WIP: Burnham Wood Capelet

When I saw the Burnham Wood Capelet pictured in the Spring 2011 Interweave Knits magazine, I knew I had to make it. I scoured the magazine to find the pattern to no avail. Thanks to a quick search on Ravelry, it turns out the capelet was actually in the Winter 2010 magazine. The photo just made a second stop in the spring magazine. This was a very fortuitous error for me as I had not flipped through the winter magazine as thoroughly as the spring one.

This is the most complicated knitting project I've attempted to date. Not only is this my first attempt at knitted cables, it is also my first attempt at reading knitting charts and it is the largest knitted garment I've ever attempted.

Note the key word here - attempted. I have high hopes that I will make it to the end of the project with a capelet that fits and one that I adore wearing. But there is so much that can go wrong between a collar and the last stitch. I'll be checking in with Romi's Ravelry group and other wonderful knitters who have made this project.

My Ravelry project page is the most up to date and I've chronicled my progress in the notes. So far, I've completed the collar.





The delay in starting the next part of the shawl is a baby blanket I must complete before a baby shower in July. It's close to being done so I hope to pick up the capelet and get back to work on it soon.

What has been your greatest knitting or crochet challenge this year?

Completed Project: Blueberry Hat #2

I was particularly fortunate to have a stash of completed baby hats on hand when I found out about a new coworker who is expecting twins - a boy and girl. With no time to make blankets, hats were the answer.

I had both a blue and a red hat completed previously but they had different tops. Not because anyone would have cared and not because anyone would have said something - but because I had a problem with the difference, I had to have a matching pair. So I quickly cast on for another blue hat.





As always, details on Ravelry.

They were a big hit for both Dad and Mom as well as with my coworkers. And the babies should be arriving any day now!

A Fantastic Find at the Festival

Another trip to the Maryland Renaissance Festival yielded a terrific find - a hand-made knitting bowl!





This beautiful pottery is from Dancing Pig Pottery. Keep an eye out for the Etsy shop to reopen to get yourself one of these great knitting bowls or the other fabulous pottery she creates.

Completed Projects: Two Knitted Baby Hats

Two for Tuesday - two completed projects from the last couple of weeks.

The first hat is similar to the blue hat I recently completed, but I did use a different pattern. You'll see there is colorwork done to make the green part look more like leaves.



As always, details on Ravelry.

This was my first ever attempt at colorwork with knitting, beyond the basic color changing. I had a number of twisted stitches to correct as I was trying to carry the yarn behind the color I was working with. I'm not sure if this an issue only for continental knitters or not. I did get the hang of it, but there were a few twisted stitches that made it through (don't look too close and it's fine).

The second hat was completed in record time for me. I started it during my morning commute on a Wednesday and completed it during my commute home the next day.



As always, details on Ravelry.

I absolutely LOVE the way this yarn works up. The colors and self-patterning are great. I'm tempted to get another few skeins of this in order to knit up a matching baby sweater.

But first, I must complete some other top-secret projects before my October craft swap. This also means that there probably won't be many (if any) completed project posts put here on the blog since the main readers are members of the swap. Maybe I can get away with a few 'sneak peek' photos?

Hats and Sox

Another item crossed off on my Year of Lovely Things list - Sean and I went to an evening game at Camden Yards to see the Red Sox take on the Orioles. Even with the number of Sox players on the DL, it was an excellent outing. I managed to get only a few funny looks as I worked on another baby hat.



This hat isn't for anyone in particular. I just needed a small project to take with me on my commute. I should have selected a pair of socks to work on (still 2 more to complete in order to cross it off my crafty resolutions list) but the last two hats knit up so quickly, that I was looking for some more instant (or at least quick) gratification.

This hat will differ slightly from the blue version I just finished. That hat used the umbilical cord hat pattern from Stitch n' Bitch and for this red version I'm using the Berry Hat pattern (can be found here). This pattern is also super easy - only minor counting and color changing involved when you get to the last few rows. Otherwise it is just knit, knit, knit all around. Less likely to lose your place when you have to look out for foul balls heading your way.

What has been your experience with knitting or crocheting in public? Good, bad, indifferent?

Completed Project: Hat for Uncle Bobby

I finished this project inbetween my days at the CGOA conference. I'm not quite sure why my hat looks so different from the photo in the pattern and on Ravelry.





My hat didn't end up with the distinct decreases leading up to the top, instead looking like sloppy seams. Was I supposed to actually SSK or just K2tog through the back loop to make the stitches twist? Was I supposed to SSK everytime or SSP when I came to a purled stitch? If you've made the hat and have some answers, I'm all ears - especially before I try to make this hat again.

