Knitters Fair

This was an impulse buy.
Well as much as an impulse as seeing something deciding you want it, putting it back and saying if it is still here when I finish wandering this room then I will get it is. It is 8 balls of Estelle 100% silk in a beige. Now when I decided to get it, I thought there was 9 balls in the bag which I figured would easily make a cardigan. I got home and had it on the coffee table and say wear it was written in large letters 8 balls. I looked at the bag again - yup 8 balls. I think though this will be enough for the February Ladies Sweater (rav link).

My next purchase I debated about for a long time, I ended up getting Shelridge Farms DKW Soft Touch yarn in peacock .
So yummy. This will be a hat for me and possibly for the little one as well. They had a great pumpkin and yellow that would be great for a Jayne's Hat but unfortunately they were sold out of their red. I also think the red is not the right colour- a little more on the blue spectrum than yellow. When I went back later in the day, to get the pumpkin and yellow they were now sold out of the pumpkin. This yarn obviously does not want to be a Jayne's Hat. I have admired their yarns and their patterns for a long time so I am glad that I finally bought some yarn.

I also got some Acid exhaust dye to overdye the laceweight that I tried to naturally dye last year and was not happy about the colour.

Last time I mentioned the Cascade yarn for Christmas Stockings that I got at Shall We Knit, here is a photo of it. I still haven't decided on a pattern- and probably won't till I go to cast on. It is just nice to know the options.
The baby blanket is 1/2 seamed and I also have some sweaters that now have buttons to show you in the next post.

Since we have an election coming up although everyone seems bored of it (it is not very exciting compared to the one to the south) I thought I would share this post

Potential Fall knitting

I have been thinking lately of some upcoming projects to work on this fall. As Jenni mentioned the fall is going to be hectic (and that I should get buttons).
Before I get into what I want to knit and possible patterns, I should come clean on what is on my needles that needs to be finished.

1. Hedera socks - these are about 75% done
2. Koigu socks - I have one done, easy knitting once I cast on and get to it - what were those magic numbers again
3. Sideways cardigan - I need to knit the sleeves for this. I should/need to get this done before the baby comes so I can think on how to do the sleeves
4. Baby blanket - Easy squares that are almost done and which needs to be seamed and a border attached.

The plan is to have yellow triangles (1 left) all around the outside so it ends up being an octagon. Then I will pick up stitches in the turquoise for a border around the outside once it is seamed together. I just now need to sit down and figure out the crochet seam since I think that will be the best one for this blanket.

Now on to my want to cast on this fall list.
Hat - I love my hat, it is warm and soft and comfortable and warm. It is just to warm for those fall/spring days that are just above freezing and you want something on your ears but 4 layers of stranded alpaca knitting just is a little too much. So possible contenders

1. Short Row Hat by Veronica Avery (I could use the left over silk garden from my cardigan)
2. Shining Star hat by Kate Gilbert
3. Foilage by Emilee Mooney

I think all three hats would be simple enough not to require too much thinking, not overly warm but still enough to block out some of that wind.

Christmas Stockings - Ali and I have some great stockings that my step mom made that reside on their house. I realized last year that we should get our own stockings for our house, and will also need to make the little one their own stocking for this year. I bought some Cascade 220 in heathered green and red to make the stockings and just need to figure out what designs. I will put a white/cream top on stockings for the names. Things I am toying with:

1. Stranded patterns, a large snowflake perhaps with some smaller designs
2. Knitting the stocking to be felted then needle felting designs on it

I haven't found any patterns yet (not that I have looked hard) that jump out at me, I did love the yarn and it did say Christmas stockings for me. I need to take out Christmas Stockings: 18 Holiday Treasures to Knit from the local library.

After writing on how I need to knit myself a new hat, I should also point out that the I have not knit the baby a hat- there have been a couple given as gifts that are different sizes. I think the baby will need a greater selection of hats. I do have the Itty Bitty hats book out of the library.

On Friday night knit and chat I got this new pamphlet from Skacel - Sock Puppets they are not puppets made from socks but socks for your baby that are puppets. How can you look at those photos and not say "Ahhhhh"


Why have I been thinking of fall projects - why the KW Knitters Fair is coming up fast - Saturday to be exact. A shopping list needs to be determined. Last year I had some specific things I wanted this year it is much more fluid (which can be dangerous) but I also feel that I have a much larger stash this year that needs to be worked up.

Another post - shocking I know

Way back when I talked about the would be ill fitting baby Kimono. I partially took it apart in the hopes to fix it. I then left it in my knitting basket until about a week ago and decided that I really should get it done for this fall. I pulled it out and started noticing areas that needed to be fixed and quickly came up with a long list including:
Ripping out one of the fronts to the arm shaping, and starting it earlier
Ripping out the other front to the wrap shaping - the bind off looks too tight
Adding some width to the top of the sleeves

- I think the back was fine.
This was not at all guarantee to make the sweater fit.
So I decided to do the more radical approach and make a different sweater.

