A Swallowtail at the End of School

Pattern: Swallowtail Shawl by Evelyn Clark, Interweave Knits Fall 2006
Yarn: Fleece Artist Sea Wool Bordello Sock Yarn, Kid Silk Haze (shade 628)
Needles: US 6s
Notes: This was supposed to be a quickie one week project to bang out before school ended -- a present for Nora's teacher. It ended up taking a bit longer (about 10 days, but still in time!) due to some errors on my part. The initial lace pattern, the budding lace, is so quick and easy to memorize that I got a bit overzealous. I zipped right past the transition point for the lily-of-the-valley lace. Not a problem, I thought. I'll just have it be a bit longer, I was sure that I had enough yarn and that it would be just fine.

Let's just stop here for a bit, shall we? Let's just reflect on how little I've learned about myself as a knitter. I won't belabor the point by linking the many, many posts where I've failed to correctly judge my yardage. Or fudged on the swatching. Or thought, no way am I tearing out, I'll just soldier on ... Sigh.

So (surprise!) the lily-of-the-valley lace does not flow easily from the budding lace pattern. The numbers have to be just right and I was coming up with lots of different number situations. In total frustration, I headed over to The Yarn Lounge where Melanie and I had some quality time with a calculator. She was very patient as I regurgitated my numbers at her ("and if you subtract 1 and divide by 2 and then subtract 16 and divide by 10 ... it's all wrong!").


As it worked out (thanks Melanie!), I have two extra repeats of the budding lace pattern and some important ssk's and k2tog's tucked in here and there in order to get the right numbers for the lily-of-the-valley lace.


And (suprise again!) I didn't have enough yarn but I was smart enough to place a lifeline before beginning the edging. So back to TYL, where the crew very wisely advised me to pick an edging yarn that was a contrasting color and type (you know, so it didn't look like I had run out of yarn). Enter the kid silk haze and the shawl was done! Hurray!


The yarns are beautiful together and I really, really loved this pattern -- with a strong exception for the nupps. The p5tog's just about broke my spirit. I was amazed at how the hot pink in the Sea Wool was softened by the heathery purples, pinks, and brownish-greens. Lovely.

May Nora's teacher have a beautifully restorative summer!

Socks on the Run

I swear there's been some knitting in my life but I'm not really coming up with any FOs lately. I've been busy with a bunch of Swiffer covers ...


... and I'm about to block a shawl which I will post about soon.

Life has been a bit crazy and I've been laying low trying (somewhat successfully) to keep my home a peaceful sanctuary from the general decompensating that seems to happen during the Spring/Summer transition. But for now here are some socks as we count down the final days of school (6!) and the days until we leave for Norway (9!).



These are for Nora and she loves the way they look with Luna's golden coat! I knit these basic top down socks with a heel flap and a kitchner toe. I tried to do a short row heel, but found that it seemed to make the "bend" for Nora's foot too small and she couldn't get them on comfortably -- was this due to poor technique? or is there really more room with a heel flap?


This yarn will be great for her sweaty feet since, as most of you know, it's 50% superwash wool, 25% soysilk, 22.5% cotton, and 2.5% chitin -- and naturally anti-bacterial. For knitting up, it was splitty.

I hope to have a shawl to show you soon!

Evil Giant Space Mitts

I'll explain the title later ...

R has three preschool teachers: Jean, who is also the preschool's director; Anne, who is currently the love of R's life; and Michelle, who works on Mondays while Jean attends to whole school business.

Since this is R's last year at the preschool, the teachers get knitted presents: the sideways ribbed hat is for Jean, the syncopated cap is for Anne, and now for Monday Michelle:


I was going to title these Monday Michelle's Mitts and then I caught a good look at this picture. Do you see the terrified Play Mobile people in the picture? Huddled against the horrific mitted beast bearing down on them from the sky? Now you can see (against all other reason) why these are called ...


Pattern: Evil Giant Space Mitts (improvised)
Yarn: Patagonia Nature Cotton by Araucania
Notes: I've had this yarn in my stash forever. I mean forever. I've been knitting for maybe 5 years now (is that right Liz?) and I think this was some of my very first stash yarn bought maybe 4 years ago.

I needed to get rid of it and I thought it would fit with Project Spectrum and make some nice mitts for Michelle. These are much like the Maine Morning Mitts but a 2x2 rib and the gauge is totally different.

And these are far more evil.

