A Few Finished Things

My handspun scarf has been finished for awhile but I finally got around to blocking it. Pattern is the Yarn Harlots One Row Handspun Scarf.
Ravelry Link


This picture has the truest colors.


and a full length shot


The second finished object is a Flame Stitch Shawl made from a new 75% Bamboo fingering weight yarn from SRK called "On Your Toes." This is a very soft yarn; fabulous to knit. The stitch pattern was given to me by SDAHT on Ravelry. I designed this scarf not realizing that it was the same stitch pattern I'd used for my Evelyn Clark's Shetland Triangle until I'd knit a full pattern repeat.



the scalloped edge (this photo shows the best stitch definition)


and the backlit shot


Lastly, Charity Knitting: I've been knitting caps for a friend's church that has a few people going to Tibet. I don't know why they're going but they wanted to take something for the children but they are only allowed to take one carry-on bag. It was decided that knit hats could be tucked into any empty spots in their luggage. I've knit two hats for them to take.


And the Red Scarf Project. This is my second year knitting these red scarves. Last year, who knows why, my scarves were crocheted. This year I'm back to knitting scarves using Marble Yarn


I'm making Li's Reversible Herringbone Rib Scarf. (Leave a comment on her blog asking for this free pattern)


This is a great pattern that is interesting to knit but not so difficult that you can't watch TV.

And I stumbled over a display of Hatch Peppers while in our local Bristol Farms. I've always wanted to go the the Hatch Chili Festival this is as close as I've ever gotten.

Repurposing Kureyon

I mentioned I bought 8 skeins of Noro Kureyon 213 to make the Sandy Cardigan, well...
There's this pattern that's been calling to me for awhile now, the Side-to-Side Vest from Creative Knitting, Nov 2007.

The amount of Kureyon I'd bought for the Cardigan is exactly the right amount for this Vest. And in a moment of weakness I grabbed the bag of Kureyon from the Stash and cast-on and haven't looked back.

The colors look very washed out in this picture. Below is a badly framed shot that has truer colors.

The only difficult part is trying to make the colors go in the opposite direction from the center back. Noro doesn't wind their yarn the same direction skein to skein even with them all from the same dye lot. I'd like the fronts to at least suggest they match but I think that's going to be harder than I originally thought.

I finished the Midwest Moonlight Scarf from Scarf Style.

This was an enjoyable project; the stitch pattern was easy to memorize and from then on it was mindless knitting. This is for a Christmas Gift - that's one done.
Ravelry listing here. Used 5 skeins of Noro Silk Garden 284 with all the orange removed for 27 pattern repeats; probably could have squeeked by with 4 skeins.

Here's a look at my own pattern for a cabled sock. I've pulled it out twice so far. Cherry Tree Hill, no idea what the name of the color is - I've had it several years.


This weekend I finished spinning the Roving from Creatively Dyed

I tried to split the roving lengthwise into four equal pieces. Funny how one skein is so much bluer than the other. Here's what the original fiber looked like.

This is 8 ounces of 70% superwash Merino 30% Seacell fiber.

On several foodie blogs there has been talk about Mark Bittman's Tomato Jam recipe. I had everything in the house

so I made a batch yesterday.

The whole house smelled like an Indian Restaurant while it was cooking. After all the chopping, measuring and stirring I barely had 2 cups but it was worth it. This stuff is fabulous. We were eating it warm on crackers with goat cheese. I'll have more tomatoes than I know what to do with so I'll be making more. I wonder what it would be like made from yellow tomatoes?

More Noro and Giant Flowers

Yes, yet another new thing. Above is a close up of the Midwest Moonlight Scarf from Scarf Style. I'm making it with Noro Silk Garden, color 284. Funny thing about this colorway, I knit through two skeins and it wasn't until I pulled out the third that I found orange in it. Doubled checked that it was the correct color and dyelot - it was. So now what? I removed the orange from the remaining three skeins.

This was very hard for me to decide to do - it felt like cheating. Like there are Noro Police that are watching for tampering. Isn't that silly; it's my project I can do what I want and I didn't want orange in there with all the cool blues and purples.

When I'm working at the Yarn Shop, which is air-conditioned, I work on my Curlicue Afghan. We have another two months of summer weather locally before I can look forward to cool enough evenings to comfortably sit and work on this project in my lap.


I've completed the first four sections and you can see that it's laying pretty flat so far. Keep your fingers crossed that it will continue to lay flat! I'm only using colorways of Noro Silk Garden that don't have reds, yellows or oranges. I haven't done skein surgery so far, just knitting as it comes. I am enjoying knitting this, seeing how the color sequence will play out in each section.


This past Sunday was my Birthday and I received a couple of nice presents. A very nice and roomy Striped Green Tote (from Target) that I've moved my Curlicue project into.


And a very odd vine that I first saw at the San Diego County Fair this year. It was so different from anything I've ever seen before I was intrigued. Daughter #2 set out to ID the plant and then located one for sale. Both daughters gave it to me.

Aristolochia Gigantea; Giant Dutchman's Pipe
The flowers are easily 12" across. Supposedly one of the largest flowers.

This is one of those plants that's pollinated by flies rather than bees. Suppose to smell like rotting meat but so far I haven't smelled anything bad or good.

Else where in the garden I'm vying with a squirrel for tomatoes. He'll eat them greener than I will so he gets two for every one I claim.

(sorry for the blurry picture, it was in the shade and inside the tomato cage)
It could be worse; somehow most of my tomatoes are a yellow variety. Striking looks but little to no taste. I think the six-pack's labels were tampered with, the Red Beefsteak tomatoes came out yellow the same as the six-pack that was suppose to be yellow. I do have some Red Roma tomatoes that are Red and are Roma shaped. Picked my first one today.