Since seaming has been an issue with me lately, a top down seamless raglan was in order.

The second sleeve is done and I have a few more inches done along the bottom. This sweater, even though I followed the 6 mo size, looks in my eyes to fit a 1 yo. But that doesn't bother me since babies grow and it will fit at some point.

The one problem I have found for with this sweater construction is trying to get it to lay in a nice fashion for a WIP photo shoot.

Missing buttons

This soft cardi has had the knitting done since May, however, for reasons unexplained I did not seam it together until quite recently. While I was seaming, I was also looking for the white buttons that I got to go with it. Buttons... Can't seem to find them anywhere.

I have tossed my stash, which has grown quite a lot this pass year. I really need to work on that as it is getting out of hand.

I have checked all the other assorted baskets around the house and knitting bags that I would put the buttons in.

I can't seem to find them

So I figure this leads me with a couple of options. A) go buy new buttons now, B) wait a couple of more months - I am thinking of October in the hopes that the buttons are found.

Project specs:
Pattern: Soft Cardi in a Knitters Book of Yarn by Clara Parkes
Needles: Size 4.5 mm
Yarn: Rowan Cotton Rope

Baby Surprise

Lets's not mention how long it has been since I have blogged. I can't even think of a good excuse so I won't try and give one to you.

I have been knitting though. First finished object to show you is the Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmerman:

I choose three possibilities for buttons

A)
B)
C)
At first I thought that the choice was tough between two of them, but after looking at the photos, there is a clear winner on which to use.

I was told not to use this photo since it looks like the sweater killed Keeper.
This photo with Keeper requesting a belly rub is much better.
Pattern Specs:
Yarn: Dale of Norway
Needles: 2.75 mm
Pattern: EZ BSJ

The sweater looks so tiny, but I guess that is what babies are. I want to do a second one after the baby arrives and then can choose whether to do something very frilly or not.
If you are in the area - for the month of August there are 22 BSJ on display at Shall We Knit - they are having a contest for customers to vote on their favourites. - It is nice to see so many different examples and possibilities on what to do with a second or third.
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I have either been away from posting too long or blogger/ flickr just want to drive me nuts. The photos all have the correct orientation while on my computer, but uploading to flickr or blogger causes them to be rotated. I can fix them in Flickr but not here.

Show and tell

A week ago I got to spend the Saturday with the Yarn Harlot, while she examined hundreds of items of knitted items for the KW Knitters Guild Adjudicated show. The items were all knitted by members of the Guild. Since I am the official photographer for the Adjudicated Show I can show you a sneak peak of some of the winning items. Ready..


Well there are winning entries in those baskets - along with a selection of other items. I can't show you the items themselves because what then would be the purpose of the Adjudicated Show - it would become an Adjudicated Blog. You can see all the items with commentary by Stephanie on June 10 at 7 pm in Hilliard Hall, First United Church, Waterloo (if you are in the area and need more info just let me know). Following the show, photos of the winning entries (I have more specific photos) will be posted on the guild website in the galleries.

I had hoped to submit two baby sweaters, however, the fates were not with me. The first item the Harvey Kimono from Natural Knits - needed some serious reworking.

I kept thinking that once the sleeves were in, once the neck band was on. Okay I was in some serious denial about this sweater. The baby would have to have a neck the size of a toothpick or the front halves would not overlap. This sweater has now had most of the seams and edgings torn out and is in a time out. Just to give you an idea about this sweater - blogger is insisting on rotating the photo. The original is not rotated - WTF?

The next item was the soft cardi - this sweater's downfall is that this is what it looked like - except still damp the morning of adjudication.
That is cotton - I am not seaming heavy weight cotton while it is wet. Recipe for disaster. While looking at these photos, the one piece doesn't seem right. They looked fine when I was pinning them out. I haven't seamed this sweater yet so I can't comment on how it will look once put together. Maybe I should stay away from baby items...

Although I did just get the pattern for the BSJ by EZ. I am thinking of making it from some Baby Ull (I have a little of that in my stash). However, before I can start that I do need to finish some other items I have on my needles.

Some baby knits

After taking about 6 weeks off from not knitting (you guys couldn't tell could you) and very little blogging, I have some works in progress to show to you.

First up is the Harvey Kimono from Natural Knits for Baby and Mom by Louisa Harding.
I am in the process of seaming, afterwards I need to add a garter stitch neck edging and sew on the buttons.
Pattern Specs so far:
Yarn : Sirdar Snuggly DK
Needles: 2.75 mm and 3.25 mm - note this is 3 sizes smaller than the pattern suggests.

Next project on the needles is the Baby Soft Cardigan in the Knitters Book of Yarn
I am using Rowan Cotton Rope in turquoise and white.
I am enjoying this cotton yarn, but it is hard to make neat increases. There is one increase that is really bugging me, and I think I will have to fix it. I kept denying it to myself, but I think I will be happier once it is fixed.

The advantages of a fall baby - I know that these will fit sometime in the winter (for how long though is a different matter).