Month: March 2008

Posted in Completed Projects

FO: Prayer Shawl

Posted on by mslindz

This is a long over-due post for this shawl.  I completed it last summer, but wanted to wait until it was received before posting anything about it.  It took a long time to hear back from the recipient and then I forgot to post this.  So, here it is!  With pictures, even!

Pattern: Cameo Shell Stitch Shawl
Started: July 20, 2007
Completed: August 10, 2007
Yarn: Laines Du Nord Soft Light, 10 skeins, coloway 456
Needles: US 10.2 bamboo circular
Notes: This was a pretty easy knit and I’m pleased with how it came out. The yarn was a little more rough once it blocked than it was in the skein, which was somewhat disappointing. I made this for the Prayer Shawl Swap last summer. The recipient was Kimi (blogless) who did let me know she received it and loved it. I never did receive anything from the swap. It seemed like a number of people flaked and the moderator flaked as well. It was a huge disappointment to me and has put me off swapping ever since.

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Posted in Knit Ramblings

Just a few notes

Posted on by mslindz

You know how I mentioned that the Yarn Harlot’s new book was going to be released this month?  Yeah, not so much.  The date in Amazon is still March 19th, but it now says that it has not yet been released.  Then I read on her blog about the book release party later this summer.  I feel kind of let down by the wrong information in Amazon, but it happens.  Jessi – is there another of her books that you don’t have yet?  I’d still be happy to get one of them signed for you.  Let me know!

I completed my mom’s socks on March 9th and I gave them to her Tuesday, but I still haven’t taken photos!  She even wore them yesterday and she says she loves them waaaay more than the first pair I knit (which turned out a little short and loose knit).  Finally – someone I can knit socks for other than me!  Admittedly, I don’t wear my hand-knit socks often.  In fact, it’s rare.  Mostly because it wasn’t until late last year that I realized I needed to be knitting at a much smaller gauge so that the purl bumps on the soles of my feet don’t hurt.  I also learned how to make the best fitting toe recently and before that was a bit of a struggle to get it to fit correctly.  Now that I know all these things, I can knit socks I’ll actually wear (as well as knit socks for my mom!).  Right now, though, there’s no socks on my needles and I’m not even considering casting a pair on.  I know you’re shocked because this hasn’t happened since the sock-knitting bug bit me in 2006.

The real reason for the non-sock-knitting going on with me is because of the shawl for my Grandma.  Once that’s done, socks will take it’s place, but I’ve not knit on anything else since starting it.  I think I’m just over the half-way mark and I’m thinking it’s only going to take up about 3 skeins of the yarn I bought, which means I’ll have leftovers.  We’ll see how that goes, though.  I’ve done 5 repeats and it’s already quite large (thanks to knitting on US 8’s with worsted weight yarn!).

No photos this post, but I do owe at least three FO posts – the prayer shawl I made last year, Clapotis, and mom’s Nine-to-Five socks.  Eventually it will be nice enough to get decent photos again and when it is, I’ll do my best to remember to take photos of everything and write up some long-over due posts.  (And, actually, I just need to write up a post for the prayer shawl….)

Posted in Knit Ramblings

I forgot to mention this…

Posted on by mslindz

… but the first Ohio IKEA store opened today in West Chester!

People apparently had been camping there for days waiting for the Grand Opening.  I’ve been by it a few times before now and it’s pretty large (as is the parking lot). I remember what it was like the first few MONTHS of the IKEA in New Haven, CT and that makes me not want to go near it for a while, but I don’t know how long I can really hold out.  I mean, it’s IKEA!

Posted in Knit Ramblings

New Books and New Knitty

Posted on by mslindz

I was on Amazon today and came across the Yarn Harlot’s new book Things I Learned from Knitting which is supposed to come out March 19th.  She’ll be in Lexington, KY on April 5th at Joseph Beth Booksellers and I’m looking forward to being able to see her again this year!

If you enjoyed Big Girl Knits, then I’m sure you’ll be glad to know that there’s a second one coming out on April 1st – More Big Girl Knits.  I’m looking forward to seeing what it has to offer.  While I don’t own the first book (though I really SHOULD own it), I think it’s a fantastic book with lots of great information and patterns.