Out With The Old

I need structure when in an overwhelming situation. So I often make arbitrary limits just to bring some order and control to the chaos. Therefore it seemed only natural for me to create some kind of absurd rule for MDSW 2008 purchases: I couldn't buy yarn from any vendor from which I had bought yarn in 2007 that was still in my stash.

So no Brooks Farm. No Tess. But I was able to buy from The Fibre Company due to these quick knits just before we left ...

Pattern: Sideways Ribbed Cap by Cathy Campbell
Yarn: Terra from The Fibre Company (sunflower and light indigo)
Needles: US 7s
Notes: Thank you Liz for your inspiration! This hat is an end of the year present for another of R's teachers. We thought the lightest yellow of the sunflower was reminiscent of sunshine and the indigo evoked a clear blue sky. Perfect for our lovely outdoorsy preschool teacher.


It took me a while to find buttons that would work until The Yarn Lounge got some Danforth Pewter's buttons. I didn't realize until I got home that I've actually been in their store in Middlebury, VT. The business is wonderful and they are right near the Vermont Organic Fiber Company. Sounds like a fun day of shopping next time I'm up in the area!

Terra is 60% Merino, 20% Baby Alpaca, and 20% Silk. That equals 100% delicious. And at 100 yards a skein, these are better than some of the skimpy yardage skeins that I saw this year at MDSW.


Pattern: Ruffles Scarf by Amanda Blair Brown from Scarf Style
Yarn: Terra (Sunflower) from The Fibre Co.
Needles: US 7s
Notes: I had a skein (and a bit more) leftover from the hat, so I tried a Ruffles Scarf. These short rows were actually a lot of fun to knit. I didn't have enough for a long scarf, but it's just enough for R!

And now may I present my new Fibre Company yarn ...

Organik

Limited Edition Longhorn

MDSW Fun and Some Syncopation

Phew! What a weekend! It was such tremendous fun hanging out with Liz on Saturday -- and extra special fun meeting her Montco Sit and Knit friends! I keep thinking about how much fun it would be to take a trip up to Philly just to hang out and knit with these people.

The BackBou did a great job of just taking the kids away to look at dogs and sheep and funnel cake while I was browsing stalls with Liz and standing for an hour in the Socks That Rock line.


But now I have my first skeins of STR! There are some rockin' BSJs are in my future ...

I won't bore everyone with a stash enhancement report (I did well), instead I'll show you the great picture from the day ...


Aileen, Sally, Lolly, Isel, Liz, a mystery guest, and Jenna. As you can see from the "Rabbits" sign, we were at the packed Ravelry meet-up.

And now for a FO!



Pattern: Syncopated Caps by Kate Gilbert, Interweave Knits Summer 2007
Yarn: Plain and Fancy Sheep and Wool Co
Needles: US 4s
Notes: No pattern mods even though I thought I would need to add some length. However, I knit the women's size and it fit me perfectly. The yarn, as I've said before, is a dream. Knit with it. Love it.



I had bought the yarn so that R and I would have matching caps, but she really, really wants this to be an end-of-the-year present for one of her teachers. I can't say no since I love her almost as much as R does.

Better-Than-Booties Baby Socks

The rain for the past two days has forced me out of the garden and back inside the house to find piles of unwashed laundry, no groceries in the fridge, and emails left unread. I'm almost caught up, but I have a number of FOs to post. Let's start with the absolute cutest baby present I've knit in a while. This will be the first of many knitted objects for this little child. Her family has been though more than their share of grief and her arrival brings great joy into our little part of the world.

This picture best captures the actual color.

Pattern: Better-Than-Booties Braided Cable Baby Socks by Ann Budd in Interweave Knits, Summer 2005
Yarn: Spirit Trail Fiberworks 100% superwash Merino
Needles: US 0s
Notes: See the color? I'm finally knitting something appropriate for Project Spectrum!

I'm not crazy about a short row heel. In fact, I strongly dislike them. I had to do two per sock -- the toe is a short row heel. I could live without that, however it was a good lesson for me. (Ugh.) After the short row toe, you do a zig zag bind-off instead of grafting. I don't think I achieved the look of the zig and the zag, but it's nice. Don't try this on any socks that you would wear in shoes since it would probably be uncomfortable.


I can't wait to knit up a BSJ for her for the Fall!

