Tag Archives: knitting

Momentum!

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Woo!  I’m feeling so good after finishing up all those projects for the Ravellenic games.  I think I might keep going!  (Plus, I don’t have any real plans for new projects, so I might as well keep finishing things off!)

Last October, I published a pattern, the 15th Street Wrap.  (It’s a free pattern, by the way!)It’s a cute (if I say so myself), oversized, cozy shawl/wrap, featuring major color-blocking and acres of seed stitch.  It’s a super simple pattern, but the finished product is very satisfying.

I started working on the pattern in May (according to my Ravelry page).  But, I got distracted halfway through, and never managed to finish my prototype!

I got through four and a half of the color-blocks, before losing steam.  And, since it was such a simple pattern, I didn’t feel the need to really finish up the prototype before I sent the manuscript to the test knitter.  Then, when she did such a good job on the sample, I really didn’t feel like I had any reason to keep knitting the shawl.

After all, I had other projects I could have been working on!

But now, buoyed by my Ravellenic Games success, I’m going to do it!  I swear!  I’m going to finish this shawl if it’s the last thing I do.  (Hopefully it won’t be the last thing I do- I’ve got lots of other projects I’d like to work on, too.)

Do you have any projects that have been hibernating a little longer than you’d really like to admit?

Three Down

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It’s a little sadder today than yesterday… the Olympics are over.  No more curling, or alpine skiing, or hockey on TV.  Not even any more figure skating or biathlon.  I guess I’ve just got to go back to my usual TV diet of Law and Order and cooking shows… sigh.

But, I did get one more big project done!  My bears from last year!

A dozen bears!  They’ve been stuffed, assembled, sewn up and appliqued/embroidered (which always takes more time than I expect).  I’m pleased with how they turned out, and more than pleased with the fact that they’re finally done! They’ve been sitting staring at me, unfinished, for months.  (OK, they weren’t staring, because I hadn’t gotten it together enough to give them eyes until this weekend, but you understand.)Three big projects done during the Olympics- a nice, big baby blanket, a cozy scarf (that had been haunting me for years) and a dozen lovely bears.  Not bad for two weeks!

I think I might be on a finishing things roll.  I should probably keep this momentum going and finish something else…

How did your Ravellenic Games turn out?

Two Down

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It’s been a bit of slow going on my knitting, if I’m being honest.

There’s a project that has always been my Achilles Heel, and I have no clue why.

Scarves.

I don’t know why, but I absolutely detest making scarves.  They always seem like a good idea.  I mean, what’s more classic than a lovely knit scarf?  I start off strong, then about 6 inches in I get totally bored and wander off to work on another project.

Which is bananas, because I just knit an all-garter-stitch baby blanket in about three weeks without any trouble.  There’s no reason a scarf should take me as long as it does, but here we are.

This weird scarf hang-up probably explains why I’ve had this scarf on my needles in one shape or another for (according to Ravelry), more than three years.  I’d get a bee in my bonnet to finish the scarf, but then decide I didn’t like what I was doing with it, so I’d rip it out, knit about a foot, then loose steam and put it away again.  (And again, and again.)

But!  I managed to push through this time and I’ve finished!  I’ve completed a whole scarf!

Sure, it’s just a big ol’ garter stitch rectangle, and it hasn’t been blocked or anything, but hey!  It’s done!

And I kind of love it.The colors are bright and cheerful (sorry about the picture.  It’s real cloudy here today-surprise surprise.  But I promise you the colors are really pretty!)  I like the fact that the colors pooled to make cute little stripes.  I even like the thick-and-thin texture of the yarn, which I definitely did on purpose when I spun up the yarn all those years ago (*wink*).  All in all, I think this was a very successful scarf project!

Next, I’m off to tackle this box of bears.  Wish me luck!How are your Ravellenic projects going?

One down

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One project done, and several to go!

I’ll be honest, I thought I’d be through more projects by now (since we’re about halfway through the Olympics), but I guess my powers of estimation (and powers of sitting comfortably on the couch) are less than perfect these days.

Anyway, I finished the baby blanket, and it turned out great!It’s just about a yard square, insanely soft and squishy.  It used up a bunch of my old sock yarn stash, which is great, but I still have plenty of yarn left (maybe even enough to make another blanket?).I wove in my ends and trimmed all the tails on Saturday, and then got right onto the next project.  My hand-spun party scarf!

It’s been sitting on a shelf for probably three or four years at this point, so I forgot what size needles I had been using (apparently I had stolen the needles out of the project at some point over the years).  I ended up ripping out the whole thing, which sent my allergies going (so much dust!).  But, after finding the Kleenex, I got down to business.  I cast on 30 sts, and just went to town knitting.  So far I’ve got a little over two feet of knitting done, and I’m loving how it’s turning out.  It’s kind of fun making completely brainless projects for once- so much garter stitch!!Now I just have to keep going and not run out of steam!

