Start-itis & Continu-itis

I had a major need to start new projects in the past few weeks.

A neckdown Cardigan from Knitting Pure & Simple. I'm using Tahki-StCharles Donegal Tweed. I named it Shrek the Irish Cardi. I began this cardi right before Bobbie returned from TNNA with the news that Diane Soucy of KP&S had released the Woman's version of the Child's Bolero. You can see both on the KP&S site. We're expecting the pattern this week. I promised myself I wouldn't cast on for it until Shrek was completed. And I'm trying not to pre-shop for yarn. It's hard though.

Right before Bobbie left, I heard about a new sock yarn concept by Paradise Fibers called "Flat Feet". And being a sock knitter Bobbie scouted out and found them at TNNA. We'll be receiving our shipment soon.

The yarn is pre-knit into a "blanket" (my description) or a "scarf" (Maureen's description after I said "it would make a nice scarf too" Maureen said "it's already a scarf"). You pull out a holding thread and the sock yarn unravels as you knit. It does not unravel on it's own, you do have to give it a gentle tug.



The result is a crinkled yarn (because after all you are frogging). And of course I had to cast-on. I swatched on US3's and it was much too lose for socks, but a nice fabric. Pulled out my 7" US1's & the extra 5" from my other 2 socks (see below) and cast on. The crinkled yarn seems to make this still a loose knit on 1's. I'll knit a few more inches and then block, as the directions indicate, to see what happens. So far the only downside I've found is that when I frogged I didn't have a ball to wind the yarn around until it was reknit.

So to get myself through the need to shop for yarn, I decided to join the Quant KAL held at Ewe Knits and lead by Donna yesterday. I used Crystal Palace Taos so pictures would look just like Knitty. Just imagine only 2 rows knit.

Now prior to casting on for Shrek, I had the need to knit lace and the Flared Lace Smoke Ring from HeartStrings called out from my stack of patterns. It also helped that someone pulled it out of the binders at Ewe Knits and left it on the table. So, armed with natural colored sock yarn, I cast on. It's a fun knit. A little tricky there at first, so many markers were utilized. But now I'm at the repeating of the final chart of 8 rows until it's as long as you want, so it's a nice tv project.

Speaking of TV, heard last night that Big Brother is starting in February! My favorite reality tv show! I could so be on it! Of course, I'd add to my contract that I'd have to bring my knitting.

There are other items on the needle and I have actually pulled them out and started to knit on them again.

Toe up socks. They were on Magic Loop but I just wasn't feeling it. So, off to double points. There's another sock at the same point. So just look at this twice.

And My Favorite Shawl in Elsebeth Lavold's Silky Wool .

So you're caught up. Of course this will change as the new yarns and patterns start to come into Ewe Knits. Did I tell you Bobbie has ordered all of the Elizabeth Zimmerman DVD's and books from Schoolhouse Press including the reprint Barbara Abbey's Lace book. I'm soooo in trouble.

Mr Greenjeans...aka Dec07

On Dec 3rd I frogged this and cast for Mr Greenjeans. With a few modifications (narrowed the sleeves, knit body cables on US8 and added a few rows to the button band) it was soon time for a bath and a dry and was worn on Dec 27th!

No pictures of acutal wearage yet.

For me, Mr. Greenjeans as written, is a bit to deep of a V. It teneded to slip off my shoulders when I reached and moved around. It fits well in the body. Would a smaller size have been better on me? Perhaps I'll marry it with the Knitting Pure & Simple "Summer Cardigan"

more this and that

=

1 tablespoon of popcorn kernels + 1 brown paper lunch sized bag + 2 1/2 min on high in a microwave = 1 cup of popped kernels

This is important when you can have 1 cup as a "free" food on NutriSystem. And when you add a squirt of liquid ICBINB you've got a tasty treat. Okay, I haven't tried the ICBINB but I read it's tasty.


of course, Christmas Gingerbread mini muffins cancel the effort





Bought myself a couple of Christmas gifts.....



and Knitting New Scaves by Lynn Barr. I can't wait to try her new-to-me techniques. And a Pilates mat with the 25% off coupon from B&N.

