little bit of crazy leaking out

I have some FOs.

 

pattern: Einstein Coat from The Knit Stitch by Sally Melville
yarn: Classic Elite Paint Box
needles:  Clover Bamboo US10 & Brittany Birch US8
cast on: Aug 2nd   cast off:  Aug 23rd   completed:  Aug 31st
notes:  I loved knitting this sweater.  The pattern is so simple but the look is timeless.  Bug loves the sweater but pointed out it needs pockets.  At some point I may add a couple of afterthought pockets, ala Elizabeth Zimmerman, but not right now.  Right now I am going to enjoy the finished sweater.

And what would a month be without a dishcloth, or three . . .

Left to right: Garterlac dishcloth in Sugar n’ Cream Westport, MDBD in Sugar ‘n Cream Cornflower and Jute, Garterlac dishcloth in Sugar ‘n Cream Rosewood (this one reminds me of neopolitan ice cream)

And what did I finish of my August list?

Possible projects for August Project Spectrum knitting:

• seam up and finish ribbing Bug’s sweater - white
• Crosspatch for Dulaan Project - grey & green
• MDBD - what’s a month without a dishcloth
• to get a head start on the holiday knitting:
  socks for BIL - brown - elann Esprit, coffee bean
  socks for other BIL - grey - elann Esprit, charcoal
  We Call Them Pirates for Hubby - grey & ?

Other WIPs

• Lupine Lace socks
• pinwheel blanket 
• toddlers socks for Dulaan Project

Other projects in the queue:

• child’s Einstein Coat for Bug
• Baudelaire
• RPM
• cotton vest for Bubba
• Drops Design 7-5
• Drops Design 7-6
• Aran Pullover for Cousin’s baby, due in October
• Cable Rib Cardigan
• Chunky Girls Sweater - Family Circle Easy Knitting - Fall 2001 - #5
• Child Sweater - Knit ‘n Style - Feb 2006 - #10

I also finished a couple of projects not on the list. Not too bad, if I do say so myself.

pattern:  CIC Toddler Sock 
yarn:  Kraemer Yarns Mauch Chunky - Strawberry Y1007
needles:  Clover Bamboo 5mm
notes:  Love this pattern.  Simple, fast to knit.  I knit the first sock a few months ago and then decided to knit up the second yesterday after Jenn declared this “F your O’s Week”.  One down, too many to go.  These socks will go to the Dulaan Project.

I was able to finish the hat on the way to the fair. 

pattern:  Ann Norling #55 - Head Huggers
yarn:  Marfi (?)  Stripe (I lost the ball band, but I know it was called Stripe)
needles:  Colver bamboo US8
cast on:  Aug 24th   cast off:  August 26th
notes:  If hubby had actually liked the hat (grrr) I would have ripped back the decreases and about 1/2-1″, to shorten it a bit.  Hubby did like the overall fit, he didn’t even mind the length (I did), and he liked how light it was, he just didn’t like the stripes I guess.  Oh, well, it’s not like it was a long or difficult knit.  I’ll make him one in a solid color, later.

ETA: This hat will be going to the The Dulaan Project.  Hubby doesn’t want it and it’s too big for the kidlets, although they both like it, and I really don’t feel like ripping it out and reknitting it to fit either of them. It’s not like I don’t have any more yarn with which to knit them each a hat.

Yesterday after the Great Yarn Giveaway, we met up with my parents and headed off to the Evergreen State Fair.  I was able to knit on the way up and finished the hat.  We arrived around lunchtime, mmmm fair food.  After indulging in all the best that is fair cuisine we headed off to the exhibits.  

The handspinners and weavers, and by extension the items knit with said handspun yarn, had a GREAT setup.  There were half a dozen, or so, spinners spinning on various wheels, one of the two male spinners even had one of the electric production wheels.  There was also a needle felter and a locker rug maker.  The item knit and woven from the handspun yarn, and some handspun skeins were beautifully displayed.  

The knitted, and crocheted, items not made from handspun were not afforded the same respect.  Not. Even. Close.  Those items were in another part of the building all folded, laying flat on display tables, under a sheet of stapled down clear plastic.  ugh!  It was bad.  There weren’t that many items either.  I am so going to enter next year and I’m thinking about contacting the fair and seeing about trying to upgrade the display and maybe see about getting a knitting demo going or try and ogranize something with the spinners and get in on that action.

The kids had fun, they got to ride on tractors . . .

 grind their own flour . . .

and go on some rides . . .

 

 

All in all it was a good day.

Yesterday morning was the “Great Yarn Giveaway” at Ryan’s for the Dulaan Project.  I went.  I was speachless at the vast quantity of yarn.  I brought home yarn.  I only brought home 3 skeins and some small bits.

