Monday, September 25, 2006

Zimmermania!

Now I'll finally be forced to finish this!

Zimmerman Sweater

I had seen a sample sweater at my LYS, fell in love with it and asked for the pattern. I was told it was being written up and tested, so I went ahead and bought yarn and waited. (It is Elizabeth Lavold Cotton Patine with Tahiki Pansy carried along.) I kept checking back for the pattern and was finally told I could use Elizabeth Zimmerman's percentage method. I bought Knitting Without Tears and cast on.

I cast on the day my son got his learners permit, sitting in the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles, here in VA).

That was two years ago.

I have run out of Pansy twice, and now have to use a ball from a different dye lot. I bought what the sample sweater knitter had recommended and apparently it wasn't enough. I was also able to buy what they had left of the Cotton Patine in the same dye lot, 7 more balls, figuring I might knit a tank top out of whatever was left. I am almost at the yoke decreases, so hopefully the dye lot change in the carry along yarn won't be so noticeable. I love the drape of the fabric. I'm really hoping it fits. The sample I tried on fit perfectly. I'd love to someday compare patterns, and see where hers differed.

Now I have joined Zimmermania!
I'll put the button up as soon as I get more bandwidth from Flickr.

Friday, September 22, 2006

If I Show It, It Is Real.

This is my Cinxia . I WILL finish her this fall.

Cinxia

The yarn is wonderfully soft, and I can't wait to wear it. It's just all twisted stockinette and it's taking forever!

I received a set of KnitPicks options circulars for my birthday in August and moved her to those needles. Makes a big difference, having pointier tips. I love these needles. Others have said they're heavy. Maybe I haven't been knitting long enough to notice any problem with their weight. I just love their pointiness, and versatility.

A little progress has been made on Sizzle, although, as I told the sleeping husand, there's nothing worse that "un-knitting" (tinking back) than "un-knitting" back too far. I missed a set of increases and had to go back 5 rows and I went back 6. It's all in the process. It was telling me I needed to sleep.

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Easy Come, Easy Go…

An hour ago, this was a shawl. A Simple yet effective shawl

Monet

It just wasn't big and loose enough. And I absolutely love the yarn. Berocco's Monet. So soft and drapey. It'll make a much nicer little top or vest. Now to find the right pattern. Any ideas? I'd love a short version of the top down raglan top down raglan without sleeves. Is that even possible?!

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Sizzling Along!

Well. I have resurrected my Sizzle. The Sexy Knitters Club KAL was too much to ignore, and it is knitting quickly. I knit both front and back to the armhole decreases and go from there.

Sizzle 9/19

I would love to finish up some of these "Summer" projects… before the weather turns cold. But then again, I do have the Zimmerman sweater, going on 2 years… and my Cinxia from Knitty Fall05 in Danubio. I'll drag that out and photograph it soon. It's ALL Twisted Stockinette. I don't know WHAT possessed me to do this one. But It is lovely, and the Katia Danubio is soooo soft!

Thursday, September 07, 2006

September Update

School is finally back in session. I had forgotten just how quiet the house could be with no phone ringing and no music coming from the kids' rooms. With band and cross-country practices, neither of them is home before 5 now. Oh, the possibilities! I need to grow my graphic design client base, now that they are now both in high school, and one off to college next year. Yikes! And I have contracted to do 4 holiday bazaars with the jewelry business. So the fall should be busy.
Ahhh, knitting. I have soooo many UFOs I don't know where to begin. The bulky cardigan is coming along. I had to rip out one too narrow sleeve but am now almost into cap shaping.

oversized cardigan front

The bottom hem on Emily is done and now I can start the straight stockinette and waist decreases.

Bottom trim for Emily

And I just got my Silky Tweed from WEBS to knit Marilyn's Not-so-shrunken Cardigan! I have been wanting to do this one since I first saw the patteren and when I heard that the yarn is being discontinued and is on sale! OMG!

Silky Tweed

And there's Sizzle, and the little cap sleeve t in a berroco linen/silk, and the red tivoli in CottonEase, almost done.

I need to get myself to a regular knitting group.

Saturday, September 02, 2006

Now I can see!

I figured it out! Here is Emily. Cute, isn't it? I'm about 1 inch into the bottom feather and fan edging.


Friday, September 01, 2006

Ernesto!

Okay. It's really raining now. And the WIND! We left North Carolina on Tuesday to be home for Chris's cross country time trials and left Mara at the beach with her grandparents. Hmmm…
Chris made varsity, coming in THIRD (his first season… as a senior, no less) with a time of 16:42. I could no more run 3 miles in that time than fly to the moon. (I can ride a bike for a hundred miles, easy, but RUN? Please!) So good for him. Now if I could just get in touch with daughter and grandparents…

On the knitting front, sleeves for cardigan were coming out too narrow, so I've added 4 stitches- yes, starting over- I think that should do it. As soon as I figure out how to post photos, I'll show the progress.

I have joined the Sexy Knitters Club. All the wonderful people whose blogs I have been reading, nay, lurking in, for at least a year are members, and I just love following peoples' progress on patterns I want to knit! And again, once I figure out the photo thing, I'll put the button on the side bar.