Knitting in Chicago

Moving...

2008-01-11T18:06:00.001-08:00

In case you haven't noticed, I have not been doing much knitting lately. It isn't what I am currently madly in love with. My sewing maching has been getting a workout among other things. Because of this, I have decided to start a blog that isn't topic specific. All of my knitting will be posted there but you will also find posts about sewing, my family, fashion, photography, and anything else I might be doing. Hope to see you over there!

ewww.....ahhhh.

2008-01-06T14:59:00.001-08:00

I think I have mentioned that we have five cats. Yea, I know, we're crazy. We have bought the cats scratching posts. They prefer our ottoman. Ewww....Today I whipped up a temporary solution. Ahhhhh....

Things I have knit and not posted about: Part 1.

2007-12-27T17:42:00.000-08:00

This is a hat that I made a few weeks ago for Jim. I found this yarn and loved it. It was the perfect shades of grey. After I got home, I immediately wound a ball and started knitting. Hmm... looks a little more purple now. He says he likes it and I believe him. I also think I will wear it more than he will. Either way, it was a great, quick knit.Pattern: Cap Karma Hat from Smariek Knits.

Yarn: Malabrigo Merino worsted

Goodbye, Christmas. See you again next year.

2007-12-26T16:03:00.000-08:00

Whoa, where have I been? The older you get the more stressful Christmas seems to be. Remember the days when all you had to do was wake up Christmas morning? There was no shopping, no traveling, and no splitting time between families. Those were the days.

Anyway, in the upcoming weeks there may be some posting that isn't knitting related. I was much more into crafts when I was younger and learning to knit has got me started up again. I received some great books that I am really looking forward to getting into once I settle down from all the holiday action:I also got 2 years subscription to Martha Stewart Living. What a lucky, lucky girl I am!

Creepy?

2007-12-07T10:50:00.000-08:00

Does anyone else think this picture is a little creepy? It is the Kitty pattern from the Winter issue of Knitty. Once I scrolled down and saw the second picture, I felt a little better. But that first picture, man. Creepy.

Le Slouch

2007-12-02T22:29:00.000-08:00

Because I mentioned it, here is Le Slouch:This was finished while the camera was broken and I never bothered with this post. It is, of course, Le Slouch by Wendy of Knit and Tonic. I used Blue Sky Alpacas Sport Weight yarn in black.
So...maybe I like black hats. Don't judge me.

Oh, a hat.

2007-11-30T09:23:00.000-08:00

Another slouchy hat? Yes, please!Pattern: Sea Urchin Hat

Needles: US size 10 circs and dpn

Yarn: Knit Picks Cadena in coal, just over 1 skein

Modifications: I only made the hat about 5.5" before starting the decrease rounds because I didn't want it to be that slouchy.

Yes, it is similar to the Le Slouch that I made but that hat is made of sport weight yarn and this one is bulky yarn. (I just realized I never posted Le Slouch here, you can find it on Ravelry though.) This will actually be a great warm hat when it starts to get really cold.

I'm really starting to wonder how many hats one person really needs. Well, the most basic answer would be one. To keep a head warm, one hat would be needed. Alright, add in the fact that I am a female: two more hats. Take into consideration I am knitting them myself: two more hats. I live in Chicago and it is really cold here: another hat, maybe. I ride the bus and the subway and hats seem to be left on seats at least once a year: one hat for every hat lost. How many is that? Seven hats; seven hats are necessary for a girl who knits living in Chicago. How many do I have? Well, lets just say we are currently in double digits. How many have I made myself? Four...in the last three months. So, I need just a few more and I'll be set.

Really?

2007-11-28T19:18:00.000-08:00

So I saw this post on Re:Knit and just starred at it with a gaping mouth. I absolutely love this. It is made by an artist named Rachel Denny and you can find more examples of her work at her website racheldenny.com.My childhood home is decorated with not one, not two, but three deer heads. One of which, lucky for my mother, is in my parents' bedroom. While I am a vegetarian, I still love the aesthetic and homey feeling this represents for me. A knit deer head is a perfect compromise. I really can't afford a $550 knit deer head right now but maybe someone will be generous for Christmas. Is it silly that I do really, really want this?

Take that, Harry Potter.

2007-11-27T16:34:00.000-08:00

It's finished, it's finished! That dang Harry Potter scarf that has been giving me an ulcer is finally finished, tassels and all. I was thinking that this scarf would be a lot longer than it is. But, I've followed the pattern exactly and there is no chance that I will make it any longer.

Now on to more Christmas knittng....

Lace knitting?!?!

2007-11-26T06:30:00.000-08:00

I've read online that people who try lace knitting for the first time are often frustrated and feel like it is learning to knit all over again. It can't be that hard, can it? These people have probably known how to knit for most of their lives and don't remember learning to knit. I'm still fresh, still learning, it won't be that hard for me.

Well, yesterday I cast on with my newly purchased knit picks yarn. No pattern in mind, I wanted to knit a few rows garter stitch and then stockinette stitch just to get the hang of it before I started in on a pattern. All my feelings of, 'it can't be that hard,' went out the window. This is hard. I have cast on and then ripping out different shawl patterns five times in hopes of finding a pattern that will work better than the previous one. Eventually I am going to have to suck it up and just pick one and come to terms with the fact that the finished product isn't going to look very nice.

