Knitterly things as promised, finally

It is a parade of finished, UFOs and in progress works. Grab a cuppa.

For Catherine who is undergoing chemotherapy I made two different hats.
The first one was an easy decision because the name of the pattern is Santa Cruz. I've been on an email list with Janice for several years and Catherine is her partner. Back in July 2006 they came to California for a family wedding, they live in Albion, MI so this was a unique opportunity to meet up with them. Several us were able to do a fabulous meet up on a beach in Santa Cruz, hence the pattern being a no-brainer. This was with yarn gifted from Adrienne.


Then I decided to use the fabulously soft yarn I had purchased for a hat for Catherine and make a second. I mean why not? This alpaca yarn was so soft and not very expensive. Still have one ball left, maybe another hat for TGF because it's a great colour for her as well.


Many many moons ago I purchased a measly two skeins of Elsbeth Lavold's Silky Wool because it was on sale and the perfect colour for TGF. After giving her a few option of hat designs she chose Odessa, which I had been wanting to give a go. This is a very easy, but with just a bit of elegance pattern. It was not the best match up of yarn and pattern but it was her choosing so that's good. Since TGF is not a bead girl this was not made with beads.

I really liked the pattern and got bitten by the pseudo-designer bug. It struck me that it would be really cool to use that stitch pattern in a pair of fingerless gloves. Again not the best match of pattern and yarn but these are a super basic prototype and I will make another pair in a more appropriate yarn soon. Perhaps experimenting with different thumb designs as I found an article in an old Interweave Knits on thumb gussets. I may even have two volunteers for test knitters when I'm ready. I am way too pleased with myself over this thing. A bit of preening was tempting as I finished the second one. Greg's word "chuffed" came to mind a lot. Next on the list is to try a scarf pattern to create a whole "set". However this test piece will be with another yarn as I am out of the silky wool.

Since seeing the pattern when it first came out a few months ago in Knitty I have been a bit enamored with it. I kept imagining using the silky wool with it. Once the hat and mitts were completed I realized I might have enough yarn left over to make Tudora. To get the right gauge I used two strands at a time. Really quick pattern, just a few hours total, over two days. This is a gift for a friend. Just needs a button which I may have the giftee choose themselves. I absolutely adore the feel of the fabric knitted up two stranded.

Another pattern over at Knitty that has been very popular is Foliage. I gathered up a bunch of yarn, again from Adrienne and turned this out quickly. In my mind I thought this hat might be for me. I wore it to NY and Sunny threatened to steal it. When I saw Deb briefly in Cleveland during my return trip she noted how nice the hat was. Had I not been so tired and our time so short I would have realized sooner it was really her hat. I sent it to her after weaving in the ends. I am fairly certain that the pink colour is someone's homespun fiber. It makes me so happy to hear that she is wearing to the farmer's market with her daughters and on hike at dusk.


Eons ago I mentioned a project I was making for our niece, T'Mane. If I had finished last spring, as intended, she probably could have worn it this summer. There was just a tiny bit left but it suffered from my knitting inertia this spring/summer. It will unfortunately need to be frogged. For now it sits as a UFO.




A quick project that I finished and wore today is a little lacy headband out of Lion's Brand Microspun in a bright dark purple. The pattern is from Interweave. Quick, a little narrow maybe but keeps my bangs (which are below my chin now) out of the way.

Recently a friend in California asked if she could "commission me" to knit a project, perhaps two. After a few go rounds she let me decide on the pattern and yarn (#3105). As of this afternoon I have 40% of it done. It's going rather well now that I have the pattern down a bit more. Hopefully I will have enough yarn or things will get awful messy and crazed around here if I need to find more in the same colour which won't be the same dye lot I'm sure! If this goes well she may ask me to make something else. Kinda cool. Hell just being asked was one of the coolest things ever.

The sweater from NaKniSweMo is still on the needles. I had started the first sleeve, doing 12 out of 16 increases but decided it was too sloppy and ripped all the increases out. I am just about back to the 12 increases, I think. Then of course there is the second sleeve which I hope won't suffer from a variation of "second sock syndrome". Part of the problem is I really don't like the needles I am using, not very smooth or quick (Clover size 8 double points) I had hoped to finish by TGF's birthday but I think that is looking more and more unlikely as I have less than a week. The commission is due the same time. I suppose if I do nothing else but knit this week it could all happen.

I think that catches all of y'all up on my knitting world. There are a host of projects I really want to start but the sweater and scarf need to be finished soon! There are socks, maybe for me, some projects for Sunny and Lindsay, more for TGF, testing the pattern I wrote, developing a scarf version - so much to do!

In which our heroine has left the house 3 nights in a row

It is truly amazing that I can be so busy in the evenings when I have just arrived in this state. Of course for some of this business all praise must go to Ravelry which allows me to find all these knitting/fibrous things to do.

