A Little Stash Enhancement

It seems like we've been taking a lot of little trips lately and just by "chance" they happened to coincide with yarn shops. Here are some little goodies that I've picked up along the way.

The first picture is some fingering yarn I spotted at The Big E. It was in the bottom of the basket and what can I say, I just can't resist green! The Alpaca Sox I got in Plymouth, MA. I think this is definitely headed for my mom. I picked up two skeins and I'm thinking maybe a shawl? The beautiful bronze is bamboo from The Knitting Siren . When this is in the sun, it almost looks like spun gold! She also dyed "Fields of Lavender". It's hard to really get a good picture of the subtle shades of this. (Okay, so I didn't travel to North Dakota for these!)

The malabrigo is the lace that I've been dying to try. Malabrigo worsted is my most favorite yarn of all, so I'm anxious to work with this weight. The next skein is Anne from Schaefer Yarn. It's has a little more purple than shows up in this picture. Finally, we took a trip to New Hampshire and we went to Patternworks . After getting their catalog for many years, it was fun to actually get to visit the shop. Since it probably was a once in a lifetime trip, I splurged on some bulky yarn for hats for the grandboys. It's called "Elaine" by Schaefer Yarn. (No, I didn't realize that was the name until I checked out the label for the yardage. )
It's 300 yards so that should be enough for three hats or so I'm hoping! Finally, I always wanted to try Koigu and this skein came home with me.

It's a free pattern on Ravelry called "Mitt Envy". I had lots of yarn left over, even with making a couple of pattern changes. They worked up so fast, I'm thinking I "need" more of this soft, soft, yarn!

Now, if you've read this far and have paid close attention, you'll remember that I got two yarns from Schaefer Yarn. It was only when I went to snap pictures that it hit me:

Hmmm, I think maybe this should be my new avatar!!

A Little Lace

Okay, so I know that over 1200 people have knitted the Shetland Triangle by Evelyn Clark, so what's the big deal if I made one too? Well, I don't knit lace. I find it difficult and I have to concentrate so hard that it takes most of the enjoyment out of knitting. However, I fell in love with the Swallowtail Shawl and wanted one very badly. I knew I would screw it up, so I didn't even attempt it, but I always had the pattern at the top of my list of things to make someday. Then my friend, Kathy kept posting all these wonderful lace projects on her blog. (She's an amazing knitter.) Finally, I decided to give it a whirl. I decided on the Shetland Triangle but discovered that it was only available in Wrap Style , and this was the only pattern in the whole book that I liked. I didn't want to spend that much money on a book for one pattern and our local library is useless when it comes to knitting books. At last, Interweave Press had a huge book sale on their damaged books and wouldn't you know it, Wrap Style was on sale for only $5.00! That's less than the cost of one pattern! Feeling pretty pleased with myself, I decided to go forward. I saw this gorgeous green bamboo yarn that was hand dyed by Melanie of The Knitting Siren. (Yes, that's the same Melanie of Turtle Butt fame!) The yarn is called "The Grass is Always Greener" and you have to see it in person to appreciate how pretty it is.

This last picture gives you some idea of the sheen. I had never knit with bamboo before. I found it to be a little splitty and I had to pay close attention, but then again, I have to pay close attention when I'm knitting lace anyway!! I have to confess that I think I may be a convert to lace now. The pattern was pretty easy to memorize and I only had to go back to a lifeline once! I'm not sure that I'm ready to tackle the Swallowtail yet, but its prospects of getting made are definitely looking better!!

Bad Blogger!

I've been pretty bad at blogging lately. I guess I just would rather knit than talk about it! Anyway, here are a few projects that I've finished since the last time. It's getting cooler here in New England and little Marty was going to need some pants! This is Melanie's basic top down pants . I just used different stitches to change it up a little bit and make it a little more interesting. The yarn is Cascade 220 in Summer Sky.