To all you lace knitters out there: you are all crazy and I am envious of your skill and patience.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-22T09:00:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone has a great day planned. Today I am thankful that I am finally blocking the Harry Potter scarf and that winter is here in Chicago. We woke up and it was snowing.

We are going to Jim's Aunt's for dinner and will be bringing a peach pie with candied pecan topping and a loaf of multi-grain bread baked by yours truly. With some help from a very naughty cat named Tabitha.

Clean Slate by 2008

2007-11-19T13:54:00.000-08:00

I just joined the Clean Slate by 2008 knit-a-long on Ravelry. Not sure if it is too late to be including officially in the knit-a-long but I thought it would be great motivation to finish up some UFOs. (All the links are to Ravelry)

UFO #1:

Harry Potter Scarf from atypically.knit: this is being knit for a friend to give her boyfriend for Christmas, Gryffindor of course. Current Progress: 75% done.

UFO #2:

Camo hat- a basic ribbed hat, this is an experiment with cheap camouflage yarn I found at Jo-Ann Fabrics. My family loves hunting, fishing, and other camo related things. Current progress: 40% done.

UFO #3:

Gloves for Mom-Christmas present for my Mom. She picked out the yarn so I'm not ruing a surprise here. Current progress: 50% done.

UFO #4:

Shawl collared tunic from Vogue- started this a month and a half ago, I'm afraid I am not going to like the way it is going to fit so I've put it aside. This will be my first full sweater project. Current progress: about 40% (I have to finish both sleeves and the shawl collar)

UFO #5:

Sheldon from Knitty.com-I love this pattern. All I have to finish is the legs, 4 little legs have taken me over three months! Current progress: 90%

UFO #6:

Mystery Christmas gift- Someone who may read this blog can't see what this is. The link sends you to Ravelry if any you are curious. (the recipient of course is not on Ravelry). Current progress: 85%

UFO #7:

Nautie from Knitty.com- don't really know why I haven't finished this. Just got bored I guess. This may be one that gets frogged. (I couldn't find this picture on my computer, it is on Ravelry) Current progress: 35%

UFO #8:

Elisa nest tote- Not for anyone in particular but will probably end up being a gift. Current progress: 10%

UFO #9:
Knucks for me- O-wool scratches my hands and it is annoying. I do like the finished product and need to suck it up and finish these before it gets unbearable cold outside. Current progress: 50% That is currently all of them. Only nine, that isn't too bad, right? I'm not sure what the rules are about casting on new projects. Do those have to be finished before New Year's as well? That could be what gets me into trouble. Ok, wish me luck!

hunting gloves

2007-11-18T16:05:00.000-08:00

My dad goes deer hunting every year before Thanksgiving. This past summer he mentioned (in a way that you can only truly appreciate if you know my Dad) that he would like a pair of gloves with only the trigger finger missing. Well, happy hunting, Dad!Pattern: Cigar, from Knitty.com

Yarn: Knick Picks Swish Superwash in Lemongrass Heather, 2 skeins

Needles: US #5 Dpns.

Modifications: I made all the fingers to length except the right index finger. Also, Instead of doing two decrease rows at the end of the fingers and then pulling the yarn through the last six stitches to bind off, I did one decrease round then used kitchener stitch to bind off. I just thinks this looks nicer.

Hopefully they will fit him well. Jim put them on and they were just a little tight. My Dad has smaller hands than Jim so that seems like a good sign to me.
These were finished a few days ago but I didn't want to post this until he got the package in the mail. Hopefully my mom will take some pics of him wearing them for me.

Knucks

2007-11-06T04:10:00.000-08:00

I had one glove syndrome with these for a couple months. Since it was starting to get cold, I just sat down and finished the other glove. Pattern: Knucks from Knitty.com

Yarn: Knit Picks, Swish Dk in Coal, 1.5 skeins

Needles: US #4 Dpns

I didn't do any modifications but somehow one of the gloves ended up a little longer than the other. Ooops! Also, I'm not crazy about this yarn, or the pattern for that matter. The yarn is too thin for these, and I like the cigar pattern from Knitty better. Jim likes his gloves really tight and the way the fingers are done on Knucks, holes are appearing at the knuckles. This is probably just my fault but the fingers on my Dad's gloves are just fine. I'm going to eventually buy more Swish Superwash and make a pair of fingerless gloves for Jim based on the Cigar pattern.

Jim's Garter Stitch Scarf

2007-11-06T04:08:00.001-08:00

Jim's had his scarf just in time for cold weather.
Pattern: none, just garter stitch

Yarn: Malabrigo in chocolate, 2 skeins

Needles: US # 10

Although this was intended for Jim, I wear this scarf a lot now too. Of course, he gets first pick of the scarves in the morning if he wants it. It is only fair.

Foliage

2007-11-06T03:57:00.000-08:00

I've noticed that everyone has a preference for knitting certain things. You have your sock knitters, sweater knitters, toy knitters, etc. Well, I think that I may be a hat knitter. Yes, another hat! Pattern: Foliage from Knitty

Yarn: Cascade Yarns, baby alpaca in white, less than one skein

Needles: US #10 Dpns and circular.
Modifications: I don't really do any major modifications to anything yet. But, I added two extra rows of ribbing for the band.

This hat fits well but I would like it to be a bit baggier. I plan on doing the bind off over and using a sewn off method so the ribbing stretches more. Hopefully that will take care of it.

