Tuesday, December 04, 2007

NaKniSweMo, recap...

I finished Katy on Friday, but I'm just getting around to posting. Of all of the pictures that I took, the only one that turned out was of the neckline...and, even that is hard to see. I'll experimenting with more pictures tomorrow.


Overall, I am happy with the way this project turned out. I love the color and look forward to watching it fade over the next few washings. The fit is definitely smaller than I thought it would be. At this point, the sweater fits perfectly. I won't be putting it in the dryer ever again for fear of it shrinking further.

This was the perfect choice for NaKniSweMo. Since the bulk of the sweater was in stockinette, it made for mindless knitting. Plus, the lace pattern was easy to memorize. I would have to say that the best thing about knitting this sweater in a month is that it helped motivate me to keep knitting. Instead of starting something new when I started to get bored, I kept slogging away to make sure I finished it in November.

Thursday, November 29, 2007

NaKniSweMo, day 29...

I'm seaming as fast as I can! Last night I washed to pieces and dried them. Although the yarn is not supposed to shrink in width, I'm a little worried about how this sweater will fit. I knit the size that is supposed to fit a 34" bust. The pattern says that the final width should be 19 inches...well, mine is more like 17!

I set in the sleeves over lunch, and will be working the first side seam on the way home. Not only am I fond of knitting in public, I even do my finishing in public. I should definitely earn a badge for that!

Thankfully, I still have tomorrow...

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

NaKniSweMo, day 27...

I'm in the home stretch! I was very productive over the holiday weekend, as I expected. I had finished the back last Tuesday, and I finished up the back yesterday night. Tonight, I will be weaving in the ends and washing the pieces of the sweater. I think the beauty of this sweater will be the fact that it doesn't get blocked!

Friday, November 16, 2007

NaKniSweMo, day 16...

The month is halfway through. With 15 days down, I am exactly 50% through Katy. This morning, I finished the 6th of 12 skeins. I'm 9.5 inches in to the back. I'm not even going to think about taking a picture of the progress I've made because I basically have a dark indigo rectangle. I suspect that it wouldn't make the most interesting photo shoot.

I have a busy weekend ahead of me, but I should be able to sneak in some knitting time. Since AF and I are driving to North Carolina for Thanksgiving, I'm not worried about finishing by the 30th. I'm guaranteed four and a half hours of uninterrupted knitting while AF drives!

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

NaKniSweMo, day 13...

Nothing to worry about. I'm still plugging away at Katy. Here are some progress shots that I took last Thursday.


Close up of the stitch pattern.
Since taking these pictures, I have completed the second sleeve and made it about four inches into the back. I'll spare you the boring details since the body of the sweater is stockinette.

Once I finished the second sleeve, the rest of the weekend was spent working on the Log Cabin Blanket. I completed all of the seaming, and have already started the crochet border. I can honestly say that this project will be finished this week.

I'm still trying to decided what to do about my camera. I hope that I can make it until the end of the year without buying one. Maybe there will be some deals after the holidays.

Monday, November 05, 2007

NaKniSweMo, day 5...

Yesterday afternoon, Maya came over and we did some knitting. While I worked on the first sleeve for Katy, she knit away on her NaKniSweMo selection, Breton Girl. I managed to finish the first sleeve despite many minor mistakes. For some reason, I kept forgetting that the pattern is a 4-row repeat. For some reason, I wanted it to be a 2-row repeat...many rows were tinked that afternoon.

Friday, November 02, 2007

NaKniSweMo, day 1...

Katy is off to a strong start. I cast on as soon as soon as I got up in the morning, accompanied by my morning coffee. At the end of yesterday, I had 7 inches of the first sleeve done. That's the first 5 of 11 increases. The stockinette is kind of boring, but it goes by pretty quickly.

Unfortunately, I discovered that my camera isn't working. Argh. Last weekend when I went to take pictures, the thing couldn't turn on. I attributed it to a dead battery. Well, after what should have been a full charge, the camera still doesn't turn on. I even tried the battery in AF's camera (same model), no go. Then, I tried his battery in my camera. It turned on, but then I couldn't get it to turn off. The following picture was taken this morning courtesy of AF's camera. Please, excuse the horrible lighting!



