How I spent my summer vacation, Part I

My house is quiet. Really really quiet. The kids are in school. The pets are lounging in their favorite cozy spots. The hubby's at work. I'm here. Alone. Hold on, I'm taking a moment -

...Wow. This is kind of weird... and nice.

I realized about a week after all the busyness and craziness of summer were behind me that I still have a blog, which has been neglected since the start of the summer. I didn't really intend to take the summer off from blogging. Last summer, I had a bunch of blog posts with all the things I was up to creatively. But this summer, it kind of got pushed aside. With both kids starting school this year, I wanted to spend as much time as I could with them. That fuzzy sentiment started waning around late July when I heard the umpteenth fight over whose turn it was to play with Luke Skywalker/the red piece of sidewalk chalk/the giant stick in the yard/the sand bucket/the BIG shovel/the other shovel... you get the idea. I know, I know - bad mom. But thankfully, I had my little guy's 3rd birthday and a vacation to ready for, and then it was back to school mode through the start of school.

But I do have a few projects to share from the summer....

I made these guys for two birthday boys this summer. I'm not sure what to call them, since disembodied heads of Star Wars characters doesn't sound right. Stress balls? Hackysacks? No wait, please don't kick them. I don't know. I think they're kind of cute though. I winged the pattern for them, but I think they turned out ok. I'm going to try to replicate them for my kids, so when I do, I'll probably write down what I do.

I've got a few more projects I can't wait to share. I was able to finish most of my summer projects, and have a few recipes to share too. And I am blocking my Featherweight Cardigan as I type this, which is very exciting. I missed my goal of having it done by my vacation, but it will be a great sweater for the fall and spring.

Lazy afternoons... right.

My little guy has been fighting me tooth and nail on naps. It's made for a wonderful series of comical mishaps during our afternoons as we try to work though the whole "if you don't want to nap you need to stay in your room for some quiet time" thing. Broken mirrors! Foot after foot of tooth floss emptied out of containers! Missing keys! Headless toys! Cries for snacks every 15 minutes! Comical, right? I'm sure I'll look back on it some day that way. I hope.

In the meantime, though, it hasn't left much time for writing on my blog. I like to keep my evenings to actually making things instead of blogging about making things, so the afternoon nap/quiet time is the perfect time to sit down and write. Not so much the past couple of weeks.

But the making has continued, even if the blog has not. I've tried a few new recipes, which I can't wait to share, and I've got a new make - these very-cool-if-I-do-say-so-myself earrings, made with Habu Silk Stainless. I love them, and I can't wait to keep playing with this yarn.

I'll need to add a picture of me actually wearing them, but right now I've got the whole its almost 90 degrees outside and I've got no air conditioning look about me, so that will have to wait until later.

I need to get back to working on my Featherweight Cardigan. I am making some decent progress on it -- I'm currently working on the second sleeve. I had a bit of delay because of couple of my size 6 double pointed needles went missing (likely from the same imp mentioned above), but have since reappeared. My goal is to have it done by the first (official) day of summer.

Featherweight progress...

I wish I loved finishing projects as much as I love starting them. I'm about a third of the way done with my Featherweight cardigan, and it's going really well. I was getting a little bored with all the stockinette for the body, so I did one of the sleeves. The other sleeve opening is still on a stitch holder, so it's a little awkward to try on. But here it is - so far...

I am loving the yarn - the color, the feel, everything. And it is such an easy pattern to follow. But the stockinette is really boring. Really, really boring. My eye started wandering...

And I cast on for a Tropical Lily top for my daughter. I am happy to report that I'm using stash yarn for this project - some Lion Brand Cotton Ease originally bought for a sweater (I am determined to meet that pesky stash busting creative resolution). That was a few years ago - so there's no longer enough for a sweater at her present size. This summer tank seemed like a good match for it. The lace pattern is really easy to follow and is keeping my interest a little more. Well, at least until another project catches my eye.

Sweater Wars IV: A New Hope

I really shouldn't be looking for patterns to use with yarn that is already in sweater form, right? But I can't stop myself. I am leaning toward frogging my Radiate sweater. I keep looking at it, and I just don't think the yarn is right for the pattern. The yarn has a nice drape to it, but in this sweater, it looks a bit droopy and floppy, especially in places where you really do not want droop or flop.

I came across this pattern first - the Heliotropic Pullover in the Spring 2011 issue of Interweave Knits.

