see mi knit

F is for Fans

I don't really think I collect fans, but somehow over the years, I've gathered enough to make a decent display.  I don't know what it is about them, but they've all found a way into my life.  They've come from friends, random trips I've taken, co-workers, and family.  None of them hold any value except for the memories they provide.  I hope I continue to get more in the future.

It's been quiet around here, but it's not for lack of knitting!

On the left are some socks.  The pattern is Yukon Leaves and I'm using some Tess sock yarn I got at Stitches West.  Your eyes do not deceive you, Berry Delicious have been temporarily abandoned.  I was more than halfway done with both socks but I was really not feeling the poolage.  After about 5 variations using different stitches and needles, I did the only logical thing... cast on different socks!  I'm totally over haphazardly pairing yarn to pattern, so if they don't do it for me, off they go!  I'm really digging the Yukon socks.

In the middle is my first faire isle project, the tote from Handknit Holidays.  I'm using some Berroco Ultra Alpaca and it's going swimmingly as well.  No steeking, but the faire isle practice is perfect in preparation for the Eunny vest.

Finally over on the left is Kiri, also using some Tess yarn.  The tag didn't say a name but it's a beautiful sage green with little fleckish variations which is delightfully making the shawl look like sun dappled leaves.  This is a Selfish Shawl (say that 5 times fast), all for me me me!

Oh and my Gray Infatuation has now progressed to be a Green Infatuation.

Hehe

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Life of Shawl

Pretty but wrinkly:

We've got a bleeder!

We run a very sophisticated establishment here:

Ahhhh, c'est magnifique!

Yarn: Artfibers Chai, 2.75 skeins
Needles: Addi Turbos, US 8
Pattern: Flower Basket Shawl, Interweave Knits Fall 2005
Finished measurements: 64" point to point, 30" edge to point

This was a brilliant project as it has helped me overcome my anxiety over charts and lace.  The pattern was easy to follow, especially after xeroxing it at 200% zoom.  I have three Christmas shawls in my plan, one each for my aunts and one for my mom. I wasn't sure who the recipient for this shawl was going to be before or during the project, but now that it's complete, I can see it only gracing the shoulders of one particular auntie, my mom's older sister.  I think it's lovely that the end result told me what its final destination would be.

In other FO-ing news, I whipped up these itty bitty witty snoogies for a co-worker expecting her first bebe woosums:

Excuse me while to go wash the baby talk out of my mouth.

In an attempt to drag my friend Sar back into the knitting world, I piqued her interest with this adorable clutch pattern from Yarn Magazine.

Now, being on a strict yarn diet, I had to improvise with the stash that I had, so I made adjustments and made it with one skein of Berocco's Ultra Alpaca in white and some Peruvian Baby Alpaca (leftover from Hourglass) for the trim.  I cast on enough to do three cable repeats instead of one.  The size is a tad larger than I expected, but I still really like it! 

The brooch was something I bought from Forever 21 like two years ago, and typical of Forever 21 it promptly fell off after I took the picture.  I'll try to fix it or I may go with a big maroon polka dot ribbon.  Still deciding.

The lining was from JoAnn's and I just fused it to some interfacing to make the clutch more sturdy.

All in all a fun, quick project.  When I get through my stash enough I'm going to make this again with chunkier yarn for a possible gift.

E is for Escape

I love snowboarding.  I love being able to run away from home and get in touch with nature.  As I am blessed with living in a city that never sees snow, I still feel childishly giddy when I get to play in it.  I feel enveloped by the silence and all I care about is powder at my feet and the wind on my cheeks.

I've been reveling in knitting.

I've been working diligently on a lace shawl, whereby I anguished over a non-existent mistake.   (HEY, counting consecutive numbers is your friend!)

I finished a most cute clutch over the weekend in an attempt to suck a newbie knitter back into the clan. (She actually finished TWO FO's over the past week.)

The first shipment of the STR club is looming ahead so I'm working as much as I can on Berry Delicious.

Alas I have no pictures.  Imagine them all in your head. They are adorable and free of mistakes (ok imagine yourself squinting and they will be free of mistakes).

At any rate, if you are going to be in the San Diego area with needles at the ready, come join Kris and me tomorrow (Saturday) at 1:30 pm at the Starbuck's in Clairemont.  You know, the one where there's a Pacific Theaters where I saw the premiere of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.  Ok maybe you don't know, but it's here.

Contrary to what the above picture suggests, sweaters do not grow on trees.  And certainly this particular sweater which I started a year ago.

I find it particularly hilarious that I swore in that post that I was going to time how long this sweater took me.  I don't think they make stopwatches that work in the sort of timeframe that I require.

Hudson is a hooded zip up cardigan using Noro Big Kureyon in #19 on US10s.

More specs and reflection to come after I take a modelling shot.  It is the height of incredulousness that I tramped out through fresh powdery snow in nothing but sneakers and warmups to reach this pretty tree to hang my sweater and take a picture of it, but I failed to take a picture actually wearing it.  You may all shake your head, but you must admit it's a very me thing to do.

Lace knitting has resumed!

This is my first shawl and I'm using Artfibers Chai, which I got during the Stitches West trip. I forgot to take a pick of the skeins so no stash flash.  But I've got three skeins of them to make a slightly larger than normal Flower Basket Shawl, to be a Christmas gift for an aunt.

Kris recommended it as a beginner lace shawl project and I must say it's a good choice.  The pattern consists of just three type of stitches (two of which is a k2tog and a ssk) and they repeat across a row in a manner that makes sense.  I'm on the 4th pattern repeat and I think I'm actually starting to "see" where the stitches are supposed to go so I can pinpoint where a mistake occured.

Correcting said mistake is still heartwrenching as each row becomes longer and longer and man, LIFELINES ARE LIFESAVERS.

I'm still steadily working on the slip stitch rib socks. I really want to complete them before the first STR sock kit comes in (two weeks left!!!).  As I'm working on them, I'm reminded of upcoming summer delectables:

Therefore, I dub these socks:  Berry Delicious!

D is for Dad

This is my dad back at Christmas.  That content smile and the Golfing Santa tie pretty much sum him up.  Sometimes I'm bummed that we have a bit of a language barrier between us... and it seems to get worse as the years go by.  But then sometimes I realize traits in myself that I must have gotten from him: my love of having company, finding a joke in everything, general optimism in life... and that makes me think that I'm a lot closer to him than I think.