How are your Ravellenic Games projects coming along?

Inspiration: I Wanna Hold Your Hand

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Happy Valentine’s Day!

I hope you’re having a lovely one!  Maybe you’re eating some chocolate or sipping on a mimosa.  Or maybe you’ve treated yourself to some nice flowers, or, since you’re a knitter, you’re going to go splurge on a lovely new skein of yarn.  (That’s my kind of treat!)

Love may (or may not) be in the air, but it’s definitely in these adorable mittens.  I really like mittens- they’re like fancy socks for your hands. (And you know how much I like socks.) But, I just realized I haven’t made any mittens in a really long time- maybe in over a year.  Now, this could be because we don’t have a ton of use for mittens up here in Seattle (it never really gets cold enough to require them), but I still think I should make… no need to make some fancy new mittens.  And why not make some Valentine-y ones?

These chocolate-y mittens look crazy cozy, and I love the cute, oversized cable running up the back.  They look like they might be a little over-warm for Seattle, but I might be able to convince myself that I need to make them anyway.

Hot Chocolate Mittens by knittedblissJCNothing says “Valentine’s Day like roses, and these rose-themed mittens are just beautiful.   I especially love the tiny rose on the thumb!  And it’s been a while since I went all-in on fancy color work.

Ruffles and Roses by JennyPennyBut I think these mittens (mitts, really) are more my style.  You know I love a good rainbow, and mitts are more appropriate for Seattle weather, anyway.  Plus, Can you imagine a better excuse to splurge on all those mini skeins of brightly-colored yarn?

My Rainbow Heart by Stephanie LotvenAre you doing anything special for Valentine’s Day?  (And by “doing anything special,” I mean “knitting anything special.”)

Attempt 1: Baby Blanket

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Woo!  And we’re off!

I’ve been cranking through my first project that I’m trying to finish during the Olympics, and I think I’m making good headway.  At this rate, I should be done in the next couple days (maybe earlier… if I actually manage to kick this cold’s butt and stay up past 8:00 for once).

I’m about halfway through my stash of leftover bits of Knit Picks Stroll, which is pretty satisfying.  I hate throwing away the little leftover bits of yarn at the end of a project, so this is a pretty perfect project for me.  I’m not even waiting for the end of a row before I switch yarn colors, so I’m not wasting even a little bit.  I’m holding the yarn double, and using great big needles (US10s), so the fabric is coming out super squishy and cozy.  It’s going to be a heck of a comfy blanket when it’s finished.  (I kind of wish I had made it adult-sized, I like it so much.  Though, that would have taken more yarn than I think even I have in my stash.)And, it’s turning out massive!  Or at least bigger than I had planned on.  I guess I didn’t do a great job of measuring my gauge swatch when I cast on the other day.   It’s a little under a yard wide (but I could easily block it up to that size if I wanted).  I had planned on making it rectangular, but now I’m thinking I might just leave it square.  If I do that, I’ve only got 8 or 9 inches to go!

Are you making headway on your Ravellenic knitting?

The Olympics Are Coming!

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Opening Ceremonies are on Friday, and I’m not even a little bit prepared!I’ve participated in the Ravellenic Games for at least as long as I’ve been running this blog (and I think once or twice before that).  So, this isn’t like it’s my first rodeo.

Usually by this point, I’ve got a plan, or at least have a bunch of yarn ordered.  Last time, I made a nice gray cardigan, and the time before that I designed one of my very first sweaters with a pretty clever slipped-stitch yoke (if I say so myself).  This year, I have no idea what I’m going to do!

If you’re not familiar with the Ravellenic Games, a quick overview:Every time the Olympics are held, thousands of knitters across the world all cast on at once (usually, during the opening ceremony- though this year it’ll be 3:00 in the morning in Washington when the opening ceremony starts, so I think I’ll wait until a little later in the day to cast on), and spend the next two weeks watching athletes do athletic things and knitting away as fast as they can.  Knitters can organize themselves into teams, compete in different “events” (Sweater Skeleton,  Bag Biathlon, etc.) and spend the Olympics challenging their knitting skills.

It’s a fun way to crank out some quick knitting!

But this year I’ve completely dropped the ball!  The Opening Ceremony is on Friday, and I don’t have any idea of what I want to do!  I don’t really even have time to order yarn!