Let it be known that this discovery was made exactly one year after the camera was purchased, so it's no longer under warranty. Oh well, a new camera might be at the top of my Christmas list (again).

Monday, October 29, 2007

meet Katy...


This is one of the Rowan International patterns that is available to subscribers. I will be attempting to knit Katy in the month of November as part of National Knit a Sweater Month, NaKniSweMo for short.

The pattern calls for Rowan Denim, but I will be making mine in Elann's Den-M-Nit Pure Indigo Cotton. I knitted two swatches over the weekend, one on Sz5 and one on Sz6 needles. Both times I got 11 st = 2", when I'm supposed to be getting 5 st per inch. I'm going to re-knit the swatch on Sz6 in a different needle just to make sure. I will be casting on on Thursday morning!

Thursday, October 25, 2007

preparing for a challenge...



Details next week!

impromptu update...

I'm constantly surprised by how much I try to fit into any given day...sleep, eat, work, knit, practice, rinse, repeat. Unfortunately, I haven't been managing my time nearly as well as I would like. Maybe I have too much on my plate...maybe I'm just not putting enough effort into it.

I definitely haven't been putting as much effort into my knitting as I would like. I'm still procrastinating when it comes to finishing the Log Cabin Blanket. I got to the point where I had five strips, then things fell apart. That was nearly a month ago! I swear at this rate, this damn thing will be a Christmas present, not a wedding present. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll have much time to work on it this weekend while I'm hiking with the happy couple the blanket is meant for...

I'm almost done with my Rozas! I just turned the heel of the second sock on Monday. I've been slogging away at these socks on the bus ride every day. Since I haven't finished an object in a really long time, I'll be glad to see them done. Here's a little preview.


As for Starsky...It was over before it started. I just couldn't get into this pattern. As much as I want to make this sweater, I don't have the attention span right now. I was finding the leaf pattern to hard to commit to memory, mainly because there are a few rows where you have to p2tog on the wrong side. I also wasn't happy with how densely it was knitting up. I'm going put this one back in the queue and start again later.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

knit, frog, repeat...

There's a whole lot of ripping going on, chez needleGirl! I've been slowing piecing the Log Cabin blanket squares together, only to realize that I had two squares that just wouldn't work. Somehow, I had knit one too many of one pattern and completely botched another. I am ripping these two and knitting the correct patterns.

I have been using mattress stitch to join the squares because it is what I am most proficient with. I considered doing a crochet join, but found it really hard to get things to line up correctly where the bound off edges meet salvage edges. I have completed 3 out of the five rows (with five squares in each row). I'm going to block these three rows this weekend.

My second frog fest takes the form of Roza's sock. I hadn't been working on this project since I wanted to finish up the blanket. A couple of weeks ago, I got together with Maya for some knitting, so it seemed natural that I work on it. I had gotten about 5 inches of the leg done, and decided to carefully try it on...Can you see where this is going? The sock-to-be was very tight around my foot, and there is absolutely no way that I could work it around my heel and onto the leg. So, Roza got a one-way ticket to the pond. What really sucks is that I took time to swatch for this project, and things should have worked out. On the bright side, I can go back and add the garter stitch detail that the pattern has, but I neglected to include the first time around.

Friday, September 14, 2007

sleeves are boring...

At least they're quick. I completed the first sleeve for Starsky. I started it on Wednesday and finished this morning on the ride to work. I figure most people know what a knitting sleeve looks like, so I'll spare you of boredom.

Have a good weekend!

Thursday, September 13, 2007

the part that I forgot...

Back in February, when I started the Log Cabin Blanket, I never expected that it would take long to knit. For some reason, I thought that I would be able to churn out square after square after square. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. Seven months later, I have finished knitting square...albeit, ten fewer than originally planned.

