Holy Sheep, Batman!

Holy Sheep, batman! Has it really been three weeks since my last post? Pardon moi, mes enfants! No wonder the stuff has been piling up!

First and most important - I won this amazing sock yarn from the wonderful Melanie of Lotus Yarns in her comment contest. This is Aura in the color Walking with a Ghost. It is a lovely grey and pearl grey with fine silver threads woven throughout. I am so excited and can't wait to cast on. Socks are still an "event" for me, so this is pretty damn special. Thank you Melanie!


I am consumed with gift knitting like everyone else. I've accomplished quite a lot these past weeks, so I will break this post up into bite sized pieces for easy digestion.

First up is my second Wisp. This is for a dear friend and my very first non-family knitting - heck, I'm barely out of the narcissistic phase! I got this mohair from a Suss clearance sale and I'm not sure who made it. It was really nice to work with, though. Isn't the color dreamy? I'm pretty proud of it.


I also **finally** felted my MIL's slippers. The pattern is from Tracy and Mel's Knit2Together. This is a pretty easy pattern, but I sure hate picking up stitches. I made a pair last fall and I thought my inexperience was the problem. Maybe so, but it is a bitch to get the **right** number of stitches evenly. Oh, but aren't they lovely? I call them Cabernet Clouds because they are so soft.

That's it for tonight! More to come later.

Almost Caught Up

For my few ardent readers, remember the Wisp Shawl/capelet/cowl that I was knitting on the Great Wall of China? I'm done. It's really hard to photog yourself wearing a scarf. Really. Hard. Anyway, I haven't put on the shell buttons yet to make it truly finished. As it is now, there is no sexy caplet and no terminally cute hood. By the way, am I the only one who noticed the ridiculous High School Senior Photo quality of this scarf when worn as a capelet? Especially in that light blue on the Knitty model? I know my SIL will wear it as a cowl.

The pattern is easy and quick. It is easier if you knit it as written, but I had to cut out a row of garter stitch because I had just one ball of Kidsilk Haze. I also had to cut out one fishnet pattern. When she says 1-2 balls, she means 1 ball plus 3 feet of the second ball. I find that rather rude, but I think the size is just fine without the called for repeats.

Here is a shot of the whole scarf. I'll take more pics when I finally get the buttons on. I have 2 more of these to make. Thankfully, they go fast.

On the needles, besides another Wisp, is the U-Neck Back to School Vest from Fitted Knits. I must be getting better at ribbing, because this is flying off the needles. The yarn is Malabrigo and the color is Velvet Grape. I LOVE this color.


That's it for now. I think I'm all caught up with the knitting that happen while I was incognito.

Toodles!

Petals on the Earth

A while back I took a really neat yarn dying class (here's the post) and produced my very first skein of lace weight yarn. I called it Petals on the Earth and I was in love. How could I produce such a lovely on my very first try? (hint - it helps if you have an expert helping you. Thank you, Charles)

Ok, so lace weight yarn dictates that I knit, well, lace...no? Ok, I admit I have been more adventurous than the average rookie, but c'mon! Those lace stoles and shawls look so delicate and complicated and HARD! But I have the Scarf Style book and I see the Ene's Scarf pattern and I think "what the heck! It's just knit and purl. How hard can it be?"

As it turns out, not hard at all. I present to you, Petals on the Earth.

I used, and I'm only guessing, about 700 of the 880 yards on the skein. I wish I knew what to do with the left over yarn. What are other uses for lace weight yarn? A small hat, perhaps? Could I get fingerless mitts out of it?

I really enjoyed this process of lace knitting. I mean it was serious fun. This is a problem as I am about as lacy as a mack truck - but I might have to change my fashion sensibility to match my knitting. I can't be the first knitter to do this.

Next up are more Christmas gifts, wisp scarves for my amazing SILs, finally felt those house slippers from my MIL and a U-Neck vest for me. Yipee!

Tangled Fields of Glory

I can't begin to tell you how Cheshire Cat satisfied I am. This is a helluva way to mark my one year knitting anniversary! Here are the details: Pattern, as if you didn't know - Tangled Yoke Cardigan from Interweave Knits Fall '07. Yarn - Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool color 44 from Webs, 6 balls and a smidgen of the 7th. Needle, #8 Addi Turbo. Size 38 and I am a 40 bust (no one ever tells you that. I sure wish people told you that so you could see if you like the fit compared to your own bod. I am "strong woman to pull plow". You can plainly see that. Why hide it?).



Here's me looking all satisfied. By the way, how'd you like the high art fashion shoot that I opened the post with? DH is getting more creative with the camera...



I love the way the yoke looks and how it goes all the way around. Some people have posted of problems in keeping track of their place in this loooooong cable. I did this by using stitch markers when possible (not always practical due to the K2togs) and really knowing my stitch structure one row down. Not a blip on this cable - but I didn't go fast, either.



Garter ribbing on the sleeves and the waist - looks really nice, but is almost the opposite of pulling in for shaping. It actually flares out at the ends, giving a bit of a bell shape to the sleeves and a flare at the waist. I think it looks nice, but was certainly unexpected.



Here's the folded over neckline and button band detail. I love the delicate way the neck presents and the folding over gives heft and structure. I almost wonder if you couldn't do the same thing for the button band. A little heft would help it from pooching out between the buttons...



The folded neckline was bound off using the 3 needle bind off method. I felt like a true professional with such an elegant finishing.



Cute buttons, eh? I only had 6 but figured I would never button the top anyway. I'm rather surprised the the control freaky type A monster in me is ok with this, but I ain't gonna question it.

Now we're back. What should I knit?

I am finally getting back into the rhythm of my life. International travel is incredibly disruptive for anyone - doubly so for the uninitiated.

