Knitiot Savant

At Last

I finished the American Girl blanket!!  I'm so happy!  I followed Kat's advice, worked on a small project and what you see to the left is the result.  My daughter is thrilled and she tells me that the recipient of the blanket is thrilled as well.  (Lucky for me that dolls aren't that picky!)

This was a super easy knit.  Once the pattern is under your belt, you don't really need to look at the written instructions.  The author of this pattern also provides a chart to work from as well so you have a nice visual of how the Seed Stitch blocks and the Stockinette Stitch blocks go together.  The pattern can be found here.  The details of my blanket are sketchy only in that I can't remember the name of the color I used because the puppy ate the the band that was on the skein.  Let's just call it 'purple' and leave it at that.  :-)

This little project gave me the steam to go through my knitting and see what's what.  I've got lots of unfinished projects, (show me a kntitter who doesn't) and my goal is to knock each one of them out.  I'm going to start with some socks that should have been finished ages ago and move on from there.

In the mean time, I've got some doll clothes to work on and, as long as the girls aren't too shy about modeling, I'll share what I've been doing for them!

It Knits!

A big thanks to Kathryn and Michelle for dropping by!   Kathryn, you're complete right.  A small project is just what I needed!  And here it is:

This is the first of what will probably be many little afghans for the American Girl dolls.  I haven't been able to put it down.  It's a  quick knit, small and super portable.  And the pattern is easy to memorize once you get going.  The pattern is by Jennifer L. Jackson.  I really love it and am almost finished with the sucker!  And my daughter loves it too!  She's so excited and I think her excitement has helped keep me knitting on this sucker.

And Michelle, you are special, even with no knitting mojo!  I love and miss you very much, too.  I miss our girls playing while we knit and I wish I'd gotten my tattoo with you.  That would have been awesome!

Saturday I celebrated my birthday and it was simple wonderful.  We went to a lovely little yarn shop in South Carolina, ate out and I gorged on cheesecake.  Yeah, I'm a vegetarian, not vegan....I can't give up my chocolate and cheesey goodness!  

My little afghan should be finished this week and then I'm starting the pattern I picked up this weekend.  Can't wait to show it to you!

 

Done

I finished the socks last month and, like a complete dork, posted all the info to Ravelry but not here.  I don't wanna leave you with the impression that I'm on Ravelry more than here.  Not at all.  But I actually remembered to do it and I was cleaning out some of the projects that I just haven't finished.  I hate looking at stuff that didn't get done...okay...that got abandoned.  That's right!  I said it!  I abandoned some projects!  LOL 

I *love* hearing what folks are reading!  One of the reasons I joined a book club was to broaden my horizons in terms of what I read.  I'd felt like I was in a reading rut for awhile; sticking with the same authors and never branching out.  A book club will totally kick you out of that.  It's been great.  Plus, you get to each and chat.  Can't beat that. 

Oh!  Those finished socks up there?  Did I mention I started another pair?  Let's hope those don't take a freakin' year to finish.

Knit

Whoa...woulda ya lookit that?  Knitting.  On a knitting blog.  The world is outta whack I tell you.  Wonder if I'll actually finish this?  It's just a scarf.  I sure hope so.

Not only did I knit this weekend but we also attended a dulcimer jam.  Yes, those are my hands playing a dulcimer.  I learned a couple of chords then sat in with the group using a borrowed dulcimer.  It was a lot of fun.  So much fun that I'm going to call a teacher this week and look into lessons.  Knitting and dulcimers...kind of a cool fit.  I think I even spied some hand-knit socks on one of the players, but I was kind of busy trying to keep up with woman who'd taught the beginners class to look much closer at the feet of the players.  (Yes, I looked at the instructor's hands and used my supah keen sense of hearing to play.  haha)  

Back to that knitting, though.  Part of the pattern calls to purl two together.  I don't know about you, but I have a death grip on the needles when I do that.  I have no idea why.  It's like somehow that stitch is gonna rip the needles right out of my hands.  I need to relax or the whole thing will be outta whack.  Plus it my screw up my chances at being a dulcimer prodigy.  That would suck. :-)

'Tis the season

Most of my baking is done.  The house is decorated, gifts purchased, (only for Lili.  We're giving to charity this year) and the Pre-K Christmas party was a smashing success.  But wait..what's that I see hanging from the mantle?  Perhaps a closer look is needed.

Holy sugar cookies!  It's an FO!!  People, we have a bona fide Christmas miracle on our hands.  I actually finished a project AND posted it on my sad little blog!  Lemme pick myself up off the floor and give you the specs.

Pattern Source:  "Weekend Knitting" by Melanie Falick.  This is the 'Curly-toed elf slipper'.

Yarn:  For the body: Bernat 'Softee Chunky Twists' in color 86011.  For the cuff: Lion Brand's 'Fun Fur' in Soft Pink.

Modifications:  None.  I'm too lazy.  Well, if you count knitting one row too many a modification then yeah, I made one.

What I Learned:  Well, I learned how to do a short row heel.  That was cool.  At first I wasn't so sure but, once I looked at the finished heel I totally get why people like them.  I also learned that I really hate knitting with chunky yarn.  Sure, the project may be faster but I just don't care for the look of a fat yarn.  I also found the construction of the curly toe a little awkward..but I chalk that up to the fact that I can't knit worth a damn.  haha!

