Hitchiker

I have been wanting to knit Hitchhiker for a while but didn't think I had the right yarn for it. Well, after looking through the stash boxes (which takes quite a while...) I came up with Schaeffer Anne yarn in the "Stadium Blanket" colorway. I bought it a couple of years ago for a shawl and have two skeins of it.

The pattern calls for Wollmeisse which has 575 yards of yarn. I have three skeins of Wollmeisse but none suited me for this project. I am very pleased with my combination of yarn and pattern. It is moving along quickly. A fun garter stitch knit.

Nope, neither January or February UFOs have been completed. Hopefully soon. I get distracted easily it appears.

Fail...Fail...Fail...I think

I don't think the January UFO is going to be finished on time. I haven't picked it up yet this month. With almost a week at the PA Farm Show and then being sick for over a week with a cold and then the stye in my eye making it hurt too much to knit...ugh! Not much has been completed.

I am making a project for a swap gift that must be mailed by COB Tuesday. I have to finish it first. That is only fair.

So February will be a catch-up month with the sock and the next project.

Stay tuned....

There is a plan in the works....

I am following the lead of another blogger whose knitting, writing and talent I admire. Pink Lemon Twist pulls stash yarn for 12 projects to complete each year. This was her first and now she is planning for 2012. Her knitted items are gorgeous and her blog is fun to read. Tune in at http://pinklemontwist.blogspot.com/

However, I have so many UFOs, that instead of starting something NEW each month in 2012, I'm going to turn a UFO into an FO. I came home from work with the full intention of finding 12 skeins of yarn -- that part wasn't difficult -- and lining them up for 12 new projects. When I looked at my UFO pile I decided I needed to start completing items. I will knit new items too but it will feel so good to pull one out of the UFO drawer each month and finish it. Some months maybe I will do several and get this project completed before the end of 2021. My game...my rules!

Some only need a part of a sock finished and I will have a pair, one shawlette is barely started and I want to finish it to wear to Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival in May (you know if I do the temps will hit 100 that day!), one is a cabled buttoned cowl,  there is another cowl, more socks, etc. Just look at the photos. I am putting them in order of the months I have chosen to knit them.

Oh no, they won't be all I knit because some won't take long to finish. I will do other things in-between. This is a good way to line up what needs to be completed, and do it in a timely manner. Knitting should be fun and I think this is a fun plan! Thank you Pink Lemon Twist for giving me the inspiration.

Knitting for Golden Retriever Rescue

Golden Retriever Rescue of Central PA, Inc. ... which I have has the pleasure of being affiliated with for 12+ years since we opened ... is doing two holiday craft bazaars in December. We will be at the inaugural Millheim Holiday Show on Friday, Dec. 2 from 4 to 8 p.m. and on Saturday, Dec. 3 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Also you will be able to find us on Saturday, Dec. 10 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the ...Old Gregg School in Spring Mills. We really need to raise money right now as we have 13 Goldens in rescue...9 of them are puppies. In addition to our usual Golden Retriever related items we will have homemade dog treats, project bags for knitters and crocheters (thanks Donna!) and hand knitted items. If anyone wants to knit or crochet something for us to sell, we would be so happy to accept it. Donations can be mailed to Golden Retriever Rescue of Central PA, Inc., PO Box 397, Centre Hall, PA 16828. Thank you in advance.

 

Here are photos of two pair of mitts I have completed thus far. I think a hatlike scarf is next to match the purple/black/raspberry/teal mitts. Not enough yarn for one to match the others.

 

Next mitts on the needles will be plain red and will sport a cable on the back. Off to knit!

This Is Very Cute

A friend sent this to me. I think it is from Vogue. I felt the need to share.

Cabled Cowl Stalled

The lovely cabled cowl from the last post has been stalled because of a knitting mistake. I can live with the mistake for myself but not for something that was to be a gift. I will finish it for myself later this year after holiday knitting is completed. I like the pattern and wanted one so this will work nicely.

Off to Ravelry I went. I found a free pattern and started it from other yarn. I have 3 to make and complicated cables just were not working at this time. The new one is very different but nice. I think it will work well in the worsted weight yarn. First one is on the needles. This one has to work because I don't have enough spare time for fiddling around changing patterns.

