Destashing!

Stitches East is this weekend and I am going to the market on Saturday. I've evaluated my stash and am letting go of some items that I don't see projects for in the near future (and I need to make room for anything new that might be coming home this weekend...).

All of this stuff comes from my non-smoking but dog friendly home. It's been stored in plastic bags on a shelf away from the animals. These are my Ravelry stash photos, so there is only 1 ball pictured. For payment, I have Paypal, but let me know if you're using a credit card and not your Paypal balance. I am figuring that shipping will be in the neighborhood of $5-6, but I'll get you an exact number once I know your zip code. The only exception are the needles, for which shipping is $1. I've tried to price these well, but if you're interested in a yarn, please make an offer! You can either comment or send me an email at fpknits at yahoo dot com. Anything that doesn't go will be later listed on the Destash website.


Debbie Bliss Merino DK: PENDING
Content: color 606, 100% merino wool
Amount: 10 skeins, 1220 yards
$30


Cascade Indulgence
Content: color 522, 70/30 Alpaca/Angora - soft soft soft!!
Amount: 9 skeins, 1107 yards
$50


Rowan Handknit DK
Content: color 310, 100% cotton
Amount: 7 skeins, 622 yards
$25


Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece : PENDING
Content: color "Rue", 80/20 Cotton/Merino
Amount: 3 skeins, 645 yards
$16


Filatura 501: PENDING
Content: color 1283, 100% Superwash Merino Wool
Amount: 10 skeins, 1380 yards
$25


Skacel Addi Turbos : ALL NEEDLES PENDING
All needles are in great condition; I just don't use them! I always reach for my bamboos instead.
All Needles: $8 each + $1 shipping


#6, 16"


#7, 16"


#8, 16"


#5, 40"

Thanks for taking a look!

No FO, but here's Juno

First, thank you so much for all of the great feedback on the Old Navy sweater. After all of your comments, I've decided to keep it. Many of you said that there are too many patterns out there to knit, and how right you are! It's folded in my closet, waiting to be worn.

This late burst of summer we've had has prevented an FO sighting for the Cable Down Raglan. It's done, and folded in my closet with the Old Navy sweater, waiting for its debut. I think this weekend I might get to wear it.

I'm excited to say that I started Juno last week. Boy, does this project really fly. I finished the back in 2 days. TWO DAYS, people. Now I remember why heavier knits are so satisfying.

I made a few modifications to the back: made it longer and with some slight waist shaping. I'm also knitting the sleeves a bit smaller than the pattern calls for. Sorry for the bad picture, but with daylight disappearing earlier and earlier . . .

Bea is nearing completion, with mixed results. Earlier I mentioned a nasty dyelot issue with this project. My plan was to finish the sleeves by alternating between dyelots every other row. Well, that plan failed. The dye lots are SO different that you could see a striping effect. YUCK. I decided to knit as far as I could with the original dyelot and change the stitch pattern to mask the dyelot change. I'm getting to just above the elbow.

I'm not sure what to do next. I don't really want garter st sleeves from the elbow down. I was thinking of doing a garter st band around the elbow and then going back to the purl dots stitch pattern (Stef Japel does this effect with a lot of her patterns). I don't know.

Here's what it looks like on. See the sleeves? That's the total length I'm getting with the original dyelot (the second sleeve on the arm I'm holding the camera with will get down to the elbow - I just haven't knit it yet). Ideas? Suggestions?

Finally, on Sunday, Bill and I went to a wine festival at Boordy Vineyards in Hydes, MD. There was a lady with two alpacas and a small selection of yarn.

I purchased 2 sport weight skeins of this beautiful, straight-off-the-alpaca yarn. I'm thinking of making Gretel with it. Jenna over at Knits & Pieces made a beautiful version that has totally inspired me. Hope all of your fall projects are going well!

FO: Irish Hiking Scarf

Another fall project has made its way off the needles!

Pattern: Irish Hiking Scarf from Hello Yarn
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Chunky in Cream, 4 1/4 balls. A big shout out to Alex over at Languidly Knitting for selling me the 4th ball!
Modifications: Because I was using a chunkier yarn than called for, I omitted 1 of the cables. I wanted to get more length instead of width with this one, so I could wrap it like I did in the picture.

Verdict: Love! It's a super versatile scarf in terms of style and color. The cable pattern is super easy but gives stellar results. Yay!

I'm about 2 1/2 rounds from finishing the Cable Down Raglan. I think I will sneak out during lunch today and finish it. So stay tuned for an FO report soon!

