Blankies and Christmas

 
This year, I decided to finish up some UFOs I had sitting around from last winter. One of the successful completions is the Blizzard shawl from Scarf Style. It is a crocheted shawl, but I think it's more of a blankie because it's quite dense.

After a failed attempt to knit a vest with some Knit Picks' Sierra, I decided to turn it into Blizzard because I realized that the color I chose, Fog, was just too flat and boring for a vest. It needed texture, and what better way than to crochet!
 
I can't remember excactly, but I think I used 4 skeins to make this. Oh, and don't mind the little Ugly dolls... they tend to gravitate toward warm blankies and they love having their picture taken!
 
If you have a TV or have been anywhere outside your house lately, you know that Christmas is almost upon us. I have been knitting mini sweaters and a stocking based on the pattern from Last Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson. Once I make enough, I am either going to turn them into ornaments for the tree, or I'm going to make a holiday mobile to hang in some random spot.

I like coming up with variations for the sweater, but as you notice, I only made one stocking so far. Why? Because you knit them on size 0 needles! Listen, size 0 is waaaay too small for a person, and it's also waaaay too small to knit. As with a size 0 person, these needles are like toothpicks and I feel like I'm going to break them! I know, I know, the end result looks pretty darn cute though. So, I will make more stockings until my teeeny weeeny needles break. Quick! Someone get a burger for my size 0 needles! 

Sizzlin' Electra

Ever since I saw this vest on the cover of Rowan 38, I have wanted to make it. I've had the yarn for a while, but I put off knitting it because I wasn't sure I could handle the Fair Isle.

To my surprise, it actually was easy and I was able to knit faster than usual. I think it's because I get bored easily, so I tend to take a long time to complete a large section of St st or rib st. There's never a dull moment with Fair Isle!

 

Pattern: Electra by Louisa Harding for Rowan
Yarns used: Main color - Rowan Yorkshire Tweed DK #343, Cheer; Yorkshire Tweed DK #350, Frolic; Rowan Felted Tweed #142, Melody; Felted Tweed #139, Crush
Needles: Clover Bamboo circs, US 5 & 6; Addi Turbo circs, US 3

Note: This was knit using smaller needles than called for in the pattern, in order to get gauge. I knit the size XL and had plenty of yarn leftover in all colors.
  

Peeps Cocoa Cats

Peeps Cocoa Cats, originally uploaded by knitterj.

What a wonderful surprise to stumble across these at the grocery store while waiting for my prescription to be filled.

Yes, I know. I am supposed to be in Hawaii right now. Why am I still home, blogging about chocolate flavored, cat-shaped marshmallows? Because my back decided to tweak out on me 2 days before our trip, and I had to see the doctor (who wrote me a prescription for muscle relaxers and told me not to travel for 2 weeks). Who knew vacuuming could ruin a vacation?

Now I know why, at the last concert I went to, some college kids referred to me and my husband as the "old people". I'm 33 and he's 32. Sigh....

Something's fishy...

 Can you believe it... another FO!! This is the original sweater I started knitting for Kai, and I love it so much more that I think I'll send this one (even though he can't wear it for a while).

This is the Ship Ahoy! sweater from Adorable Knits for Tots by Zoe Mellor. There have been many complaints about errata throughout this book, but if you are a careful knitter you should be able to spot them easily before you run into trouble. At least, that was my experience from this pattern. I think the weirdest thing was increasing for the sleeve on every 3rd row, which means you have to increase on the WS sometimes. I'd never done M1s on the purl row, so I guess I learned something new!

I used Rowan Cotton Glace throughout, and substituted the green sail for a white sail. Other than that, I followed the pattern for the smallest size (6-12 mo.) and voila!

 In other fishy news, check out this chicken breast we grilled up last night. Does it remind you of something? I heard my husband on the back patio (where the grill is) exclaiming, "It's a fish!" I was in the kitchen thinking he needed new contacts or possibly some medication, because I gave him chicken to grill up. He proudly came in the house, like a new papa, showing off his chicken breast that actually did look like a fish. A smiling one at that. 

Surprise FO!!

 I've been sorta MIA lately because I was busy watching the US Open tennis for the past two weeks. I'm one of those hardcore peeps that watches from the First round all the way to the end. Day and night, 8 hours a day. Hardcore.

