How The West Was Spun

WIP Wednesday: January 6, 2010

Project #1:  Birdsfoot Stole

While I didn't take this along as travel knitting, I did wind up adding another 2 repeats to it after we got home last week.  Just in case some of you were worried I'd get distracted from this project too much and not get back to it.  Not surprisingly (yawn), it looks pretty much as it did a while back.  Just longer.

Goal:  Two more repeats. 

Project #2:  Test Pattern for Mim

I think y'all know Mim is working on a knitting pattern book, right?  Scroll down on her blog posts to the December 8th one for a preview of several of the gorgeous patterns she'll have in it.  I am going to be knitting up one of the patterns for her in handspun, so I need to get cracking on these and focus on them to get them done so she can get final editing wrapped up.  That'll be my primary goal over the next week.

This is about an hour's worth of knitting on them.  They definitely go quickly!  You might recognize the handspun, which I spun up at the end of the fall last year from Zen Yarn Garden's sock-blend roving (75% merino, 25% nylon) specifically for Mim.  It's hard to see with the heathering, but there's a pretty little lace band just after the toe increases, which repeats up at the top of the cuff.

   

Of course, knitting ... and um... closing on the new house later today and getting ready to move.  You know.  The usual level of insanity around here.

All for now....

WIP Wednesday: December 23, 2009

Popping in for a very quick mini-WIP post before we get ready to depart for the east.

Project #1: Birdsfoot Stole

Despite the fact that I do have a gazillion and one shiny-new distractions, I dutifully knit my 2 pattern repeats on this for the past week.  It still looks.... well... the same.  Although I did finish one skein of yarn up, and started a new one, so I now only have 3 untouched skeins left, which appears to be progress of a sort.  No pictures again.  (see above - looks exactly the same!  Again!).

Goal: No goal on this for the next week, as we'll be traveling.

My other project of the Pink Crush socks are done, and when I get back from travel, we'll see what I've gotten accomplished on the add-on projects before I pick something to add to work on, m'kay?

All for now.....

WIP Wednesday - December 16, 2009

Project #1:  Pink Crush Socks

I finished up sock #1, and went ahead and cast on for sock #2.  If you decide to do this pattern, please note there is an incorrect symbol in the leg chart on row 4.  It's the matched 3-into-1 decrease on the left-hand side of the central lace motif.  Check out the foot chart for the correct symbol.

Goal:  Work the leg, down to the heel flap.

Project #2:  Birdsfoot Stole

I dutifully knit my 2 pattern repeats this week.  It looks basically the same as last week's picture.  Toldja this was going to be boring.

Goal:  Another 2 pattern repeats.

All for now....
 

WIP Wednesday: December 9, 2009

Project #1: Pink Crush Socks

Despite working on my red scarf project, I worked on these a bit this week.  I have knit thru the leg and gotten the heel turned, and ready to start the foot.

Goal:  Knit the foot of sock #1.

Project #2:  Birdsfoot Stole

Not really a new project - this has been a UFO for far far far too long.  The pattern is a kit from Virtual Yarns, designed by Jade Starmore.  It uses the gorgeous Hebridean 2-ply yarn in a pattern resembling bird-foot tracks in the sand.  I started this in 2007 - more than time to have this finished.  Here's where I am right now:

 

Goal:  Weirdly (or maybe not - this seems a sort of chronic thing in some VY kits) I am on repeat #20 (pattern says I need 50 repeats), but I'm just about halfway thru my yarn already.  I'm not super concerned about it, as I'll just knit until I run out of yarn and it'll be fine either way.  So..... next week I'd like to finish repeat #20 and knit #21 and 22.  This will likely be a long-term project without much excitement.  Sorry about that - but I really do want to finish it and this will spur me along!

All for now....
 

WIP Wednesday: December 2, 2009

Project #1:  Loppem Cardigan

I'm zipping along on this.  I have finished the cabled portion of the body and added the sleeves.  I'm up to the first 2 rows of the neck yoke, and my next step is to add the bottom buttonhole.  I finally ordered buttons, and since they are hand-made, thought I'd better wait to be sure I've worked the buttonholes the correct size, to prevent any more frogging than I have to.

Goal:  If my buttons arrive in time, I'm going to try to finish this up.  I just have the yoke left to knit. 

Project #2: (New!) Pink Crush Socks

I'm going to tackle another UFO once my sweater is done, but I decided I needed a pair of socks on the needles.  These are from The Joy of Sox book. The original pattern is "Blue Crush", but since I'm knitting these in pink... well... Pink Crush it is!

The yarn is FiberOptics merino sock yarn, in the colorway "Honeysuckle Rose".

Goal:  Knit down to the heel flap.

All for now.

WIP Wednesday: November 25, 2009

Project #1:  Loppem Cardigan

I finished the second repeat of the cable panels and I have one more set of the shaping decreases left to do on the body.  Looks pretty similar to last week, only bigger, eh?

Goal:  Another cable repeat.  That should put me at the the armscye decreases.

Project #2: Flutter Scarf

Closer... but didn't quite hit my goal this week.  Of course, if I told you how this week has been so far, you'd understand why.  I'll recap that sometime not pre-holiday, as you'll need a drink and wee lie-down after all of it.  I know I did.  I did get to #36 of the 55 repeats I'm doing for the body.

