More Irish Girlie Knits Love

The summer is flying by and I'm catching up on the blogging.  Didn't realize that I had a bunch of Irish Girlie Knits designs to cover again, so here we go:

Pattern: Capitola Socks (my own pair this time!)
Yarn: Sunshine Yarns Classic Sock in Purple Poison
needles: size US 1.5 (2.50 mm) KP nickel-plated circs 

mod:
Accidently forgot to do the ribbing in the cuff so did one more lace repeat in the leg section. I like how it looks so I didn't rip back to start over.

Pattern: Seamus Cowl and Infinity Scarf - did the cowl version for me
Yarn: Kollage Yarns Fantastic in Merlot
needles: size 9 KP Harmony circs
no mods

Pattern: Winter Wonder
Yarn: Miss Babs Yowza - Whatta Skein Monochrome in Navy
needles: size 9 KP Harmony circs

No mods since this will be a sample at Sock Summit 2011. With all our wacky weather, I only lightly steam-blocked it.  I didn't know if it would dry from wet blocking in time to send to Carrie before Sock Summit.  I'm not going as I have family vacation conflicts, so if you're going, have fun!

I have my own skein of Miss Babs Yowza, so I'll knit my own up (or a gift version) later.

Pattern: Top-Down Poncho for Babies & Kids
Yarn: Plymouth Encore & Encore Colorspun - color combo picked by Monkey1
needles: size 9 KP circs
pattern size: baby

This started as Monkey1's project for one of her dolls/stuff animals, but I somehow ended up finishing it for her.  (Sucker!)  At least she got to practice her knit & purls on the collar ribbing.  Her friend is also knitting her own doll poncho in the same yarn but a different color combo.  I also had to teach her to purl for the collar ribbing, but at least I haven't taken hers over. ;)  Her mom knits so hopefully she'll get help from her.

My little nephew is ever growing, so it's time to knit him the next size up in the Kiddie Cadet. My sister & baby daddy also want the matching adult hats, so I've started on those as well.

Yarn: Lion Brand Cotton Ease in Taupe
needles: size 7 KP circs

Lastly, I'm still weaving, this time with the yarn that came with my Cricket Loom kit. The pattern's modified from the booklet that came with the loom.  But since I was following the warp numbers with a youtube tutorial, I didn't double-check the math on my own and didn't realize we both mis-interpreted the pattern. Oops!  However, I do like it, but I may need to buy more blue yearn since the scarf will be wider than the pattern specs. 

Ten on Tuesday

Nartian-style:


One, Two, & Three:
One more newborn sun hat & 2 pairs of coordinating baby booties for a couple California summer babies, all in need of a wash & block. (The almond sun hat's a previous FO, so I'm not counting it.) -
Lion Brand Cotton Ease in Almond & Stone - yeah, it's summer, but I am so over this yarn at the moment
size 5 & 7 KP circs
A Sun Hat & Waves of Baby Booties (seamless!)


Four:
A finished pair of Lindsays from Cookie A's Sock Innovation -
size 2.50 mm KP Harmony dpns - I broke one of them doing a k3tog
Hand Jive Nature's Palette in Medium Indigo


Five:
Cascadia Sock One (pardon the un-woven end)-
STR lightweight in Happy Go Lucky
Rockin' Sock Club Jan 2010 kit
size 2.25 mm KP circs
Finally trying Jenny's surprisingly stretchy bind-off. Like!


Six:
My informal foray into Tour de Fleece w/my avfkw Polwarth on my Kundert spindle. Doing a 2-ply & it's coming out sport/DK-ish, but it needs to be washed & thwacked.


Seven:
Sunshine Yarns merino tencel roving in Stained Glass - pretty!


Eight:
Golding Cherry Tsunami spindle - Love!


Nine:
Navajo-ply on the fly using my new Golding & the merino-tencel - Going slowly since this is my first foray into a wool blend, though not my first wool blend roving purchase.


Ten:
3G Woodworks custom-requested Curly Koa spindle -
It has a larger shaft than I expected. I'm guessing the shaft & whorl shape makes it more center-weighted as opposed to the more rim-weighted Kundert & Golding. So while this spins very fast, it doesn't spin long. This will take a lot of getting used to. I think I'll have to go back to park & draft 'til I figure out a way to adjust my method so I'm happy with this. It's definitely a lesson for me to do a little more research (found a Ravelry comment after about the larger diameter shaft) and not be lured by my desire for a spindle made of koa.

WIP Wednesday

I haven't done a WIP post in a long time, but it seems my WIP's have been slow going recently.


Basic Chic Hoodie
Dream In Color Classy Midnight Derby

I mis-informed myself into thinking that this top-down, mostly St st cardigan would go quickly. After all, the last 2 Chic Knits sweaters I've knit were done roughly in a month and their construction would imply longer durations of work. I started this before I even started my second February Sweater and I'm still working on this. I suppose if I gave this as much focused attention as my previous sweaters I'd be done by now.


One of my distractions had been a pair of bright socks for a friend of mine. I wanted to match the cable pattern on the Fine Cabled mitts I had already made her. However, in another mis-calculation, I didn't check if the entire leg would go over my heel easily before I knit all the way through the foot. While I would be fine w/the slight tugging it would need to go over my heel, I am concerned that my non-knitting friend will find it too snug to even put on.

