FO: Leaf

Well, its not one of my favorite FO's, but its a FO.

Pattern: Leaf by Stephanie Japel

Yarn: Mystery Green Wool bought on Ebay.com, my first wool yarn purchase, 3 hanks.

Needles: KnitPicks Options, size 6, various length cables

Time: About 3 weeks, with working on other projects

Size: I started planning on making the 45" bust, but changed to the 40" after holding it up to me. I'm glad I didn't make it the larger size, since this thing is already big.

Modifications: I shortened the arms a bunch. I was going to skip the i-cord all together, but the neck was rolling way to much.

What I learned: Top down- this was my first top down sweater, but not my last, in fact I cast on for another top down about 5 minutes after I finished seaming this one. I-cord- in two years of serious knitting this was my first attempt at doing i-cord. I think I only minded it when it was time to attach the i-cord to the neck.

Depending on the dress I get to wear on our anniversary, this one might actually get worn once. or twice.

I've Been a Bad Blogger Lately.

Not only am I not updating the blog as often as I would like to, when I do its at work and without any photos.
Since I broke the screen on my laptop, and have to use a monitor screen, its just not as easy to get on the computer at home, and now I find that C has taken the cable that allows me to download photos and hid it somewhere.

Saturday I did a lot of knitting on Venezia. I started the arm steeks, and am almost done doing the decrees rows there, then I have 48 rows without any increases or decreases before I start the neck. I think I might be able to have the body done in a few weeks.

Sunday I finished Leaf while watching the Ninja Warrior marathon on G4. I do have some cruddy bathroom photos to post as soon as I can. I sucked it up and did the i-cord edging around the body, and except for a few spots where I missed a pick up stitch, it looks pretty decent.

I then cast on for Rusted Root in some old Cotton Ease that has been in the stash for 2 years. While I love how the knitted fabric feels, I forgot what a number the cotton ease can do on your hands. I think this is going to be a slow knit for the most part, but that's ok with me.

C has been sick all weekend, I stayed home with him yesterday, and DH is home with him today. Since C has gotten worse last night/this morning, DH is taking him in to the Doc's in about an hour.

I finally got a chance to look through the Summer Interweave Knits, and it just reaffirmed that this is one issue I won't be buying. The few things that looked like I might knit didn't look as good to me in print.

Artistic Licence.

One important part of knitting is to pick projects that feature new techniques that will challenge us, and teach us new techniques. One of the reasons I picked Leaf to work on is the i-cord, which I have never done before.

I started the i-cord edging on Monday night after finishing the first sleeve, and got a few inches in before deciding that the I-cord was coming out way to thick, about the size of my thumbs.

Ok, So I frog it all out, and re-start on size 4 DPN's, about two sizes smaller. The i-cord is still a bit thick, but it looks better, and it takes me a little over an hour to get to the 11 inches called for before starting the attached i-cord.

The directions state Now work applied i-cord around neckline as foll: *k4 on DPN, then knit last st tog with 1 st picked up from right front neck edge—5 sts. Slide sts back to working end of needle and rep from *.

I got two inches in and decided it looked like crap. Frog back, and try again, still looking like crap and I've been attaching to the left side.

Frog again, attach to the right side this time, but still looking like ass.

Third time's the Frog. Decided to just knit the i-cord solo and sew on. Work on the i-cord for another half hour this morning hating every inch of the lumpy tubular thing that was coming off of my needles, thinking there must be something easier.

Like crocheting the ties and the edging.

Frog for the forth time, look through drawers to find an appropriate crochet hook, modify the leaf so I start with three stitches, and start whipping out a chain. Had the 11 inches done in 60 seconds flat. Started attaching to the body (from the left, because I am feeling rebellious) and get halfway done with the front before I remember that today is a work day, and I do need to get dressed and get C up and moving.

I think I will be done with the i-cord this evening, and then all I have left is the last sleeve and seaming.

Happy Mothers Day

To all the Mothers and Mom's to be out there!

My Mothers day present was a day to myself yesterday, of which I spent a large chunk of time knitting on Leaf. The body is finished, and I am working away on the Sleeves. I think it might be possible to have a FO on this by the end of next weekend.

I did some knitting on Venezia today while we were at my mothers.

I am about half way done with the fourth chart repeat, and about 23 rows away from starting the steeks for the arms, again, I am thinking by next weekend.

I did break my "No more than two at a time" rule and re-cast on for the Alpine Lace Scarf last night. This time I am working on the size 2 Knit Pick options that I bought last month, and the P2tog's are going a lot smoother.
DH also bought me the pattern for Rusted Root, which I am planning on knitting with some Cotton Ease that has been in the stash for over two years, when I bought up tons at half price.

I'm an Idiot.

I broke my laptop on Friday, so I am temporally unable to blog (or post photos!!!) from home.
How did I break it? I forgot that I had a pen resting on the keyboard, and I went to close it, cracking the screen. DH thinks we can hook the laptop up to a monitor so I'm not completely without Internet action at home (he will not let me touch his laptop after this), but until then...

I didn't get much knitting done over the weekend either. I think I have done 20 rows on Venezia since last Monday. I am almost done with the third repeat of the chart, only 3 or 4 left to go, plus the sleeves.

(This spot marking where a photo would bee)

I did manage to get a bit more done on Leaf. I put the sleeves on holders Thursday night while watching Grays, and started the increases for the front by the ties yesterday. Now I just have rows and rows of stockingnet stitch left to do for both the body and the sleeves.

(Marking off another would-be photo)

I did spend part of Saturday night teaching D how to knit. She seems to be picking up the knit stitch really well, and I have her practicing until the next time when I will show her how to purl.

More of a longer update, and photos when I have the ability to blog from home again.

Which will be done first?

The endless edging of the Cap Shawl, or my ball of yarn.

This edging is taking forever. Besides the mass frogging incident of last Friday, I lost an entire nights knitting on Tuesday due to the massive storms that hit Denton, leaving us without power when we got home from work, and later when the thunder kept waking C up, and I curled up with him so he wouldn't be scared.
I was sure I would be done last night, but no, I have two repeats of the edging left. Uggg. If I didn't know better, I'd think malicious elves or gnomes were coming into our house at night to frog this piece, and put everything back on the needles.
I have very little yarn left in this ball of yarn, but I think it might be enough to get through the shawl. If not, I still have the fourth ball of yarn.
Barring an act of God, the knitting of the shawl will be done tonight, but I might hold off on the grafting and blocking until tomorrow when C is at his grandparents.

Knitty Surprises are up. I think I really like Leaf, and might have to cast on for it tonight. I think I have yarn that will work, even if I have to knit a smaller size for someone else.
I also like Airetta, but is it wrong of me to wish they had fair-isle instructions as well? Mosaic knitting just looks to fussy for me. I can't see myself knitting the other two patterns, so they won't be mentioned.