Sunday was not the best night in the house as TGF was very quiet, not wanting to talk, and I could not separate from her mood. Luckily I had an option! On Sunday evenings there is a knitting meet up at a St*rbucks near the Dayton Mall. Some women get together starting at about 8ish and goes, as I learned later, until the last person goes home. This particular St*rbucks is open 24/7 and as there is caffeine available it certainly lends itself to the night owl crew. There were only two others who showed while I was there (WildWoman wrote later to say she got there at about 11pm). It was still fun and I learned that these two women were open and amusing to hang with for an evening. It was definitely the right thing to do rather than stay home. I didn't even spend any money on tasty drinks.

The next night I had already decided I would go to Cody's lacrosse practice/game as it would be one of the last for the season. I arrived at Jeriann's place just as they were leaving to warm up the car - it was quite cold last night! We had a good chat while Cody listened to the radio. It was quite the night of meeting up with folks. Jer's parents came by and it was really great to meet them. Her mom sent me off with hug for TGF. Michael, Cody's godfather came with his wife and there 19 month old son, but they couldn't stay long so Cody didn't get to see them. Cody wanted to me stay for dinner, but mom said homework was more important. I got a hug before he headed for the front door, and just before entering he called out "Love you". Melted my heart I tell you.

Tonight is Tuesday and I love my knit night at Therapy Cafe meet up. These women are fun and it's so close to home, it makes it easy to go. We were a smaller group tonight and unfortunately Squeezleknits didn't make it. Also Dainty Kitty didn't show, boo. I showed off my chemo cap (photo and details soon) for Catherine, worked on TGF's Odessa hat and blatantly ignored the sleeve of her sweater. A lot of my annoyance with the sleeves are the needles, Clovers, which I really do not like but they were all I could find when I needed them the other week. I really like the Silky Wool yarn and I think it's going to make a lovely little hat for her. The company was so entertaining that I misread the directions and wound up having to tink the four rows I knit. Never fear, I have reknit about half of that while watching the final episode of the Tin Man on the SciFi channel. Good stuff that was!

It almost makes me want to go out again tomorrow night and you know what? I could because there is a knitting gathering at the B&N near where I was Sunday night with yet another group. Isn't that a trip? And I didn't go to one last night in North Dayton. And I think there is one on Friday morning near TGF's store. Crazy huh?

Oh South Park is having their first annual Xmas party (I will have to talk to someone about how politically incorrect it is not to say "holiday", don't you think?) on Saturday at our tavern. Admission is two cans of food per person. I think we can manage that. I have tentatively invited Jeriann and Cody for candling lighting and latkes on Sunday, which will also be the day we put the tree up.

Looks like a busy week over here in South Park for me.

The NaKniSweMo attempt

Inspired by this sweater I bought some inexpensive yarn made of very soft acrylick in a beautiful heather gray with the idea I would make it for TGF. This was back while we were in motel land. However when I showed this photo of the pattern, she gave it a distinct thumbs down.

So the hunt then begun for just the right pattern. Many sweaters that I would love are too femmy for her. There was a recent thread on the butch-femme forum at Ravelry about just such a dilemma of a good pattern for a soft butch (or as TGF prefers "tomboi"). Luckily I already knew to run ideas by her.


Finally I found one that passed her muster and was the right gauge for the yarn I had already purchased on the Garn Studio Drops Design site. It seemed like a design I could handle.

But between home hunting, the moving, and the settling in nothing appeared on my needles. Finally roused from my knitting slumber by NaKniSweMo, I decided to cast on and unofficially join in (along with NaBloPoMo, which I did official join. Can I just say that via the Randomizer I have found so many blah blogs, not to mention many people have long since bagged on the premise. But I digress.)

This is the first time I have attempted an adult sized garment, it's also my first bottom up sweater with raglan sleeves. Don't I sound like I know what I'm talking about? Well I don't really I am just repeating details from the pattern. The bottom up to a bind off for sleeves went rather well and used almost an entire skein.

Then in a flurry of bravado I thought I would do two sleeves on two circulars. First I researched on the web, followed by learning the long tail cast-on (ridiculous easily!). I began trying to cast on but no matter what I did it just did not square up At.All.

Deep frustration. Finally I proceeded with dpns. I figure when I start increasing I can switch to a pair of circulars and begin the second sleeve on dpns and catch up to try to do them sort of simultaneously. Given how far I have gotten since I finally gave into the dpns yesterday I think it is unlikely I will finish this project by Friday.

Today I found a great tutorial on y*u t*be by Cat Bordhi for doing one round object on two circulars. It helped a lot so maybe I can try that and then try two objects and it will work. Another day, not today though.

The other I also cast on for an Odessa hat, also for TGF in a beautiful wool & silk yarn by Elsbeth Lavold. Well I casted on and decided it was too small so I ripped back and cast on with one additional repeat as my gauge is different because I am using very different yarn.

I think my knitting dry spell is ending. Yeah!