Now, there's just one more thing...blocking and finishing! Yup, I have to join my 25 squares into one united project. I should be able to start this process over the weekend, but I really have no idea how much time it will take. I'm thinking about crocheting the squares together. It just seems like it would be the quickest way to get the job done. I'm also thinking of putting some kind of edging around the blanket once all of the pieces are together. You know, something to make it look really finished.

The only other dilemma I'm having is whether the blanket will need a backing. My big worry is that the knitting isn't firm enough to withstand years of use. For some reason, I think a simple backing might give it a little more sturdiness...Plus, it might help conceal all of the ends on the wrong side. I'll see how long the assembly process takes, first.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

what's up next?

With only 3 more blocks to knit for the Log Cabin blanket, I'm already starting to get an itch to start another project. Plus, once I finish knitting the squares, I'll need a new project to take with me on the bus. Even though I'm tempted by things such as Oslo, Bridges, and Geneva, I think I should stick to my original line-up for the year. So, next up will be Starsky! I've wanted to make this sweater since it was first released, and it looks like it could be the perfect early-fall addition to my wardrobe.

In other news, my friend Maya is spending the fall in DC! She arrives tomorrow. I'll be cleaning up the apartment tonight, so that AF and I don't look like complete slobs...I hope she remembers to bring the socks we started in Cali.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

log cabin running low...

I'm running out of time and yarn. I've been working during all of my free time to finish up the Log Cabin Blanket. Last week, I finished another row of blocks, and even re-knit the block that I think I lost...I was at 57%, and figured I should check out how much more yarn I had.

Well, when I opened up the stash, I was sadly to find that I only had 3 balls of each color left. I don't think that's going to be enough to make my original design:

Log Cabin 1
Unfortunately, Elann doesn't carry the yarn that I'm using in the colors I need anymore. I decided that I would make an amended version of the blanket. It's going to be only 5x5, instead of 5x7 as I originally intended. I've come this far, so I have to finish this project. The new version will look like this:
Log Cabin 2
With the quick design change, and another few days of knitting, I'm 84% done with the knitting! With the wedding two weeks away, I feel a lot better with those numbers. My new goal is to have this ready for the happy couple when they return from the honeymoon, some time in late-October.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

the cure: re-visited

By no fault of my own, something has tried to take hold of my living space. Instead of getting too upset, AF and I are looking at it as a fine opportunity to delve back into Apartment Therapy. This time, by necessity, we are starting in the bedroom...If you go by the book, the bedroom doesn't get any play until week 7.

So far, we've thrown out a dresser and an armoire. I've lightened my yarn load by dashing some acrylic yarns that were stored under the bed. Tonight, I will try to get rid of even more clothing. But, the hardest hit victim has been our bed itself. Though it is only four months old, we were forced to part with the well-crafted backboard. With any luck, once we lighten our load and eradicate our unwanted guests, we will get a new backboard fitting of the new decor.

If your apartment is in need of therapy, check out the upcoming cure.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

my california vacation...

In case anyone was wondering, I had a great time in Sacramento...I've actually been back for two weeks, now.

After a marathon flight (via Charlotte and Las Vegas), I was glad to see Maya at the airport. Somehow, we managed to stay up 'til 4am that first night. I was feeling exceptionally good for being awake over 24 hours!

Thursday, we spent the morning at a cafe. Maya did some work, while I worked on the Log Cabin Blanket. I had finished one square on the plane, and was well into another by the time we left the cafe. We then went to lunch with some of Maya's friends. After lunch, we visited Rumpelstiltskin to buy some yarn and needles. It was a cute little store, but the stock at the time was a little limited. Maya and I decided that we would make Roza's Socks as a knit along.

Friday morning, we started packing up for our weekend at Oz Farm in Mendocino. For Maya's birthday, went spent the weekend in a domes structure that the farm rents. That's right, we spent a few days in a geodesic dome! The setting was awesome, looking out over an open field.


Oh, and there was also knitting to be had!

That's Laura, who got a crash course in knitting. She picked it up like a natural!

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

I'm going back to Cali, Cali, Cali...