My rhythm includes writing - lots of writing. I wrote quite a lot while in China - lots of facts, figures, history, anecdotes about my travel mates and impressions of a strange land. Maybe I will share some of this as we go along.

Most of my stuff is done or near done. What shall I do next? How about the U-Neck School Vest from Stephanie Japel's Fitted Knits?

I have this wonderful birthday yarn from my assistant. Malabrigo, yum!
I've knit my swatch and hit gauge right away. Must be a sign!

Now, I have a new delima. I bought some lovely Cascade 220 Super wash in a taupe brown ages ago. It was meant for this:


The Pimlico Shawl. Remember that one? I obsessed over this sweater. I had to have it. I bought a bag of Noro from Little Knits and knit away - only to learn how yarn and projects need to match up! I even trekked over to Wild Fiber and tried on the sample. But, by the time I got the right yarn, other projects had jumped the queue and the yarn sat and sat. I actually had plans to cast on as soon as I got back from China and then THIS happened -


Oblique by Veronik Avery. Be still my heart! The perfect slouchy comfy sweater pattern. So classic! So gorgeous! I am in love! AND.... I have the yarn. Bye-Bye Pimlico. You were always a little too fashion forward for this Ann Taylor inspired heart. (But then... I still have the pattern. Who knows if the shawl will re enter the queue?)

It's been so long...

I've been away. Far, far away. I've been to China and back and I mean that literally! Here's proof:


I'm knitting Wisp as a Christmas present for my sister-in-law. Won't it be cool to tell her this puppy was knitted on the Great Wall of China?!

I met 2 other knitters, Charlotte from Omaha and Linda from Maine. Linda thought it would be cool to knit something for myself, as a remembrance of China. Great idea, Linda! So, here I am, cruising down the Lessor Gorges of the Yangtze River, knitting my own hand dyed yarn into Ene's Scarf.

I saw many great things in China. I expected, frankly, that reality could never match up to the fantasy, but I was wrong. China is mind blowingly beautiful, dramatic, history infused and DENSE. There are so many people - can you wrap your head around 1.3 billion people in one country? A medium sized city has 7 million people in it. SEVEN million! That's outrageous, but reality. I spent many moments thanking my ancient ancestors for having the courage to leave China for the US back in the 1800's. Otherwise I would think squatty hole toilets were perfectly normal (eew).

Many of the very chic young women wear very cute knitted hats. these hats are brimmed but have no top - a perfect place for the ever present glossy black pony tail to poke through.


In Beijing, where it is colder, I saw several slouchy hats like this one:


Room for piling the glossy black hair in the hat or open it up and letting the pony tail poke through. I'll have to try my hand at designing something like these hats. Afterall, I have the glossy brownish, reddish blackish pony tail!

I have much knitting to blog about, but I don't want to overload. Here's a link to my Picasa Web Album, should you care to look. If you get the chance to go, do it. It was an amazing experience.

China Favorites

My other life...

I have a new obsession. Shh, don't tell.

In my other life I am a Realtor. Not a "boring, dry as toast, manipulate every conversation for my own monetary gain while shedding dandruff all over the table" sort of Realtor (ewe, I just grossed myself out), but a I do make a living outside the fiber arts.

This blogging thing is very cool, so I thought - "How can I be amusing and still make money?" Bingo - start a Real Estate blog. I had Jon Symons of Ninja Blog set me up - (www.ninjablogsetup.com - he does an amazing wordpress set up for FREE!!!) and I was off and running. Take a look! www.KendylsOpenHouse.com. Anyway, that has consumed most of my blogging time.

So, let's catch up. First - and arguably most important - I finally got a swift! Why, oh why did I wait so long? This is just about the coolest toy ever. Here's a pic of a very happy me winding yet another hank of Silky wool. Since I can't stay away from all the cool yarn on the web, I needed one of these puppies. I just didn't expect it to be so humongous (the swift, silly. Not the web).


So, what is all that luscious Silky Wool for? Ah, the Tangled Fields of Gold aka Tangled Yoke Cardigan by Eunny Jang. I am in total lust with this yarn. The color, the texture, the smooth way it knits up. Pure. Love.

However, the pattern is a bit problematic for the novice. I feel somewhat sacrilegious in criticizing Eunny - but there is an error in the increase section for the body and the directions for joining the sleeves are less than clear. And then there are the 2 completely useless markers one stitch from each edge. Huh? Isn't there enough to worry about without messing with a stitch marker flopping about and threatening to fall off each row turn? Those little ##$@^$^ fell off one to many times and I got rid of them. So there.

Erm... I must be close to that time of the month. Except - I don't do that anymore! Guess I'm just a bitch.

But... isn't she lovely? I am 20 rows away from the yoke. I can't wait, but I am a tad fearful. Will Eunny flummox me again? we shall see....


Next up is Ene's scarf. This is what the hand dyed yarn I made is turning into. It might have wanted to be a Muir, but I wanted a triangle, so there. I was a little concerned when an experienced knitter (you know who you are, girl) said - ooh, I'm scared of that pattern. Crikey! What's going to happen to me? I'll tell you what, first there is blissful arrogance at how easy this is and then **Whamo** Chart 3 kicks in. I am making slow progress to be sure. I am loving every moment of this tangled puzzle (where I seriously question my ability to count past 100 and consider hiring a 3 year old to count for me) and I now understand the allure of knitting lace.

Last up is my MIL's Christmas present - sh, don't tell, again! These lovelies are made with the ridiculously luxurious Fiesta Kokopelli and Water mark. With mohair and wool these puppies will be like wearing clouds. Warm clouds. Since she is Sainted MIL, the luxury is well worth it! After I felt them I think I will do a simple embellishment with a geometric embroidery. Or not.