Colors, colors, and more colors

In the knitting guild, we have swap meets twice a year. Last March, I got several balls of someone's handspun. It's going to be a striped scarf. I love how different brown yarns can be!

Here's a finished (-ish) object from the Malabrigo Magic Yarn Ball swap.
Pattern: A Touch of Whimsy scarf
Yarn: Malabrigo Worsted, in Water Green (1 ball)
Needles: US 8. I used the Brittany needles Katy sent me, and they're lovely!
Cast on: 7/11/08
Cast off: 7/15/08
I really enjoyed this pattern. It's easy to memorize and interesting enough to keep your attention (which is a big deal for me!). The only problem? It's awfully short. So it might be frogged to make something else. The Malabrigo is too good to waste on a project I won't wear.

Here's a detail shot of the scarf. I love how there are cables and lace in it, but it's not too busy.

I also did some hand-dyeing this past week.

First, I made a giant skein. (Pardon the stuff on my dresser.)

I dyed it with egg dye in ~24 inch segments. It took about 15-20 minutes for the color to set in the microwave.

Here it is drying in my bathtub.

And here it is, all wound up and ready to go!

Is it just me, or do patterned socks get knit way faster than plain stockinette ones? It seemed like it only took a couple hours to do the whole patterned leg.
Yarn: Lang Yarns Jawoll Color Aktion, in the ever-so-poetic colorway 132.0188
Pattern: Spring Forward
Needles: US 1
Cast on: 7/21/08 (I think - it's been sitting around in my bag languishing in 1x1 ribbing for a while)

And now, a Basil update - remember this little guy? Look how big he is now! He spent the night at our house earlier this week. Aside from a couple of accidents, he did really well. (I think my brother feeds him sulfur bricks, though. Phew!)

Malabrigo madness

I have two Malabrigo FO's to show you!

Up first, we have a Coronet from Knitty.com in Peach Tree, with some variations - fewer cable repeats, more stitches picked up for the hat itself, and no flipped-up cable band.

This was a super-quick project - less than 24 hours from start to finish.

When I was at the Gourmet Yarn Company last week, I got a ball of Malabrigo Worsted in Noviembre. It's a mixture of dark green, rose, orange, and brown. The rose was so pretty in the skein, but as I said before, pink and I don't play nicely together. But one of my friends is moving to a colder state in a few weeks, and she loves dark rose.

I used a very interesting stitch for this scarf. It's called the Linen stitch. Every other stitch is slipped with the yarn on the "wrong" side - in front for the knit rows, in the back for the purl rows. The result is a dense but still draping fabric that DOES NOT CURL (woohoo!). Since each stitch is slipped once, you need larger needles than the ball band suggests (I used size 10 needles with Malabrigo Worsted). I love how the slipped stitches break up the color repeats. Another interesting aspect of this stitch is that the knit side is almost completely flat, like woven fabric, while the purl side has raised bumps.

Magic Yarn Ball Goodness!

I'm in the Malabrigo Swap Group at Ravelry, and the current swap is a Magic Yarn Ball swap - you wrap a bunch of goodies in yarn, making a "magic yarn ball." It's lots of fun! (Rats - I should have taken a picture of mine before I sent it. Oh well.) I got home from my Grandmother's house this evening to find this on my doorstep! Thank you, Katy!

It's a box within a box! Curiouser and curiouser!

I see green. Me likes. And a teapot. Me likes even better!

And the total count: a wee teapot (it's the perfect size! my other teapot's a tad big for one tea bag), a wee pot of honey, two tasty teas (English Breakfast and Earl Grey, which is now brewing), a tea strainer, a bag of pretty stitch markers, a Ravelry pin (!), two samples of Soak wool wash in Citrus and Flora (haven't tried those scents yet!), a pair of Brittany straight needles (size 8), a skein of worsted Malabrigo in Water Green (a color I've been coveting), and a skein of laceweight Malabrigo in Verde Esperanza (another color I've been coveting!). What a fantastic MYB! Thanks again, Katy!

Cute alert

I finished the Tura Maeve dress! It's just in time, too - the intended recipient will be delivered on Tuesday. I'm very pleased with how it (FINALLY) turned out. The hardest part was the skirt. It wasn't that it was difficult. It was the fact that there are (not counting the increase rows) 10,752 knit stitches in that little skirt. Thanks for showing me the pattern, Pat!

