July 2010

Whew, what a month.  Knitting had to fall to the back burner a bit this month.  We were busy finding my daughter an apartment in Rochester (for her new job, yea!!) and then moving her out of her old apartment and into her new one.  So between cleaning and driving (not riding) and shopping and moving, my knitting time was slightly curtailed.  But anyway, I managed to get a few things done (one finished just this morning, so you could see it).

I finished up the Kimono, knit with Plymouth's Mushishi.  It is a VERY easy sweater and looks great on everyone who has tried it on.  The yarn is a silk and wool combination with great colors.  Great TV or car knitting.

We got two new yarns in that I knit up scarves for.  The first is Flying Print from Filatura Di Crosa.  This I made into a "bubble" scarf with some increases and decreases.  It's fun! 



And the next is Evviva, also from Filatura Di Crosa.  This is just a simple garter stitch, but I changed colors halfway through, making for a funky scarf. 


Then I knit up the samples for the December Knit and Knibble.  The pattern says they are luggage tags, but I think they would also make great Gift tags. They are knit with sock yarn and the perfect way to use up little leftovers.

And last but not least, finished this morning in a rush so that I could take a picture and share it with you is the sweater I started last month with the beads.  It was inspired by and very loosely based on a cardigan in the last Knitter's magazine, but I changed it to a pullover, changed the pattern st count and added beads.  And I am very happy with it.  I used Blue Heron's Rayon Metallic, which has a hint of glitz and added beads.  The pattern is a little time consuming because you bind off and cast on 3 stitches every for rows, and of course add the bead.  But I think is will be really cute over a camisole.  This sweater is for me and will probably head home in a few days.


So, that's it for finished knitting.  I have also started a sweater with a ribbon yarn from my stash (too little done to even show you yet), the lace stole is still in the bag and was left untouched this month and new yarns are arriving so it it sample knitting time. 
Until next month, Happy Knitting, Nancy

June 2010

June must have been a busy month, my memory is a blur.  Ahh, yes, my son is back from college and my daughter is off coaching a swim camp, but needs to move to Rochester while she is away and I think I knitted somewhere in there, no wonder it's a blur.  Well on to the knitting...

I did finish the reknitted Tulip sweater as promised.  And I love it.  Tulips and Purple, some of my favorite things.  No wonder I was willing to reknit it.  It is hard to see here but the bottom panel is tulips with a lettuce edging.  Done and worn!

I also finished the Little Girls Jumper that I had started last month.  It is soooo cute.  It is kit with Noro's Kureyon Sock Yarn.  It can be knit with any fingering weight sock yarn.  You can see this jumper on display at the shop.

I also wanted to make a sample up using Plymouth's new Merino Superwash.  It is a wonderful worsted weight Merino that can me machine washed and dried.  So, using a Plymouth pattern for the yarn I knit this sweater featuring a pretty fair Isle pattern. The pattern shows a turtleneck, so I knit it with a plain crew neck to show how easy it is to change something like that about a pattern,

Now, this is where I got myself into a little bit of trouble  It is the season for new yarns to be arriving and for me to be knitting samples, but... new magazines came out and I saw some things I liked, well, liked but wanted to change.  So, there are a couple of things in the new Vogue Knitting that caught my eye, but I haven't started anything yet, so we'll talk about that later when I do.  But there was something in Knitter's that inspired me and that has been started.  I say inspired me because, it is a cardigan and mine is a pullover and I have altered the stitch pattern slightly to accommodate the beads that I added.  So it is just like the pattern in Knitter's, but different (haha).  I am not quite up to the armholes.  I am knitting it with Blue Heron's Rayon Metallic and adding beads.  It is beautiful and I hope to get it done this month. 

But I got waylayed by another sample.  This is an adorable A line Smocked Sweater knit with Plymouth's Happy Feet DK.  We are doing in class for this sweater in July and August so I wanted to get the sample done right away.  That is why the newsletter is a little late, I thought I could finish faster than I did.  So, last night it was finished and photographed this morning.  In the class we will adjust the pattern a little.  We will knit some of it in the round, learn about smocking and knit the sleeves from the top down.  Classes will be a few weeks apart giving everyone lots of time to knit in between.