Four Skeins of Malabrigo

Remember last fall when I ducked out of the Second Wave Clapotis KAL? Well, I ended up with four yummy skeins of Malbrigo Stone Crop in the stash. One became a Coronet. One a Koolhaas. One skein was sent to China in a care package for my good friend who is working in Beijing trying to get ready for the Olympics.*

That leaves one skein left. No problem. Baby hats! With my last cozy skein in the stash, two boyish hats were a breeze.



Pattern: Earflap Hat from Knitting for Baby by Melanie Falick and Kristin Nicholas
Yarn: Malabrigo Stone Blue
Needles: US 7s
Notes: Easy, fast and just the best hat. I made the larger size so he can wear it (I hope) for a number of years.

I love this book. If you are a beginning knitter, the directions are precise and sufficient. If you are an expert, you'll love how beautifully simple the designs are -- not too fussy but easy to embellish if you wish.



Pattern: improvised
Yarn: Malabrigo Stone Blue
Needles: US7s
Notes: This hat is for a new cousin in Minnesota. It's a simple 2x2 rib that decreased by letting the ribs collapse into each other to become 1x1 at the top. It won't fit him for long, but that's fine. I have a sweater planned for the fall ...


I've always had a problem with pompoms, but I followed the excellent directions in Knitting For Baby and did a fine job on this one!

*An interesting side note: The Chinese government has censored XRK. My friend cannot read our blog. Huh? I couldn't recall any of us saying anything particularly revolutionary or anti-communist. But since we've been censored anyway, please take a moment to read this. Then, if you are so moved, click here and take action.

There. Now we can be censored!

Scarf with the Clarence Border

My auction project is done! And compared to last year's contribution, this one was simple, fast, and just a joy to knit. (Please, learn from my experience last year, do not felt a vest. You end up knitting a very ugly dress and then it takes forever to felt.)

It's doubled over in this picture.

Pattern: Scarf with the Clarence Border from Weldon's, 1886 (Victorian Lace Today by Jane Sowerby)
Yarn: Hand Maiden Lace Silk (1/2 skein)
Needles: US 5s
Notes: I modified the pattern by knitting the border repeat twice instead of 3 times. I wanted a narrower scarf. Therefore, I only had 42 stitches once I had turned my work and picked up to work the center panel. The finished measurements are: 73" long and 7.25" wide.

By the way, what is up with the center panel in the picture in the book? If you have the book, turn to page 83 and compare it with mine:

I swear I knitted the pattern as it reads -- I even had Melanie check it over for a mistake. Maybe they altered the center panel pattern in the book? Maybe the stitches stretched out differently by more aggressive blocking?


Also, I think it's time I think about getting some blocking wires -- see how the edges were pulled by my pins? It does seem to be falling back into place as I let it hang.

This is exquisite yarn. Please knit something lighter than air, slinky, and delicate with this! I think it was the perfect yarn for this scarf and hope that someone special ends up winning it at the auction this Friday!

If you're in the Richmond area, come on down to ArtWorks this Friday (March 14th) at 7pm for the Richmond Waldorf School Auction! We've got loads of handmade items, art, gift certificates, and even some autographed items from my former neighbor!

Warming Up

It's taken me a bit of time (over a week) to get around to posting after our family trip up to see The BackBou's folks in the Mad River Valley. I love Vermont in the winter with the cold temperatures and deep snow (one morning I was up snowshoeing before 7am and it was -1 Fahrenheit!). This state was made for handknit socks. I can only handle it for so long however. I was ready to get home to my blooms in the garden and lighter jackets.

Just before our trip, I realized that I had no really warm hat for R. I dipped into my leftover bin and found tons of O-Wool Classic. Here's what I came up with (sorry the pictures of the hat really aren't very good) ...


Pattern: My own
Yarn: O-Wool Classic
Needles: US 7s
Notes: I made it way too big, tore it out, and made it just a bit too big. When we got home, I washed it and dried it. It shrunk up just perfectly and now it fits and it really, really warm.



These pictures aren't very good, you can't really see the pink stripe in the middle of the green nor the blue ear flaps. I'll try to get a better picture when the temps drop again this week.

It was fun to just put some yarn on the needles without any earthly idea about how it might turn out. Knitting without a pattern is so freeing sometimes. (And for this, I can thank Elizabeth Zimmerman. Reading The Opinionated Knitter has set me free.)

We are very busy these days making calls and sending off emails in order to finalize reservations and rail passes for our June trip to Norway. I've had to come to terms with the fact that this will in no way be a yarn vacation. There is really no wiggle room in our budget or in our luggage since we'll be carting everything on our backs from ferry to train. But maybe I'll be able to pick up some sock yarn or a cool pattern.

