February recap

Even with Leap year, I couldn't finish all of my February goals on time (now if I had 31 days...)
I had 8 knitting goals for February and I finished 5.75 (one was just pattern planning). I am so close to finished with my Firestarter socks, but other commitments have kept me from finishing (although Feb is not over yet). Here's what I have to show for this month:

Sadly, I did not get to my twined knitting KAL (Wrist warmers) nor did I finish the bottom body of my cardigan. I have even more projects for next month...I better get knitting.

Sophisticated Monster Hat Complete!

I am so happy with how this came out!

Here are the details:
Pattern: Sophisticated Monster Hat: Slightly Loopy Hat and Brainmonster combined
Yarn: Peruvian Uros Aran from Elann.com; I used 1.25 balls making size M-L

Color: 1930 Desert Rose

Required Gauge: 4.25 st/inch; My gauge: 5 st/inch, stocking st in the rnd, unblocked
Needles: I used US 9 / 5.5mm (but I knit tight)
Comments: All of my kids want one, so I am sure there are more monsters in my future!

How fast do you knit?

How much knitting can I get done while riding from Rochester, NY to Portland, Maine?

I can cast on a toe-up sock and work the toe, foot and gusset. This will help me guesstimate how long it will take to knit a pair of socks using an intermediate -difficult pattern. Let me explain.

I am not a speed knitter by any means, but I am not slow either. I knit because I enjoy it and it relaxes me. But last week when I was catching up on my blog reading, Purl Diva had to show me this: the SKP: Sock Knitters Pentathlon (click button below for Yahoo group).

The basic idea is to "challenge yourself by knitting in ways you don't normally knit and in the process become a better, stronger knitter". We will knit 5 different pairs of socks over the next 9 months. The patterns will be released at predetermined times, each about 2 months apart and will be intermediate -challenging in difficulty rating. As you finish a pair, you are given a number (first person done = 1, second = 2, etc). At the end of the year, the person with the lowest score wins the Pentathlon and some fun prizes. So far there are over 500 participants from 30 countries. Do I expect to "win a medal"? Of course not, but it will be fun "racing"!

Here is my yarn for SKP Sock 1 (needed to be solid/semi solid). It is "Jitterbug" from Colinette (color: Velvet Damson 118) which I have not knit with before, so I will be checking my gauge this week.

PS...I think it will take me a minimum of 1 week to knit a pair of socks and not neglect the rest of my life.

Sophisticated Monster Hat

It's almost done. Here is the body:

Now for the fun part--teeth! Just got the yarn and will be working on this today. It should be complete (blocking and all) by Wednesday. I hope to mail my package on Friday.

One down, one to go

Firestarter progress report:

It may not be a pretty picture right now, but trust me, it looks great on. I am saving the full blocked image for the completed project. I love this pattern! I just wish I was knitting these for me...

Bird Foot sock, I mean, bag

I eliminated 2 UFOs this week as part of my 2008 resolutions:

1. I ripped out a hat project that ran out of hand spun yarn (since I did not have any more roving or yarn). I didn't even bother to take a picture of it.

2. I finished my "Bird Foot"! This was a SOTM sock kit from Red Bird Knits. I love the design and will make the socks in the future, but my gauge was way too tight on this start (I started back in 2006). It was too pretty to rip out, so...

And I found some fun fabric for the lining:

It's just the right size for my keys, phone, and Shuffle.

Here are the details:
Pattern: "Bird Foot" by Red Bird Knits (a sock pattern)
Yarn: Schachenmayr nomotta Regia Color 4-ply

Color: Varigated Orange (#4728) and black

Required Gauge: 8.5 st/inch; My gauge: 10.5 st/inch
Recommended Needles: US 0 or 1 / 2 or 2.5 mm (I used 2 circ US1/2.5mm, should have used US2)
Comments: Beautiful pattern. I followed the Chart 1 to rnd 65 and then grafted the stitches to close the bottom of the bag. I made a 4-st Icord 42 inches long (107 cm). Then I added a quick fabric liner so my keys wouldn't get stuck in the stranding. I am very happy with the outcome and will make the actual socks later.

I love clearing projects off my needles!

Mystic Light KAL

Heads up on a new mystery lace KAL: Mystic Light KAL. Click the button below for the Yahoo Group and to join.

Here are the details (modified from the website):
***The Mystic Light shawl is an original design by Anna Dalvi of Knit & Knag - http://knitandknag.blogspot.com/.