More important than anything though is that Lili digs the stocking.  I made it for her. I wanted her to have some girly and funky and this sucker fit the bill.

Y'all send us some healthy vibes.  Big B has a nasty cold.  Let's hope Lili and I don't catch it!  I'm off to finish another project! (Okay.  Don't faint.)

Before and After

I started this sweater for Boogie in the fall.  I liked the yarn, (Bernat "Soy" in Celery); I dug the pattern, ('Child's Placket Neck Sweater' from "Last-Minute Knitted Gifts" by Joelle Hoverson); and it seemed like a fun quick project.  Of course I chose a large size because Boogie is growing like a weed and I checked my gauge.  But last night, as I wheezed through the sleeve, I got to looking at the sweater a little bit more closely.  (yeah. I said wheezed.  We got hit by the flu again with the added fun of projectile vomit.  Good times.)  I held the body up to Boogie and it looked as though it would be a crop top.  Then I held up the sleeve.  It was a good 4 inches too short.  Damn.  So, keeping in mind that the weather is getting warmer and a long sleeved sweater wouldn't be of much use in a few months I did the only thing I could do:

Yeah.  I frogged it.  I already have another project in mind for the yarn so it's all good.  In the mean time I think I'll finish up those socks I started for Boogie.  Maybe her feet won't grow as quickly as the rest of her.

A Pathetic Bit O' Knitting

Thanks for all the good wishes for Boogie.  She's doing fine.  She's pretty congested but otherwise okay.  Yeah!

So look!  One half of Fetching!  Not only had I hit the blogging doldrums but the knitting ones as well. I'm working on the second one at the Thursday knititng group.  Only I could take one of the quickest projects around and turn it into a month long ordeal.  I'll put the specs up once the it's mate is finished...probably around the yeat 2010.

I've been trying to catch up on all the blogs I read but Bloglines is loading very slowly.  Eek.  I'll pay you a visit when you least expect it...like a rude family member who drops in and doesn't take the hint that it's time to go. 

It's come undone

KS:  Hey Hon, remember that beautiful sweater Fantine?  How I lurved the pattern and searched for just the most wonderfulest yarn on the planet to make it from?

Big B:  Uh....yeah.  (Clearly not really remembering but wishing to appear he does)

KS:  I think I'm gonna frog it.

Big B:  You don't like the pattern?

KS:  No, the pattern is great.  It's the yarn...and the fact that I look like a linebacker in it.

Big B:  (snorts)  You couldn't look like a linebacker.  It can't be that bad.

KS:  Wanna bet?  (grabs Fantine and slips it on.)

Big B:  (stares at the sweater.)  Hm.  Have you considered...

KS:  Frogging it?  Yeah.  Look at me. 

Big B:  As long as you said it and not me.  (Goes back to his book)

See that ball of yarn next to Fantine?  It just got a whole lot bigger.

Knitting Content

The weekend brought Book Club, ballet lessons, bookshelves that we happily filled with all our books, Christmas decorations unpacked but not up, and one finished object.  Believe me.  I am as shocked as you that I actually finished something...especially this sweater.  This thing has been lying around in pieces for MONTHS!  Here's the scoop:

Pattern:  'Salsa' by Knitting at Knoon
Needles:  Size 5 circular and size 5 DPN
Yarn:  Little Lehigh Pebbles in "It's a Boy"  (Kraemer Yarns)
Modifications:  None. (The pattern calls for i-cord ties.  I made them but hadn't sewn them on at the time I took this picture.)
What I Learned:  I learned how to attach a ruffle and that I absolutely, positively detest sewing seams.  At one point I considered throwing this sucker under my serger.  Yeah.  I was willing to let a sewing machine with a KNIFE stitch this bad boy up. 

Thoughts:  First, Boogie adores this sweater.  I cast off during her ballet lesson and, when she came out, she wanted to wear it to the car. 
I really love this pattern.  It was a cinch to knit.  The ruffles look great though I would like to steam them a bit more.  And even though I hated every second of sewing it up, seeing it on Boogie made it worthwhile.  Shit.  Who am I kidding?  I still hated the sewing...I was just glad it was over.

P.S.  Yes, she is wearing pink rainboots.  They have kitty heads on them.  No.  It was not raining.

Ooops.  One more thing.  I updated here before I hit Ravelry!  See!  I didn't stray!

Ruffly

I started this sweater in January!!  I blocked while we were in the middle of selling our house then carried the pieces in my knitting bag as we drove from Texas to Georgia.  The pieces lived in a plastic bag until a few days ago when I became disgusted by all the UFOs littering my home.  This is how the sweater looked Friday morning.  I have to do the ruffle on the left side and make the i-cord and this sucker is done!!

If you read my blog last year you might remember that I did a Knitted Christmas.  I knit every gift I gave.  This year, we're doing a Charity Christmas.  Each gift is a donation to a charity.  We have so much in our lives that we wanted to share what we have.  I hope it becomes a tradition with our whole family.   Of course I'm confident Boogie will be visited by Santa but I feel sure he'll respect our modest Christmas and will act accordingly. 

Now, I'm planning for next year.  Next year all my gifts will be sewn.  I might mix it up because I know my Mom loves socks but the majority of the gifts will handmade.  Just like the Knitted Christmas I plan on getting an early start.  Yeah, I'm crazy but I won't be crazy and stressed out next Christmas!