Romney Ridge Cardigan

I've been making great progress on the bulk of my WIPs, and actually have pictures to show for one of them. I've knit up a cardigan and now need to send it off to RomneyRidgeFarm. This was a quick knit and I'm quite pleased with it. I surprised myself with how much I enjoyed seaming it up - especially the shoulders to the body!
On to the photos:



I asked Lorelai to model the sweater for me and she shook her head (I hope that isn't a sign of things to come!) - and like most mom-knitters, I popped it on her anyway. The sweater is sized for a 3 year old. Lorelai is 16 months, and generally she's in the 12-18 or 18-24 month size clothes, so it's big on her.

Nice Work If You Can Get It

I've put in my resume to Ravelry.... and now it seems to be all I can think about. What an opportunity! I know I'm one of many to apply - and I actually *know* several of the other applicants, which makes it almost harder to support friends and keep my confidence up. Friendly competition while we are all working for the common good is a good thing!!

So I will occupy myself with my other knitting related "work", knitting sample garments. Honestly though, these two projects are so not even work! I've started the seaming on the cardigan for Romney Ridge Farm. And I'm working on a baby bolero for Schaefer Yarn. I kept thinking today about that Gershwin song (Nice Work...) in regards to the Ravelry job, and this side gig I've got in knitting samples. I've learned so much from doing this, like the fact that I would rather stick to smaller projects since I don't get to pick the colors or patterns. I stick exactly to the pattern and I am a lot harder on myself with the sample knitting, since the end project isn't staying with me - it's going off into the world or shop or wherever. I might live with a mistake here or there, but not when it's for someone else. I love that I get to try out new yarns and new patterns - by the way, currently in love with Nichole - possibly my new favorite yarn! My confidence is built up - you should see the shoulder seams on the cardigan - I'm so proud of myself! It's good work and I appreciate the fact that companies and farms do need everyday knitters!

In other knits, I've finished the back of the Necco Wafer sweater. I had to email the designer again, but there was a mistake in the pattern - the chart had size 9 months (which is not one of the size options) and no size 18 months (the size I am making) - hesitantly I contacted Carol, and like before, she's fantastic!

I should return to the seaming and such. Pictures will come later.

A Harlot, A Kinnear and A Norton

I have never heard of the Graham Norton Show until I spotted some Tweets from the Yarn Harlot about how she was on it via phone when Greg Kinnear was. The video is on YouTube - here's a funny spot in a grey, drab, rainy day!

She's Got the Look

I'm sure this is how Bono got his start with his sunglasses.







And his little dog too, if he had one.


Happy St. Patrick's Day!

SOLI - socks and water

In the last PhatFiber box I got a sample from Cupcake Factory. I found the group on Ravelry, and there was a request for test knitting a sock. This is the back story:
(Quoting Carissa)
"One of my friends, Ashley, is the founder and CEO of a non-profit: Streams of Life International…SOLI for short. SOLI brings hope to communities in Africa by partnering with community leaders to build wells and sanitation facilities, refurbish local hospitals and provide essential medical equipment, supplies and health education.

When she announced she was campaigning to raise the funds to put wells in 1000 communities in Africa this year, I wanted to get on board. Unfortunately I don’t have tons of cash. But what I do have is time and a specific skill set. I was trying to figure out how to use the resources I do have available to me to help….

So I’m cooking up some knitterly things, with proceeds going to SOLI. The first (of hopefully many) things I’ve been working on is a sock yarn line called “SOLI sock.” It’s a luxurious merino / silk blend. I chose it because the sheen the silk give to the yarn reminds me of a shimmering stream. The SOLI sock colourways are all aqua-inspired shades of blues and teals. I’ve also got a sock pattern that I’m cooking up using SOLI sock, where 100% of the proceeds will go to SOLI."

Awesome, right? I'm test knitting the sock and I really like it so far. I'm using NeighborhoodFiberCo yarn, Watershed line, in Thomas Circle colorway. Seemed appropriate (I like matching up yarn with good names to projects - my Monkey socks were done in the "rainforest" colorway!).

That's the cuff and one lace repeat down, two more to go on the leg. The stitch marker is a wee little Woodstock I got as part of my "Woodstock" sock kit from woolgirl.com last fall. I think it's made by weeones on etsy.

I wanted to include the Indigo Girls cover of "River", but can't find that video on youtube. Instead I'll leave you with another favorite cover - Dave Matthews cover of Lyle Lovett's "If I Had a Boat" -


I did find the Indigo Girls video of "Watershed" (gosh, from 1991!!!)


I'm going to see the Indigo Girls in Hartford this April - third time is the charm! Can't wait!

There's Something in the Air

Springtime makes me itchy, and I'm not talking about allergy season (though it does happen.) In a whirlwind of yarn and needles I've cast on many projects - I don't mind doing that because I do find that I like them at different times. Some are better while Lorelai is up and playing or watching tv - garter or stockinette stitch on big needles, and some are better for when I am a video-game widow (Dan is now sucked into "Resident Evil 5")- cables, lace, shaping, etc.

In review:

Anklets

These are the "Pom Pom Peds" anklet pattern from PurlBee.com. The yarn is the same as my iPhone mitts - "Bekka" by Ruby Sapphire. I still have 97 yards left! Finishing these socks has brought my LimeNViolet Sock Marathon total to 0.25 miles.

I am working on a cardigan, which is a sample knit for Romney Ridge Farm in Maine.

The yarn is really nice - I love that in my email conversations with Kelly, I have learned the yarn, which is a wool-angora-mohair blend, contains bits of Alice and Mellow the rabbits along with Uma the Angora goat. That just makes me smile - to really "know" where the fiber comes from. The back is done and I'm maybe a third finished with one front.