On Tuesdays, we have a seminar series at work. Usually they're interesting, but last Tuesday's was about the kinetics of drug absorption. (I think I just drooled a bit just typing that.) So I "ran errands" on my lunch break. And by "ran errands," I mean the Gourmet Yarn Company just got in a shipment of Malabrigo, and this lovely ball of worsted in Noviembre followed me home (as did another skein of Oceanos). I love the colors...for someone else. (Pink and I just don't play nicely together.) I'm knitting a linen stitch scarf for a friend who's moving next month. It'll get done much faster if I stop admiring it and just knit the thing! The linen stitch breaks up the colors and doesn't curl.

That's all I have time for now. Happy Fourth of July, everyone!

What I've been doing lately

Making yummy jam of deliciousness - it doesn't get better than homemade strawberry jam. (Well, actually, homemade strawberry jam and chopped strawberries and vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup is right up there too.)

Knitting (and FINISHING!) the Retro Redux Shrug from Lace Style in Malabrigo Verdes - it's sooo soft, and I can't wait until the weather gets just a bit cooler so I can put it on without spontaneously combusting! (hence the lack of modeling shots)


Nearly having a heart attack when this 2-inch-long spider suddenly appeared in the dishes I was putting away!


Being amused by the antics of my dad and my dog - Tucker's a bit of a ham.


Being glad to live in a state with such exciting weather! Bring on the thunderstorms!

In other news, look here! Hooray for Beverly!

New yarn and furry friends

One of the benefits of Ravelry is that you can trade out yarn that you're tired of looking at. I had some Schaeffer Anne in a bright yellow-green and Schaeffer Miss Priss in a variegated yellow, blue, and green - both lovely yarns, but my inspiration was waning with both. So I swapped them for some lovely Malabrigo. I received two skeins of Oceanos and one of Peach Tree. Oceanos is a variegated blue, from darkest navy to palest sky, and Peach Tree is a mix of warm peach with olive green.








Yesterday, we had a family reunion for my maternal grandfather's side. (And before you ask, no, these are not my family members!) Family reunions are usually almost as exciting as renewing your driver's license, but one of my cousins-several-times-removed) had a spectacular idea. She brought gumdrops and spaghetti, and the kids could build towers. So of course, "the cousins" (me, my brother, my two cousins, and one cousin's boyfriend) had to get in on the fun! (And for the record, my 19-year-old brother was the youngest of the bunch.) One of my cousins is an engineer, so her tower made it to almost four feet tall. My other cousin and brother made a fortress-thing, complete with gumdrop people furnished by yours truly. My cousin's boyfriend's tower wound up looking an awful lot like Barad Dur from Lord of the Rings. I think this may become a family tradition!

After the reunion, we went back to my grandmother's house. She has a small farm, complete with Eight-Ball the Llama, Magnum and Elvira the miniature donkeys, chickens, and peacocks. Eight-Ball looks a bit intimidating, but he's such a marshmallow. He loves to lie out in the sun on his back on hot days. The first time my granddad saw him out there with his legs sticking straight up and his neck turned back, he was sure he had a dead llama. Llamas can be such drama queens.

Magnum and Elvira are my buddies. They're getting up there - I think Elvira is at least 23 years old! - but they're so sweet. The old proverb about donkeys being stubborn is mostly true. There are only two things these two will move for - sweet feed and petting. Give them a few scratches behind the ears, and they'll follow you anywhere. Magnum especially loves hugs.



As I was cleaning my closet (yikes!) the other day, I found a partial ball of wool left over from my Tangled Yoke Cardigan. So I made a little headband from it. It's very easy.

CO 3 sts on a circular or double-pointed needle. Work in I-cord for about 6-7 inches. (You want it to be long enough to tie behind your head.)
Start working in garter stitch; k1, kf&b, k to end; repeat until you have 12 stitches.
Start cable pattern:
Row 1: k2, p1, k6, p1, k2.
Row 2: k3, p6, k3.
Repeat rows 1 & 2 twice more.
Row 7: k2, p1, c3b, p1, k2
Row 8: k3, p6, k3
Repeat until cable section reaches across your head from ear to ear. (Cable pattern is VERY stretchy.)
Start garter stitch end: k1, ssk, k to end; repeat until you have 3 stitches.
Work 3-stitch I-cord to the same length as the first I-cord. Bind off and weave in ends.

