Poor sad and neglected blog

I am sorry poor neglected blog - I have ignored you this past month! I have a good excuse - I've been knitting - a bunch...so without further ado here's the eye candy...

I refer to this as my "Bloomin" shawl cause it has all kinds of leaves and flowers - right down to the beads at the bottom which are little leaves too! This was the second example in the guild session on "Branching Out". Sooo if you're a member of the guild there's a copy of my session notes as well as charts over on the guild site - go and attempt your own shawl!! Oh by the by I used 3 balls of JoJoland Melody Superwash, cast on using a size 10 and then immediately dropped down to a size 7. Finished dimensions 24" x 72" - and I had exactly 4 inches left over so you might want to buy 4 balls to be sure....



Now this is a photo of the finished Annis/Branching Out crescent - figured that it deserved a better photo than the one of it pinned out on a bed. To get details check out the previous post...







Then there's the Spring ColourMart Contest/KAL over on Ravelry and I do love the ColourMart yarn and I does like a challenge so....

The first scarf I did is the Elegance Scarf by Sharon Winsauer of Aurora Alpacas fame! It's a lovely little scarf - the pattern was only $3 and I just happened to have some ColourMart Baby Alpaca/Cashmere in a fine 4ply Weight in my stash (which I'm sorry to say they've sold out of). I used a size 4 needle and the finished size is 8" x 65". Gotta say I'm in love with this pattern - and I think it will work up great in other weights of yarn as well - so guess what everyone is getting for Christmas this year?




And did I mention that ColourMart Contest over on Ravelry? So this is my second entry...Lamina. This is a free pattern over on Knitty.com. I used a new fiber combo and I must say I'm lovin' it! 73% Merino, 12% Viscose, 10% Silk and 5% Cashmere in a DK weight . The color is called Salmon Tweed and there are other colors available - it's super soft with lots of loft!!! And since it's made on a size 7 needle it's fast - like super fast! Done so fast I thought I must have borrowed WonderWoman's magic bracelets! So that's a free pattern and you should be able to get 2 scarves out of one cone which cost a whopping $16 including shipping...hint - holiday knitting starts NOW!!!

So I think my blog and I are on good terms again - I must say I've got one more shawl on the needles that I'm trying to get done for the ColourMart Contest - but I don't know if I'm going to make it. Oh and I knit 6 pairs of mittens but I haven't had time to block and take pictures yet...so you probably won't see anything about those until June!!!

Branched Out into an Annis

So as you all have heard by now - I have rejoined the Saint Louis Knitting Guild. Yes I know I have sworn in the past "NEVER AGAIN" - but we will all now admit that when we say never...well that doesn't exactly mean never! I rejoined so I had a chance to see some friends that I never get to see. Like most woman my friends have families and jobs, responsibilities and obligations. And like most woman if I don't make a concerted effort - my bonds with my sistafriends are some of the first that end up getting sacrificed on the altar of daily turmoil. So...

The Pres calls and says there's this meeting of the education committee and why don't I come. And since I haven't seen her in over a month I say Sure - one things leads to another and I found myself doing a class on the "Branching Out" scarf. But with a twist - see if you can "branch it out" into a shawl for an intermediate group of knitters. I does love me a challenge so this is what I came up with...
I combined the Branching Out (sort of) with the Annis (shaping...sort of). So here's my recipe without stepping on copyright infringement...

cast on...I used some Blackberry-Ridge lace weight and a size 8 needle to cast on using a long tail cast on and some stash beads. I turned to page 312 of A Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns by Barbara G. Walker - there it sits "Leaf Shadows" - this is a simplified version of the Branching Out Scarf - the difference is it uses a centered double decrease (slip the next two stitches together as if knitting, knit the next stitch, pass the two slipped stitches together over the stitch just knit) this makes for a much easier to remember lace pattern...

That means that I have a 19 stitch pattern and since I wanted it to look as familiar as possible I added a 3 stitch garter ridge. So I knit my swatch which turns out to be about 4 inches...which if you do the math means that my 19 repeats of 22 stitches plus 3 end stitches will yield a piece of knitting about 76 inches long. So I cast on using some stash beads on a size 8 needle, dropped down to a size 6 immediately after casting on - knit 3 ridges of garter (boring) and started knitting the lacy bits! Then life stepped in and my rectangle needed to be finished ASAP, so I'm panicked - yikers - I know I've knit an Annis before - why not use the short row shaping and get this thing done!!! But even that wasn't going to save me so before I started the shaping I kindda fudged...I needed to get rid of a bunch of stitches so...you know those 3 stitch garter bands between the lacy bits well I did a centered decrease which took it down to 1 stitch and then you know the centered decrease in the middle of the pattern well I threw in a centered decrease there too... so there went 76 stitches - which felt really good - so I did it again poof there went a total of 152 stitches all hidden in 3 ridges of garter stitch I did before starting the shaping...I was pressed for time and did a short cut - so sue me! Now take a look at the shaping of the freebie pattern called Annis over on Knitty - knit to the center of your shawl and begin the shaping. I'm not going to spell this out - the Annis pattern is not mine to publish or quote - but you know how to short row and I'm guessing you've passed math so go forth and knit! And to finish everything off I used an I-cord bind off!

