Knitting Checklist...

This was borrowed from Joan at FugueStateKnits who borrowed it from StitchayWoman who borrowed it from Knitstant Gratification... (links to all of these blogs in the sidebar!) Feel free to borrow it yourself!

Here are the rules:

Mark with bold the things you have ever knit, with italics the ones you plan to do sometime, and leave the rest.
(My note: I'm going to assume that I plan to do everything, so I'm not going to use italics for that purpose...)

• Afghan
• I-cord
• Garter stitch
• Knitting with metal wire
• Shawl
• Stockinette stitch
• Socks: top-down (once. Will never do it again.)
• Socks: toe-up
• Knitting with camel yarn
• Mittens: Cuff-up
• Mittens: Tip-down
• Hat
• Knitting with silk
• Moebius band knitting (Not on purpose... it has happened by accident, lol. However, just saw a very cool Moebius bowl: check out bbcaddict on Ravelry!)
• Participating in a KAL
• Sweater
• Drop stitch patterns
• Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
• Slip stitch patterns
• Knitting with banana fiber yarn
• Domino knitting
• Twisted stitch patterns
• Knitting with bamboo yarn
• Two end knitting
• Charity knitting
• Knitting with soy yarn
• Cardigan
• Toy/doll clothing
• Knitting with circular needles
• Baby items
• Knitting with your own handspun
• Slippers
• Graffiti knitting
• Continental knitting
• Designing knitted garments
• Cable stitch patterns
• Lace patterns (starting first one tomorrow)
• Publishing a knitting book (maybe one day. but more likely if I publish anything it will be a book of political ranting.)
• Scarf
• Teaching a child to knit
• American/English knitting
• Knitting to make money (but too labour intensive)
• Buttonholes
• Knitting with alpaca
• Fair Isle knitting
• Norwegian knitting
• Dying with plant colors
• Knitting items for a wedding
• Household items
• Knitting socks (or other small tubular items)on two circulars
• Olympic knitting
• Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn
• Knitting with dpns
• Holiday-related knitting
• Teaching a male how to knit
• Bobbles
• Knitting for a living
• Knitting with cotton (most of the time)
• Knitting smocking
• Dying yarn (not generally, but am intrigued with plant colours, especially a lovely turmeric one I saw)
• Steeks (not yet but coming up soon!)
• Knitting art (in progress)
• Fulling/felting
• Knitting with wool
• Textured knitting
• Kitchener BO
• Purses/bags
• Knitting with beads
• Swatching (boy, have I ever!)
• Long Tail CO
• Entrelac
• Knitting and purling backwards
• Machine knitting
• Knitting with self patterning/self striping/variegating yarn
• Stuffed toys
• Knitting with cashmere
• Darning
• Jewelry
• Knitting with synthetic yarn
• Writing a pattern (one so far)
• Gloves
• Intarsia (hate it, though)
• Knitting with linen
• Knitting for preemies
• Tubular CO just recently (re the Goddess pattern from Stitch Diva). Pretty cool.
• Freeform knitting
• Short rows
• Cuffs/fingerless mitts/armwarmers
• Pillows
• Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine (Knitty.com and berocco.com)
• Rug
• Knitting on a loom
• Thrummed knitting
• Knitting a gift
• Knitting for pets (this will never happen)
• Shrug/bolero/poncho
• Knitting with dog/cat hair (not in this lifetime, anyway)
• Hair accessories
• Knitting in public

sic transit mundi...

...aka my new ...aka my new commuting project: a log cabin made out of past swatches and yarn remnants or single skeins left in the stash.






The centre of each log cabin square is (or will be) a swatch... I have 9-10 swatches total to use. This blanket may turn out looking a bit bizarre - but it will be warm. Yarn weights between DK and aran.

And, here is another WIP... the Goddess tank from Sahara Diva:


This has been slow going because I detest the yarn (Lang Opal Maxi). Very slippery and finicky.

birthday gifts!

Yesterday I treated myself to some wildly expensive yarn as it is my birthday today! I bought Alchemy Silk Straw...


...and I got as a present a skein of Handmaiden Sea Silk!



