Organizing the needles ...

I've been organizing some things lately ... I decided to dive into the needle stash ...  it was a mess to say the least.  It was housed in a shallow drawer.  There were loose needles, interchangeables still on cables, fixed circs and all manner of things in this drawer ...

I pulled everything out and sorted by cable  length.  I put my interchangeable set in the nice silk roll designed for such a thing and put the extra cables in a nice little fabric baggie.  I have empty sleeves, but I am pretty sure those are all on WIPs.

And instead of stuffing it all back in the drawer, it all  found a new home.

I now have a better grasp on what I have - which is almost a set for anything ... but I am sure the very next thing I go to cast on, I will not have the perfect needle set/length for, LOL!

Now I hope to update Ravelry projects with ndls, and put them back when done and keep this organized!

Next ... on to the DPNs ...

Monster Mug

This little monster chunk is for a swap. I made him festive by knitting him a hat. The swap is on the Rebecca Danger group on Ravelry, so its a monster and a mug.

Here's a mug shot:

And here's a mug:

My swapee didn't want a holiday mug, so I found one with her initial!  The mug is filled with some of my favorite teas.

Minis

Mini skeins of sock yarn ready for mailing for a swap.  I will get 10 minis in return :o)

Back to Basics

Plain old vanilla socks ... but wait ... stripes, glorious stripes!

This is yarn I dyed up with food coloring back on July 14th.

First, I wind up a cake from the HUGE cone.  I did 60g this time, I never use all the yardage for socks, so I figured, why wind and dye all of it??

Then I make a REALLY big skein out in the yard.

Then soak the yarn to prepare it for dyeing and mix up the dyes.

Dye each section separately.  I try and measure and double check that sections are the same lengths (so my stripes are the same).  

Heat it up to set the dyes!

And let it dry!  Then I wind it back onto a kniddy knoddy so its a manageable skein.

And wind my cakes for knitting!

Honestly I don't know how yarn dyers knock these out all the time.  I know you can use a warping board, but you still have to warp it, so its gotta take the same amount of time to prepare the skein.  And you have to be OH so careful not to make a mess or your stripes won't be clean and separate.  I've done this several times now and it still takes at MINIMUM an hour per skein.

Undine KAL

Want to knit some socks?  Come and join the Undine KAL with Wandering Cat Yarns on Ravelry.  Its FREE and it goes until Oct. 31st.

In my organize / reduce the stash efforts.  I found some stash yarn to use!  I wanted something in blues and greens to represent the Undine.  

Down, down, down ...

This is a very cool pattern.  Down the Rabbit-Hole by Purrlescent.  The stitches for the right and left sock travel in opposing directions, which can make for some oopsies when alternating knitting on both socks throughout the week.  I have to pay attention to which sock I am working on so I make sure that I am working the stitches correctly (there has been some negative knitting on these socks).  Its not a difficult pattern, but interesting enough to not be boring.

March of the Penguin

I am not a huge fan of seaming (who is?!?!) and this guy had quite a bit.  Don't forget I also kitchenered the top of the body and the bottom of the wings previously.  

I can seam quite well, but that's because I take the time to do it right (part of why I don't like it, it takes sooo long).  He's got 2 side seams and a bottom seam, then the top of the wings I seamed, then sewed on, then his feet are sewed on and his beak and his eyes are sewed on with sewing thread ..... uuugghhhh!!!!

But he's done now and all that's left is his scarf which I am about half way through.  

I was surprised to figure out, he took 517 yds of yarn.  Not including his scarf.

Penguin Pieces & To Dos

The Penguin Pillow is looking more like a penguin ... well parts of one anyway.  The body is done, its soaking now.  I am going to attempt to block the edges to make seaming easier.  Both wings are done, a foot and half the scarf.

I had a list of things I was trying to get done yesterday that I am still working on today.  They are just things that I should get around to.  

For example, I got a new supported spindle recently and the maker has notes on the receipt ... on how to store them ... and how NOT to.  I was storing them in the NOT to category previously.  This new spindle has NO WOBBLE whatsoever, so I want to keep it that way.

It is better to store them upright with no pressure on the shaft, this avoids it bending over time.  For now I found a box and poked some holes in it.  I hope to make something more permanent and out of wood, like a shelf I can hang on the wall.

I also took pics of all my supported spindles to add them to Ravelry.  Don't ask how many ... ok I'll tell you ... 25 ... yup.  You can see them here, I'm still working on adding them, but more of them are up.

Hopefully I'll get some yarn wound today, that's last on my list ... because the one other notation left on the list, I don't entirely understand what I meant, LOL!!