As always, details on Ravelry.

Currently On the Hook and Needles

As I mentioned before, I have a couple of projects I need to finish before the Knit and Crochet show taking place in a couple weeks.

First is a case for my netbook (a mini-laptop). I've been playing with some design ideas and color schemes. Besides using part of a wonderful granny square pattern, the overall pattern for the netbook is being improvised as I go. I picked up some buttons and some fabric this weekend for closures and lining the case. I'm still not quite sure how it will all work out so I'm delaying photos until then.

Another project is to finish a hat for Sean's uncle who for Christmas had given me a gift card to an LYS (see review here). I was originially going to use the raspberry skein I purchased at the store but I instead decided to first try the pattern using the blue skein of Lamb's Pride that Perches gifted to me. So far, the hat is looking good though I'm very afraid that it will be too small. Perhaps that is because it looks smaller on DPNs than it would on circulars. Once it is completed, I'll have Sean try it on for size and if it does indeed fit, I'll go ahead and make another hat using the raspberry skein.

Will both hats be done in two weeks? Plus the netbook case?

I do believe in miracles.

Frog One, Knit One

I have begun working on one of my crafty resolutions - to go through all the unfinished projects lurking in the shadows and either finish 'em or frog 'em.

First up - the spiral motif shawl that I started years ago. I bought the yarn at my very first MS&W but I just couldn't find a pattern that did the yarn justice. Even with the spiral motifs, the pattern was lost and the yarn didn't look good.

But I wanted it to work, so I just kept making the motifs, trying to convince myself that the finished project would be so much better. Denial lead me to create 7 large motifs that when pieced together, still looked awful. So into the bag the motifs and leftover yarn went and in the bag they sat, waiting for the right pattern.

I finally found that pattern at last year's MS&W when at the same booth I first acquired the yarn, I saw it hanging on the wall - the most beautiful knitted wrap in a plain garter stitch using very large needles.

I had my idea, but I didn't have the time last year to act on it, so the boucle sat untouched for many more months until...

Two weekends ago (before snowmaggedon), I started poking around the craft room, trying to visualize how the new cabinet I ordered would look (more on that in a separate post). I saw the bag of beautiful boucle and decided right then and there to frog it. There was some swearing as the boucle loops were knotting themselves together as I tried to rip out the stitches. Some inches of yarn were lost to knots and breakages but I salvaged almost all of it. The small balls of yarn were a marked improvement over the motifs.

Then I pulled out the giant knitting needles I bought in Ireland and cast on. So far, here's what I've got:



More photos and details on Ravelry. So far, so good. It's fast going and I love the way it looks and feels. I probably could have used slightly smaller needles - but I'll save that experiment for the other skein of boucle I have in blues and greens.

Completed Project: Knitted Socks

I finally did it! I knit socks!!! Wahoo!!!!





And here's proof that I did knit the pair of them.



All the details are on Ravelry but here are the highlights... I used the basic sock pattern from "How to Knit Socks" and bamboo DPNs. The bamboo made it much easier to learn to use DPNs since the yarn wasn't sliding all over the place like it was when I used metal DPNs. The yarn is Opal Harry Potter sock yarn that I purchased in Ohio. I loved the colors of it - even more when knitted - as well as the name of this particular color: Dumbledore.

I'm going to be a bit boastful here and say how proud I am of myself that I learned to knit socks and that they came out looking so good. The only problem with them is that they are a bit too small for me. I can put them on and they are comfy but the knitting stretches a bit too much for my taste. I should have swatched it to make sure the yarn and needles worked with the pattern but I was so determined to just knit. So instead of keeping this lovely pair and never wearing them, I'm gifting them to the lovely KMP who just moved back to the area and will need some warm socks when the colder winter months approach. I'm glad to know these special socks will have a good home.

I'm now on the hunt for some good baby bootie/sock patterns to accompany all the baby hats I'll be making. Thank Goddess for Ravelry, Lion Brand and all the other online pattern searches! If you know of a particularly good one, leave a comment or send an email.

Completed Project: Felted Scarf

Here's the felted scarf made with Blue Heron chunky chenille that I bought at Frivolous Fibers in St. Michaels. I started it on MS&W weekend and finished knitting it in early July. I didn't get around to felting it for a month. This is my first knitted scarf and my first felted project! (quasi felted, really)

Here are the before felting photos:



Of course, a finished project must be appropriately modeled...


And the after felting photo:



Seamus found the scarf to be uber stylish and uber tasty.


