Fun with Knitting (and Quilting)

FO: Favorite Cardigan

Well I've had cast on fever and procrastinator-itis...Have I have several projects that are ALMOST finished and I keep procrastinating finishing them up!

But I have one completed item! The Favorite Cardigan from Custom Knits by Wendy Bernard.  I started this way back in June..and was knitting away when I realized that my gauge was way off! So I ripped it back to the neckline and started again..I was a bit worried but in the end it fits great!

The yarn is Dream in Color Classy in Some Summer Sky and well it really does look like a summer sky. Hopefully it can help keep my cheery through the winter! It took me a least a month to pick out my buttons, I ended up ordering them from House of Anoria (she has some great buttons over there!) cause I couldn't find any I really liked at JoAnn's. The fabulous Robin recommended her! Then they came and it took me a few more weeks to decide how I wanted to sew them on..then I procrastinated sewing them on.

Now the weather has turned cooler and I decided I needed to wear this sweater..so I sewed the buttons on last weekend and now it's ready to wear!

My only real mod was that I mirrored the cables on the front and sleeves. I also made the sleeves 3/4 length. All the rest of the details are over on Ravelry of course!

Hopefully I have a few more FOs very soon! Owls just needs it's button eyes sewn on, and I have like 3 other sweaters close to being done, as well as a shawl, and some slippers, and some other stuff too!

Seriously I'm going to get some things done this weekend!

...Like say post to this here blog...School starts and my fun stuff seems to come to a screeching halt for awhile, while I re-adjust to getting up at 6 again every morning. (I am not a morning person) I have been doing a fair amount of knitting...but here's what I've been up to!

Dyed some yarn for the Owls sweater. I so love the RYC soft tweed and when it was discontinued I went a bit overboard and have lots...this oatmeal color really not so good on me.So now it's a lovely grape color. (What a surprise right Pam?)

Finished my Corona Sweater. I was a bit worried about how it would come out, but I'm really happy with it... I'd post my mods and stuff but I'm feeling lazy so head on over to the Ravelry page for them if you want. It is knit out of Dream in Color Classy in the color Good Luck Jade. I think this will be a great sweater for fall winter!

I've also started the Heather Hoodie Vest from the Fall09 Knitscene as a Kal with my girls over on Cleveland Knits West.

I need to finishmy pink hoodie..the knitting's been done forever...but no button band reinforcement and snaps put in. (I'm just trying to decide how to put it in..by hand or by machine. I'd rather put it in by machine but need to put it in by hand I have a feeling)

AND Seam up my gray short sleeve cardi. Before it gets to cold to wear it. (though I think I'd be cute under a long sleeve tee too.)

I should but probably won't straighten up my sewing room and my yarny mess.

Plus clean up my house and get out a few of my Halloween decorations

I have high hopes, since hubby is taking some classed Sat. and Sunday and I have NO plans this weekend!

A of little this and a little of that

So where on earth has summer gone? I can't believe I go back to work in a week and a half! Wow..I guess it's that the weather has been really cool this summer(not that I'm complaining-cause I'm not). We did finally have 2 days above 90!

So I've been working on many things...I did finish my ultra cool "laptop bag" to use for school. It really came out cute. I still am looking for a button that will work for it. The yarn is Lion brand Wool-Ease in Sea spray. The pattern is loosely based on The Aran Laptop Cover. But mostly copied frm my good bud PKJewelry.  Oh and by the way all the awesome row counters you see here are hers from her etsy shop! Check them out! If you do tell her I sent ya.

Also socks...I finished my Oatmeal socks awhile back and started on a Blueberry waffle sock. I'm just over 1/2way done with the 2nd sock. I also cast on for the Summer Lovin sock my friend Dawn designed. The yarn is Malibrigo sock...and it is yummy!

I'm moving along now on the Favorite Cardigan. I did knit it longer than the pattern and am going to make the sleeves 3/4 length. It is really coming out pretty. I love the Dream in Color  Classy it is so pretty!

Then yesterday I drug hubby to Soft n Sassy a LYS I'd never been to and I saw the "lace-panel cardigan" and needed to make it RIGHT now..so I bought they yarn for that and cast on right away!

 the yarn is called Jeans and is a weird cotton tape yarn  but it really knits up nicely! and feels a bit like well jeans

Oh yeah..I also dyed some yarn...It was Oatmeal Fisherman's wool by Lion brand..now it's this... a lovely teal! Destined to become a cardigan of some sort probably!