8 Random Things

2007-11-02T07:43:00.000-07:00

Well, my camera should be fixed by early next week. I haven't really posted since it broke because I am a very visual blogger. When I browse other blogs, I'll be honest, unless something really catches my eye, I'm just looking at the pictures. I assume that is how everyone else is and I see no point in posting text about knitting without even one picture.

But...Amanda tagged me for the '8 random things' list and it is a good excuse to get back in there.

The Rules: once tagged, you must link to the person who tagged you. Then post the rules before your list, and list 8 random things about yourself. At the end of the post, you must tag and link to 8 other people, visit their sites, and leave a comment letting them know they’ve been tagged.

1. I am a crazy cat lady. We have five cats; it was an accident, I promise. We have three black, boy, litter mates and another boy and a girl. The girl, Tabitha, hates the three brothers and we now are constantly fighting a loosing battle to get the cats to at least co-exist in our house.

2. Despite being a vegetarian for about ten years, I looooove to fish. This past summer I caught my biggest fish yet; a 3.1 lb large mouth bass. I fish at a lake that my uncle and four of his friends own and whenever we go there, I just can't get enough 'fishing time with Dad' in.

3. I would rather watch DVDs of TV shows that I have seen a million times than try to pick a movie to watch. My favorites are currently The West Wing and Scrubs.

4. I grew up in a small town and moved to Chicago when I was 18. I love it here but I often fantasize about moving to some small town in the middle of nowhere to live in an old house with a huge yard.

5. My favorite wall color is green. Our kitchen is green, I love it!

6. I am very messy but always come up with some grand scheme to re-organize my life. I pull everything out of a closet, put things into piles, but then get tired before it is all over and end up with a bigger mess than I started with. (Jim doesn't really like this about me)

7. My parents were high school sweethearts, got married when they were 18 and 19, and are still happily married 34 years later. I love this about my family and hope that I am so lucky when I grow up.

8. I would much rather live in a place that was winter all year long than live somewhere that was always hot and humid. I will not be moving to Florida when I retire.

That was exciting, wasn't it?

Do I have to tag knitters? Ok, I will tag Keri, Jen, Charlene, and just to see if he does it, Jim.

Ravelry!!!!

2007-10-02T11:36:00.000-07:00

Oh my good God! I was invited to Ravelry today. I am KnittingChicago if anyone wants to know. Not sure how it all works yet but I think it is going to be awesome!

In other news, I finished Jim's garter stitch, Malabrigo scarf a couple days ago. I'll post pictures when I get my camera fixed.

Stripey Socks make me happy.

2007-09-30T06:45:00.000-07:00

I finished a pair of socks! Unfortunately you only get to see one of the pair due to camera lens error E18. (I found out my camera is still under warranty and I think I should be fixing it within the week) Anyways, I used Knit Picks Felici yarn in Hummingbird. It is 75% Superwash Merino Wool and 25% Nylon. I didn't really use a pattern but followed along with the Sock Knitter's Companion that I found a link to from Twisted Knitter. Using size 1 dpns, I cast on 68 stitches and started a 3 X 1 rib. After a inch or so, I switched to stockinette and just followed the pattern.

I am really pleased with how well these turned out, I am excited to try an interesting pattern with cables or something now that I am confident I can finish a pair. The new socks had their premiere at work yesterday which is perfect because I almost always wear Danskos to work and they slide off easily. Perfect for showing off newly finished, striped, happy socks. After you wear a pair of socks that were made to fit your foot exactly, how do you ever want to wear normal socks again?

Fad Classic

2007-09-19T04:50:00.000-07:00

So I said that I had FO's and I really do. Here is my Fad Classic. I wish I had made it longer and maybe I will one day. This is my first finished garment. Woo-hoo! My boyfriend seemed impressed and the day I wore it work everyone was surprised. I think that they hear me talk about knitting but all they see is the same sock that I only knit during my lunch break. (Which will be the FO for another day. I can't post them all at once, that would be silly)
Hopefully things will slow down a bit here. One of my good friends got married this weekend and I think (I hope) that her wedding was the last of summer responsibilities. I'll have to try to remember to post pictures of her wedding, it was beautiful.
Oh.. and if I don't have new pictures to show, it is because my camera is broken. When I turn it on, the lens comes about halfway out then beeps and the display window reads, "lens error, restart camera.' I will cry if my camera is broken. It isn't yet a year old and I am almost positive it is still under warranty. Besides, it is a Canon and I've heard that they are pretty good with stuff like this.

Coral Garden

2007-09-16T17:16:00.000-07:00

Has everyone seen this? I think it is absolutely gorgeous. If I ever get to the point where I can create something as beautiful as this...well, I'll cry, or something.

If you haven't go to the artist's site and check it out. http://hellejorgensen.typepad.com/gooseflesh/

$60 Felt Piece-O-Junk

2007-09-09T05:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the first day that I have really been shopping since Fall stuff has been out. I wandered around store after store annoying my non-knitting friend with, "$48!! I could knit that! Those are just *insert pattern* with a 2 X 2 rib at the bottom."