Speaking of socks ...

I finished Socks for Veronik on the ride up to Vermont (somewhere around the Merritt Parkway).


Pattern: Socks for Veronik by Mona Schmidt
Yarn: Spirit Trail Fiberworks 100% superwash Merino
Needles: US 1s
Notes: Loved the pattern. Loved the yarn. I've washed and worn these 4 times in the past 2 weeks. I would wear them everyday if I could. I will most certainly buy more of this yarn at MDSW.

And now, back to travel plans and enjoying the gorgeous 70 degree day ...

Big Wool Too Small

Back in November I wanted to knit up a shawl for my sister-in-law for Christmas. I felt as though she deserved a yummy hand knit. She wanted a big, comfy wrap -- rectangular and knit on the diagonal. She came to the yarn store with me and picked out some big wool. I was set. I knit it up. It went fast. So fast that I didn't have the time to really analyze what was happening. I never had time to gather myself and get some perspective. I'd say it took one, maybe two football games, so a Sunday afternoon, and there it was. A big brown ugly blanket.

There was no way this was going to be her gift. Mind you, the yarn cost about $100, so I wanted it to look a bit nicer! I got her a different Xmas present and ripped out the wrap.

A few weeks ago, after being seduced by the idea of a "speedalicious sweater" from Curly Purly, I knit up Brigitta. Without remembering the earlier lesson about speed and perspective, the lack thereof.

I thought, hmm, I'm getting 9.5spi instead of 9spi. I'll be okay b/c I'll knit the large size and I'm a M/L -- it'll be fine. Then right before I sat down to knit it, the BackBou convinced me to knit the M size ("you always wear big, loose things -- make it more fitted this time"). So, completely forgetting my previous swatching and decision about gauge, I knit the M size. What on earth is wrong with me? I ask you!

It went fast. Very, very fast. I am not a fast knitter (as you can plainly see from my dearth of FOs -- I knit all the time and have very little to show for it!). I grew intoxicated by my Big Wool speed. It was like I was on speed. I had no discernment, no discretion, no idea how friggin small this was going to actually turn out because I felt like a champion speed knitter.



I really don't like it. Some friends have tried it on and it looks smashing on them. Those people size S or S/M would look great in it. That is not me. I am going to put this up for the Richmond Waldorf School Auction in March (right about the time everyone is feeling like Spring and no one wants a big wooly sweater). It has now become one of those knits that I just want out of my life. I could barely bring myself to take a picture of it.

Pattern: Brigitta
Yarn: Rowan Big Wool
Needles: US 15s
Modifications: I made the sleeves shorter, not flared and just knitted a garter border.

Now, to wipe that off your brain, here is sock one of my Socks for Veronique. Ahhhh ... back to US 1s!

Fear Not!

Fear not fellow knitters, I only had to endure a few short hours with no knitting on the needles. (Breathe deeply Madge, I survived! Never again, never again ...)

So here are some FOs as yet unposted.




Pattern: Hiiumaa Socks from Knitting on the Road by Nancy Bush
Yarn: Trekking pro natura (75% New Wool, 25% bamboo) in 1501 (white) and 1503 (brown)
Needles: US 1s
Notes: It's easier to tote around socks when you are only working from 1 skein of yarn! Well, that was the only excuse I could come up with for not knitting these quickly. They were the BackBou's Xmas present which I am happy to report he loves. One minor complaint is that they slouch a bit much for him (I like the slouch myself). Maybe some ribbing changes and calf shaping would have helped with that.


Pattern: Maine Morning Mitts from The Knitter's Book of Yarn by Clara Parkes
Yarn: Valknitz (55% mohair, 45% wool)
Needles: US 5s
Notes: Quick and easy. When I'm not wearing these, the BackBou is. I'm planning on making some for the girls as well. I get compliments on these constantly. The yarn is really beautiful and warm. Our new Sunday activity is ice skating and these keep me warm while still allowing me to lace up the skates.


Pattern: Syncopated Caps from Interweave Knits (Summer 2007) by Kate Gilbert
Yarn: Plain & Fancy Sheep & Wool Co., natural white and magenta variegated
Needles: US 2s
Notes: I intended this to be for myself, but I noticed early on that my gauge was (duh) incredibly different in the colorwork and in the round. So I didn't stop (because that would have been prudent and sensible) but thought, "oh hecko, it's sure to fit someone ..." And so it does. R now has a new hat! This pattern rocks -- I loved knitting it and could barely put it down.