This triangular shawl draws its inspiration from light in its many forms. From a clear, starlit night to the dancing flames of a warming fire. Silvery moonlight and golden flames. The final measurements: height: 97 cm (38"), width: 206 cm (81").

The shawl is knit on 4.5 mm needles, using 230 g of Merino 2/6 yarn from Fleece Artist. The shawl uses approx. 650 m of yarn. As always, yarn substitutions are encouraged (SeaWool is a good substitute). Lace weight yarns will be too thin.

The swatch pattern is being released during the first week of March. The pattern will be made available for a knitalong, starting March 26. It will be distributed to the members in five consecutive pieces, once a week on Wednesdays. The last part of the pattern will be released on April 23, at which point it will be made available for sale. Sign ups will close on March 25.***

I am going to try 2 (very) different yarns for my swatch:

Merino 2/6 in Olive

and


Great Big Sea in Dandelion

I knit tight, so using a bulkier yarn than suggested is usually not a problem for me. Also, Anna had suggested that a heavier yarn may work. And I know the colors are not a perfect fit for the theme, but they are colors that I like and will wear. I will swatch with both yarns and see which looks best after blocking. I can't wait...

Monthly Adventures

My "Holiday Swap" Ravelry group has turned out to be quite a lively bunch. In December we decided that holiday swapping was not enough, so we have morphed into "Monthly Adventures".

I was too busy with unpacking in January to join that swap, but I have jumped right back in for February. This month we are having a "Tops and Pots" swap: a hat/headband/head covering of some sort and a recipe. The "top" needs to made with red, pink and /or white yarn in honor of Valentine's day. It's a secret swap and I got my partner this weekend. Now that I have done some research on my partner, I have figured out what I am making. I am going to morph 2 patterns:
Slightly Loopy Hat and Brainmonster and make "The Sophisticated Brainmonster". Normally I would not make a "Monster" hat for a swap, but my partner said she wants one for herself...I hate that I am confined to certain colors. I will be traveling next week and I hope to finish the hat then.



It needs to complete by the end of the month so I can mail it out on time. Here I go...

New Yarns

I added some new yarns today. I can't wait to work with them! And the colors are incredible.

Grande Godiva: 50% Silk and 50% wool

Great Big Sea Silk: 50% Silk, 30%Wool, 20% Sea Cell

Cashmere 4 ply: 100% Cashmere

Fleur Dolohov

That's my wizarding name. I am Fleur Dolohov, 1st year, Ravenclaw and I am part of:

My swap partner is Sage Smethwyck and she is also a 1st year Ravnclaw.

This swap does not need to mailed out until mid April, so this month I am swatching and making the design and I will knit these socks as my March socks. I have decided to make a pair of illusion socks based on this pattern:

Alice's Illusion Socks, by Alice Bell

I couldn't find the bronze for the book colors of Ravenclaw, so poor Sage will be stuck with blue and silver:

I am already having a lot of fun!

Thrummed Moebius

I have been trying to wait for the sun so I could get a good picture of this, but I can wait no longer. The picture does it no justice, but I finished my Moebius!

It looks so much better on than this photo suggests. I will update this picture when I am wearing it out in the sun. Unfortunately right now in Maine, it could be a few days before we see the sun...

This was my first moebius, but it won't be my last! I am really not sure how Cat Bordhi came up with the idea of this cast-on...wow. It took me a couple of tries, but once I got it, the rest was a piece of cake.

This is a Fleece Artist Kit using Blue Face Aran and I used the "Seastorm" colorway. I love the greens and blues mixed in this yarn. And the Blue Face Leicester Aran is so soft. Here's a picture I took with some sunlight:

It took under a week to knit this, with many other things going on around it. I didn't have any pattern changes (I know, shocking!). My next moebius will be "Caplet" in Grande Godiva, but that will be one of my March projects.

So here are the details:
Pattern: "Thrummed Moebius" by Cat Bordhi
Yarn: 375m/250g Blue Face Aran (did not use all of this); 50g Kid Mohair Sliver for thrums (used probably 10g)
Color: Seastorm
Gauge: 2.5 st/inch
Needles: US#15/10.0mm (I knit tight; recommended needles: #13/9mm)

Comments: Fun and quick pattern. Great diagrammed instructions on "Moebius Cast-On". For thrumming, I made each thrum very thin and rolled the piece in my hand to slightly felt; I spaced my thrums every 3-4 sts.