Is it winter yet?

I need to accept the fact that I do, in fact, live in Oklahoma, a state of four seasons - almost summer, summer, HOT summer, and Christmas. From about May to September, you don't even need to check the weather forecast - it'll be HOT, HUMID, and WINDY. Yet somehow I've chosen to live my life surrounded by wool. Go figure.

Pattern: Emerald, from Knitty.com
Yarn: Recycled Greek wool
Needles: US 10
Cast on: May 22, 2008
Cast off: June 3, 2008

This was a very easy knit. Bulky yarn and size 10 needles make it an almost instant gratification project. I still need to find a button - you can't see it in the picture, but there's a five-stitch buttonhole in the ribbing. I have a few ideas, but I might wind up waiting till winter to pick one.

The shawl collar was much easier than I expected. I messed up on part of the directions, so it's a bit larger than the pattern specifies, but I like it with a slightly bigger collar. It's a big, snuggly, oversized sweater that I'm looking forward to wearing when it's cooler than the surface of the sun outside.

Here's my new knitting toy! It's a yarn meter that I ordered from Amazon.com. With all the recycling I do, it'll come in very handy. Speaking of Amazon.com, I just discovered that you can get YARN there. Lorna's Laces, Misti Alpaca, Cascade, Plymouth...if only they had Malabrigo on there too!

Day off

I'm taking today off. Due to some contamination problems with our cells, I have absolutely nothing to do in the lab today, and I have a 35 mile round-trip commute (which is almost 1 1/2 gallons of gas). I told my coworkers to call me if they needed me at all. I have a ton and a half of stuff to do around the house.

So why do I feel so guilty for not working?! Maybe my conscience is hyperactive.

I do have pictures to show you, though.

Here's Juliet!
Good: incredibly yummy yarn (Malabrigo Worsted in Tiger Lily), easy but interesting pattern, pretty design
Bad: can't decide what to do regarding buttons on the bodice, can't wear it until it cools down quite significantly

I've also started Emerald from Knitty in some recycled wool from Greece! It's still got the lanolin in it, which unfortunately doesn't agree with my hands. The bulky yarn works up wonderfully quickly. I cast on last Thursday on size 10 needles (for once, I got gauge with the suggested needles!), and all I have to do now is the shawl collar and ribbing. I think I'll do a belt instead of the button.

We've also got some new visitors out back.

Yes, that's a male pheasant, a female turkey, and two ducks. According to our bird books, pheasants don't get this far south. I beg to differ. Not sure where the ducks came from, since we don't have a pond or anything. The four of them like to hang out in the field behind our house. Last year, we had a pair of turkeys with a baby!

Still kickin'

I'm still here...and still knitting. (Well, actually, right now I'm typing, but you get the idea.) Juliet is done - yay! - but I can't decide on what sort of buttons to use. It's beautiful. Pictures will be forthcoming when I figure out how to close it. Since I used a heavy worsted weight instead of the suggested bulky, it's a good deal drapier than the original pattern suggests. So it definitely needs something, but I don't know what yet.

Lately, I've been in a sort of knitting slump. I need to find some project that I can really sink my teeth into. I've been eyeing Starsky and Oblique, both from Knitty.com. There are several yarns in my stash that will work. But I have this "thing" about using ALL the yarn. For example, I have over 1200 yards of Patons Classic Merino in Bottle Green that would be a very pretty Oblique - but Oblique only calls for ~940 yards. And that bugs me. I don't like having leftovers! But when you buy only sale yarn like I've been doing, you buy first and find a pattern later. I need to stop doing that. So why do I still regret not getting the 7 balls of beautiful green wool for $2 each at Michaels?

A slightly delayed post

Last Monday, I had just taken pictures of a project and some yummy yarn to post here. However, I was slightly distracted, and I think you'll understand why.

Introducing...my furry nephew, BASIL THE WONDER PUP!!! (take special note of the nose wrinkles in the fourth picture)

Basil is half American Staffordshire and half Mutt Who Jumps Fences. He was saved from certain death by one of my brother's housemates, who brought him over last Monday night for his first bath. He is the cutest thing! The poor pup had both parvo and roundworms, but he's all better now. Expect a lot more pics of the closest thing I'll have to a nephew for a while...

