Knitting, Lot's of FO's

I have been finishing a lot of projects lately. Feeling the need to find all my needles missing in action or held captive on different projects. Finishing projects and gaining back needles is much more fulfuilling then buying more needles because I can not find the size I need.

Botanical Hat by Stephen West

I made this for Wesley. It was sort of an add on christmas present I made when he came down mid January for a visit. I used Casacade for the black and Noro silk garden for the color. This is a really fun hat to make. I think there are at least 3 of them in the knitting group now. The guys seem to really like it too. It is reversible and designed from a really cool architectural design. Very guy like.

Barb's Koigu Ruffle by Kit Huchin

I was looking for something fast and with a lot of color. This has been in my queue for a while. I went stash diving into the Koigue corner and come up with this. The pattern is a really easy knit as long as you can get past the idea that you cast on and cast off a crazy number of stitches (648!!) But you are knitting two together right away for the ruffle...... It was a great addition to my wardrobe.

Hemlock Ring by BooklynTweed:

This has been in my queue even longer then the ruffle scarf. I used the Knitpicks City Tweed in Brocade. I love this yarn. It is really soft and the tweed is wonderful. I made mine bigger then the pattern so I could use it as a lap blanket. I had a hard time getting the blanket to block perfectly flat. I would go up at least 3 sizes needles sizes bigger to cast off and use Jenny's Surprisingly Stretchy bind off for the k2tog sections and a regular bind of during the yarn over sections. I really enjoy using this as a lap blanket in the evenings while I knit.

Byzantine by Susan Pandorf

This was one of the most fun projects I have done in a long time. Mosaic knitting is really easy and fast and watching the colors change made me happy!

Clapotis by Kate Gilbert

 This is one of the most knit projects on Ravelry (14,735 as of this post). The pattern came out in Knitty the Fall of 2004. I resisted knitting this one for years and then within a few of months I have now finished my second one. Why did I finally fall you ask?

Because of Noro sock yarn and Noro Scarf Stripping. I love love the way this turned out and the silk garden sock yarn is pretty soft.

Whirligig Shrug by Stefanie Japel

 I knit this up really fast for a class. It is another great instant gratification knit. The pattern is from Interweave Knits Weekends 2009. I used Soft Wave Cotton from Queensland. I think it was a closeout yarn from Webs at some point. It was in my stash. Of course Miss Claire will end up with this at some point. It sure is fun having a little princess to knit for after having boys of my own.

Last, but the most fun of all, is Mr. Bender, a character from Futurama. This is a B-day gift for Wesley. We used to enjoy watching this show together when he still lived at home. As an art student he has great appreciation for such creations.

I have most of my needles back and the knitting is a bit quiet right now. The only thing really on my needles is Baudelaire by Cookie A , my second pair of Toe-up socks. I am already on the second sock in less then a week. The pattern is easy to memorize, learned a new heel and I just love knitting these. Socks may be back in my life just in time for summer!

How many needles are missing in action at your house?

I Feel the Need....

I Feel the Need For Color. Not just the easy kind where the yarn does all the work for you. I have had enough of that lately (see the BSJ below).
Not the kind where you just switch between two yarns every two rows, ie: chevron scarf,

mistake ribs scarves,

self fridging shawls .

No I am in the need of real color done by switching the yarn stitch by stitch......yes that is right, I am going to the "Fair Island" of Fairisle knitting and I am going to tackel the "Composed Mitts" in the current Fall 2007 IK magazine. I have been itching to do fairisle for a while now and so there is no time like the present.

I am going to be using Berroco Ultra Alpaca light in 5 colors. Not sure I will stick with these colors but I will start with them.

On the finishing front, Here is BSJ #4. I think this is the wild and crazy one.

No, but wait, I still have a BSJ on my needles all in white.
Someone save me from myself. Or I know who can help.......
just send Bunny Killa after me?

Color on my terms, here I come!!

Baby Surprise

I have been working hard knitting samples for the store and for classes. I am going to be teaching Elizabeth Zimmerman's Baby Surprise Jacket at Unraveled this month and next.
So of course it is a good idea to actually knit the thing a few times so that I can make most of the mistakes first, I mean, isn't that why we take a class? So we don't have to figure out the mistakes ourselves?

Here are two of them. The largest size would fit about a 1-2 yrs was done in Berroco Comfort which I loved. It is so soft and squishy.

and the small one, new born size, in Lang Jawoll Jacard sock yarn. The colors and the stripping are so wonderful.

Then I had to make these little botties. You can find the free pattern here.

I have a few more things to knit for the store and then I need to find something that I want to knit for me.

I wonder what it will be?? Not that I don't have a cue full of things to knit over at ravelry. But now I will have to choose something.

New Blogs and Other Things

There are two new blogs in blog-land. I know that there are probably several blogs that start and end every day. But these are two "knit-sibs" that I know and love. Already they are much better bloggers then I am.
They post often!
Imagine that!

They are really great, passionate, obsessed knitters. Lisa, aka mom, knows everything there is to know about yarn, including color names, and could probably open her own shop. She is very talented and has a great color sense (a lot like mine so of course it is great).

Hannah is not only a great innovative knitter, that brings her young, fun, indivual style to everything she does. Did I metion that she is also a great writer.
Put all this together and their blogs promise to be worth reading and subscribing to.

I have started Zimmerman's Baby Surprise Jacket. It is pretty simple but for some reason my stitch count kept getting off and I had to basically restart it 3 times. That seems to be my way with new patterns, begin, rip out, begin, rip out and finally begin and then I have it. I look at it as getting the most enjoyment for my yarn dollars!

I finished the Toddler Coat that I am knitting for someone and had it almost sewn up when I realized that I had miss-shaped the two front pieces. I had done arm-hole shaping on both sides!! Why oh why could I have not noticed that while they where still on the needles? Or before I had sewn everything up.

I have timed it out for a day or two and then I have to take out seams and rip-out the two fronts and pretty much start all over again. Alcohol may be needed to get through this one.

I am noticing that I am knitting a lot of baby stuff these days. I wonder if that is one way of mourning that my two grown babies are not coming home for the summer? Hmmmmm

What to Knit

I have been knitting a lot for the store and class samples over the last few months. I am trying to figure out what I really want to be knitting now. I am looking at a sweater for my mom for christmas. It will be fun since I am starting it so early and there is no pressure. But it is more obligation knitting.

I am not even sure what I really want to be knitting.

But while I am trying to figure that out here are some of my FO's.

Flower Hat Pattern in Itty-Bitty Hat book
yarn- rowan hand knit cotton for the hat and Tahki cotton classic for the flowers.

I followed the pattern straight out of the book. I did stitch the flower together on the sides once I had them sewn onto the hat. It seemed to help them lay better. I also did not go all the way around the back for the smallest hat. I felt that the babies would not like laying on the flowers. For the toddler size I would do the flowers all the way around.

Crochet Hat
I used RYC cashsoft which is just wonderful to work with.

This is a felted stash bag I put together with a lot of leftover yarns. Super simple and fun. I lined the bags and put a cardboard bottom on it so it is really sturdy. I used leather handles from Trendsetter that just clip on the bag. I love the handles, there is no sewing and they are really sturdy.

This is a great little crochet bag. I made it with Rowan Tapastry yarn. I don't like the handle too much. I will change it next time.

Last but not least I finished a pair of socks for myself!!
Pattern: From Sensational Socks the slip-stitch rib pattern
Yarn: Socks that Rock Fairground color
Needles: 2 circulars #2
Modifications: None.

So what is next??