One particularly irritating moment for my friend was when I saw a sweater on sale for $60 dollars that was hand knit. It was knit with really chunky yarn, would only take about 5 hours to knit due to the very holey pattern, and seemed to be knit out of some alpaca blend. Ok, so alpaca yarn is super expensive anywhere I have seen it and $60 doesn't seem to steep. My problem? There were no washing instructions anywhere on the sweater. It had about five tags and not one of them said what kind of yarn was used or instructions for care of the garment. Now you know someone bought that sweater, took it home, then... threw it in the washing machine! $60 isn't expensive for an alpaca hand knit but I do think it is a little pricey for a felted doll sweater. If I had the time or energy yesterday I could have asked the salesperson about the information that was left off the tags. Who knows, maybe when you buy the sweater they give you a little pamphlet entitled, "how to care for your hand knits." I wonder if after you get home and felt your beautiful sweater, does the store give you a refund?

In knitting news...I have not been posting lately because I have been knitting. I have FO's to post about and I promise I will try to post them today or tommorrow... I just had to share my story.

Almost there...

2007-08-28T06:16:00.000-07:00

I got a lot of progress on Fad Classic done over my four day weekend. Unfortunately the weekend also involved a bachelorette party which took up most of Saturday and half of Sunday. The second half of Sunday was spent slowly knitting because nursing my hangover seemed to be more important at the time. But, here she is in all of her almost finished glory.I've also been working on a little something when I need a ten minute break from the color teal. Can you guess what it is?

First wash

2007-08-23T08:01:00.000-07:00

Not only did I get yarn from Knit Picks, I also bought some Eucalan woolwash. My enormous blue scarf had its first bath last night. I'm thinking I will have to wash it again, the blue color of the leftover water makes me nervous. I don't want to have my scarf get damp from snow and then bleed onto my coat!

It's here, it's here!

2007-08-18T13:03:00.000-07:00

My Knit Picks yarn was here when I got home from work today! Oh happy day! Before I get to that, I'll let you in on what has been going on around here lately.

I have been working non-stop because two of my co-workers were on vacation at the same time. This is the main reason why the progress pictures have been non-existent lately. However, to avoid overtime on my next paycheck, I get a four day weekend next week. A four-day weekend is like a birthday, Christmas, Thanksgiving, and a snow day wrapped into one.

I finally ripped out fad classic. I got to the point where I made the mistake, but then looked at the rest of it and decided, "oh, hell..." and ripped the entire thing out to start over completely. Why? Just because, I guess. I am actually happy that I did. Now that I have a better understanding of the pattern, I think it looks much better the second time around. I'm almost to where I was before I ripped it out last time. Although this horrible picture just looks like a blob of blue yarn.I have been slowly knitting Natuie from Knitty. I don't know why it has been taking so long. Usually, I love the cute toy projects because I get to practice shaping and they are a quick fix when I want something finished. All of the other toys I have knit only took me a day or two. I started this guy about two weeks ago. That is about when I started working like crazy and before the post office drama, so maybe I have just been in a funk.I also recently bought yarn to knit a sweater that I fell in love with in this months Vogue Knitting. There will be more posts about it one day I am sure, I told myself I would finish Fad-Classic before I started another sweater. The only problem with that is I can start to smell fall in the air. Do you know that feeling? In my opinion, there is nothing else in the world that compares to that. I am a big time summer hater and after the initial novelty of 'ooo.. lets go to the beach' wears off, I am in a bad mood about the weather until very late August/September rolls around.

Oh and because I wanted to show off how bad my 'knitting area' is:Among the wreckage you should spot the following (it's a little game.. if you are really really bored).

fad classic pattern
O-wool tag
reciepts from online bought yarn
tv and dvd remotes
Jim's current work-in-progress painting
pencil
beginnings of Nautie
the book that I used to learn how to knit
scissors
and of course, an empty glass that at one point was holding a whole lot of vodka and juice

Some serious yarn storage and organizing needs to be done in my house. Unfortunately that just isn't as exciting as knitting. Maybe after I run through my Knit Picks stash I'll do some organizing. I don't think this yarn will last long. All the yarn I got is intended for small projects; gloves for Jim, a couple little Christmas presents, and a hat. Isn't is beautiful? This will be used for socks: A new and improved Norberta from the yarn the pattern calls for: And of course, Sheldon:

Other reasons that I am really happy right now:

it is 70 degrees and drizzling rain right now in Chicago, which not only is a sign of fall but also reminds of the weather in Madrid when Jim and I were there last fall
the Notwist is currently playing in my house.. and well, I love the Notwist.
Jim is quietly sitting across from me in his vintage barber chair that he aquired from a friend and reading. He looks cute.

Knit Picks has fantastic customer service.

2007-08-13T13:48:00.000-07:00

Ok... the post office officially lost my package. Well, not officially because I have walked down there and all I got was three extremely rude women talking behind a wall about me as if I can't hear them. Since it has been over 14 days, I called Knit Picks. The woman I talked to was so very, very nice. A new package should be shipped out tomorrow. Hopefully I get it soon, I've read such great reviews about their yarn and I'm really anxious to try it out!

Is it at least fall yet?

2007-08-09T08:37:00.000-07:00

Maybe I subconsciously think that global warming is going to cause the ice caps to melt at such an alarming rate that by next month all of the Midwest will have record lows. Maybe I'm going to move to Canada and don't know it yet. Maybe I will accidentally fall into a time travel machine and emerge on the other side and it will be January. Whatever it is, I am stocking up on winter wear. It is the beginning of August and I have recently finished a scarf, hat, and gloves. I am also in the process of knitting more gloves, a scarf for my boyfriend, looking for yarn for another hat, and drooling over the gorgeous sweaters in Vogue Knitting. Monday's high was 93 degrees! What am I doing making hats and gloves?