Now, I need opinions from the only people I trust: my fellow knitters and bloggers. On Saturday I went to Old Navy to check out their new jeans (which were OK). While there, I saw this:

It caught my eye for several reasons. I love the big buttons, and it reminds me of two patterns that I've liked for a while: The Tangled Yoke Cardi (that everyone seems to be knitting on Ravelry) and the Karabella Cabled Cardigan that I thought about knitting last year. So, I bought the sweater thinking I could sketch it out, return it, and then knit it. Here's what it looks like on me:

I'm wearing a really long top underneath, so the sweater might look short - it's not.

The sweater is 70/30 Cotton/Lambswool. No acrylic = bonus. It cost $36.50, which is roughly what yarn to make this would cost (I'm thinking something tweedy). The neckline is really wide, which I kinda like because I don't have anything like it.

So here's the question: Should I just keep this sweater and wear it and love it, or should I try to knit it? Of course if I were reading someone else's blog, I would say knit it, but I have 2 projects underway (Juno and Wicked) that I've been dying to knit, so I wouldn't get to this until around Christmastime. Opinions? Advice? Thanks!

FO: Trellis

Pattern: Trellis, from Spring 2005 Knitty.

Yarn: Elann Connemara in Wedgwood Blue, about 5 balls

Size: 6 months

Modifications

Intentional: I knit the back and front pieces together to avoid a few extra seams to sew. I also picked up stitches around the collar and knit until it was about 7" long, then used a 3-needle bind off to make the hood.

Unintentional: I knit part of the cable incorrectly. The 4-st cable where it says to knit through the BACK loop and then knit 2 together through the back loop . . . yeah, I knit through the front and couldn't figure out why mine didn't look like everyone else's. Oops. Well, I decided that no one would know and who the heck cares.

Verdict: Very cute pattern. I think this one delivers a real bang for the amount of work involved. It looks really complicated but is actually rather straightforward. I will definitely be making this again (but with the right cable pattern!). I gave it to my friend at her shower on Sunday and it was well-received.

So, what's next? I've been in a slight knitting funk the past few weeks. I've been distracted by some home improvements (painting) and the sewing. Thanks for the comments on my Swing Bag; I've used it a lot have received compliments! I am taking a little break from sewing (long story, but I tried making a mini clutch out of the leftover fabric I had, and it was a disaster). But, I am thinking of making the clutch bag from Amy Butler's In Stitches. There are some nice FOs of it here and here.

I did finish the Irish Hiking Scarf, ordered more yarn to finish my Cable Down Raglan and am s l o w l y making progress on the garter stitch body of Bea. I am trying really hard not to start my next 2 real fall projects: Juno and Wicked. Must finish WIPs first. Can you believe it's almost October??

Amy Butler Swing Bag

A few weeks ago, I decided I wanted to paint our family room a different color. It's on the bottom level of our house and doesn't get much natural light, so I wanted to do something bright. I picked a warm yellow and thought "I'm going to go all out and get some nice fabric to make some bright pillows for the couch!" I ended up picking up 1/2 yard pieces of Amy Butler's new Nigella prints. I sewed up 4 coordinating pillows.

Last year, I had purchased the pattern for Amy Butler's Swing Bag, but I never got around to buying fabric and making it. Buying these Nigella prints got me excited and giddy, so I found some of her Lotus prints at purlsoho and ordered the pieces I needed to sew the Swing Bag. Let me say, I have sewn pillows and curtains before, but I've never, even sewn from a written pattern where you have to cut out the pattern and cut pieces from your fabric.

I set Saturday aside to make my swing bag. I laid the pieces out and even used my iron (I've learned how important it is to press!)

It took several readings of the pattern instructions to completely understand what the heck I was doing. After a few hours and few rips, I had this:

So far, so good. I certainly had some moments when I wanted to throw my machine and the fabric out the window, but I continued on. It's not perfect, but here is my finished Swing Bag!

Pattern: Amy Butler's Swing Bag

Fabric: Amy Butler Lotus: 3/4 yard Brown Lacework for exterior, 3/4 yard of Coral Star Paisley for interior, 1/4 yard of Lime Star Paisley for the scarf.

Modifications: None, except I made my own scarf. Amy's pattern calls for 1 1/4 yards and has it sewn on the bias. I chose to make it with just 1/4 yard, folded in half and sewn with folded edges. Mine is shorter, but cost a lot less!

