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.

Maryland Sheep and Wool: No Words Needed

Summer Projects

I finished the summer shawlette a couple of weeks ago but have been so busy I haven't had time to post. It is a pretty assortment of colors -- raspberry/pink, denim blue, gold, olive. I really like the completed shawlette. The yarn is Ty-Dy and is a worsted weight. It is soft and felt nice on the hands for knitting. I used two skeins and have two leftover -- they will either go on my Ravelry site for sale or I might knit a fall neckwarmer. The more I ponder their fate, I am leaning toward selling them. I could have made the shawlette a bit larger but frankly got tired of the endlessly long rows of stitches. Plus it is more decorative than for warmth...afterall the yarn is cotton. I am shorter and the finished length is perfect for me, I think.

The sock is in an almost complete state right now. This photo too is several weeks old. I got side-tracked on knitting and haven't picked up needles in a week. The sock yarn has a strange feel to it and I will be interested to see what I think when I wear the pair. It is a cotton/nylon blend with some elastic, so unlike other summer socks yarns, this pair should not fall down around my ankles.

Off to Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival this weekend. Will post lots of photos upon my return.

Magazine Review

Bought a copy of the Spring "knitscene" which is published by Interweave Knits. I like this quarterly magazine, in general, and really like the new issue in particular. Lots of cute cardigans to knit and some great articles. My favorite is by designer Stephen West who writes about garter stitch -- which I am addicted to. Also, there is a terrific and easy garter stitch shawl pattern in the magazine. This one is a keeper for me.

Something For Me

Aren't these colors yummy? Raspeberry, denim blue, sage green, and gold. Wow! Late last summer I purchased a number of skeins of Ty-Dy cotton yarn for a shawlette Boneyard Shawl by a young designer Stephen West. I started it on size 8 needles, got distracted and then Fall arrived and it was time for knitting with lucious woolen yarns.

I have to admit...I DO NOT like cotten yarns for knitting. Interesting because those 3 hats I just knit are all from cotton yarns and so is this shawlette. I am loving this project because the yarn has a wonderful feel on the hands and knits up nicely. Of course, I don't think a knitter can miss when using a design by Stephen. He is so talented.

I have quite a ways to go and of course get distracted by new patterns. I will finish this in due time. Watch for progress.

Coco's Beret

Beret is finished. Yarn is loosely woven so I think this hat will stretch. My great-niece Coco might not be able to wear it until next Spring. But I think it is very cute.

Aren't These Cute?

Last night I finished the baby hats for Annie and Lily. Can't wait to send them to the 6-month-old twins in NJ this week.

Yarn is from Knit Picks and is called "Comfy Worsted." Machine wash/tumble dry...perfect for a busy working mom.

The tops on both is in the Honey Dew colorway. The main part of the rosey one is Peony and the main part of the yellow one is Creme Brulee. Their mommy dresses the girls in similar clothing but not identical colors, hence similar hats in different colors. Hope their mom and dad like the hats!

The beauty of rolled brim is that is they are a bit too long just roll them up a bit and wa-la, they fit.

NEXT: A beret for my great-niece.

Sockless in PA

For years socks have been my primary knitting passion. But, somehow, with the invention of shawlettes I have moved away from socks. Shawlettes are wonderful but often take a long time to knit...those rows of stitches are never-ending. I don't need a lot of yarn for my socks because I only wear a size 5 1/2 shoe, so being frugal I pick out sock yarn and knit the shawlettes because I use most if not all of a skein. Time for sock knitting reason to set back in!

I am vowing to get back to my sock knitting because:

a) I love handmade socks because they fit me

b) They are a much more portable project

c) Socks are a quick knit -- a sense of accomplishment

d) I have boxes of stashed sock yarn that needs to be used -- well, I am using it for shawlettes

e) Realistically, how many shawlettes can one person wear

f) I LOVE SOCKS! Wear them daily....

Photo is of a pair that has been in the works for some time. Sock one is done and sock two is well on its way. Love how they match. Goal is to finish shawlette this weekend and then this sock is next project, along with two summer baby hats which in DK weight yarn won't take long...photos of them in a week or so.

Major Progress on Shawlette

I am nearing the eyelet rows for the edging of Simple Things Shawlette. This is a delightfully easy pattern to knit and the results are really nice. I knit one in a sparkly handpainted wool in shades of raspberry and pinks for the holidays. Loved it!

Maryland Sheep & Wool is quickly approaching and I wanted to have a small handknit to wear to the show. If you have never been to a fiber festival it is well worth the trip just to see the handknits people are wearing. Generally fabulous.

Dug into the stash and pulled out a lovely ball of Sockotta fingering weight yarn. Sockotta is a nice blend -- 45% wool; 40% cotton; 15% nylon. Loved the shades of blue and decided it would look nice around the neck of a tee shirt. So, I started knitting. Only have 3 rows remaining on the stockinette section before I begin the 10-row repeats for the eyelets rows. The pattern calls for 2 rows of eyelets, but I know I have more yarn than called for in the pattern, so I'm planning to do 3 and maybe even 4 rows...will depend on amount of yarn in the skein and my desire to get finished.

Will post a completed photo when project is done, which I anticipate to be in another week. What's on your needles?

Part Two -- Ravelry Valentine Exchange

Kandice received her package in today's mail and loved what I sent to her. Yeah!!!! I knit her Laura Chau's "Simple Yet Effective Shawl" which can be purchased for a few dollars. This can be knitted in many weights and a large variety of yarns. I chose Schaefer Anne's shade of purple in fingering weight. The shawlette I made for Kandice has 5 repeats each of the two sections -- one is stockinette and the other garter. I was going to do 6 of each but was running out of time and yarn. There are a lot of stitches in this shawl.

Photos show the finished shawl and a closeup of the pattern sections. I really, really love the shading in this yarn. Enjoy Kandice!