Sunshine Rug

A little while ago, I finished this sunny rug.

The pattern was dreamt up along the way, using what I lovingly call my larger crochet hook (that's right guys, I now own two crochet hooks!).

The yarn is Cascade Yarns Sierra in gold (colorway: 443) and a green (unknown colorway), which is 80% cotton and 20% merino.  It is a nice blend to work with, although I think it is discontinued now.

I probably knit this yarn up into three garments (remember this one?), hating and frogging each one.  I generally have this issue with cotton or bamboo yarns even when blended with wool, it is just so difficult to get them to fit with most projects I try.

But the color made me so happy!  So I decided, why not crochet it into a pretty rug?  Now this seemingly doomed yarn sits in my stash no longer.

Surprise, surprise, kitty loves it too!

Belle Epoque Socks

I've finally, finally finished the socks I've been working on since October 8th, 2012 according to my record on Ravelry.  It is really strange that I have gone multiple days in a row without knitting ever since I started graduate school.  This is especially strange considering knitting was my biggest stress reliever in my undergraduate days.  So, I was even more proud of myself when they didn't look like this anymore:

The pattern is Belle Epoque by Wendy Johnson from her book Toe-Up Socks for Every Body.  I love Wendy's patterns, I learned how to knit two-at-a-time, toe-up socks from one of her books and she made it so easy with her clear instructions.  I'm not usually one for lacy things (although who doesn't enjoy decreases), but I really loved how these looked.  After struggling with the cuffs for a while I decided to go with just a plain ribbing, which I don't like quite as much.

The yarn is Cascade Heritage Silk, which is a nice merino/silk blend.  I don't like most of Cascade's yarns, they have always been a disappointment to me when compared to Berroco.  I didn't think that it was as soft as that blend should be, but I've noticed that about Cascade's competitor to Berroco Ultra Alpaca as well.  It did have a gorgeous color complimented by a slight shininess that I loved though.

I actually finished these before holidays, but couldn't find the time to photograph them.  I also couldn't stop wearing them because they take me back to my modern dance days for some reason (I want to wear a long flowy skirt with them).  So there you have it!  Another finished project!

Facing the hard truth

Thank you so much to those of you which left feedback on my infinity scarf, you all are just so wonderful and helpful.  Is there anything a group of knitters can't solve?

So, I finished up the wacky infinity scarf and tried it on to get a better idea of how much I might like it.

The answer is, not so much.  I know that a lot of you really liked the color combination, but I highly suspect that is because the green appeared gray on some monitors.  But no judgement here if you liked the mix, everyone has their own distinct aesthetic.  The color is more of an army green, a gray would have gone nicely when paired with the yellow though.

And so, I faced the hard truth and frogged my poor scarf.  But I'm still glad I knitted it, it was a fun little project and I loved working with the wool/cotton blend.  I'm definitely looking forward to knitting it up into something else (each color separately of course).

I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend!  I especially hope that everyone up on the East Coast is staying warm after the snow.

Knitting Progress Report

Some of you had the most amazing Trader Joe's suggestions, most of which I've never tried.  Needless to say, my shopping list is a bit longer than usual this week.

So, where to start with my huge pile of in-progress knitting projects...

Here is the latest progress on the draft blocker.  I'm almost to the length I need and I'll still have some scraps left over for another project.  Good thing Nancy keeps on posting amazing scrap project inspiration.

These socks really should have been finished by now, but I've had to rip back several times to fix some unfortunate mistakes.  I know that they won't be as long as the knee socks shown in the book example because I only have one skein of yarn, but I've decided to make them as long as possible.

This scarf is a little bit out of character for me.  I started it a few weeks ago when I was really stressed and needed a quick project with a comforting yarn.  This Cascade cotton/wool blend was gifted to me by some wonderful family friends and it fit the bill.  Now if only the colors went together in combination with the pattern.  I'm strongly considering ripping it out, but what do you think (honestly)?

I've also resumed slow progress on the BFF cowl I'm knitting along with Ashley (by the way, have you seen her beautiful desk space yet?  So creative!).  This project serves as yet another reminder that I'm just so lucky to have such wonderful knitters from all over the world that I get to connect with every day.

