05.18.09
Thinking about lace…knitting
I’m planning to go to the IOLI Convention (International Old Lacers Inc.) in Los Angeles this summer. So, I thought I should have something lacy to wear to the banquet on the last evening. That’s the time that everyone wears the lace they’ve made, purchased, or collected. I thought a lace shawl would be too ambitious to finish before the end of July, so a lace scarf or stole would be perfect. After searching around, I found this Lily of the Valley Estonian lace knitted scarf. (It will look better when it’s blocked.)
Then I saw this sweet little pattern called Summer Lace Shawlette that I got from Knitting Daily. It’s just a small shawl to throw over your shoulders and I thought it would be perfect for sitting in those overly air-conditioned classrooms during the convention. And, I had enough of the yarn in my stash, so I started it this weekend as well.
And, while I was admiring it and taking the photo I saw (gasp!) a giant hole in the stockinette area that goes over the shoulder! Yes, this is lace, but there shouldn’t be a hole there in that spot! So, I’ll be frogging back several rows.
I’m mad at the shawl right now. I think I’d rather put this project down for now and go wind bobbins to make some more bobbin lace bookmarks.
05.11.09
Happy Mother’s Day
Especially to the new mom, Kristi, for whom I made the blankie. It’s so cool here she may even still get some use from it!
Moderne Baby Blanket
And to my mama and grandma for whom I made some tatted pendants.
I have a new project started for myself, but it’s not fit for photos yet. Maybe after tonight…
04.29.09
Baby blanket update
Okay, the main part of the blanket is done, now I am knitting the i-cord edging. (Actually I finished that last night and am just sewing in the ends now, but these photos don’t show the edge.) I should have it done today! Good thing, because Bret is nesting at work and Kristi is ready to have the baby NOW, I hear.
It looks very square in this photo, but the final measurements are 46×38 inches. At first I thought it would be too big, but this seems to be a nice size.
04.24.09
My first sweater
Love it! I’ve had the yarn for quite a while for another sweater – didn’t like it so I started on something else. This is Rusted Root. I loved knitting it and would like to knit another, maybe with longer sleeves for the fall.
Rusted Root sweater
04.04.09
I designed something!
I’m so excited; I designed a cozy for my teapot and it actually worked!
Here’s the pot that I wanted to cozy: (I love the shape. I’ve always called it pewter but I think it’s really silverplate.)
I had a ball of washable wool (100% for the insulating factor and I don’t want the yarn to melt to the side of the pot!) It’s Swish Worsted from Knit Picks and very nice and springy. I didn’t have the ball band so I’m not sure of the colorway. I wanted coverage on the bottom of the pot so I don’t have to worry about setting it on a trivet all the time. So, here’s what I came up with:
I found that I knitted straight up from the bottom and didn’t add any stitches to accommodate the girth of the pot, so I had a bit of gap-osis under the handle. So I added the little tab and button to bring it in a little. It worked out better than I thought. And the drawstring at the top allows me to open the lid and add more hot water without taking the cozy off the pot. Slick, if I do say so myself!
I was very much inspired by the mug cozies that I have knit from the pattern on http://justkatiespatterns.blogspot.com. But I used a 1×1 ribbing at the bottom and the top because I wanted it to shrink to fit the shape of the pot. The little tab was just inspired as an opportunity to try out Elizabeth Zimmerman’s “one-row buttonhole” from The Knitters Almanac. And isn’t that a great button I found in my button box? I think it’s tin because it’s metal and very, very lightweight. All in all I’m very pleased with how it turned out; I think I’ll have to make a pot of Scottish breakfast tea and celebrate!
03.29.09
Productive weekend
My men are gone for the weekend and I have been focusing on projects.
- The first mitten is done and the second one has only 2″ left to go.
- I put the zipper in the Oregon vest and it worked beautifully.
- I altered a pair of pants that were too big in the waist (yay!)
- Got hours of knitting done on the Moderne baby blanket and actually saw some progress
Last weekend I finished the brown Mojo socks for myself and wore them a couple of times already. I pulled out some yarn and a few different patterns to knit a tea cozy for the teapot that I want to take to the camper. I want it to be a fitted one instead of the hood/cover that I use at home. The pot has a different shape and I think I’ve chosen the elements out of the three patterns that I want to use. I thought I had it all figured out then realized that my idea was closed at the top and bottom and no way to get it over the pot! I’ll let that idea keep “percolating” for a while and work it out some more in my head 
Still on the needles besides the baby blanket and mittens are a pair of socks for Ted. I’ll work on them tomorrow night while waiting for the boys to get home. Also I haven’t worked on my bobbin lace for a week or so. I thought to get to it today, but the mittens were just flowing for me. It was a great day for knitting with the Cast On and CraftLit podcasts to entertain and energize me.