Well I guess that is the catch up...

Webs Winner

OK so this post is a few weeks overdue!

Back in June I entered a contest on the Webs & Berroco blogs to win some lovely new Blackstone Tweed yarn and the pattern book to make Nuss.Well can you believe it (I still can't) I won!!! So I got to pick the color yarn I wanted I of course went with plum island. I was excitedly waiting on my package to arrive and then it did (Kathy was waiting on some Addi turbo's to come in). Oh boy was I ever surprised!

When I opened the box I squealed! No not just yarn, the pattern book and needles but a Lexie Barnes bag!! (I get compliments on it all the time) and a bunch of fun little goodies too!! I just love the little leaf measuring tape! Look at all this fun stuff!!!! So much more than I expected! It was wonderful! There are several patterns in the book that I love! Look at those little sheep magnets! They are leaping over their fence and my Whirlpool logo on my fridge!

I have a couple of projects I'm trying to finish up before casting on but will soon!!!

What an awesome prize!! Thank you so much Kathy, Steve, & Webs as well as Berroco!

Wresting along

OK so I've been trying to wrangle my WIPS into submission!!

Finished Miley!

Can you see the purl increases on the side? The yarn is Seduce, I used size 5 and 7 needles. It was really easy pattern.

Finished Toe-Up Socks!

Just a basic toe up straight stockinette..(good car knitting) They yarn is Austermann Step.

Frogged-Favorite Cardigan-it was way to small..I ripped it back to the neckline. I need to swatch and move forward again (I'm sure It won't get done this month now-but that is OK)

I'm hoping to finish my little purse here soon too but my focus has been on Hey Teach. I'm on the last sleeve then to seam it up! So it should be done by the end of the week.

I did cast on for another pair of socks. I need to have my easy car knitting with me at all times. I have resisted the urge at this point to cast on for Sandrine. but I really want too!!!

I also made and finished my baby quilt for my friends baby shower last weekend. The couple were both really excited. (Of course I forgot my camera so I don't have a picture)

I'm still plugging away on my "summer cottage" quilt too. I really need to take my sewing machine in for a tune up before plugging on. but I'll probably work on it some more today!

UP next my fabulous prize from WEBS, but that deserves it's own post!

FO: Indigo Ripples

Well It's done! And I LOVE it! I wondered about knitting a skirt, and well I saw so many cute ones on Ravelry that I finally cast on! I've had the yarn for about a year. I intended on knitting last summer but it never happened. It fits just great!

 

So the stats!

Indigo Ripples Skirt from Spring 07 Interweave

Yarn: Elann Den-im-knit in dark indigo, for some reason I bought 13 balls but used just over 10. The yarn bleeds like mad. My hands were blue the whole time I was working on it! I've thrown it in the washer twice now and it did shrink up (just as the label says-I planning for it!)

Size: Well that is hard to say. Mostly XS, I did the mods most did for the lower waist.

Needles: size 5 for the stockinette, and size 6 for the lace.

MODs, well as already stated I followed the mods of many for the lover waist. I also knit 18" of the stockinette (because I have very long legs) and then 40 rows of lace before the ruffle.  You can read the rest over on my ravelry page!

This project may have changed my mind about knit skirts. This turned out to be a fun, flattering, easy, fairly quick knit!

 

And OH PLEASE don't forget to vote for my school on the Lots2Give website!!!

FO: Ingenue too!

OK so as promised here is Ingenue too. If you recall back in the fall I made myfirst version of this sweater which I love. The colors are a bit flashy on it and I wanted a more subtle one. So I grabbed up some Classic Elite Waterlilly and started.

So the stats:

Pattern: Ingenue from  Custom Knits by Wendy Bernard I knit the 40" bust (and of course threw in a few short rows for the bust.

Needles: Size 8 knit picks options

Yarn: 12 skeins of Classic Elite waterlilly which is a wonderful yarn! so soft and springy. I started out with 8 skeins of this yarn, and quickly realized that that wouldn't be enough. So I ordered 2 more, and as I was nearing the end of the body I needed to order still two more! I started to panic a bit because 1. I didn't swatch and 2. because I didn't swatch I didn't wash my swatch & I worried that  the sweater was going to turn out gigantic when I washed it, but nope all was fine!