I think it caught my eye because it has a similar slipped rib pattern, although on this top it has a nice radiating look. I also prefer that it is done on stockinette, versus the reverse stockinette on the Radiate. It's knit in the round, which would be a nice departure from all the straight needle knitting I've been doing lately. I think the stockinette a-line would be a good match for the yarn as well.

But... this pattern is done with a lighter, DK weight yarn. My yarn, Berroco Weekend, is worsted weight. I can try to use smaller needles to see if I can match the gauge, but I don't know how that might impact the drape of the yarn if it is knit on smaller needles. This is where being a novice at all this sweater knitting stuff is really causing problems.

As I'm contemplating all of this, KnitBits - Berroco's weekly e-mail newsletter pops up in my e-mail, and it is featuring a free pattern for Weekend yarn.

The pattern, Quonset, is a button-free cardigan, and I kind of like it - though not at much as the pullover. But this one would definitely work for my yarn because it's written for the yarn. I'd want to knit the sleeves a little longer to 3/4 length. I don't know why, but that length really draws attention to her elbow skin. Yes, the appearance of flabby elbow skin is important when considering sleeve length. Make a note of it.

In the meantime, I'm moving on to another sweater project - my second attempt at a Featherweight Cardigan. I'm using a beautiful yarn I picked up at the Pittsburgh Knit and Crochet Festival - Abuelita Baby Merino Lace. And this time, I am keeping it stored away where nothing can damage it.

Catching up

It's been a couple of weeks since the Pittsburgh Knit and Crochet Festival, but I still am feeling the creative burst of energy. I've been busy coming up with new projects, and working steadily on old ones. It's amazing what a weekend with crafty people will do for a lady.

This was my third time attending the festival, but the first time we actually made it an overnight trip, and the first time I took a class there. It was a great weekend. First, I was able to make some decent progress on my fourth "first knitted sweater" - Radiate from Knitty's spring 2009 issue. I'm to the point where I am actually thinking and believing that I will finish it. Look at it! I could bind it off now and have a... very weird cap sleeved bolero thing. But still a garment! It is very exciting to be this far along and not, a.) hate it, b.) have a mistake gnawing at me to the point where I must unravel the whole thing, or c.) be so bored with it that I must start something else. This is incredible progress, people.

The class I took was on needle felting. I have been wanting to learn this ever since last year's festival, when I came across a booth with all kinds of needle felting supplies and kits. It turns out that the booth's owner, Esther Bechler was the one teaching the class. If I had known how easy this was to do, I would have started the second after seeing her booth last year. It was a great class - and here's the project so far...

The bag itself is felted - it's a great (and free!) pattern from Knitting Daily. I made a couple of minor modifications - lengthening the handle a bit and removing the foldover button closure. I had no idea what I actually wanted to felt onto the bag, and then I came across a pattern book during our class with a lot of fun paisleys. The cloth in between the bag is a water soluble fiber - a great idea Esther came up with for those with less than desirable (or, in my case, NO) freehand skills. We traced our patterns onto this cloth, taped it on and went to work. I'm making progress, slow and steady, in between working on my sweater. I can't wait to see what else I can do with it.

The best laid plans...

It's been a while. So there's one resolution down the drain. But you can always jump back on the horse, right?

I've been busy - really busy. And drained. I redid my bathroom. Tore up floors, laid tile, wainscoting, sink, etc. etc. It might be a subject for a future blog post when it's finally finished - likely on the reasons never to redo your own bathroom.

A few photos from early on in the process...

Almost gutted bathroom -
 the closest thing I have to a "before".



Finished floor



Elsewhere in the world of failed resolutions, my goal to reduce my yarn stash is not going so well. I finished the Hurricane Hat I made with the leftover yarn from my Clapotis. I don't know if I would say that I'm happy with it. On the one hand it was a fun pattern to follow, and it turned out to be a cute hat... on someone else. But after putting it on, I've decided I'm just not a beanie type hat girl. I like my slouchy type things, and I'm a little disappointed that with the amount of leftover leftover yarn. I could have probably just knit a slouchy thing all along.


The bathroom sink adds a nice touch, don't you think?