I am going to the yarn store today to buy another colorway to go with my remaining white so that I can have one as well! What can I say about this yarn other than every knitter should have some in the stash or on the needles.

And I will encourage, by force if necessary, Liz and Mo to pick some up when we see each other this Sunday. That's right! An XRK summit in Richmond! Huzzah!

2007 Roundup

Life here at Chez Ann has finally calmed down. Christmas decorations are down and packed away (when they go up the house feels cozy, by New Year's Eve it feels like I can barely turn around it's so crowded in here). I was able to visit with many, many friends (including my film friends from NYC -- check out Adrian's website for viewing suggestions) and family.

We travelled in the midst of it all up to Johns Hopkins for a 2nd opinion (daughter N was born with a foot birth defect and surgery was recently suggested) where we received our best present of the season -- a "no surgery necessary" opinion from the chief pediatric orthopedist. Hurray!

So medical issues have receded, travel is over for a while, and the entertaining has subsided. Time to post all those knits I gifted as presents!

Pattern: Bright Stripes by Kristin Nicholas from Scarf Style
Yarn: Plain & Fancy Sheep & Wool Company (colors: Natural White and Magenta Variegated)
Notes: This is the first time I have used this yarn and it now is my absolute favorite 100% Wool yarn. I have always balked at the price, but you get a ton of yardage and the colorways are just incredible. Wouldn't a BSJ in this yarn be delicious? I go mine here but please my knitting friends, do yourself a favor and knit with this yarn in 2008! They don't seem to have a website, but you can contact Ken and Grayce here. This scarf was a present for the girl I mentor at a local school (I did get her a book also, it's not just about fiber mission work ...).

*Notice something different under that hat?

Pattern: Koolhaas by Jared Flood from Interweave Knits Holiday Gifts
Yarn: Malabrigo (Stone Blue)
Notes: What can I say? Jared is a genius. The hat fits like a dream. The yarn is soft and warm and the colors are stunning. It was hard for me to hand this over to my MIL. But I did. I must make one for myself in January! I found the cable needle burdensome at first, but developed a rhythm quickly and didn't mind it at all after a while. The crown decreasing is really beautiful. If you click on this link and scroll down a bit, you can see how great it looks in a green -- nice work Cate!

Pattern: Basket Weave Scarf by Ann Budd from Interweave Knits
Yarn: Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran Tweed (Licorice)
Notes: I really treated myself to some good yarn for holiday knitting, didn't I? Yup, another yummy yarn. The darkness of the color made this hard to photograph well (despite the excellent model), but it really does look nice up close and feels light yet warm around the neck. This was gifted to my FIL -- my in-laws received the handknits along with some Norway themed goodies in honor of our upcoming trip to Norway together in June. Any yarn related travel suggestions for Norway? Lay them on me!

I am currently working on the 2nd sock for the BackBou (the first wasn't even cast on until Christmas Eve -- he is very understanding and patient). I hope to post a completed pair soon!

*Yup, that is short hair sticking out from Koolhaas -- I was able to donate 13 inches of hair to Locks of Love right before Christmas!

MIA

I have been MIA in the knit world lately. No Ravelry, no blogging, and today was my first knitting group in almost a month. Unfortunate yet this is just what has to happen in order to keep the holidays sane for me. (I will be around much more in January!)

Along with the rest of the family, I've been purging the home of unused or unwanted toys (Diversity Thrift here we come!), cleaning in preparation for our tree and Christmas decorating this weekend, shopping for gifts, and enjoying the smaller holidays (St. Nicholas Day, Santa Lucia Day, Winter Soltice) that happen in December. And of course I am busy with holiday knitting!

Here are a few things so far ...




Pattern: Dashing by Cheryl Niamath
Yarn: Lamb's Pride Worsted, Cafe au Lait
Needles: US 7s
Notes: Great pattern. Easy. Fast. For my older brother. They are already in the mail. I loved knitting these! Isn't this yarn a great colorway?



Pattern: Coronet by Andrea Virgiel
Yarn: Malabrigo, Stone Blue
Needles: US 7s
Notes: Great yarn. Great pattern. I had the band knit for quite a while but had put it down for more than a month. Picked it up and finished it in a day. It was meant for my MIL, but then a neighbor had surgery that left her without any hair and I couldn't think of anything better than having Malabrigo warming her head. My MIL is now getting Koolhaas (I love the pattern and should be done soon!).