The fun wasn't finished there. I used the leftover fabric and Caro from splityarn's tutorial for making a zippered wristlet to make this:

I decided to throw all my knitting notions in here and keep with my knitting projects:

I had a really fun time doing these projects, although sewing is pretty tiring for me. I like that I can veg out on the couch with my knitting. When sewing, I was up and down from the machine to the ironing board, to the table cutting, measuring. And, there are so many accessories for sewing! But I do have another project in mind for the leftovers from my Nigella print pillows - I'm thinking of a large wristlet/small clutch!

Fall projects: What's OTN?

It seems that every month or so, I give you all an update on my current WIPs. There are few that I haven't blogged about, so I guess it's time for another edition of "What's OTN?"

The newest WIP is the Grannie Smith Cardigan, by neoknits. I started this last fall with some Kid Silk Haze and had a nightmare of a time keeping track of the stitch pattern. Since I loved working with the Baby Silk so much on my Mom's Sweater, I decided to get some before Elann ran out. I just started and am having a much better time keeping track of the lace pattern.

I also started the Irish Hiking Scarf, by Helloyarn. I bought 5 balls of Cashmerino Chunky earlier this year and used 2 to make a cabled hat. I planned on using the other 3 for a matching scarf and really liked this cable pattern, especially the garter edges. I've knit through 2 balls and it's about 1/2 as long as I'd like it. I only have 1 ball left, but thanks to Ravelry, languidly had 1 left in her stash that was the same dyelot that she wanted to sell. Score!

Cable Down Raglan: I don't knit with dpn's when I don't have to. I would rather seam a 20" long sleeve than knit it in the round. I decided to work the sleeves flat first and them come back and finish the body. I'm about 4" past the underarm, and I'm going to run out of yarn. Need to pick some up from WEBS asap!

Hooded Trellis: This is for a friend who is having a baby in December. She doesn't know the gender, but I showed her my copy of Special Knits for Babies by Debbie Bliss and she pointed to a hooded sweater. I had already started Trellis for her, but I decided to add a hood instead of knitting the collar. I think it came out OK, but I had to fold and sew down the sides, because I think baby might get suffocated otherwise. Yikes, we don't want that! I am thinking of adding a button to the top of the hood so she can fold it up and down. I'm worried a button on top of baby's head will look stupid, so we'll see!

You all met Bea in my last post, so no updates there. What fall projects have you all started or are thinking about?

New Bea-ginning

Thank you for all the helpful suggestions on what to do with Rusted Root. I haven't made a decision yet, but I am leaning towards frogging it. I think I'd want to start this one over from the beginning and make some adjustments to the neckline (and that darn nubbin') as well.

In the meantime, I've been working on a long-ignored WIP. Way back last year, I saw cmeknit's beautiful version of Bea, by Kim Hargreaves. For those of you not familiar with Kim's designs, they are done in Rowan yarns are are available in kits only. Patterns cannot be purchased separately.

Bea, from the Kim Hargreaves website.

Well, this got my creative juices flowing, because while I'd love to spend the $100 for the kit, I couldn't justify it. So I studied the pictures available online and started a knock-off version of Bea in February of this year. When spring arrived, I put it aside and ignored it. I was using Debbie Bliss Merino DK and liked the yarn just fine, but it wasn't thrilling me.

A few weeks ago, I saw knitterknatter's version of Bea on Ravelry. It is stunning and renewed my interest in this WIP. I decided to frog what I had started in the Merino DK and start from scratch using some Debbie Bliss Wool Cotton I had picked up at Black Sheep Knittery while on vacation. The original pattern uses Rowan Wool Cotton, so I thought this would make my knock-off even more like the real thing.

Here's how it's progressing. I know I'm not using the same exact stitch pattern (I'm just adding a purl stitch every 5 sts), but I think it's pretty close!

The faux-picot edging. I'm using knitterknatter's technique of doing a KFB on the last stitch and then casting off 1 on the next row, every other row.

The only issue so far with this knit is dye lots. I purchased 5 balls of the wool/cotton at Black Sheep Knittery and when I decided to make Bea, I knew I needed more. Because it is a discontinued yarn, I found what seemed like last 5 at Tropical Yarns's website. The batches of 5 and 5 are from different dye lots . . . you know where this is heading.

They are VERY different in shade. I know this because I started a new dye lot while still in stockinette - the effect was very obvious. To hide it, I knit from the beginning with 4 balls from 1 dyelot and reached the point when I would begin the garter stitch from the waist to the bottom hem. I switched to a new dye lot and garter stitch at the same time. The change from smooth stockinette to garter ridges really masks the shade change - see picture above.

But, I still have the sleeves to contend with. I have 1 ball of the original dye lot left and will probably alternate between dye lots while knitting the sleeves to gradually change, but I'll worry about that when I get there!

FO: Rusted Root

Thumbs down on this one, folks.

