July wrap up

So I had some hefty knitting goals for July and here's how it turned out:

1. Start and finish SKP 2009 Sock 3--done!

2. Finish Girasole--done

3. Finish Hanami --done!

4. Finish Lady of the Lake--done!

It would not have been possible to finish all of these if the weather had been nice. I guess there are some perks to a soggy summer, but I must admit--I would be happy to do less knitting in August in exchange for some sunshine.

Ta da...Girasole complete

I told you I have been busy! This may be my favorite project of all time:

It worked out to 4.5' in diameter. Blocking it was a bit of a challenge!

Here are the details:

Pattern: "Girasole" by Jared Flood/Brooklyn Tweed
Yarn:"Canopy Sport" by The Fibre Company; 50% Baby Alpaca, 30% Merino, 20% Bamboo;
6 skeins
Color: Wild Ginger
Needles: US#7/4.5 mm
Comments: A wonderful pattern and an easy lace knit, once you get past the cast on!

SKP2009 sock 3: Mosaic

On July 1 the 3rd sock for SKP2009 was revealed. I managed to finish in 4 days which made the colors of this sock even more patriotic!

Here are the details:

Pattern: "Samarkand" by Andrea Krüß-Anders (available as a free Ravelry download)
Yarn: Misc yarn from my stash
Needles: US#4/3.5 mm
Comments: My first mosaic knit!

Hanami finished!

I love knitting lace in the summer and this has been one of my favorite stoles. I can't wait for the opportunity to wear this!

The details:
Pattern: "Hanami" by Melanie Gibbons/Pink Lemon Twist
Yarn: KnitPicks "Shimmer", 2 balls with plenty left over
Color: Sherry
Needles: US 5 / 3.75 mm
Notions: 8/0 beads
Comments: Here are the changes I made. I did the beaded cast on as called for and then continued to use beads at the beginning and end of every 8th row. Also, I added a bead to every other stitch the row before binding off.
I did not do as many rows of Chart G as called for. Instead, I repeated rows 169-191 of Chart F and worked 8 rows of Chart G. I did not want the end to be so symmetrical and I am happy with how this turned out.

July update...

Summer has been moving right along (inspite of the weather) here in Maine. We have had plenty of visitors to keep us busy and a minor computer issue, but I am back online and have some catching up to do. I have actually finished quite a bit of knitting lately (did I mention the lousy weather we've had?). Today I will share my finished Lady of the Lake jacket:

This was a great, simple knit and it knits up quick. So why did it take me 2 years to move it from UFO to FO? Well, first I lost it for a year during our move. And then, it was so quick and easy, I never took the time to finish it. But now I have finished and I am very happy with it! My favorite part is the collar. I can't wait for a chilly evening to wear this.

Here are the details:

Pattern: "Lady of the Lake" Jacket by Fleece Artist
Yarn: Novasomo: 65% Wool, 20% and Kid Mohair,10% Nylon, 5% Silk; 300 grams
Curly Locks: 78% Mohair, 13% Wool, 9% Nylon; 250 grams
Color: Ruby Red
Needles: US#11/8.0 mm
Comments: The jacket is knit sideways and is quick and easy. I made a size medium and had plenty of yarn left over. Highly recommend this!

Ambitious

I have big knitting plans for July. Here goes:

1. Start and finish SKP 2009 Sock 3 (to be released today). The only thing I know about the sock is that it is a mosaic pattern. Want to finish this by the end of week 1.

2. Finish Girasole. The plan: Chart F week 1, Chart G week 2, and edging weeks 3 and 4.

3. Finish Hanami. Haven't made an attack plan yet...

4. Finish Lady of the Lake. Really, it is almost done and I need a mindless knitting project mixed in here...

I'm off to knit!

June BOM and other knitting

Another month done. Thanks Tasha!

And I am making good progress on my Girasole. I should be able to finish chart E this week. That leaves Charts F and G and then the edging, which I have heard takes a LONG time to knit. My goal is to have this blanket finished by the end of July, along with Hanami. I will pick Hanami back up later this week.

I am also working on a toddler jacket in WOOLganic worsted. This is a design I have had floating around in my mind for a while and I am finally taking the time to write out the pattern. Here's a little peak...

More to come soon!