Angstmas gift knits (and it's time to spin)

Since I never got to post my holiday knits, I thought now might as well be the time. I mostly knit for Matt's family, but sometimes a friend or two will be thrown in. Matt's mom is a fairly seasonal knitter, so I really enjoy making things for her. As I mentioned, I finished all six of my holiday FOs in just under two weeks. When I'm faced with the frantic, "oh my god! 20something days until Christmas!" thoughts, I always decide that I will knit something small for my recipients and accompany them with a bottle of their favorite wine or six pack.

Yoked Cardigan by Hannah Fettig

A Cardi for Katie in 0-3 month size

Plymouth Select Superwash Merino in color 50 (.5 skein)

Size 7 needles

This first gift was for Kaitlyn, who entered the world on December 15. I had anticipated a post-Christmas arrival, but of course her mother just couldn't cooperate and decided to tack on one more Christmas knit. This was my first time using Plymouth Select Superwash Merino worsted wool and it won't be the last. My stitches look a little uneven in some places, but I ran into some blocking issues when my cat got involved and I had to pick it up before it was done. I think she has already outgrown it.

Calisto by Kate Kaplan

Mel's Calisto

Subime Yarns Cashmere Merino Silk Aran

Size 8 needles

Calisto was designed by my friend Kate and this is the second one I have knit. My first Calisto was knit in Noro Yuzen, a discontinued dk weight yarn. Everything worked out with the substituting, but since I had such a pressed deadline and, considering this was one of my gifts that needed to be blocked, I decided to stick with the aran weight that it calls for. I bought the yarn on sale at Rosies and wow do I wish we weren't discontinuing it. This yarn is SO nice, as it's a blend of silk, merino and cashmere. I made this Calisto for Matt's sister and she wore it all week. It also started the fringe fever I have. Everything needs to have fringe! I'm even considering some fringed leg warmers, but I guess that has more potential for failure than anything else.

Smooth Edge by Veera Valimaki

Silky Edge

Malabrigo Silky Merino (I think) in blackberry

Size 10 needles

I'm a bit unsure about this yarn. I dug it out from the depths of an uncontrollable stash and don't really know what it is. I narrowed it down to Manos del Uruguay Silk Blend and Malabrigo Silky Merino, but I think the color matches Malabrigo more than Manos. Either way, this yarn is a blend of silk and wool and has such a nice drape to it. I made this one for Matt's mom and opted to use the smaller weight yarn because I'm not sure how she feels about bulky infinity scarves. This one allows her to wrap it twice, but at the same time it doesn't overwhelm like some of the others out there. The design is very clever, combining a herringbone print, garter stitch and short rows (my fave!). I plan on making another for myself at some point, but I'm still undecided on the yarn I will use. 

Hogwarts Scarf by Lauren Kent

Leo's Going to Hogwarts

Knit Picks WOTA in Red and Pumpkin

Size 7 needles

I finished this project on Christmas morning and was late to visit Leo in the hospital because of it. Not one of my finer moments. What can I say about this pattern that hasn't already been said? Matt's dad is a crazy Harry Potter fanatic and watching either Harry Potter or Love Actually on Christmas Eve has become a tradition of ours. Matt bought his dad the entire Bluray collection for Christmas and we both gave him a "Expecto Patronum" shirt we picked up at the Punk Rock Flea Market a few weeks back. I can't wait to see him wearing his shirt and scarf and rocking out to Harry Potter. 

Habitat hat by Jared Flood (<3 swoon <3)

A Stolen Habitat

WOTA Tweed in "Dill"

Size 7 needles

This FO I seriously considered keeping for myself. The tweed, cables and color just kill me and I wore it around a few days before finally offering it up to Matt's brother Pete. I haven't really knit any cables lately, but they are one of my favorite things to knit and this pattern has their fair share. I cabled this without using a cable needle (for the most part) and it went by really quickly once I got going. I hit up a yarn sale at one of my favorite LYSs on New Year Day (with some of my favorite yarny wenches) and picked up some Classic Elite Moorland to knit one for myself. This was my first time using Knit Picks WOTA tweed and I'm not sure if I will use it again. For more of my notes on the yarn, check out my project page on Ravelry. I also run the risk of having Tweed's baby right now (I LOVE TWEED. And fringe).

