Monday, August 31, 2009

Lace, At Last

Finally finally finally, I got to start the second project for Year of Lace 2009.

I’m using this yarn:

ZGTyrian-02

Zen Yarn Garden Sea Lace, 70% superwash merino and 30% SeaCell in a color called Tyrian.

Ohhhh, but this is just lovely stuff!

ZGTyrian-02

I had a certain amount of difficulty getting it wound off into a cake. It flew right off of the ball winder, and then I had a lovely [NOT] batch of tangles. I prevailed in the end, thankfully without having to resort to the dreaded scissors.

The finished project should look like this:

Photobucket

Right now, it looks like this:

WG-01

This is after knitting 90 rows. It’s growing by four stitches on every right side row, and I think that soon I’ll move it onto a 32-inch needle. When all the back-and-forth knitting is done, I’ll be executing my first knitted-on border.

WG-02

This is a very nice project, restful without being boring, detail oriented without being fiddly. Non-lace knitters may find it hard to believe, but once you get into the rhythm of lace it just flows along. Just like socks or sweaters or washcloths.

All that, and I get something lovely to wrap myself in at the end. What could be better?

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Happiness Is

... rushing through the grocery store on my lunch break, pulling together ingredients for an impromptu birthday dinner.

Rounding the corner into the bakery department and finding a big slice of his favorite German Chocolate cake, just enough for two.

Happy Birthday sweetheart. I love you to bits.


Thinking

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Baby Knitting Update

I've been diligently working my way through the baby knits, having a grand time watching all the small things take shape under my fingers.

There are two hats knit from alpaca:

FlatHat01

FlatHat02

RoundHat03

RoundHat02

I made these rather large since alpaca is so very warm and it’s still summer here. The baby arrived on 4 August, and I’ll be getting them in the mail this weekend. Not too bad for someone who’s really bad at deadline knitting!

Next is a cabled jacket, knit from Baby Cashmerino.

Jacket02

I changed the pattern a little bit, since the original called for both of the cables to twist in the same direction. My sense of symmetry rebelled at that, so these cables twist in opposite directions. I also added a buttonhole rather than using the snap closure the designer used. As ever, full credit to my mother for sewing on the button.

Jacket01

Shown here being worn by my beloved Paddington Bear, my most faithful modeler of small things.

The Pembroke Vest is nearly done:

Pembroke01

Just need to pick up and knit the ribbings on the neck and the armhole, then off to mom it goes for its buttons.

Then there’s the sweater that I decided not to finish.

NotFinishing

It’s not the pattern, I swear; it’s the yarn. With only one seam and and the button-bands left to go, I realized that the Comfort DK had knitted up into a truly wretched fabric. It splits, it snags, it stretches out, and it pills… I shudder to think what it might look like after a trip through the wash. Not gift-worthy, not at all.

So I’m making another cabled jacket, this one in navy.

RaglanJacketBlue-01

This one is also getting a buttonhole, and I changed the cables again, just to keep my interest up. This time instead of twisting them, they’re waving.

I’m so close to casting on for my new lace project, I can just taste it! I must confess that I cheated just a little… I’ve wound off the yarn and knitted a gauge swatch.

Promise not to tell the babies?

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Hand Knit Socks

There are so many wonderful things about them; I hardly know where to start.

How about all the lovely yarns?

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They can have lace patterns:

BlackLaceFan-03

They can surprise you with the different ways they flash and pool:

bdaydone02

My first pair filled me with pride:

Photobucket

You can make them as long or as short as you like, experiment with different toes and heels, and even come to love 1x1 rib (one of my personal irritants).

And, you have to admit; they can really dress up a beat up pair of Chuck Taylors:

Photobucket

Next Up: A baby knitting update… will I ever be able to knit lace again?