The lace stole is still in progress, but was mostly ignored this month,  And last night I cast on for another sample.  This one is with a new yarn from Plymouth, Mushisi.  It is a silk and wool blend in a huge skein with 491 yards.  I am going to knit the Kimono sweater that is in the shop and has been extremely popular.  It should be beautiful in this yarn. 

And that's it for June, I will keep knitting my way through July.  I hope you do too (and have as much fun as I do)  Have a wonderful summer and Happy Knitting!  Until next month, Nancy

May 2010

May has been busy! Not sure how much I got done, but I have about 4 things on my needles that need finishing, not to mention the things in my head, that need to be started...

So, finished.  The Drawstring Sweater in Araucania's Lonco Multi - Done!  I am really happy with this, it turned out like the picture in my head, I love when that happens!  The yarn is a hand dyed fingering weight cotton.  It is knit in the round and the i-cord drawstring is knit in, no threading later!


I also started and finished a sweater in Noro's Kochoran.  I received this as a sample from the company and wasn't getting much interest in it, so I decided to rip it out and make something else with it.  I made a Chevron Stitch cardigan from the book "Knitting Noro".  I think it's cute (and it fits!)

Then, I knit a bead bracelet as a sample for June's Knit and Knibble.  Coincidentally, it matches my sweater.


Then, I received a newsletter from Plymouth asking shops to send in pictures of their shop and a free pattern and they will select a "Featured Shop" of the month in the next consumer newsletter. So, I got knitting and writing.  I sent pictures and a pattern for this a beaded Chemo hat.  And, I was selected as the "Featured Shop" for June.  So, if you go to http://www.plymouthyarn.com/ before June 1 and sign up for their newsletter you will see your favorite shop (Hopefully your favorite!, haha)

I think that's it for finished projects, now the unfinished and in progress.  I worked a little on the lace stole.  I finished the body of it and started the edging.  Still a long way to go, but a start. It is going to be amazing when it is done.  I keep saying I will stop everything and finish, but.....


I also have in progress and hope to finish this weekend, an old sweater that I ripped out and am reknitting.  I always loved this sweater, and rewrote the pattern and knit it to accommodate a larger size.  Well. luckily it hasn't fit for a few years, so since I loved it so much I ripped and am doing it again.  It has two of my favorite thing, purple and tulips.  I am on the sleeves and I promise you will see a finished sweater next month.

We receive an adorable little girl's dress/jumper in from Plymouth, so that too, is on the needles.  I am knitting it with Noro's Kureyon sock.  It will be cute and also finished soon!

So that's it.  I hope to get lots of knitting done this weekend.  Happy Knitting and see you next month.  Nancy

April was kind of a slow knitting month. I was away for a week and had a stomach flu for a couple of days. Well, there are my excuses, now for the knitting.

I did finish and wear my black sweater made from Sirdar's Baby Bamboo. It was very close to what I wanted. I might work on this style again with another yarn and write up the pattern. There are a lot of things I like about it with a few tweaks.

I also started a sweater using Araucania's Lonco. It is a hand dyed fingering weight cotton. I wanted to make a summer sweater with a drawstring on the bottom and the top. As you can see I am up to the armhole and have started a sleeve. The sweater and the pattern will be finished in May.

We have the Mobuis cast on coming up for the May Knit and Knibble, so I decided to make a couple samples for the program. The one on the right uses Noro's Kureyon Sock Yarn held together with Rowan's Kid Silk Haze. I was really pleased with the results. The one on the left is made with SWTC's Vespera. It is a kettle dyed wool. It has very pretty and subtle colorations.

When traveling I also worked on my lace stole from the book Victorian Lace. You've seen this before and I made some progress. I am finished the center panel and am ready to start the border. Soon!!

Well, I guess that's it for April. May will see the end of the drawstring sweater and hopefully some of the unfinished projects you saw started a while ago.

