Month: May 2007

Posted in Current Projects

It’s all about knitting socks

Posted on by mslindz

I’ve got some sock fever going on over here. It’s all about knitting socks for me lately. Look at this:

THREE pairs of socks going on. Seriously, this has never happened. The amount of WIPs I have right now is getting silly. I keep telling myself NO MORE NEW PROJECTS! Then I get sucked into some that I have to cast on right now.

Broken down, these are the socks I’m currently knitting:

Monkey Socks these are knit with Regia Bamboo:

Crystalline Lattice Socks – I just cast these on today:

Oh the things a just cast-on sock can become!

This past week I finally sat down, figured out the math, checked my gauge and cast on for my Sockapalooza 4 Pal’s socks:

The color in the photo is pretty spot on. I like how the cable pattern I picked out is coming along. I’m using Lanett superwash wool, which I haven’t used before. I find it to be quite soft and it makes a great sock yarn even though I had my doubts when I found it in the baby yarn section at my LYS. I don’t think the fact that it’s 100% wool makes it less sock worthy, either. I know that most sock yarns have something to make them a little more elastic, but these are pretty stretchy on their own. Considering my pal lives where it gets quite cold, I’m hoping that these will be extra warm for those cold months!

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Okay – Knitter’s Connection!! It’s next week! I can’t believe it. It feels like this month has gone by so fast and I can hardly believe it’s almost time to go. I’m very excited. This will be my first ever knitting related convention. I’m a little sad I’m going on my own, but I’m sure I’ll still have a blast. I think I’ve about got hotel arrangements down (staying where the event is is out of the question – too expensive if I can’t split the cost with someone) as well as the parking situation for the time that I’ll be there. Trying to figure out food and what kind of budget I’ll be allowed for yarn while I’m there (I’ll totally be using my Stash-a-long free day for June here!). I still need to get my “homework” done for the classes, but I’ll work on that this Sunday.

Alright… off to more knitting and planning for my trip next week. More knitting updates soon!

Posted in Completed Projects

Popover Hat and Squares for Greensburg

Posted on by mslindz

A gal I work with has a little one who’s right around a year (maybe more, maybe less – I don’t really know) and I saw this pattern in my Knitting Pattern-a-Day Calendar for a Popover hat. It was just so cute that I offered to make it for her out of some yarn I had in my stash. This took me very little time, but it’s gotten on skein out of my stash, so I’m all for that.

Pattern: Popover Hat from Knitting Pattern-a-day calendar (pattern by Little Turtle Knits)
Yarn: Bernat Satin in Star Dust
Needles: US 8 bamboo DPN’s and US 8 Denise’s
Time: Started – 5/23/07, Completed – 5/26/07
Notes/Mods: The only mod I made was to the tie on the hat – I knit an i-cord instead of using ribbon. This was a pretty easy knit for me. I don’t care too much for the way the increases are done since this is knit from the top down. It makes it kind of…. funky. If I were to knit this again, I may do it from the bottom up.

Here’s the hat flat:

Here’s the top of the hat:

I took some photos on my bear since I don’t have a baby/small child to try this on:

And since I’m showing FO’s, here are two squares I’m sending off to Rebuilding Greensburg:

~~~~~

I’m moving right along with my Back-to-School U-Neck Vest. Not too much left to go, but I’ve lost a little interest since I have been working on my shop so much lately. (Including printing out business cards and still working on postcards.)

I got the yarn for my sock-pal socks. I’ll post about that later, though. Happy crafting and have a good Memorial Day!

Posted in Knit Ramblings

Rebuilding Greensburg

Posted on by mslindz

I just came across This Blog Post and wanted to share it. If you like to do charity knitting or have extra yarn that needs using up, here’s something you can donate to. They’re asking for 8″ squares in acrylic yarn. All the details are in the post.

I know I’ll be making some to use up various yarn that I have hanging around.

Posted in Current Projects, Knit Ramblings

I knit a lot this week!

Posted on by mslindz

Look at how my vest has grown:

I’ve used up a skein and a half of yarn already – 145 grams. I’m about to start on the upper part of the vest now. I can hardly believe how quickly this is working up, but then I’ve had a little time to knit finally.

I’ve finished up unpacking “my room” which is the room where all my crafty things go. FINALLY they have a place to go other than the living room, bedroom, and any other space I can squeeze it. I even have photos of my little space. It’s hard to take good photos of the room because it’s sort of small, but I managed to take a few photos.

Back to knitting my vest!

Posted in Knit Ramblings

As promised, photos.

Posted on by mslindz

I’ve got pictures finally!

On April 21st, I went to the Blue Grass Festival of Books to see Stephanie Pearl-McPhee aka the Yarn Harlot and Stefanie Japel aka Glampyre.

I wore my Bad Penny, which is a pattern from Stefanie Japel. When we got there, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee was signing books, so I went right away to get my copy of her newest book signed. I even got to hold her sock and she held my little beginning of a sock (which she said was cool because the beginning of a sock has so many possibilities and could turn out to be anything).

I wanted to sit in on the panel that Stefanie Japel was on, but I showed up later than expected, so I missed it. While I was waiting around for Stephanie Pearl-McPhee’s talk, I was wandering around looking at the books and Stefanie Japel was gathered at her table with some other folks and I noticed them looking at my top. I got all shy about it, though. They were getting ready to go to lunch and I was hoping to get my book signed when she was back at her table. Then it was time for Stephanie Pearl-McPhee’s talk. First order of business is to take photos with the sock:

If you EVER get a chance to go see her, go!! I find her to be quite funny and even Nick, the non-knitter who loves a knitter, laughed quite a bit. I didn’t get to stay for the sit and knit after her talk because we had a baseball game to get to. I did get the chance to meet Stefanie Japel, though. She signed my copy of her new (first!) book, Fitted Knits. She even told me she likes my sweater!!

How cool is it to get a photo of your finished knitted item with the designer? Seriously cool:

I’m already waiting for her second book – I’m sure it will be just as good as the first!

