Sparkly black sweater

Well, the completion of the bath puff came at a good time, as I have now started something else new. This project is going to be my highest priority for now since it is something that I could wear now, rather than the fuzzy warm things like scarves and socks that are also on my needles.

My continued searching for the right yarn to make the Sitcom Chic sweater finally paid off and the Lion Brand MicroSpun paired together with the Patons Brilliant works great! I am getting just the right gauge and so far so good. Yay. (I was thinking of adding a couple of swatch photos here but realized that pictures of black yarn aren't that exciting or necessary. But suffice it to say they are playing nicely together and I love the effect.)

I am only about 2 inches into the bottom of it, but the good news is the back and two sides of the front are worked all as one piece. So far it is going very well, although the yarn took a little getting used to. It requires some care as both yarns that are being used are prone to splitting which then leaves little unsightly pulls. So I am trying to be careful with that.

This project is coming along on the family camping trip this month--and I can't wait!

Bonbon Bath Puff...complete!

Yay! I am happy to report that I have completed something. Woo hoo! My latest finished object is the Bath Puff. And I am very pleased with it so far. That is to say, I like how it turned out, but haven't tried it yet. But here's a pic of it:

I used the Bonbon pattern from Knitty and made a couple of tiny modifications. As mentioned before, I chose not to use the yarn called for, but used a ball of Lion Brand Incredible. That worked out great, and I love the color!

The other thing I changed was how I tied it all up. Instead of using the suggested nylon string, I snagged a zip tie from my husband's stash of handy things and used that instead. That allowed me to get the puff very tightly drawn up in the middle. I also secured all loose ends with it as well as the string with which to hang my newly completed puff.

Second try...

Well, I finally found some yarn that I think will work out for what I need it to do, which is to be carried along with the black sparkly stuff I have (Patons Brilliant) to make the Sitcom Chic sweater. I wandered around several stores, pondering my options. I was about to give up when I found enough in one dyelot of black Lion Brand Microspun that I think might do the trick. I even thought about abandoning the black sparkly sweater and tried to find another nice cotton blend yarn in some fun summer color that would work but no place I tried had enough of one dyelot and I couldn't spot any hiding up on top of the displays.

Anyway, I did find the Microspun and I think the combination of that, which is so delightfully soft and nice, and the Patons Brilliant just might end up being rather nice. That is, if the gauge comes out right! I haven't had time to try a swatch yet but I will soon! More on that later.

Fancy bath puff

So I have started yet another project...I know, I know. But there's just something about starting projects that can't be helped. My justification is that it is a small and potentially quick project. That's my story and I'm sticking to it! It's the bath puff Bonbon from Knitty. I didn't get the yarn the pattern called for, but got some of Lion Brand's ribbon yarn called Incredible in the "Carnival" color. There's a sample of the color on my June 8 post below.

Back later!

Pinkle

What's that? It's pink + purple. :) My husband came up with the term. I thought it was cute. I got some yarn last week that's going to become a felted tote. The pattern calls for two strands to be held together, so I got two colors this time: a bright pink and a purple that's slightly darker, to be held together. It should produce a neat effect, and I figure I can't go wrong since they're my two favorite colors.

I have made this bag before...it was my first felting project, and I thought it was a lot of fun! You can see the product on this page here. That one was the medium sized bag, and this time I want to make the small. I am excited to start this one, but am going to hold off since this will be a great project to take along when we go camping next month.

Dressy sweater wanna-be

Well, so much for that. I really really want to make the Sitcom Chic sweater from Knitty but cannot seem to get my hands on the yarn called for in the pattern, which I like a lot. It calls for Lion Brand Cotton-Ease yarn. So off I went, hitting up all of the local stores that carry Lion Brand yarn. This included two Michaels, A.C. Moore, and a new JoAnn's. Humph. I believe I have now exhausted all of my local resources for this stuff, and looked it up online. The website charges a lot more for it, so now I am just not sure what to do.