These are intended for the following projects:
Oriel Lace Top and
Montego Bay scarf from IK Knits Summer 2007. ;-)

I also (coincidentally... not for my birthday) received this gift from a coworker and her partner yesterday:



It's a really funky wrist bracelet-type thing (wrist cuff?) made from all vintage materials (yarn, fabric, buttons) and is very cool. ;)

Ravelry?

if there's anyone else out there on Ravelry, I'd love it if you'd drop me a line (I am KristinaB over there). And if not, keep my user name in mind... and I would encourage anyone to sign up. I might actually be able to keep track of my stash as a result! I could stand to lose a lot of knitting time with this site... SIGH.

you say "tomato", I say...

...Tomato Redux!

My second Tomato was as enjoyable a knit as the first...! EVERYONE should knit one!

Specs:

Pattern: Tomato (Wendy Bernard) in No Sheep For You

Yarn: Mission Falls cotton (black); Cottonlicious (pink); Kerzner Super 3 mercerised cotton (discontinued - orange) and Berocco Suede (big stripe) - approx 320 g total.

Needles: 4.5 mm and 4.0 mm

Start Date: 12 August

Finish Date: 13 August

Time spent: 11 hours approx.

Notes:

- not too much to say about this pattern except that I love it! (for my other one, see the Sidebar under Finished Knits 2007)
- this one knitted up a bit tighter than the other one (which was made with 100% Mission Falls - I was surprised at this (but not unhappy!)
- the Cottonlicious is almost identical to Mission Falls and also made in Canada...
- I'm really sorry the Super3 is discontinued.
- This was all made with stash materials...
- my colour inspiration for the Tomato was the "Nina Blanket" by Phyllis in Mason-Dixon Knitting (below)... I wish I could have made my mother's Nina (see sidebar - 2006) in that scheme but, alas, her decor wouldn't comply!
- my only modifications: I did 2k1p rib all around (which I prefer to the 2x2), and
the stripe across is in reverse stocking... in Suede! ;-)

Lorelei at (psychedelic) sunset - done!

In the interests of stashbusting, I present myself with this fine top ... a suitable antidote to a rather grey day, I thought!

Front:


Back:


For some reason it looks a bit bunched up in the photo - probably because I'm paranoid about the size of my stomach recently! SIGH.

Specs:

Yarns: remnants of each of the following:

- Super3 mercerized cotton (orange)
- Romni linen in two shades (red)
- SWTC soysilk (red)
- Noro Kureyon (pale variegated)
- Handmaiden Silken (bright variegated)
- Mission Falls (fuschia and peach - don't remember the official names of the colours)
- Berocco Suede (pink)
- probably some more I've forgotten about...

Pattern: adapted from Yarnplay by Lisa Shobhana Mason... this is a cross between the Lorelei and Poppy tops, size small

Start Date: 7 or 8 August

Needles: 4.5 mm Clover Bamboo and 4.5 mm Clover crochet hook


Notes:

- this is my second stab at the Lorelei (I have had more compliments on the last one I knitted than any other top this year!). However, it was the photo of the Poppy in Shobhana's book that inspired in part the colour choices and "layout"
- in this regard, I skipped out the eyelet rows in Lorelei and substituted ramdom purl rows against the stockinette. I think it looks quite sharp!
- other modifications: I had to adjust the stitch and row count slightly, assuming close to aran weight for the yarns I was using. I also made it a bit slimmer than the last one. (33" around instead of 33.5")

I love how loud it turned out, although am not 100% about the idea of alternating the orange and red stripes at the top. Oh well.

This is a tremendous scrapbuster that I would recommend to just about anyone. I think they are both very flattering patterns for many figures... and a very simple knit with minimal shaping and seaming.

Now to bore you with some close-up shots!

Detail shots:




Next off the needles: probably another Tomato, just about as loud as this top! Also working on the Goddess from Stitch Diva (on commission from a co-worker, in chestnut coloured Lang Opal Maxi) and "Gaia" (design by Haley Waxberg of Knitomatic in Toronto... yarn is Handmaiden Silk Spun).

lorelei/poppy in progress

Here is the latest project on the needles - scrapped the Tomato in favour of a tank tee modelled on the Lorelei and the Pppy in Shobhana Mason's Yarnplay. It's turning out to be a good scrap/stashbuster!

:-)

PS. In the ongoing quest for stashbusters, and having had to content myself with reading for the past week on the TTC... last night I hit upon a brilliant idea. At least, I thought it was brilliant at the time.

