baby stuff

Long time, no post from my corner. I thought I'd show you some of the stuff that I've been working on for the baby. These items are all from 2 hanks of 4th of July. There's a Rosebud Baby Blanket, hat, sweater, and booties. I still have enough left to make a pair of thumbless mitts! The picture doesn't do the color justice, but they are festive fall colors - perfect for an Oct. baby!

(Patterns: Baby Blanket - pattern in the works; Sweater - raglan, from Debbie Bliss; Hat - just made it up; Booties - from Holiday Knits.)

Obsession

I was a exhibitor at the Midwest Fiber and Folk Art Fair this past weekend, and was set up in the same tent as Chris. Can you imagine three days of access to beautiful hand painted fiber? I had that one hank of Wistful that I won in the drawing a few weeks ago. I had no idea what I was going to do with it, so I asked Chris for a recommendation. This is Hattie's Rose Garden. The pattern is written to have the center purl stitch dropped to make ladders, but I don't think I can bear to lose a single lovely stitch. From the wrong side, this looks like a ribbed scarf. On the right side, the bottom flares out, and the body of the scarf has depth and dimension. I work on lots of projects at once, but most have been pushed aside in favor of this one. I carry it around in my handbag, so I can gaze at it and fondle it at work. The fiber blend is so soft and beautiful, and the color! It's a dead ringer for some Sonoma that Chris custom dyed for me. Every hank is truly a work of art.

A close up of what is going to be my favorite scarf, ever!

Clapotis

I finished this last week but couldn't get photos until Sunday. And then I found it hard to capture the shawl well. It's at its best when worn. But there was no one to photograph me in it and no model for me to use (other than my four-year-old son).

Pattern: Clapotis, Knitty, Fall 2004

Yarn: Wistful

Needles: size 8 Clover circular bamboo

Modifications: I wanted to see how much I could get from one hank of Wistful. I started to get nervous about half-way through and decided to do only 6 repeats in section 3 (the straight rows) instead of 12. It was the right call. I ended about a yard short overall, but only had 9 or so stitches left at this point and could "just" bind them off. I don't think it's very noticable and I tend to be pretty critical.

I should note that I checked gauge half-way through and saw that I was at 4.25 stitches per inch rather than the 4.75 called for in the pattern. This difference certainly accounts for my not having enough yarn to finish my final rows and may even mean I could have gotten a few more repeats in the center section. I was using 10% more yarn than the pattern anticipated...

Notes/Thoughts: I'm glad to have made this. I'd wanted to for a long time. Having done it once, however, I do not feel the need to do it again. As with all shawls, I just can't imagine when one would wear it. That is my main reservation about making another one.

The yarn was, as always with Briar Rose Fibers, beautiful. The color changes were so fun to watch. This bottom photo, though washed out, better captures the yarn colors. They're more pink than red (which the top photo would have you believe).

Central Park Vest

I'm moving right along on my CPHoodie. Fronts and back are complete and I'm ready to begin the hood. Then it will need sleeves and there's the matter of a button band.
These photos show the yarn's rich color better than the previous post. It's a very deep eggplant with all of Chris' magic sprinkled in. This pattern has been so much fun.

Briar Rose Vine Flower Dress Update

I haven't had much time for posting, but Wow! this dress is just cruising along!! I think it is the addicting combination of using yarn I love, and the wonderful, rhythmic, fun to knit pattern! In this picture, I'm just preparing to do the front straps (since then, I have finished the front straps plus the back portion of the bodice and am ready to do the back straps-except I have also finished up my skein, and so must prepare to wind the other!) I'm amazed at how well this skein lasted-the pattern said it neded 550 yds and I actually added in two extra inches of length in the skirt (my daughter is tall and rail thin, so I thought, if I made the dress just a teensy bit longer, she may get a few more wearings out of it!) I did make a mistake when casting on for the skirt though-I used a long tail cast on (b/c its so easy!) but now the skirt edge is really rolling! I'm hoping that, if blocking doesn't help (which I doubt it will...) I can fix it by using maybe some sort of inconspicuous crochet edge...

I love the yarn, and am excited about nearly finishing the dress-but not looking fwd to winding the second skein-that's a lot of yarn! (how can you tell I wind by hand?? LOL!) Definitely a good value though!!

Seeing as I will have extra, I'm trying to decide what to make with it, to go along with the dress. I've thought of vine lace stockings, or a floppy hat (but I'm thinking the is dress will be for slightly cooler weather! : ) Or maybe a lil purse? Any thoughts?

Icarus finished!

Icarus Shawl

Modeled by my Bugg

Yarn: Briar Rose Fourth of July
2 1/2 skeins; asking Chris for an estimate on yardage according to weight

Size 6 needles

Blocked Measurements (HUGE) - approx 88" across top and 58" down middle

This shawl is huge, but I would not knit it on a smaller sized needle. It is made according to the pattern from 2006 Summer Interweave Knits by Miriam Felton. Bugg and I liked the way it draped and how it stays in place when wrapped. I will be taking a couple of the first chart repeats out and re-making this in an attempt to squeeze it out of two skeins of Fourth of July.

I was a busy girl yesterday!

It's not the best photo, but all I have left to do is seaming the sleeves, blocking and sewing on some buttons. It even fits! Which lately has been an issue for me. Every thing's been too big.
I may have to make another. When it is 100% done I'll post a totally finished picture.