03.17.09
Projects and progress
I’ve made some progress on the current projects, and started some new projects as well. Since new is always fun we’ll start with those.
These are the two color mittens in Galena Pirates colors. I’m taking a class at Fiber Wild and this is hard but super fun. Today I knit the thumb and attached it. Amy has a really slick method for the thumbs and the pattern just continues up it. We started the mitten at the tip and are working toward the wrist. The pattern is the same on both sides of the mitten.
I’m also working on socks for Ted. Plain, toe-up with Chain Rib for the leg.
I am making a pair of Mojo socks for myself and all I have left to do is add the after-thought heel and they’ll be done. You’d think I could’ve had that done sooner, but instead I keep starting new projects…like my bobbin lace fan!
The photo of the lace will seem dark, but otherwise the flash makes so much of a glare that you can’t see the threads.
And I’m also making good progress on the Moderne baby blanket, but the squares are getting so large that I can knit and knit and it hardly looks any different.
02.22.09
Works in progress
I’ve started a Moderne baby blanket for one of my co-workers whose wife is due in May. She was also Ian’s teacher at school last year. Our family is liking the blankie so much that I might have to make one to have as a throw at home. This seems to be a theme – making great things and giving them away! I didn’t use baby colors hoping that this will be a blankie that will last the baby well into his or her college years.
I have also been working on my lace pillow the last couple of weekends. I’ve got a little more than 26 inches of my Downton lace edging. I think I’d like to make enough to edge a hanky. I also copied the pattern and am starting to work on the pricking for my ’s Gravenmoer fan. I hope to get the bobbins wound today so I can take it to lace night tomorrow.
01.25.09
Finished Objects
Wow, I’ve never known Startitis to culminate in Finished Objects quite so quickly! Cold days outside make for good knitting and crafting days inside.
Finished my green vest and boy do I love it! I need to put a zipper in, but I couldn’t resist wearing it today anyway. I have a brown zipper, but I want to go to the fabric store tomorrow night and find a green one if possible.
I also made a nice tatted pendant that happens to go well with the new vest. It’s from Boutique Tatting by Marilee Rockley; a book I received from my honey for Christmas. I got the beads at Galena beads and it took me an hour to pick out a handful of beads. I’m hopeless and just agonized over the colors and having just the right beads for the project. I think I’ll get a lot of use out of this pendant. Mom saw it today and suggested what colors she would like to have!
And then I also finished my lace scarf last weekend. I wore it to work one day but forgot to take a photo of it. So, three big projects finished in the space of about 10 days. I finally cast on for Ted’s socks today, but I haven’t gotten my bobbin lace project going yet. That’s next on the list. I also have the beads to make some tatting earrings out of the book and I’m looking forward to making them.
01.04.09
Startitis…I got it bad
Wow, I woke up this morning and I am just jumping around planning more projects that I want to start on. It probably didn’t help that I had two pots of Scottish breakfast tea when usually I have one cup of Lipton decaf!
Since I finished my socks, I have to get another pair of socks on the needles really quick-like. It seems to be Ted’s turn, so I’ll start a pair of toe up socks in the lovely Socrates yarn he bought me for Christmas. I’ll knit a plain foot and have plenty of time to think about the pattern on the leg. I counted and realized that I knit 11 (that’s ELEVEN!) pairs of socks in 2008. Wow, some kind of record for me. I think I’ve been more prolific since I started knitting two socks at once.
I am knitting a lace scarf for the Read-a-long on Ravelry of the book The Lace Reader. Actually, I’m listening to it on audio so I can knit at the same time. The pattern is a traditional Estonian Stork’s Nest by Nancy Bush that was in the January/February 2008 issue of Piecework magazine. I am really enjoying it. The 12-row repeat goes quickly so I can pick it up and put it down without a huge time commitment.
Last summer I bought a pattern and yarn for a vest for myself. I’ve swatched twice, but couldn’t get gauge so I put it down and started my Christmas knitting. I better get back to it or I won’t be able to wear it at all this winter! Maybe I’ll go to knit night at Fiber Wild and get going again.
And my poor bobbin lace pillow is feeling very neglected lately. I did do some lace during the holidays when I really needed to clear my mind from the multitude of lists for Christmas preparation. But I went to lacing at Borders last Monday night and got that itch to start something new. I bought this pattern and the fan to mount it on at the IOLI convention last August. It’s ’s Gravenmoer lace worked in a very fine thread. I think I’ll start getting the pricking ready when I go to sewing tomorrow night and wind bobbins during the week. That way I should be able to set aside a chunk of time to start it before I go to Borders at the end of this month. Yay!