It's time to take this show on the road. I leave tomorrow for Sacramento. I'm going to visit my friend Maya, and to celebrate her birthday. It's been over three years since I've been to California. The last time was also for a birthday celebration. (It seems to be a recurring theme). I'm really excited to visit Maya. She has been living in Sacramento for quite a few years, but I have never visited her there.

My cross-country flight will provide an excellent opportunity to work on my Log Cabin squares. That's the only project that I will be bring on the plane with me. I'm sure to get a little bored with it, but I need to focus on getting more squares completed.

Maya is also a knitter! If all goes well, I will be giving her a crash course on sock knitting. As her birthday gift, I have offered to supply her with everything she needs to make her first pair of socks...a knit along, of sorts. I'm not sure if an actual pair of socks will be completed in a week, but we'll be able to finish them when she comes to DC in September.

See you next week!

Friday, July 20, 2007

14*/35...

I have been working on my Log Cabin Blanket off and on since February. When I started, I calculated that I would need to knit a little more than one block per week to have things complete in time for their September wedding. Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned.

I knit many of the 15 completed blocks while riding the bus to and from work. This is a very portable project...It's also a very monotonous project. After a few weeks, I got a little bored with it, and knit a couple pairs of socks. Then life got really busy, and I had little time to breath...much less knit. Now, with only a little more than 7 weeks until the wedding, I find myself only with 40% of the squares needed for the originally blanket design.


*Technically, it should be 15/35, but one of my squares has gone AWOL.

I will need to knit almost 3 blocks a week to meet the deadline! I'm not sure I can make it on time, but I'm going to keep plugging along. I'm devoting today to log cabin knitting. I had a few chores to wrap up this morning, and I will now install myself on the sofa for miles and miles of garter stitch.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

a mid-summer debut...

Please ignore the goofy look on my face. AF loves to take pictures right at the moment just before you're ready. In this case, I think I was in the middle of talking about how much I really didn't want my picture taken. Either way, our recent trip back to his hometown proved to be a perfect place to debut my Summertime Tunic from the Summer Interweave.

I started this project a couple of weeks after the magazine came out. I thought it would be a quick and easy project. I used Jaeger Trinity, that I recycled from an underworn project. I think the yarn is perfect for this top because it's lightweight and has an slightly uneven, bumpy quality.

This was the first time that I have visited Michigan in the summer. Usually, we visit AF's family around Thanksgiving or Christmas...which automatically means cold weather and snow. However, the 4th of July was perfect! The sun shined every day. We visited the Midway at Summer Celebration and rode the Ferris wheel. We walked around the downtown, which is going through a renaissance of sorts. And, we even made time to drive up to Silver Lake for a dune ride.

Monday, July 02, 2007

Mid-year execution review...

A post wherein I apologize for not writing a post in nearly 3 months, and I try to make up for it by updating all knitting-related things.

That's right, it's been nearly 3 months since writing a post. I didn't miss it as much as I thought I would. To tell you the truth, there's been a lot going on. Since it's mostly non-knitting related, it really has no place on my knitting blog. That doesn't mean that I haven't been knitting! So on to the knitting content!

At the beginning of the year, I laid out a few loose resolutions for 2007. I'm proud to say that the only new yarn that I have bought this year was for my less than stellar efforts to take part in Sock Madness and the shipments that I have received as a member of Rockin' Sock Club™...all sock yarn. I haven't even used my "Get Out of Jail Free" card!

I haven't been as committed to the 1st seven of '07. So far, I have only finished one project from the list, the Aran Tee. I have also been *slowly* chipping away at the Log Cabin Blanket. Of the 35 squares that I need to complete the blanket, I have finished 12. That's about a third...with only two and a half months before the recipients are to be wed. (EEK!) I also have a few more finished objects that weren't on the 1st seven list that I am hoping to share very soon.

Thursday, April 05, 2007

out, but not down...

I decided that I would continue to knit the Sock Madness socks, even though I'm not in the competition any more. I restarted the week 2 sock last Wednesday after finding a more suitable yarn, and managed to finish them in about week...Not too shabby!