Welted Alpaca Cowl by Churchmouse Yarn and Tea

R Kelley's Welted Cowl

Knit Picks Andean Treasure in "Aurora Heather"

Size 6 needles

This last Angstmas present is one that I knit for Katie's momma, my dear friend R. Kelley. When R. Kelley first moved back to Illinois after a brief foray in Buffalo, I taught her how to knit, but she never made it very far on her own infinity scarf (bad R. Kelley!), so I decided to make her one for Christmas. I've never used 100% alpaca before (what!) and I don't know what is wrong with me. How could I not have? This yarn is Andean Treasure by Knit Picks and it is such a great yarn. Unlike the Knit Picks wools I have used, I didn't run into any knots or splits in either of the skeins I used. I would highly recommend this yarn and plan on using the other colors (gray and yellow) for an Andrea's shawl at some point this year.

And that, dear readers, finally brings us to the end of my knitted angstmas gifts. My plans for the end of the weekend include finishing up that Hineri hat. I did start The Woman in Black last night and managed to get 20% read. Thanks to my Kindle for making it easy on me. Oh, and I got a very nice package from WEBS this morning...

My fiber is here! My fiber is here! If anyone knows of any good spinning books/videos/gurus, please send them my way. I can't wait to start!

Happy knitting!

P.S. all of my gifts came accompanied by either wine or beers. Except for the baby and her breastfeeding mama. Yay!

A Fall Without FOs

Holy hell has December been a month.

I haven't blogged much lately (ok, that's a bit of an understatement) because, well, life has been busy. I've been living in Philadelphia since September and have been back and forth between the East coast and midwest several times over the past three months...which is a lot, especially considering that before September I could count the number of flights I had taken on one hand.

I've since doubled that. Yeah, it's been crazy.

Life in Philly has been good so far and I really love all the new experiences I have had. I've started working in a fabulous yarn shop (Rosie's Yarn Cellar, for any of you fellow East coast knitters) and it's been a completely enjoyable experience. I actually don't hate working retail for the first time in a long time. I miss my friends a whole lot and I miss my little knitting circle I had formed back at home. But it's been a great experience so far and I can't wait to see what the next year holds.

One thing I haven't been doing a whole lot of is actually finishing things. Because working near full-time, exploring this new city and trying to have a social life where I only really hang out with nerdy dudes (sorry guys, you are still pretty fun) has seriously dug into my knitting time. And how does this even happen? I have an awesome job where I can actually KNIT while I work.

1. Noro Striped Scarf by Jared Flood//2. Rittenhouse Cowl by Me//3. Bandana Cowl by Purl Soho

The first few knits I worked on in Philadelphia were ones that travelled with me. Matt's Noro scarf has been a work in progress for the past year. I kid you not. While I absolutely adore knitting Noro stripes (more on that next time), this scarf has mostly been a movie viewing WIP. I used two different Noro colors and a beige Cascade 220. It's been so long since I started that darn scarf that I lost the tags and can't even tell you which colors of Kureyon I used. Ho hum. They were both green?

That little yellow number in the center is a cowl design I started before I left for Philadelphia. I named it "Rittenhouse" temporarily since I finished it during my first week in Philadelphia, when I kind of spent most of my time hanging out in Matt's teeny hotel/apartment overlooking the square. I have several issues with this cowl, but I have since started a revamped design that I like a whole lot more. Rittenhouse (version 1) was knitting using less than one skein of Malabrigo Worsted in "Frank Ochre," which is a FABULOUS yellow...and I don't generally like yellow.

The Bandana Cowl by Purl Soho was my first project that I actually started and completed in Philadelphia. I whipped it up in an afternoon or so and love it so much. It's my first time using Rowan Cocoon and it will not be my last. This cowl was a great little one skein wonder, though I ended up making quite a few modifications to accommodate this (slightly) chunkier yarn. I wound up having a little walnut sized ball leftover and I cut most of the top out of the pattern. It still ended up quite large and very warm. Have I mentioned how much I love Cocoon? And the color, Tundra, pretty much makes it the best basic to add to my winter rotation.

4. Bandana Cowl by Purl Soho//5. Oana Shawl by Kristen Kapur//6. ORD by Me 

These last three projects were knit entirely in Philly. If you've read my blog for awhile, you may remember the silly idea I had last year to try something new each and every month. That lasted, oh, I don't know, maybe three months? While I packed an ungodly amount of yarn with me for my visit, I ended up not really touching any of it, because once I started working at Rosie's I was introduced to a whole lot of new yarns that I have never seen before. The past few months I have tried to use as many new yarns as I can, but I still have SO many more to try.