Namely, I figured I could use scrap and "one skeins" left over from other projects to make... wait for it... a log cabin blanket.

That's right - a blanket.

I started this blanket today (right now the temperature is 32C or 37C with the humidity...). I won't go on about my "humidex" pet peeve. Suffice it to say that it doesn't seem like the best time of year to knit a blanket. However, I'm stubborn and I have no other portable projects at present... so, we'll see.

Wish me luck!

Spicy Fitted V-neck Tee - done!

Well, it's been another long weekend of the tank for me. This one was started and finished yesterday!

Specs:

Pattern: Spicy Fitted V-neck Tee in Fitted Knits (Stefanie Japel)
Yarn: Lana Gatto Summer (50% cotton, 50% acrylic, bulky weight) - 6.5 50g skeins
Needles: 6.5 mm

Notes: quick to knit, but the pattern contained some errata and was rather hard to read. Will try to get it together to post the errata. For now, be careful of where you are told to place stitch markers for the increases and decreases. I ended up having to rip several rows, which did not make me happy.

It's also perhaps a tad *too* fitted. I probably should have gone with 7 mm needles but wanted to start right away and the shops were closed yesterday for the civic holiday. Oh well!

Next up: another Tomato; the Goddess top from Stitch Diva

Sahara - done!

New: Action photo!


What a great pattern this is - Stitch Diva rocks!! I'll be making one for myself one of these days in Eden Madil bamboo (This one is for one of my coworkers). It is as yet unblocked - soaking right now.






No modelled shots as yet as it is not for me and won't suit my body type too well. I'm hoping the coworker will agree to model it!

Specs:

Yarn: Ella Rae Silkience (cotton, modal, rayon, silk) - main colour and Eden Madil Print (bamboo) trim and neckline

Needles: 4.5 mm and 4.0 mm

Time spent: 20 hours approx.

Notes: I absolutely loved working with both the Silkience and the Madil. Highly recommended. They feel very luxurious! The pattern is lovely too - and hardly any seaming!





and won't fit my body type,

name change, etc.

Hi all:

The few of you who visit here will note that I have undergone a name change. Otherwise, same old same old!

My other news:

(a) Progress is being made on the
Sahara for my co-worker... I have started the waist shaping and will hopefully have something to show you next week!

(b) Next up: Another coworker has asked me to knit her the
Goddess. We hit the LYS the other day and picked out Opal Maxi (on sale!) - a lovely chestnut colour similar to the one shown in the link.

However, before I start the Goddess I may have to sneak in another Tomato (NSFY) or Spicy Fitted T (Fitted Knits)... depending upon which will work better with the yarn. I have some very loud orange Super 3 left over from my Samus. The Super 3 is discontinued but I think I'll try to find some Mission Falls 1824 Cotton in a complementary colour (!) or else check out the sale room at the LYS today for more mercerised cotton.

Nothing else new, really. Looking forward to a long weekend. Nothing much planned other than knitting and perhaps a movie or two (I hope Shrek 3 is still playing!)

Cheers,

Kristina

Tuesday-on-the Balcony Perfect Dress - done!

And I even get to wear my red suede shoes! Now all I need is the Royal family-style wide brimmed red hat! ;-)

I *love* this dress. Although it's 50 million degress with the humidex up here, I don't care - I'm wearing it tomorrow to work!

Specs:
Yarn: Romni (work-handy LYS) Linen - 100% linen tape (worsted weight) - 12 50g balls.
Needles: 5 mm
Pattern: Saturday-in-the-park Perfect Fitted Dress - Fitted Knits by Stefanie Japel (with some adaptations) - smallest size
Time spent: 30 hours approx.
Finished length: 35" approx.

Detail from Centre Panel:


Notes:
- I really like Stefanie's patterns but the book has quite a few errata. This pattern started off with one!
- original dress length in the pattern was 42" (for all sizes!). This on me would come down to about mid calf, so I made adjustments to the length of both top and bottom, comparing the length to the longest dress I own ;-)
- the linen is simply lovely. It is my first time working with linen but will definetely not be my last. I was amazed at how well it blocked.



Currently on the needles: the Sahara by Stitch Diva (www.stitchdiva.com).

"perfect dress" almost done!

Here it is blocking (I hate doing this but figured it was essential with the linen... and I seem to have been right!

In the current humidity... it will take a couple of days to dry, dang it all!