Back to my knitting and enjoying the unusually warm weather with a picnic in the park!

A Quick Surprise

At the end of the summer I got a surprise email forwarded to me from N's school -- a friend that I had met backpacking in Spain was trying to track me down and had found my name on the RWS website. We reconnected and it has been such a wonderful time getting to know her again and learning about her family and life.

And last week her family grew a bit ... one more life has joined it. So I will send off a little surprise in the mail tomorrow ...

Pattern: Baby Surprise Jacket by EZ (The Opinionated Knitter)
Needles: US 6s
Yarn: Louet Gems Fine/Sport Weight in Grape and Willow
Notes: I have been blessed with some mighty fine knitting projects lately and this was no exception. What an incredible pattern (my first BSJ) and what fabulous yarn (my first time with Louet Gems as well). I did not modify the pattern at all -- just wanted to knit it as it was written originally and see what happened. I am extremely happy with the results but wish my increases were a bit neater looking.

I changed colors randomly and love how the funky seaming turned out.

This yarn is just wonderful and I am going to use the remaining yarn for something for my girls (I used just about 1/2 skein of each color).

These excellent buttons are from The Yarn Lounge here in Richmond.

When I bought this yarn I had no idea it was from South Africa. Tomorrow I will be sending the BSJ to Cape Town where it will meet it's new little owner ...

Surprises all around!

Rockin the Holiday Bazaar

I'm feeling more than a little overwhelmed here at Holiday Bazaar Central. The big event is on Saturday (from 10 to 3 at the Richmond Waldorf School, get yer butt down here and make some holiday cheer!).

I'm the co-chair and the BackBou is cooking lunch for about 250. But just so you know, all the stress of getting ready hasn't stopped the universe from hurling other things our way -- back problems for me, a heavy work load for the BackBou, and an unexpected MRI for N tomorrow.

I like having a handle on things. I have been called a control freak before. Many times before. Many times today. We're at the point where I need to trust my coordinators and surrender to the unexpected but I find this hard to do. Really, really hard to do. So instead, I will be popping some ibuprofen, cracking open a non-alcoholic beer, and staying up late getting my s@*# together.

I am going to get the vendor check-in clipboard ready, the set-up check-lists ready, the clean-up check-lists ready. I am going to schedule when we're packaging up the daffodil bulbs and making the peanut butter sandwiches. I will double-check our table requirements. I am going to figure out how to build temporary fencing for the pony rides. I am going to tell King Winter and Jack Frost that they must help hand out free CFLs as well as announce all the story times and the raffle drawing. And I will not forget trash bag liners. I'm in the last half of the marathon and I am not going to bonk.

I can do this. This Holiday Bazaar is going to ROCK.

Here are my knitted items to add to the RWS Craft Table ...

Patterns: Giant Jester Stocking and Chubby Stocking from Christmas Stockings
Yarn: O-Wool Classic
Needles: US 8s
Pattern Mods: The Giant Jester was fine until the toe. Here is N showing the stocking after I ripped out the toe. It was too tiny and looked ridiculous.

I actually ripped out all the way back to the gusset and decreased every 4 rows until the toe and then once every 4 rows and then every other row. With my gauge and yarn, it was more in proportion.

The Chubby Stocking was modified in that I used only two colors (using up stash my friends!) and I used a garter stitch instead of reverse stockinette.

I knit some Harry Potter Sweater ornaments from Charmed Knits. So delightful!! I'll be knitting more of these for family presents. I lost the ball band for the yarn -- it deeply discounted at The Yarn Lounge. Very scratchy and the dye came off in my hands. It was just fine for the ornaments. I'm sure I'll find the ball band as soon as I hit post ...

R felted some Cherry Tree Hill wool (they have just incredible colors) into ball ornaments.


And the BackBou and N worked hard to felt this beautiful Blue Bird ornament. Although the BackBou wanted to charge $200 for this, it will be sold for $3.50.

And don't forget those stocking ornaments from September that I knit ahead of time!

I am so ready.

Angel of Darkness Finished

There is not much to say about this project except I adore this yarn and I think Evelyn Clark is brilliant. First the project specs ...

Pattern: Angel Lace Shawl by Evelyn Clark
Yarn: Jo Sharp Alpaca Silk Georgette, Pewter
Needles: Knitpicks Options US6s
Finished size: 13 pattern repeats -- 63" wide and 30.5" deep
Notes: The yarn (40% Alpaca, 40% Merino, 20% Silk) is exquisite. I think it was just wonderful for this project (since I like a shawl that can provide a bit of warmth but have gorgeous drape). It was a joy to knit with, it just flowed perfectly. Wouldn't a snug fitting top knit with this be just luxurious?

