A Move, FO's and the Beginning of the End

So Kendra here, finally checking in again with lots to update you on! First off, I moved! It took what felt like ages to actually pack up four years of living in NYC, but we made it out after shipping 49 boxes and selling all of our furniture. 10 bags at the airport later...

...and we made it to California!!! It's good to be home, I gotta say. I miss my Brooklyn knitters dearly but it really is great to be back. We even found an apartment in San Francisco already, a gorgeous home up on a secluded hill. Here is the view from it, although the photo does not do it justice and the trees are about to be trimmed so it'll get even better!

And although I haven't been knitting a great deal recently I have finished two things since I last spoke up. My Scroll Lace Scarf, aka Whimsical Little Mushroom Scarf, was knit up ages ago (only took a couple of evenings in fact!) but I've barely stopped wearing it long enough to photograph/I forget to ask someone else to take a photo when I wear it. So here it is finally, in all its golden glory!

I knit it out of the beautiful Metamorphosis by A Verb For Keeping Warm in an awesome colorway that is naturally dyed with "locally foraged mushrooms". As an Oakland based company, this seems like the perfect welcome back to the Bay Area project! I love the color because it goes with everything so it's been my in-purse-in-case-of-chill-emergency scarf since I cast it off over a month ago.

The next big FO is a Color Affection shawl, the beloved pattern by Veera Valimaki. I love it!!! I picked out three colors of Miss Babs Yet Lace (in Pewter, Moss, and Oyster) while at Stitches West 2012 (with fellow WLKAer Lindsey's help!) and got knitting! And look how pretty!

This was one of those fortunate times when "blocking will fix that" actually worked out! The garter edge was just wee-bit-too-tight, but I foraged ahead because that's how I roll. By the time it was finished the effect was quite obvious and causing the points to spiral. I had pretty much decided to call this a Design Element and move on, but a goofy blocking on the bed with towels (this thing is HUGE!!!) where I tugged at the straight edge and smooshed the garter body and poof! Perfect shawl!

(Side note: Turns out adding a yarn over after the 2nd stitch then dropping it on the way back is good idea to help this tight-edge problem - little late for me, but thought I'd help a fellow knitter out.)

I love the pattern and loved knitting it, but making the lace weight version meant by the end I had probably 600+ stitches (although to tell you the truth I didn't actually want to know the number at the time) so the last 20 rows were a bit painful. Now that it's bound-off and blocked the painful memory is gone and now it's just the warm and fuzzy feeling of new love. Even Adam is a fan...

Now it's on to the next and last project of Whimsical Little Knits 2 with the Cotton Reel Mittens. I'm making mine in the fingerless mitt version out of Miss Babs Yummy Toes in grey and greenie-yellow. The pattern starts with an I-cord that becomes the bottom of the cuff which is super cool in this knitter's opinion, which is as far as I've gotten so far.

Luckily I'm casting on in time to take them with me on the flight back to NYC for graduation. Back already, I know, but it means I get to see some knitter friends so it's all good :) Stay tuned to see how the final project of this knit-along goes and what we'll be knitting up next!

Squirreling Away

After much procrastination, a Jessly squirrel is finally taking shape! I won't make excuses -- although moving and knitting a sweater are great ones, if I were to be in the business of excuse-making. Anyway, I finally cast on Nathaniel yesterday, and this little pillow is just flying by! I'm already about halfway done, and I'm seriously enjoying the chart. Although it doesn't look totally squirrely yet, I can see how it's coming together. For now, my Frankenberry doll is currently using it as a sleeping bag.

A word about yarn selection: the original pattern is knit in a beautiful 100% wool. Since this is a pillow, it will inevitably live on my couch, where it will be subjected to the less than graceful presence of my boyfriend (okay, and me) around food and beverages. That's why I'm using Lion Brand Wool-Ease Chunky: it's easy-care, so I can clean my pillow whenever need be without fearing felting. Since I grew up in West Virginia, I had to make my squirrel gray (the most common type of squirrel in the area). The charcoal shade has a nice heathered quality to it, too, which I really enjoy. Like Claire's, my squirrel seems to be knitting up a bit smaller than I expected, but that'll probably change with stuffing. I almost wish this project were taking longer since it's so fun, but I'd really rather finish it before I move. Eek!

Snow Dragon

Claire here with a brief weekend update. It may be almost November, but NYC has skipped right on ahead to December. It started snowing early this morning, and hasn't stopped yet! This is the street outside my apartment in Brooklyn:



Cars driving by in the slush is definitely a winter sound to me, so what better time to get some serious work done on my Snapdragon mitts? I have the body of the right mitt done, save for the thumb and weaving the ends in.



I'm going to do the body of the left mitt next, then come back and do the thumb and flip tops later. Doing it this way keeps my interest in the project, instead of thinking "Yay, I'm done!" and then realizing I have to do it all over again! Strangely, I still make socks one at a time. Maybe I'll challenge myself to try the 2-at-a-time method for my next pair. How many pairs of socks do you have to knit to become a "sock knitter"? I never thought I would be one, but I have a pair in progress, and yarn for two more!