And on my New Year's gift to myself list are: Cover Up, Knitting America and Kristin Knits.

this and that

Mr Greenjeans...I've renamed mine December 2007 because I plan to finish it by the 31st...has sleeves.



I'm now working on the body. I just love neck down sweaters! And shocker ... it's my first cabled project. I've knitted cables in swatches to test yarn. I've taken a class or so where we practiced cables. I've assisted customers with cable problems. But this is my first cabled project. And it's FUN! And I realized that I "cabled in public" (CIPed) for the first time at Monday night knitting.

Have you visited this blog? Twin sisters who knit and blog. Jan is a Guild member and shared her site with us the other night.

Ewe Knit Kits & Yarn had our holiday dinner last week. Each year we have a secret Pollyanna. We wrap a gift without a to/from name, pick a number and choose a gift. It's one of those where you can steal a gift from someone and number one gets the choice to steal from anyone at the end. The first year Kiki brought one of her thrown bowls and we fought over it. The second year, another bowl was fought over. Year three another bowl, another fight...but I had Number 1!!!! This year, Kiki announces she brought something different...but I didn't trust the gleam in her eye...so I selected her gift...PLATES! And luckily for me, we're all women and the fugde was the gift everyone fought over this year.

Here is my collection of Kiki-ware.



Kiki is a very generous person. She'll open her boxes a few times a year and gift her friends with her beautiful work. Thank you Kiki!

The weekend

Thursday begins the weekend, right? So I frogged Sunrise/Sunset and it's now the beginning of Mr. Greenjeans.

Right now it's in it's pre-cabled stage. I still have 1 inch of stockinette to knit.

Bailey had a sleepover last night. Nixon, the poodle mix from down the street.

Occasionally they'd change chews, put for the most part, this was their Saturday inbetween walks.

As for me, I found my Christmas cards. and must now try to remember who I sent which one to last year. Hate to send repeats. And yes, two are originals by Clara Parkes of Knitters Review. You can find them in the Boutique.

Frogged

The KP&S cardigan I began last February in the pink/orange Andes....frogged. It was waaaay to big. And it didn't even have the button band. I thought for sure I'd be able to wear it through this winter, but, no. All of this exercise I'm doing is shrinking my body and inturn my wardrobe!

But it's okay....I wound it into balls yesterday and immediatly cast on for Knitty's Mr. Greenjeans.

It's going to be a fun knit. My favorite top down knitting, combined with cables. Now I've not knit a full proejct with cables, so fingers crossed, this won't be to mindnumbing.

Ravelry....

....you can spend hours there! I have. And you can now find WallisKnits patterns under the Patterns tab. $3.95 + tax each. And if you've not received your invitation to Ravelry you can purchase them at Ewe Knit Kits. Bobbie will email them to you so no shipping charges!

I'm finishing up projects. "My Favorite Shawl" in Plymouth's 24K.

KP&S Cardigan that I began last year.

"My Favorite Shawl" in Elsbeth Lavold Silky Wool. Begun last spring.


And a Swedish Yarns vest in fingering wt on size 10.5 needles. I've just picked up for the collar.

I'm considering a single button instead of the double breasted look. What do you think?

I've been up since 4:00a.m. Why? I don't know. But my house is somewhat clean. Groceries have been purchased. Bailey has been walked...twice. Ravelry is updated. So, it's going to be a good day to sit and knit.New programs on The Food Network. Philosophy on QVC. 2 Netflick movies to watch. Can't remember which ones...I'll be surprised.

If you're in the Va Beach area stop by Ewe Knit Kits. We've received some really nice knitting themed gift items. Beautiful shawl pins in sterling with Swarovski crystals, pearls in sterling from $7.50 - $45. Claudia and Wool in the Woods sock yarn is 40% off. A shipment of Addi Turbos' was expected in yesterday. We've been out of the 7's & 8's for a while. And Rivka, who is our sales rep for many many companies, spent 4 days here this past week showing us everything. And boy did Bobbie order! Some will arrive in the next few weeks. Others in the spring.

We're opened on Sunday now. 11:00 - 4:00. Stop by and see us. You may run across me tomorrow acting as a customer.

And I'll leave you with this Advent Calander of free patterns from Garn Studios.