I have started a top for Lorelai, Necco Wafer from the Spring 2009 Twist Collective. I worked up the sleeve at SnB on Thursday - I'm really loving how it is coming out - Betsy sent me the teal yarn for the body and I have plenty of Cotton Classic in my stash for the contrast stripes.

I thought I was off and running on Thursday evening, but yesterday when I picked it up again, I found a snag! My sleeve measured 12 inches when it should have only measured 8.5 inches!!! I checked the pattern again. Checked my knitting again. Checked the measurements again. And I couldn't figure out what the problem was. I sat and thought a long time before sending off a message to the designer - I was pretty sure that it was something I did. I have heard other knitting designers discuss receiving emails about pattern issues and I really didn't want to be a bother.

Well, Carol was so gracious! She replied to me quickly and as soon as I read what she wrote, the light bulb went off and I felt like the biggest idiot. I really should read the pattern all the way through before knitting. I had knit to a certain length, then started the sleeve increases. If you are knitting this pattern, don't do that! Follow the directions, especially the part in capital letters that says "AT THE SAME TIME" - start your increases in the stripe section, while you are knitting to the length. Oy. Thank you Carol again for guiding me on that! I hope I am the only person to miss that! I was able to reknit the sleeve last night while we watched "To Kill a Mockingbird". All is good!

I've also started another pair of socks - I'm test knitting the pattern, but it deserves it's own post because the pattern / yarn is part of a good cause. More on that later.

I'm expecting this to be a good mail week - I received one swap package over the weekend (Regional Yarn Swap) and I need to blog that. I am expecting a swap for St. Patrick's Day. Intention Yarns have shipped. I fell down and bought a destash of organic cotton from misshawklet. And I was able to score a phatfiber box!

Twitter to Craftivism to Hope

Another example of why I love the internet.

Kim Werker tweeted about the Craftivism book. I was reading the blog and found this:



Wow. Love (1,000,000+)

The Grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for. - Allan K. Chalmers
Knit - Check. Family & Friends - Check. Future - Check. I'm good - how about you?

15 months and a FO

(When she got up this morning she immediately picked up the baby doll and put on the lei. Pure sunshine.)

There is no 30th of February, but Lorelai is now 15 months. Fantastic! We have a healthy, happy, and active toddler on our hands. Still not talking a whole lot, but she can communicate what she wants - mostly that is food / drink or looking at pictures of herself ("Baby!"). My little smart cookie is a help (sometimes) in the kitchen - especially at breakfast - she helps find the toaster, brings the eggos from the fridge and knows that routine down pat. The hugs and kisses are still spontaneous, and we can see bits of attitude that I am sure will hit full force in a matter of time. Lorelai is stubborn like me and is great at making faces when she's frustrated / annoyed. A huge fan of music, we dance each day to some 80s music and sing too. I will sing the alphabet song and at the end Lorelai will chime in with "Me" at the right time (next time won't you sing with....). And she's a pro at "Itsy Bitsy Spider".


One of my favorite things though was last week we were in a store and I gave her a board book to occupy her for a few moments. She starts shouting "Baaaaaa! Baaaaaa! Baaaaa!" - so I asked her what she was looking at and she pointed to the sheep on the barnyard page. I'll admit, I'm very pleased by that - we talk about yarn and knitting daily as well, of course! However, that seems to be a general animal noise. Did you know that cats also say Baaa! :)

I finished up another hat (#6 out of 52) but this one is not staying here. It's being sent off for a St.Patrick's Day swap I am participating in on Ravelry. Pattern is "Subtle Twist" - a free one.

I think I messed up on one row of the pattern, so it's a really subtle twist, but I'm pleased. My pal lives where it is cold, so hopefully she'll have lots of use for this hat!

So glad that the sun has come out and is melting the snow. The icicles falling from the roof freak Jackson out - I could do without that. Spring is coming!

Well, there's that.

Yesterday we were dumped on with snow. No big deal for me - I can work from home. And this is what happens here - we always get snow in March. One year (1997 I think) we had a blizzard on April 1! I did have to take the Lorax to a check-up and lucky for us, the plow guy came at 8am, so we were able to get out of the driveway without any issue. The Lorax is quite healthy, even if she is still a bit of a pixie (30" tall, 21 pounds).

In the afternoon I finally made "Chewy Granola Bars" from Martha Stewart's Good Things For Kids (Summer 2006 magazine). It was a little tricky to mix up everything (really, get a HUGE bowl!) and the end result is quite chewy, but crumbles easily. I modified the recipe to leave out the pecans (Dan doesn't like them), substituted Craisins for golden raisins. Something else was needed i think to keep them more together, if that makes sense. I ended up with a bunch of granola bars and a side of granola pieces that broke off when I cut them. Everyone liked them though, so yay. Next time I might add more honey / apricots and more chocolate chips (or do a drizzle on top.) Or, I might just try Alton's Recipe - same basic premise.


Just before dinner I was playing on the floor with Lorelai. I was shocked to discover a hole in my handknit socks! That wasn't there when I put them on in the morning! And then, my suprised doubled when I found a second hole - same location on the other foot!! The "Snakes on a Sock" socks have died.

They were worn / washed / loved for 2.5 years, so I guess it was just their time.

Good thing I'm knitting more socks! I finished my first anklet two days ago. Still using the "Bekka" yarn from Ruby Sapphire, I believe the official pattern name is "Pom Pom Peds" and it's a purl bee freebie. The second one is cast on and I did the heel flap last night.

The "form" inside the sock is a plastic foot mold that came with a recent shoe purchase - it's slightly longer than my foot, but makes for a nifty picture.