Posts from — December 2007

Jim and I are having a very relaxing week here in Arizona.1  The weather has been beautiful and as usual I get sadder and sadder as the day we have to leave approaches.   The somewhat stealth project has gone well if you count frogging the whole thing twice (”just” several inches of knitting each time) and needing to have it finished by the 6th going well.

Today is the deadline for my contest!   If you haven’t submitted your entry yet there is still plenty of time.  Seeing as how it’s New Year’s Eve and many of you will be out, there will be plenty of time for you to snap a quick picture as you drive by a seriously decorated house.  I’ll even extend the deadline until 3 am PST so you can upload the picture when you get home from partying. :rofl:  Seriously though, tell your knitting friends to submit their entry, get yours in too and have a very happy and safe new year’s celebration. :champagne: 

1. The picture is from High Desert Park about a half hour north…we were drawn there by Arizona Highways mention of Rock Springs Cafe and their pies. [↩]

I must have some kind of head wear fixation at the moment.  After 3 hats and an Ice Queen I cast on for Calorimetry last night.  About two hours and the end of Lord of The Rings:  Return of the King later I had my ear warmer.  I’m glad I at least glanced at the pattern notes throughout Ravelry before I started.  Most agreed that the called for cast on made it too long so I went with 100 instead of 130.  I also used a relatively small needle with the Silk Garden since my gauge tends to be loose compared to most patterns.  It still could be a little tighter and I would make it thinner next time as well.  Cute and useful though and definitely a big improvement over the ratty fleece ear warmer I usually use for winter runs.  I may look like crap in many other ways when I run this winter, but at least my ears will be stylin’.

My only complaint with Ice Queen is that the part around the face is a little floppy.    That’s ok though…turns out this piece of knitting may have a dual calling.  I was looking at the large hurricane lamp style candle holder in our living room and had an epiphany.  What do you think?  Is a candle cozy going a little to far, lol? 

I need to go get my act together now and figure out what yarn I have to make a manly vest (for someone who actually wears them and looks good in them).  I really wanted to do another fair isle for this one but I’ve run out of time.  The vest is my next and somewhat stealthy project for the holidays.  I’ll have plenty of time to work on it since we’re off to Arizona tomorrow.  I’m sure I’ll post sometime while we’re there.  In the meantime, have a wonderful and safe holiday season and a knit filled 2008!

OOPS, I almsot forgot.  Very few entries in the contest so far…your odds of winning are good!  :cheering:  Go here for details

 :wine:  

Ice Queen is finished and although picot bind of is pretty it is also very time consuming!  I think it took me at least twice as long as a regular bind off.  Besides that part Ice Queen was a fun, easy and gratifying knit.  Final pictures and stats after blocking later this week.  I may even get to wear it out tonight if it’s dry in time for date night

Ice Queen by Rosemary Hill

Yarn:  GGH Soft Kid in Cream (01)

Needles:  Denise Interchangeables US 8 and US 5

Beads:  Swarovski 6mm Bi cone Clear Crystals

Gauge:  18 sts and 22 rows in 4″ on US 8 needles

Modifications:  To compensate for the gauge difference (pattern is 5.5 spi and this yarn was 4.5 spi) I cast on 130 sts instead of 156.  Other than some misplaced beads that was the only change. 

Measurements before blocking:  15″ long and 8″ 

Measurements after wet blocking:  TBA 

PS  I forgot to show you how cute the presents turned out with their lables attached!  Makes me all warm and fuzzy just looking at all that yarny goodness.

I’m always amazed that when I get a big project like Autumn Rose finished that other projects seem to fly off the needles.  In a flurry of knitting activity this week here is what has been produced.  There is nothing terribly exciting but it feels good to get things finished nonetheless.  Oh and I don’t think any Kemps read my blog (there is a rumor that two young and beautiful Kemps do but I never hear from them)…but if you do, go away now please.  You can come back on the 25th.  Goodies behind the jump.  Still haven’t gotten your contest entry in, have you?  Still plenty of time! [Read more →]

For your dose of Friday cuteness: a video

Don’t forget about the contest !

You know how sometimes you see something and decide you just have to have it?  Well, my new little “On the Town” knitting bag from Kristin was just such a thing.  Not only is Kristin aka Silver (for you KHers out there) a fabulously talented artist and knitter, she also sews a mean brocade.  The bag is so well designed and sewn beautifully…it makes me want to practice my meager sewing skills so I could make something this cute.  I particularly love the inside…nice pockets, a tiny drawstring bag and a use and care card.  My socks in progress are going to love riding around in this!