I finished these yesterday afternoon, just in time for the release of the Week 3 pattern. I'm not all the crazy about the idea of a sock with cuffs...I don't imagine they will make my legs look all that flattering. But, I'm still going to knit them. I'm making mine in a solid color, though. So far, I have knit one of the borders. I'm going to make both before picking up stitches for the sock.

Since, I'm no longer competing, my goal is to finish these before the next pattern is released.

Monday, March 26, 2007

sock madness...I'm out.

First, I want to congratulate Kellie for moving on to the nest round! She completed the 2nd pattern just over two days.

Unfortunately, my endeavour wasn't nearly as successful. I seemed to have a lot of things going against me this round. First, there were lots of time obligations -- practice the night that the pattern was released, a dinner Friday night, and general business all day Saturday. By the time I had more than 10 minutes to sit and knit, it was Sunday morning. At that point I had made it only to the heel of sock #1. But, I kept knitting.

I had decided to make this sock using Elann's Esprit yarn, since I already had it in my stash. I even took time to do a swatch last week, and everything looked good. Well, after turning the heel of sock #1, I thought I'd try it on. That's when I decided to throw in the towel. I couldn't even get the sock onto my foot. It was just too tight. I think I would need to go up a couple of needle sizes for it to work out.

I'm out of the competition, but I'm still going to knit the socks. I looked through the stash and have a couple of other yarn possibilities. Maybe I can even finish before the next round begins.

Monday, March 19, 2007

sock madness: round 2...

This week, I'm gearing up for the next round of Sock Madness. The first round officially closed on Saturday...Although there were several people who knit this pattern in 2 days, a new pair of socks finished in a week is nothing to sneeze at.

The new pattern is supposed to be released some time Thursday afternoon/evening. Until then, I will be swatching and picking yarn. All I know is that this pattern calls for a sport weight yarn, yet it should be knit at 7 stitch per inch. The organizers recommend a variegated yarn, but say that any color will do.

In round 2, I am paired up with Kellie. To advance another round, I will have to complete the socks and submit a picture before she does. I'm hoping that the pattern will be released before I leave work on Thursday, so I can cast-on on the way home from work. I'm busy all day next Saturday, and will have to make up some time on Sunday. I have a feeling this next round will take me longer than 3 days.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

round one...done.

Due to severe illness, I was home sick yesterday. On a positive note, I was able to finish my Mad Cow Socks.


The first pattern was very straight-forward. I think yarn selection really makes this sock special. Thankfully, I had the right yarns already in my stash. Mine are made of Patons Kroy (hunter green) and Knit Picks (Redwood Forest), using size 2 needles. This was my first sock with short row heels...definitely something I could use more practice executing. I made them top-down because I didn't want to stress about how to do the toe and the heel. I am pleased with how they turned out.

I'm not sure what round two will bring. I'm pretty sure I can't afford to take too much time off just to knit socks. Plus, there are some super speedy knitters out there. When I checked the Sock Madness site on Sunday morning, there were already people posting finished socks!

Monday, March 12, 2007

sock madness: round 1

The first pattern for Sock Madness, Mad Cow Socks, was released early on Saturday morning. I took a few false starts before finding a color combination that I thought would look good with the pattern. Thankfully, I had yarn already in my stash! Here are some progress shots:
After turning the first heel.
First sock complete!
Second sock on the needles

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

one more sleeve...

That's how much knitting is left on my Aran Tee! After getting a little frustrated by my sewing project (and running out of fabric), I clear the deck and relaxed with some knitting. Unfortunately, I became very frustrated with the knitting once I got to the front neck shaping. It took about 6 attempts to knit the neck before I realized that I would need to write out instructions for each row, including a stitch count for each row. For some reason, I just couldn't get the berry stitch pattern to work once I started making decreases at the neck.

It's going to be another busy week chez needleGirl if I'm going to finish this sweater and my sewing project before the start of Sock Madness. Now that I have more fabric, tonight is going to be devoted to sewing. Hopefully, there will be some extra time later in the week to block the Aran Tee.