After I knit the blue pair, Melanie changed the pattern a little by doing a new gusset and I offered to test knit it, since a boy can't have just one pair of pants! I really like this new gusset. It's seems to be roomier, but I'll have to wait until it's actually "test worn". I do know that's it much easier to knit than the other version. I didn't seem to get those holes that always appear when you're picking up stitches in a corner! She is such a talented designer.

Here's a side view picture. This wool is Araucania's Nature Wool, Chunky Multy. I had never used it before, but it was so nice to work with. The pants are nice and thick so I think they'll work really well in the cold winter. I picked up the yarn in a little store I found in Maine this summer and when I went back this Fall, she was having a sale. Great timing. I picked up more in each of the colorways she stocked. (Well, except for the pink!!)

I've also been knitting up some socks for Jack and Mickey. For some reason, Mickey just loves to wear my socks! Every time I make a new pair he sits down and trys them on! It tickles me no end that he's so pleased to get them! Most of these were made with Cascade Fixation. The striped pair in the middle were made with Regia and the little blue striped pair for the baby were made with Knitpicks Felici. This is not a good choice for baby socks as the color changes are really long and you don't get the effect of the changing stripes. The sock on top came out really cute, but the one underneath is just....well, ordinary! I've made a couple of other pairs too, but Mickey grabbed them before I could get pictures! Some have a short row heel and the others are made with a standard gusset. I like the pattern in Ann Budd's Handy Book of Patterns . I use a U.S. size 6 needle and cast on 36 stitches with the Fixation, so they go super fast. I love this book. I even bring it with me whenever I go on vacation, just in case I want to try a new project. I'm always changing patterns, so this book really is handy for basic templates.

Finally, I got to test knit a brand new pattern that my pal, Alli, is going to be putting up for sale on her great website, Knitwits Alley . She's hard at work on her Christmas patterns, all of which will be for sale soon. I think this set is so nice and what a great gift it would be for a pastor. It's called "O Holy Night". Of course, that might change once it's for sale, but I think it's perfect.

A Sneak Peek!

I was so thrilled when Janet Nogle asked me to participate in this years Dishcloth Calendar! I never dreamed that she would be interested in any of my little designs, but much to my surprise I have three that are going to be published!! The calendar goes on sale September 5th and there are 35 designs all together. In addition, there are helpful knitting tips, a bonus section, comparison of yarns and lots of good stuff! There are also some raffles so it promises to be lots of fun and a really great addition to your knitting library. (Oh, and there's a calendar too!) You can read more and see some of the patterns by clicking on the button to the right or here .
So, as promised, here is a sneak peek at one of my designs. This is the first bib that I've done specifically for a girl!

It also has a matching washcloth.

If you check the blog for the calendar, you'll see that Janet had already posted a picture of my bib for boys, but here it is again for any of you who might be interested in a second look.

It has a matching washcloth too.

And here it is done in a superwash wool. This shade of green kind of looks like Army trucks, doesn't it? Not my intention, but cute just the same!

Oh yes, I did say that I had three designs, didn't I. Well, if you want to see the last one, you'll just have to wait and buy the calendar, cause it's a surprise!!

A Little Test Knitting

I have a really good "internet" pal, Alli Barrett of Knitwits Alley and also Knitwits Heaven . If you're looking for some really nice and cute designs, these are the first places you should look! Anyway, Alli asked me to do a little test knitting for her which I was delighted to do. She knows I'm a huge fan of the Olympics and unlike most people, I prefer the Summer Olympics, so when she sent me this cloth, I couldn't resist. I did it in red and yellow since the Olympics were held in China. Alli shows this cloth in a solid color on her website which looks really nice too.

The second knit was a Water Lily cloth which I did in Apple Green. I love this color from Peaches & Creme. I think I'd like a whole sweater out of it, if it wasn't so heavy! Anyway, I thought this was a lovely design and the cloth already has a home. My son and daughter-in-law have water lillies in their backyard pond, so it seemed appropriate that they should have it.

