I'm Moving!

I'm moving the blog over to another site and retitling it Knitting Up North.

Please find me at http://www.knitting.areavoices.com/

Hopefully there will be a fun addition to the blog soon.

Ohh ohh ohh

I love getting boxes in the mail! Even when I know something is coming, I still get it excited when it arrives.

This is 1 pound of Yak/Alpaca. I split it with alcarin (Ravelry ID). It's kind of an odd story how this came about.

This one time, at knitting camp (Sock Summit), I sat down next to some complete strangers. We talked about the great things in the marketplace and all the things we coveted (I strongly considered Socks That Rock Sock Club). Carin told us about some yak alpaca that was being sold because it was over processed for commercial spinning. She and I decided to split 2 lbs. Since my share arrived, I've been dreaming of a February Lady Sweater.



-- Post From My iPhone

The Boyfriend Hat

I took a little break from the Cinxia and Clapotis to whip up a Boyfriend hat for my nephew. Directions are at stephanieknits.blogspot.com

Yarn: Mission Falls 1824 superwash wool in 004, a dark grey.

Mods: I cast on 90 and worked for just over 5" before starting the decreases. It used exactly one ball of yarn.



I'm thinking of doing a bunch of these in other colors as gifts for Christmas. This one took me just over a day to knit.

-- Post From My iPhone

Send Me Your Stories

Do you have a stash so large you could run a yarn store out of your home?

Do you have to bribe yourself to finish projects?

What's your oldest WIP?

I'm working on a new project and could use some help. Send me your Knotty Knitting stories (all the ones fit to print or speak) at knittingupnorth at gmail dot com. I'll tell you the details of the project soon.


-- Post From My iPhone

Sa-weeeet

Last night was Wednesday Night at the Races in Superior. The people who organize Grandmas Marathon put on little races for kids each week at a different park. Addie and Lily (and I) ran in the 4 and under category. Before we started I told Addie to run as fast as she could but if we got separated to just follow the other kids to the finish line. I should have told her to run like the wind, because she came in 3rd!

Afterwards we went to Culvers for dinner.


Addie wasn't too impressed with the dairy-free lemon ice I got for Lily ( be sure they use a clean scoop!) but when her friend AJ came to the table with an M&M sundae, she was lovin' it. What a great way to cap off one of our warmest nights this suet.

-- Post From My iPhone

There are Not Words

There really are not words for the wonderful time I had at Sock Summit. I came home inspired by the knitting greats that I had met. My head is whirling with design and color ideas.



Daisy Muir bag - quite possibly one of my best purchases.

The other thing that has come about from SS09 is renewed energy to finish up UFOs. I took out my Clapotis again (Touched by Heather Ordover and seen in a photo with Stephanie Pearl McPhee!) and might even consider picking up a cotton baby blanket.


The Clap - modified



-- Post From My iPhone

Sock Summit Day 1

The spinning wheel & I made it through the flight just fine. Despite all of the experts in Adam's office, the wheel fit just fine in the overhead compartment.

My first class was with Stephen from HizKnits. It was a funny class - I learned there is no lace in men's socks. However replace the YO with a make one and you might be in business.

And now, some photos...


The line to get into Marketplace.


And famous faces! That's a Kinneared photo of Stephanie Pearl McPhee.



-- Post From My iPhone

Testing

I'm testing out the blogging app from my phone before I get to Portland for Sock Summit. I am expecting lots of yarny goodness and a great time. Hopefully the hassels getting my spinning wheel on the plane will be small and the seafood will be plentiful!


-- Post From My iPhone

Please Discuss

Twisted Stockinette. (knit through the back loops on RS, purl normally on WS)

Important design element or pain in the butt?

Please discuss.

After a particularly rough week at work, a week that questions my ability to even do my job, I find myself with some free time. Adam is taking the girls to a baseball game that his friends from work are playing in. It's a fundraiser for the Northern Lights Foundation. I have some free time of undetermined length. Adam will most likely get called into work today at some point, we just don't know exactly when.

So I think I'm headed to the LYS for a little spinning. I really need to clear off my bobbins and get some practice before Sock Summit. I have one little bolero jacket (Addie's) blocking before being sewn together and a baby sock almost done. Although I have huge projects waiting in the wings to be completed/started, I'm feeling like I'm in a bit of a knitting lull. Nothing has to be done on a timeline. It feels really good!

If you have any good job karma lying around, please send it my way. Otherwise, I'll be knitting, spinning and trying to forget that Monday is just on the other side of tomorrow.

Supersize This!

Do you think it would be possible to upsize this vest to an adult size? There are sizings for up to a 7 year old. Could I use a heavier weight yarn to size it up to a woman's 6?

Obviously I'm going a little nutty. I need one more project like I need a hole in my head. I'm working on the first of two Sidar Shrugs for the girls to wear in a wedding this fall. Addie's shrug is coming along nicely. It's actually going very quickly. I'm a little worried about doing 2 that are exactly the same. However, I decided (very wisely I think) to work the larger of the two shrugs first. That way the second one will go that much quicker. Or that's my theory anyway.