All details are available on Ravelry. I meant to measure it before it was felted but I didn't remember to do it until the washer was on the spin cycle. Oops.

If I didn't have all these babies to knit and crochet for, I would consider getting more of this yarn and making lots of hats and scarves for Christmas gifts. The colors are so rich and vibrant and the yarn is soooo soft. Looks like all the adults are getting store bought items this year.

Completed Project: Baby Hat (1 of at least 5)

While all's been quiet on the blogging front, I have been busy knitting away the summer. I've needed to keep all needles going at every break since I currently have five...count 'em FIVE... prego friends who are all due between November and January.

During my last trip to St. Michaels and Frivolous Fibers, I bought 2 skeins of Encore yarn because they came with a free hat pattern. The pattern came in newborn and toddler sizes. I got one in blues and one in purples/pinks since the gender of two babies is known (boys) and the other three are surprises and/or unknown right now.

Last Sunday, on the train ride home from New England after my brother-in-law's wonderful wedding, I cast on for the newborn sized hat. That evening, while watching TV, I had a finished hat. I couldn't believe I finished it in one day! Sure, the 7 hour train ride helped but still, I must be a tad bit faster at knitting than I was before.



This first hat is for Julie's baby boy who is due in early December. All details are available on Ravelry. I'm hoping to make another newborn hat from the same skein and maybe even have enough yarn left over to knit up some matching booties or socks. If not, the yarn was under $6.00 per skein so I can always pick up another one (or more depending on how many other pregnancy notices I get in the coming months).

Between the hat and the socks I'm working on (yes - I'm really making socks!) I've come to really love my DPNs... yes, the same DPNs that used to scare me with all their points sticking out. I think the switch from slippery metal to smooth bamboo DPNs made all the difference.

Lesson Learned

When NOT to try to learn to knit socks...

1) When tired
2) When watching something interesting on TV
3) When drinking scotch

Yep - I was doing all three of these things two weeks ago when I finally tried to teach myself to use DPNs and knit a simple sock. Believe it or not, I was actually getting it for quite a while. I won't lie to you - the whole working with 5 needles was quite stressful but I had cast on, divided the stitches, and made my way around about the circle about 6 times and I was doing great!

That is, until the three things one should not do when learning to knit socks coincided with a break to use the bathroom.

I sat back on the couch and proceeded to knit/purl - you guessed it! - in the wrong direction. I didn't notice until I got back to my stitch marker - which was at the end of my needle instead of at the beginning.

Damn it! I cursed under my breath.

But not to fear! I tried to reassure myself. I'd been here before and knew I just had to work my way back to where the problem began.

I successfully unknit/unpurled my way along two DPNs and then...

::SWOOSH!::

...the DPN slipped, 2 stitches slipped, and I swore like a sailor.

Sean quickly came to my rescue by getting my crochet hook holder. I took out an itty-bitty hook and tried to reloop my lost stitches. I could not for the life of me get those 2 stitches back. And as items 1-3 collided with frustration, I gave up, pulled out all the DPNs and rewound the yarn. I was not amused. ::insert more salty sailor verbiage here::

Sean, being the wonderful and supportive husband that he is, tried to reassure me that I had done a great job getting so many stitches on 4 needles on my first try. I, on the other hand, could not be consoled. So much work for nothing...NOTHING! I was in no mood for a lesson. I wanted a pair of socks in the making. But I knew my emotional limits for one evening and did not touch the needles or yarn again that night.

The next day I was in better spirits thanks to a good night's sleep. I was able to more realistically look at what had happened. There is only so much one can expect will or should be accomplished the first time one attempts to learn to knit socks. I was too hard on myself and I needed to try again under more ideal circumstances.

The following weekend, I tried again - this time with much better results.



Now mind you - there is only like 3 or 4 rows on this sock so far and I'm not anticipating that it will turn out to be a wearable sock. But as a first go at sock knitting, I'm enjoying it thoroughly. We'll see how much I like it when I hit the snag in my lessons.

Tiny Knitting

I haven't seen the movie Coraline, but I have heard all the buzz about the handmade knitted garments in the movie. Why hand-knitted? Because everything in the movie was made by hand - all the sets, all the figurines and all the costumes. A machine knitted item would not be allowed.

Althea Crome is the artist who knitted Coraline's sweater and gloves. To be truly awed by what Althea can do, you have to check out her web site, Bugknits. There is a video of her knitting with the tiniest needles ever. But wait until you check out her photo gallery. AMAZING! The smallest fair isle knits ever! I'm sure she is going to spark a whole new interest in miniature knitting.

