little bit of crazy leaking out

February FOs:

• Dulaan Cardigan (not sure if this is going to get ripped, so no picture, but for now it is a FO)
• Steppe Sweater
• 2 dishcloths - MDBB and 4 Corner
• 7 hats for Dulaan  (4 here & 3 below)
• Steppe Sweater 2 (see below)
• KPS socks for Bubba

Well, not a bad month overall.  Knit up lots more than I bought, by almost 30 skeins!  Woohoo, watch that stash disappear!  Okay so 10 of that was Baby Ull I sold to a friend, but still . . .

pattern: Steppe Sweater(pdf)
yarn: Avalanch Yarn
cast on:  Feb 17th  cast off:  Feb 24th
notes:  Knit as written, except for doing intarsia in the placket. 

pattern:  In a Flap Hat (hats on left)
yarn: Elann Peruvian Highland Chunky (small blue/gray hat)
          Kraemer Yarns Mauch Chunky (gray/red hat)
pattern:  Avalanch Hat Pattern (pdf) (hat on right)
yarn: Elann Peruvian Highland Chunky
cast on/off:  February sometime

  

I have been knitting, but the kids were home on mid-winter break last week so I didn’t really have time to blog.  Or, maybe, I just didn’t make time would be more accurate.

My parents took the kids for a sleepover on Thursday so I was able to go to the Thursday morning knitting group at VYT.  It was nice to see the gals again, it’s been months since I have been able to attend.  After knitting group I got my nails filled (boy, did they need it) and while wondering what to do after that I drove past the hair stylist’s.  The hair was getting way to long, many days I had been reduced to the twist and clip method of hair styling . . . so chic.  Ended up having 8″ of hair cut off and it’s still down past my chin. 

I drove home, went in the house, realized hubby was going to be working late, kids were with the g’parent and the yarn shop was open late on Thursdays.  Back into the car and back to VYT for some more knitting with a few of my favorite knitters; Amy, Brad and Ellen.  If I start hanging out there any more they are going to put me to work . . . hmm, employee yarn discount. 

While at VYT (all day) I did happen to find one or two things to bring home with me.  First, some Cascade 220 in a bright spring green for a cardigan for Bug.  I’m planning on doing my first steek (eek), an EZ seamless yoke cardigan with some colorwork in spring colors. 

Second, sock yarn, very cute sock yarn.  Do I really need more sock yarn?  Apparently, the answer is:  yes, I do. 

The last thing I brought home is The Yarn Girls Guide to Knits for Older Kids.   I love this book!  I really like the fact that each pattern is shown knit up in “boy colors” and “girl colors”.   Also, following the Yarn Girl tradition, these patterns are knit up at bulky gauges, this means fast knitting folks.  There are many sweaters I want to knit from this book, mostly for my kids but a couple of the patterns would be great for use with the Avalanche Yarn for Dulaan.

Friday I went with the folks and the kiddos to the zoo.  It was nice but I was exhausted by the time we left.  Bubba can be quite a handful, even when the adult child ratio is 3:2.   While surfing blogs I happened across Pat’s blog and saw her yarn inventory.  I had been going through my stash looking for yarn for several patterns in my new book, gee, wouldn’t an inventory be handy. 

I mentioned this idea, of making a yarn inventory, to some of the Saturday morning knitters.  The idea was met with raised eyebrows and wide eyes.  Saturday evening and Sunday morning I sorted and recorded and set up a spreadsheet.  I’m thinking not actually knowing what was hiding in my stash would have been a better idea.  Also, adding up the yardage and converting it to miles was a really bad idea.  Trust me, I know of what I speak.

Iconfirmed that I have to much sock yarn.  I have to many small amounts of yarn, one or two balls of this and that.  I am getting rid of a few things, a friend of mine wanted my Baby Ull for knitting baby things.  I originally bought it for some stranded knitting that I never got around to starting, so it’s hers.  I also matched up some patterns with some of the stash. 

I finished knitting up another Steppe Sweater(pdf) for Dulaan, I’ll post pics as soon as I finish weaving in the last of the ends.  Last night I cast on these socks while watching Texas Chainsaw Massacre: the Beginning.  Now, I like a good slasher movie as much as the next person, but this one was just over the top, so lots of knitting got done.  I finished them this morning.  Nothing like knitting kids socks with dk wt yarn, they just fly off the needles.

pattern: Knitting Pure & Simple Easy Children’s Socks
yarn: Plymouth Encore DK
needles: Clover Bamboo US4
cast on: February 24th  cast off: February 25th 

Now I just need to figure out what to start on next; sweater for me, sweater for one of the kids, socks for me, socks for kids, more Dulaan knitting . . . the possibilities are endless, but I did wind this up today. . .

or here is another view . . .

Blue Moon Fiber Arts
Socks That Rock Heavyweight
Highway 30

pattern: none - basic 2×2 ribbed hat
yarn: Cascade Pastaza
notes: With the yarn doubled these hats were super quick to knit, each one took an evening.  Each one used up most of a skein of yarn, great for using up those single skeins of yarn sitting in the stash. 

The green hat is knit the same as above, but from Kraemer Yarns Mauch Chunky.

The helmet:
pattern: Q&E Helmet, Patons Kids Hip Hop
yarn: Plymouth Encore
notes: Quick and easy to knit, pattern is written for flat knitting, but, it’s a hat, I knit it in the round.  I don’t think I will knit it again, though the pattern is perfectly serviceable, instead I think I will use Tammy’s In a Flap Cap.

pattern: Steppe Sweater(pdf)
yarn: Avalanch Yarn
cast on:  Feb 5th  cast off:  Feb 8th
notes:  Knit as written, except for doing intarsia in the placket.  I’ll be knitting up more of these, quick and warm.

    

A new month, full of possibilities.

Possible projects for September’s Project Spectrum Clean Sweep:

• seam up and finish ribbing Bug’s sweater - white (WIP from Aug)
• Crosspatch for Dulaan Project - grey & red (WIP from Aug) 
• Lupine Lace socks (WIP from May)
• Swallowtail Shawl (WIP from Aug)

Other WIPs

• pinwheel blanket

Other projects in the queue:

• Holiday knitting
  socks
  socks
  socks
  socks
  lace shawl (small)
  lace scarf
  Quinn
  Cigar
• sew up a bag for Bug’s lunch kit
• sew some napkins for Bug’s lunch kit
• 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
• Hat to match Bug’s Einstein Coat

ETA:  Ok, just because there is a list doesn’t mean it will get knit up this month, or at all.

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.

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.

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.