I needed stuff to knit while watching all this tennis. I finished knitting the Aran baby sweater, but I wasn't in the mood to sew it all together. I decided to finish up the Ahoy! sweater and I'll have pics of that when I'm done sewing it up.

But I needed something to get me through the final weekend, so I knit up Fetching. I used exactly 1 ball of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran in color 602. Since I have small hands, I knit 2 less rounds in the rib which is good because I probably wouldn't have had enough yarn to knit them anyway.

Gibson said I had to give him a tum-tum rub because I disturbed his slumber. 

Noro sale

Noro yarn goodies
Originally uploaded by knitterj.

Ok, now that I've received my share of the sale Noro yarn at Webs, I can tell you that there is a sale of Noro yarn at Webs.

I got 3 balls of Kureyon in color number 157 to make (yet another) Booga Bag, this time for myself. This will be my travel project during our trip to Hawaii. We leave on Monday... I can't wait!!!

I couldn't resist picking up 2 skeins of Cash Iroha, also on sale. This is color number 86, indigo. If you've never knit with this yarn before, let me tell you that it is one of those that you have to try at least once. It's, for lack of a better word, fabulous. Go get some!

Sweet Stumble

coaster 001
Originally uploaded by knitterj.

Sometimes you'll be taking care of errands, going grocery shopping and what not, when suddenly, a chore becomes a pleasure. I stumbled across these two coasters (there were more I wanted) at New Seasons yesterday while getting dinner.

At first, I saw the chicken one and squealed. We collect anything that has a cute chicken on it, so this was perfect. Then I went down the line and saw one with an owl, a squirrel, flowers, and then.... a girl knitting!!!

Even though New Seasons has really crappy produce (but they make it look like nice), they make up for it with great gifty things.

weird asian drinks

weird asian drinks
Originally uploaded by knitterj.

Hurrah! I just added flickr to my blog, and this is my first photo entry. Over the weekend, we went to the new Asian mall/grocery store Fubonn. We immediately noticed these two strange beverages - artichoke and pennywort?! There were other weird ones too, but these topped the list.

When I got home, I had to Google it to find out why anyone would want to drink these. Apparently, artichokes are good for your liver, and pennywort (aka gotu kola) helps with arthritis, brain function, and skin diseases. Yeah... I'm Asian and I still think this is weird.

Baby Aran Pullover progress

 
I finished the back of the sweater, and I'm moving on to a sleeve (just to do something different). I'm really liking this new yarn (Knit Picks Swish). For a superwash, it's surprisingly soft and doesn't have that weird shiny-slick thing going on.

My only minor gripe is that there were a few spots where the yarn was really loosely spun (causing it to get splitty), but just for a few stitches here and there. Overall, it is really soft and easy to work with. I hope Kai likes it! 

Bunnies 'n Babies

I like collecting little toys, especially ones that are wind-up or moveable. My latest addition is this Energizer bunny, which in addition to being wind-up (he does spins), doubles as a sticker dispenser!!

 
I have to give credit to my husband, who had the choice between a regular package of batteries, and one that included this free toy. He said he knew I'd like the toy, so he got that one. He chose wisely.



 


Here he is, amongst the other "windowsill kids". Of course, the fez monkey takes front and center.


 

I got the new Rowan magazine in the mail the other day. I actually like quite a few of the designs, but I'm not making any plans yet - I have waaay too many things in the pipeline already.
 

I was really surprised to find my Knit Picks order in the mail yesterday. I wanted to try out some new yarns, so I got two skeins of Wool of the Andes Bulky; Swish superwash in Baby Blue to make the Aran Pullover from Knitting for Baby; Elegance in Grass to make the Pea Pod Baby Set; and a Swish color card.

I already started on the Aran Pullover last night, while watching the season premiere of Prison Break. Oh yeah, I missed my Monday night dates with Wentworth. 

Thanks trek!

 

Last night I received my "reveal" package from my secret pal, who I now know is trek! I did indeed enjoy the goodies as much as all the others. I think I drooled when I saw the yarn, a fabulous thick/thin twist in a dark smoke (almost black) color. Pretty blue stitch markers, more HK bath product, and yummy chewy taffy were also included.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, trek for being such a great spoiler!  

