Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Today I had the window open while I worked and I wore this!



I decided to “sew” it up with ribbon. Eventually, I’ll get some nicer silk ribbon. I just couldn’t commit to it being a full time poncho. This way, it can be a poncho for now and later it can be a wrap. I need a shawl pin (saw some pretty ones at Cloverhill, but they are pricey!) for when it is a wrap. The yarn is so beautiful. It is Manos del Uruguay color 113, Wildflowers. It doesn't come in dye lots. You are supposed to knit two rows at a time, alternating between balls. I thought that was a pain, so I didn't. Can you see where I switched balls in the picture above? Here is a close up of this lucious yarn:



I telecommute out of my home. I love it and one of my favorite perks of working at home is being able to open my window! And wearing whatever I want. And not having to shower before work. And not wearing shoes. And not having to pack my lunch. And getting to sleep more, etc., etc., etc.

I am ready for spring. While waiting, I’ve been living vicariously through Jamie, a writer I work with. She is in Georgia and has been busy outdoors already this year. She knits too!

I finally borrowed my roommate’s camera and have pictures:

This is my first project. My mom taught me how to knit. Only she hadn’t knit for years and just remembered that you knit and purled to get stockinette. We were both confused about why it curled! But the yarn shop ladies said that was normal. Luckily, I made it really wide, so it curls into a nice tube-y scarf. The Yarn Girls Guide to Beyond the Basics has a similar pattern. I can’t remember what kind of yarn it is. I think it is some kind of cotton/silk blend. You may note that the gray stripes are not blended throughout. That is because I only had three balls of yarn and that wasn't enough, so I bought the gray to add to it. I still wear this sometimes. But in a future post, you'll see that I have no shortage of scarves to wear.



It is like a snake digesting its dinner:




This is a shawl that I made with cheapo Lion Brand Microspun. It is very soft. It makes a great bellydance hip scarf too!




This is a scary big shawl I made from Lion Brand Homespun. It got away from me. I was knitting it on vacation in Quebec last summer and just couldn’t stop, so it got way too big. But, it is a pretty good size for wearing at the Maryland Renaissance Festival when it starts to get cool in October. (Only five months till it opens again!)



On needles:
Shawl for my mom. I am trying to decide if I want to make something lacy instead. Right now it is in blocks of stockinette and reverse stockinette. I think it could be pretty all done up. But it is taking a LONG time. It is the first time I've worked with such small yarn. I tend to like the really bulky yarn, because, hey quicker gratification.






Green scarf:
In 2X2 rib OR cable. I really want this scarf to be soft, and the ribbing is softest of all the patterns I’ve tried, but it is doesn’t seem “pretty” enough for this yarn.

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

I love to knit in public. I knit at coffee shops, in the airport, on planes (yes you CAN bring knitting needles on planes, even metal ones!), in the car (only as a passenger!), at restaurants, in the park, at the beach, pool, basically anywhere.



I wanted to knit at Engaged Encounter, which is this Catholic weekend retreat that is part of pre-marriage counseling, but the fiance thought that would be rude. And then we didn't end up sitting in one spot for very long and the room was incredibly hot, so having wool on my lap would have been a bit much.

So a knitting blog is just another way for me to knit in public!

Of course, I also like to knit at home on my couch while watching TV with my roommate, or chatting with my mom, or with my phone headset on. The fiance can usually tell when I am paying more attention to my purls than to what he is saying.

I don't have a digital camera yet, so I don't have pictures yet. Maybe the roomie will let me borrow hers.

I starting knitting a few years ago when my mom gave me three balls of yarn, some needles and a short how to book. I made a stockinette striped scarf.

Some projects I am working on:
Just finished knitting a wrap/shawl/poncho (are ponchos too out now?). If I am going to make it a poncho, I still need to sew it up. It is done in simple garter stitch, but on the diagonal, so it has a little flair!

A basket weave wrap for my mom in a gorgeous variegated merino. But it is super fine yarn, so it is taking me forever. I am considering ripping it out and doing something lacy w/ it.

A basket weave scarf in a lovely minty green for me (I am a very selfish knitter).

Haven't started yet:
I have six skeins (about 600 years) of camel colored bulky baby alpaca, but not sure what to do with it. Something for me (see selfish!) cause it is soo soft and luxurious!

A baby blanket w/ some soft and fuzzy yellow and multi colored baby yarn. I have two nieces or nephews on the way! Just found out this weekend. Not twins: my two sisters-in-law are pregnant and due w/in a few weeks of each other.

3 balls of a cashmere/merino blend for a scarf for the finance in a manly blue. What is a good scarf pattern for a man? I am not going to start this until AFTER the wedding. I know the curse only applies to sweaters, but I am testing it! :)

A soft red wool to make my dad a sweater vest for Christmas. He wears sweater vests all year long, but only in red or blue. One year my brothers and I scoured the mall looking for a red one w/o luck.