~~~~~

Last Sunday was Stitch ‘n Pitch. There were quite a few knitters and we all sat in the same section. We even got bags with yarn and other goodies in it! Nick and Kaylee (my sister the crocheter) went with me. Since Nick sat in the “knitter section” he got a bag, too, so I ended up with enough yarn to make a vest. Pretty sweet, eh? I got another bag they were passing out as a giveaway for people who came to the game, so I made out pretty good. The Cincinnati Reds played the Colorado Rockies and beat them 8 to 3! It was a good game and I got quite a bit of knitting done.

Here is Kaylee, me and the girl next to me is Beth, who is part of the knitting group here (we met at the yarn shop for our tickets and she rode with us from there – yay for carpooling!). I think one of the other gals in the row is part of the knitting group as well, but I don’t know her name. This was taken well before the game started, but trust me – the section was filled up soon after and there were a few rows of knitters.

Here’s the goodies I came home with:

I actually came home with 4 skeins of Cotton Fleece, but one isn’t shown in the picture because it’s nearly all used up on the project I’m working on….

Yes, I’m already knitting a pattern from Fitted Knits!

I’m working on the Back-to-School U-neck Vest. I really like how it’s coming out so far and it will be great for the summer. Totally something I can wear to work, which is great. I have a feeling it will be a quick knit for me. I started it on Tuesday and I’m halfway through the body portion.

My socks, though, have not seen much love since I started this vest. Neither has my sweater, but I’m counting on my sweater to be my long term project for a while to come. I plan on working on it most of the summer as my “big project” since I won’t really be able to wear it until after summer anyhow. The vest, though will get plenty of wear during the summer, so I’m all for working on it!

Anyone else participating in Sockapalooza 4? I’m pretty excited about it, but I haven’t even begun thinking of a yarn or pattern. Mostly because money is a little tight at the moment and between work and unpacking, my knitting time is limited.

Well, I’m going to relax a bit and watch the NASCAR Busch race. Happy crafting!

Posted in Completed Projects

An Update

Posted on by mslindz

Wow. I didn’t realize it’s been a few weeks since I last posted! Shame on me for being a bad blogger.

I haven’t done a whole lot of knitting because I’ve been unpacking boxes in my spare moments when I’m at home. Work has been taking a real toll on me, but things have finally slowed down a little bit. The house is nearly unpacked, but we’ve still a way to go. At least the living spaces are getting nearly completely unpacked. There’s still plenty of boxes downstairs in the basement to sort through, but at least I’m not staring at as many in the living room, kitchen and bedroom. I’m finally starting to get my craft room together. It’s really nice to have a room to put all my crafty things instead of the corner of the living room like before. I still have a bit of work, but it’s getting there. I’m sure Nick will be happy when I stop taking up the sofa in the living room with various knitting books and various other crafty things.

I’ve been working on a pair of Monkey socks. Third time is a charm, eh? I’ve finally got the pattern working for me with different yarn. I have one sock made and am working on the second one. I’ve also been knitting on The Sweater (aka Starlight) and occasionally Argosy scarf. I only have three projects on the needles! I’m contemplating forgetting about the scarf and using the yarn for something else. Not sure what exactly, but I’m really not enjoying the pattern as much as I thought I would. I like the final product, but it’s just not keeping my interest.

I went to a Cincinnati Reds baseball game on Sunday. It was Stitch ‘n Pitch day! There were quite a few knitters there. I took my sister and Nick went, too. We had a pretty good time and the Reds even won! (They played against the Colorado Rockies and one 8 to 3.) I had a lot of fun.

Recently, Nick “helped” me meet the local knitting group. We were at Barnes & Noble. I’d seen the group there before, but I’m really shy and never met them. He introduced me and they were all very welcoming. I like having a knitting group again. They meet on Wednesday nights and it’s nice to get out mid-week for a while.

Though I’m too tired to mess with photos right now, I did go to the Bluegrass Book Festival and got to meet Stefanie Japel and Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. I’ll talk more about that in my next post, which will have pictures of recent happenings :o)