I know I’ve got some fancy-pants lace yarn, but a big lace shawl might be a little too much for a two-week project.  Or I could try to plow through some of my WIPS- I keep meaning to work on that Papaya sweater, but that seems a bit like cheating, since it’s already a quarter of the way done.  Or I could go to my LYS and see if they have any inspirational yarn in stock.

What’s a forgetful Olympic knitter to do?

Are you participating in the Ravellenic Games?   What are you making?

Captain’s Red

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I’m not doing anything as formalized as New Years Resolutions this year, but I do have some vague goals I’m going to try to follow this year.  I’m going to try finishing up some WIPs that have been sitting around my office for too long, I’m going to try learning some new techniques, and I’m going to use up more of my stash.

Ha!

Me and every other knitter.

But, I suppose it can’t hurt to give it a go.

I went spelunking through my stash of sock yarn (it’s started overflowing its box lately, and I’ve been meaning to clear it out).  I found a bunch of small skeins (and even more half-skeins) of sock yarn, left over from projects over the years. Not enough to make a pair of socks in any single color, and generally I dislike making socks with too many stripes or blocks of colors.  (I get really peeved when I have to weave in lots of ends.)

But I did find a couple half-skeins of Knit Picks Stroll in Black and an almost-full ball of Firecracker Heather.And you know what’s tomato red and black, right?

(What’s that? You don’t?  You’re not a big old nerd halfway through Star Trek: The Next Generation?)

It’s Captain Picard’s uniform!The red yarn was almost perfectly the right color of “Command Red”!

Now I just have to decide- is this yarn going to be a pair of Command Red socks, or maybe a Command Red hat, or maybe even a tiny Command Red sweater for a baby nerd?  Choices, choices.

Have you dug through your stash lately?  Find anything good?

Inspiration: Tropical Chickens

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Oof!  You guys!  I’m beat!  I had altogether too much fun last week.

I just got back from a week-long trip to Kaua’i with my family to celebrate my Mom’s birthday.  It was so much fun!  Swimming and snorkeling almost every day, delicious food, gorgeous scenery and getting to spend time with some of my favorite people.  It couldn’t have been better!

One of my favorite things about Kaua’i is… a little silly.  You’d think it was the natural splendor, or maybe the crystal-clear water.  But if I’m really being honest… it’s the chickens.Twenty or thirty years ago a bunch of local chickens escaped from their local chicken farms and managed to establish a breeding population.  Now, every inch of the island is covered in the most beautiful, colorful, shiny chickens. They’re like pigeons in the city, only pretty.  And not gross.  And kind of funny, because they’re chickens.

Let’s celebrate the Hawaiian chickens with some chicken-themed patterns.

I think the only thing cuter than an island chicken is a tiny, knit island chicken.

Tiny Chickens by Anna HrachovecThis hat is absolutely hilarious!  I love the crocheted mohawk (I’m sure there’s a more accurate word for this, but I’m coming up blank) and the cute little beak.

Rooster Hat by Shawn TorresAnd these mittens are just glorious!  The blue-and-white colorwork is gorgeous, and the chickens are so sassy and full of themselves.  Too bad it never gets cold enough to wear mittens in Hawaii!

Rooster Mittens by Natalia Moreva

What was your favorite part of your last vacation?

New Pattern: Mukilteo Shawl

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What’s that? You thought Friday‘s new pattern pattern was the only one I had for you guys? Ha!  You should know me better than that!

I’ve got a brand-new, super simple (and super fast) shawl pattern for you!  It’s the Mukilteo Shawl!

It’s a garter-stitch shawl featuring a triangular shape, contrasting pinstripes and a cute fringe edging.  Literally, it’s just knitting and increasing.  That’s it!  It’s worked from the center point, and increased on either edge, so if you end up enjoying your Mukilteo Shawl, you could just keep knitting until you get bored (or run out of yarn)- I’d love to see a really massive one!But here’s the cleverest part (if I can toot my own horn for a second).  No ends to weave in!  At all! None! Zero! I know!  You see the cute tassels along the edges?  They’re actually cleverly disguised ends.  I kind of want to put secret-end-tassels on all my knitting from now on.  (I really hate weaving in ends.)And there’s another surprise!  This pattern is in another new collection from Knit Picks, Beginner Bulky Knits.  And would you look at who’s on the cover of that book?

It’s me!  (OK, not me, it’s a very lovely model, but she’s wearing my design!)This is a really cute book, perfect for beginner knitters, people who love working with extra-bulky yarn, or people with short attention spans who want to get through their knitting super quickly.It’s  full of adorable shawls, super-cute hats, mitten and scarves.  What great designs for great, bulky yarn!Get a copy of the Mukilteo Shawl here!

Get the whole book here!