The last cloth is a Shih Tzu. Alli has a new baby named "Frodo" and she designed this in honor of him. I had originally intended to give it to my mom so she could give it to a relative who has two Shih Tzus, but Alli told me she gave her cloth away, so I sent it to her so she could have one for herself. Of course, that means that I have to knit it again. Next time, I think I'll do it in a Silver Gray, either way it is a really cute cloth.

Thanks Alli for letting me be your test knitter! She has a couple of new designs in the Dishcloth Calendar (click on the link on the right hand side) that is coming out very soon. Next, I think I'll post a sneak peek at one of the designs I have in the same calendar!! Maybe tomorrow....

Turtle Butts

I'm in love with this new soaker pattern by Melanie Hoffman of Adorabubbleknits. It's called Turtle Butt" and from the first moment I saw it, I couldn't wait to make it. I bought my yarn in anticipation of making it and even bought matching t-shirts to go with it. Unfortunately (for me), it took Melainie a little longer to write it up than I had anticipated, so little Marty outgrew the shirts before the soaker was even made! Still, it was worth the wait, in my opinion, and I even got to be one of the lucky test knitters for the pattern! (Hmmm, I wonder if all the pleading helped?!). Here is the original test knit in kelly green and navy blue, one of my all time favorite color combos. It looks very preppy, which is appropriate since my grandson is brilliant after all! ;o) It's done in Cascade 220 wool.

Since the first one was so much fun, I decided to mix it up a bit and knit the second one with a variegated yarn as the contrasting color. This is done in Galway wool. I've never worked with this yarn before, but it was very similar to the Cascade 220.

This TB is done using scraps I had left over from other soakers. I bought some Plymouth Outback wool on sale at Webs and just matched the colors up. Since there are lots (and lots) of ends to weave in anyway, the pattern really lends itself to using up scraps.

I went a little overboard at Webs when their Cascade was on sale, so it was no problem finding rainbow colors, except for the purple. I discovered that I didn't have one single skein! It's the only yarn I had to buy in order to finish. I guess I just don't think of purple as a "guy" color. The other color you'll never find in my stash is pink! Hate it! I guess it's because when I was a child I was told that I could never wear it as I had red hair. Whatever the reason, it just makes me cringe!

My last TB really isn't a turtle at all, so I call it my "Mock Turtle Butt". It uses the pattern as a template, but the stitch pattern is from Barbara Walker's "blue" book. It's called linked stripes and I really like the way it came out. It looks pretty complicated, but it's very easy to do. You just have to pay attention to the stripe sequence. You only knit with one color at a time, so it goes pretty quickly. I'm thinking of trying it in rainbow colors. Hey, I've got to use up that purple sometime!

Before and After

Before.......

and after:

I was tooling right along on these pants that I found on Ravelry. Miss Fancy Pants. Unfortunately, after awhile, it dawned on me that maybe they weren't quite as big as I thought they were. It had been awhile since I'd seen Marty and, sure enough, he had the nerve to actually to grow out of them before they were finished! The yarn is Cascade 220 in Summer Sky Heather. The pattern is only written for one size, and I'm sure I could figure out how to size it up, except that I was tired of the whole project, and wanted to move on....
So, before.....

and after......

These pants were a trial run for a pair I need to make for Marty's christening. The pattern is Melanie's Adorabubbleknits Pants made from the top down version. The yarn is Louet Riverstone in Champagne and I just love this yarn!! It is so soft and wonderful to work with. I took the project with me on vacation and just sort of changed the pattern as I went along. I wanted something more interesting than just stockinette stitch. There is a decidedly Aran feel to these pants which is perfect for a little Irishman. I would have liked to have worked out the design on graph paper first, but I'm pretty happy with the way they turned out anyway, especially since the Atlantic Ocean was competing for my attention! Now, if only this pair is big enough.....