The Good, The Bad, and The Lovely

 
My wrists are killing me today, in spite of wearing my supports while knitting. So, I'm laying off basically everything and hoping they will recover by tomorrow. It sucks to just sit here, and I of course have to keep this post short.

The good news is that I finished the Dolly Bag, and it's super cute. I'm going to sew in a fabric liner when I feel a little better. I learned that I hate making bobbles, particularly with a stiff cotton like this. I omitted them from the top of the ribbing. It would have been bobble overkill anyway.
 

And here's the evil contraption that I think largely contributed to the painful wrists. We got this PSP so that I can play games on the plane to/from Hawaii, and also we just like the latest gizmos. I have a Nintendo DS, but the PSP has better games. Problem is, it weighs a ton. I tried it out last night (while Mikey was on the PS2), and today I wake up with sore wrists.  

Ok, so it's possible that knitting could have done it. I worked on the Short Row rib scarf as well, and here's how far just under 1 ball got me. I'll definitely need a third ball of yarn.

Ack! So much for a short post. 

Fall is on the horizon

I'm so happy to be working with wool again! I started on my first crewel project, which uses wool thread/yarn. This here folks, is how far I got over 3 days. Yeah, pretty dismal.  

I'm used to cross-stitch, which has predetermined holes you stitch through. This embroidery stuff is hard, because you have to have a steady hand, which of course flared up my carpal tunnel. I wasn't wearing my support gloves though. Tsk, tsk...

So in between breaks, I worked on the Sacha slippers and finished one foot. I also started on a new scarf (yay!). It is the Short Row Rib scarf, and I'm working it in SWTC Karaoke, which I love. I'm not sure if I'll have enough yarn for a decent length, so I'm hoping to pick up another ball at my LYS.

 
I flipped through the latest issue of Interweave Knits, and I immediately loved the Sienna cardigan. Looks simple, warm, and fast to knit! I think I might also have some yarn in my stash that will work, so even better.
 
I also like the Spartan Pullover for Mikey. I've only knit him one sweater (which he doesn't wear out because it's too big), but I figure he really deserves a nice sweater because he lets me stay at home and knit. Theeenx! 

So crewel!

I've been going through a knitting slump lately (just not very motivated), so I ordered some wool thread and linen to start creweling. I noticed that a lot of online suppliers were in the UK, but one place in the US was actually here in Oregon. It is called The Twining Thread, and they are out in Newport.

 
I thought about taking a drive out there (I've never been), but it's a bit of a drive and the shipping was probably cheaper than the cost of gas. So, I placed the order Saturday, it went in the mail on Monday, and it arrived the next day Tuesday!

I'm impressed with the promptness (and accuracy) of my order, and wanted to give a shout out to the fine folks at the Twining Thread. Keep up the nice work! 

Hooray for me!

A couple Christmases ago, I begged for a sewing machine. I dreamed of sewing up all kinds of good stuff (darn you, supereggplant, for making it all look so easy!). When it actually showed up, I realized that I'm not so mechanically inclined. I should've known; I can't even drive a stick-shift.

So over the years, my sewing machine has spent 99% of its life in the closet. Then the other day, we were at Craft Warehouse. I'd never been to one before, since they only have them in the NW. Well, they had a great selection of fat quarters that I was determined to find a use for (besides making quilts).
 
It just so happened that my sister-in-law's birthday was this week, and we didn't have a gift bag to put her stuff in. I Googled a pattern for a tote bag, and who was the second link, but none other than supereggplant. I found the confidence to pull the sewing machine out of the closet, and right on top of it was this ribbon that happened to match the material!

It was a sign that all would go well. Aside from a minor flub, I was able to dish out this bag in just a few hours, and I'm really happy with it! I can't believe how quickly you can create a bag, when compared to how long it takes to knit a similar item. I'm ready to tackle another sewing challenge!

  

Yarn explosion!

After this post, it may look like I seriously do nothing but buy yarn. I'll admit I've been going a little overboard lately, but there are some great deals out there right now. Has anyone else noticed this?

