Starting over

Okay...so, I frogged that bit of a scarf that I showed last time. I decided to go with a 3x3 rib, 33 stitches. I've knit it a small bit of it (pictures to come), and I think I like it. At first I wasn't so thrilled with it, but as it got a bit longer, I started to like it more and more.

Sheesh...took me long enough to pick a scarf pattern...and now I probably won't finish it until winter's over!! >_<

Should I frog it?

Okay...so here is that pic I promised of the scarf that I started.

You'll notice that I've gotten pretty much nowhere with it. And the reason is, I'm not really sure what to make of the pattern. The pseudo-rib doesn't show up very well with it. Think I should 'ribbit' and go for a 2x2 rib instead? Maybe 20 stitches wide? The sample shown in the pic has 17 stitches in it. Or maybe something with drop-stitches in it? Or maybe even try the multi-directional scarf pattern?

*sigh* back to square one with this scarf thing...

EDIT: Thanks for the Valentine and Lick-m-aid!!! I was so surprised when I got it in the mail!! *tacklehugz you*

Fringeless Charlotte

So Charlotte is finally done and blocked! She has a crochet edging as per the instructions (it's not perfect, I tried my best), but I'm going to hold off on the fringe for now. I don't think I'm really a fringe-y kind of girl. Here is a picture of her being blocked, if you look down at the last colour you can see the lace pattern that emerged. Blocking really does do magical things to lace!



She was a lot of fun to knit and I can't wait for warmer weather and an appropriate occasion at which to wear her. What that is I have no idea, I'll have to manufacture something. =)

Now that Charlotte is done, I can move on to Clapotis. I have finished all the increases, and am almost at the part where I get to drop some stitches! Very exciting. I don't have a recent photo, but here's something to give you an idea of how the Malabrigo knits up. What the picture doesn't convey is just how soft and yummy this yarn is.



I've also discovered something about this yarn. Malabrigo yarns, the eBay seller sanfelipeysantiago, and handpaintedyarn.com all appear to be the exact same thing in slightly different incarnations. I am very tempted to buy more yarn from handpaintedyarn.com for another Clapotis simply because their prices are so good. Must....resist....soft....yarn....

That scarf

I was going to post this in a reply to an earlier post, but I figured that I may as well just make a new post out of it ^__^ I think I'll probably go with a pseudo-ribbed scarf. There's a pattern at that I might modify and use . It's 17 stitches done in K2, P1. I'm not going to use as gigantic needles as they call for (size 17!!), or do it with two strands of yarn together either. I think I'll just try knitting some of it up to see how it looks. If it looks like crap, I'll just frog it and try something else. I just don't have a good concept of what the mohair will look like in that pattern.

I'm also working on some wrist warmers for Jamie right now. They're the guys ones out of the "Last Minute Knitted Gifts" book. I've finished one already and am working on the second. When they're done, maybe I'll see if he'd be so kind as to model them for me! LOL!!! I still need to get yarn for those beer cozies I promised my friend Aaron. I haven't designed the lettering yet either. *sheepish grin* And this was supposed to be a Christmas present!

Crinkly Charlotte

Hooray, Charlotte is off the needles! Here is a picture of her in an unblocked state. I apologize for the crappy picture; my camera refuses to do her justice. She still needs a crochet edge, and possibly fringe (I haven't decided yet), not to mention a serious blocking. I wasn't too sure about the last colour on the bottom when I started incorporating it, I thought it might have been too harsh of a contrast with the pink (see the wierd stripey effect? It's much more pronounced in the picture than in real life, hm), but now I kinda like it. It's a really pretty colourway on its own, and it brings out the pink which is of course my favourite part. =)

This was actually a pretty simple project, and I already want to make another one. The koigu is totally addictive and such a pleasure to knit with, and I honestly think one could combine any random colourways and come out with something fantastic. Of course I have several projects waiting in the wings, so I couldn't cast on for another Charlotte for a while, but a girl can always keep her eyes peeled for pretty colourways, can't she? =P

More kitty fun...

Alright! As promised, I took a picture of my pink mohair kitty hat. While it's a terrible photo of me, it did manage to get both ears in.


Let me tell you, this mohair while soft and fuzzy when I wear it, is not all that great to knit with. All the extra fuzzies get kinda annoying after a while. But it does make fabulous pom poms. I think I'm going to take a break from this pink stuff though. Even though I was planning to make a scarf with it, I'm gonna move to some other project first. I owe my friend Aaron some beer cozies in the Winnipeg Jets colours.

Oh yeah...and let me tell you about the other misadventure I had with this hat. I put one of the ears in a totally horrible place, so I decided to take it off, and re-do it. While clipping the old ear off, I accidentally clipped a big hole into the hat portion. DOH! Stupid me. So, I had to fix that first, and then put the new ear on. And I also goofed on the i-cord a little. One of them is a touch longer than the other, but I can live with it.

Desperate for the Clap

I have wanted to make a Clapotis for my mother ever since the Fall 2004 Knitty came out, cuz I thought she would find it useful for keeping her warm around the house while watching tv/knitting/whatever else. But, the original yarn called for in the pattern was way too expensive, so I needed to find a suitable replacement yarn. Since my mother is a regular reader of this blog, I am now going to document the subsequent quest for said replacement yarn in exhaustive detail so she (and everyone else) can appreciate just how ridiculously anal and picky and undecisive I can be.

My yarn criteria:
1) Must be handpainted/dyed. If I am going to be knitting what is essentially a very large stockinette rectangle I should at least be able to enjoy the colours. Plus I think it'd make the finished product more interesting looking. I refuse to buy boring one-coloured yarn for this.
2) Must be soft. The original Lion & Lamb is very soft and drapey, I will not settle for icky scratchy crunchy yarn that won't drape well. Basically merino or silk or cashmere.
3) Must not totally break the bank. I was thinking a price range of $50-$60. Difficult to do with the above criteria!

Her yarn criteria:
1) Must not be too multicoloured or crazy-looking (damn, those are my favourite kind!).
2) Preferably just ONE colour (argh, no way!).
3) If there must be colour variations, they should be subtle (ok, fine).

Here are all the possibilities I seriously considered and rejected for various reasons:
1) Lorna's Laces Lion & Lamb
2) Lorna's Laces Fisherman
3) Noro Cash Iroha
4) Manos del Uruguay
5) Cherry Tree Hill Silk & Merino DK
6) Fiesta Yarns La Luz
7) Artyarns Supermerino
8) various Fleece Artist yarns
9) Handpainted silk/merino yarn from Mystical Creation Yarns
10) Handpainted silk/merino yarn from eBay seller LotusBlossom
11) Handpainted yarn from Axelle
12) Yarn from Inspirations Yarn
13) Hand dyed yarn from eBay seller Sanfelipeysantiago

That's all I can remember right now. Anyway, today I finally found yarn that I think would be acceptable to the both of us, in Newbury Yarns. It is kettle-dyed merino from Malabrigo Yarns (colour 180, chocolate), and it is totally buttery soft. It is hand-dyed in subtle shades of pink, brown and a little bit of green, and while it is not ONE colour it is also not riotous and rainbow-y like I would have preferred. It is a lot like Manos yarn, except softer and cheaper per yard. I spent a very long time in the store trying to decide just which colour to get. I hope you like it, mother! If not, I will just keep the shawl for myself and you can make your own. =P