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

it's always the knitting that suffers...

I've been pressed into service! I'm working on a top-secret sewing project. (Yup, I can sew when the spirit moves me.) I'm hoping that it's only a short-term thing...no longer than a week. Unfortunately, this project is eating away at my nighttime knitting. I might post the results her in a few weeks, but no promises.

I'm making steady progress on the Aran Tee. I manage about 5 rows on the way to work, and another 5 on the way home. I'm still a few rows away from the armhole shaping for the front. I would like to finish knitting this project before Sock Madness begins in a couple of weeks...Thank goodness for short sleeves!

Monday, February 26, 2007

madness!

Sock Madness, that is...I'm really not sure what came over me, but I just signed up for this competition-based knit along. Every two weeks, the organizers will release a new pattern. You get paired up with someone out in the blogsphere, and try to finish knitting the pair of socks first.

Since I have only completed three pairs of socks, I signed up as a novice. I'm not jaded enough to think I could win, but I think it will be a lot of fun. And, at the end knit along, I could have 7 new pairs of socks!

Thursday, February 22, 2007

call & response...

I started writing a response a comment to my last post (left by Jessi). Once I saw it was getting a little long, I figured I’d just turn it into today’s post:

I also think I might have a sizing issue. I was really disappointed that the pattern is written in such limited sizes. I'm working on the 34" size, which should be okay, but very fitted. The next size is 38", which would be much too big. I'm sure I could have add more repeats of the Berry pattern to get an inch or two larger, but then I would have to work out the shoulder shaping.

I really like Swish. The yarn is pretty soft on the hands, and is kind of springy. I’ve never worked with Wool of the Andes, but this stuff has a lot of give. With any luck, I will be able to block the pieces out and get an extra inch in the bust.

I picked the color to fit in with my wardrobe. I wanted a neutral color that fits with my standard black and blue, but didn't want to worry about stains or it getting dingy. I’m pretty set in my ways, and gave little thought to joining Project Spectrum.

Also, Jessi, sorry that your Aran Tee didn't turn out the way you wanted.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

i love aran...

I'm absolutely pleased with this project. The aran patterns are easy enough to memorize, yet complicated enough to keep it interesting. I just completed the back, and am a few inches into the front.

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

more cables...

I have decided to shelve my Gatsby Girl Pullover for a while. I know I said that I would complete all of my 2006 UFOs before starting my 1st seven, but I just couldn't bear to know any more 1x1 ribbing. I still love the pattern, and think that the yarn is perfect for it...I just need a little space. In the end, I will most likely substitute one of the 1st seven for this project. It may be cheating, but I'm not buying any new yarn (yet).

With nothing else on the needles, I turned to my list and chose the Michael Kors Aran Tee as my first new project for 2007! This pattern is from the Holiday 2005 Vogue Knitting. If it weren't for this pattern, I might not have bought the issue. I knew that I would never get to knit it in the Plymouth Royal Cashmere recommended by the pattern. (At $32 a skein, times 9 skeins, I might as well go out and buy an MK sweater). But, I also knew there would be a ton of substitutions available.

My version will be a bit more practical. I'm using Knitpick's Swish. I bought it last year to make a baby sweater. Even though I only needed two skeins I bought ten so I could get free shipping! Cast on Friday morning, and have been flying through the rows every since.


The patterns are a lot easier than they appear. The trickest part has been remembering to put the bobble in the middle of the diamond motif. I have made a couple of small mistakes, but figure I will live with them since they are on the back. I will be much more careful when I start the front.

The yarn is great, and shows the stitch patterns really well. I've heard that the yarn tend to shrink when you machine dry it, but I don't really plan on throwing this piece in the dryer. I can't believe it has taken me two years to start this project.

Monday, February 12, 2007

1st FO of '07...