The other part of my quandary is some yarn I did get, but which I cannot seem to find a pattern to match. It is Patons Brilliant in Black Dazzle. It's very nice, has a fun sparkle to it. I thought it would make a really fun dressy sweater thingy for wearing out on a summer evening. I have tried searching online for cute sweater patterns and have found some nice ones but the gauge is way off. But I just can't seem to make the gauge work in my favor, and I hate to go up too many sizes of needles for fear that it would end up too thin. So now my thought is to find a thin black yarn to carry along with the sparkly stuff. If I can find something appropriate I might be able to make the gauge work for that yarn and the Sitcom Chic pattern. So here's to hoping.

Just saying Hi

Hi. Haven't got much to report at the moment, but thought I'd post a note anyway.

I was just fiddling around with my template and added some stuff on the right. I added a list of completed projects with links to pictures of them. I'd also seen that nifty progress bar thingy on someone else's knitting blog and thanks to a kind soul on the knitty forums I now have the code for here. :) Very fun.

Knitting is progressing slowly. I did finish the odd little "bag" for my car, which worked out well but isn't worth posting a photo of! Other than that I am alternating between my fuzzy blue scarf and sock #2. They are quite different animals...one is worked on size 11 needles with two yarns held together, all fuzzy and pesky, and the other is on size 3 DPNs with sock yarn! So whatever suits my mood is what I end up picking up.

Okay, my apologies for the boring post. Have been starting to wander around the Knitty Coffeeshop forums, which is fun. Still need to figure out how it all works, but I made my first post, to say thank you for the progress bar code. The internet is an amazing and fun thing!

Until later then...

Odds 'n' Ends

I guess I have been a little behind on my knitting lately. It's been so warm and there are other things to be done around home that I just haven't been doing as much knitting. But I am still plugging away at the blue scarf which I am enjoying working on.

I had come up with an odd little idea of something to make, nothing exciting, but I think it will be useful. In my car, there is a little "table" in the middle of the two front seats. It is a bit hard to describe, but it is hinged on one side and folds down to get out of the way, or can be pulled up to create this "table". It has two cup holders in it and a couple of shallow cubbies. On the two front corners of it are two mysterious hooks whose real purpose I am unsure of. This little table is not high off the ground so hanging things like a bag for trash wouldn't really work. But I came up with an idea to make a little bag that's not very tall, to hang from these hooks. I will make a small basic flat bag with two squares, and then loops on the two top corners to hang on the hooks. I though I could use it as extra storage for things like tissues or my cell phone charger, since the little cubbies in the car are kind of full. I started it last night and am making it in dark blue cotton yarn so that it will blend in and not be obvious. We'll see how that comes out.

The other thing I am about to start making is something I saw a pattern for on knitty.com. It is a bath puff! Here is a link to the pattern. It is supposed to be made from nylon ribbon yarn so that it will dry quickly. I investigated the yarn that the pattern calls for and that seems to be hard to find and pricey. So yesterday when I was in Michael's, I found some colorful, nylon ribbon yarn that might work. It's not the same, no where near as wide I don't think, but it just might work. The yarn I found is Lion Brand Incredible, and the color I chose is called Carnival. Here's a sample of it:

Lion Brand Incredible, in "Carnival"

I will be back with updates and hopefully this funny little project will work out okay!

Something new...

Wow, so here I am posting to a blog. Never really thought I'd take that plunge, but hey. Going to use this to talk about knitting. I'll be back...need to go see about how to change the color scheme...

Okay, I'm back. Have now changed this to a lovely pink, and added a photo to my profile. I realize that I have not yet written a word about knitting, and I am sure everyone is waiting with baited breath. I will get to that, just need to get my bearings here first.

Now my next task will be to figure out how I am going to neatly, and in an organized manner, transfer over all of my posts from my original online knitting journal. Need to go think about this...back later.

Okay, just figured this all out. I discovered that I can change the date on my posts...so I am just going to back-date my old posts! Whoo hoo! Gotta love technology...

The truth comes out! The posts from before today were actually all posted today! See, today is when I started this blog. So anything from today on is truly current. But I am happy that I was able to back-date my previous posts from my old journal. So there ya go.