Last, but certainly not least, the new Spring 2008 Issue of Knitty is up!

Posted in Current Projects, Knit Ramblings

The shawl is started and socks are done

Posted on by mslindz

I was able to make it to Knit On on the way home from work Friday to get the yarn for Grandma’s shawl. I ended up getting Elsebeth Lavold’s Silky Wool in a pale blue with a little grey mixed in. It’s perfect. The color is 013 for those who’d like to see it better somewhere. I will admit that this is a yarn I’d used once before and didn’t like it much, but when I revisited it Friday, I changed my mind. It was soft to the touch and for some reason I didn’t remember it this way. I remember it being a bit nubby and I didn’t like working with it. I think this is because I doubled it and knit it at a smaller gauge to make a Panta headband thingie. This time, though, it was soft to the touch and the perfect color. I had the yarn wound for me so I could start it right away. Working with it has been great – I love the feel of the yarn and it’s working up so soft!

Since it’s been a while since I posted a photo of my knitting here, I have a picture of my progress so far. let my mom and sister borrow my camera for the trip to California so they can take pictures while they are out there, so today my photo is from my cell phone camera, which isn’t the best quality, but gives you an idea of the color and how it’s working up thus far.

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I’m using Addi Lace needles, size US 8. I used to really dislike working with metal needles of any sort and only knit with bamboo, but I’ve fallen in love the Addi’s.

This weekend I finished my mom’s Nine-to-Five socks, but no photo yet. It’s impossible to take a good picture of them with my cell phone camera because the color is so dark, so photos and an FO post will have to wait until I have my camera back. I’m anxious to start another pair of socks, but I’m going to focus on the shawl instead. I think it can reasonably take "project priority" right now :o)

Posted in Knit Ramblings

When things happen, a knitter knits.

Posted on by mslindz

This month, so far, has been a little rough. I have had friends who have recently lost loved ones and now I can be added to that list. Yesterday morning, my Grandpa Roy passed away not even a week after finding out he had liver cancer and only a day after being put on hospice care because there was nothing they could do to treat it since it was so advanced. I spoke with my Grandma Gloria last night and she said that it’s better he went now, that he didn’t have to go through more pain as the cancer worsened, and that he went peacefully in his sleep. She said that he loved us very much and I could tell over the phone that she’s really hurting.  I had cried when I first found out (I was at work and decided to leave early) and I cried again talking to her on the phone.  I wished I could come through the phone and hug her and somehow make her pain go away. She lives out in California and this makes it so much more difficult to deal with since we can’t just be there with her.

My family is a little complicated – I have four sets of grandparents on each side as both my mom’s and dad’s parents are divorced. Grandpa Roy was not a blood relative, but I have known him my whole life as they married before I was born. This is my mom’s mom and she’s an only child.  My Grandma said she didn’t want us coming out now since there won’t be a funeral and she’d rather have us come out in the summer like we’d planned so that we can spend more time with her under better circumstances.  My mom and sister are going out there for a week to be with her during this difficult time.  They’re leaving tomorrow.  I wish I could be there, too, but I can’t afford the flight.  Grandpa Roy’s daughter-in-law was kind enough to pay for the flight out there for my mom and sister because she felt that Grandma Gloria really needs her (my mom) right now. They want to do this without her knowing, sort of as their gift to her during this difficult time. I can’t even express how fantastic what they’re doing is. 

Since I can’t be there, I want to do something for her. In times like this, a knitter knit’s something. Last night I knew that I needed to knit something for her. This morning I searched patterns and decided on this shawl. I want it to be a big hug to her from me since I can’t be there to do it myself and I know she will need something to wrap herself in love during the coming weeks and months. Normally, I wouldn’t make something out of wool or a wool blend for her since she lives in Desert Hot Springs in California, but she gets cold a lot. Today I will go by the yarn store and pick out the perfect soft, warm, comforting yarn and knit up this shawl for her. It’s the very least I can do and hope that it brings her a little bit of comfort.