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Archive for January, 2011

finally finished

Posted in FO on January 28, 2011| Leave a Comment »

I finished Cinder.

Its long, soft, and cozy. I’m happy with how it turned out, i just didn’t enjoy knitting it as much as I might have because of the yarn. Sure its soft but it would split and break too easily.

I added a stash bust counter (sort of) to the side of the page. I don’t know if that’s my correct yarn count, but its what I counted in my ravelry stash. I need to count my actual stash.

I went to my LYS yesterday for needles and some extra loops for my interchangeables. I did buy one ball of yarn but I’m planning on using it up right away. I was proud for avoiding temptation.

Next project? Hat and mittens!

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poof it’s a hat

Posted in FO on January 25, 2011| 1 Comment »

Last night, to take a break from the scarf (the yarn is driving me nuts) I decided to knit a hat. I was looking for a basic slouch hat, which I found in Kendall. Once I got started I just didn’t stop. Perfect tv knitting, sinceI was watching tennis at the time. finished up in a few hours.

Its perfectly slouchy and comfy. I used Ella Rae Classic superwash. I want to knit it in every color now! I think I may go against my no new yarn rule and pick up a skein of a nice cream so I have one that goes with everything. As much as I love purple, it won’t go everywhere. It used close to the entire skein, which I believe is 210-220 yards. If you happen to be looking for a nice, simple, slouchy hat, this is the way to go.

The reason the yarn is driving me crazy on Cinder is because it is so , well, loose. It splits and sheds. Its making a soft, gorgeous product, but sometimes I just want to scream. Its almost done though, about a skein and a half and it will be gone! Six skeins destashed! As for Bella’s mittens, I frogged the one I started, but I’m going to start them over. The only way to get good at knitting something is to practice.

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365

Posted in yarn on January 24, 2011| Leave a Comment »

I’m doing Project 365, where you take one picture every day for 365 days. Todays picture is worth sharing with you.

That’s Madelintosh DK in gilded. Its going to become a hat as soon as I finish my scarf (which should be really soon).

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knitting book review

Posted in books on January 22, 2011| Leave a Comment »

My knitting is moving along slowly. It would be faster if it wasn’t 48 stitches per row. I got a nice amount done the other day while I was waiting for my dad to have a PET scan. I’m on my third out of six balls of yarn that it takes, so I’m almost half way done. I wish I moved along faster, or knit more often because I feel like I’m neglecting this blog.

I’m just not that interested in the scarf I’m knitting. Its not a challenge. The yarn is soft, and its turning out really pretty, but I want to move on to something else, I guess. I’m not going to though until I finish this scarf. Otherwise it will sit there unknit and the yarn won’t be busted from the stash.

I’ve decided, however, that I could easily review knitting books on this blog. I have enough of them. I’m a book whore to begin with, so if its a knitting book, hey! That’s great.

My most recent purchase was Knitting at Home by Leanne Prouse (as if you can’t read that above). Like it says, its from Ella Rae so all yarns recommended are Ella Rae. I haven’t actually used their yarn yet. I have some in my stash for hats, but my LYS carries quite a bit of it, and it comes in great colors. Their Classic yarn, which they use in many of the patterns, is just like Cascade 220, except Classic is washable.

This book is FULL of patterns for just about anything. From socks and sweaters, babies, kids, adults, to pillows and tea cozies. They’re all very pleasant designs as well. There’s plenty of single color knit projects, and a fair amount of color work. There are several patterns in this book that I would like to work. I especially love all of the projects for the home because I’m always looking for a throw pattern I’d like to knit, and I love knit pillows. The patterns are clearly written. Measurements are metric, but that’s easy enough to work with. They do give you US needle sizes though, so no looking that up if you don’t have it memorized.

I would say if you are looking for home patterns particularly, this is a fantastic book. Either way, its worth a look if you see it at your local bookstore.

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mittens not made in heaven?