Now, for a trip through the Total Perspective Vortex . . . (more…)

Before we even set off for the beach I was all in a tizzy about what to bring along to knit.  If I bring too little, I run out of projects to work on.  If I bring to much, well, the family will think me wierd for hauling all this knitting around. 

Well, they already think I’m odd, so, no big deal there.  I packed two WIPs, a couple of projects from the queue.

On the way out of town we stopped at Acorn Street so I could pick up some needles and a copy of the The Knit Stitch.  I’ve checked it out from the library so many times I figure I should go ahead and add it to my personal library.  While I was there I also picked up a organizer for my circular needles.  There was a review of tackle bags for use as circular needle cases on Knitter’s Review a while back.  Well, Acorn Street has some with their logo and in fun colors, I picked purple.

On the way down we encountered a lot of traffic.  Horrible traffic.  Hey, knitting time for me.  I worked on Bug’s Einstein Coat.  After arriving in Westport we had dinner and sat around the campfire, after the kids went to sleep, we sat around the campfire some more, and I worked on the pinwheel blanket.  Nothing like a bit of mindless knitting ’round the campfire.

The next morning we went to an art fair in town, and I found this basket.  It holds a sh*t load of knitting stuff.  I love it.

On our way back from the beach my dad noticed a sign that said “Yarn ‘n Darn Things”.  Hubby turned the van around and we headed back to the shop.  It closed at 4:30, it was 4:45. Darn!  We went back the next day on our way out to the beach and I looked around while Hubby, kids and parents went to the hardware store.  They had a small but nice selection, a complete selection of Brittany needles and several yarn lines I had not seen before.  One was Plymouth Outback Wool, 4sts=1″, huge skeins, very pretty colorways, great price.  I was good and bought one skein in this pretty purple colorway.

There was a matching mohair blend, I was very tempted, but I resisted.  The family came back and we headed off to the beach for a fun filled day, all the while I was thinking about the two other colorways of Outback Wool that would be perfect for Bug and Bubba.  On the way back from the beach we stopped again and I bought more yarn.  Two skeins of each.

    

The one on the left is for Bubba, it is a blend of brown, tan and blue. The one on the right is for Bug, it is a blend of cream, peach, and a grey-blue.  The skeins are 200gms, 370 yards each.

I managed to finish the body of the Pinwheel Blanket, now I just need to decide on, and knit, the border.

This section could be called Why I Hate Noro. 

I was thinking of knitting a scarf in Noro using the Garterlac Dishcloth pattern as a base for the pattern.  The pattern makes it reversible and the changing color of the Noro adds interest.  I started knitting using the 8 stitch square, but I decided that the scarf would be too skinny and ripped it out and changed to a 10 stitch square.  I got thru three squares and encountered a knot (arrow on the left), a change in the colors. Sigh, hate that, but I kept knitting.  I realized pretty quickly I wasn’t going to have enough yarn with the two balls I had, but I wanted to see how far one ball would go, so I kept knitting.  This was received with strange looks and many questions.  Why would I keep knitting if I knew I would gust be ripping it out?  What was the point?  Well, I just wanted to see.  And see I did. 

I like this colorway.  I don’t like the knots that interrupt the color changes.  After finishing the “mega swatch” I started looking at the second ball.  Hey, where is the brown? I started winding the ball and encounted a knot in about the middle of the skein and the colors started again, no browns.  Each of the small balls would be represented by the section between the arrows on the right.  No browns.  I will rip the mega swatch and the Noro will go into my stash until I can think of something to knit.

I finished knitting the Einstein Coat while watching the kids and Hubby swim at the pool, I just need to seam it up and add the buttons.

On the way home I started a hat, in theory for Hubby.  When he asked “Who’s that for?” I got the impression he wasn’t to fond of it so I guess it will end up being for Bubba or the Dulaan Project.

We stopped in Aberdeen for lunch and I went into a very cute yarn shop I had been told I had to go to.  The Yarn Corner at Wiitamaki’s is in the back of a beautiful jewelry store and if you aren’t looking for it, it would be easy to miss.  I’m glad I went.  Look at the cute bags they use!

I picked up an older IK I was missing, some red superwash Cascade 220 for the border of the Pinwheel Blanket, some beautiful lace weight yarn for holiday gifts, and a green Chibi.  Apparently I need a Chibi in every color I can find.  It’s an illness. 

I continued working on the shunned by the Hubby even though I’m working my fingers to the bone hat and apparently this is how much I can knit from Westport to Mukilteo, about 4 3/4″ plus the swatch.

We’re home and the van is unpacked.  We played on the beach, knitted, went fishing, played on the beach, knitted, roasted hotdogs over the fire, made s’mores, bought yarn, oh, and did I mention, knitted. 

Pictures to follow.