Pattern: Rusted Root, by the Zephyr Girls. Size in between the 32-35" and 36-39".

Yarn: Berroco Touche in Iris. 6 skeins.

Verdict: Blah. From the front, this knit doesn't look so bad (except for that weird spot where I joined a new ball of yarn. Looks like I have a nubbin' a la Chandler Bing). But, here's what's going on in the back.

Droopy Droopy Droopy.

In case you need to see it up close.

Did I know this was going to happen? Well, yeah. Kind of. When I tried it on as it was being knit, I had a suspicion that it was going to end up too big. But, given the stitch counts and gauge I thought I was getting, I was convinced it was going to end up too small. I think in the end, my gauge grew and ultimately screwed up the fit.

I also think that the waist decreases on only 1 side of the marker made this fit fine from the front but droop in the back.

Modifications: When I got to the point in the pattern to separate the sleeves, only 42 rows had been completed. At 7 rows to 1", this made for a 6" raglan seam. For me, that is WAY too tight. So, I did some more raglan increases, but I only increased in the sleeve section (thinking I didn't want the body to be bigger, but I guess that didn't matter after all!). To compensate for my increases in the sleeve, I did more decreases in the middle, mimicking the decreases that create the "poof".

I think this part was successful for me. I got a comfortable sleeve fit and kept the poofiness.

So, what does the future hold for Rusted Root? Not sure yet. The Touche is a great, soft cotton, so it will probably be frogged and used for something else. I really do like this pattern, but I would consider some serious modifications before trying it again.

FO: One-Tone Fitted Knits Shrug

Taking advantage of the cool, rainy morning, here is my One-Tone Fitted Knits Shrug. This had to be my fastest non-baby knit ever.

Pattern: You all know this one, the Two-Tone Ribbed Shrug from Fitted Knits

Yarn: Kona Bay Cotton, 100% Pima Cotton. Cream, 3 1/2 balls. Scored from a WEBS closeout for $2.99 per ball.

Time to knit: August 9 - August 20, 2007.

Modifications: I made what came out to be a 14.5" size. I started with the 13" size, since that was my measurement from bra strap to bra strap, but my arm looked like a sausage squeezed into the first sleeve. I ripped back and added 3 more increases to the body. I think I could still use an extra stitch or two to the arms, but the body fit is perfect.

Verdict: LOVE it. I've found lately that there are projects that I obsess over (right now, I'm obsessing over Juno, even though I haven't started it). Usually, the ones I obsess over the most are the ones that don't come out so great. For instance, the Swan Lake Cardigan is something I just decided to knit - didn't stress over the yarn or sizing and just did it. Didn't rush through it or over-analyze it as I was knitting. And, it came out perfect. Same thing happened on this one - I started it less than 2 weeks ago and just went with it. And I love it!

Yarn Review: This Kona Bay Cotton is the softest cotton I've ever worked with. Softer than Berroco Touche. It doesn't have any fancy sheen to it, but it's fuzzy and cozy. I wouldn't recommend it for lace projects or things with too much detail, but for this little shrug, it was a perfect choice.

Do you like the necklace? I made it on Saturday. I also made a few other necklaces, which I will show you later this week. Knitting has occupied my crafty time almost completely in the last few months, so I devoted a day back to some jewelry crafting. I forgot about the instant gratification you get from it!

Why You Don't Want Lyme Disease

There are a lot of reasons why you don't want Lyme Disease. Fevers, aches, pains. About a month ago, Bill woke up with a strange red rash on his leg. It quickly grew to the size of a softball and had a "ring" characteristic to it. He was diagnosed with Lyme disease and put on antibiotics for 3 weeks.

He's fine, and the worst part was him just feeling fatigued (and not being able to drink beer while on the drugs). I had a mini-freak out and fortunately, because I work in a medical research environment, I was able to get the OK from an infectious disease expert who said this was the right treatment plan. Anyway, if you have deer in your area or are near the woods, check yourself for ticks regularly. We thought this was a rare disease, but it's becoming more common.

Onto knitting . . .

With my mom's sweater finito, I've made some good progress in the last week on some WIPs and started a new project.

Cable Down Raglan: I've made it to the point where the sleeves are separated. I'm making the 31 1/4" size. I'd like this one to be more fitted, and after putting all the stitches on scrap yarn, it seems to fit well.

This might be a slower-going sweater, only because of the cables. I like them and following the chart is pretty easy, but my hands do start to get tired after working on this for an hour or so. I don't use cable needles, so after a while, I just want some plain ol' stockinette.