Posted in planned projects, wip on January 17, 2011| 1 Comment »

I started working on Bella’s mittens. I’ve gotten to the thumb gusset for the first one but haven’t bothered with it in a few days. I needed something that didn’t require as much paying attention as the mittens do last week when I was taking my dad to the doctor. I decided to start on Cinder bY Jared Flood. Its a lovely scarf with a sixteen row pattern that’s easy to remember. I’m a ball of CEY Ariosa into it and can tell its going to be super soft and cozy. Do I send it to someone or keep it for myself? Decisions.

Speaking of sending things to people, I have a friend with a baby on the way in May! I’m not sure how much that’s going to help my stash busting, but I’m super excited to get to do baby stuff! I know I’ll do a blanket, a couple of hats, booties. I don’t think she’ll need a cardigan in May so I’ll knit her one in the fall.  What other stuff should I consider knitting for baby?

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motivation

Posted in FO, musings on January 12, 2011| Leave a Comment »

I finished the hat for the boy, and it fits his big head. Now hopefully he’ll wear it. Not that it was difficult to knit or anything, I’d just really like it if he wore something I knitted for him.

I was trying to decide which mittens I want to knit for my next project. I’m not sure why I settled on mittens. I guess because I haven’t knit any in a long time. I don’t know why its such a hard decision, especially when the patterns (Bella’s mittens or Irish hiking mittens) are really not that similar. I think I’m going to do Bella’s mittens first because the yarn for those has been in my stash longer.

That’s what I really need to plan my projects around-stash busting. I can use up some Malabrigo in March, and knit one of the cardigans next month. I’ll just keep plowing through the list and stop looking at new patterns. Then I won’t be so tempted to buy yarn. I’ve done this before though-putting myself on a yarn diet. Goes about as well as regular diets.

Still, I’m having trouble finding motivation to knit. Maybe its because I’ve got a cold and just don’t feel great, but I haven’t been revved up to start anything lately. Its winter! This should be peak knitting time, but its not. This time last year I was working on my first cardigan, I think. I started it sometime in January. Now I’m doing nothing. I’m sure it will get to me soon.

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knit a hat

Posted in musings, wip on January 7, 2011| 1 Comment »

So the first project I have on needles this year is a hat for my son. I knit one for him for Christmas, but it was too small (epic mom fail), so now its my hat. The pattern was supposed to fit a man size head! I guess he just has a big head. I have more of the same yarn, so I’m trying a pattern that is similar but I can already tell it has a better chance of fitting his head. Its the hat fit for a boyfriend pattern. Simple and uncomplicated, quick to knit if I were inclined to knit faster. I got the pattern idea from Karin over at iknit2purl2. She did several over Christmas and it looked like a good hat to knit. I can’t knit much else for the boy. He doesn’t like scarves or sweaters. I haven’t given sock knitting a try, but unless they were plain and white, I don’t think he’d like any socks I knit. Teenagers, seriously.

I’m thinking about casting on for herbivore. Its not exactly in my January knitting plans of cold weather accessories, but there’s a twit-a-long for it, and that would be kind of fun. I’m starting to feel like I’d be too far behind, but I might cast it on anyway and see where I get. It would be a good stash bust project.

I did end up taking Amelia off of the needles. I’ll start it over in a smaller size. It was definitely going to be way too big, so I’m kind of glad I stalled on it. It will be nice to have a sweater that fits. I’ve got a bunch of cardigans lined up that I want to do, and I have the yarn for a lot too.

Happy knitting!

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new year, new knitting

Posted in musings on January 2, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Happy 2011 to you! I actually did manage to get Guernsey Wrap off of the needles by midnight last night, and then I was fast asleep. I need to take a picture of it against a white background so you can see the true color.

I’m not making any knitting related resolutions because I’m not big on resolutions. Plus I know if I make one I will no doubt break it and disappoint myself. I will try to stick to the not buying yarn idea though. We’ll see how well THAT goes. One thing I do want to do is find a hat pattern that will fit my sons large head. I should do that this month.

I’ve decided January is going to be winter accessories month-mittens, hats, scarves, cowls. I’ll decide what to do with them as I go. I’ve got a couple of mitten patterns picked out already. I don’t have a real urge to cast on right now though, probably because I just finished one semi-large project. Plus I’ve got to take Christmas down too (I know, right?).

Happy knitting everyone (and crocheting. Why do I forget that?)!

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