ETA: I put my mind to it and have the body of the left mitt done as well, with enough time left over to whip up a pair of Tiny Ghost earrings for Halloween!

Hexipuffing Along

Jess here again. There's less than a week until Rhinebeck, so things are getting a bit hectic at WLKA headquarters. Claire and Kendra are working hard to finish their Snapdragon Tams and some sweaters before the big day. I'm an obsessive planner, so I'm already finished. As I mentioned in my previous post, I'm trying to avoid a new project before our trip. Thus, I have continued my hexipuff adventures! So far, I'm really happy with my color palette. I guess I just have a well-curated stash of sock yarn! These are the yarns that I've used thus far:

• Green gradient: Schoppel-Wolle Zauberball in Summer Meadow
• Dark gray: Dream in Color Smooshy in Gray Tabby
• Light gray: Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light in Smokestack
• Black and white stripes: Crystal Palace Panda Silk in Granite Tones (a gift from Claire!)
• Navy: Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light in Ink
• Gray/lime/purple stripes: Studio Avenue Six Self-Striping in Purple/Gray/Green
• Teal: Shibui Sock in Peacock
• Burgundy sparkles: Dream in Color Starry in Gothic Rose
• Pink: Noro Kureyon Sock in 188
• Black/purple/teal: Alchemy Juniper in Underwater Moonlight

I made the chart for the key, but I found the fox and raven (as well as tons of other great charts) in this Ravelry thread. I'm going for a woodland/Alice in Wonderland/whimsical theme for my charted puffs, so we'll see how many different designs I can incorporate. I plan on doing a heart, bowtie, glasses, watch, hat, mice, rabbits...you get the idea.

While I'd love to just hexipuff (it's a verb, too!) forever, my Lanesplitter skirt is starring at me from the corner. All I need to do to finish it is whip up the waistband, a task that should be quickly completed. For some reason, I just can't bring myself to do it. I'll probably force myself to pick it up tomorrow and power through so that I can wear it to Rhinebeck as originally intended. Sometimes I like to press deadlines to increase my motivation, and that's exactly what I'm doing here.

Now, it's important for every knitter to have a plan for the next project. I like to have one large and one small project going at the same time. My next sweater will certainly be Levenwick by the brilliant Gundrun Johnston. I want to go with a soft tweed yarn, which I will purchase at Webs on the way to Rhinebeck. I rarely buy sweater quantities of yarn in person (shocking!), so I'm incredibly excited for this adventure. At Rhinebeck itself there will be ample opportunity to sit and knit, preferably with a portable project. I need to decide if I want to make my matching Snapdragon Flip Tops or if I want to begin the ever-popular Ishbel (in the Scarlet shade of Tosh Merino Light). The weather might dictate which yarn weight I go with, but I'd love to hear your opinions!

ETA: Immediately after publishing this post, I picked up my Lanesplitter. It only took two hours to finish! Expect a post on it in the near future.

Snapdragon: Problems & Design Elements

Sorry for the long radio silence! We WLKALers have been feverishly knitting our Rhinebeck sweaters, but it looks like only I've finished so far! That means it's on to the next project: Snapdragon Tam. While this pattern looks very complicated, it's super fast and easy to knit. Most of the cables are simple 1x2 or 2x2, so they're extremely easy to do without a cable needle.

I'm using the recommended yarn (Madelinetosh Tosh DK) in the new French Grey colorway. As you can see, it takes on a purple tone in certain light, but other times it's a perfectly neutral gray. I love the depth and complexity of the hue. I'm pleasantly surprised that the tonal variegation isn't disrupting the patterning. For the record, I'm knitting the medium size with size 5 (ribbing/band) and size 7 needles.

While the pattern has been flying off my needles, I have come across two little snags. The first is literal: my Hiya-Hiya interchangeable needle cable is super pointy on one side and won't stop unscrewing on the other. This has led to some major snaggage on both side. I've already replaced all 4 of my Hiya-Hiya cables due to malfunction, so I simply refuse to invest more money in this set. Thankfully, my wonderful mother is getting me a different needle set for Christmas, so I only have a few months to wait. I'll try not to complain too much.

My second problem was, as always, user error. As an advanced knitter, I often assume that I know what I'm doing without reading a pattern row completely. My knitting hubris got the best of me when I worked the first row of slip 1, knit 2, pass slipped stitch over as sk2p. I fixed this easily and then vowed to read the pattern more carefully, which I did do...until rounds 25-29. I only worked one round of this repeat, which I didn't realize until 10+ rounds later. That means that my second row of buds is shorter than my other ones. While I could have added a lifeline and ripped back, I decided that I was fine with my tiny buds. We'll call it a design element to differentiate my tam from the others.

Fashionably Late

Well, based on our radio silence around here lately, you would be forgiven for thinking we had been kidnapped by wild dogs, or turned our backs on yarn all together (never!!!). I am here to confess to something far, far worse - knitting adultery. Yes, even while committed to a long-term project, our eyes have wandered over the "Hot Right Now" pages on Ravelry, browsed new issues of Interweave and Vogue, and fondled yarn not appropriate for our next project. But wait, we have excuses! You see, Rhinebeck is coming up and we need new sweaters.

