. ( I'd like to use some of my sock yarn for gift mitts.) And Jen threw in a couple wool wash samples (Soak being one) and lip balm. I always love those little extras Jen throws in.
I also made some progress on my Cleopatra's Stocking. It took me awhile to get used to the pattern, but I'm still not used to the left twist as it's not the yarn over that I keep losing, but the regular stitch.
But I'm loving the quick knit that is the Spring Forward sock from a fellow sock camper, Linda Welch. The STR Motley Hue I'm using reminds me more of a SF Bay summer than a typical one, especially when the fog rolls in and the bay gets all choppy. Miserable as all get out if one was out there on a boat, but really cool looking in that moody Gothic novel kind of way.
The sock does go nicely with the new Namaste Newport bag I got in Charcoal from Woolgirl. I love this bag. Perfect size, classic color. Perfect. And it came with it's own little white cloth bag like those fancy high end bags do!
Of course, I can't just get a bag, so I finally ordered a couple little skeins of Pigeon Roof Studios in Pink Lady light (so cute!) and knitspot's fine cabled fingerless mitt pattern. ( I'd like to use some of my sock yarn for gift mitts.) And Jen threw in a couple wool wash samples (Soak being one) and lip balm. I always love those little extras Jen throws in.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Sleeve Archipelago
I've been trying to satisfy the product knitter side of myself by focusing on the sleeves on my 2 sweater WIP's,
but it's hard to stay motivated and not get some knitting malaise.
but it's hard to stay motivated and not get some knitting malaise.
Hopefully this totally fun Woolgirl Sock Club kit will help.
And this STR haul definitely will! I was so excited I didn't even bother finding the best lighting out in the yard to take a pic (northern backyard lighting kinda sucks anyway). I even went so far as ordering the same colorway in a different fiber.
And not only did I break this self-imposed rule when buying Blue Moon Fiber Arts yarn once, but I did it twice:
The Luscious Single Silk (LSS) on the left is intended for a Shetland Triangle made famous in knitter blogland by this gorgeous version. Shall I wind and cast on, away from the Sleeve Isles?
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