My boss, Lisa, is the U.S. distributor for Manos del Uruguay yarns. We carried a few of the Manos yarns at the yarn shop I worked at back home, but when you walk into Rosies it's Manos central, which is pretty awesome considering Manos del Uruguary belongs to the World Fair Trade Organization, meaning the company is 100% fair trade. You can read more about the company and some of the artisans at the "About the Co-Op" section on the Fairmount Fibers website.

My Oana Shawl is knit from Manos Rittenhouse Merino 5-ply (named for Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia) and took just under two skeins of Rittenhouse. The yardage is quite generous and you get around 250 yards of delicious Merino wool for less than $20. I blame this shawl, my first complete Kirsten Kapur FO (I LOVE HER!), for the crazy amounts of fringed knits I have finished during the last month or so. Seriously, need moar fringe. The shawl is featured Knitscene's winter 2011 issue and originally called for O-Wool Worsted, but when I saw this color of Rittenhouse I just knew that I had to use it. And I started it that same night I bought the magazine.

ORD is my newest "design" knit using two strands of Manos Maxima, an one-ply, kettle-dyed yarn. There has been a crazy love for seed stitch at the shop over the past month or so, but none of that holds a handle to double seed stitch, which I am CRAZY for. I cast on for this project on my way home for Thanksgiving and almost finished it on the plane. Yes, that is just how quickly it knits up. Mine ended up a little longer than I intended for it to, but the instructions include instructions for how to make it smaller.

Bandana Cowl v.2 was knit in Debbie Bliss Donegal Luxury Tweed Chunky and was knit as a sample for the store. The yarn is rather pricey (hey, it's luxury?), so a small project like this cowl is the perfect way to stretch a yarn that would otherwise be out of my budget. Another thing I have been loving this year is tweed (again, more on that next time) and this is a really, really nice one. The yarn also comes in an aran weight, which I would love to try sometime and the colors are all pretty darn good.

While six FOs over the course of a few months may be good enough, it's not usually the way I roll, which is why I felt I needed to make up for it this past month. In the past, oh, two weeks(?) I somehow managed to finish SIX FOs. In two weeks. And, again, I will have to save that for next time...

It's good to be back :)

FO Freeforall

So, I have been a busy girl. Since I have been neglecting my blogging these past few weeks, I have three FOs to share before I head up to the lake for the weekend (woohoo!).

 First up is my Novella shrug knit in a dk weight. This is my first time using Classic Elite Firefly and I wasn't exactly sold on it as I knit this up. But after soaking and blocking, I can really see the appeal. It hangs so nicely and the colors available are superb. Plus I used exactly 1.5 skeins for this shrug, so a little goes a long way. I would definitely use it again, plus the mermaid color kind of holds my heart.

Novella Shrug

Yarn: Classic Elite Firefly in 'Corsica" (approximately 235 yards)

Needles: Size 6

 The second FO I'd like to share is another one of my designs, this time it is Pucker Up. I finally tracked down my Madelinetosh Tosh Merino DK in Earl Grey, so I used that. I would have to say that this is one of my favorite tosh colorways (I know, I know, I say that all the time). The photos don't do this color justice, but I tried as hard as I could to capture the beauty of it. I guess you could call this my "Semi-Precious Pucker Up" because of all the wonderful metallic shades. I had to modify the pattern ever so slightly to accommodate the dk weight yarn, but it fits a little better than my first Pucker Up.

Pucker Up

Yarn: Tosh Merino dk in 'Earl Grey'

Needles: Size 7

And the last FO is my first EVER Ysolda project. Why has it taken me so long? I thought this hat pattern (the Snapdragon Tam) was so much fun to knit and I want to make so many more! I used Madelinetosh Tosh Vintage for this project and it was the bounciest yarn I have ever used. The color (Candlewick) also convinced me that yellow might not be all that bad. Photo credit to Kate of A Ubiquitous Mind for those last two shots.

Snapdragon Tam

Yarn: Tosh Vintage (Candlewick)

Needles: Size 7

Happy Knitting!

Madelinetosh Magnolia Society & a FO

I have made some pretty irresponsible choices regarding yarn purchases before. Remember the day of 92 skeins? This time, I don't feel as bad, but I did end up forgoing a gym membership for the sake of enrolling in the Magnolia Society, Madelinetosh's yarn club. When membership opened in April I was a bit hesitant, but, thankfully, Christie twisted my arm and I signed up too. The club lets you choose from three different color types: neutrals, naturals and jewel tones. Can you guess which one I selected?