Seaming and seaming some more

Its the penguin pillow!  The body is done ... the instructions said to BO, then use the tail to sew the top together ... I opted for kitchener stitch.  I'm not sure that grafting is any less painless than sewing 144 stitches up.  So far, so good, but I'm taking it slow going at few inches at a time.

Don't forget its knit off, purl on ... purl off, knit on ... I have to repeat this in my head the ENTIRE time, LOL!

I've got some hot cocoa and Yoda and the Sheep are watching me work.

Penguin Appropriate Weather

I am working on this as a silly gift for a friend.  Its a penguin pillow ... today is snowing pretty good, seems very appropriate weather to be knitting on a penguin.

I'm thinking I might want to block these bottom pieces before seaming though ...

I debated blocking the separate pieces before beginning knitting in the round, but I didn't want to stop knitting for a day or two to do it.  If I continue up and finish the top, I can block the bottom and side seams while knitting on the other pieces (wings, feet, etc.).  I would like this to be done by 2/21 when we have plans to get together with this couple.

New Cowl Pattern Released!

The meaning of Astrid is Divine Strength. Astrid is an infinity cowl that combines graceful, delicate lace with bold, strong stitch patterns.

It works great with variegated yarn and will also work well with tonal or solid. 

Each stitch pattern is a multiple of 2 stitches; this can easily be modified to make a longer or shorter circumference if desired.

It is most definitely potato chip knitting ... just one more round ... just one more round...

Uses less than one skein of sock yarn. Great use for that special luxury blend.

Astrid  $5.00

Decisions ... decisions ...

I signed up for the West Knits Mystery KAL 2014.  I didn't do the last two, but I did the first one, which is now Earth & Sky.

For this one, he suggested 3 yarns that are similar in contrast and one main color that was a contrast to the others.  To easily figure it out, you can gray scale a photo and see the contrast.

So the green, orange and blue are staying ... the yellow and purple are the contrast ... can't decide ... any opinions???  BTW the yellow is more of a mustard yellow, similar to the 3 other colors ... its not THAT bright in real life  ...

Astrid Mystery Cowl KAL

Astrid

The meaning of Astrid is Divine Strength. Astrid is an infinity cowl that combines graceful, delicate lace with bold, strong stitch patterns. 

It works great with variegated yarn and will also work well with tonal or solid. Each stitch pattern is a multiple of 2 stitches; this can easily be modified to make a longer or shorter circumference if desired. The pattern will be released in 4 installments. 

The KAL will run from 10/15 to 11/15 with pattern installments released on 10/15, 10/22, 10/29 and 11/5.The total pattern is 60 rounds; each installment will be 15 rounds.

Coupon Code for KAL participants for 50% off good until 10/22:  AstridKAL

Master Knitting Level 1 Vol. 5

I have finished knitting the Level 1 Project.  It is a mitten with some color changes and an interesting cuff.

When I started the Master Hand Knitter Program, I thought to myself "A mitten ... phew that's nothing!"

Uh huh ... said the person who had to cast on the cuff FOUR times before getting it right.  That nifty cuff is created by knitting open make 1 and k2tog tbl ... doesn't sound that hard right??  Try finding the running thread for the make 1 when its stacked on top of other make 1s and next to a twisted decrease ...

I am hoping my "jogless join" passes muster ... it doesn't look very "jogless" to me.  

Now I am taking a break from this mitten.  Then ends have to be woven in and it needs blocking, but I am so done with it for right now.

There's Halloween Self-Striping in the shop!  Get 'em before they disappear!

Almost Done

I finished Ravello the other day, it needs all the ends woven in and a good blocking to be REALLY finished.

Then I started a sleeve on the February Lady Sweater.

There are a few sweaters in my queue that I want to knit ... but I figured I should probably finish up the ones that are almost done first ...

Master Knitting Level 1 Vol. 4

That's a whole lotta swatches ... 15 to be exact.  I am using Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool.  One skein down, that's 465 yards I have knit.  I was pleasantly surprised by this yarn.  I choose it because of the yardage vs. price.  Its really not a yarn I would typically knit with.  Its a tiny bit stiff and scratchy out of the skein, but it blocks beautifully and plumps up and turns super soft.

I spent a lot of time last week finishing up the swatches.  I went back to review some of the earlier ones and found that I had not measured correctly.  So I knit them again.  Part of the criteria is that you follow instructions, if it says to knit the garter stitch section until its 4 1/2" that means 4 1/2" not 4" or 4 1/4".    

The reject pile - mostly rejects because of measurements.

The gauge swatches.  There are four different stitch patterns that gauge measurements are performed on.  The program does gauge a little differently than other methods, but it is considered a more accurate method.