Goal:  I've got a 3-day weekend coming up.... you know... after I work the holiday... so I am going to try to get done the body repeats on this, and then I'll just have the shaped fluttery parts to finish up!

All for now.....

WIP Wednesday: November 18, 2009

Project #1:  Flutter Scarf

I forgot I was going to have some in-hospital knit time this week, so I took this along for my Remicade therapy on Monday and got quite a bit accomplished.

I finished up the pretty ruffled edge on the first half, picked up the temporary cast-on stitches and started the second half.  I've knit up 25 of the 55 pattern repeats for the second half.

Goal:  Knit another 20 repeats of the main pattern.

Project #2:  Loppem Cardigan

And then there was one.  Here's the last of my NaSweKniMoDo09 projects:  Norah Gaughan's Loppem. I am knitting this up in heavyweight KP Gloss in the "blackberry" colorway.  I have gotten the first cable repeat finished.

Goal:  Knit another repeat of the cable pattern, which will be about halfway up the body to the armsceyes.

All for now.....
 
 

WIP Wednesday: November 11, 2009

Project #1: Refined Raglan

Stand back.  I have the bit between my teeth on this one, and headed into the home stretch.  D has been gone since this time last week, so I've been on the "no cooking" option wherein I eat cereal for dinner every night, which cuts down on that pesky cooking and clean-up stuff.  Time much better devoted to knitting.

My circs came in the mail, and I powered through both sleeves.  These are now attached to the body and I'm working the pretty patterned raglan decreases.  I'm about two thirds of the way done the decreases.

Goal:  Come hell or high water, I am finishing this project this week.  

Project #2:  Flutter Scarf

I knit what I thought were the rest of the regular repeats for the first half of the scarf.  My brain remembered the pattern said "55", when it actually said "50".  Oh well - no harm done.   I like a little extra scarf length anyhoo.  So, that said, I'm ready to start the patterning at the bottom of half #1.  It doesn't really look all that much different than last week, but I will comment that I am enamored of how nicely the colors are coming out in this. 

 
 
Goal:  I would like to get the 14 rows of chart B done, but this is going to take a back seat to finishing up the raglan (above), so we'll call this project optional this week and see where things are in 7 more days.

All for now......
 

WIP Wednesday: November 4, 2009

Project #1:  Refined Raglan

Not a bit o' knitting on this.  I decided to wait for my circs, so my gauge will stay the same as that for the body.  Hopefully those will be here this week and I'll get the first sleeve cast on.

Project #2:  Flutter Scarf

During my stay-cation, I decided to cast on one new project (that was the Bousta Beret from yesterday), and tackle a UFO that's been on the needles for a while, my handspun Flutter Scarf.   Seriously, there is no reason why I shouldn't be enjoying knitting this!  I love the yarn and the pattern is easy, but a bit of interest, so I need to just finish it up.

I'm knitting this from handspun merino/tencel singles from Funky Carolina's "Waterlilies" colorway.  I have a couple other colorways in this fiber blend, which seems to lend itself nicely to singles, and I may just go ahead and spin up more of it for more scarves (which aren't my favorites to knit, but I whacked all my hair off this week too, and now I need something on the back of my neck when outside).  Mim's pattern is, as usual, easy to follow, and I love the finished look of it.

Goal:  I'm on row 36 of the first half repeats before the flutter edging.  Finish up thru 55 repeats before starting the edging.

All for now......
 

WIP Wednesday - October 28, 2009

Project #1: Refined Raglan Pullover:

This week, I started the Refined Raglan pullover for my sweater #11 of the NaSweKniMo09 challenge.  This is an easy knit-in-the-round stockinette body pullover with a bit of lace detailing along the raglan shoulder shaping. 

Stockinette, in the round?  I am SO there for mindless knitting this week!

Again, I think this is reading oddly in the photograph, but then again, Lori's colorways are notoriously hard to capture on film for whatever reason.  This is just a couple of rounds shy of the 12" I need to have completed before I divide for the sleeves.  The waist decreases and increases are already done!

Goal:  I needed to order some shorter circular needles for the sleeves and I did that on Sunday, but I think they are on the slow boat.  If they come soon enough, I'll get started on the sleeves this week.  Or I may try to Magic Loop the beginning.  Not one of my favorite techniques, but I'm also not sure I want to wait 2 weeks potentially for the needles to arrive.  I think DPNs aren't going to be a good choice with this merino/bamboo blend, as it will want to ladder.

Project #2: Potpourri Socks

Lots of progress on these, as they've been my foozball-watching knitting.  I cast on, finished the leg, turned the heel and started the foot on sock #2.

Goal:  I have just 6 pattern repeats left plus the toe shaping.  I feel pretty sure I can finish these up over the next few days!

I think I'm going to pull out a UFO (my handspun Flutter scarf) and maybe add that in as my next WIP for the Wednesday updates.  Or maybe cast on another pair of socks.... or there is the Ulmus shawl I've been thinking about starting....... Choices, choices!

All for now.....