casting on yarn and casting off the lines
Well, I had a post all ready to go and then it was lost. No, really!
Here is the project I was reporting on…
Design C – Snuggly Baby Bamboo #1730 Baby/Child Eyelet Cardigans With Daisies by Sirdar Spinning
Sirdar Snuggly Baby Bamboo
Colorway 142
Cute buttons, right?
Its always the best to get pictures of things you have knitted for another on the person that it is intended for. Let me tell you, the ultimate thank you note that you can give a knitter is a picture of the knitted item on or near your baby/child. Nothing makes me happier!
So here are a couple of my recently finished and gifted items on their recipients:
![DSC02184-1[2]](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3022/2992699414_2ff5e7cec6.jpg)
pattern: Girlfriend Shrug by Wendy Bernard
yarn: Sockotta (forgot the #)
This is a really great pattern. Its always a hit.
![DSC02183-1[1]](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3240/2992699354_bb636d3c35.jpg)
I think she likes it!!
And this is the cardi and booties that I made her new baby brother.
Unfortunately, I made it on the small size so I am not sure how long he will be wearing it. He has grown so much!!!
A little over a week ago I was getting ready for a trip to Vegas (business for J) and I received a package in the mail. My first thought? I must be sleep-buying because I don’t have any memory of what this could be. Inside I found a beautifully handknit pair of socks, a thing called a Furochic (a reusable cloth gift wrap inspired by Furoshiki, a traditional Japanese wrapping cloth) and a sock washing bag for a washing machine. Next thought? What sock swap did I forget that I was signed up for? And then I opened the note inside. It was from my Sockapalooza 4 sockpal… Sockergirl! Can you believe that completely out of the blue and out of the kindness of her heart she sent me a pair of socks! What a PAL!
I apologize for the worn look of the socks…I put them on the day we left and haven’t had a chance to wash them yet.
In other news, I have been knitting…just not photographing or blogging. Ugh! Here are some of the things I have finished:
pattern: Tulips by Lindsay Pekny with modifications
yarn: Jeanne by Plymouth
mods: ribbing all the way around (to make it more “masculine” and 4 buttons instead of 5).
I hope to get pics from the mom (hint, hint) soon.
pattern: Christine’s Stay-On Baby Booties by Christine Bourquin
yarn: Jeanne by Plymouth
no mods
And I finished Bellatrix
Pattern: Bellatrix by Monkeytoes (free download on Ravelry)
yarn: Lang Jawoll Cotton
Monica for my niece
pattern: Monica by Christine Schwender
yarn: Cascade Sierra
no mods
Wonderful Wallaby for niece’s 2nd birthday
pattern: Wonderful Wallaby by Carol A. Anderson
yarn: Cascade Sierra
mods: used seed stitch around hood and pocket
Pictures of WIPs to come.
My trip to Sweden last week was amazing…in so many ways. There are so many things to show you that I thought I should divide it into knitting and non-knitting posts. You’ll see why when you see all the knitting related photos I have!
So I didn’t really go to Stockholm having much planned to do EXCEPT to meet up with my friend, S, for a knitting tour of Stockholm! Priorities, people, PRIORITIES!!!
Our first stop is Nysta.
Great selection of beautiful yarns. I am totally overcome from yarn fumes and somehow only walk out with Kalinka linen yarn.
Never fear! I clear my head by the time we pull up in front of Wincent. There I find Regia Kaffe Fassett sock yarn in a color that S recommends and a Swedish bamboo sock yarn. On the way out I see the prettiest little buttons…mother of pearl with this scroll-y pattern on them. I wish I could show you an up close picture but I don’t have that feature on my camera.
Then just around the corner is Ljungqvists Garn. I am just going to get the book of Norwegian patterns (hats, mittens and socks) but decide to buy some souvenir yarn, too, to make some mittens. Now I just have to learn Norwegian…or bug S to death to help with the translation.
After lunch, we go to Garnverket. There I pick up 2 skeins of Visjo ombre from the Ostgoterlands Ullspinneriet (course this doesn’t have all the accents over the letters so that is why I put the links).
In one of the oldest parts of the city, Gamla Stan, behind the Royal Palace, is a beautiful part of the city made all that much more interesting by the TWO yarn shops located there!!!
Anntorps Vav is our first stop. This lady does a beautiful job dying her yarn!
I fall in love with a little sweater in the window and buy the yarn to make it. Again, must learn Swedish but it will be so worth it!!! (HELP S!!!)
Yarn shop #6! WHEW! Tired yet?!?
By this time I am starting to worry about what the credit card bill will look like when I get home, not to mention will I be able to get all this into my suitcase? Sticka has gorgeous yarn so make sure you put them on your list of places to visit but I decide to start thinking small. I saw these clasps (?) and think they would finish off a vest I started FOREVER AGO perfectly.
And S tells me that she is saving the best for last (not to mention that it is on the way to her house)…Maria’s Garn. As you can see, I can NOT resist the handdyed (by Maria) 75% wool, 25% bamboo sock yarn. Could you?