That's right...I finished something! I now present Butterfly:

Pattern: Butterfly by Jennie Atkinson (Rowan Magazine 37)
Started: Feb 9, 2006
Finished: Feb 8,2007
Yarn: OnLine Linie 09
Needles: Denise Sz7

I started this project last February hoping that I would be able to complete it before the weather got warm. Well, things didn't quite work out that way! After a quick start, Butterfly was dashed aside and replaced with wedding planning. I worked on it off and on, but never really got back into it...I finally picked it up again once I laid out the rule that I would finish my '06 UFOs before starting '07 projects. I finished the knitting last weekend, and quickly blocked the pieces.

Once the two pieces were seemed together, I added the picot edging and the top and the straps. Instead of garter stitch, I made the straps in i-cord. I hope this make them a little more sturdy.

I'm very happy with the way this one turned out, and it's done just in time for Valentine's Day. Now that I have officially finished all Six of '06...Let the new knits begin!

Thursday, February 08, 2007

interweave goodness...

I got my Spring issue in the mail last night, and poured over it on the bus ride to work this morning. In my opinion, this is their best issue in years! I always enjoy the technical articles, but have found the project patterns spotty. In some issues, there would literally be just one or two patterns that I could actually see myself knitting. Well, that all changed this time around! Here are a few of my favs:


Wednesday, February 07, 2007

socks that rock...

I have been reading about this year for a while, but haven't experienced it myself. Last year, I managed to knit three pairs of socks. I thought that was pretty good for a sock newbie. So, I never got caught up in the STR fever. Plus, the price tag was a little higher than your average sock yarn.

I became even more fascinated by this yarn once I learned about the Rockin' Sock Club. What an awesome idea! Unfortunately, I didn't hear about the club until after sign-ups had closed. So, I signed up for their waiting list instead.

Well, Friday was my lucky day. I got an email from Blue Moon Fiber saying that there are still spaces in the club. Remember that sock yarn is not included in my Yarn diet. With that in mind, I jumped at the chance and signed up...Soon, I will have Socks that Rock, too!

Wednesday, January 31, 2007

i'm gonna build a log cabin...

A couple of months ago, a very good friend announced that he had just gotten engaged. Not only is Mr. I a friend, he was AF's best man. I quickly started to think of gifts that would be appropriate for the happy couple. I'm not so sure they will register anywhere, and I want the gift that I get them to be truly special...Of course what could be more special than something that I make myself? So, I'm going to make them a blanket.

Since I don't have many blanket patterns, I went searching the Interweb for inspiration. Needless to say, there was no shortage of inspiration. However, there was one blanket that stuck out from the rest...the log cabin! I'm not sure why this design appealed to me at first, but I was especially impressed with the version found here and possible designs being tested here. Pure genius!

So, I thought I'd try my hand at designing a Log Cabin blanket for the couple. So far, I've come up with this design:
I wanted the blocks to be organized, but still a little random looking. Also, the colors are nothing like what I'm envisioning...I be working in three shades or brown that I bought from Elann at the end of last year.

Oh, and speaking of log cabins...This is where you'll find me this weekend. Perhaps, I'll start my Log Cabin a the cabin.

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

nothing but trouble...

I really hate to admit it, but my Gatsby Girl has been nothing but trouble for me. So far, I have had to re-knit one of the sleeves...the picot edge didn't match on the two. I knit a majority of the back twice...I forgot to change needle sizes after the picot edge. As I came close to the armhole shaping on the front, I decided to compare it to the back...They're the same length, even though my notes tell me that I have another 10 rows to knit before starting my shaping!

I have literally taken the project, balled it up, and thrown it in a bag. I just don't know how I'm going to deal with this. I'm so tired of 1x1 ribbing. And, I can think of nothing more torturous than having to restart this project...Perhaps what I need is some distance from Gatsby girl. You know, some time to reflect on my options.

Remember, I said that I would finish my UFOs from last year before moving on to the 1st seven of '07...But, would Gatsby be a UFO if I have to restart it? What if I move this project from the UFO list to the 1st seven list? Does that count as cheating?

Oh well...While Gatsby waits in purgatory, I have picked up Butterfly after a very long hiatus. It took some time to decipher my pattern notes and figure out where I had left off, but I'm heading in the right direction. I have a few more rows to knit, and this one will be blocking in no time.