Giving props to my man.

2007-08-07T07:58:00.001-07:00

Jim is an artist. Jim used to support himself on his art alone. Jim got a good paying job with his brother. Jim doesn't paint anymore.

Not that he never paints, just not like he used to. After seeing how excited I have been since I started blogging about my knitting he decided to start a blog about his painting. So, if any of you like art, check it out, http://jamesmroy.blogspot.com/ I think he is quite talented, here is one that he is currently working on:

It is a recreation of Caravaggio's John the Baptist.

Disappointments...sigh.

2007-08-06T05:46:00.001-07:00

I have been away for about a week now. Unfortunately my only excuse is that knitting and related activities have made me frustrated. I didn't want my posts of these stories to seem overly angry so I waited until I calmed down about them. First, I thought I was moving along at a good rate with my Fad-Classic until I noticed this:Seriously? Grrrrrr...... This was caused by knitting 2 together instead of purling 2 together after joining the front and back together. I have actually considered finishing it like this and hoping nobody will notice. I can't do that. I probably wouldn't wear it because it would make me angry every time I brought it out. It hasn't been ripped out yet, I'm giving that step a little more time.

Next, as if I didn't already dislike the United States Postal Service (by default everyone does, right?) I especially dislike them now. I ordered yarn from Knit Picks a week ago and I finally started wondering, "where is my yarn?" I went to the USPS tracking website and according to them my package has been delivered. Delivered. Really? If it were delivered I would be knitting a turtle right now instead of crying over ripping out three and a half inches of a vest. I'm hoping that delivered means that it is at the post office for me to pick up... it is still too early in the morning here to call yet. I need eight more minutes. If it is not at the post office then where did the lovely post man deliver my huge box of yarn? If it is at the post office waiting for me to pick it up then how and when did they exactly plan on letting me know? This is very upsetting.

Ok, so half an hour has passed. In this time I have called Knit Picks. They told me that the delivered status means that my package has reached the local post office. If the package is lost Knit Picks can't do anything until 14 days have passed. If my package isn't here by Friday they send me more yarn. I have also been on hold with my local post office for about 20 minutes. I am curious what they have been doing with my package since last Wednesday when it was officially delivered to them. I didn't use this tone with the woman who answered the phone but apparently I did or said something to piss her off because I am still on hold. The unusual thing is she asked what I needed and I quickly explained that I just wanted to know where my package was because according to the sender it was delivered to the post office on Wednesday and that if it is still there, I can come and pick it up this morning instead of waiting for the mail. She then put me on hold without asking any personal information so I know she isn't looking for my package. I think she is hoping that I will just hang up. Ha!

O-wool

2007-07-31T04:49:00.000-07:00

I finally busted out the O-Wool Balance that I had bought on the internet. Since I didn't think it would be a good yarn substitution for Le Slouch, I found a hat pattern on the O-Wool website that was cute. Knitting with this yarn isn't that all that nice. The finished product feels good but while knitting the yarn is so dry that my hands were getting sore.

I went up a needle size because I have an enormous head. If I would have used the correct needle size, my hat would have been uncomfortably small, but now my hat is just a little too big. I probably won't rip it out though, at least not any time soon. I have one more skein left and I think I am going to use it to make Knitty's pattern, Knucks.
I'll try to post pictures of my Fad Classic progress and another small project I am working on to finish off the last of my Malabrigo from my fingerless mitts.

Another finished project!

2007-07-28T13:11:00.000-07:00

Wow, two finished projects in as many days, I am feeling good. These are my fingerless mitts all finished and beautiful. One thing I don't have to worry about is warmth, I wore them for five minutes while Jim took pictures and my arms are hot. I suppose that could also be because I live in Chicago and it is July. Wait until January and then I'll be complaining that my fingers are cold.

A FO, finally.

2007-07-26T06:24:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been spending so much time researching new yarn and patterns and then starting new projects, that I feel like I haven't finished something in a long time. Don't worry, I have been knitting, but I pick up a different project to work on everyday. Well, last night sat down with some movie that Jim put in about Denver, CO and a glass of wine and finished my enormous bright blue scarf. I knew I wanted this scarf to be just ridiculous in length...I measured it and it is 130 inches. That is 10.8 feet, or 3.3 meters to those of you outside the States. I can comfortably wrap it around my neck three times and the tails still hit right at my waist. Chicago winters are nasty, nasty business and I don't mess around with my winter wear.

(the picture is horrible, this is the best of the 6 that Jim took of me last night. I have red eyes and the all of you get to see my laundry behind me in the hall. Oh well.)

I used three skeins of Cascade Yarns, Baby Alpaca Chunky and size 11 needles. The entire thing is k1, yo, k2tog. I love this yarn, it was on sale at my LYS and when I went back, I bought more in a creamy off white color. I've been holding off to buy the needles I need to start my Fad Classic because I would like to finish Jim's scarf first. For those of you who remember, Jim's scarf is just garter stitch using Malabrigo yarn. I love the yarn (I'm bought more and am using it for my fingerless mitts) but when I know I could be knitting something with pattern, garter stitch just doesn't seem that exciting.

Beginnings of a Yarn Stash

2007-07-24T05:57:00.000-07:00

Ok, book finished. Everyone needs to reed the Harry Potter series, they just do. Also, anyone who is a fan needs to read the last book before people start talking and ruin it for you. It was fantastic.