Photos soon. Not enough to show yet.

It's Cowl Time

I have been furiously knitting cowls since the Camp Loopy Challenge ended. The blue and gray one was just completed this week. It is a wrap around (twice around the neck) design and could be pulledover the face a bit as protection from harsh weather. This one is knitting in Lorna's Laces DK and is soft and will be so warm.

The pattern is "Purl Ridge Scarf" by Stephen West who is one of my favorite designers. I was going to knit more this season but this one took what seemed like forever, and I need to get these done.

So, I switched to Rainier Cabled Cowl by Nona Davenport. It is a lovely pattern. I still find cables a bit fiddly, but much easier when using worsted weight yarn instead of fingering weight. I have two more of these to knit. Also have a stealth project under way and can't reveal until after Christmas gift giving with a friend. This is knitting in yarn from Universal Yarn Company. I have really come to like their selection, quality and great price points.

I have a shawl in worsted weight to finish for myself and I might work on it a bit tonight instead of the cowl. Will see what I have time for after dinner. These cool nights and somewhat chilly days make me glad I have hand knitted wool socks to wear.

Camp Loopy Project Three

Camp is over for this year!

Project Three was completed tonight with about two hours to spare...and 10 yards of yarn remaining. This is Boneyard Shawlette in the Mineshaft colorway from Lorna's Laces. Content is 75% alpaca and 25% silk -- absolutely lucious. I am thrilled with the results although my nerves are shot from trying to knit 800 yards of yarn (actually this is about 815 yards) in a month. Most months would be OK...not this past one. Lots of work and other commitments. But I'm done and have completed the  task.  I kept my eye on the prize from The Loopy Ewe...a skein of the coveted Wollmeise yarn.

This is a shawl pattern that doesn't need to be blocked. I actually would like it a tad bigger so might gently block just to stretch it a bit. Jury out on that plan right now.

I promise to blog more frequently since this huge project is done. I have some smaller projects planned so will post in progress photos, etc. Just didn't have time with this shawl. Enjoy...I know I will!

Camp Loopy Project Two

My Single Cabled Socks (as I named them) are done and the photo uploaded to The Loopy Ewe site. Just under the wire. Knitting time has been sparse because of the intense heat and humidity and some volunteer activities that are keeping me really busy. All good though.

I used a new cast-on (to me) that I found on another pattern. Cast on more stitches than I use for the socks and then do a k2tog to give them more stretch. I quickly tried these on and think the cuff will fit better than others. The sock itself is the basic sock pattern with a simple heel flap and turned heel. I knit with Claudia's Handpaints in colorway "Secrets" and am pleased with the results. Very nice yarn that I would highly recomment. My socks are knitted on 56 stitches and the cable is a pattern repeat of 8 stitches that I found in a stitch guide.

Knitting a cable was the basic rule for this project, and since I don't care for cables or cable knitting (it isn't hard but I find it too fiddly) I followed the rules while making the project as simple as possible for myself.

The third and final camp project begins tomorrow and must be finished by September 15. I am using Lorna's Laces "Honor" in the colorway Mineshaft. The requirement for this project is to use 800 yards of yarn knitted singlely to put everyone on the same page. I love Stephen West's "Boneyard" shawl so am making myself one from this lovely DK weight yarn. Will be nice to knit on size 8s again. Hope I get a bit more time because 800 yards is a lot for me to knit in one month.

If participants finish all three projects -- I have two done -- and have purchased their yarn from The Loopy Ewe during a specific timeframe prior to the project start they get rewarded. A discount for the project yarn, frequent buyer double credits, and this fall will get a gift of a skein of the hard-to-purchase Wollmeise yarn and a special pattern. I am determined to finish and am keeping my eye on the prize.

Camp Loopy Project One

Simple Things Shawlette is one of my very favorite patterns. I have knit it several times for myself and am making one as a Christmas gift. An easy to remember pattern and quite portable.