Which works out well, because I can pick up this new project:

One-tone Shrug from Fitted Knits: I cast on for this on Thursday and quickly made it through all of the increases for a 13.5" size by Friday night. I finished the first sleeve last night and seamed it. Tried it on, and it's too small. There doesn't seem to be a general consensus in blogland on the fit of this one; I've seen some say they've found it too big when knitted to their measurements and others have said it's too fitted. So I've ripped back and am going to do some more increases and re-divide for the sleeves again. My arms looked like stuffed sausages in the 13.5" size!

I'm knitting it in Kona Bay Cotton in cream, which is ubersoft (softer than the Berroco Touche I've raved about).

Rusted Root is done, ends woven in, but not ready for primetime yet. It's a little big and needs a run through the washer and dryer.

FO: Mom's Sweater

Her birthday was in January, but last night at my brother's birthday dinner, I gifted my mother her long overdue sweater!

Pattern: Wide Neck Lace Sweater from Luxury Knits by Amanda Griffiths
Yarn: Elann Peruvian Baby Silk, 11 1/2 balls, Cornflower
Time to complete: February 1 - August 1, 2007. I set this one aside for a while sometimes, and I did knit a lot of other things in between!

Modifications: I changed the wide, boat neck to a simple v-neck. I also lengthened the sleeve caps so they wouldn't be too tight under the arms. My mom wanted 3/4 length sleeves, but these ended up being closer to full length. The first sleeve was way too long, so I ended up snipping it at one end and unraveling the stitches. I picked up the live stitches (think provisional cast-on-ish) and re-knit the ribbing edge. I first used this method this last year on my Arisaig. Fortunately, my mom tried on the sweater after I got the first sleeve set in, so I knew to knit the second sleeve shorter.

Verdict: Absolutely wonderful. It fits her perfectly, and she loves it. I got a big hug last night. She had given me one of her store-bought v-necks that she likes and I blocked it to match that in size. The lace really bloomed, and the color is great. I also really, really enjoyed working with the Baby Silk . . . amazingly soft. I am almost tempted to make something like this for myself - something lacey and airy and fluffy and soft. I have 6.5 balls of this color left, but Elann is out of it, so I'll keep it stashed for now.

Of all of my knitting projects, I'd have to say I am really proud of this one. Because it was for someone else, I think I was overly picky about details and making sure the fit was right. I am also really happy with the pattern itself. The lace was simple and easy to memorize but has really flattering results. And, I love that Baby Silk!

I have looked forward to this FO blog post for a while. Now I can move on with some knits for myself without feeling guilty about it (during the past 6 months, I always felt like I should be knitting my mom's sweater when I was working on something for me). Next up is the Fitted Knits shrug and a revisit of the Grannie Smith Cardigan. The Cable Down Raglan is going to get some love and attention first. Aaaah, feels good!

New project and Rockin Girl Blogger

It's now August. If you live on the east coast, it's probably hot and humid where you are. I finished a few warm weather knits this year and haven't really had much opportunity to wear them. I am finishing up Rusted Root and last night I finished my Mom's Sweater completely (I'll see her Sunday, when she will model it for me. She doesn't know this yet, but I will make her put it on - no matter how hot it is outside!). While I love the summer knits because they are quick to knit, I could probably use more 3/4 length and warm, cozy winter sweaters for the 8 months of the year when it's chilly enough for them.

Ravelry has been a great thing because it's encouraging me to get the WIPs done and get to the new projects in my queue. One of the projects I am starting to work out is Juno, from Rowan 40. After scouring Ravelry and seeing what others have knit this in, I scored 7 balls of Rowan Yorkshire Tweed Aran in Wild Plum from Janette's Rare Yarns. It's squishy and soft and tweedy.

Juno is a beautiful pattern, and other knitters have had gorgeous results. You see, the only minor problem is that I don't have a copy of Rowan 40. Ooops. Well, thanks to Ravelry and all the WIP pictures of Juno posted there, I've figured out that it is a basic v-neck sweater in 2x2 rib with a Celtic Cable, or Saxon Braid, collar that is knit separately and sewed on afterwards. I am working out the details and will post them every step of the way. So stay tuned for that!

I haven't forgotten that I need to choose someone as a Rockin' Girl Blogger. I have picked Jillian of sknitty:

Not only does Jillian produce beautiful FO's, but she always has an interesting fact, tidbit or suggestion about what's happening in knitting today. She quickly posts about sales and specials on-line, and she's not afraid to speak her mind.

Enjoy the weekend and stay cool. Next week: Mom's Sweater FO report and maybe a Rusted Root and Trellis FO report, too!