Now, on to the Safari (after I do some cleaning in my sadly neglected apartment...)

"perfect dress" in progress...

(edited on 29 July after apparently way too much knitting time spent on 28 July, to show progress report:





Looking decent so far... although the neckline is a tad low. Oh well! ;-)

I am loving working with this linen (it is the LYS brand) - and the colour (which photographed here somewhat lighter than in "real life") reminds me of that of my first fancy dress in high school (which I held onto for another 10 years after!). I just realised this halfway through where I'm at now!

It is really difficult to see how the dress might look when done right now due to the mock cable pattern...

This is approximately 8 hours in.

Sahara no. 1 - yarn purchase!

I'm hoping to start knitting the Sahara this weekend for a co-worker (part of a staff gift for a milestone birthday) - that is, if I can tear myself away from my red linen Perfect Dress!

Here is the Sahara (right now I will be making the long sleeved one):


... and here are the yarns and colours my co-worker chose:

Ella Rae Silkience (41% cotton, 39% modal, 12% silk and 8% rayon), colour #10:


and Eden Madil Print Bamboo, colour #40:


They both feel so luxurious and soft... my only concern is that I will refuse to relinquish the sweater once it is finished!

But I do have plans for a (short sleeved) Sahara for myself also in Eden Madil (blue and black).

Spicy fitted t-shirt - done!

The photo I like (more or less):



the photo DH likes


Specs:
PatterN; a variation on Spicy Fitted V-neck t-shirt in Fitted Knits (Stefanie Japel)
Yarn: Sari-Rainbow-Mix (Infiknit), cotton and rayon - 3 200g skeins (approx 600 yds)
Needles: 6mm bamboo and 6.5mm plastic
Start Date: 22 July
Finish Date: 25 July
Time spent: 13-14 hours approx

Notes:

This did not really turn out as I expected, but I like it anyway. My gauge was off for some reason (although I did a large swatch - but not in the round). Note the "design feature" on the left neck... I couldn't get it on otherwise (I've stretched it in blocking).

I was put of initially by some errata in the pattern... some of them were probably just me being obtuse! Due to the nature of the yarn, I gave up on the eyelet pattern as it wasn't showing anyway.

I enjoyed working with the sari silk (although I would suggest washing before knitting, at least this version. There is a finer worsted weight one that feels softer to the touch). I would not, however, recommend it for this particular pattern for others... although maybe going up a needle size would work.

I am hopeful that blocking will fix the neck a bit:


This (because I can't resist) is a close-up of the lovely fabric, but my camera does not do the colours justice...





Next up: the Saturday in the Park Perfect Dress in red linen (I think, anyway).

I need to get out more...

(and to stop procrastinating at work, apparently).

Here we are almost at the end of July... and I will be turning 37 in the middle of next month. It seems a convenient time to take stock of my knitting and craft work during my 37th year... all were knitted for myself unless specified otherwise.

Finished Objects
August - October 2006

- 2 Irish moss sweaters in the round (one for DH, one for me. How cute. AWWWW)
- 2 felted boxes from MDK book (housewarming gift for a friend)

October - December 2006

- Samus cardi from Knitty (for DH)
- Baby Blanket Moderne (MDK book)
- 2 felted buttonhole bags (www.masondixonknitting.com)
- 2 pairs of slippers (one for me, one for DH)
- 1 felted winter hat
- 2 non-felted winter hats
- "Slip of a Thing" felted purse (Knitty)
- "liquorice allsorts" bluky sweater in the round
- 2 scarves (one for me, one commissioned from someone at my workplace)
- "Nina" blanket (from Nina shawl pattern in MDK book, for my mother)
- felted rug
- 3 felted bowls (from One Skein book)
- 2 felted boxes (from MDK book)

January 2007 - today

- cabernet ribs sweater (IK Windter 2006)
- 2 scarves
- Curve of Pursuit blanket (www.woollythoughts.com)
- pinwheel blanket (inspired by a rug pattern in MDK book)
- 2 hats
- freeform log cabin blanket
- 1 pair of socks (1st and last!)
- Lorelei sleeveless top
- TTC tank top
- periwinkle bag with wooden handles
- "perfect sweater" (www.masondixonknitting.com)
- Tomato top (NSFY)
- "Crazed Harlequin" dress
- shaped tunic dress (inspired by Fitted Knits)
- Bacardi cardigan (NSFY)
- ribbon dress
- He Gansey (NSFY)
- Samus cardigan from Knitty (for me)
- ribbon x-back tank top (from knitty.com)