I'm also working on spinning up some wool so that I can empty my bobbins. (And practice spinning thin yarn!) I need 4 empty bobbins for the spinning class at Sock Summit. I actually only have 3 bobbins, one of which is partially full. So... a spinning I will go. I'm hoping to take the wheel "camping" with us this weekend.

Finished Object

Photo that should be of finished socks... Imagine socks the color of the lily pads.

I started off the month on the right foot. I finished yet another knitting project. After spending what seems like an inordinate amount of time on projects that never quite get done, I'm happy to have finished 2 projects worth blogging about.

The problem? Well, I didn't take any pictures of the finished socks. I finished the second sock on the way to my sister's birthday lunch. The only photo I have of the socks is one at the playground of the sock-in-progress while the kids play in the background. (multi-tasking) So, if you want to see what the socks look like, we'll have to ask my sister. And find her a date while you're at it. :)

The Deets:
Hybrid Socks
Pattern: It's a Hybrid - I cast on 60 stitches; knit 9, purl 1, repeat all the way around until the cuff is as long as you'd like it to be. I should have just gone on to a generic heel at that point, but I was getting a little bored with generic and decided to do something different. So I got out the Cat Bordhi book - New Pathways for Sock Knitters. I really like the way these fit, in fact I think they're the best fitting socks I've made so far. Too bad they don't live at my house!!

Happy 4th of July

It's the 3rd of July, I have a rare day off and it's finally warming up. I'm going to blow off the housework for now and go outside and pull weeds. When I'm done with that, I'm going to set up my reclining lawn chair and knit. Just sit in the sun and knit.

So today, I give you a Friday Fill-In.

Graphic courtesy of Tonya!

And...here we go!

1. When I heard yelling from the other room, I ignored it and hoped that Addie and Lily could work out their problem on their own.

2. Ice and Ibuprofen are the best medicine. (Fight club is kicking our butts lately)

3. It's late, but there's still a lot of the day left!

4. Laugh always.

5. My eyes have seen the girls make up their own rules to Shoots and Ladders.

6. Love strongly.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to spending time playing with the girls, tomorrow my plans include a parade and a cookout with new friends and Sunday, I want to eat deep fried pickles and sing Happy Birthday to my little sister!

The Sleepy Sherriff Sleep Sack

Every Baby Needs One of These

Pattern: Sleepy Time from Pipsqueak Knits. I found a bunch of patterns in this book that are absolutely adorable. The only problem from my perspective is that all the patterns are knitted flat and seamed. I'm really not a huge fan of seaming.

Yarn: Babyboo by Knit One Crochet Too, in Lime.

Modifications: OK, where do I start? To keep the long explanation short, I knit this in the round. I cast on, did the garter stitch bottom and added the eyelets for the drawstring bottom, then just started kniting it. I knit, and knit, and knit. I divided up the front for the button band and just kept going. I got up to the shoulders and bound off. That's when it hit me that I didn't leave an opening for the arms. It's one long tube of knitting. Much swearing ensued. All of this happened in the car on a very long car ride to South Dakota with two children. I blame that for the insanity that happened next.

I decided that there is absolutely no reason why I couldn't just steek the arms. After all, it's just knitting. I can reinforce around the steek and then just cut. What's the worst that could happen? Did I mention that since we were driving through SD at the time, I didn't have any time to research steeks since the entire eastern part of the state seems to be without wireless access or AT&T? I've read about steeking. I've heard lots of people say it's really not that bad.

Wellll.... let me tell you the worst that can happen. You can end up with the entire top of the outfit completely falling apart. Apparently the bamboo doesn't hold together the way a garmet made out of wool would. It falls apart exactly like your worst nightmare about steeking. Afterwards, I learned this from Eunny Jang,

"Steeks are useless, of course, if they unravel into the body of a sweater - different methods need to be applied to different yarns to ensure that this doesn't happen. To wit:

• The traditional, unreinforced steek relies on slight as-you-work felting to hold the cut edge together. Along with tight gauge and frequent color changes, extremely "sticky" yarn is needed to make it happen. Shetland wool, with all its little fuzzy bits and scaly, wiry hairs, works beautifully. Other extremely grabby yarns may work, too.
• Hand-sewn and crocheted steeks have some extra sturdiness from the applied reinforcement, but the real work is still done by the natural hold of the yarn - the reinforcement merely holds the strands in the close alignment needed. All yarns that felt are good candidates.
• Machine-sewn steeks are very firm, with the machine stitching providing all the hold needed to stabilize the cut edge. Since the stitching does all the work, smooth, slippery yarns can be used. Beware, though - machine sewing and handknits don't get along particularly well; I often find that machine-stitched knits have an unpleasant stiffness that interrupts the fluidity and drape that are the chief pleasures of knitted fabric.
• Wound steeks, which are purposely unraveled to the edge and darned in, end by end, don't need to stay together and are therefore suitable for any type of yarn."

Since no one in their right mind would define bamboo yarn as sticky, I should have known I would have a problem. So I ripped all the bits and pieces of bamboo yarn back to the bottom of the armpits and knit the garmet as 3 pieces from that point on. Other than ripping a sleeve out because I failed to read the directions, "at the same time," I proceeded to finish the sleep sack without incident.