I was relieved!  Can't you tell?  Raveled here!

I (almost) can't wait for fall so that I can wear it! It is now neatly stored away awaiting it's official debut!

Cast on fever

To the tune of "Cat Scratch Fever", OK Pam is getting in my head. 

With only 2 more days till summer vacation my knitting mojo is kicking into high gear. I have a list of things that I want to knit this summer-Pleat, Sandrine, the Chic Pulli, Buttecup, Favorite Cardigan, and Eleonora to name a few...

PLUS the 3 that I have recently cast on!

Miley: My friends pattern a cute summer tee, out of Berroco Seduce in Muscari

Indigo Ripples: From Interweave, out of Elann Den-im-knit going fast but turning my hands blue

Corona: A free cute hoodie, out of Dream in Color Classy in Good Luck Jade. I'm alternating skeins because there is a very obvious diferentiantion between skeins.

However I did finish my Ingenue 2, and Bulky Cardigan that I steeked(I do need to attach the snaps yet). The cool weather today would have been perfect for FO picts but hubby's golfing tonight. Oh well. Maybe tomorrow- Or next week.

The birdy and eggs are still hanging out in my tree. I have put out some yarn bits for them to line the nest!

The dogs are wondering where summer weather is!

OH yes FIBER is good for you!

So I just got back from the Great Lakes Fiber Festivalin Wooster Ohio. And can I say...SOO much fun? This is my first Fiber fest event and man was I excited!  A bunch of us Cleveland Knits West gals met up there and shopped and knit a little, and spent lots of money on lots of yarn, ate some fries, and had an all around fabulous time! We had such a good time shopping and encouraging each other!

So here's a full picture of my haul!

I got 2 skeins at Creatively Dyed yarns. The colors are so unique and pretty.

I also got 2 skeins of sock yarn and then 5 skeins of worsted weight yarn at KnittingKnotions. I could have bought so much more their her colors were beautiful.

I snatched this skein of sock yarn at Black Locust Farms (and am so glad I know where their shop is now!)

I may have ODed on sock yarn!

I also go these 3 skeins of wool and hemp for $2.50 a piece for a market bag.

Then I got 6 skeins of Lamb's Pride bulky in Avocado. Can you see the subtle variation in it? It's ands so got a great deal on it! (I wanted to get more in other colors but I exercised a WEE bit of self control! LOL Then I also got 6 skeins of I believe it's top of the lamb sport weight (which I will most likely double strand for something) for $4 a skein! Couldn't pass that up.

And there was some Eucalan purchased too, to wash all my new fibery goodness, and a couple cute stitch markers and some yummy smelling hand cream!

I can hardly wait till next year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lest I forget hat my parents got me this  for Miley for my b-day (along with some of the cash that funded my day!) That is now wound and ready to be cast on!

FO: Liesl

So here it is: Can you tell I LOVE this sweater!? It's Liesl!!!!!!!!!

I debated on knitting this sweater for like a year until I saw Alanna's and I had to have one.

Since I wasn't sure how it would look on my body I didn't want to use expensive yarn. So I ordered myself some Knit Picks Shine Worstedin Laurel. I bought 8 skeins since I wasn't sure how many I'd need. I ended up using almost all of 6 skeins. I of course used my Knit Picks options needles, and oh Yeah I ordered the size needed 10.75 (7mm). The yarn is so soft and wonderfully drapey, perfect for this pattern. I started this pattern April 24th and finished it May 6th..gotta love a fast knit! (I did have to restart twice till I finally got the hang of the increases in the lace pattern!

This pattern is very customize-able. I knit the 42" size since I didn't want the buttons to pull. I used a cable cast on and cast on for the wide neck.  I knit 35 rows then split off for the sleeves. (That was really my only complaint about the pattern was that it didn't really give you any idea of how many rows to knit before splitting off the sleeves.) I knew I didn't want it cropped so I tried it on as  I went. I think mine's about 14 inches or so. I didn't use the picot bind off but just bound off loosely. I decided I wanted elbow length sleeves so that I can get a lot of wear out of this during the summer..in a chilly restaurant or outside on a cool evening! Really it fits perfectly and I am thrilled with it. (and OH yeah it's machine washable!!) People at work were incredibly impressed by it. I may have to make another!

As always you can find more here...

Abby is embarrassed by my silly photos!