Getting Ready for Stitches

There's been much to do here and at work the last week or so, but I'm getting a few things done that need to be.

The Swallowtail Shawl is off the needles and blocking!

Pattern: Swallowtail Shawl by Evelyn Clark

Yarn: Knit Picks Shimmer in Cumulus Size 4 Additurbo Lace needles

Mostly, though, I have been working and helping get the shop ready for our first time as being a vendor at Stitches Midwest. We have been busy creating kits for several different patterns which is busy work at its best. I think Linda has been doing nothing but for the last two weeks. I won’t actually be working in the booth since I signed up for classes, etc. But, I will be covering some store hours to keep the shop going while we are at Stitches.

In addition to that I finished my homework for my class and of course I’ve been thinking/dreaming about what I will find at the market. So like so many others, I did a little review of what’s in my stash and UM, I might have a wee little bit of sock yarn.

(it’s divided into cool and warm colors here) I’ve heard it doesn’t count as stash, but yeah, I think I might be good for a little while.

I think it got that way because I’m not exactly effective at saying “no” to the acquisition of new sock yarn. Here’s a skein that has recently been acquired, thanks to my friend Kelly who attended sock summit and picked this out for me. (I might have slipped her some money before she left) The two little knitted socks in the pick were from other summit attendees who sent them as gifts. (Thanks to knitnana and melidomi) So if you are going to Stitches and see me lurking outside of any of the booths selling sock yarn, tap me on the shoulder and point out something else QUICK! Especially if you see me reaching for my credit card. Finally, at some point last weekend I needed a little knitting diversion, so I whipped this up. My dishcloths all started falling apart recently so it seemed like exactly the right project:

Pattern: My Coffee Cup by Enid Danforth

Yarn: Peaches & Creme color 89 Camel

Size 8 needles

Now I'm off to try and finish some socks....

Happy Knitting

Nana

Shawl Shock

I’ve been doing quite a bit of knitting this month. I just haven’t taken the time to post much about what I’ve been up to. While I was visiting my daughter and granddaughter in TX I finished several projects and started a couple more. Here’s a sort of run-down on what I did then and have been doing since: What kind of Nana would I be if I didn’t knit a sweater for that little darling? I started this after I finished the blanket and finished it just in time for Sylvia’s arrival at home. I call it Sylvia’s Homecoming Sweater:

The purple and grey (silver) it’s done in are Texas Christian University (TCU) colors. My daughter and her husband met there and are active alumni. It seemed fitting to knit her at least one outfit in school colors; and since her Nana is very partial to purple, pretty satisfactory too. Pattern: Baby Sweater on Two Needles; Practically Seamless (aka Baby February) from the Knitters Almanac by Elizabeth Zimmerman Yarn: Butterfly Super 10 by Kertzer in Violet and Silver – this is a DK weight yarn and worked up very nicely. Needles: size 6 Pattern Mods: I left off the button holes so and knit the sleeves last so that I could knit them in the round (thus making it truly seamless). I also did two pair of matching booties (one in each color) with the leftover yarn using the pattern Knit Mary Jane Booties by April Cromwell The sweater is a little big for her now, but I am confident she will grow into it eventually. There’s also enough yarn left over that I may even add a hat to the ensemble. I also finished my contribution to the square a month swap that my two daughters are doing.

You’ll have to go here to get the details, but one of them suggested it would be fun if I contributed a knit square and I was quite honored to do so. I chose a fun mitered square that is knit from the center out. Pattern: Turn Back Time Spa Cloth from Creative Knitting Magazine January 2008 issue Yarn: Vanna’s Choice for grey square and for Blue Square Paton SWS and Red Heart for the border Then I finished one of the two pair of Sister Stripe socks (Noro Kuryeon Sock Yarn) that I'm also knitting for my daughters.The first pair was for DD#1 (the new mom) and turned out great.

I cast on for the second pair as well. I’ve worked on them some since and got them this far:

I also started a shawl while I was down in TX. On my first attempt I followed the pattern the way it was written, but decided my cast on was too loose and sloppy so I started over. Then I didn’t like the hole that the first and last yarn-over made on the top edge, so I decided to redo it and knit the yarn-over through the back loop (ktbl) on the next row. I liked that result much better, but on that attempt, I also decided to slip the last stitch of each row, which gave me a loose and uneven edge which I didn’t like at all, so out it went. After all that tinkering though I came up with a very pleasant arrangement of alternating stockinette and garter rows and on the third start using only three stitches as the base doing the ktbl’s and not slipping the last stitch, I got a result I was super happy with. I finished it off with a cute little picot bind off. So even with all of that, I started this on the 21st and finished it on the 27th so it’s fair to say it was super quick and easy. I think it turned out quite nicely.

