Caren Knits

Fun with Gauge

Some day, Red Top will be more than a sleeve border gone wrong. After two more tries, I think I've finally got it. And boy am I good at that pattern stitch now!! Pictures when I actually have something to show for my efforts...

Knit One, Frog Two

I've been working on Red Top today. I was trying to do the sleeve in the round to avoid the purl rows, since continental purling is still cramping my hands something fierce. I know I'll find a comfortable position eventually, but for now, alas, I think I'm going to just knit continental and purl american.

So anyway, first my tension was too loose, so I frogged it and started again on smaller needles. Then I got to about the 6th or 7th row and discovered I'd somehow added an extra YO or two and when I pulled it out, I had this loosy goosy extra yarn flopping around. Hence frog #2.

Then I did it again, got to the same place, and still had the wrong number of stitches. So clearly, I was doing something wrong trying to convert this pattern stitch to the round. Frog #3.

I gave up the in-the-round notion and cast on again. But I was so used to knitting the first two rows (rounds) that I knit the second one again when it should have been purled since I'm working flat now. This time I just tinked back the row.

I think it's time to go to sleep!!!

P.S. Rewatched A.I. on DVD tonight. Not bad, but kind of bizarre, and no less so the second time around.

Getting the Hang of It Now

Sorry, no photos today. I left the camera downstairs, and I wanted to get a quick post in before bedtime.

I had a great time at Stitch & Bitch tonight. There were 8 or 9 people there -- what a crowd! I picked up the newest Cast On and found a couple of really cute summer short sleeve sweaters in big enough sizes for me. Yippee! (Sorry now shapely tanks or ta-ta tanks for THIS ample knitter!)

I did a little more work on the Double Trouble socks, and made quite a bit of progress on the first sleeve for Red Top (the Summer Sage Sweater I posted about the other day). Then I realized I'd completely forgotten the garter stitch row that was supposed to separate the lace pattern from the stockinette. So I'm going to rip back about 5 or 6 rows and put that back in there. It's only a sleeve so I'll be caught back up in no time. I'm liking the "forget swatching and do a sleeve first" plan of attack very much.

Also, I added two new sections to my blog page:

(1) A list of some of my favorite knitting blogs, to which I'll be adding a bunch more over the next week or so, and

(2) An "on the needles" section for WIPs.

Photos and more tomorrow...

P.S. Continental is going much much better, but I'm still cramping the hell out of my left thumb.

A Lot to Report

It's been a few days, so naturally I have a lot to report. First the obligatory Heidi picture, of course.

I mentioned on Wednesday that I had started a pair of socks. Haven't worked on them much more, but here's a photo.

Thursday I had a really great day. I went to Sit & Stitch at Ewe'll Love It, as usual. I bought a terrific book of plus-size patterns called Style At Large, and immediately had to pick out some yarn to swatch for the projects I have in mind.

I've already cast on for the first one, the "Summer Sage Sweater."

I'm planning to shorten the lace pattern considerably to 2-3 inches and lengthen the entire sweater by about the same amount. For once, I'm actually using the recommended yarn, Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece, in Barn Red:

And here's a close-up of the lace border.

I'm also thinking about the "Checkerboard Cardigan."

The recommended yarn is Cherry Tree Hill Possum Paints. However, for the amount I would need, it would cost about $400 at my LYS. So instead, I bought a skein of Mountain Colors 4/8's Wool in the Silverbow colorway to swatch up and see how that looks/feels.

And last but not least, the "Shawl Collar Cardigan."

The recommended yarn for this one is Cherry Tree Hill Cotton Boucle, which my LYS didn't have in stock. I'm thinking of using this, that I mentioned a couple of weeks ago.

I swatched a bit of the other color I had. It may not be heavy enough by itself, so I may add a fingering weight cotton strand to give it a little more body.

And as if that's not enough, I quit procrastinating and started putting together my Coral Dream Pullover, that I finished knitting (except for the neckline) about 2-3 weeks ago. This sweater is the "Pullover" from the "Classic Twin Set" in the book, Plus-Size Sweater Wardrobe. I can't find a decent link to it or take a clear picture of the cover, sorry... It's knit in Marks & Kattens Dream in Coral.