Back to normal posting... I never posted pictures of the yarn I bought from Purl. The yarn comes wrapped up so nice.

The O-Wool is supposed to be for my Le Slouch hat. This is part of my fear of ordering yarn online, it doesn't feel like it will hang right for the pattern, too much cotton. I should have expected that, lesson learned. It can always be used for something else. Besides, this will help out my 'stash envy'. All the yarn I have bought has been for specific projects that I just haven't started. I'm not at a point that I can walk into a store and buy some yarn just because I like it and find a project later. I'm not sure how much to buy of one thing and I would be disappointed if I bought, say, 5 skeins and then I found the perfect pattern and that pattern needs 6. But little accidents like this O-Wool situation, starts my stash! I'm sure it won't take long before I get the hang of buying yarn just to buy it.

The Cascade 220 is meant for a pair of gloves or socks or something. Probably for Jim because the green isn't exactly a green that I like to wear but looks very handsome on him. Sorry, in the picture it looks brown. I need to figure out sunlight vs. flash to show colors correctly. Originally, I was nervous that this yarn would be too itchy, but it is actually quite nice.

Harry Potter is here!

2007-07-23T05:38:00.000-07:00

Just because I haven't posted in a few days, don't think I haven't been knitting. I had a wedding to go to in Wisconsin, drove to Kankakee to see Jim's family, had a birthday that involved an all night sushi feast, and now, Harry Potter! Rough week. I am about half way through The Deathly Hallows and should resume posting in a couple more days.

Orange gloves.

2007-07-17T19:20:00.000-07:00

One half of Dashing is done! I was originally planning on knitting Fetching but decided I liked this simpler design better.

Yarn bought at 3:30pm, yarn arrived home at 4pm, yarn was on the needles at 4:30pm. No point in messing around when I get to try something new. The left glove turned out well. I was a little unsure of knitting the thumb. In fact, that is my only complaint about the first glove, the holes from picking up stitches along the side of the thumb opening seem a little big.

Overall I am very pleased. Especially considering this was my first project with cables. Cable knitting is far easier than people make you believe. I will have to look into scarf or hat patterns with a few cables thrown in.

About a minute after I started knitting with this yarn, I wondered why I bought bright orange yarn. I usually stick to neutrals or blue/greens. But, I love the orange! I like orange, just never thought it was a color that I wore well. However, a little bit peeking out from a coat on the hands will be just perfect.

Onto glove #2!

UPS MAN!!!!!

2007-07-16T18:40:00.000-07:00

My first ups package of yarn arrived today. Not the order I posted about... I may have, you know, accidentally bought more yarn the next day. In just a few days I have managed to go from extreme nervousness about buying yarn online to 'wow, that was easy.. click, click, click... more yarn!' But this yarn will be part of a big step for me as a knitter. I'm doing it. I am going to knit a garment. I must give some credit to my bravery of knitting the first sweater vest to Jen at Law & Garter. She has been knitting about as long as I have and her blog is filled with pictures of garments! I need to stop hiding behind this 'beginning knitter' thing and get out there. I bought Wendy Bernard's design Fad-Classic from Knit and Tonic. The pattern uses Tahki Cotton Classic yarn and I thought it would be best to stick to the pattern as much as possible the first time around. So, I bought Tahki Cotton Classic yarn but in a deep teal color. Progress pictures to come soon...

I hate our crappy car. I love my boyfriend.

2007-07-16T08:51:00.000-07:00

The Jim scarf had been put on hold. I finished the one skein I had of Malabridgo yarn and Jim looked at the scarf and said, "that is way too short." My reply was, "well, I thought you wanted a really short scarf to just tuck into the top of your coat." "Yeah, if am I only three feet tall. And what coat do you think I am wearing that buttons all the way up to my neck?"Yesterday I got in the car to make a 'quick trip' to the store to buy the second skein of Malabrigo for Jim's scarf. I was driving north on Lincoln Ave and about a block away, I realized that Rock around the Block was going on. Chicago has neighborhood fests all summer long; in July and August there is one just about every weekend. This neighborhood fest was in between me and my yarn. I realized I wasn't going to find parking and turned around to go home, the yarn would have to wait for another day. When I was about a mile and half away from home, the car dies. The service engine light went on then.. nothing. After trying to restart a few times, I called Jim. He walked the mile and a half to get the car while saying, "don't worry we can still get you to the store!" and, "I see you, I am a block away. I'll save you!" (while waving his arms dramatically above his head) We got home, hopped on the scooter, got to the store, bought the Malabrigo (and more) and were home before 4pm. What a man!

Was it worth it? Oh, yeah!

The yarn I went to the store for is the Malabrigo in Rich Chocolate. I also bought another skein of Malabrigo, two of Cascade Yarns, Baby Alpaca Chunky, and two balls of Bambini Soft. I've never heard of the Bambini Soft. It was made in Italy and most of the tag is written in Italian. I can tell you, however, that it is 54% pure new wool, 24% nylon, and 22% cotton. Not sure what I will use it for but there were only two balls left and they were on sale. Overall a very satisfying Sunday.