The pattern is simple and fast to memorize as was my experience with the Leaf Lace Shawl. I was able to go from start to finish in 3 weeks with lots of other non-knitting things going on in my life. I think I want to knit an Evelyn Clark shawl at least once a year. It is just so gratifying.

My gauge was 6.5 spi so my finished shawl was larger than the pattern dictated. I used up about 4 skeins.

After I showed it off a bit here, I donated the shawl to Art 180 for its Art Karma Auction that happens on November 29th. Please tell your friends to come bid on this shawl! I'd love to have it bring in some money for this wonderful organization that brings art to children. I mean really, here in Virginia where standardized testing trumps all else, we need Art 180 desperately.

Trying To Keep Afloat

There is just so much to do lately. Blogging and, quite sadly, Ravelry have not been even close to the top of my "To Do" list. But I have been knitting! Here is a WIP, FO update ...

Two FOs:

Pattern: Trellis, 6 month size
Yarn: Cotton Fleece by Brown Sheep, Wisteria; about 1.5 skeins
Needles: US6s
Notes: I liked this pattern, but wish that I had taken the time to search other knitter's mods before picking it up. I was feeling rushed and just dove in. If I had it to knit again, I would use Brooklyn Tweed's mods which I read about on Ravelry, he's knitting it as a seamless raglan (much easier) and adding seed stitch panels to the sides under the arms (the cabled twist right at the seam is not great). I would also have knit the sleeves in the round, I didn't like how they seamed up at all. I did slip the first stitch so that the button band and the buttonhole band have a nicer edge.

I was able to remember how to seed stitch graft while babysitting without my reference book. I'm so proud!

This sat waiting for small pewter buttons that I had ordered until I just couldn't take it any longer, the recipient was growing! I bought these instead and am very pleased even though they are a bit rounder than I had wanted.

Pinks and purples in the fall garden.

Pattern: Pea Pod Hat by Kate Gilbert

Really crappy picture. The color is truly the same as the Trellis ...

Yarn: Cotton Fleece, Wisteria
Needles: US5s
Mods: None. Knit up in a night. I found out last Thursday that N's teacher was going to visit her brother who is deploying to Iraq. They were also christening his baby last weekend, so I wanted to send her off with a baby hat. These pictures stink, it was really much cuter! I would love to knit the whole set at some point.

Angel Lace Shawl - WIP
Ah. Another Evelyn Clark shawl. Heaven. I've been affectionately calling this the Angel of Darkness since I am knitting with Jo Sharp Alpaca Silk Georgette in Charcoal (and I am watching Buffy Season One on DVD). This yarn, oh this yarn. This is a yarn I could knit forever. For absolutely ever. It is soft. It is the perfect weight. It is silky but not slippery. It smells good. I am happy whenever I pick this project up. I am just about done with my 13 pattern repeats but I am going to do more. It's just wonderful!

But there is a time constraint, this shawl will be donated to Art Karma, an art auction to benefit Art 180. A very worthwhile cause. My buddy Jess (you have got to check out her incredible bags now! Wouldn't they make awesome knitting bags?) asked me to donate something and as I was feeling the shawl love after Leaf Lace, I said sure. No regrets. This shawl has been a joy to knit. I hope to block it in about a week. Stay tuned for pictures!

Prayer Quilt Project - WIP
Unfortunately, we have a very sick parent at our school. A single mother of a 1st grader, she is gracefully and bravely battling very insipid cancer. The RWS community has pulled together and in the past 2 weeks knit a bajillion 6" x 6" garter stitch squares in O-Wool Classic. It was a 7th Grade homework assignment, isn't that incredible? The RWS handworkers will be coming over Saturday night to stitch it together and then we may have the 1st graders fingerknit the fringe next week.

I will share more with you next week. I feel powerless to protect this incredible woman and her son from this cancer, but I can help create a symbol of our love, compassion, and prayers.

FO Updates and a Clapotis Confession

Now that the BackBou has returned from his trip to Chicago (he loved the conference on Credit Bureau reporting -- he's sweet, but such a geek!), I have a more time to manage to blog. Thank you everyone for your incredible comments on the lace scarf!

Here are some of my recently finished objects ...

