NaBloPoMo Day 14: going forward

This morning as I was walking out of my kids’ school I couldn’t help but notice the beautiful sky. I took a picture so I could share it with you. (Maybe there is something to that concern that people are living their lives with the purpose of putting things on the internet. The article I read was talking specifically about Facebook but I think a blog follows. Am I addicted to the internet? [Probably.] Moving on…)

Pretty, right?

I got some knitting done today: I finished casting on and picking up for the second sleeve of my Conic.

I also dug through my yarn to find my leftover Calmer from the cowl as well as some other chemo cap options.

I have two balls which I think are almost complete. I was thinking about striping them in a Shedir. Or perhaps I can find another pattern that would work with stripes. I also have two balls of Bamboozled left (the pale lavender and multi-color) that I’d like use for a different hat. The other yarn in this picture is a full ball of pale blue Calmer which will definitely become a Shedir and a second hank of Sock Candy that I might use to make a second hat like the one Niels modeled here last week.

So many plans, so little knitting time. Dang.

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NaBloPoMo Day 8: the sleeve end is near!

I have not a lot to say today except: look!

My first sleeve is almost done! I have a few more rounds, one more decrease and then I knit the cuff. Let’s not talk about how I will have to cast on 140 and pick up 140 more other stitches after that. (And knit rounds that are 280 stitches.) That is a discussion for another day.

conic progress

I have made some progress with my Conic sweater! First I swatched and washed the swatches. (Are you impressed? You should be.)

I thought it would be pretty important with this yarn because it’s fairly rustic and crunchy I was hoping (really really hoping) that the yarn would relax and soften a bit with a wash and I was right. It’s very drapey now.

I couldn’t get the gauge the yarn in the pattern has so I decided to knit one size smaller and hope for the best. Well, after knitting a few rows I took it to knit night and Veronica reminded me that I was knitting the back panel top-down and I compared mine to hers and realized that mine was much too big. I pulled it off and cast on again for the smallest size (two sizes smaller than the size I’d like it to be). I think it’s working out.

I am glad that we’ll be blocking the back before picking up stitches because I didn’t really pay attention if the swatch grew lengthwise when I washed it. Oops.

sokjes, dyeing and manon

I finished the socks for my niece. They turned out as anklets, but I think they are cute. I hope she likes them. They are the Rushing Rivulet socks from New Pathways for Sock knitters. (Ravelry details)

ivana’s socks

Last week Anabel and I had a mini dyeing party. She wanted to dye some curtains and I had some undyed Panda Cotton and Henry's Attic Soie Naturelle that I wanted to dye and some Henry's Attic Riviera that I wanted to overdye because the hanks were two different shades and I didn't like the color. Here are before pictures, notice my very cool homemade PVC niddy noddy!

And here are after pictures. The very dark purple is the Riviera and the orangey-red is the Soie Naturelle. The two two-tone hanks are Panda Cotton.

These aren't real after pictures because the yarn is still. Not. DRY! Right now they are spread out on a drying rack with a fan underneath and they are progressing much more quickly towards being dry. I like the purple of the Riviera (sorry, Cookie) but I'm a bit disappointed in the silk and the Panda Cotton. Both have lightened significantly as they've dried. Ah well, it's my first try. Maybe I'll get better, if I get up the nerve to try it again. The rinsing was endless.

drying yarn

In other news, I started a new sweater project. On Thursday evening I was talking to Anabel about my failed sweater projects. Well, failed as in I don't wear them: Tomato and Ribbi Pulli. She encouraged me to think about the projects that I've made that I do like and wear, in other words: Rogue. She asked me what it was about Rogue that I liked so much. I've decided that two of the biggest selling points about Rogue for me are that it's All Seasons Cotton, which I love knitting with, and it's a cardigan, which I find easier to wear. So after talking to her I went home and started a new cardigan in All Seasons Cotton, Norah Gaughan's Manon. So far, I love it. I hope my love continues. I think it will, I also really love this color and how the yarn looks with the cables and texture.

manon in progress

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