December 24, 2007

christmas knitting

So here are some of the finished items (see my project page for all the yummy details):

marsan_hs_done marsan_hs_done_side marsan_tess_done marsan_tess_done_top marsan_merino_done marsan_merino_top_done knucks_done meandering_stripes_done eco_harlot_poncho_done fetching_all_done

and then I'll have a few more things to knit but not for people I'll see tomorrow :)

Happy Holidays!

December 16, 2007

navajo plying

I wanted to try novajo plying with my yarn rather than the traditional plying... so here is my first try:
sangria_romney_wool_navajo
it's romney wool and is very over twisted and feels like rope...

second try:
berry_pickin_wool_navajo
berry_pickin_wool_single
berry_pickin_wool_fiber
wool blend and much better, but a very chunky yarn.

and the third time is apparently the charm:
sunset_merino_fiber
sunset_merino_single
sunset_merino_navajo
merino fiber from handpaintedyarn.com. The single is much finer and I made sure not to overspin the single, then worked really slowly while plying. This one I love. The color stays together very nicely. I can see using navajo plying quite a bit.

November 29, 2007

something amazing has happened

I finished a project. Well actually two! Anyone who checks in here semi-regularly will notice that I start a lot of projects... and finish not so many.

But I actually have a couple done :)

I started a little squishy ball from "knitted Toys" by Zoe Mellor in July. I knit 3 of the little pieces and then put it down. In 2 afternoons I knit the other 3 and sewed it together. Not sure why it took me so long to get back to this one. Nice easyish knit (had to keep track of shaping the pieces). I used some Cascade D'oro (discontinued 50/50 wool alpaca) and Valley Yarns Stockbridge (Webs almost identical yarn - yarn.com). I needed less than 25% of a ball of each color.

ball_ip_cu

ball_done

I aslo finished my mom's poncho from a couple posts ago. Don't have a new photo yet though :)

November 18, 2007

lots of undocumented spinning

I have been spinning more than usual and posting about it less... so here's some catch up.

"deep woods" superwash merino (fat cat knits - etsy)
deep_woods_superwash_merino_fiber deep_woods_superwash_merino_single

deep_woods_superwash_merino_2ply

"royal" superwash merino (pigeon on roof studios -etsy)
royal_superwash_merino_2ply_washed

"explorer" wool (spunky ecclectic):
explorer_wool_2ply_

"pulse" bfl (spunky ecclectic):
pulse_bfl_2ply_washed

I finally got around to washing and photographing these the other day (the color is a little off... the short daylight hours are making accurate color photos hard)

November 14, 2007

quick update

I've been knitting...

my tree jacket (the sleeves have been separated - it looks too red in this photo):
tree_jacket_ip2

Yarrow Rib Socks for my aunt (first one done second one almost to the heel):
yarrow_rib_sock

Harlot Poncho for my mom (she really wants one... )I added a cable down the front and back. Using Cascade Eco Wool:
eco_harlot_poncho_ip

and some spinning

bought soem blue/pink merino at a craft fair:
blue_pink_merino_fiber blue_pink_merino_single

and here is the final yarn:
blue_pink_merino_2ply

also some bfl in "vivian" from fat cat knits on etsy:
bfl_vivian_fiber bfl_vivian_single

and the yarn:
bfl_vivian_2ply

November 09, 2007

knitty surprise

this is at the top of my need to cast on list!

Oblique

I have some Elsabeth Lavold Angora in a dark Plum color that could work really well!!! (perhaps I need to finish like 3 scarves and 2 sweaters before I dig in though) :)

November 08, 2007

got tagged

I've been tagged by abmatic.
Here are the rules:

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself: some random, some weird.
3. Tag 3 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).
4. Let them know they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs.

stuff about me:

1. I love animals. For the most part I prefer them to people. And I don't get people who don't have/want pets.

2. My sense of color is a little "special". I think most colors work together.

3. I'm afraid of fish. When I've gone snorkeling in the past I always worried the fish were going to bite my toes. I have the same mild fear of the beach... but with sand crabs. I'm protective of my feet. Maybe that is why I am digging sock knitting so much.