(End of Summer Shawl) Pattern: Simple Yet Effective Shawl Yarn: Sunuvasock by Ceallach Dyes colorway, Vintage Needles: size 7 Which brings me to my current project; even though it’s quite embarrassing to admit that this project has been (gasp) OTN for OVER a year, I made excellent progress on the long-languishing Swallowtail Shawl (I KNOW!) (Hanging head in knitterly shame) I completed all the repeats of the 2nd chart and am ready to move on to the next section. I am doing only one pattern mod on this: I’m replacing the nupps with beads in this section. I’m hoping to get this one done in the next week. I’ll keep you posted! Happy Knitting Nana

About Knitting

Yes, knitting has been happening along with all of the other exciting things I’ve been doing. I have a few FO’s that I mentioned, but probably haven’t posted pics of, so I’ll try to do a quick run-down:

The Delve sweater in a better modeled shot (same model, nicer pose and cute guy!)

I finished one brown sock, took this picture and then decided that the stitches on the foot were too big/loose.

Spent a few days thinking about it, decided to reknit at a smaller gauge and more stitches. It has now been frogged and I’ve restarted the sock with more stitches on the right size needle.

I finished the Lily of the Valley socks. Overall I like the pattern and might knit it again.

The nupps gave me a little trouble at first, but they got better with practice (and slightly looser loops!). I need to figure out how to tighten up the braid on the cuff and toes a bit, but it’s a nice pattern. Yarn: Louet Gems in Cream Pattern: Lily of the Valley by Susan Lawrence (available from Knit Picks) Size 2 needles / Magic Loop I got 4 repeats done on my Swallowtail shawl and it is starting to look a little more like it’s supposed to: I still have a ways to go, but hey, it takes time (I might finish it before my grand-daughter gets married, LOL!)

And finally, I spent most the weekend on this: The sample and practice pieces for my students to use during my Toe-up Sock workshop (tonight): I think that brings it up to date…. Happy Knitting!

Nana

You Might Have a “Startitis” If…

You are already working on this: (Top down t-shirt) And this: (Baby Bunting test-knit for shop)

(Oh, and let’s not forget the secret swap socks… with no pictures until they are mailed!)

But then you cast on for This:

And this: (hey teach)

And these: (August sock-a-month socks)

As well as complete 3 sewing projects; do you think?

Yes it has been sort of busy around here at Chez Nana. I’ve found plenty of things I want to knit and apparently am attempting to knit them all at once. It’s really not bad if you have a system. I knit on each project for half and hour to an hour depending on where I’m at in the pattern and then I take a break (or go to work or the store... or...) then, once the break is over I pick up a different project and work on it for a little while. It’s sort of like; um… I guess... time management! Hmmm, yeah, time management… yeah... sounds a lot better than startitis.

Oh, and just in case you’re thinking that I am incapable of finishing anything. I did actually finish these on Sunday. Pair # 2 of the Skinny Stripe socks. How many projects are you working on over there?

The Greys Have it!

Most of the voting went with the Grey Knitpicks Shimmer! It looks like that's what the Swallowtail shawl will be made of! Thanks for voting... I'll be drawing for a winner later today, Saucey said she'd help, but there's naps to be taken! I'll post the name in my next post.

Purple Passion ... and a prize?

The Summertime Shell is finished! Here’s a pic of it blocking… maybe once it’s dry I can talk DH into taking a picture of me wearing it. I hope it’s dry soon because I really want to wear it. I finished it just in time for the hottest part of summer! I really like the way it turned out. I did a couple pattern modifications and am glad I did. The only other modification I would do if I knit this pattern again (and I might) would be to knit everything in the round up to the armholes. I knit the lace sections flat and it was kind of a pain to seam them (I think it took me almost as long to seam as it did to knit the armhole bands!) Here are the specs:

Pattern: Summertime Shell by Melissa Leapman from Creative Knitting July 2008
Yarn SWTC Beyond Bold (Cotton) in Purple
Size 5 Needles

Cast on June 23rd / Finished July 21st

Now on to a decision…
Remember the yummy Mini-maiden lace weight I showed off in the last post?
I can’t decide whether to use it for the Swallowtail Shawl or to use the Knit Picks Shimmer (Alpaca/Silk) I originally picked out for the shawl.

Both yarns have their merits and are highly touchable, pretty colors and so forth… So dear readers… I’m asking your opinion. Which one would you use? And why?
Everyone who leaves a comment to this post with a vote/opinion will have their name go into a drawing for a special prize package. I will hold the drawing on July 31st which just happens to by my 1st blogiversary and also the end of my first official year of retirement.

So tell me what you think!