Knit1fortheRoad has an excellent interview with Althea and you can learn how she got the job and how it changed her life. I really enjoyed reading her comments about it never being to late to follow your passion. There's hope that I'll break the bonds of my cubicle prison and have my own LYS someday!

Completed Project: Knitted Baby Blanket

It took a long time to complete, but I finally did it!

Ta-da! My first knitted baby blanket!







Considering I frogged a bunch earlier in January, it's shocking I finished it on January 30th.

I ended up using 3 skeins of Homespun. The finished size was 31 1/2" by 37" - not exactly square but it worked out fine. More details are available on Ravelry.

I mailed this off to Edward last week and it should be keeping him warm as I write this....that is, if the postal service didn't lose it.

Teaching An Old Crocheter New Tricks

I've been crocheting for close to 18 years and knitting for only one so I'm still really new to knitting. Hell, it took me 2 years of trying to actually really understand how to knit. I think it was because I thought I knew what I was supposed to be doing. Knitting is sorta like crocheting - wrapping yarn and making a series of loops. No problem - I got it.

No, Grasshopper. There are differences that must be learned and to which strict attention must be paid.

Case in point - when I was first learning to knit, I didn't pay attention to the whole yarn in front or back of my needles. These mysterious extra stitches kept creeping into my swatch accompanied by random holes. I remember the Queen saying, "You did a yarn over." And I said, "What the hell is a yarn over? How did I do that?"

I finally understood the whole knit and purl thing and I could do yarn overs without a problem. But still, my knitting is slow going, especially when compared to the speed and consistent gauge of my crocheting.

The BUBBLES bubbles wrap tested my patience to its end. Not the most difficult pattern but not a beginner one either. I've knit and frogged and knit and frogged and frogged and swore and knit some more. But alas, it has sat untouched (except to dust around it) on my yarn cabinet since July. I was so frustrated, I had to pick up a hook to regain my sanity.

I did continue to knit but not with the gusto that I started. I did some dishcloths and a hat and then I ventured to knit a baby blanket. I started it in early October - though it feels as though I've been working on it so much longer than that. Without a pattern, I just cast on what looked like enough stitches and tried to make some kind of garter stitch border around my stockinette stitch blanket.

Three months later, it's still not done...though not for lack of trying.

Warning! I'm about to confess some incredible knitting ignorance here. Please, no laughing.

I noticed a few days ago that I had somehow slipped a stitch - or that's what I thought I had done. I tried my best to fix it by pulling up a stitch. But I really didn't know what I was doing. I thought it was because it was like 10 rows down that I couldn't get it. So I tried to just increase a stitch - with a yarn over. Yep - it was the only way I knew to increase a stitch. Needless to say, it didn't work. Not only did the new decorative hole in the fabric look wrong, the stitches and rows leading down to the slipped stitch were too funky looking to continue. I pulled out two of my reference knitting books to investigate how to properly pull up a slipped stitch. Why I didn't do this in the first place is a mystery to me.

I looked at the book. I looked at the blanket.

I looked at the book again. Then I looked at the blanket.

The blanket's issue looked nothing like the book and I couldn't find the loop to pick up and save.

Can you sense the frustration that was building up?


And so, the frogging began...


No worries! I didn't frog the whole thing. Did I think about it? Yes - but I didn't do it. I did have to pull out close to 17 rows and that alone was traumatic enough.

When I frogged row 16, I found out what the real problem was. Somehow, I had only knit into about 15 stitches of a row and stopped. Probably did this during a commute one day. Apparently when I picked it up to begin again, I proceeded to purl those 15 stitches back where I came from. And thus, the cause of my funky looking slipped stitch was found.

I was proud of myself for trouble shooting and frogging to fix the problem. I was proud of myself for getting all my stitches back on the circular needles. I was also proud of myself for reading more in my Maran's Illustrated and Stitch n' Bitch books to learn that there are other ways to increase than a yarn over.

See what you can learn if you just read the instructions??? I guess I should add to my crafty resolutions for 2009 - read and follow the instructions in my knitting instructional books.

A Work in Progress

Just like the baby, KMP's blanket #2 is still a work in progress. ::sigh:: I had hoped to have finished the blanket by now so I could take a different and new project with me on the train ride to Boston tomorrow. Alas and alack, the knitted Homespun blanket will be with me. Unlike KMP's situation, carrying this project around is a lot less of a hassle as an overdue 8 lb baby boy.