Before blocking I gave my shawl a bath in some Pantene For Dry Hair shampoo (it's sheep hair people) and followed the lather, rinse, repeat instructions faithfully (just an aside - it does not say to complete this task in a washing machine - I took this as a hint and did my laundering in the kitchen sink) I then followed it up with some Pantene Conditioner - filled the sink 1/2 full of water, dissolved about 1/4 cup of conditioner in the water, plopped in the shawl and watched All My Children (time for some new writers - please - Rev Ricky - really?). Then rinsed the shawl in cool water - threw it in a salad spinner to get rid of the excess water and pinned it out to the bed. And since I was in a rush hit it was a fan - cause I needed to teach the next afternoon.

And as a final note - well kids - this same recipe/shawl will work with whatever stitch tickles your fancy - take out a stitch book and sub in something you like! Impress me - I double dog dare you!!!

12 in 12 for Guild

So after a long hiatus from guild I'm back...and the first thing they tell me is that there's this hat thing to honor Kiese's mom who passed and who's passion was the "Hats for Kids" Campaign...so now I'm all in...

Hats 1 & 2 are "Tretta" by Grumperina. Now those of you who read this blog know it is one of my favorite patterns to knit. I knit the hat straight from the pattern on the lilac one and subbed yarn over's on the yellow one. Both are
from stash yarn which was purchased from Smiley's yarns over the internet (Bernat Softee Baby which I found surprisingly soft). Each hat needs 30 beads which quite honestly I found old necklaces at garage sales and broke the strands for the beads - this makes beads affordable at a quarter. I've also really been enjoying my HiyaHiya needle sets which I got from "The Loopy Ewe". Now I've heard a lot of you complaining about the needle tips loosening and coming off while you're knitting - yup they sometimes do. But I just make a habit of tightening them every time I get to the beginning of the round, and I love the small size of the case - they fit ever so nicely in my on the go knitting bag! Used a size 5 needle on the lavender and used a size 6 on the yellow.

Hat 3 is again in the Bernat Softee Baby but this time in Ice Blue Sparkles! I used a pattern called Claudia and to stash and button bust I crocheted up that cute little flower which is the same one on the Daisy Baby Booties I had so much fun working on...Ended up using a size 4 needle cause it gave the best fabric for this particular style.







Hat 4 & 5 are the Filagree lace hat one in medium and one large. Used a size 5 needle and about 225 yards give or take for size. Also in the Bernat Softee Sparkles. I usually make this one as chemo cap but with all that ribbing I figured it would work well for a lot of kid head sizes...







Hat 6 is another freebie called Vine Lace Baby Hat. By going up to a size 6 needle and using a DK weight it makes a perfectly acceptable kid hat. Now to get this one you'll need to follow the link from Ravelry to the Knitting Daily site and sign in - but there are other freebie patterns there so it's worth the effort...I added about 3 ridges of garter to keep it from rolling - a common complaint with others who have knit it...

Hat 7 - well I saw this one over on Anita's page and said now there's a fun hat for a boy child...the yarn is mystery yarn that Kat threw in my bag at guild and you'll see it on a couple of other hats as well. It is knitted flat and then seamed, I ran into some issues with the crown decreases but in the end I think it turned out okay...to get click here...Ireland Mists hat!














Hats 8, 9, and 10 - more mystery yarn from guild - although the lavender/grey one had a Woolworth's sticker on it!. This pattern was so pretty and it knit up fast - like fast!!! I used a size 8 needle and made each one in an evening while watching television. Well actually netflix - having waited for 4 months I finally got my grubby paws on "Sherlock" written by Mr. Moffat of Dr. Who fame and fortune. It's a collaboration between the BBC and Boston Public television and was aired on "Mystery" last October. Anyway it was worth the wait - and now the kiddo tells me there are blogs by Mr. Watson and Sherlock with who done it clues and mysteries to solve on your own and that they are back in production for another season. Rent this DVD!!!

Hat 11 is the Danish Earflap hat from Hats On - I knit the medium size and went up a needle size since my yarn was heavier then spec'd. All Yarn was from the guild give away pile - I must practice making the pom's since mine look a little scraggly! As I worked on it the men folk said it was definitely a guy hat...by the by guild is requesting more guy hats!







Hat 12, 13, & 14 are the Scandinavian hat from Hats On - I knit the medium size but I think it is a wee bit short...again out of the same mystery yarn from guild. And since I was getting bored I changed out the main band in the little one from another hat in the book and gave it some tassels. Be aware that the little one is little - like baby size!

Hat 15 - I'm not sure what was going on here - mine came out way tall but Toni and Kate assured me that it was sooo cute! again mystery yarn from guild. Pattern is Whimsy from Hats On but I changed out the top to include the star decrease...it hopefully adds some pizazz to the otherwise unfortunate top!

