A tale of two shrugs and other stuff.

This may be the first time where I have knit the same thing twice (socks excluded). And it wasn't terrible! These shrugs, DROPS design #98-47 are quite cozy and warm. I know I have some wool that would be great - I held the yarn doubled and that took 3 skeins of yarn. Being sample knits for Romney Ridge Farm, I used their yarn, and the hanks are around 200 - 225 yards each.


(Jackson totally thought that my sitting on the floor waiting for the camera self-timer to go off was an invitation for him to snuggle on my lap.)




I think I have rediscovered a love for garter stitch. It's squishy and easy and you have got to love the texture!



Even picking up the edging wasn't too bad. I will say that working for several hours with doubled yarn and US17 needles made my hands ache a bit. Worth it though. When I needed a break from that I have been working on a test knit - Caitlin's Cardi - for me, in Schaefer Yarn, Miss Priss, Thistle colorway.

Love one-piece (or, mostly one-piece / minimal seaming) sweaters, but the downside is that there are a lot of stitches. I feel like on the patterned rows it takes me an awful long time to knit across. I'm maybe 7 inches or so up the body - it's coming. With the shrugs done (deadline knitting) I have a bit more flexibility in my knitting schedule.

It is nice to have not just one, but two finished objects so quickly. And these are two of my Ravelympics events, though I've watched very little of the Olympics. I've been feeling a bit "meh" lately - I'm waiting on some leads, watching "Hoarders" and "How Clean is Your House" doesn't make me feel any better, the weather has been icky, Lorelai has been going through some HUGE developmental milestones that are exhausting to me (she's talking in near full sentences, with memory recall, and detail, and we're working on potty training.) and then my notions bag busted!


The zipper pull came off the zipper-thingy. I had to cut into the bag to get at my notions (I credit my years on the high school costume crew for my abilities with a seam ripper)! I'm hoping I can salvage the fabric in some way, but I'm not sure.


On the plus side, I do have a brand new notions bag. A fellow blogger, Samantha started selling project bags that she made on etsy. I thought they were great and left her a comment that I would love a dachshund fabric bag - well, she came through and it is fantastic! Then she let me know she had more dachshund fabric and would I be interested in it or another style? I said yes right away and we discussed the idea of a notions bag. Perfect timing, who knew?

There's a sweater in progress in the bag on the right, and I'll be filling up the notions bag ASAP!

Once I'm done asking Jackson to model.

That Doesn't Look Right (Until the End)

A recent test knit has been completed, yay! I worked on Icing by Samantha Roshak. I used Cherry Tree Suri Lace Alpaca, colorway is unknown as I have long lost the band. But it's pretty and totally my colors, blues-purples-grey. Aside from my bat shawl, this is the first project for which I have actually used lace weight yarn! I like the effect of lace in a slightly heavier weight yarn (more like a sock weight) and I think this would be a great project for a special skein of sock yarn as well. I used roughly half a skein, and in the end it measures about 12" x 60" (more on that in a bit).

I will say I have had a lot of trouble figuring out how to get a good photo of this particular object. I took a bunch and am going to run with them and if the inspiration fairy strikes later I'll revise my photos. So for now, I'll deal with a lot of "That Doesn't Look Right".

For instance, Jackson as a model, though the photo does show the fuzz factor of the yarn, pre-soak / block.


Also pre-block, the scarf was about 3 dachshunds long.


I was surprised to find after soaking the scarf, that the water was blue! I had no indication that would happen - no dye came off on my hand while knitting, and nothing was on the towels after blocking, so really no big deal, but it makes you stop for a moment and go, huh?


This project has me seriously considering blocking wires (or a trip to the hardware store for a DIY version) - I had to block this in sections, and it was a pain annoying. Luckily, lace dries pretty quick. I used my metal knitting needles to help block it out - a tip I learned from Samantha back when I knit a little something last summer. For this type of project, it's not ideal, but it does get the job done. And when I'm wearing it around my neck, no one will really notice (unless my blog readers see me wearing it, please don't mention the blocking to me) :)

When I see this picture I think "Knitting. UR doin it wrong."

Now that it's all unpinned it's deliciously soft and airy and will be a great late winter into spring scarf, I love it. I do worry about catching one of the lace holes on anything, but that's my clumsy nature. I will try to be careful.

Holes in my work, must be lace!



I'm just trying to be fancy here. I think the chandelier in my dining room has potential.


On a person, wrapped roughly twice around my neck and there is still length for tucking in or whatnot.

In other knitting related events, I've managed to kill another sock. Lorelai has enjoyed looking at my heel poking through -

This is the first time I have busted through a heel. In fairness to the sock it was a different construction (this is bartholomew's sock from the Cat Bordhi sock book) and I think that may have contributed to some wear and tear. Since I've killed 3 pairs of socks in the last year besides this, and all those socks went out at the balls of my feet, not the heel, I'm confident in that assumption. Makes me second guess making more socks in that style of construction.

I decided to sign up for the Ravelympics, ambitiously of course, because I don't know how to do things like that any other way. My plan is "competition" in 4 events - Skelegurumi (have another baby toy to make), WIP Dancing (finish up my Seahorse) and 2 Sweaterboard Crosses. I am working on two shrugs for Romney Ridge Farm - one in a navy / blueberry - purple and one in a variegated cranberry-ish colorway (neither have labels, so I"m not 100% on the colors). This is my first time working with a DROPS pattern and I find it interesting that the pattern is only a paragraph! Not a problem if you know how to knit, but it keeps me on my toes - double checking my work. Right now, both bodies are done - they need a slight block and then seaming and picking up stitches for the edging.

Each piece looks like a funky chromosome to me.

Here's half of my funky chromosomes - helping to cook some Annies for dinner.

WIP Wrestling - Event Completed!

First off, thanks for the comments re: Dan's interview - he was happy to do it, he fully acknowledges that he doesn't read my blog and he was interested to know if he was right about my favorite yarn and the swatch :)

I'm a "Ravthlete" - I competed in WIP Wrestling for Team New Haven

And I finished!

I pulled my Green Gable out of hibernation. I had started this top at least 2 years ago and was knitting along just fine, and loving it! I used Knit Picks Shine Sport, Hyacinth. I stopped because I was concerned I would run out of the yarn. I was able to score more through peoples stashes on ravelry, so yay on that. I actually didn't have that much left to go, so that made it an easy "event" for me.


The arm is a little snug, but I can live with that.


I made the medium size, which probably would have fit a little bit better pre-baby-boobs. It's snug and form fitting, but I am mostly ok with that.


It's the length I can't live with. Dan thinks it looks great (he's so sweet. and a guy. for me to show any skin is a big deal - it took me years to be comfortable in a tank top!) All the ends are woven in, so it is truly a finished object. I am letting it rest from "competition" and I'm trying to decide to either a) go back and lengthen the body - I do have yarn for that. or b) gift it to one of my tiny aunts / cousins.

That's two "big girl" knits that haven't come out quite right. Could be the post-baby body, could be my knitting, could be the pattern, could be some sort of combination of all. I'm hoping my Central Park Hoodie doesn't give me the same grief when that's done! It's hibernating for the moment, as I have another Event for the ravelympics - Afghan Marathon! And a project for Schaefer that does require my attention.