Autumn Rose is complete and I must admit to a sense of loss.  This was my first fair isle project.  Now that it’s off the needles I’m not quite sure what knitting challenge to try next.  Color work was fun and I look forward to doing it again sometime soon.  Only maybe on bigger needles…using size 0, 1, 2 and 3 needles for a sweater is not something I want to become a habit.  (Note to self:  Fair Isle in 100% wool produces a very warm sweater.  It might not be the perfect thing to wear to a wine tasting where one is sure to get a little warmed up by all the likker.)

Details:

Autumn Rose by Eunny Jang from Simply Shetland 4 Tomales Bay cast on November 14, 2007 and cast off December 9th 2007

Size and Yarn:  39″ Jamison’s Spindrift in colors called for in pattern.  Actual amounts used were one skein each of every color except old gold and sunrise.  I used 2.5 old gold and 1.5 sunrise.  If you buy a kit for the 39 inch (which I did) you’ll end up with a lot of extra yarn since 39 is the first size that calls for more than one skein of the pattern colors.  Risk buying only one of each if you’re brave or plan on returning yarn.   Errata:  So far just size 2 for the sleeve and one I found for the size 39 and emailed to the publishers.  They already have it in their corrections but it is “On page 87, the 9th line of Joining Rnd (top of right-hand column) should read: “place next 21 (21, 23, 21, 21) sts on holder…”
Needles:  Mostly Addi #2 magic loop

Gauge AFTER wet blocking:1  32 sts and 30 rows and in 4″ (pattern called for 30 sts and 32 rows in 4″)

Measurements:  Overall length (neck to bottom) 24″, bust width:  19″, and  waist width 16″  Knitting is funny sometimes.  My bust measures exactly 39″ and the bust width x2 (38″) would indicate this sweater might fit tight but it doesn’t.  I think it might be because the neckline is so low.  If you plan to wear this sweater with a t-shirt or camisole sizing down might be a good idea if you intend to wet block as I did.  Sizing would probably be pretty good with a cotton long sleeve button down shirt.

Notes:  First of all, is it just be or is even the inside of this pattern pretty??? I knit the sleeves first which was a great way to skip the gauge swatch.  However, if you like to wet block (as you know I do) it would really be a good idea to knit and block a swatch.  I know, I know…after all this time you would THINK I would do that.  Apparently I’m a little slow.  Or hard headed…whatever.  By the way, the finished project after soaking in fabric softener wasn’t nearly as scratchy as I feared.  I wore it with a camisole and didn’t notice my skin being irritated at all.

There might be something going on with the fit as the pattern is written.  It might be due to slight variances in gauge, but more than one person as commented about the way the sleeves and bust meet and I had the same issue.  It’s not terrible but when one is use to designing to fit it can be a little frustrating.  I’m sure I’ll get over it.  I’m SO not whipping out the scissors and sewing machine like Deb did.  Also, despite skipping the little repeat on the bottom it is plenty long for my short waisted body.  In fact, it reaches about mid butt.  Oh and corrugated ribbing?  It doesn’t really “rib” much at all.  Don’t count on it to make an even slightly stretchy bottom of sleeve or sweater.  I think the fit of this sweater could really be improved (at least for my body) by knitting it as a top down raglan.  I can only imagine what a huge pain it would be to do the color work part back and forth until you could join for the body.  Not something I want to tackle but a mere suggestion for anyone who might want to really customize the fit.  P.S.  If the only size 0 needles you own are wooden don’t use them.  Knitting with a broken stub is not as easy as you might imagine. P.P.S.  If you want to see a great looking Autumn Rose with a different size and model be sure to check out Claudia’s…she posted her finished pictures today as well and her sweater is gorgeous!

Since getting this off the needles, I whipped up some mitts for Jim and a simple scarf.  “Patterns” (such as they are for simple stuff like this) to come.

1. yes, I am a complete and total moron and forgot to check the final gauge before I dunked the sweater in water however I started out pretty close to on gauge when I checked way back at the sleeves [↩]

Shocked?  I am too.  The final skein of old gold arrived Saturday.  Photo shoot tomorrow when I happily wear my new sweater to a wine tasting/dinner event.