Oh, and knitting. Can't forget the knitting.

This is Malabrigo Worsted in Tiger Lily, a variegated orange with a pink cast to it. I started off making the Circular Shrug from Peony Knits, but the yarn wanted to be Juliet instead! I'm almost done with Juliet. If I hurry, I may be able to wear it tomorrow!

A neat story

I tutor a little girl from the inner city on Tuesday nights. She's a total sweetheart and a huge blessing. But tonight, when she got out of the car, I noticed she was limping. Her right leg had several sores and a bandage. I asked her what happened, and she said she got stung by some sort of bug. My father, a physician, is also a tutor with the same program, and I called him over to look at her leg. It's infected. So while I was reading with my student, he called her family, then called in a prescription for antibiotics at a Buy 4 Less Pharmacy close to her house. He told the pharmacist about this little girl whose family simply can't afford antibiotics. The pharmacist told him, "Don't worry. I'll take care of it." Ten minutes later, the girl's mom had the antibiotics, free of charge.

Just thought you might want to hear some good news.

The Clapotis that ate New Jersey

This one could.

As long as it doesn't eat my baby cousins that live in New Jersey.

When at first you don't succeed

I'm attempting another Clapotis with some recycled lambswool/silk. Last time I tried Clapotis, I didn't feel I had enough yarn, but I've decided to give over the entire sweater's worth this time. The yarn is black wool with light grey flecks of silk, and its qualities are best appreciated when knit up. The fabric has a springy, elastic, patting-a-sheep's-head feel to it that I'm really enjoying.Yarn: Recycled from size S cabled sweater, 85% wool/15% silk
Needles: US 9 14" straights
Cast on: 4-7-08
Pattern: Clapotis from knitty.com

This just in - quarter-sized hail in Oklahoma City. (Seriously. We actually put one of those on a quarter.) The hail was coming down so hard that it shattered when it hit our sidewalk or deck! And of course, my dad was running around picking up hailstones while being nailed in the back of the head by those puppies.

Speaking of puppies...here's Caddie working the cute angle.

Tucker's being shy.
It's hard to get Tucker to look at the camera. I had to hold a treat over my head for this one.

Sometimes, you just need to make baby booties.

Like this one. I actually made three of these widdle bitty Mary Janes. No, as far as I know the baby does not have three feet, and yes, I gave two to the mom at the baby shower. But they're so cute, and they are SO incredibly quick! (Linda, do we need baby booties for the charity knitting?) I also made a Baby Kimono from Mason-Dixon Knitting, but as I finished it 25 minutes before the shower started, I didn't get a picture. The two booties I gave with the sweater took less than 30 minutes to make!

In other news, I finished my Monkeys with the yarn my aunt & uncle got me for Christmas. It's Tempted, a hand-dyed yarn from a lady in Tulsa. This colorway is called Fiesta, but I think of it more as springtime in the woods. It's really interesting how the colors work up into miniature colorways. The purple and yellow combine for "pansies," the green and brown are the "woods," and the pink and blue are "wildflowers." You can't really see the pattern as well, but it's useful as a motivation - one uninterrupted pattern repeat took about 30-40 minutes. I really enjoyed working with this yarn, especially after the Sockotta!

I'm in a bit of a knitting slump right now. I have several projects in mind, but it's hard to decide which one I want to start. It's been a while since I had a "big" project. Sweater? I have several sweaters' worth of wool. More challenging lace? We'll see. But first I need to cast on for some more socks. I get antsy if I don't have anything on the needles. Maybe that's the Puritan/Scottish utilitarian in me.

Blearghh.

The past week, my life has not been my own. I've had everything from first cousin once-removed's first birthday parties to a good friend's funeral to uncontrollable kindergarteners to a work day that didn't end until 10:25 last night. At least I've been able to get a good bit of knitting done (at work) on my Monkeys from the Tempted Hand-Painted sock yarn, which I LOVE. I'll post pictures when I'm not semi-comatose. (This yarn is quite possibly the best I've ever worked with.)

Now, off to knit a baby sweater for a shower on Friday...are IOU's acceptable for knitted gifts?