Knitting in the Big City

Boo Pi Bed

Before:

After:

(sorry, after I felted it I boxed it up - I take a picture and post later)

Size: HUGE!
Pattern: Wendy and Lucy’s Kitty Pi Bed
Yarn: Brown Sheep Bulky – one skein each of Charcoal Heather, Orchid Thistle and Rosado Rose
Yarn Source: Downtown Yarns
Needles: Denise – size 13 needles and the 40 inches line

Such a quick knit! It’s the 4th one I’ve made and each time I’ve made different types of adjustments but hey, it’s a felting project so 5 less rows here or 10 less rows there doesn’t make a difference. Boo loves jumping into empty boxes so I’m hoping she’ll use this – I’ll throw in some fresh catnip just to be sure.

Marsha’s scarf

Size: 5 x 72 inches
Pattern: Lacy Scarf from the Debbie Bliss Silk pattern book
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Silk – Cream (I think its 03)
Quantity: 1 and a half skeins. Half a skein remains.
Yarn Source: the Point
Needles: Lantern Moon Straights, size 6

Comments:

Close and fuzzy!

1 – Lace is such an addictive knit, which made it really quick. It took me one weekend or about 8 hours (Sat afternoon knitting, watching the 3rd X-Men movie, and a couple of Law and Order: Criminal Intent shows).
2 – The silk is very soft, almost with a smooth cottony feel to it.
3 – I was not happy with the yarn joins in one of the skeins – those did look like q-tips! The first skein had 2 spots where you could see the skein itself was pieced together. I’m not sure if I would buy this particular brand of silk again.
4 – What to do with half a skein of silk? Well make a gift pouch of course!
5 - Will Marsha like her gift? She returned to knitting after she finding out that I love to knit and could answer her questions. We’re always mentioning how our projects are going. A couple of weeks ago I showed the scarf pattern said it was my next project. She looked at it and exclaimed “I love those long thin scarves!” I believe we have a winner!

The Rob hat

Size: Men’s
Pattern: Knit Simple (winter 2006) –the multiple hats pattern by John Brineger
Yarn: Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sport in Denim.
Quantity: Used up about half a skein – what to do with the other half?
Yarn Source: Downtown Yarns
Needles: Addi circulars, size 7, Lantern Moon DPNs

Comments:

1 - Very quick knit, the complicated part was making sure I got enough “length” before I started to decrease.
2 - Super soft, I almost want to keep the hat for myself.
3 - I ended up buying 4 skeins of the Lilac color from the Point .
4 - The yarn seems to show better with a stitch pattern rather than stockinette.
5 - Why the Rob Hat? Rob is the one getting it!

Tigress Scarf

The scarf for my nephew's girlfriend is done!

I used long fringe on both ends.

Tigress Scarf

Size: 6.5 inches x 72 inches (with fringe)
Pattern: my own (see item bleow)
Yarn: Classic Elite Tigress, color 7095
Quantity: 1 honking hank!
Yarn Source: Purl
Needles: My mother-in-law’s Susan Bates needles, size 15

Comments-

1 - Breeze to knit – soft soft yarn to handle.

2 - The gauge is 2-3 stitches per inch. Even with that knowledge I started and frogged it several times. I found that 13 stitches was just right.

3 - When my mother-in-law passed away I was fortunate to get some of her knitting supplies. I used her Susan Bates 15s on this scarf. Click….click….click…click…luckily no one seem to mind the sound!

4 - as for a pattern I randomly I used either:

Row 1 - Knit
Row 2 - *knit, yarnover*
Row 3 - *knit, yarnover*

OR

Row 1 - Knit
Row 2 - Knit
Row 3 - *knit, yarnover*
Row 4 - Knit

Here's closeup:

5 - The hank was 200 grams and I'm left with a ball of almost 30 grams. What to do with that???

Teasers

OK I have to admit that I’ve started my holiday knitting. But first I wisely moved the yarn for these projects to one spot so I don’t waste time trying to find them later. Here’s a preview:

Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Worsted in Denim. I’m making my colleague a new winter hat. I noticed last year that he needed a new one! Shepherd Worsted is machine washable so neither he or his wife will have to hand wash it. Source: Downtown Yarns

Debbie Bliss Pure Silk in Cream. I’m going to make the scarf in the Silk Project book. This is going to my other colleague who asks me for knitting advice. Source: The Point

Classic Elite Tigress in oranges and pink tones. A quickie scarf for my nephew’s girlfriend. Source: Purl

King Australian Merino in a Brown Tweed. Socks for my brother in law. The recommended needle is 4-5 but I will definitely use a 3 and see how it knits up. I’m concerned I may be another ball. Source: Stitch Therapy

The nephew and another of my girlfriends will get socks – I haven’t decided on the yarn. I’ll make the cat a Kitty Pi bed (courtesy of Wendy and Lucy).