Then there are increases and decreases.

And some different stitch techniques, lace and cables.

And finally some color work (which leads into some of the techniques needed for the project).

 I have one more swatch to go and the project.  The last swatch is a cable swatch that requires the knitter to balance a stitch pattern and write up a pattern with a chart.  The Level 1 Project is a color work mitten.

In addition there was a hefty amount of written work.  I have a few questions left to research and answer that relate to the last few swatches.  I have four single spaced pages of references that have been cited on the swatches and written work.

I've learned a lot of things that I just would never give much thought to and I'm finally utilizing all those books that I have that in the past I've looked up one or two techniques in and that's it.  Currently I am reading through the fascinating tomb of The Principles of Knitting by June Hemmons Hiatt.  It is REALLY the Knitter's Bible.  

Master Knitting Level 1 Vol. 3

Well its been a little bit since I've worked on The Knitting Guild Association Master Hand Knitting Program Level 1.

I started reading Knitting in Plain English by Maggie Righetti.  It is a fantastic book.  She was a knitting instructor for many, many years (before the internet and Ravelry and YouTube).  This book is very much like having an experienced knitter there to answer your questions from their own personal experience and past mistakes.  Its very conversational.  I highly recommend it to new and seasoned knitters alike.

So, besides reading, what have I done ... well I finally blocked swatches 7 & 8.  I had been tossing them around the room for the last 2 months every time they got in the way.

I spent some time today answering question 10 (of 22) that relates to these swatches.  I am stuck now until I knit some more, the remaining decrease questions relate to the next 2 swatches.

I was thinking, yeah um I'm crazy not stupid, hoping I would be wrapping this up by the end of September ... well, I have 9 more swatches and 12 more questions (some questions have up to 4 parts) and a project (mittens) to knit.  Maybe by the end of the year?!?!

A WIP!

This is Ravello by Isabell Kraemer.  I love all her sweater patterns, there's just something about them.  I'm knitting this out of Knit Picks Stroll in my favorite color Pearlescent and a weird skein of coal that acquired when they were discontinuing their kettle dyed.  This black is half kettle dyed and half so saturated with dye it left a black line on my hand whenever I knit with it.  Its hard to see in a photo (its much more obvious in person), but if you look closely:

  

The stripes are in some left over Malabrigo sock in Turner, I had just enough to knit all the stripes.  I split the remainder in half for the sleeves so I still  have a tiny ball for the other sleeve.  

I started this last October then once I got past the raglan and onto the black ... fingering weight ... stockinette ... FOREVER ... I only did a few rounds here and there ... BORING! At this point the first sleeve is past the decreases and I'm working my way to the cuff.  Then wash, rinse, repeat for the other one and I'll have another sweater!

Master Knitting Level 1 Vol. 2

This is week 2 I've been working on The Knitting Guild Association Master Hand Knitting Program Level 1.  I've knit swatches 1-8 and answered the relevant questions.  I've blocked swatches 4, 5 and 6.

I've never used so many pins in my life.  If I were blocking a sweater, I don't think I'd use this many pins.  Getting the edges flat and not rolling in on themselves was a challenge.  Also, because of the pins I am using and the surface and thickness of the blocking mats, I can't shove them all the way down for the heads to hold down the fabric, hence the amount of pins.  

I'm thinking I should start putting my binder together now.  I have all the materials, but all my written work is in digital format at the moment.  I am guessing I should wait to put my swatches in the binder until its time to mail it - I'm thinking they'll get squished and flattened over time.

The most difficult part I am finding is answers to things I know ... but at least 2 sources have to be cited for each question and swatch.  So far I've used this as a good excuse to add some books to my library.  One that I am actually finding quite useful for the "simple" questions is The Complete Idiot's Guide to Knitting & Crocheting by Gail Diven, sounds silly, I know, but its got all the fundamentals that are PERFECT if you were just learning to knit.  Also, I want to get back into crochet, so I figured this would be a good place to start.

I am also using these books:

The Principles of Knitting by June Hemmons Hiatt

Knitting Without Tears by Elizabeth Zimmerman

And I just received my order of:

The Knitter's Book of Finishing Techniques by Nancie M. Wiseman

Sweater Design in Plain English by Maggie Righetti

Knitting in Plain English by Maggie Raghetti

I have found that I really prefer "reference" books in traditional book form ... I have The Principles of Knitting as the kindle edition and I find it very difficult to work with like that.  Although it does have an index and hyperlinks, it just doesn't feel right, I know the platform also has bookmarks, but I prefer good old sticky notes ...