And then there is the opposite problem -- buying more yarn to use up my stash. It seems incredibly counterproductive. But I've done it twice so far. I finished one mitten using up a stash of Patons wool, and realized I'd need a second ball -- or one less hand -- to complete the project. Buying the second ball seemed a tad more realistic. And then I had another leftover ball of Patons, which I thought would be enough for a cute felted bag. Two rows from finishing, I ran out of yarn. Grr. So I bought more yarn for that as well.

I suppose the larger dilemma is how to best use all these little leftover balls. As I've mentioned previously, I'm cheap. And a pack rat. So I have a ton of little balls of yarn, sometimes a half a skein, more likely less. I can't throw them away. I... just... can't. Do people do that? I want to use them, but I want to use them in a useful way.

I do have much much more to blog about - it has been a month, you know. I'll be back soon with more.

Unwrapped

Now that the holidays are safely behind us, I can share some of the projects I've been working on - generally in a panic - throughout the past month and a half. As usual, I took on a bit more than I should have between everything else I want/need to do at Christmastime. So I've got to say, I was really proud of myself for getting everything finished and wrapped in time for Christmas.

French Press slippers
I knew right away that I wanted to knit a pair of French Press Slippers for my sister. These are slippers I've been coveting since I first saw them, and I knew they were her style as well. The pieces that make up the slippers are a wonderfully quick knit. The end result is very long and floppy and looks nothing like the photo. Until you throw them in your washing machine and the little felting gnomes come out with their little felting magic to take your weird floppy looking knitted... things and turns them into soft, felty, snuggly slippers. Thank you felting gnomes.

Coffee cuff
This cuff (pattern found here)seemed like a cute way to package a coffee shop gift card for my daughter's preschool teacher. And a nice quick knit too.

Felted clogs
The pattern is so clever. Somehow the entire slipper is one piece, with minimal seaming (much appreciated after all the seaming involved for the French Press Slippers). It was a lot of fun to see these come together. My first knitted gift for my mother in law.

Panda hat
I had gotten a cute panda outfit for my cousin's newborn daughter, but it seemed incomplete. Crochet to the rescue! In two evenings I had a matchy matchy panda hat.

I also made a crocheted wire bracelet for my mom, but completely forgot to photograph it before I gave it to her. Is it odd to ask someone if you can photograph their gift once it's gifted?

I'll have some big (well, big for me) crafty news coming up soon. I'm very excited for the start of the new year and some new projects. Happy 2011!

My first Fair Isle

My son's ever growing head needed a new hat. It seemed that the multitude of 12 to 24 month hats were just too small, and as my daughter's princess and pink obsessions started around 2, the only other options for him in our house involved Belle, Sleeping Beauty and a lot of pink hearts.

Two things you should know: I am cheap. Ok, frugal. I guess that's the nicer word for it. Also, I hate seaming, which is where I am at with my other current projects (which, for now, will remain cloaked in mystery). The powerful combination of these two forces brought me to the Norwegian Star Earflap Hat. It was the hat my son needed, which could be created with yarn I already owned (cheap... err, frugal) and would give me excuse to put down that awful tapestry needle and pick up my knitting needles again. Joy.

I was thrilled with the end result. Until I put it on his head. Too big. Really, comically too big. It fits my daughter, it fits me. It even fits my husband. But my son... well, it's kind of cute when little kids are in too big hats, right?

You knit some, you lose some...

Last week, I came back from a wonderful vacation with my family with lots of photos, wonderful memories... and a knitting project significantly smaller than it was when we left. There I was, cheerfully working on my February Lady sweater, when something about the lace pattern seemed off. The lacework wasn't lining up just right - I then realized that somewhere several rows up, I had repeated a portion of the pattern where I shouldn't have. So, I began unraveling. And then... I kept going. I saw a weird gap on my garter stitch button band. And then there was those buttonholes. And before I knew it, I was down to the neck band. It's kind of weird how all that frogging is heartbreaking and weirdly satisfying all at the same time.

But I'm working to get back to where I was. I'm much more satisfied with my the top buttonhole this time, so I feel happy with my decision. Except when I look at where I was... sniff... and where I could have been if I hadn't done all that unravelling... sniff, sniff... but I know I'll be happy with the end result.

Of course, I'm thinking my sweater might take a backseat for a few weeks to get some (cue festive music) holiday knitting underway.

Ooh, look at that lovely little stash of Patons Wool. So full of potential. I can't wait to get started.