Imagine my horror Wednesday when I was knitting along and noticed my skein of “old gold” (one of the main colors in Autumn Rose) was getting low.  I rummaged around in my bag for another and came up with nothing.  Then I went to the plastic bag in my office with all the extra (at least for the time being) skeins from my kit to look for the gold…not there either.  Hmmm.  Gauge is on (at least last time I checked) and I didn’t do any extra repeats (actually left out that one little bit with the gold at the bottom) so what’s the problem?  Looked at the pattern… there should have been THREE skeins of old gold in my kit, not just two.  One email to customer service later and the wonderful ladies at Nestucca Bay Yarn 1 have another skein on the way.  What I am most pleased about at the moment is that I had just enough (and I mean JUST…see the little yarn ball at the top of the picture…that is all I have left) old gold to finish the last repeat that includes that color in the body.  Thirteen more rows and I’ll be cutting the steek.

Speaking of the steek, I was confounded when I came to the directions to cast on for the steek stitches.  I had a vague idea of what the steek does but I had really only seen it used for sleeves before.  I couldn’t seem to wrap my mind around how that was going to work for a neckline.  I wasn’t until I saw the photo at  the chappysmom blog that I really understood how it would work.  In my head, I had pictured the middle stitches put on a holder sitting beside the steek…I kept think the middle was going to be off if I put the middle stitches on a holder and then cast on for the steek.  The stitches on a holder actually sit UNDER the steek stitches and on a piece of waste yarn rather than a holder (so it can fold) which makes much more sense.  Obvious to experienced fair isle knitters I’m sure but it was quite perplexing for a newbie.

I plan to finish the body and cut the steek this weekend.  While I’m waiting for the final skein of old gold to cast on for the neckline, I’ll be weaving in the eleventy nine hundred ends and checking the fit.  I hope I don’t end up with the same problems Deb and Cate have!2

Oh and by the way…are y’all participating in my contest or what?  I haven’t heard a peep.  I can only assume you are waiting for the most clear and beautiful night to take pictures for me!  Don’t procrastinate!  :angel: 

1. Does anyone think it’s weird that having a yarn store myself that I link to another yarn store?  I have no problem with that!  Good service can be hard to find and after all not every store can be everything to everyone. [↩]
2. Deb’s fix for the neckline is an interesting read.  Might give you some tips for future reference when fit is off…a sewing machine can be a knitter’s best friend in this situation. [↩]

Every year there are those in the neighborhood who are “zealous” with the holiday decorations.  Personally I’m a bit of a Grinch but I always marvel at how some people really go all out. 1  There is a house in my neighborhood that exemplifies this each year.  When I saw that they had the display up the day BEFORE Thanksgiving (I’ll give them a break…the weather was unseasonably warm) the idea for this contest occurred to me.  I’d like for all of you to share a neighborhood house decorated for the season on your blog.  It can be hard to get a night picture but here are a few tips:  use the “sports” setting or high shutter speed on your camera OR use a tripod with a “night”setting OR take the picture at dusk with flash OR use the movie setting on your camera for a short clip OR just do the best you can.  I took pictures first but I had to tape a little clip because this display has MUSIC too.

The rules, regulations and fine print:

1)  You can’t use your own house, although if you’d like to share pictures of your decorations either inside or out I think that would be awesome.

2)  The house should be in your neighborhood…don’t go driving across town to find one…sometimes the best things are in your own backyard :)  Let’s say it has to be within a 5 mile radius of your residence.  If you live WAY out in the country and there are hardly any houses at all you can use your own discretion.

3)  You can post as many pictures as you like but choose just one house as the “most decorated” for the contest.

4)  Post about the contest with your pictures at your blog.  Please use the direct link to this post: http://www.divaknitting.com/blog/2007/12/03/holiday-cheer

5)  Finally, post a comment here with the link to your post. 

6)  Entry deadline is December 31st at midnight EST.

7)  You can replace your original entry at anytime.  If you’re driving through the neighborhood and see a new house that deserves your nomination, post about it to replace your original.

8)  Judging…I haven’t decided on this just yet.  I may use a poll, I may use my own judgement or I may elect a committee to decide which houses are the most “overzealous”.

Prizes?  Well, I already mentioned the Crazy Aunt Purl book and there will be others…likely yarn!

1. Some would even say the decorations get totally obnoxious and ridiculous with all manner of plastic and inflatables.  I choose not to comment…to each her own and whatever makes them happy for the holiday season [↩]