February goals 4 and 5--ughh

I am discussing my goals in the order I listed them on Feb 1st, but I really should have these 2 in positions 7 and 8 (yes, the bottom of the list). Not because I do not like the projects, but because they both have "issues".

Goal 4. Continue working on Faroe Cardigan: bottom MUST be done by end of February, including hem: At this point, this is really easy knitting. The pattern is memorized and I can just move right along. BUT...I have been working on 15.5 inches of this pattern and I'm not excited anymore. I think I only have 10 - 20 more rnds (of 276 stitches each) and I will be done knitting this part. And I need to finish sewing up the hem before the end of the month. I will get it done, I will get it done, I will get it done...Here's an old picture (I really do love the sweater):

Goal 5. 2008 resolution: convert "Bird Foot" socks into wrist warmers (need to complete 1 by end of month and cast on the second one). This is a sock gone bad:

Okay, maybe it's not the sock's fault. I started this UFO back in 2006. At the time it was only my second project using stranded knitting. I make gauge swatches of everything except for hats and socks (I make hats as a gauge "swatch" for any sweaters I make). Can you guess where we're going with this? Well, the sock is WAY too tight--even for my daughters. What to do? It really is too pretty to abandon, so I have decided to sit down with the chart and make it into a pair of wrist warmers. I will rip back to where the heel started and make a pretty finish. It really won't be that hard--I just need to sit down and do it.

February Project of the Month: Hearts, of course!

You know I love a quick KAL, so here's my last KAL on Ravelry:

February's project: Heart shaped pillow. And look, I already made one (it only takes a couple of hours with sock yarn):

This one is for my Valentine! I used Nova Sock yarn in "Jester" and I stuffed the heart with some cotton balls near the seams and lavender buds in the center. It is such a quick project and a great way to use left-over yarn.

Pattern comments: The pattern says "row" when it is actually knit in the round.

If I didn't have so many project goals for February, I would make a bunch more of these!

Firestarter Socks and Twined Knitting KAL

Check out this cool sock pattern:

Firestarter Socks

As soon as I saw these, I knew they would be the next socks on my needles. And I have the perfect color yarn (great for February V-Day and "Fire"): Nova Sock in "Jester"

I am knitting these at a gauge of 7 st/inch, not the recommended 8 st/inch, but my foot is small so it should be fine. I used the "Magic Cast-On" for toe up socks instead of the pattern recommended provisional cast on and I have made a couple of other small modifications, but I'll discuss all of those when these are finished. It is a fun pattern and is knitting up surprisingly quick. I love the gusset--can't wait to knit other socks from Yarnissima!


My second project for this month is a Twined Knitting KAL. At long last, there is finally a twined knitting group at Yahoo Groups and Ravelry (same group). This is exciting because there are not a lot of patterns out there for twined (or two-end) knitting. I hope to one day design a sweater in two-end knitting--maybe that will be a goal for 2009!

Anyway, this Twined Knitting group has started a KAL and you know I couldn't say no to that! We will be making a pair of 2-color wrist warmers designed by Hilly. This will be my first attempt at 2 color twined knitting and wrist warmers are a very manageable way to learn. I am going to use this yarn from Black Water Abbey:

and hope to cast on by the end of the week.

Happy February

To keep myself on task, here are my February goals:

1. Socks: Firestarter with Nova Socks in Jester colorway.

2. New twined knitting KAL: Wrist warmers. Knit at least 1...

3. Project of the month (Ravelry KAL): 1 Small heart pillow for DH on Valentine's Day (using Feb sock yarn above). Finished 2/4/08

4. Continue working on Faroe Cardigan: bottom MUST be done by end of February, including hem.

5. 2008 resolution: convert "Bird Foot" socks into wrist warmers (need to complete 1 by end of month and cast on 2nd). Finished 2/18/08

6. Plan pattern and basket for HSS3 buddy. 2/15/08: Got my yarn, made my charts.

7. Start Thrummed Moebius by Fleece Artist; colorway: seastorm. Finished 2/6/08

8. Hat for Monthly Adventures KAL (Ravelry): pick pattern, knit at least half. Finished 2/27/08!

I will discuss the details (and show pretty pictures) of each of these projects over the next week. This post will be my start up page for the month of February to keep me motivated. It's a lot of knitting, but I'm ready!

Did you notice my new project tracker on the top right of the blog? Just one more reason I love Ravelry so much...The tracker is linked to my Ravelry projects, so when I update them on Ravelry, you will see it here. I made sure to start projects for each of my February tasks, mostly to help me stay organized.