In conferring with tapmouse, I first decided that I would not rip back to either cast on w/more stitches or re-design w/less cables & more ribbing. Instead I had though I would finish this pair for myself and knit another pair from some similarly bright green yarn in either a plain vanilla pattern or a re-design. However, it would ruin the matchy-matchy theme I want w/the mitts. So, I am now leaning towards ripping the whole thing and start over, but this time have one swatch be w/more stitches and the other w/more ribbing or St st and less cables. For now this is on hold.

eta: In perfect timing, I found that Article Pract had the Koigu on sale and they had the chartreuse in stock! So this partial sock has gotten a reprieve from the frog pond. I'll finish this pair for myself & knit a new much less snug pair for my friend.

In the meantime, I also whipped up:


a Sun Hat - newborn size
Lion Brand Cotton Ease in Almond
size 5 & 7 KP circs

This was originally intended for one of my team members in a class I was taking at work who had a baby girl, but I waited too long to start. I was going to finish the night before the last day of class, but that was the Lost episode that I got mad at and all planned knitting during or after that episode didn't happen. I'm no longer po'd at the Lost writers (who I'm sure knew they were going to get a bunch of reactions similar to mine), but until the series finale, no knitting is going to happen on Tuesday nights between 9 and 10 pm.

On the plus side, I've started a stash of baby knits for Monkey2's teacher who is due at the end of the summer.

Don't get any ideas.

Yes, I'm talking to you, all my spinning friends!


Just because I'm taking a class doesn't mean I'm hooked. Especially since my practicing in between the 2 sessions seems to be getting worse instead of better. :p But that reflects nothing on the sweetheart of a teacher who is Wonder Mike. I just think that the Yarn Harlot's rule of thumb that you have to practice a skill for 28 days straight before one gets anywhere near decent definitely applies to me. And then some.

At the moment, it's not a relaxing thing to do. It seems to have a way of bringing up my control issues. At one point, I looked at some messed up fiber and contemplated pulling out my metal eyelash comb to re-comb it so I could re-spin it an effort to not let it go to waste. It's good thing the call of dinner-making duty kicked in and I let that crazy thought go.


But before testing the waters in the world of spinning, I managed to finish a baby gift set that I started after the baby was born. I was stuck on inspiration when I didn't know what gender the baby was 'til after our friend gave birth.

Lion Brand Cotton Ease in Violet - over 1.5 skeins total
Mason-Dixon Baby Kimono
SnB Umbilical Cord Hat
Ruth's Perfect Baby Booties


Lastly, It's hard not to cast on while I'm working on my UFO Smackdown when I got my second to last Embrace the Lace club kit, so I'll use it as motivation to finish. The yarn is Dream in Color Classy in an exclusive Woolgirl colorway w/a pattern by designer Lisa Dykstra, who's been Woolgirl's designer of choice for quite a few of her club & special kits. I'll be sure to send healing thoughts her way when I knit up her patterns.

Something about cotton

In California, summer weather doesn't actually end in September, more like the end of October and then maybe here & there in November. Maybe that's why it seems like I have a lot of cotton yarn on my needles, whether I actually like it or not.


(No cute mug shot of Monkey2 as she's got steri-tape covering a boo-boo on her chin)

Barefoot Knits tank top in size 6 for Monkey2
Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in Carribean Sea - I swear I made a dent in this stash.
size 7 KP circs

Mods:
- Converted the pattern into the round 'til the armhole split. While I understand the authors' reasons for knitting flat, knitting cotton yarn in the round is so much more fun than seaming cotton pieces together.
- knitted the 2 straps from one side only and did a 3-needle bind off to attach them to the other side
- currently basted lavender hemming tape to the straps to prevent them from stretching. Will do a more permanent sewing job when I buy ribbon/bias tape/hemming tape in a matching turquoise color.


Kiddie Cadet - still unblocked
child size
size 7 KP circs
mod: extended body 1" before doing crown decreases

This is actually the second kiddie cadet hat I've made. The first one I made was in blue for Monkey2's classmate who's been fighting stage 4 neuroblastoma since his diagnosis 4 months ago. His chemotherapy & surgery haven't been successful, so we all continue to pray.


In the "it can feel like cotton" department, I've finally finished my first Digitessa sock in the corresponding Wollmeise colorway that came in Yarnissima's kit.


I'm pretty sure my first sock is full of errors even with a bunch of tinking back. Because my row gauge is more compressed than the pattern spec despite using larger needles, I ended up in a different spot on the top of foot pattern when it came time to do the transition to all k1tbl/p1 ribbing. While not as elegant looking as the original pattern, it at least works.

It's one of the drawbacks of putting this sock down and only knitting it while I'm at the cabin. I've actually re-done the bind off at the top of the sock since I took these pics up at the cabin. My first 2 attempts with my usual EZ sewn bind off method came out unusually tight. So I changed the bind off to Yarnissima's which is to bind off in pattern but w/the yarn doubled. Worked like a charm. Now if I can knit the second sock without having to wait 'til our next cabin trip...


Speaking of taking so long, but I finally re-cast on my Marilyn Not So Shrunken Cardigan. I had forgotten how quick this was as I managed to knit 7.5" worth in raglan length over the long Labor Day weekend. It's the last 3" before the sleeve separation that seems to take forever.