Also, a random question: why can kitties be so relaxed one minute and then completely spazz out and look like a wild panther beast the next?  It may not be obvious from the photo, but one of her little fangs is sticking out making her extra goofy-looking.

Now I'm going to return to my busy week as a student while contemplating Ness' tempting plan to build a comforting nest of yarn, I hope you all have a great rest of the week!

The lovely Miranda Hat

I had been having to knit away on this project in absolute secrecy because it was a test knit for the super amazing Evelyn of Project: Stash.  Let me tell you, it was difficult having to keep this project a secret because I enjoyed every second of it.  Also, I learned that knitting an awesome project gets even better when knitting to help a friend.

Here it is, the Miranda Hat:

This was a super quick knit for me, partially because I enjoyed it so much and partially due to the simple construction.  The pattern is very easy to follow (I would recommend it to beginners ready to leap into the world of decreases, circulars, and dpns) and the stitch pattern can be memorized quickly.

I used left over Cascade 220 Superwash from the colorwork sweater of doom.  I really love this yarn, it comes in so many great colors, is superwash, and knits up so nicely!  So, I was able to have the satisfaction of using up scraps as well!

Evelyn was kind enough to make the Miranda Hat a free pattern, but in addition, she has also organized a charity KAL to go along with it!  I will be proudly participating (you can find me and others on the corresponding Ravelry group).  To reward those knitting for an excellent cause (providing people with warm hats), there will also be prizes!

I would like to commit to knitting at least four additional hats for this cause (see my progress in the side bar) and I hope that you will join us in what will be a fantastic KAL!

Also a note to Blogger users, I recently discovered why my photos have been uploading all grainy looking lately.  Apparently, a lot of the time (although not all the time) Blogger will really, really compress images uploaded. One way around this is to upload them on Picasa Web Albums then access them through the upload menu in the post editor.

Colorwork Sweater

After a couple of weeks of hard work and a couple of months spent simply glaring at it and wondering why I wouldn't just finish itself, the colorwork sweater is complete!

Now I can finally cross off another one of my Fiber Goals for 2012:

Complete a colorwork sweater

Needless to say, I'm very excited to announce this development and honestly, I can hardly believe that I have finally finished this project considering how long it took to complete.

There are some things on it that are a little bit wonky (part of the collar just didn't work out great), but overall, I love it and cannot wait until it is not 90 degrees outside every day to wear it.  I'm thinking that it will make a great sweater to cuddle into during classes and especially exams because it is super warm.

The pattern was Velvet Morning from Knitty, bis winter 2011.  As I have written in past posts, this pattern was not very well written and I had some huge problems with it.  There were some techniques that I think could have been used to make this a more finished project, as well as more fun to knit.  For example, using steeking to allow for knitting in the round rather than flat.  At the time I didn't feel comfortable enough to modify something as huge as the body of the sweater (although some people have); however, I did knit the sleeves in the round and was so glad that I did. 

The yarn was Cascade 220 Superwash, the only Cascade yarn that in my experience is worth buying.  The dark blue was the Blue Velvet colorway (856) and the other colors started out white, but were hand dyed by me using Jacquard Acid Dyes.  This project definitely gained a whole other dimension when I decided to dye yarn specifically for it and it is something that I would really love to do again someday.

Finishing this project has been a huge challenge for me, but now that I have finally finished it, I can say that it did pay off.  Now I need to start working full steam on two test knits and the three remaining sweaters.  But now, with this momentum, I really feel that I can finish them all.

Alpaca Sweater

There is something so different about knitting for someone else.  First of all, I only knit for people who I know will appreciate it.  Naturally, these are also people that I really care about.  This makes knitting for them both more stressful (it must be perfect!), but also much more satisfying and enjoyable than knitting for myself.

Today I finished the alpaca sweater that I've been knitting for my mother.  I'm very happy with how it came out, now I cannot wait to get it in the mail!

