MS&W '08

I spent the first 30 minutes in a bit of a sensory panic. I then let go of the requirement to keep up with 3 other knitters and enjoyed my day.

Spirit-Trail Fibers 1000 yards of a beautiful merino lace wt.

Swirl Shawl by jojoland.com

handspun by jamieranibowyarn.com

Spring cleaning

I'm ready to begin fresh new still in hanks knitting BUT I had too many ufo's. Socks, swatches of possible projects, pet blanket, scarves, shawls, sweaters, just to many. Much was frogged, but I did finish a few and even started and finsihed one.

Bobbie knit a little jacket using the Knitting Pure & Simple Summer Cardigan and Purled Llama "Concha" in KnittaPalooza '08 colors that the Yarn Sellers at Ewe Knit Kits fought over. We'd actually "call" wearing it over KnittaPalooza weekend. I remember both Debbie and I planned our clothing for the weekend around it. And of course the yarn sold out before I could purchase a skein.

Finally. Terry finished dyeing batch 2 and here is my very own KP&SPLKnitta08 cardi:

Knitting Pure & Simple "Summer Cardigan" in Purled Llama "Concha" in KnittaPalooza '08 color

With some handdyed yarns you have to be careful because the color of the skeins are not identical. Bobbie knit the x-small and used 2 skeins, alternating every 2 rows or so. She had enough yarn left for a nice size shawl. So the question was...can we knit it with one skein?

Let's see: cast on size x-small, increase armholes on number short of the small, pull from center of skein to knit neckline and sleeves, use rest to knit body.


2 1/2 yards left

It's a short fun little jacket and a very fast knit! I cast on April 20th and bound off April 26th. But I did have 2 days of knitting at the Va Beach Spring Craft Show. Representing the Guild is hard knitting work.

Completed from the knitting basket

Cast on Dec 31, 2007 . Only 8 rows left to knit. Finished April 27, 2008.

Tahki "Terra" side to side vest (I'd call it a jacket) and Knittng Pure & Simple sleeveless shell. Both knit in Kertzer Butterfly.

Swatched for Morehouse Lace Wt cardigan in "butter"

Buttercup

Yeah, a lace wt cardigan.

Couldn't get gauge on either US3 or 4's. I like the results of US3's. Since it's a top down sweater I've decided to knit it on US3's and knit a smaller size, changing the armholes as needed.

And another pet cuddle for the Chesapeake Humane Society


I cut it close to with just a foot of yarn left!

And being tested by a team of test knitters: "John"

What's left in the knitting basket?
My Favorite "Summer" Shawl in EL Silky Wool
"Trony" for my Aunt Trony in Lorna's Laces "Jeans"

Going to be on the needles
KP&S Cardigan in Black Rowan Calmer
Morehouse Lace Cardigan in their lace wt yarn

Joanne sent me this link yesterday. Have you seen it?
Interweave Knits Summer Preview. Any sweater named Wallis I must knit!

Pictures from KnittaPalooza 2008

Getting caught up....

It's been a month since I last updated. Lots of knitting has occured.

I had begun the Knitting Pure & Simple "Woman's Bolero".

It's off the needles. Sorry about the blurry photo. And the color isn't the greatest. But it does fit well and I'd knit the pattern again.

Speaking of KP&S...this April I'm scheduled to teach a top down class and I'm going to follow it up with a KP&S "Shell" class. I'm knitting one of each now.

The round neck shell to match this:

.

Tahki "side to side vest" from the "Terris" booklet. It's knit in 2 strands of Kertzer "Butterfly". I chose 2 different colors and it's make a great summery blend of colors. The shell, I'm using the darker of the colors. And the great part about this top....I knit it in a weekend!



The KP&S Turtle Neck shell is being knit in black Rowan "Calmer" and I've enough to knit a KP&S Cardigan to match.



On Feb 29th Ewe Knits had a "knit in" and a great sale on wool....


My purchases. 5 skeins of Tahki "Donegal Tweed" in a great yellow and a Lantern Moon basket...smallest size to match the large one that sits next to my knitting chair. I enjoyed knitting "Shrek" with the Tweed that I had to have the yellow for another cardigan.


Speaking of stash enhancement...I brought home these from KnittaPalooza

3 Bad Cats patterns. The Jade Sapphire Silk Cashmere for the Driftwood Shawl and the Pink Lacey Lamb for the Fern. I've ordered the Green as in the Fern photo too. And as for the Cashmere for the Queen Anne...2 skeins are still at the store calling my name.


And from Universal Yarns....
Flax. I'm swatching with the Flax. I'm thinking curtain..or window covering, if you will, for my front upstairs window. I began using my "My Favorite Shawl" pattern on US2's though 6's and ended with some yarn over's and SKP.

KnittaPalooza '08 was so much fun. I worked from 9:30 am Thursday morning until 3:00pm Sunday afternoon (with a few hours of sleep) and it was still soooo much fun!

You can read attendee and instructors "memories" here:

Kimberlys Korner
Dawn's Dream
Knit it. Knit it good.
Annie Modiset

"Trony"

The weeks before
KnittaPalooza is always busy busy busy. Trunk shows, new yarns, new books, you name it.

And as in the previous 4 years The Purled Llama develops a color just for the event. This year in blues/tans/greens. Bobbie handed me the skein of "Dulce" (wool/nylon, 440 yds, fingering/sock wt) and said "We need a pattern" . So I swatched and swatched and came up with "Trony".



Named after my mother's sister (the 4th George daughter), my Aunt Trony. Aunt Trony's had a long career in fashion/retail, she raised 4 children and at 87 is living on her own and going strong with bridge, bingo and lots of grand and great grand children.

"Trony" the shawl, is a simple side to side light weight lacy shawl. Straight across the back, it works well for a light weight cover across the shoulders and can be wrapped around the necks as a scarf.

You can purchase at Ewe Knit Kits.

Lizzy....that's me alright Bess! ...LOL...

Last Friday I found myself at work with no customers, all stock on the shelves and straightend. I had a few minutes to do something very rare. Knit.

So there I sat with a few yards of Lorna's Laces Black Purl in sock weight, eating a few of the purple M&M"s from Beth & Gang at Lorna's for their 5th Anniversary celebration and drinking a bottled water with a purple cap.



Oh yeah, I was wearing a black sweater.