Catching up

So here's the LOOONG overdue update:


The new yarn form the Williamsburg trip a few weeks back. The blue is some Lorna's Laces sock yarn, and the green is this amazing Silk/Wool blend from elsebeth lavold. It is amazing.

Basically on this trip I tried the top in the current Interweave Knits...the one on page 88, the Prairie Tunic. Yup. I thought it was cute too. So I cast on, and knit for thirteen hours. Not a good top.

Don't get me wrong, I love the idea. And really my thinking was flawed. I thought, "hey, no need for layers, I could just come up with some clever coverage in that area". Really, it needs a full camisole, and in the Florida heat I am not willing to wear knitwear over a camisole.

I have since buried the top, if I find it as I am cleaning out the stash this week I'll post a pic. Great idea, but I have too much mom-flub to pull it off.

The sad part is this is the first time I have ever actually followed a pattern and finished it.

All that said I love the stitch in the center panel. I was planning a nice big floppy scarf with the great silk/wool stuff I just mentioned...



This photo is about a week old. Let me tell you, I have two hanks of this yarn, and that will be enough to make a scarf as tall as I am (OK, I'm short, 5' 1 and 1/4", but that's still a lot of scarf!) Love it, and it smells good too. The lace stitch from the tunic is super easy to memorize, so this has been flowing off the needles.

I got my submission into elann last night. I couldn't get photos done until after dark, so I am hoping they turned out OK. I'll let you know what happens!

Pink!

This is amazing...

Check out the other stuff too, really snappy.

On the personal knitting front I am entering something in the Elann.com knitting contest...so I've got to get knitting. Just a few days left!

At last

On the up side…I have the internet working again, so I can update this blasted thing.

On the down, I cannot find the cable that attaches the camera to the computer, so no photos.

We got back last week from visiting Williamsburg. I have lots of snappy yarn to show you. One of the best parts about going home is visiting the Knitting Sisters shop.

I have been at such a loss without the internet. It is SO hot, and I am trying to put off cranking up the air conditioning. Plus our local NPR station did hours of German Madrigal music today.

Now I am not anti-madrigal, per se, but it is not a great distracter from the heat. Plus the girls kept coming in and asking “What is wrong with this music?!”

Still, now all the taxes are done, and Easter has passed, so I have had a lot of knitting time. I tried a pattern from the current Interweave Knits during the thirteen hours on the road. I’ll give the full summary tomorrow. Not pretty.

I will say though, it is one thing to knit up something and not like it, but it is quite another when you knit it for an entire thirteen hour ride. I know exactly how long I worked on that top…such a waste.

Hope all is well with everyone. I did try to read a few blogs the other day at the library, but the children’s section librarian kicked me off. “The computers are reserved for the children”.

Mind you Little-sis and I were the only people in the section, much less using the 8 computers.

For Sale

Hey! Yes I still do exist. I have spent the week finishing taxes and getting ready for houseguests.

We just got a call that they are not coming due to high gas prices, so I have a nice neat house, and a whole week to enjoy it!

I'll get back to regular posting tomorrow, but I wanted to mention that I have a few knitting books up on e-bay. No pressure, not trying to exploit the blog, just thought someone might want them.



I have a new copy of the Spring 2006 Interweave Knits
and a copy of Debbie Bliss' Easy Knits.


Happy Easter (if that's your thing)!! Hop hop hop....

My new fave

(in a mid-priced yarn sort of way)

This is a swatch from Main Line, one of Knit Picks new yarns. I was expecting this to be a bit more floppy, but as you can see it holds up pretty well. This swatch has been re-knitted at least three times.








I am thinking of revisiting this:

but in a bulkier, more fitted kind of way. As I have said, I do not ever plan on doing a sweater on size two needles again.

I do like a lot of the Knit Pick yarns, but I do wonder if their color folks ever leave the shop. The selections are sometimes a bit odd. Don't you think?

In vacation news, we are still in Willy (Weak Willy to those of us that went to high school here). We did Jamestown yesterday. It really is better for small children than Colonial Williamsburg. The Jamestown interpreters are a bit less obsessed about staying in period, and are more willing to interact with kids. Big sis got to try her hand at some colonial tools, they both got to try an armor, and sweep the houses. In short, it is much more interactive and hands on than CW.

Today I am hoping to slip out and get to the LYS, Knitting Sisters. I NEED some size three needles...I have a sweater to finish.


And in honor of "Flash your Stash" here's my travelling stash. I did a good job of not overpacking the yarn this time!

Happy Birthday!!

We are in Williamsburg VA this week visiting the parental units. Today is little-sis' third birthday!

I am having one of those "mom" moments. I cannot believe she is SO big.

We had all the local family over on Sunday for her party.

I have mentioned this before, but my folk's house is like a museum. Here's the birthday girl sitting in a ceramic planter that is at least 150 years old. It can be a bit stressful...



The great thing about visiting grandparents is all the time you get. They are happy to visit with the miniature people, so I have more time to knit.

Here's my progress on the lace:


I am getting better. In the past when I have done lace I always gain or lose stitches as I go. I have improved my yarn overs and the disappearing stitches have stopped. I really like this pattern so far. Very easy to follow, which is just what I need at this level.

There are a few things that are making this project easier than my last lace attempts. First, I am using metal needles, which I normaly hate. The sharper points and slicker surface are speeding this up.

I have also learned to pay more attention to the purl row. This is where I was losing the stitches, as I dropped the yarn overs. I also have put stitch markers in between the repeats, and every row I stop to count to make sure I have the right number of stitches. So far so good.

I am hoping this will begin to get easier as it goes. At this rate I'll have this done in time for little-sis' prom.

Williamsburg

We're on the road this weekend. We've come up to fix up the house from the last renters. Big mess, let me tell you.

So the husband returned to Florida and the girls and I are vacationing for the rest of the week.

I am sure a lot of you are the same way, but when I travel I am so busy worrying about which projects to take a barely have time to plan actual clothing for me and the girls. This time I decided to tackle lace.

Let me say that again....lace.

I love the idea of lace. I am, let's face it, a math nerd, and all those charts are really appealing.

Plus it is so pretty.

But anytime I have tried it, the project just ends up in a crumpled heap.

So I am trying Print O' the Wave scarf from Eunny. I love this pattern. Nice simple repeats I don't get lost in. Great directions.

I have finished 5 repeats so far and I am off to do more. I'll try to borrow Dad's camera to get some pictures.