4. When I was a kid I used to race remote control cars with my dad and brother. We belonged to a little club that did this. I consistently beat all the guys in races (I was about 9 years old and most of them had to have been in their 30's or 40's). I learned early that there was nothing I couldn't do as well as the guys could.

5. I work in computer animation, but that is not what I went to school for. My major was photography and my minor was graphic design. I don't know a lot of people who do as a profession what they went to school for.

6. I am a bit of a control freak. When we got married last year I had so much trouble letting other people help me (except for my husband... he helped very well). We made the invitations ourselves (and the favors, and did all the flowers, and wrote the ceremony). I finally had to deligate some tasks to friends and family but it was hard to let go of some of the control.

7. I don't plan to have kids of my own but really want to be an aunt. So I really hope my brother has a kid or 2 :)

ok tagging kgirl, octopus knits, adrienne

October 25, 2007

socks have consumed me

finished a pair:

madder_socks_done

Yarn: claudia handpaints fingering
Color: chocolate cherries
Pattern: Madder Rib Sock from Knitting Vintage Socks
Needles: Knit Picks Options Circs #1
Yarn Quantity: 2 balls

And stated another:

yarrow_ip

same book (Yarrow Rib sock). Using knit picks simple stripe yarn. These will be for my aunt and I wanted them to machine wash well. The yarn is kinda fun. my first socks with the self patterning yarn.

October 19, 2007

spun some BFL

the fiber:
bfl_vintage_fiber bfl_vintage_fiber2

single ply:
bfl_vintage_1ply

and 2 ply:
bfl_vintage_2ply

Fiber is from pigeonroof etsy store. and the color is "vintage". This is one of my more sublte colorways of handspun. I'm pleased with it.

October 17, 2007

Ravelry has made me a bad blogger

but here are some finished projects.

The 2 scarves I started on my camping trip.

Irish Hiking Scarf in squishy soft merino:
IHS_merino_done

garter stitch scarf in some older handspun of mine (BFL):
golddigger_garter_scarf_done

and my madder sock (I finished one and am on the toe of the second... but I realized I decreased too fast on the toe of the first one. so I'll have to rip it out and re-do the toe. the new one is fitting better):
madder_sock_done_ip
pooling different on each sock... oh well.

And a finished Jaywalker (the second one is hardly started... but I'll be getting back to it soon):
jawalker_flamingo_done

and love the heel stripes:
jawalker_flamingo_heel_done

October 11, 2007

finished 2 socks... so need to take some new photos

Finished a jaywalker (need to knit the other one but here is an in progress shot (lorna's laces in flamingo stripe):
jaywalker_flamstripe_ip

I love the thicker stripe on the heel :)

and from Knitting Vintage Socks here is most of my Madder ribbed sock (used Claudia Handpainted merino sock yarn in chocolate cherries... it's dreamy):

madder_sock_ip

this one practically flew off the needles. Hopefully the second sock will go as quickly!

this weekend I'll take photos :)

October 08, 2007

what I knit while camping

I started 2 easy scarves so I could knit in the car and also have something easy to work on while we were hanging out at the camp site. Well we hardly sat still so not too much kniting actually happened. These are some in progress photos of the scarves.

simple garter stitch scarf made from some early handspun. It was done on my spindle before I got the wheel. 2 ply bfl in "goldigger":
golddigger_garter_scarf_ip

Also an Irish Hiking Scarf from some 100% merino:
IHS_merino_ip

I did manage to knit exclusively on these 2 scarves last week and finish them up. But I need to get some good photos to post.

October 01, 2007

camping is fun

Big Sur is really pretty:

09-25-07c

09-24-07c

09-25-07e

09-24-07f

and campfires of course:
09-24-07g

09-23-07h

we also went to the monterey bay aquarium.

saw jelly fish:
09-27-07c

09-27-07d

and even a great shite shark:
09-27-07g

I didn't do a ton of knitting but did work on a couple scarves. I'll get photos soon,