And there’s always one person that presents gift giving problems right? Well hubby wins that honor this year. In the past he has received hats, scarves, a pair of socks and even an iPod cozy. The issue here is that he’s always, always hot so essentially I end up making him something for show, not for purpose.

Any ideas?

I can’t be the first…

As Christmas morning fades into Christmas afternoon the man first put on a hat and then the matching scarf

He opened a gift that wasn’t quite ready, and it turns out to be too small. This item will visit the frog pond

For it requires more stitches for the cast on and eventually be worn with its mate sometime soon.

As the man opened his final knitted gift he found himself staring at one sock

“One sock” you say.

Yes, one sock… because the matching sock was sitting on the couch waiting for the last 10 rows to be knit

He put on his one sock

The knitter thought “Thank goodness it fits!”

He walked around the house, clothed in a hat, a scarf and one sock

This amused the knitter and she asked “Does your other foot feel left out?”

The reply was, “Yes it does”

The knitter knew she had to finish the sock before more time had passed

Ten decrease rows and eight Kitchener stitches later produced a finished sock

And now the man roamed the home clothed in his hat, his scarf, and his custom fitted pair of socks!

Who gets a knitted gift?

I decided right before Thanksgiving that this year that I was only going to knit gifts for my husband. At least for this year I wasn’t going to make myself crazy knitting for folks who didn’t realize how much work goes into making a handmade gift. The hubster knows and in one case where I gifted someone with a shawl, he did some PR for me by telling the recipient, “That’s hand-knitted that you know, she made that for you”. He lives with that fact that I knitting every night (well maybe every other night), he puts up with having late dinners on knitting circle night and he never says a word about the ever expanding yarn stash. He understands that knitting is important to me and although he’s not knowledgeable about knitting he is very supportive.

A friend is getting the already made Wavy scarf, my girlfriend who crochets gets the Colinette mistake rib scarf and I am making my brother a hat with ear flaps.

Folks will get their gifts wrapped in this cool ribbon:

It says "Who been knitting for me?"

Colinette Prism

Here’s a possible holiday gift for someone:

Finished size: 4 inches by 50 inches.

Details:

- Pattern –inspired from Jodi’s mistake rib scarf . Cast on 23. Every Row: *K2 P2* to last 3 sts, K2 P1. Slip first stitch of each row knitwise and knit until I ran out of yarn.

- Yarn- Colinette Prism (wool/cotton mix) in Raspberry. Source: < a href= http://www.downtownyarns.com > Downtown Yarn

- Needles – Bryspun, size 10.5

Comments:

1 – The yarn was a splurge purchase – the color caught my eye.
2 – I love the way the wool cotton mix feels.
3 – I would consider making this scarf wider and longer.

I have been knitting…

Here’s the progress on the pair of socks for hubby:

Details:

- Pattern – Beginner’s socks by Fiber Trends
- Yarn- Steinbach Wolle, Aktiv Color 100 Dye lot 7641-60 (Navy with brown and beige) from Seaport Yarn
- Needles – Pony Pearl DPNs, size 2 from Stitch Therapy

Comments:

1- I’ve been knitting these right in front of hubby and he’s got a clue but is just thrilled that I’m making him something.
2- My DPNs are pink which makes a great contrast against the navy yarn.
3- I hope I have time to make a second pair – I’ve got the light and dark gray yarn set aside and waiting.

Holiday Projects for 2005

Over the rainy weekend I resume knitting on my first holiday project, Wavy from a recent issue of Knitty. Three repeats are done, seven more to go. I’m using Cascade 200 in Sky Blue. It’s looks to be easy subway project since the first 3 stitches of each row indicate how the rest of the row needs to be knitted. If there’s time I’m going to attempt to make a matching hat or fingerless gloves.

For the past 2 years I have knitted gifts for the family. The first year I made scarves. Last year I made fingerless gloves. This year I’m thinking socks. On average I can finish socks in 2-3 weeks. However I am a bit afraid that I’m going to burn myself out.

And then there’s the right fit. Hmm…