Posted on September 30, 2007 in Knitting & Crafting
Tweedy Beret, started September 13th, 2007, finished September 28th, 2007
Pattern: Purl Bee Beret
Made for: No one in particular, but I think I’ll give it to Sandy.
Yarn: Rowan Rowanspun Spun 4ply SH705 – 1 skein
Needles: US#3/3.25mm DPNS and 16″ circular
Cost of Project: $5 for yarn
Would I knit it again? Yes.
Pattern Notes and Comments: The tweed knits up very pretty, but the yarn was a bit persnickety. It’s a bit flimsy, and not as good as other yarns in this weight (sock yarn, etc). It didn’t hold up well on DPNs, and I had more ladder issues than normal so the resulting stitches are not as neat as I’d like. It even snapped at one point which was the first time that’s happened to me. This doesn’t look that bad since the hat is so rustic and tweedy; it masks all the mistakes and shortfalls. I still have another skein of this discontinued yarn so I can make another one for myself or another friend. The pattern is marvelously easy and quick. One of these days, I’ll do it with the intended Koigu.
Posted on July 7, 2007 in Knitting & Crafting
I went to the best yarn store in the region (about 15-20 min drive) to get the Rowan Felted Tweed for my Shedir and possibly some 4ply for a beret, and ended up with all of this. In retrospect, most of the above yarn were impulsive buys. I do intend to use them for possible projects. For example, I can knit a hat with that discounted Rown Silken Tweed, and the three chunky skeins I want to use for Ester. The Rowan 4ply was on sale, but still too expensive for $5/25g in thought, but I can make a beret from each small hank. No idea why I bought the one skein of grey worsted wool other than the fact it was a bargain for $5 as well. As for the superwash sock yarn, no need to explain that I have become a sock knitter and thusly buys sock yarn for no specific pattern or idea. It is affordable sock yarn, I must buy. Even with all the money I have spent on this yarn, I am still in need of worsted weight yarn for my thrummed mittens. I think I will use some aran lopi for it when I go to my LYSes.
As for pattern updates, I am on the foot of my second Monkey Sock; I am definitely finishing this coming week. I have started making a Swell hat for my mom with the left over yarn from the wool hat I made Dad. I don’t think I have enough yarn which means I’ll need to buy some more worsted yarn of complimenting colour because I don’t wan to buy another 100g skein of navy yarn. I intend to start on my Swallowtail Shawl since I have both the needles and the yarn for it, but I know that I will be casting on for the Knitty Knit Along (join and spread the word!) two weeks from now. Shedir takes priority, and Ester (which I am apprehensive about since I purchased chunky 14ply for it).
While at the yarn store, my eyes landed on this very lovely and elegant cabled cape from a Debblie Bliss Cashmerino DK book. The book costs half the yarn in the above picture, but it was a very beautiful pattern. My heart aches for it.
Posted on June 21, 2007 in Knitting & Crafting
Wool Hat for Dad, started June 17th, 2007, finished June 20th, 2007
Pattern: New York: A Guy’s Wool Hat
Yarn: Patons Classic Merino Wool in Navy 0026 – less than one skein
Needles: US#6/4.0mm 16″ circulars and DPNs
Cost of Project: $6 for circ + $6 yarn = $12
Pattern Notes and Comments: My father has wanted me to knit him a hat since I started knitting a year ago. This is my third attempt at making a winter hat for him. The first was too big and not really serious effort. The second was a bulky hat from Stitch and Bitch which was way too big for some reason even though I used the recommended needles. Just in case, I swatched for this hat and found my tension was perfect. I knit a lot of this on the road on Monday. It’s very easy since it’s a lot of stockinette and some ribbing. There is nothing difficult about this hat. It’s a great beginner project, and I was attracted to it because I wanted something simple and warm for Dad. This fit him even if he said it could have been tighter (see how persnickety my parents are?). The hat fits me as well because I have a bigger than average female head so one could modify it easily to be tighter or shorter for anyone. All in all, Dad gets his wish as a late Father’s Day present.
Would I knit it again? Yes. It’s simple, quick, stretchy, modifable and looks nice. I would probably use an alpaca mix if I get the chance since I’m not quite convinced this would be warm enough for longer periods of time.
Posted on June 11, 2007 in Books, Knitting & Crafting
Just some updates of what I have been up to. I started Watership Down today, am more than halfway now, and enjoying it immensely. I reread Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone this past weekend, as well as listening to Stephen Fry’s audiobook for it while I knitted the Rose Wrist Warmers.
During the narration, I finished the left glove. No photos until the complete project. It could have been longer, but it fits very well. I always worry about that sort of thing because I never make a gauge swatch. Gasp. I know. When I knit a sweater, I’ll do it then. Anyway, the only issue is that I forgot to BO the thumb loosely, and so right now it has a tube of lipstick in the thumb to stretch the BO edge. It’s actually working until I block it when I’m finished the right one. I’ve CO for that, but I won’t knit it for a couple more days methinks. Estimated time of FO: Two weeks. After that, back to socks.
Last week, I went to Michaels. They truly suck for needles selection because they didn’t have either of the circs I wanted. They only seem good for the yarn sales I’m waiting for, on Patons SWS and Classic Merino Wool.
As for the tangled pink Misti Lace Alpaca, I enlisted my mother to help me out and she helped detangle it out. It’s not perfect because we had to break it, but it’s now wound into two toilet paper roll. I just need the needles, and then I can start the Swallowtail Shawl.
Posted on May 29, 2007 in Knitting & Crafting
 On your left, is the two balls of Wendy Merino DK that I bought an hour ago, and on your right is The Bane of My Existence: a tangled mess of the Misti Alpaca Lace that I posted about buying in this post. I starting putting it in a centre pull ball using the toilet paper roll method, but let’s be honest, I have never had to use a reshape a hank of yarn, and something went awry. It just got steadily worse. I believe I am a patient person, but I don’t think I can untangle all this yarn; there’s 400m in a hank and I doubt I’ve gotten far at all. I think I’m going to give up and just shell out for another hank, probably in another colour because I feel the pink was bad luck. I’m going to buy it this weekend with the needles, and roll it in the store under the supervision of knitters far advanced than me.
The Wendy Merino is for a project I am going to cast on fairly soon, this weekend probably. I’ll post more about it when I do. I also bought US3/3.0mm 16″ circs and DPNS today for other projects. I know, I’ve basically planned out five (almost six) projects until the winter! Well, at least none of them are scarves.
Dewey has a fun blogroll game going on.
Posted on May 27, 2007 in Knitting & Crafting
Here I am spending money again on yarn. One of my LYSs is having a clearance sale on Meilweneit Cotton sock yarn (45% cotton, 42% wool, 13% nylon) at 50% off so I bought a skein of the Spirit (knits wide stripes) yesterday. Who doesn’t like good, discounted sock yarn on sale? As for the Misti Alpaca Lace (100% baby alpaca), I bought that today because I was inspired this morning to start Swallowtail Shawl, I even joined the knitalong! The fact that it only requires one hank (must do centre-pull ball soon) and is affordable yet luxurious yarn sealed the deal. I got it in pink because I wanted a shawl on the pastel side and my wardrobe lacks the colour. I don’t know if it’ll be the best colour on me, but the woman at the LYS did say I could make just make another one. Will get the #4/3.5mm for it soon at the other LYS, but probably won’t start project for awhile. It’ll probably take some time to do since it’ll be my first lace shawl.
The socks are going very slowly as they should, but I had to recast on them a couple times. I’m very glad I got bamboo needles for them because they would have been slipping so much.
I actually have a lot of things to do offline and online this week which I’m not really looking forward to.