The yarn is Cascade Alpaca Lana D'Oro, which some of you may remember I've had disagreements with.  Although I was disappointed with the yarn when I compared it to the "comparable" Berroco version, when I evaluate the yarn alone, I actually do like it.  One thing that I really liked was the stitch definition, the stitches were butter soft (is that even a proper description?).  Even though it is not even in the same league as Ultra Alpaca, it was still a very soft blend.

The pattern was Graduated Ribbed Top by Maurya McBride from the book Knitter's Stash.  The construction of the sweater would be great for beginners, but the pattern was not written very clearly, which always annoys me (especially when printed in a book!).  The resulting sweater is very simple, and attractive.

I'm currently packing this up to send out, I am very nervous because I hope it fits.  I'm leaving my mom the task of blocking it so she can make her own decisions on the fit.  

Now I need a new project to work on!

Colorwork Sweater Adventure!

Yesterday I was finally able to cast on my colorwork sweater.  Having this kind of project has been a relief to me as I have been surviving an overwhelming mixture of good and bad events this week.  It is also a huge comfort to be reading all of your blogs and sharing in your successes.

As you may know, one of the huge projects on my Fiber Goals for 2012 list is to complete a colorwork sweater.  I chose a recently published Knitty design: Velvet Morning.  I absolutely adore the colorwork patterns that she designed for this sweater; however, I'm really struggling with this design because it is worked flat.

After experimenting with steeking last month, I've become convenced that colorwork should only be done in the round.  I've spent many a night thinking this problem over in my head and then decided that I should stick with the pattern, I'm just not ready to make the leap that is required to alter a pattern yet.  I would rather take it slow for now and hopefully end up with a beautiful sweater!

Here's what I have so far!  I'm thrilled to be using some of my own hand dyed yarn!

Also, thank you to all of you who graciously shared your stories of how you learned to knit.  I truly enjoyed reading each and every one.  You are all so talented!

Dyeing Yarn for Colorwork

One of my more lofty Fiber Goals for 2012 is to Complete a colorwork sweater. After a bit of thought I have found the perfect pattern: Velvet Morning from Knitty, Winter 2011.  From the very beginning I decided that I wanted to dye the secondary color yarns myself for a special touch (I'm going to buy the yarn for the primary color).

So, I broke out my acid dyes and got to work dying some Cascade 220 Superwash:

I'm not sure why, but Cascade superwash is a lot of fun to dye.  I'm not sure how to describe it, it's just a friendly yarn to dye with.  It always looks great and doesn't felt, but it is fairly pricey.

My favorite one is the gray for sure.  It has this wonderful frosted look to it.

I have to run by Webs to buy the yarn I need for the primary color before I can cast on.  I almost cannot wait, I'm so excited to cast on!

Speaking of Yarn - Comparing Brands

Lately all of my knitting time has been spent working on a sweater for my mommy (I know, I spoil her, but she is pretty awesome).  Last year I made a pair of alpaca/wool gloves that she loves, and so I offered to knit her a similar sweater.  Because, honestly how often do you find people to knit for who honestly love what you make them?  I found a simple pattern that she really likes and started knitting!

Here is the progress I've made so far.  Yes, that is ribbing, and yes, the progress is slow.

Right from the start I really wanted to use my favorite Berroco Ultra Alpaca for the project.  Unfortunately, none of the local yarn stores carry it (the horror!), so I had to make do with a similar yarn.  I thought that buying Cascade Alpaca Lana D'Oro would be equally good (50% wool, 50% alpaca), was I ever wrong!  Immediately after I wound it up I realized, it is not even remotely the same.

So, I'm seriously disappointed in what I consider Cascade's knock-off of Berroco's Ultra Alpaca.  The biggest problem I have with it is that it does not have that alpaca softness, it feels more like regular wool .  I'll have to wait to get back to college to double check, but I would also say that the strands feel less puffy and substantial as well, giving the yarn a cheap feel.  

So, if you are ever in my position in the future, I would recommend that you not settle for the Cascade version, wait until you can buy the real deal (especially since there is generally only a dollars difference in price).  However, I still think that this sweater is going to look beautiful and be pretty warm too!