Plus:
- 3 felted bags (felted from sweaters at Goodwill, with knitted/crocheted edging)
- 1 felted bulletin board (felted from a sweater from the Goodwill)
- 1 rocking chair (I painted and applied glass beads)

Started and Never to be Finished
- "advent blanket" (may try again next year... ran out of patience, then needed the yarn for the Curve of Pursuit)
- log cabin blanket (didn't like the yarn)

Current UFOs

- Spicy Fitted V-neck top in sari silk (sleeves and neckline remaining - will finish tonight)
- Leggings with Mesh Sides (Knitting Lingerie Style)... abandoned but not for long
- 2 knitted bags (I just need to line and sew them. I should just get on with it).
- knit/mosaic wall hanging (knitting done and canvas bought. Just need to put it all together one weekend).

Phew!!! Too bad I couldn't be so productive at work! ;-) If I'm counting correctly that is something like 45 FOs... and 3 weeks to go!

Query: do socks/slippers/etc count as 1 FO, or 2? Hmm...


Kristina

Spicy Fitted V-neck T - sort of!

Hi al:

Here is my latest attempt, almost finished (after two evenings and an hour on the third evening) of knitting. It is loosely based on the Spicy Fitted Vneck T-shirt pattern in Fitten Knits by Stefanie Japel. (I say "loosely" because I found the pattern a tad incormprehensible, and decided as a result to get rid of the eyelet pattern - which was not showing up anyway with the Raj silk).

I trust it will look better than blocked (or when wearing it, for that matter). Sleeves (which I'm just doing cap) and neckline to go.

the good, the bad and the pretty...

First for the good - my first attempt at knitting hemp!

Full t-shirt:


detail


Specs:
yarn: AllHemp6 by Hemp for Knitting
pattern: Hemp for Knitting raglan t-shirt
needles: 3.75 mm bamboo circular

This was a quick knit. I had washed the hemp before which I suspect made knitting with it more enjoyable. I took a run with drying it in the tumbledryer as I didn't mind if it shrunk a bit. It did shrink a bit.

And now for the bad...

I was close to tears earlier in the week when doing the laundry... somehow in the (communal) dryer my favourite knitted blanket (and one of my first design efforts) got bleach marks all over it! I'm still trying to figure out how this happened - it was fine coming out of the washer and I do not use bleach with any of my knitwear (or with the chocolate brown towels I washed the blankie together with).

So - requiem to my blankie:



I was so distraught that I wanted to take the scissors to it immediately. DH talked me out of this... and for that I'm glad. However, it is very disheartening.

... but now on to the pretty!

My newest WIP is the Spicy Fitted Tee from Fitted Knits. I'm trying it with sari silk.

Silken!

Yet more yarn... after I promised myself to engage in some stashbusting. But at 20% off I couldn't resist!

Handmaiden Silken, 1 skein in Pewter, one skein in which I think is Peridot.

Designated for the River Rock scarf pattern by Sivia Harding in No Sheep for You. I must also credit Marianne on the No Sheep KAL for inspiring me to make this after seeing her beautiful version on line.

I should have held out for two skeins of pewter... but I think these will work well together if alternated (as suggested by the ever helpful Leani (sic) at my LYS... who knows how to sell yarn!)

Cheers,

Kristina

PS. Lest my new WIP feel neglected, I had better post some pics:

This is the Classic Short Sleeve Sweater (a raglan pattern) by Hemp for Knitting, using their AllHemp 6. Not nearly as luxurious as the Silken, but quite nice (I washed the yarn before knitting).

new T-shirt

I guess the preserves interlude inspired me to...well, wrap up this T-shirt and acknolwedge that I didn't like the yarn all that much to work with and so wasn't going to stick out out for the full length.

The yarn was a novelty yarn, Ranee by Kertzer - I got it for $1 a skein so no harm, no foul. The pattern was adapted from a tunic pattern in the Knit.1 summer edition 2007. I liked the tunic but should have figured that this yarn (which is heavily patterned) would not show it off.

Oh well! Have cast on for another t-shirt using hemp. So far, so good!