Mittens

Okay one mitten anyway.

I'm nearly finished the first one. There a few loose stitches but overall I'm happy with it. There are a few more rows left on the hand, and then I just need to shape the thumb.

I'm experimenting with the new camera. I imagine the pictures will get better as I get more familiar with it.

More on the mittens

I'm more than half done with the first mitten. After frogging it about half a dozen times. Hopefully I'll have the pair finished before the end of January.

But my history is to have several projects in the works at one time. It is preferable to have more than one because sometimes you just get tired of working on something, but not tired of knitting.

I also still need to weave in ends on those socks. Now I wish I hadn't made striped ones.

Mittens

I started the mittens yesterday. I've finished the cuff portion of the first one. I really like how it is looking so far. Although the tricky part will be with the thumb portion.

When my mother saw the bamboo double pointed needles, she thought they were sticks.

This is my first experience with bamboo double points. They work really well on the wool yarn I'm using. They have a very smooth feel to them.

I'm hoping to have the first mitten finished by the end of next week so that I can start the second.

The socks are done

I finally finished up the socks that were taking forever. It will be a long time before I make socks that long again. They just take too long. I've been working on them since September, although granted there were also other projects that I was working on.

I'm probably going to start the mittens this weekend.

Growing yarn stash and holiday knitting

Well my stash is huge now. My Knit Picks order came with My Clapotis yarn and size 4, 5, and 6 double points, and I went to a yarn store in Naperville that was closing and had a sale. I bought some Cascade 220. So now my yarn storage case is full and I have several projects to start.

I'm nearly finished with holiday knitting and have started holiday blocking. I only need to finish up what I knitting for my mom and then I'll be done. I blocked one of the hats last night and it is drying.

I'll be glad when it is all done, so I can start my mittens and hat, to finish up the hat glove and mitten set I've been working on.

Well I ended up missing the shower due in part to the snowstorm that hit Chicago and the idiocy of the airline. Needless to say I'm extremely irritated since I wanted to be there when my sister saw the blanket and hat for the first time. Now I have to mail them.

Since I ended up being home I went to Hobby Lobby looking for a row counter, the type that clicks. But I didn't like the one they had. So I'm still loooking. Maybe I'll try Michael's or Jo-Ann's. I'm tired of the type I have.

Two circulars

I'm finding the two circular method surprisingly easy. I like it much better than the magic loop. Although I'll probably try magic loop again with a longer needle. But I have to say I find all the sliding you have to do distracting.

I also like that I'm not constantly checking to see if my stitches are slipping off the needles as I do with double points.

The baby hat is finished. My I-cord doesn't look that great, but I like the way the rest of the hat looks. My I-cords never look very nice though, but I've only done them a few times. But doubt that my sister will care.

I'm actually rather a little surprised that I'm trying these methods now for the first time even though I've been knitting for nearly three years.

Two circular method and stash additions and subtractions

I will be trying the two circular method this week since I don't have size 7 double points and I need to finish the baby hat I'm making by Thursday. There was enough yarn left over from the blanket to make the hat so I went ahead and started that.

My car is fixed and the cost was less than a paycheck so I'll be able to place a yarn order this month. So I will order the needles and I still need to decide what yarn to order.

I also need to go through my stash to see if I have any yarn to bring to the SNBWB yarn exchange or the yarn that will be donated to a shelter. I'm not sure If I have anything for the exchange, but I'll check.

Adding to my stash..hopefully

I'm hoping to place a yarn and needle order this week. But whether I do or not depends on how expensive the repair to my car is going to be. I'm hoping that it is an inexpensive repair.

I'm planning to order some yarn to make Clapotis from Knitty. And then I need to order double pointed needles to make my mittens. The mittens need US size 4 and 5. I think I'll order 6 as well since I think I'm going to use some superwash yarn I bought back in 2004 to make wrist warmers.

Holiday Knitting and Magic Loop

I haven't posted in a long time.

I've made progress with my holiday knitting. I've finished my presents for my father and brother-in-law. I'm half done with my mother's present, and my sister's present shouldn't take too long. I'm going to buy my other sister's present.