If you're keeping count

This shawl is 5 of 11 for 2011. It's called "Antonia" and is by Birgit Freyer. I used a size 7 needles and 540 yards of ColourMart's Yak/Merino/Silk/Mohair combo in a fingering weight (2/9NM). Now I know I've told you before that is is one of my favorite combo's ever - and it still is this time in Verde (a lovely green with black undertones) which is my favorite color of all time. As you can see it came out huge (considering the effort I put into it) and soft and light as a feather with a gorgeous halo!


And if you're keeping count this is again a free pattern and I'm still knitting from stash so the Six Sigma people will be happy!

Now you can make one too - "Antonia" is a free pattern and by clicking the link you'll get to a page that is in German. Scroll down and in blue is "Anteitung Schultertuch aus Regia Extra Twist Merino" in blue - by clicking on this the pattern, which is a PDF, will open. There is a pattern - yes it's in German but it's a chart and with a little work you'll be able to work your way through it. The only change I made was to start the pattern with a tab start of 3 x 7 stitches. Let's see if I can explain this...or you could just check out the "Aeolian" shawl over on Knitty. So I did a provisional cast on of three stitches, then with the working yarn I knitted 8 ridges of garter stitch, turned the work and picked up one stitch in each of the "valley" stitches down the long edge of the strip, place a marker, pick up and knit the provisional stitches, turn work. Knit 3, slip marker, purl 7, place marker, knit 3 stitches and you are ready to start your shawl! And I'm sorry to say that the "Verde" fiber combo is no longer being listed on the ColourMart Site - I am saddened. But if you are lucky enough to have some of said fiber I am willing to buy it out right or trade or knit for it - drop me a note and I'm yours!

Meg's getting MARRIED

My cousin is getting married and as a tribute to Grace I decided to make her a wedding ring shawl - Grace would have done it herself if she could but...so anyway here it is. I used Sharon Miller's Unst Stole from Heirloom Knitting and a full cone (read FULL cone) of ColourMart 2/30 merino/cashmere/silk, a size 2.75 needle (which when I started I swore I was using a size 2.25 - note to self I need to get new glasses - and probably wear them). My finished dimensions ended up being 37.5" x 80". I made a couple of mods to the original pattern. I got rid of one of the pattern repeats width wise. I also got rid of one of the center repeats lengthwise. Still in all it's huge! So I started on January 28th and have been knitting about 5 hours a day and finally finished knitting on February 25th and blocked on February 27th. I'm afraid that these pictures don't really do it justice - it's beautiful!

Oh and just to add to the excitement - as I'm sitting in the basement Sunday nite dodging tornados and in line winds - meaning the whole house shook and the water in the toilets literally was sloshing side to side...all I could think about was the darn thing still pinned to the bed upstairs. Not worried about the kid, or the dog or the house - nooo not me - I'm trying to figure out if the darn shawl is dried and maybe I should just go upstairs and unpin it and bring it down to the basement tooo - really I'm not crazy, well maybe a little.

Here's a few more pictures -

I've earned a D

so here are pic's of the finished "D" - it's been confirmed there are a few little "oops" in the pattern and again I will say that I'm a lazy good for nothing knitter and didn't take any notes while knitting, but if you go here there's a very nice knitter who actually took the time to note her changes! Her's came out lovely - mine came out tragic but wearable! Still have to say I love this new fiber combo from ColourMart! Nice drape, subtle sheen, and tweedy - check out the other weights - I'm sure there's something there you'd like!

Still thinking that the "tail bone shield" is so NOT attractive so if I were to do it again (which I won't) I'd make mod's to the bottom and sub in a different edging!

Engeln Symbols and Schultertuch D

So I've had Spitzenstricken Teil 5 by Erich Engeln/Editha Fischer Verlag laying around for a bit and thought I'd tackle Schultertuch D aka #96. Well after knitting Trachentuch A & B with perfect patterns I was expecting nothing less from C & D. Well can't say anything about C yet but D has proven to be a bit quirky.

I should have been suspicious when I first looked at the pattern key and realized it wasn't the same as A & B. It looks like (from my sketchy german) that this chart was redone by EF which I'm assuming is Editha Fischer. This isn't bad - just should have been a hint.

So I cast on 11 and had no problems thru Row 51 -as I looked at the chart the center section and full pattern repeats were fine but the right edge was off - I ended up refitting the edging by counting back from the center stitch and redoing the edge charts. Then by the time I got to Row 94 I knew there was something really amiss. I'm guessing there was some shading in the original that was left off in the Lacis version. On Line 94 there are six blank squares in between the 2 large diamond motifs - if you get rid of those squares you should be able to keep the continuity of the design. I'll post again after I finish with any more changes and a finished photo!

Now I'm no expert and if you'd like to do some more reading about this "German" stuff check out the Cromulent Knitter's Blog there is tons and tons of info there!