my new favorite socks

I finished my Jeweled Steps socks tonight, from the Cat Bordhi book, New Pathways for Sock Knitters. They are sidestream architecture. (Ralvery details.) So far, they are my favorite of the socks I've knit from this book. I might have to revisit that once they've been worn and washed a few times, but they sure are gorgeous and they feel great right off the needles!

blueberry-grapes steps

It probably helps that I am utterly and completely in love with this colorway. I bought some of it in Bamboozle to make a Ribbi Pulli, along with the Bamboozle that was my last failed attempt at the Bombshell Tee. We'll see how that goes. The only negative thing about these socks was my own fault, I had a major case of second sock syndrome partially because I couldn't find my notebook with my measurement and stitch numbers in it so I had no idea how many stitches to increase and all that. Silly me. I'm glad they're done and I look forward to wearing them!

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Advertisement

a blankety week

It's been all blankets all the time around here this week. Back in January I saw the book Knitalong online somewhere and started to think about making a blanket for Anabel's new little one. Specifically, I saw the Blessingway blanket, which looked like something Anabel would like. I talked to Kristi about it and we debated whether that was the right project, particularly since the book wasn't out and then thought about doing something more square, but what yarn? What patterns? You know, all the things you debate when starting a project. Kristi then happened to see a class a couple of friends of hers taught at her local LYS on log cabin knitting. We discussed a couple of different yarns to use and then settled on Pakucho. Kristi picked some colors and I knit the first square.

We decided that we had a winner! So Mary and I wound yarn into the kits and distributed it to Janice, Lisa D, Lisa L, Karen, Rachel, Jeni, Teenuh, Jill and, last but not least, Cookie. One kit was sent off to Kristi and then I waited for them all to come back. There were more knitters than there were squares to knit, so Juls and Hannah contributed to the ordering of the yarn. The last square was delivered to me on Thursday at which point I got the crazy idea that we could finish the blanket by today because Kristi is in town and I thought it would be nice for her to be there when we gave Anabel the blanket. I sent out a desperate plea for help with seaming and Cookie, Jeni, Lisa D, Karen and Teenuh all came over yesterday evening to help. Thanks all! By 11pm, the squares were seamed.

blanket pieced

Originally I had a crazy plan (I'm all about the crazy plans) for a border with mitered corners. Then I thought about an i-cord border. In the end I was pressed for time and overwhelmed by how large the blanket had become. Each of those blocks is 12" square! So, in the end, a crochet edging was added in natural. I did one row of single crochet and then one of half double crochet. I was pleased with the result.

done!

I presented it to Anabel at our special Saturday-Kristi-visiting edition of BobaKnit. I'll have to leave it to someone else to post a picture of Anabel with the blanket because I, of course, forgot my camera. After all that. I hope Anabel and her new little person enjoy the blanket! Also, now that we're done, you're free to give birth. I know this blanket is just what you were waiting for. (Insert winking smiley here.)

(To those BobaKnitters mentioned here who haven't signed the card for Anabel, I have it, touch base with me so you can sign it, or email me a message to put in!)

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

not knitting

This is not a knitting post. I haven't done much knitting in the past few days because I have been finishing up the quilts for the Textiles class at Niels' school. We are setting up a show of the kids' artwork from this year at the city hall rotunda tomorrow. (If you're local, come check it out!)

In any case, here are the fruits of our labor.

More kids picked the green/blue squares to make so that is why that quilt is larger. I also have two black/yellow squares left to make a pillow like I did for the green/blue one. I have to find those squares before Monday, when the reception for the art show is.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

finished february baby sweater

The February baby sweater I was knitting is finished. Niels helped me pick out the cute wooden buttons. I hope the recipient likes it! (Ravelry project details.)

february baby sweater

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

niels’ art

A friend asked about Niels' drawings when I described them to her recently, so here is one.

I put notes on the Flickr page from Niels telling me what was happening here. The arrows are where the rocket ship moves and the crossed out ones "we don't use."

Read and post comments

finished and unfinished

I finished a scarf for a friend's birthday tonight. It was crochet, so I feel like it's cheating. Crochet goes so fast! I actually crocheted it two times, once with a single strand of the yarn (Art Yarns Regal Silk) and then again doubled. It works better doubled. I don't have a great photo of it, though, because it's totally not my style and I feel silly in it. I think it will look great on my friend though. I hope she likes it. (Ravelry details)

ruffle cravat

I still have finished either Oblique or the February baby sweater. I did get some buttons, though. I also started working on my Amy Butler bag but my mom needed her sewing machine back, so I will have to wait until Friday to make any progress. This Thursday is my last Textiles class and then I'll have to hand sew the binding on the quilts. I might recruit some help for that one because they need to be done for the Arts reception on the 24th. That doesn't feel like much time for a lot of tedious hand sewing.

I've also been contemplating the general demeanor of knitters. Maybe it's knitters on the Internet, maybe it's knittiners on Ravelry or maybe it's just people in general but everyone feels somewhat hostile recently. Then again, maybe it's me? Don't worry knitters, it's not you, it's me.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

knitting, just a bit

I've been busy recently, just not knitting that much. Oblique is pretty much done, but I'm not entirely happy with it. I need to fix a few things, namely the bit where the two fronts connect is weird. Also, I think the ribbing needs to be longer and tighter, I did it on larger needles because I wasn't sure I wanted it pulling in, but I don't like it. Here's one not so great picture.

oblique

I am almost done with a February baby sweater. I'm using Maizy in the Fruit Ice colorway and I think it's very cute.

The rest of what I've been up to is no knitting related. I've been sewing! (I know, shocking!) I am helping to teach a textiles class at Niels' school and the kids made quilt squares. My mom put the squares together into a top for me and I made a back, trimmed the top to be more even, cut the batting and made a pillow from the two extra squares we had. Tomorrow, the kids will start quilting it. I have a second quilt in  yellow and black to put together for next week.

quilty stuff

Last, but not least, I finally made use of my too-small Ravelry shirt. I was going to make a grocery bag out of it, but then I realized that a drawstring bag would actually be more useful, so that's what I did.

where my stitches at?

My mother loaned me her travel sewing machine (a Janome) for all of this and I love it. I am seriously considering getting one of my own. I want to make myself an apron that is actually comfortable and at least one Amy Butler bag pattern. Just what I need, another hobby, right?

Read and post comments | Send to a friend