Rumor has it that the parents really like the sleep sack even though the baby is still too small for it. I think it will come in very handy come fall. I'm particulary proud of the button choice - the daddy is in law enforcement and I think the buttons are perfect!

Sock Summit Update

Socks from my Sock It To Me pal.

I found a roommate for Sock Summit. Thanks for the tips. I bit the bullet and posted a request on Ravelry. I found someone and I think it will work out well. I hope anyway!

My plane ticket is bought. I have a place to stay. I think I'm committed.

Fight Club

The first rule of Fight Club, is you don't talk about Fight Club. So all I'll tell you is that I am wiped out. Wiped out and bruised in some very odd places. The back of my calf, under my chin and my glutes. Lots of falling on my glutes.

I did finish a very cute baby gift that I am planning on blogging shortly (I would be blogging about it now, but I haven't downloaded the photos from my camera yet and it feels like a very long walk across the house to get it).

I'm working on a pair of socks. A hybrid pair - sort of a made up cuff with a Cat Bordhi heel. This will be the first in my Summer of Socks challenge (you can look it up on Ravelry, I don't even have the energy to post a link. I promise I'll post it later)

Lots of hybernating projects are staring at me.

So that's it. I'll try to post more frequently... I've fallen off the Blogger bandwagon and I know I need to get back on. Thanks for the encouragement and questions about where I've gone. :)

Outside My Comfort Zone

The trees are in bloom all around our house

I am doing something way way outside my comfort zone this summer. I registered for Sock Summit 2009. Don't ask me how I managed to find a spot, I just happened to check the website at the right time when there were still some classes available. I managed to luck out and miss most of the horrible craziness that went on at the beginning. When I couldn't get through right at 9 PDT, I went to a meeting and checked the website later in the afternoon.

So here's the comfort zone issue. I don't know anyone who is going to this.
Not a single soul.
I don't have a roommate.
I don't have a plane ticket yet.
I am freaking out.
I don't even know if there's a hotel room within walking distance to be had in the city of Portland.

So if you know of anyone (it could be a friend of a friend) who is going to Sock Summit, please let me know. Help!

P.S. There is much knitting going on in the Big Blue House. There seems to have been a plethora of spring babies born to our friends so I am trying to crank out the baby gifts. Photos to come.

Sparkles

Everyone needs a little bit of sparkly fiber in their life! I found this batt (3.75 oz) at the Shepards Harvest Festival over Mothers Day weekend. I completely overspent on all the wonderful fibers - although I went knowing that I would overspend and being OK with that fact. Hey, when your husband's lounging on some beach in Ft Lauderdale and you're in 45 degree weather in Florida, you are allowed to overindulge.

Speaking of fiber, I know a friend of a friend who is giving away 1-2 lbs of wool straight off the sheep. I don't know if it's been cleaned, carded, etc. I know nothing about it. But let me know if you're at all interested and I'll check into it for you.

Non-Knitting

I've got several projects on the needles, but none ready to be photographed yet. We took this picture at my in-laws on Easter morning and I think it deserves to be seen. As you can tell, I'm pretty proud of my little family. The girls continue to amaze me with how fast they are growing and learning. We went to Kindergarten Roundup last week and it took everything I had not to cry through the entire thing. My baby is going to Kindergarten!

On Thursday at knit night, the owner of my LYS was wearing this. She made it out of a Cascade yarn that has linen mixed in with the wool - it was stunning. It's going to end up in my queue. In fact, the owner is ordering the yarn for me already and I'm going to use the gift certif I got for Mothers Day for it.

I'm also contemplating a lace tablecloth for my brother-in-law for his wedding in October. I know he appreciates knitted items and I thought that might be fun. Does anyone have any great pattern ideas?? I'm thinking a large circular shawl would work well. Am I totally nuts?

Swatch You Doin'?

One of my coworkers has decided that she no longer wanted a cubic ton of Debbie Bliss merino aran in an army green color and slightly less yardage of a very nondescript tan. She offered them to me at an extremely reduced price. It seems like someone I know likes those colors...

Oh yes, it's Adam. The man that truly believes that army green (usually camo) coordinates with nearly everything in his closet. (To give the man his due, he does realize that you don't wear a tie with camo pants.) Now, you may think I'm being mean or snarky - I'm not - I have photographic evidence.

Here's the kicker. I have very successfully not knit Adam a sweater up to this point. I have knit him hats and scarfs, but no sweaters. I maintain that this is because of his crazy long arms. I'd be knitting those arms forever! It's basically the same reason I don't knit him socks - I just don't have that kind of attention span. I have the attention span of a gnat. Plus, the man is always overheating. He's not really a sweater kind of guy. However, when I mentioned that I might have enough yarn to make him a sweater, his eyes sort of lit up. I was thinking maybe a nice ribbed two tone sort of sweater, nothing fancy. Oh no, he has his heart set on cables. Elizabeth Zimmerman style.

So following EZ's advice, I made a swatch hat. Kid size. Now that's something that can hold my attention.