A few weeks ago Sheri at The Loopy Ewe posted on her blog about a "contest" she was starting for summer ... Camp Loopy. It involves knitting 3 projects -- all specified by Sheri -- over the course of the summer -- from June 15 to September 15. The first leg of the trek was June 15 to July 15. We were to knit something to keep us warm around the campfire -- a shawl, scarf, neckwarmer, etc. All yarn must be purchased from The Loopy Ewe to participate and those who buy it during a specified time period get a discount. Sounded good to me!

I had been wanting to knit a shawlette in orange and blue (I hate orange for myself!) to wear to football games at the University of Virginia and basketball games at Bucknell University. Very convenient of them to use the same team colors. One rule of the first camp event was that each project had to be knitted from two colors of yarn -- so mine is from Lorna's Laces team color line in a varigated orange and navy and solid navy. I love LL's yarn and am particularly fond of this sport weight. It is going to be my go-to yarn for many projects.

My project was finished last week and I finally got time to block it tonight. It is uploaded to the Loopy Ewe site. I am pleased with it. I don't look at it as a spectacular project but it is well knit, I think. Go to the Loopy Ewe site and check out the posted photos. There are some absolutely gorgeous projects to view.

I am now finishing another narrow shawlette in worsted weight Lorna's Laces in two colors. Hope to be done by the weekend and will post. Next will be Daybreak in eggplant and primavera colorways from Malabrigo. Am loving this more and more....

I'm Speechless

Presents Filled the Box

Absolutely Amazing!

I made my daily after work trek to the Post Office for the mail. Ah-Ha...a yellow card in the box telling me to pick up a package. I didn't order anything...hummm....

Postmaster gives me a sizeable square box from Maureen in Alaksa. Woo-Hoo....my Loopy Ewe swap partner sent me a present! Exactly what I needed after a very stressful week at work and at home.

Let the Goldens out into the yard before opening the box. Much more pleasant to open without barks to remind me they are downstairs.

I was stunned...a box FULL of wrapped packages. Colorful summer colors of wrapping paper and some beautiful blue with a knitted cable design on it. The packages seemed endless. I began opening them and was like a kid in a candy store. I just couldn't stop! I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE everything. All tailored for me! Sounds selfish, I know but today I just needed something for me. And Maureen provided it in style!

Where do I begin...well, let's go in order of how I unwrapped the amazing stash of presents. First is a really cute pair of pink sunglasses to keep the sun out of my eyes while I knit; next came a drink mix for raspberry treat; followed appropriated by a double-walled large glass with its own straw (I love these glasses!) decorated in cute flowers in lavender, raspberry and lime green; somehow Maureen managed to get a package of dark chocolate from Alaska to PA in summer without it melting (very cool!); next I opened a cylindrical package which turned out to be Trader Joe's French Roast coffee beans which I have been wanting forever and have no Trader Joe's within hundreds of miles of me. Now think coffee beans and purple...how are they connected? The next package contained a fabulous Bodum French Press coffee maker in Purple! I've never seen on in Purple. It is awesome and as I write this I AM drinking my first cup of coffee made in it. I haven't opened Trader Joe's yet because I wanted to use some beans I already had ground. I can't wait and I bet Trader Joe's will be next!

There also were two wonderful patterns in the box. One for Fetchings which I adore and did not have a pair of and the other for a unique sculptured neck piece called "Sev[en] Circle." Was also thrilled and decided I definitely had to make both...hummm...maybe a set for fall.

I saved the 3 squishy packages for last...OH MY GOSH! The first contained a skein of Tosh worsted in Iris colorway (again purple!); the second was Sev[en] Circle in gorgeous shades of deep eggplants/purples/a little deep raspberry thrown in. Maureen made me one of these amazing neck pieces. OK, one final package. Whew! FETCHINGS!!!!! to match Sev[en] Circle....unbelievable. Seriously, her kindness and creativity brought me to tears. I think I needed that stress reliever and her package was a fabulous way to achieve it.

I hope Maureen's swap partner is as good to her as she was to me. I don't know how I'm ever going to say thank you to her. Maureen...thank you for all of the work and thought you put into the package you sent to me. You went way above and beyond and I so appreciate your kindness.

Sending hugs of thanks from PA to you in Alaska...Kim

Who's Car is This?

Received my new license plate in yesterday's mail. Woo-Hoo! Love it and I need to get back to sock knitting. Been sidetracked by shawlettes.