Currently, the blanket is 37" wide by 19 1/2" long. I'm 2 skeins in and I bought the third one today at Joann's. I had hoped to only use two skeins but that just didn't happen. As a consolation gift, I bought myself an Artbin yarn caddy/organizer. I got it at Joann's for $8 and it's a lovely burgundy color. I didn't have time to put stuff in it today, so it will have to wait until New Year's weekend.

I'll be knitting away on the train for the 7 hour trip up to New England - so there's still a chance this blanket will wind up in the "completed in 2008" pile. But it won't be done in time for the baby's arrival because if KMP hasn't had him already, she's scheduled to be induced tomorrow! (Tuesday Dec 23rd)

Girls - if I hear anything, I'll text message you and vice versa, okay?

The Holiday Spirit is in the Air

I'm supposed to have both blankets for KMP done by next Saturday. Egads! Good news is that I'm working on the border of the Afghan of the Sandman (round 4 of 10) so that may even get done today or tomorrow. Bad news is that I'm only one or two rows into skein 2 of the knitted baby blanket. Worse news is that the blanket looks way too long and may require a third skein. This means I've got to get it done and check the length and if necessary, buy another skein and keep knitting. So I'm suspecting I won't have it done in time to mail out on Saturday. I am hedging my bets by including some cute little onesies with funny iron on decals (details to follow in a future post - including photos).

I'm also feeling extra crafty and the holiday spirit is definitely in the air. I've got Christmas music playing as I type. I made applesauce and cranberry sauce today for Thanksgiving. The house smelled wonderful with cranberry, apple and cinnamon wafting through the air. (Note - if you don't have orange zest to add to simmering cranberry sauce, a shot of Triple Sec will do the trick nicely.) I've got the menu planned out for Thanksgiving, too. I'm not hosting this year, but I have plenty to prepare to bring down to dinner. Spinach dip, veggies, pumpkin squares, a crab ball with crackers....::drooling::

I'm also putting together the Christmas gift lists - what to buy and for whom - so I can keep an eye on the sale ads and online deals. It will be a leaner Christmas this year so I want to buy just the right things at the best prices. Speaking of a lean Christmas, the hopes of buying a new fake tree to replace my old, little tree have been put on hold. Instead, I found a more affordable holiday project. I bought a wooden advent calendar from Joann's which I'm going to repaint and include candy and/or little gifts for Sean to open each day until Christmas. I'm hoping this creative project will make up for not getting a new tree, ornaments and decorations. It is definitely cheaper ($30 for the whole project). I'll work on it next weekend so photos to follow.

Thank goodness I'm only working Monday and Tuesday and will have 5 days to work on all this craftiness. So much to do and so little time.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Completed Project: Knitted Meg Griffin Hat

Hope all had a wonderful Halloween! Here's the hat I made for my costume - the title says it all.



See any resemblance?



Say it with me now -- "Shut up, Meg!"

Details on my Ravelry page.

New Project: Knitted (::gasp!::) Homespun Baby Blanket

Here's blanket #2 for KMP's bun in the oven. Detail on blanket #1 can be found here.



Can you believe I'm knitting this blanket??? Me neither. I've never knitted a blanket before and given the time crunch I'm under, I'll be lucky if my slow knitting skills get the job done.

I'm using size 11 circular needles and Lion Brand Homespun yarn in Corinthian. The color isn't your typical choice for a baby blanket but it was the request of the Mom-to-be. I, myself, love it as it is colorful, soft and warm. Plus it's washer/dryer safe so Mom can throw it in the wash without worry. I've gotten a number of compliments from people during my commute and trips about how lovely the color is.

I'm knitting and purling good vibes into every stitch and row. Can't wait to meet the little guy in person!

Completed Project: Lace Dish Cloth

My first dish cloth - yay! I finished it last week.





During my camping trip last month, I started making Jessie's pot holders. Marian the Librarian's mom, grandma and aunt love to use knitted and crocheted dish towels so when they saw me crocheting, they wanted to know if I could make dish cloths. I said sure, though I hadn't made them before I thought I could figure it out. While they did want round ones, I'm not ready to use the DPNs to make them. So this one, one with a King Charles Brocade, and a plain stockinette stitch are what they will get.

Here are a couple of other photos so you can see the design.

Front


Back


As usual, all the details are on Ravelry. I don't see the sense in spending double the time to post here on the blog everything that is so conveniently listed under my projects in Ravelry. If you're not signed up for a free Ravelry account, what are you waiting for??? It's the most amazing database of everything you need to organize all your projects, find cool new projects, see photos of completed projects, and meet great people. Seriously - go sign up.

Because of the pattern, it's given me hope that I can once again pick up the BUBBLES bubbles wrap (that I haven't touched since July) and try again.