Happy Knitting!  Nancy

March 2010

March! As of today it's going out like a lion, blustery and sleet.  A great day to stay in and knit.  It was a busy month and I have a few finished projects to show for it. 

First as I promised last month - a Paper Bag!  Knit with Katia's Paper.  It's pretty cool stuff.  This would make a great beach bag or market bag.

Then, our knitting weekend.  What fun!! We knit, we ate, we knit , we ate, we knit... ok, you get the picture.  It was great fun and I made a lot of progress on my Harlequin Jacket from Jane Slicer-Smith's book, Swing, Swaggr and Drape.  And when I got home I continued on and finished it.  Well, nothing that big goes without a story... I finished it at work on a Tuesday morning in time to model it for Sit 'n Knit.  The arms were a little long, but I was willing to live with it, it was DONE!  And a customer says to me, "Are the arms supposed to be different?"  Argggggh!!  In my haste to finish, I had left out a color section on one of the arms.  Ok, no one else noticed, so I'll leave it for now and fix it when I come back from vacation in April.  As the day wore on it made me crazier and crazier.., so, I took the sleeve out and took it home and over the next two days, I fixed the sleeve and decided to shorten both as long as I had  it apart.  So, the moral of the story is...I don't know...don't hurry and pay attention.  But, I love it, love the colors, Love the jacket. 

Then I finished up the bathing suit cover up I had started last month. It is knit with Katia's Colibri.  I like it and it pretty much turned out the way I wanted it to. (always a good thing and sometimes a surprise)

I had ordered new colors in Plymouth's Kudo and when I did, I thought would that be cute in the popular top down sweater pattern.  Of course when the yarn showed up I had to try it.  So, about a half an hour ago, I finished it!  Love it amd while I was making it I had to use my coupon and Kohl's to buy capri's and tee shirt to go with it.  Just a side note, I used these really cool buttons.  They are made from recycled paper (from Spin A Yarn), but they can't be washed.  So, I sewed a smaller button to the back of them and poked them through the knitting rather than sewing them in.  This way they can easily be removed for washing.

And on the needles, among other things, is a black short cardi.  I bought a black a white skirt and a white top and got to thinking (always dangerous) it needs a little something.  So this blob is soon to be a sweater. 

Then the Lonco drawstring sweater and then hopefully catch up on a few more unfinished projects cluttering up the knitting bag.

So here's to spring (coming soon!).  Don't let the sunshine keep you from knittng.  Until next month, Nancy

February 2010

February, a short month, but busy.  I actually feel like I accomplished a few things this month, not the ufo's in my knitting bag, but other things.  We have gotten a lot of our new spring yarns in and they are so tempting and samples need to be made; any other excuses??  So here we go..

I did finish the Cabled Rib Sweater made with two strands of sock yarn held together.  I used Aruacania's Ranco.  A solid and a multi. This is a great way to enjoy all the beautiful sock yarns without knitting socks on 1's.  Two strands of sock yarn = worsted weight.  So I got to enjoy these beautiful yarns and knit on 8's.  I love the color effects you can get by mixing yarns.

Then new yarn shows up....We got a yarn called Bombay by Katia.  It is a self striping cotton in great colors.  So, I pictured (in my head) a little girls sun dress and an adult summer cardigan.  The little sun dress has a cute ruffle around the neck and the Cardi uses a slip stitch pattern to break up the horizontal striping a little. I am pleased with the way they turned out.

Another new yarn is a Lace Weight from Noro, Sekku.  I had to try this out too.  I started knitting it in my Lucsious Lace scarf pattern, but as with all Noro yarns there is some thick and thinness to it.  It did not do the yarn or the pattern justice, so, rippp... I then decided on a simple feather and fan pattern - perfect.  Feather and Fan is such a simple pattern, but works well for so many things.

I also needed to get a sample made for July's Knit and Knibble, so Beaded Bookmarks were in order.  I wrote the pattern and charts and knitted 3 of them.  The knitting went very quick.  I knit all three in one day (ok, it was a snow day and I had a little extra free time). I used Panda Silk on 2 of them and Ellla Rae's Lace Merino on the other.