S ends her tour of Stockholm’s finest yarn shops with a private tour of her yarn room! I didn’t take pictures but I wish I had! Amazing! And what a house, too. Sure, she was in the middle of remodeling but who isn’t!! When I visit next time is will all be done, right?
A couple of days later I am shopping around Stockholm and we go into a mall. As we are taking the escalator down, imagine my surprise to see this…
I swear my heart skips a beat! Well, once I regain my composer I realize that it is a restaurant!!! Can you believe it?!? That is just so cruel!
And this was what I worked on while in Sweden. I started them the day we left which was the first day of the Summer of Socks 08 KAL.
Pattern: Bellatrix by Monkeytoes (free download on Ravelry)
yarn: Lang Jawoll Cotton
I’m on the heel flap now.
So that is it! My knitting adventure in Stockholm. I’ll get around to the non-knitting post ASAP. Thanks!
So, as I was saying, I came home. Did laundry. Reconnected with the cats. Developed one heck of a cold, TYVM!!
And packed. See, my friend, Jennifer, had been accepted into the Philadelphia Buyers Market of American Craft as an exhibitor. She is a jeweler. She lives in California and when she does east coast shows I try to help. I picked her up on Tuesday the 12th in one heck of a winter storm moving through our area. People, I don’t drive in this kind of stuff!!! Course, Jennifer thought I was a wimp…she lived in OR for 8 years or so.
Anyhoo, we began our whirlwind, crazy week. Wednesday and Thursday was set up. You just never can predict how much time this sort of thing takes! But we did it and got the booth done in time for the Thursday night Jewelry Preview.
I think Jennifer did a terrific job with the visual concept of her booth. She wanted it to feel more like a gallery and less like a jewelry store. I say she accomplished that!!
One of the highlights of our week was our proximity to Reading Terminal Market. What a great place! We got terrific lunches and these great flowers that Jennifer picked up on Thursday afternoon right before the Preview. Now, if you remember, Thursday was Valentine’s Day. Do you know how hard it is to find flowers on Valentine’s Day?!? Luckily, white, apple green and orange are not the colors of love.
Not the best picture of some of her work but you can find that here. She started with a line of rings and has added the necklaces and earrings in the last couple of years. She does really unique, beautiful work! And she picked up 5 shops/galleries while we were at this market. Seeing as it is her first year, everyone said this was really good. Something about how the shops like to see you come back year after year before most will pay attention to you.
There she is…the artist!
No knitting was done during all of this…surprise! However, I did see lots of knitted, crocheted and woven items while at the show. Along with jewelry, glass, and ceramics, there was a large fiber area. We were right on the edge between the two so you can guess where I was when I took a break. People are really so amazingly creative and talented!! I just loved walking around. Sorry I don’t have pictures but you weren’t allowed to take them. Understandable. I also saw many of the exhibitors knitting away in their booths. All said it was a bit of a slow year.
Great fun spending time with Jennifer (and her mom, who visited a couple of days). We really didn’t get much a chance to explore the city but we knew that this was a business trip, not a social one. We hope it can be a little more social when she is back in August.
Since I’ve been home in a self-imposed quarantine (I have got to get better, dang-it!), I’ve gotten a little knitting done.
These are my Feb socks for SAM5. I really wanted to finish either the Summer Of Love Lace Socks or another pair but with all that has gone on…it just wasn’t going to happen. These will go in the baby gift closet to be given to all those babies coming down the pipeline (other people, NOT me!!).
Pattern: Little Sky Socks from New Pathways for Sock Knitters (C. Bordhi)
Yarn: kool-aid dyed (by me) worsted weight yarn
needle: 40″ Inox US7
Enjoyed this new way of knitting socks and learned a lot that I think will translate into other sock patterns. I’m looking forward to making more from this book.
I also frogged the Dublin Bay socks and re-casted on that yarn to make Belle Epoque socks from 2-at-a-Time Socks (Melissa Morgan-Oakes). These have been fun, too, and I hope to catch up on all my picture taking soon.
Just so much to report that it seems a shame to put it all into one post. Part 1 will be Christmas knitting. Part 2 will have to do with Christmas travel and family.
We’ll begin with some gifts that I received:
From Bethany…
Chocolate Creme…yarn, that is. She and I were surfing the net together (over Skype) looking for interesting things for her to buy others and I must have dropped a hint or 20 that I liked this one…. Hee!
And then she just went above and beyond with this:
Gorgeous! And a pattern to go with it, ta boot! Oh, and there was Yorkshire Gold Tea, too!
From Jeane:
Those really are beautiful needles!
And then this cutiepie!
to commemorate the hedgehogs that I tried to teach her to make (one picture here).
Now for Christmas knitting:
Ornaments for Knit Night Christmas Party exchange:
Really fun to make! I’ll have to keep them in mind to do for package tags or something next year.
And I believe the only niece/nephew sweater you didn’t see actually put together was:
Not the best picture but it was a big hit and I hope to get pictures on the child soon.