Pattern: Elisa's Nest Tote
Yarn: #6 AllHemp 6 DK Weight
Needles: US 9s and US 3s

Modifications: I used Liz's suggested mods listed here. I know I'm not the world's fastest knitter, or even in the top 50% percentile of fast knitters, but this did not take me the "few hours" to knit that the pattern describes. I finished this up during the last of the pool days before the start of school. It is N's bag at school for extra clothes, painting clothes, etc.

Pattern: Saartje's Booties (the pattern is a pdf on the sidebar here)
Yarn: Cashsoft DK in unknown pink and purple colors
Needles: I think US6s, it's hard to remember
Modifications: None. These were super fast and my girls picked out the buttons at The Yarn Lounge, aren't they great? They were for one the many new babies on our block.

I am currently working on Trellis in Lamb's Pride Cotton Fleece for another of the new babies on the block. Baby knitting is just so much fun!!

And now for the Clapotis Confession ...
After seeing Liz's incredible Clapotis, I was determined to make one of my own. So I signed up for the Second Wave Clapotis KAL (which began on the 23rd) and started my search for yarn. Well, I had a cost constraint (all the gift knitting is maxing out the budget) and didn't want to spend over $40 bucks on yarn. I found this gorgeous Malabrigo and thought it would work (and it was just a bit over $40 ...).

Well, I swatched and thought that I could pull it off. I was warned, but believed that it could somehow work. Then as I was knitting, it became clear that I had been delusional about using this yarn for a Clapotis. The drape was just not good. It's just not the right yarn.

But I loved the yarn. It's colors, it's softness. I loved the yarn more than the pattern. And so ...

I dumped the Clapotis. I'm keeping the yarn. I can't give it up. The yarn is going to become a number of hats, beginning with this Coronet, for Christmas presents.

My only regret is not being part of this wonderful and fun KAL -- Bridget, thank you for hosting and sorry for my lack of committment! As for the Clapotis, I know it will always be there for me when I am ready to pick up the pattern again ...

Bad Week for Knitting, Good Week for Dogs

I've been neglectful of my knitting. (Is that proper grammar? It sounds a bit wiggy. Anyhoo ...) I've had finished socks sitting around for days just waiting for the ends to be sewn up and my Scarf with No. 20 Border has been sitting in limbo. I've also got false starts for a number of projects just lying around. "Why is that?" you may ask. This is why ...



Our new 8 month old dog, Luna, adopted from GRREAT. Named after this (of course) but also her (she's a brilliant character). My kids named her after her because in a few months we will be adopting a cat to be named Stella. (Aren't they clever children?) I will spare you all the intimate details of how much we love her and how she has fearlessly rid out backyard of those awful pinecones. We're just so happy to have her in our family!



And here's an FO to report as well ...



Pattern: Widdershins by Brooke Chenoweth Creel
Yarn: Austermann Step
Needles: US 1s
Notes: I still love the Widdershins pattern although after reading Nova's post about her toe ups, I'm going to try out Wendy's basic pattern. I used my typical suspended bind off for one of the socks, but then read about the modified Russian bind off. So I used that for the second sock to compare. I love it. I will use this on all my future toe up socks! Why? Because I seem to bind off tightly and because I like a stretchy top to my socks.

I enjoyed knitting with this yarn. I made short socks for myself so that I can get a kid's pair out of the leftovers! They will be wonderful this fall and winter ... Will it ever be cold again? Really?

BackBou Exposed and some FOs

So the BackBou was outed this week as the obsessed baker that he is. Those of us in blogland (and those of us who happen to live with him) have known about his alternative lifestyle for a while now, but let me tell you, it's generating some interest in his attorney world of work. Read the Home Style article here. The print edition has some great pictures of the kids helping to make the pizzas.

In addition to working on the lace scarf and some socks (I'm unfortunately not the uber-sock knitter that Tiennie is!), I was able to finish these hats (for my neighbor's new twins) over my vacation.


Pattern: Cabled Greenspun Beanie from Nature Babies by Tara Jon Manning.
Yarn: Rowan Cashsoft DK in Mirage and Sweet (I think, I'm not sure about the names of the colors)
Needles: US 6s

Notes: I really liked Nature Babies. I checked it out from the library and really enjoyed looking through it. I think I'm going to try to make the soft play bloxes to sell at a RWS festival. Or maybe the stitched moon and star toys. Or maybe the flannel star babies. Or maybe some elfin bonnets. Or ...