Besides, I'm starting to prepare for the holidays, and I swear I'm going to start early. I always have the intention of knitting a bunch of stuff, but run out of time (I think I'm a faster knitter than I really am). So I'm starting to hoard all the nice fluffy alpacas, soft wools, and other beautiful yarns that will turn into gorgeous scarves, gloves, and hats.
 

Last week, I won 2 ebay auctions. One was this lovely tan alpaca that will be a soft and warm scarf. The other is the lofty, squishy merino that I've wanted to try out. I managed to score 10 balls on ebay for real cheap. Woo hoo!
 
Then this morning, I headed over to my LYS for their summer sale. Here's all the good stuff I came home with. Boy, that's a lot of scarves-in-the-making! I got the Berroco Suede to make the Sacha slippers (sans embroidery).  




And because I'm such a supereggplant/actionhero groupie, I bought The New Crewel so that I can learn yet another craft. As if I didn't have enough on my plate, I also got some material to make a drawstring bag. At least, that's the plan. I'm so intimidated by my sewing machine, I don't know if I will get around to conquering it. But aren't they fun?!
 
Oh, and I also got my Rowan magazine and free gift. I actually didn't want to receive this issue (I thought they would begin with No. 40), because I flipped through it at the store and decided that most of the stuff was really weird. Oh well. I started on the Dolly bag last night, while watching Hell's Kitchen. You donkey! 

Aloha!

 

When my sister was here, she gave me this cute Hello Kitty tote bag as a gift. Like so many girls, I have a bag/purse obsession. I want to take this one with me to Hawaii in September, so I bought a Hello Kitty luggage tag to put on it (it's too flimsy to actually put on my suitcase). It's tropical themed, even! 

Today's topic: Rowan

Last month, I finally caved in and decided to renew my Rowan International membership. Then a few days ago, I got a surprise visit from the UPS guy. He delivered a thickly padded envelope, which included some papers. I mean, I like getting packages and all, but isn't it overkill to send a couple pamphlets and a letter via UPS?


Speaking of packages, I also got a delivery from all the way across the pond (and the country!). I bought several skeins of the discontinued Rowanspun DK from Cucumberpatch. I thought it would be nice for the Electra vest from Rowan 38, but now that I see the yarn in person, it's a little on the thin side. We'll see.


I also started finishing the Wicker sweater. I sewed up the shoulders and knit the neckband, and now I'm thinking it looks really cute as a sleeveless number. I know, I know. After painfully trudging through endless ribbing on the sleeves, I'm suggesting of scrapping them all together. Can you blame me? It's hot out there! Opinions welcome.

Samples 'n Stuff

 
















A couple weeks ago, I had the idea of knitting a vest for my dad, who's 77. He gets cold easily, so I thought a wool vest would be nice when the weather gets cooler. I really like the Professor Vest, so I downloaded pattern. Suggested yarns were from two companies I had never heard of, but both sent me color samples in the mail for free!

The top pic is from Black Water Abbey yarns, and the bottom pic is from Bartlett yarns.

 
Thing is, I came to the conclusion that my dad would probably never wear the vest. Why? Because he's one of those people that refuses to wear new clothes, preferring instead to don the same shirt and pants he wore when I was in grade school (20+ years ago).

Eh, at least I got some great samples for future projects, right? Well, as far as actual knitting goes, I've been slackin'. I don't know if it's the heat, but I just haven't been very motivated. I did end up frogging the Cherry sweater and started working on the Bonita Shirt from Interweave Knits.

 
Although I like how knitting in the round minimizes the amount of finishing you have to do, I really don't like how it feels slow going, mentally. Each round is 200+ stitches, which to me is painful! I know I'm doing the front and back simultaneously, but I like doing things in small bits. This project has become my side project.

In other boring knitting news, I finally finished the final sleeve for the Wicker sweater. Remember that guy? Yeah, when I got to the sleeve that's all ribbing, I sort of burned out. It was really boring, but for some reason I picked it up after a hiatus and completed it. I think it just felt good to work on bigger needles for a change.

  I also got some yarn to make the Pea Pod Baby Set. I wanted to make it in a wool instead of cotton, so I ordered this Debbie Bliss Merino DK from Webs on sale. It seemed like it would be a nice green, but I dunno - I'm thinking it's just not the right shade for a baby.