Thursday, January 25, 2007

picture of the week...


Here's my progress on the back of the Gibson Girl Pullover. I snapped this right before walking out the door this morning. I'm done with all of the shaping and will be starting the lace pattern soon. All I can say is that I'll be happy when I'm done with the cabling and 1x1 ribbing. This is the last piece so with any luck, and would love to finish this project by the end of the month...too ambitious?

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

continuing resolution...

Knit Year resolutions...I have been trying to decide whether to participate in some kind of yarn diet this year. It would be the third year in a row to begin with a yarn diet. Instead of looking for reasons why I should be part of a yarn diet, I looked for reasons why not to...As you could imagine, there were very few reason why I shouldn't.

Next, I started thinking of projects that I've been wanting to knit for a while. It wasn't too hard to think of projects that I had already bought yarn for. I also have yarn that will be very easy to find a pattern for. So, I will be yarn dieting, again.

This years rules:

  1. The 1st seven of '07/Knit-From-Your-Stash will continue until all seven projects are complete
  2. I will not buy yarn during that period, with the following exceptions:
    2.a. Sock yarn does not count. (taken from Wendy & L-B)
    2.b. If I am knitting something and run out of yarn, I may purchase enough to complete the project
    2.c. I get one "Get Out of Jail Free" card (taken from Wendy & L-B) -- will most likely use this around birthday time.
  3. I must complete 2006 UFOs before casting on for 2007 projects

The list:

  • Log Cabin Throw (tbd, wedding gift for a friend)
  • Michael Kors Aran tee (Vogue Knitting, Holiday 2005)
  • Starsky (Knitty, Winter 2005)
  • Fiery Bolero (Interweave, Summer 2005)
  • Ene's Scarf (Scarf Style)
  • Deep V Argyle Vest (Eunny Yang)
  • Hush Hush (Knitty, Summer 2004)

I also resolve to post a leat one knitting picture to the blog each week. Things are very busy Chez needleGirl, but I should be able to snap at least one quick picture a week...Afterall, I did get myself a new digital camera for something.

Monday, January 22, 2007

blue monday...

I'm three weeks in to the new year, and it's been a very slow start. Although, today is supposed to be the most depressing day of the year, I'm feeling pretty good.

I don't have any debt! I was able to get through Christmas without overspending on gifts. We paid off the rest of the wedding bills. And, I got a new couch! Thanks to generous wedding gifts. The only other purchase I have to deal with is getting a new set of wheels...skates that is.

I did make resolutions for the year. They are not knitting related, so I have not posted them here. As much of a struggle as resolutions can be, I'm doing pretty good at sticking to mine. I have to remember that resolutions are meant to be a goal for the entire year, not just the month of January.

I have been working out my knitting resolutions, and hope to have those up very soon.

Monday, January 08, 2007

Book Sale...

I'm hoping to free up some space on my bookshelf. Actually, I'm trying to limit the amount of knitting books that I own. I know that I couldn't possibly knit everything in every book, so I want to weed out a few. So, I am offering the following books at 50% off the cover price plus actual shipping costs (tbd once I know where you're at).

Stitch 'N Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook ($7 + shipping)
Stitch 'n' Bitch Nation ($8 + shipping)
Hip to Knit ($9.5 + shipping)

The Yarn Girls' Guide to Simple Knits ($15 + shipping)
100 Afghan Squares to Knit ($12.50 + shipping)

These are all in excellent/almost new condition. If you're interested in any of these please book leave me a comment, including contact info, and I will be in touch. I will accept payment through PayPal or by money order.

Happy (belated) New Year!

I've wanted to do a year-end wrap up post for a couple of weeks now. Unfortunately, every time I sit down to do it I realize that I would like to post some pictures along with it...no pictures have meant no post. argh!

I also want to write a post about projects that I'm going to work on this year, but I feel that should come after the year-in-review post. double-argh!

So, I'm just dropping by to wish everyone a Happy New Year!