The first shipment arrived maybe two weeks ago, along with packages from Little Knits and Jimmy Beans...but I'll get to them later. I received three skeins of 80/10/10, a worsted blend of superwash merino wool/cashmere/nylon. It feels SO good. I have just shy of 600 yards, so I'm thinking a nice squishy shawl or cropped cardigan might be in the works. The colorway is "Treetops" from the jewel tones selection.

Tosh 80/10/10 in "Treetops"

 

Tosh 80/10/10 in "Treetops"

I also finished my Camilla Pullover. No actions shots (just yet) because, as I feared, it is terribly unflattering. I thought it might turn out to be a bit too short, so I added a bit before I started the armholes. While the length is good, it gives me a "faux baby bump" because of the shell pattern. I'm hoping it fits a bit better post-blocking. When in doubt, block it out! 

Novella Shrug, Sale, & Giveaway!

It has been long, too long really. I can't believe I've gone so long without a post.

This week has been crazy busy workwise and I have also cast on for three new projects (bad girl). But, for the sake of time, I will save those for tomorrow.

Last week I posted about my Novella Shrug (and Stole). After about a month and a half of knitting, I finally finished it and published the pattern on Ravelry. Even though it took awhile to knit and write up, I love it so much. And wear it pretty much 2-3 times a week.

Did I mention that dear Novella only takes one skein of Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light (for 2 of the 3 sizes)? Talk about a great one skein wonder! Queue it up here, where it is on sale for $4 until June 1. Did I mention Tosh Merino Light has pretty much become my most favorite yarn?

And, as the subject line states, I'll be giving away one of my pattern designs (your choice) to a random commenter. So, please comment with your favorite summer pattern/yarn and I will choose a winner next Tuesday.

FO sneak peak: Novella shrug/stole

So, I take it you all remember this little bad boy:

Well, The Shrug That Would Not Shrug is finally complete. And here is your first (tiny) peek at the FO.

I can't wait to share more photos with everyone, but I want to make sure I have the pattern typed up first. Now, excuse me while I cease to exist for the next few days (finals, back-to-back work shifts, test knitting, etc.).

My goal is to have the pattern available for release on Friday! Check out the Novella Shrug here.

Tutorial: Karen Shawl right edging

I've noticed a lot of people have stopped by this ol' watering hole the past few days, scouring the internets for help regarding the Karen Shawl by Amy Swenson. I posted my FO in the last post I made a few afternoons ago, and decided to post a photo tutorial on how to finish up the right edging of the shawl. It is kind of intuitive.

(Obviously, this tutorial does not feature my Karen Shawl. I tried to recreate it as best I could :D)

My tutorial starts on page 3 of the pattern PDF, just after the main body part is worked and Amy instructs you to begin knitting the edging along the bottom of the shawl's edge. The first task is to work Row 11 of the edging chart (the bind-off row), leaving you with four stitches on your right hand needle. The next step, after removing your right edge marker, is to turn your work around (WS is now facing you) and slip that first stitch. For this part (and this row), you will only be working over those four stitches. You are now back to work the RS of your work.

Ready to go!

 Effectively, you will just be working through the right edging chart over and over again (well, 18 total time). The only exception to this is that you will be joining the edging to the "body" of the shawl as you work. Think of the RS rows as the joining rows.

Working row 1 of Right Edging Chart

 As the pattern instructs, here I have worked Row 1 of the Right Edging Chart (K2, YO, K2)...except I only K1 after the YO ("work to 1 stitch before the gap"). Here, I am knitting that last stitch of the Right Edging Chart together with the first stitch of the "body" stitches. This will join my edging to the "body" of the shawl and complete the first RS row. All WS rows throughout the edging are worked the same way: turn your work, slip the first stitch (purlwise) and knit until you reach the end.

After RW Row 2

At the end of (RS) Row 9

As you work, the stitch count on your needles should stay the same until Row 11 of the pattern, where you bind off. Even though you are K2tog at the end of each RS row, take into consideration that you are also adding a stitch at the beginning of each RS row.

Following Row 11 (The Bind-Off Row)

You end up working the Right Edging Chart a total of 18 times, ending at the center stitch. Amy mentions in her pattern that you may end up with an extra stitch or two (I think I had two), but don't worry because you can just K3tog instead of K2tog. The other side of the shawl edging is worked in the same fashion with only a few minor modifications.

I hope this helps some of you!

FO: Karen Shawl by Amy Swenson (in Tosh Pashmina)

And so the Tosh obsession presses on. It feels like I have been knitting with laceweight for the entirety of the past two months. Oh, but wait, I have. Before March, I had maybe worked on size 3-4 needles once or twice, but over the past two months I have become obsessed, which is kind of a bummer for my productivity meter.