It looks like this being blocked.

And suddenly, it's a sweater!!

OK, half a sweater.

And it doesn't have a neckline yet.

Well, you get the picture.

Sorry about the mega-post all in one day. And I didn't even include my frogging adventures with the Cottage Pullover from The Purl Stitch. Perhaps I'll relate those next time. Until then... Happy Knitting!

Knit: Good; Purl: Not So Much

My continental knitting is swinging right along. However, I'm still struggling to find a way to wrap the yarn through my fingers to get a consistent tension for the purl.

Today I accomplished casting on and completing the short row toes plus the first few rows for the feet on Ingrid's Double Trouble socks, using Sockotta. Pics to follow.

I'm going to learn to knit Continental-style if it kills me

Not much to report today.

Spent lots of time this weekend cleaning. The house is really starting to look presentable.

Had a bit of a frustrating weekend, knitting-wise.

The sweater I'm working on for Mike doesn't seem to be sizing out right. My swatch was fine, but the way the pattern is written, one size is a bit smaller than I'd like and the next is a bit bigger. So I'm trying to decide if I want to knit the larger size to a slightly smaller gauge or the other way around. So I put that one on the back burner for now.

Also, somewhere between the 3rd and 4th repeat on the MGWD, I decided I didn't like the way the variegated yarn was striping. So I'm rethinking that one too.

Meanwhile, I decided that I absolutely MUST learn to knit continental. I'll NEVER get done all these cool projects I have in mind if I have to plod along right-handedly. So most of today I spent practicing my continental method, then I started a pair of socks. I'm determined that by the time the socks are done, I will have re-taught my fingers how to regulate the tension, etc. from the other side.

This evening I attended my second session of the Nashua, NH Stitch & Bitch. Much bitching was done by me while cursing the day I ever heard of continental knitting. Kat and Robin (I'll post links to their blogs tomorrow) graciously listened to me whine and encouraged me to keep practicing.

I'll probably post some knitting pics tomorrow. In the meantime, I'll leave you with my sweet kitty Jezebel.

Spring is Finally Here, and About Damned Time Too

I started to put an exclamation point at the end of the title of this post, but I realized I was doing that on each one so far. Silly wabbit, not everything is an exclamation!! :-)

It's a beeeeutiful day here in southern New Hampshire. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, Heidi is chasing chipmunks and squirrels around the yard (well not in this photo, but it's my fave of her)...

My new master bedroom closet system was installed today. Yippee!!

Last night I finished 3 of 20 repeats on the MGWD. It's looking good. I can't show you the project, for obvious reasons, but here's the yarn for you to see at least. It's Austermann Batika Color 103, a braided light worsted weight cotton with creams, grays, blues and tans. The images at Yarn-And.com seem a fair bit darker than my skeins. See for yourself:

Yarn-And.com

The Actual Stuff

Neat stuff, but a bit pricey at my LYS ($9.99 per 105yd skein). I'll keep an eye out for it on sale on line, and probably pick some up in a different colorway for a summer tee (but not the Shapely Tee - I don't do "shapely").

This one's pretty (color 102)...

Or maybe the blue...

So many projects, so little time!!! Can anyone recommend a really spectacular book, video, or online tutorial on continental style for someone who CANNOT seem to get the tension right in her left hand? What a mess!

I love Thursdays!

Thursdays are my favorite days because I get to attend the lunchtime Sit & Stich at my LYS. Shout-out to all the gang at Ewe'll Love It in Nashua, NH!

P.S. Angela doesn't know it, but I snagged this pic off of the March 1st blog entry at her web site, Yarn Girls. Thanks Angela!

I accomplished a lot today with help from my buddies at the shop.