Blast from the Past

2007-07-13T07:39:00.000-07:00

I was recently at my parents house and my mom had found old boxes of my stuff. Among the boxes was a crochet project I started when I was around 11. I plan on finishing it, I'm just not sure how to do it yet. It is supposed to be a blanket. When you are 11, a blanket doesn't need to be that wide. This blanket covers my shins and feet, if I never move. I have more of the yarn I used so I think I might just crochet another piece and seam them together (I don't think anyone will notice because the blanket is already pretty...well, lets just say you can tell an 11 year old made it). Nerdy side point: I remember working on this project while roller blading. Yes, while roller blading. I had the yarn in a backpack and rode around the neighborhood while crocheting. If I saw someone doing that now I would think, "What the hell is wrong with that person? That isn't safe. Who rolls around the neighborhood while roller blading? What a freak." and on, and on. But hey, that's just what kind of person I was while in grade school. I was cool like that.

New Yarn

2007-07-12T06:50:00.001-07:00

Yesterday morning I bought yarn online...for the first time. I am nervous. As I have stated before, I don't really know anything about yarn, but I want to. I figure the best way to find out is to just buy some! Good for me, not so good for my budget.

Ok, I bought Cascade Yarns 220 in yakima heather for a pair of manly socks. It is 100% pure new wool. Hopefully it isn't too itchy for socks. I am trying to make slightly baggy, slipper-type socks.

Also in my shopping basket is O-Wool Balance in opal. This is supposed to be for Knit and Tonic's Le'Slouch pattern. The pattern calls for Classic Elite Yarn, City Lights which has some sparkle in it. I don't think I am down with the sparkle. The O-Wool is 50% organic merino, 50% organic cotton. At least it will be soft!

If the yarn doesn't work out, I can always use it for something else. But this is why the two times I have bought yarn, I have gone to the store to ask the very knowledgeable staff their opinions. However, yesterday I had to work from noon to eight, the stores were only open while I was at work, and well, I wanted to buy something. Is that wrong?

A Few Ripples!

2007-07-12T06:02:00.001-07:00

I have a few rows of ripples done for my blanket. I am afraid the colors have taken a turn for the ugly. My plan was to blindly reach into my very large box of old yarn that I got from my grandma and whatever color I came out with was my next row. Perhaps I should start paying a little more attention. Maybe it will turn out to be one of those things that is 'kinda ugly but in a cute way.'

Also, just because it is cute: My new job is at The Animal Medical Center of Chicago and this is a cat that we are trying to find a home for (hoping the owner will let us keep as the house cat). His name is Kipling. On my break yesterday, I hung out with Kipling while I worked on Jim's scarf and he was very interested in the bottom of my knitting bag. He normally has very lovey dovey eyes, he just doesn't like the flash on my camera.

Toys from Knitty

2007-07-11T05:45:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it! I forgot to list Pasha the penguin with my completed projects post while back. Pasha is a free pattern at Knitty. I remember her because I was finishing up Norberta the dragon and she needed somewhere to live. I don't really have the kind of house that allows space for stuffed toy decorations, so I put them on the bookcase. This are fun, fast projects that let me practice shaping but don't require a big commitment. However, after finishing Norberta, I am seriously considering going to the store and getting better colored cotton yarn to make a nice version of her as a gift for someone. I think they are just adorable, perhaps I will give them to my little cousin. (or selfishly keep them forever on my bookshelf)

Sushi Night

2007-07-09T05:30:00.000-07:00

I have been, until recently, in job search mode. Jim and I decided that when I got a job, I was taking us out for sushi. We went to Bob San and it was delicious. A few days later we decided we needed sushi again but choose not to leave the house. About thirty minutes later, fresh sushi was at our door. Mmmm...I wonder if you have the same feeling as we do when we eat sushi. So full, you can't even think about eating another bite. Then about fifteen minutes later (when the sushi is gone) you think that a couple more pieces would taste fantastic. Sound familiar?

Well, I saw a pattern for these online (MagKnits.com) and made Jim some more sushi. A little salmon roll, wasabi, and ginger. Jim wanted to know where the soy sauce was, I told him to shut up and enjoy his knit sushi. Overall, he thought it was hilarious. I'm sure this will be one of those things that only we find funny. Oh well. (Sorry about the bad picture, I shouldn't have used the flash.)

Yarn Bag

2007-07-03T08:24:00.000-07:00

While searching the internet for new, fun, free patterns to try out, I found this at Knituition.blogspot.com: It is a yarn bag to hold a single ball of yarn while you are on the go. I love this idea! I would like to take my projects with me on the bus trips to and from work but I don't want to carry my purse and a knitting bag with my project because I would be in the way of other passengers. Nothing is more annoying than the person on the bus or El during rush hour who has just a ridiculous amount of crap with them. Where are they going that they need a large purse, a shopping bag filled with who knows what, a book bag and a briefcase? Can't you consolidate your stuff so you don't have a bag hanging off of you in every direction?

Anyway, I can take a small project with me and then put my yarn and needles into my purse when I am done and I don't have to worry about my yarn falling on the floor or being in the way of others. In case you were wondering, I only carry enormous purses with me and that is why this would fit in my purse. So many people make fun of the large purse trend going on right now but I think it is great. When you live in the city and take public transportation you need room to carry enough stuff to be prepared for anything. For example, my purse currently has sunglasses, my camera, my phone, my wallet, a headband or hair tie, lotion, fingernail file and clippers, my i-pod, a small journal with pen, and when it starts to get cold, a hat.