The Roma tomatoes are in a different area that the squirrel hasn't found yet. Maybe I'll give the yellow tomatoes to Mr. Squirrel in hopes he leaves my Roma's alone. Think that'll work?

I-Cord or not??

The shop where I work received a large order of cotton dishcloth yarn and I realized I'm so over wool (a knitter's form of Spring Fever?) and loving the feel of working with cotton. I knew I'd find inspiration from Mason Dixon Knitting and the book didn't fail me; I cast-on the Baby Kimono a week ago and finished the knitting yesterday but...

there's always a but isn't there!

see how the back of the neck and the bottoms roll? I blocked it and they still roll - what to do.

Here's what the diagonal front edge looks like - just OK not wonderful.


Having recently read Kay's I-cord Tutorial (Feb 12, 2008) for making square corners I tried an I-cord edging.

and a close-up. What I wonder is does this edging treament over power the whole sweater? This is a worsted weight cotton and it makes a thick I-cord.

what do you think? I-cord or not?

The Soft Cabled Scarf is done.

I love this scarf; it's so soft and drapey. The yarn is Austermann Bamboo Soft (65% Merino 35% Bamboo) color 002 a deep rich black. (Photo is not representative of true color; altered to show details) It's Karabella Pattern #KK239, cashmere Hat and Scarf. The seed stitch borders give body to this soft yarn while the wide cable undulates up the center - I'll be making this scarf again.

I love to see glimses of other Blogger's private lives so here's the Photography Studio (Feb 28, 2008) where I work part-time; one of the owner's put pictures up on his blog. You'll usually find me in the Production Area.

TV Mute Button Confession

I confess, I can't watch live TV without a remote Mute Button! First because the commercials are so much louder than the show - what's new; Second because they play the same few commercials over and over and over. I don't care for commercials, who does but why the same couple of commercials every few minutes? We watch very little live TV with DVDs and DVRs around here so my exposure to commercials is minimal and I'm sick of the same commercials; what about those that regularly watch shows live? How sick are they seeing the same thing over and over? I don't understand the repetition; there are so many commercials out there what do they hope to accomplish showing the same one so often it turns people and TVs off? Anyone know what's going on in the TV advertising world?

Now you know, I watch TV and videos in the evenings while I knit. I'm a big fan of Netflix; with the Writer's Strike I've discovered old TV Series DVDs. How did I miss Buffy and Angel the first time around?

I finished a UFO pair of toddler mittens this last week, only six years from start to finish.


My second thumb shows my knitting has greatly improved over those six years. The purple is Opal Sock Yarn left from a pair of Adult size socks.

I plied the BFL Rapture singles



The picture doesn't show the purple and green true to color. It really is lovely - I especially like the chartreuse strands.

Have you seen the My So Called Scarf pattern?

I using Lorna's Laces, Bullfrogs and Butterflies in the Gold Hill colorway

A very interesting pattern to knit; this isn't mindless knitting. I have to watch it as it's hard to rip back and pick up invisibly. I guess the pattern stitches gives a twist to the yarn that shows in the work. I hoping the slightly visible lines block out.

Playing around online I found that Blue Moon Fiber Arts, the Socks that Rock people, also dye Roving/Top. The called it "Sheep 2 Shoe", love that name! I ordered a bag/ 8.5 oz of Superwash Merino. This stuff is so soft and easy to spin. Their directions suggest you split it into four lengthwise sections and spin a worsted 4 ply yarn. That would be way thicker than any socks I could wear around here so I split the yarn in half lengthwise and am only working on one half of the yarn. Four ounce 2-ply socks are the normal thickness I can get in my shoes.

(What appears gray in there is actually light blue and a medium dark Teal. This is a very nice fiber to work with.)

And I finished the January 2008 Mid-Month Dishcloth Kal on the Yahoo Monthly Dishcloth Group in Peaches & Creme.


When I gave #2 Daughter her Alpaca Chevron Scarf for Christmas #1 Daughter said she wanted one too, in Blue.

This is Misti Alpaca Handpainted.

One evening I was lucky enough to be sitting at my computer when the email arrived notifying me of a Sundara Shop Update. I jumped at the chance to buy this sock yarn - her stuff never lasts long because it is so beautiful. I bought Cobalt over Mediterranean and Caribbean.


The camera's back. The repair page said, "Camera tested within specifications. Replaced optical assembly." What does that mean? Either it worked which usually means it needed no repairs or it's broken and they fixed it. Anyway it was still under warranty from the last repair so all I'm out is the postage to ship it back, twice, to Canon in IL. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. What's your opinion, from the pictures above do you think it's fixed?

Argosy, Sock close-up and hearts

I've been ask to show a close-up of my MadCow Sock to show how I managed to keep the pattern on the front while doing the short row heel.

I knit the four rows of variegated yarn then did the heel in the solid color and when finished continued on with the solid for the first row in the front. If you've done the sock you'll know what I mean. Hopefully!

Finally got my Argosy Scarf blocked. I'd finished it for the second time awhile ago but having to rip out 3/4ths of it and re-knit it just took the fun out of it. Took me several weeks to get enough interest up to get around to finishing.

I do like it now that's it's done; it'll be next Fall before it's cold enough to even think of wearing it. I'll be back to loving it by then.

It was made from two skeins of Silk Garden Lite #2014; bought from Little Knits

.

And look at these cute Heart Shaped Stitch Markers that I bought yesterday at Two Sisters and Ewe.

(Notice: I work at this shop. Just to let you know so someone doesn't think I'm being deceptive.)

Until next time...