A while back, I had attended two {GASP!} crochet conventions in the span of a month's time. At Crochet Renaissance in 2000 in Philadelphia, they had a fabulous vendor mall. I found several things I just had to have. Since I'm an "Ample Knitter," (see the Ample Knitters web site for more info) I bought a LOT of yarn in each dye lot, thinking I'd be crocheting with it. Luckily one seller had presorted backs of 10-12 skeins apiece in matching dyelots for 50%-60% off retail. Here were my spoils:

2500 yards of Brunswick Monterey, which is destined to be a longish cardigan jacket/sweater with a shawl collar, similar to this homespun pattern at Lion Brand's web site:

2000 yards of Berocco Celeste (below), which is destined to be combined with a teal-colored Berocco Softwist (no photo yet) to become a wear-with-anything casual cardigan, once I find the right pattern:

And here's a swatch of the Celeste by itself. It's got bits of teal, purple, blue, black, and even a little pink in it. My gauge was almost spot on to the label.. yay me!

1100 yards of something white, thinnish, cottony, and nubbly which I haven't decided what to do with yet. It's sort of too casual for a scarf or shawl, and I don't have enough to make something big enough for me. Maybe a summery tank for a skinny friend or relative... I'll post more about that one some other time.

So thanks especially to Judy for recognizing the Celeste as something she had used on a sweater many years ago and wearing the sweater today so I could see how nicely it draped when combined with something silky/wooly. Also to Beverly for help substituting the Softwist for the Sensua Wool that Berocco doesn't carry anymore. And to Deb for helping me pick the teal color which will look so spectacular with the Celeste. Check back for more on this project once I pick the pattern, test my gauge, and buy the Softwist.

Lastly after much searching, touchy-feeling, and wrestling with different ideas, I picked out the yarn for my mystery-gift-with-a-deadline, henceforward to be known as the "MGWD." No photos till it's done and in the receipient's hands! I'm thrilled with the final choice. Can't wait to let you all see it.

Yes, I really do knit!

Thanks to all who have posted comments or sent me email with good wishes and compliments on my new blog. I've enjoyed reading all of your knitblogs so much. I hope mine will inspire you, or at least keep you interested enough to keep coming back for more!

I'm pleased as punch to display my first knitted finished object! These booties were handmade with love for my baby cousin Emmet's first birthday. Of course they're too big! But Emmet's mom, Gaby, says he should grow into them by next winter. She'll send me a picture of him modelling them then.

THE STATS:

Pattern: Basic Sock, with the ribbing shortened to just an inch, from Edie Eckman's Knit a Dozen Baby Socks.

Yarn: Regia Jacquard

Needles: Size 4 bamboo DPNs.

Gauge: Gauge? We don't need to stinkin' gauge! These are baby socks, for cryin' out loud!

The Adventure Begins

My very first post to my brand new blog!

I guess I should use it to tell you a little bit about myself and what you'll find here.

My description includes lots of hyphenates: I'm a 37-year-old stay-at-home-wife, and soon-to-be stay-at-home-mom. My husband Mike and I are in the process of adopting our first child from Russia. We hope to be home with a 10-12-month-old sometime next winter. Then a year later, we'll most likely go back for a girl.

We have a beautiful all-white shepherd/retriever mix named Heidi, and a pudge black short-haired cat named Jezebel (or JezBez, or JezShpez, or Tubbo to her friends). Needless to say, whatever color yarn I'm knitting with is covered in fur in fairly short order. I try to pick it out as I go, but I don't let myself stress over it.

I've always been interested in crafting and needlework of all varieties: cross-stitch, needlepoint, quilting, and crocheting. Recently I've taken up knitting, and it seemed the perfect time to start a blog.

In the coming weeks and months, I'll be sharing about my various knitting projects, as well as my crocheting, quilting, etc. I plan to start a separate Adoption Blog sometime soon, for those who are interested in reading about that process.

I'm off to gather the info for pattern sources, yarn labels, etc. of my works in progress (WIPs), and I'll post those a little later. In brief, my WIPs include a coral-colored short sleeve pullover for me, Sally Melville's "To The Cottage Pullover" (from The Purl Stitch) in light gray for Mike, a supersoft super chunky black scarf for myself, and some Sockotta socks for me (practice, before I attempt a pair for my sister).

That's all for now. Hope you enjoy reading my Knitting Blog! Check back soon for pictures...