I've also finished the main part of the present for my nephew so it will be ready for the shower next week. I have a bit of yarn left over so I might make a small and quick thing to go with it.

After the holiday knitting is over I'm taking a break from knitting for others for at least 6 months. Although I'll probably end up breaking the vow and knitting something else for my nephew after he is born. But maybe it doesn't count if it is for a baby. I'll tell myself that anyway.


On to the magic loop experience.

I understand how to do it and have knit a few rounds. However the needle is not really long enough. I have a 24" and it really needs a 29" or longer. I'll probably end up frogging those rows and ordering double points next week. Ideally I would like to have the mittens finished before winter ends. So far I've completed the scarf portion of my scarf, hat and mitten set.

Zeeby's bag Update

I've finished the front, back, and gusset. I'm now working on the handles. I'm still trying to figure out how to line it. And my mom is going to help me with the lining as well as installing a zipper.

One of the reasons I chose to knit the pattern was so that I could practice seaming. I'm terrible at sewing seams and want to improve before making a sweater. Installing a zipper would also be good practice since there is a cardigan pattern I really like that includes a zipper.

My next two projects are socks. I've already made three pairs of socks, so I'm too worried about those.

Long time

I haven't updated in awhile. I did finish the handles on the felted bag.

I've started Zeeby's Bag. I really dislike how my stitches are looking, but I'm going to finish and then block and hopefully it will work in the end. I didn't care as much about how the stitches looked on the felted bag because I know that they won't really show after felting.

I have a really difficult time liking what I knit sometimes. I enjoy the process of knitting, I just don't always like the project in how it looks. I always feel that my knitting doesn't look as nice as it could.

Handles and cat in the yarn

I have been working on the handles. I'm just about finished with the first one. I'm having a much better time with I-Cord this time than my previous attempts. With luck I'll have the handles finished soon, and then I'll be able to move on to actually felting my bag.

My cat decided to play with some yarn scraps today. I guess that was his way of telling me I need to make him a new toy. I have made the cat toy patterns from Knitty several times, but I think I'll try the one from Stitch N' Bitch Nation this time.

Time for handles

I finished the bag portion of the felted bag, now onto handles. I'm going to I-Cord the handles. When I'll felt the bag and handles before sewing the handles on. I'm glad to be nearly finished with the bag.

I also eager to start Zeeby's Bag.

After that I am trying to decide what to work on. There are so many projects that I would like to try. And there are so many yarns that I would love to add to my yarn stash. I really want to make some actual items of clothing this year.

Finding a yarn substitution for Clapotis

I absolutely love the pattern Clapotis from Knitty. I'm currently trying to find a cheaper yarn to use in place of Lorna's Laces. Hopefully one from KnitPicks, Knitpicks does have several multi color yarns that are beautiful, but they are not the right weight. The only one they have in the right weight doesn't have colors I like. I'll have to check Elann. Either that or see if I can double stand one of the lighter weights in KnitPicks. Or maybe I can use Wool of the Andes and stripe it and carry the yarn up so I don't have to weave in too much.

I think I found a pattern for my first cardigan

I wanted to knit a cardigan for awhile now but haven't found a pattern I really liked. The Winter Issue of Knitty has a a tie cardigan made out of Knit Picks Sierra that I like a lot. The pattern would involve cable but I have done cable in the past. Plus I have liked the Knit Picks yarns I have used in the past.

I think I'll use the cranberry shade since I would use it most in fall and winter. I'll probably order the yarn soon and then get started on it over the summer. I do have a project that I intend to do before that which is Zeeby's bag. Depending on how much time I have it should be finished before fall.

Dyeing Yarn

I would love to dye my own yarn in the future. I would probably do natural animal fiber yarn, so that I could use kool-aid. I just love the richness in color that hand dyed yarn has. I have no idea when I'll have a chance to do this. I think it would be nice to do it over the summer so that I could do it outside hopefully.