Big Blue

2007-06-29T09:08:00.000-07:00

Although I love my first (and only) scarf for myself that I have made, it is time to knit one that is a bit fancier. While on a trip to the store to find yarn for a scarf for my boyfriend, I also found some Alpaca yarn that was on sale in a beautiful bright blue (one of my favorite colors). I have been playing around with different ways to make patterns and finally decided to make this scarf with k1, yo, k2tog. I had seen a scarf done similar to this but I think there were more knit stitches involved. Anyway, here is the very beginning of my scarf:

knit t-shirts

2007-06-27T10:56:00.000-07:00

I have seen patterns online and in magazines that use cut up t-shirts as yarn. The summer issue of Knit.1 has a pattern for a small clutch that I decided to try. Cutting the t-shirt to make a ball of 'yarn' took longer to do than actually knitting the purse. It turned out cute. Just cute enough in fact to give to my cousin Riley. I think I am going to see her this weekend and hopefully she likes it. (I am planning on putting gum, play-dough, and bubbles inside of it so at least she will like it for two minutes.)

Upcoming projects

2007-06-23T10:27:00.000-07:00

A list of projects that I would like to start:

1. le slouch, a cute seed stitch beret that is a free pattern at Knit and Tonic
2. fingerless gloves for my boyfriend. I haven't really looked for a pattern yet.
3. fingerless gloves for me. I saw this pattern at Knitty and it seems challenging enough to get me excited but easy enough for me not to claw my eyes out.
4. baby socks, my good friend Darcie is due in a month and I want to make her boy some cute booties.
5. hat/mittens for my second cousin, Kody. The chubbiest, cutest baby that ever lived deserves a nice Christmas present. I will have to wait awhile on this one to make sure I knit something big enough.
6. I have various other Christmas gifts in mind but those people may read this so I will keep the rest of this list to myself for now.

Ripples

2007-06-20T10:19:00.000-07:00

Everyone has already moved on to granny square blankets and I just started a ripple blanket. I inherited a bunch of old acrylic yarn from my grandma and since I have recently touched nice yarn, I really don't like the idea of using anything else. However, there is a lot of yarn that I have to use for something or just keep it laying around. I tapped into my crochet roots (I learned when I was a little girl) and decided to use it up on a ripple blanket. Here is the very first row, more pictures to come.

Jim's Scarf

2007-06-17T10:00:00.000-07:00

Jim decided that he wanted a 'very plain' scarf for this coming fall. I am using malabrigo yarn in rich chocolate that I purchased from Knit1. Today I was browsing blogs and I came across a post on Knitty Gritty Thoughts and she is making the same scarf only a different color. Not that finding someone who is making a garter stich scarf is unusual. I was just excited because I don't really know anything about yarns yet and I picked the yarn I did because I liked the color and it was soft. Anyway, here is a link to the post. Here are pics of Jim's scarf in progress:

Finished projets to date

2007-06-15T10:12:00.000-07:00

Before I get into things that I currently have going on, I'll let you in on what I have done so far.

My very first finished project was a garter stich scarf on size 11 needles with cheap red heart grey yarn. Looking at it now, I see about 20 mistakes and the stiches are all sloppy but, at the time I was very proud. I am sure when fall comes I will probably still wear that scarf because it was my first.

After the scarf, I attempted a hat. I love this hat, I found it on Treats & Treasures. It is a little bigger than it is supposed to be. After this project, I realized the importance of needle size and yarn type.

So... I made another one! This one fits much better but the yarn is a little stiff so the back of the hat doesn't fall like it is supposed to.

Up next was a pattern I found on Knitty. The Calorimetry taught me the value of getting the gauge correct before starting the project. Mine turned out huge! I will have to make another one that fits before fall comes. It was easy to knit and only took a few hours to finish.

The next project is the best one yet. I decided to make a baby blanket for my friend who is expecting. I decided on the Big Bad Baby Blanket pattern that is in Stich and Bitch. This project was the reason for my first trip to a yarn store. I had previously been using cheap yarns from Joann fabrics. I went to Nina and asked the woman there for advice in yarn. The pattern calls for merino wool and that would require handwashing and line drying. How exactly is that a nice gift to a single new mother? It would be too much work to wash and it would never be used. Not to mention little guy might be sensitive to animal fibers. The woman at Nina suggested a cotton yarn. I picked out a pale green blue Sky Cotton yarn. It took some getting used to knitting but I finally finished the blanket (that is, after a 6 hour trip to Kentucky and a total of 8 hours on a bus to visit my parents). The blanket turned out beautiful. There were a few mistakes but my friend isn't a knitter so I doubt she will notice. This project started was is sure to be a long standing debt with yarn stores around Chicago. I can't knit with itchy, squeaky, acrylic yarns anymore.

Ok, the last thing I have finished (well, half finished) was my sock. I have been practicing knitting with double pointed needles and still wasn't ready to start a big project with them. I found a really simple pattern online for a basic sock and tested it out. I took me a few hours to do one sock and it was actually very easy. I'm excited to start knitting socks that have some pattern to them.

hello!

2007-06-13T10:09:00.000-07:00

Hi, my name is Amanda. I live in Chicago with my boyfriend and 5 cats. I recently decided I wanted to learn to knit and started to teach myself about 8 months ago (Nov of 2006). This is my blog to share current projects, finished projects, frustrations, patterns I want to try, and learning anything else knitting related.