Blue scarf

Since I have finally gotten my list of In Process Projects under control, (and I was slightly bored working on sock #2), I decided to start a new project. Actually, this is mainly because I was finally able to find the right amount of two particular yarns and colors (and enough of each) that are needed for a particular item that I had spotted a while back in a catalog and thought might be nice to make. It's just so pretty...and a color that is not often found on my needles, so it's very refreshing to me. It is a scarf that is featured in the Lion Brand catalog, and it is a pattern you can buy (it is also offered as a kit).

Here is a link to the pattern which has a picture (just a few typos on that page! ...can't...stop...myself...) and here's a picture of it:

Lion Brand Northern Lights Wrap
(click on photo to see larger image)

I decided that I really didn't need to purchase the pattern in order to make something that looks a lot like it--it's really a very simple pattern of stockinette stitch bordered by garter stitch to keep it from rolling. I think mine will be a bit narrower than the pattern calls for (that was intentional; I didn't want it to be huge and wide) and I have managed to figure out how to make it essentially the same as the one in the picture. You use two different yarns held together throughout, and actually, one of the yarns is made up of two different strands itself, so it's really three very different yarns all together. It's really fun yarn, a little tricky to work with, but fuzzy and quite delightful!

Here are the two yarns as they appear by themselves (the first one is Lion Brand Moonlight Mohair, in "Glacier Bay", and the second one is Lion Brand Trellis, in "Ocean"):

Though the Trellis has more brighter blues than the Moonlight Mohair, the two yarns complement each other very nicely. The Moonlight Mohair is the one that's comprised of two yarns--though it's hard to tell in the picture, it has a strand of a variegated blue mohair (which creates a subtle color shift throughout the knitting), and then a strand of a somewhat sparkly yarn that really makes it quite fun. So far I love the way the scarf is knitting up, and it's a great TV project to work on while catching up on my soap!

Pink bag completely complete

The Pink Bag is now even more complete! The design of this bag is an open top one. This makes it fun and cute, but not altogether practical since there is no closure to keep things secure. However, another fun thing about the bag is being able to see the coordinating fabric lining. So a zipper would really detract from this feature and hide the lining.

Therefore, I decided to make a small zippered pouch that attaches to the inside of the bag. This weekend I took a piece of the watermelon fabric, a bright green zipper and a snap, and I stitched a little bag that attaches via a small strap to a snap inside the bag. This should be a handy spot for small things like pens and chapstick.

Here is a picture of the bag with the little "dinghy" (a great name for it that I got from my friend Jeanne) hanging out of it. Now the bag is truly complete!

Pink pix

The Pink Bag is now complete! AND...I have pictures. :)

As mentioned below, I went to a [brand new and enormous JoAnn's] fabric store with my new pink bag in tow in search of some fun fabric with which to make a lining for it. I happened upon the perfect one, and the pink in the fabric is a perfect match for the yarn I used.

I have never made a lining for a purse before, so I just made it up as I went along. I measured the knitted bag and just sort of made a matching "bag" of the fabric. (Took me a little while to wrap my brain around which way to sew the fabric...I kept wanting to turn it inside out. Did it wrong once, had to start over. Lesson learned.) I then gave it gussets at the bottom to match the knitted bag, and then stitched it around the bottom to the inside of the knitted bag to secure it. I then stitched the top part of the lining to the inside top of the bag, and was very pleased with the result! It's not perfect, the lining's a little skewed, but overall I am thrilled.

So, without further ado, here are some pix!

Here's the bag itself. To give an idea of size, it measures about 9 1/2" by 10".

Here you can see the whole bag, and the lining:

And a close-up of the lining, which I thought was just too fun and too perfect a match!

Pink purse almost complete

The pink bag is knitted! I finished the knitting portion over the weekend. Of course there was much indecision as to whether to put long or short handles on it. Finally decided to put short ones on it, as the pattern suggests. I am pleased with that decision. I actually used the purse yesterday when we went out to run some errands. I want to put a lining in it so I decided to use it as a purse when we went out and stopped at the fabric store along the way so that I could find some fabric to use as the lining. Kudos go to my dear husband who was very patient with me at the store, which was, I might add, a brand new JoAnn's. Very cool...a huge store, complete with many yarn choices. grin.