Making progress

When I began knitting, the idea of a knitted sweater seemed... oh, I don't know... insane. A scarf - sure, no problem. Hats? I'll give it a try. Why not? Even a baby sweater - a much smaller scale, so a little crazy, but doable.

But a sweater? A full-on, me-sized, knitted-by-my-own-hands sweater? With the seaming, the blocking, the pattern following and, ack, worst of all, swatch knitting? Even the idea of it was daunting.

But somewhere along the line, the idea becomes... less daunting. A pattern calls for blocking, so you give it a try. That little baby sweater seems a little too Mr. T-like without sleeves, so you learn to seam. And, yes, your daughter ends up with a few extra blankets for her little dolls as you learn the value of knitting swatches.

So the idea of knitting a sweater for myself, as crazy as it seemed when I first picked up a pair of needles four years ago, became less crazy. A pattern was found, yarn was ordered, a sleeve was started... and quickly discarded. Perhaps a mid-thigh length lacework cardigan, as gorgeous as the Celeste was, wasn't the best choice for a first sweater.

So I scaled back the plans, using the same laceweight yarn on a simpler, more manageable project - the very lovely Featherweight Cardigan. With its basic stockinette and top down construction, it seemed like the perfect first sweater. And it was. Until it was eaten by moths. Yes, really. Moths. Fun, right? Nothing like pulling a project out of the bag you had it in and seeing a fat little moth come out with it. (Consider this your public service announcement on the importance of proper yarn and project storage.)

So the third time, so far has been a charm. New yarn, new pattern: the tried and true February Lady sweater, from Flint Knits, knit up in the very lovely Berroco Weekend.


It's actually coming along nicely.... with a caveat. I feel like I really messed up the button holes. For some reason I have a large, loose piece of yarn going down the middle of the top two. Unfortunately, I'm the kind of knitter who would rather make due with mistakes in the interest of getting it done (and then point out the mistakes to myself years after the project is complete, of course), so I'll be figuring out a way to salvage those once it's almost finished. I can't believe I just used the words "almost finished" in the context of a knitted sweater.

Could knitted socks be too far behind? No way. That's just crazy.

And it's mine, all mine

As promised, I am posting pics of my already much loved Clapotis. There is something about a scarf or wrap that makes me feel very jaunty and put together, and this one is no exception. The feel of the yarn - Brooks Farm Solo Silk - is divine; it's ultra soft and very warm at the same time. The photo to the right, of course, is me showing off my very lovely Clapotis (notice the jauntiness) while imagining your jealousy that you are not ensconced in its warm and soft loveliness.


Of course, it isn't all perfect. This project was boring. Really... incredibly... boring. And LONG. As I wrote about before, I really had to force myself to keep going. But, really, aren't most big projects that way? I'm trying to tell myself that as I dive into my next knitting project - the February Lady sweater. I've already got the yoke done and am a few repeats into the lacework body. So far so good - it's knitting up relatively quickly, and the yarn - Berroco Weekend - seems to work well with it. The green color is gorgeous - it was the first thing that drew me to the yarn. I kind of/sort of made up a swatch to test my knitting gauge, but I quickly unraveled it to make sure I had enough yarn to complete the whole thing. So if you see my 5-year-old sporting a rockin' green February Lady sweater, you'll know why.

The stealth wrap

My mom celebrated her 50...ish birthday this week, so it was time to break out the stealth knitting project. You know that project that you never talk about, that no one knows you're working on on, then bam! Voila! I've knitted you a wrap.

I like those kind of projects - this one was completely under the radar. I bought the yarn months and months ago at the Pittsburgh Knit and Crochet Festival, from my one of my absolute favorite vendors there - Brooks Farm Yarn. The colors are gorgeous and the yarn is a dream to work with (whenever I can get past petting it, that is).

This particular yarn is their Duet, which is a blend of wool and kid mohair. I was sucked in by the wrap they had on display, a simple garter stitch knit on the bias done on larger needles to get that open, loosey goosey look. It turned out to be as boring as all getout to do with its row after row... after row of knit stitch, so I'd work on a row or two here and there between other projects. Then came crunch time - so a few evenings spent with the garter stitch, and I got it, heh heh, wrapped up. (Oh yeah. I'm bustin' out the puns.)



This yarn is incredibly soft - and very VERY warm. Not so good for August weather, but should be perfect for the fall.

Check out the pattern for this lovely - because I know you're just itching to try it out now that you've heard how boring it is to do - can be found here.