Knitpicks has some nicely priced yarn that is marketed towards hand dyers.

The only thing that concerns me about hand dyeing is the amount of yarn to dye at the time. Since I do know that it does need to be done at the same time so that the different hanks can be the same color.

I've decided against the eyelash

I've finally started working on the bag again. It has been awhile since I've worked on it. I did the top with the eyelash, and I don't like it as well. So I'm going to un knit those two rows and do them again without the eyelash.

I think I'll use the eye lash for something else. Perhaps a decorative border on a scarf or something.

I should be finished with the bag at the end of the week. Well the bag portion anyway, then I'll start the straps.

Still haven't finshed my felted bag

I just haven't finished my felted bag yet. I'm just so indecisive about whether to add the eyelash or not. Sometimes I want to add it in and other times I don't want it at all. I suppose I could make two bags, one with and one without. Obviously I would have to buy more yarn for that though. It shouldn't take me this long to make up my mind about the whole thing.

I don't know why I'm being so weird about the whole thing. It is just a bag. Perhaps it is because once I felt it I can't change it.

Added a link

I added a link to the Boycott Sew Fast Sew Easy page. I think that SFSE is an awful company that is bullying knitting groups in the hopes of getting some attention. This is just my opinion however.

I do hope that their actions backfire and that their store generates less business due to their actions. It would be karma for bullying knitting groups and threatening legal action. I don't think they have a case. The term "stitch n'bitch" has been around for decades and should be public domain.

Still haven't finished

I still haven't finished knitting the felted bag. I'm still debating whether I want to put the eyelash yarn around the top. I think I will knit it with the eyelash, and if I dislike it then I will un-knit those couple of rows.

I want to finish it so I can felt it. But I'm going to take pictures of it before and then after felting to show the difference in the sizes.

Felting

I'm nearly finished with the felted bag. I have about 14 rows to go. I felted my gauge which turned out pretty well. I think I've decided against adding the eyelash yarn around the top. I really didn't care for how it looked on the gauge. I'll have to decide. I'm thinking of adding some sew on snaps to the inside so that the bag will close. It wasn't in that pattern for this bag, but adding snaps is part of the pattern for another felted bag.

Zeeby's bag

Well I've knit the gauge for Zeeby's Bag in Stitch N' Bitch. I substituted Knit Picks Wool of the Andes for the Lamb's Pride. I think I'm going to end up altering the pattern slightly, I'm going to either add snaps or buttons so I will be able to close it easily. And I'm going to ask my mother o help me line it so that it will be a little more sturdy.

The colors I chose are the Winter Night as the MC and Rain as the CC. I think it will look really nice when it is finished.

Felted Bag

Well my bag is coming along nicely. I'll probably be finished before the end of the week. I still need to call the yarn store to see if they have instructions for the straps. Otherwise I'll just have to wing it. I'll look for a similar patter and see if I can adapt it to my yarn.

I'm a little nervous about the felting process. I just want it to work out well.

Stockinette and garter stitch

These two are easily my worst stitches. My stockinette has gotten better but my garter always seems to have weird gaps. Thank goodness for blocking natural fibers.

I have so much scrap yarn in my stash I'll be practicing my stockinette in cat toys. I suppose I can practice garter with kerchiefs.

I don't need my knitting to be perfect, but I want to be able to look as though I'm not completely new to it.

Several projects lined up

I already have several projects lined up for the next few months. I'm going to finish the felted bad I'm currently working on. Then I have yarn that is intended to be wrist warmers, yarn for mittens, Zeeby's bag, and a scarf.

That should keep my hands and needles busy for the next few months.

First bag

I'm currently working on my first knitted bag. It will also be my first time felting. The bag is made out of Cascade 220 yarn, in graduated shades of purple.

So far it is shaping up very nicely. This is the first time I've used circulars to knit in the round. Prior to this I only use circulars to knit flat, and did all my knitting in the round on double pointed needles.

Later on I plan to make Zeeby's Bag from the book Stitch N' Bitch, I already have the yarn. For that bag I will probably get some fabric to line it with.