I managed to produce a whopping ONE finished object in April and that was my Karen Shawl by Amy Swenson, which I really finished on May 3. I just have to tell myself that "it's quality, my dear Watson, not quantity." And this shawl, I must say, is quite divine. Check out the photos (you can view more at my Ravelry project page) and read about the specs and some concerns below.

 

For Karen, I used one skein of Madelinetosh Pashmina in "Port." And, when I say I used one skein...I used one skein. For the first time *ever* I was very certain that I would run out of yarn before I finished my project. If you too decide that you need a Karen shawl in your life, please, please, please don't attempt this with a skein smaller than 360 yards. Also, for comforts sake, knit this on a 24+ inch circular needle.

Aside from cutting it super close, the only real issue I have with this pattern is some of the directions. Dear reader, you may note (in the third photo) that there is as knit row before the edging. Well, that knit row isn't on the other side and it looks completely different. I thought I had made a mistake due to lack of attention on my part, but upon closer inspection I saw that many of the finished objects posted on Ravelry had this same issue going on. I'm still not sure if this knit row is intentional or if we all have botched it up, but I'm not sure how I feel about it.

I do know, however, that I will not be tearing back: it took me 4+ hours to bind off. I shall learn to live with it. Amy has designed some other awesome patterns, including the Watershed and Cloud Chaser vests, both of which I look forward to knitting. She's also from these parts and frequents the shop whenever she stops home. Thanks for all the beautiful patterns, Amy!

Pattern: Karen Shawl

Designer: Amy Swenson (Indigirl)

Yarn: Madelinetosh Pashmina in "Port"

Needles: size 6, 20 inch circular

Start: April 22, 2011

End: May 3, 2011

Queue it up

An FO: Daybreak Shawl (in Tosh! Tosh! Tosh!)

As I've mentioned quite a few times now, I made it a resolution to knit something new each month. March's goal was to knit a shawl, which I've never done before. It seems like I'm the last person to jump on the shawl bandwagon and I can't understand why it has taken me to long. Then came the arrival of the Tosh (Tosh! Tosh!) at the shop and the rest is history.

 

Pattern: Daybreak Shawl by Stephen West

Project Page: Boardwalkin' Daybreak

Yarn: Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light in Nectar and Calligraphy

March 17 - April 1 2011

This...was a lot of knitting. And more purling, which took FOREVER since I'm still not comfortable purling continentally. Still, I love it. And can't wait to make more shawls.

And an added shot of my friend Zach hamming it up.

Also, it's my 23rd birthday tomorrow (eek), so stay tuned for a special birthday sale :)

Yarn Pornz

Since I have work in a few short hours and still have another blog post to write for Knit&Crochet Blog Week, this yarn pornz is going to be a little quick and dirty.

I received all of these yarnz last week, but haven't had much of a chance to share. I still have more to upload, but the weather is quite springish today (cold and rainy) and there is a chance of snow, so not exactly optimal lighting conditions.

Tosh Merino Light in Malachite

I'm planning on doing a Multnomah Shawl KAL with a friend (or two) in April and I think that Malachite is the perfect, perfect shade for it.

Tosh Merino Light in Bearded Iris

No idea what to make with this one, but it was so beautiful how could I pass this up?

Tosh Merino Light in Venetian

I think this would look perfect with a golden shade. Maybe Faded Chinos if the stripe study doesn't pan out?

TML in Georgia O' Keefe

Now, I already shared some photos of this colorway, but I ended up buying two more to make a Folded sweater. If that day will actually come I cannot tell, but at least I am prepared. Plus this is probably one of my favorite colorways in TML.

TML in Grove, Tern & Saffron

 These are the newest skeins I've received and, for now, I will only offer a little sneak peak. The colors are super rich and I can't wait to photograph them in better lighting. I bought Grove and Tern to use together, but all three look pretty perfect together. I'll have better pictures early next week (I hope).

Lorna's Laces Honor

This last shot is just a cute one I took at work during a slow evening. We have a ton of different colors of Lorna's Laces Honor, a soft and yummy blend of baby alpaca and silk. These two colors were begging to be made into a strawberry cake. Did I mention that we store our yarn on cake platters at the shop?

And, finally, I finished my Daybreak. I used TML in Calligraphy and Nectar. Better pictures next week, but I just wanted to share it now. I made my March Goal! And I'll be back in a bit with another post.