So my intent was to pick out a fun, coordinating fabric for the inside of the purse...and I was successful. (Now just to sew the thing in there...) I found a fat quarter (just the right amount of fabric) that has a design on it that matches the pink PERFECTLY and is a fun print. I won't share details yet...check back to see pix!   ;)

Pink suede hiccups

Had somewhat of a hiccup with the progress of the pink bag last night (Here's a link to my other post where I first mention this bag I am making). I finished the knitting of the bag to the height I wanted (about 9 inches...the width is about 10). I then needed to figure how many stitches I needed to bind off between the handles, since as I had changed my stitch count I couldn't follow the pattern exactly. Once I determined that, I started my bind-offs and put my handle stitches on holders.

Then it was time for the bottom, and here's where I made my error. I decided to start stitching across the bottom from the start of my rounds (I used mattress stitch--another variation from the pattern which had you casting on with waste yarn and then doing a three-needle bind-off). BUT...the problem was that the bag twists a little, so even though stitch-wise everything lined up, in reality my handles would be off center. So I decided to try and undo my stitching along the bottom and redo it where the bag naturally wanted the side seams. (Now in retrospect I guess I see that this is why the pattern has a side seam? Ah well, live and learn. Still, I am happy I decided to knit in the round because of this funny yarn.) But...trying to undo my stitching along the bottom gave me oodles of troubles and I could not get the stitching undone, so I decided my only option was to undo my bind-offs and redo that part instead. So I sat for a while, undoing each bound-off stitch and putting them back on the needles. Now I need to figure out how it wants to hang, and then act accordingly and put my handles where they will work better.

Pink "suede"

The other day I started a new project...a bag, of course! It's a fun pattern I've had my eye on from Knitty. Here's the pattern. It's a cute little purse made of "suede" yarn. I didn't feel like searching out the exact yarns the pattern called for, so I decided to just find some nice yarn that would make a fun purse. I had settled on a blue/purple variegated stuff, I forget what it's called, but then I turned around...and found this:

Lion Suede, in "Rose"

I just had to have that yarn! It's by Lion Brand, and it's called Lion Suede, and it's just so pink, and so soft and fun. I wasn't necessarily after a "suede" yarn like the pattern calls for but when I spotted this I decided it was fate, since I wasn't really jumping up and down about my previous selection. This got me excited to make the bag, so I knew it was the right yarn! They had other great colors too...a couple of nice purples, one so dark it's almost black.

So I anxiously began my bag, and, so far so good. I have made a couple of modifications to the pattern, mainly because my yarn is thicker than what's called for so I had to reduce my stitch count. I also decided that I wanted to knit it in the round instead of flat with a seam on the side. I decided this partly because who wants a seam where there doesn't need to be one? and also because after swatching this yarn, I found that it's one that you need to keep an even tension on, or you'll get visible irregularities in your stitches--it's not too forgiving. I decided that I'd be more likely to keep it all neat and even if I was just knitting around and around and not purling.

I also noticed when I did my swatch that it's hard to cast on loosely. So for the bag I cast on with a size larger needles. I am still using pretty small needles for this yarn (7s, I think, rather than the 9s the yarn recommends) so it's pretty tight, but do-able.

One thing I am intrigued by is the effect I am getting with this yarn. It's hard to describe, but my stitches are doing funny things such that I am ending up with something akin to corduroy. And since it's so soft and nice like corduroy, that makes it seem all the more like it! Kind of fun actually.

My only fear, which I hope turns out to be unfounded, is that this yarn will "worm" like chenille. It is a similar yarn to chenille, but a lot "denser"...there are more fuzzies to this yarn. Anyway, here's to hoping for no worms!

Sock #1 is done

Okay, I'm back...with photos. :) I completed the grafting (a.k.a. kitchener stitch) on the toe of the first sock. I am very pleased with the sock, and it fits too! So here is a picture of it:

The striped sock
(click on photo to see larger image)

The self-striping yarn really was quite fun and satisfying. It definitely kept your interest since it changed so often. This sock was fun to knit, and overall, the pattern worked out fine, although I did have to make a couple of adjustments.