The New York Sheep and Wool Festival is held the third weekend in October in Rhinebeck, NY - most fiber types will simply refer to it as "Rhinebeck" with awe in their voice and a glimmer in their eye. Apart from fondling lots and lots of yarn and fiber, there are sheep, llama, goats and alpaca galore, and tasty tasty food. And of course knitters love the excuse to wear their handicrafts proudly - sweater spotting is a fun way to pass the time between demos. Which of course means that you need just the right one; a combination of warmth and style.

This is the conundrum we have all been agonizing over for the past week or so. I had a yarn in mind already, so that gave my search some limits. I'm using some Silky Wool by Elsebeth Lavold, taken from a sweater that was never going to be finished, in a pretty yellow-orange color. I'll match the fall leaves! After searching high and low, I've decided on the Rivel Cardigan by Miriam Felton. I think it will be nice over a long sleeve tee, and I can leave it open or closed depending on the weather. And since we're going for two days, I'm also working on the Lanesplitter skirt!

But back to our main program. The next project on tap is the Veyla mitts. Even in a smaller yarn than Smith the Hedgehog, these seem to be going much faster! I think the lace helps, since you are watching it form, rather than just going round and round. I made the cuffs one after another, in an attempt to cut down on the Second-Mitt Syndrome. If you choose to do this, make sure to take at least a little break, and read the charts carefully, since they are mirror-images of each other!



I finished each in an evening, but have yet to pick up stitches for the main body due to the aforementioned sweater dilemma. I think a transition it to my travel project, since both sweater and skirt are too big for the subway. So keep your fingers crossed for a post tagged "finished" sometime soon!

Traveling Hedgehogs

Claire and Chester Hedge reporting in from the beautiful Michigan countryside! I've been back visiting my parents in southern MI since Tuesday, with my sister driving up from North Carolina to join us. While I didn't do any knitting on the plane, I launched right into it once I got home, comparing projects with my mom and sister, who are also knitters. On Wednesday we went to the LYS in the next town over to join their afternoon knitters. Sadly the store is in the process of closing, but that means lots of yarn on sale! I got some yarn for the Peaks Island Hood later in the book, plus some gifties for my fellow WLKALers!

After we had our knitting fill, we had an outing to an alpaca farm! My mom has a booth at the local farmer's market on the weekend, and right next to her is the Casa del Suri alpaca farm booth. Mary, the owner, has beautiful fiber and yarn for sale, though she says she isn't much of a knitter! When we got there, the alpaca and their guard llama were hanging out in the barn in front of the fans. Mary said when the weather is this hot they also get hosed down twice a day and really seem to love it!



Of course, they were also excited because it was dinner time! The babies (called crias) are fed first since the adults tend to be a little pushy! The crias and female alpacas are kept separate from the males, since alpacas can breed at any time, plus the guys tend to be a little rough. Mary put rocks in the food bowls to slow the little guys down so they don't choke.



Spirit, the guard llama, was very protective of his charges and kept a close eye on us.

The alpaca were also very alert - but I think they were keeping an eye out to see if we had any more food! They'd all been shorn fairly recently and were looking quite slender.

Sensing a great photo for my Rav project page, I had my mom hold Chester up to take a picture with the ladies, since he's also made of alpaca! Sophia, the friendliest of the lot, still had a bit of an appetite and decided to see if my needles would be tasty! Luckily Chester got out of the way with only a little bit of slobber :)

Ripley: Getting Started

Jess here! Since Claire and I finished our Damsons (and Kendra finished her replacement Damson), we've decided to move onto the next project. Kendra and Lindsey are both on the road, so we decided to skip Smith and Wee Mushrooms; don't worry, we'll definitely come back to those projects! Instead, we've fast-forwarded to the collection's first hat, Ripley. This is an excellent stash-busting project, as it only requires about a skein of worsted weight yarn. We're all using this opportunity to clear out some lone skeins in our stash. Ironically, we're all using yarn from the same manufacturer without consulting each other (again)! I'm using Malabrigo Merino Worsted in Verde Esperanza, a fantastic teal shade. I selected this yarn for two reasons: it was readily available in my stash, and this pattern will look great in a single-ply merino wool. Claire and Kendra will both be using Malabrigo Rios, my Merino Worsted's plied cousin.

While Ripley looks like a simple hat, it really has a unique construction. The brim is worked sideways in one of two options: lace or garter stitch (which imitates a rib). From there, you pick up slip stitches and work upward. What's most interesting about the hat is its pleats. These pleats create a permanent scrunched look, perfect for slouchy hats. Here's an incredibly rough diagram that illustrates the construction:

For my hat, I'm knitting the medium size with the garter border. Here is my work in progress:

Here's an extreme close-up of what a single pleat looks like:

I'm hoping to get the hat finished up over the long Independence Day weekend. The pattern does give instructions for varying degrees of slouch, but I'm not sure what I'll go with yet. The advantage of bottom-up hats is that you can try them on as you go, so I'll decide on the fly. We'll see what happens!