Speaking of…
Much harder than you think to get a 3 1/2 year old to sit still and smile for her auntie, but I was able to get this. Of course, this was her birthday present and she seems to love it. She asked to wear it twice while I was there! And it was totally unprompted by me! I was so relieved to see that it fit and wasn’t too long…just perfect!
One more thing…I WON! Tiennie had a little commments give away and I was one of the many lucky ones! WooHoo! I never win anything!
Speaking of comments and give aways… I just noticed that I am approaching 500 comments (WHAT!?!). Hhhhmmmmm!
In order to get all the “have to” knitting done, I informed all my non-family that they will be getting after Christmas gifts. And that is what I am currently working on. Now, back to it!
I hope to make up in quality. This will be a picture heavy post.
OY! Where did December go?!? Here’s what I’ve been up to:
Went home for Thanksgiving/Christmas. The knitted hats went over even better than I thought!
My nephew liked both his and his sister’s.
T’s hat didn’t work so well for her pigtails…the holes were too low…but she didn’t want me to sew them up, so there you go.
Great visit with family and lots of Mexican Train was played.
I know you have all seen these photos from fellow East Coasters, but I have to share mine (from a little over a week ago), too:
view from my front porch
view from my backyard
4″ is a pretty big deal around here!
OK, knitting content:
Another finished gift.
The Girlfriend Shrug by Wendy Bernard
Sockotta by Plymouth #6063 (just over 1 skein, unfortunately, so socks or a hat will follow)
mods: none ON PURPOSE but when you misread the recipe at the very beginning…well. It wasn’t anything, I hope, that will effect the fit. I will know in the next couple of days when my nearly 3 yo model gets to the US. Pictures, I hope, will follow.
Nearly there:
L2’s sweater. All the bits are done and I just have to seam it up and put the collar on. Whew! I LOVE this sweater.
My goal is to have all the Christmas knitting for this side of the family done by tomorrow. I only have this sweater and 1/2 of a pedicure sock to go. I think I can, I think I can!
Things other than knitting:
Took at needle felting class and made these:
It was really fun.
There is a basket class tomorrow at the shop but I will have to see how the knitting and housecleaning go today/tonight. I don’t have high hopes.
Speaking of the shop…our little town has a candlelight house tour every year and there are horse drawn carriages and people in Victorian era clothing. The carolers stopped by:
And, should I get totally over whelmed and not make it back to the computer to post again before the BIG day…
But first…FINISHED CHRISTMAS PRESENT!!!
For K:
Where is a 1-2 year old model when you need one?!?
pattern: Lily in Pink by Sublime from The Second Little Sublime Knit Book (606)
yarn: Snuggly Baby Bamboo by Sirdar (80% bamboo, 20% wool)
size made: 1-2 year old
needle: US6 and US3
mods: none. The pattern is really well written. Maybe the only thing I did was change a couple of decreases to ones I prefer to use. They have a continuous stitch count going which makes it very easy to figure out if you did the increases or decreases correctly. Really loved making this! I haven’t washed it yet and am a slight bit nervous about it, but I’m sure it will be fine.
OK, now to K’s twin’s present. I was going to do that Debbie Bliss jacket but between the extremely large sizing (I feel like I am always making things too big for them) and having trouble getting gauge with the yarn (Jeannee is NOT worsted weight!!), I decided to change patterns. This is from the same book as K’s sweater.
I am really loving this so far.
Seems that basketweaving has made its way into my life BIG TIME! Now, I should qualify by saying that this is not a hobby that I do on my own in my own home; however, I seem to be doing it more and more. Could be because my LYS is having more and more classes these days.
Anywho…these are my latest…
Undulating Twill Basket
I’m using it as a wastepaper basket next to my knitting chair.
Egg Basket
Currently holding roving that I hope to get back to spinning soon.
In knitting news…
I am really coming along on K’s Christmas sweater. I have finished the back and the 2 front panels and am probably half way up both sleeves. I might have it done by the end of the weekend (heard that before).
I am coming along on this for L2 for Christmas:
which you can find here. I’m using Sockotta in color 6063 on US2.
I have not picked L1’s Shawl Collar Jacket back up yet.
Working on a few other projects that I hope to have pictures of soon, as well as pictures of FOs!!
translation (I hope): I’m swimming in the frog pond
UGH!! Why didn’t I pay more attention to to the finished size before I cast on. 31.5″ is just too big for a 2 yo, even, not to mention 18 month. What is up with Debbie Bliss sizing?!?
So, this is what I am making…
For L2
Shawl-collared Jacket by Debbie Bliss
Jeanne by Plymouth
US9 to get gauge
For K
Lily in the Pink by Sublime
Baby Bamboo by Sirdar (80% bamboo, 20% wool, 100% lovely!!!)
US6
FINISHED
For E
Football in Itty-Bitty Hats by Susan Anderson
Gems Merino Opal (sport weight) in Navy and Yellow (can’t remember the real name)
US7
For T
Piggle by Rebecca Dovi
Gems Merino Opal in Navy and Yellow
US2
I have a few more things to tell you about (some packages arrived!!!) but I am off to play a round of golf now!!