And some detail of the gusset and the toe:

(click on photos to see larger images)

And now, I go back to the mitten. The striped mitten that I am not so fond of. Here's a photo of it so you can see for yourself and make your own judgements...

The striped mitten
(click on photo to see larger image)

It has potential, but for some reason it is just not that interesting to me. That and it doesn't even fit me, so I might just make the second one and then find a child who might like them. We'll see!

Good stripes and bad stripes

Hi. It's been a while, hasn't it? I've been busy doing lots of stuff...and actually accomplishing things. Unfortunately, they haven't been knitting-related! It's spring cleaning time...

But...I do have this to report: my first self-striping sock is almost complete. I just have to graft the toe, and we're all done. Then it's back to work on its friend! But that's the fun part to me, since I've already worked out all of the kinks and know how many rows to knit, etc., with the first sock. So, I promise to post a picture of the completed sock very soon!

Oh, I almost forgot. I finished the striped mitten...and I am disappointed! First of all, my tried-and-true pattern and stitch and row counts failed me, because the silly thing is too small! I haven't figured out why yet. I have used this yarn before, and I did everything the same. My only thought is that when I was securing all of the ends from changing colors, I might have pulled it a little too tight. Not sure. Secondly, I am not thrilled with the color combo. These colors work better in narrow stripes on the scarf. I am not such a fan of the big stripes. If I re-did it, I might just stick with pink and the two grays. Anyway, I will post a photo of the lone mitten soon. That project has gone to the back burner! I am still thinking about completing the scarf...we'll see.

Photos of striped things

Well, I've finally gotten around to uploading some photos of my works in progress. So without further ado...here are some pix:

Here is a photo of the striped mitten I am working on:

WIP Striped Mitten
(click on photo to see larger image)

Now for the scarf. This is going pretty well, and I like it. Here's a picture of the whole thing, scrunched on the needles:

WIP Striped Scarf
(click on photo to see larger image)

And here are a couple of closeups of both sides of the scarf. Each side is a little bit different. I think that one side is beginning to look more like the "right side" but there really isn't a right or wrong side to this scarf.

(click on photos to see larger image)

Saga of the striped mitten

Hi. Okay, so I don't really have all that much to report on right now, but I have completed a lot more of my first striped mitten. I took a picture...but I didn't upload it yet, and right now I do not have access to it. So we'll have to wait for that one!

I debated re-vamping the mitten...not loving the color combo at the moment, but it's growing on me the more I knit. I loved the pink and gray section, and contemplated frogging the whole thing and just doing pink and gray stripes. But I decided not to do that...so we'll see how the first mitten looks.

Anywho...just wanted to get on here and reorganize a bit. I needed to come up with a plan for "archiving" past entries, so that this page doesn't get too long. I think doing it month-by-month should work well enough. You can now see the link to the February page above.

Back later!

Stripes, stripes and more stripes

My latest new project is more mittens. Surprise, surprise! I have mentioned below the 6-color striped scarf. These mittens will be made from the same yarns so they will go with the scarf. (The gray double-layer hat mentioned below is also meant to go with this set, but I made that in just gray so I can wear it with other things too. By the way, love the hat! I have worn it and it's toasty warm. I would highly recommend that pattern, found here.)

So for the mittens, since I don't feel like dealing with a row-by-row color change like the scarf, I am making big stripes. A total of 11 stripes, where the dark gray will be surrounding each of the other 5 colors. Here's a rough schematic of the mitten (you can scroll down below to see the actual color samples):

Striped mitten schematic

The way I figured out how to make the stripes all even was to count the number of rows (excluding the thumb part) and divide them by 11. Luckily, my row total came to 65 and it was easy to just add one more row to make it an even 66.

I have started the first mitten and am on the blue stripe. So I am not very far along! But I was away this weekend and this isn't the most travel-friendly project what with all of the yarn that needs to go along. Plus, I have to "share" some balls of yarn with the still-in-process scar