We won't discuss or show pictures (again) of the unfinished projects in my bag (Lace Stole, 2 socks, my husbands sweater), because they are still there and not much has changed.  But I didn't let that stop me from starting some new unfinished projects...

First, is a bathing suit coverup I am making out of Katia's Colibri and Plymouth's Wildflower.  This will get done, I need it for April.

The knitting guild is having it's annual Knitting Weekend later this month and we are knitting something (of our choice) out of the new book Swing, Swagger and Drape.  I am going to do the cover sweater and so this weekend I did some swatching and started my first one and a half miters for the sweater.  I wanted to make sure it is going the right way and I uderstand the pattern before we go.  I am knitting it from a new yarn from Plymouth, Merino Superwash.  It is really a nice yarn and I am doing three colors, Charcoal Grey, Grey and Pink.  Will this be done by the end of March??? .....

And a swatch for two more new yarns.  Lonco, a fingering weight cotton by Araucania.  Hopefulley will be a drawstring top one of these days and Paper from Katia.  Yes, paper...to be a Bag.

It has been a busy knitting month and March promises to be the same.  I am really looking forward to the knitting weekend and 3 days of KNITTING!! (and great company, while doing it).

Happy Knitting to you, until next month,  Nancy

January 2010

Here's my story for January.  First I was making progress, then I got distracted....  Story of my knitting life.

I did finish the sweater I started from Araucania's Panguipulli.  As I said last month, they sent me a sample and I didn't think it did the yarn justiice, so I ripped it out and knit something else with it.  It's a cute shawl collared cardigan and you can't see it but has the perfect button on it.  I love it when I find the perfect button!!

Then, I wanted to get my lace stole going so I started working on that.  It's longer.....

So I'd have something that was easier than lace to work on in between, I started a sweater for my husband from the same Noro Mens book that I knit my son's sweaters from.  As you can see, that got set aside and hasn't gotten very far.

Then... a sample sweater needed to be made.  It's very cute, knit from the top down and it goes very quick.  The sample is knit with Encore Tweed, but can be done with any worsted weight.  I think I am going to do one in Kudo, a self striping cotton next for spring. 

Next I started to work on designing a sweater using 2 strands of sock yarn, this is probably where the month started to go downhill.  We were taking inventory and moving yarn around and the beautiful colors of Araucaria's Ranco were calling to me.  Once in a while yarn start yelling at me from the shelf when I walk by, that's another whole story...  but anyway, they have kettle dyed solids and multi colored handpaints and I thought would it be pretty to combine one of each and knit it as a worsted weight.  So, off to the drawing broard.  I picked some colors and started swatching, then I started typing (a pattern), then I cast on the back of the sweater and started knitting,  All the way up past the armholes....nope, it didn't look good, rip, try again, more pattern writting, more knitting.... no, start again.  Third try, simpler pattern and I think I am on to something.  So this one is a keeper, but not nearly the progress I was hoping to have by now.  The back is done and the front started.

Then, the big distraction came.  I found out when the Berroco pattern books would be arriving.  The one that has may shawl in it from the sock yarn contest.  And I wanted to plan an event to thank everyone for their votes and support in the contest.  So, the event will be Friday, February 5.  (See my newsletter for details).  I am supposed to get my shawl back, but I am not sure when and how "shop worn" it will be, so I decided to knit another.  It is knit from Berroco's Ultra Alpaca Fine and is so soft and drapey.  So, I dropped everything and knit another shawl, so that I would have it here on display for Customer Appreciation Day.  I finished it last night. 

Also, here is a preview of  the mittens from the cover of Berroco book 297, but I can not take credit for knitting them.  Cele knit them for us from Berroco Sox Metallic.  They are really pretty, wait until you see them in person.

The month is done and there are still alot of unfinished projects in my bag.  Will February bring more of them to a conclusion or will I be distracted yet again.......  Stay tuned.

Happy Knitting.....  Until next month, Nancy