almost done with 2 more sweaters

I finished knitting the toddler sweater, but have a few ends to weave in, which I probably won't get to for a while. I alos got the rest of the yarn for my sweater, and actually finished the body and 1 sleeve, I'm about half way trhough the 2nd sleeve. If I decide I like the sweater overall, I'm going to find some size 13 double points and work out the pattern to do the sleeves in the round. Not really a fan of knitting it flat and sewing up the sides. Mosty becuase I don't know like sew seams, but also, I find it makes the sleeves a little tighter than I like. I'm traveling in and out of the state for work, so not sure when I'll get this done. but crossing my fingers I'll find some time. Promise to put pictures up when I'm done.

-E

Some Bloggy Lessons

Well, I've been trying to learn how to add some features to the blog, and it seems like this weekend was the weekend of epiphany. I have added some more finished objects to the 2007 list based on our last few entries. I also learned how to make a jpeg file into a link button (very cool!). And, I have been slowly learning some HTML. It's a good thing that the fiance bought me the Idiot's Guide to Web Sites and Blogs. I'll be adding it to the nightly reading pile for sure. Next feature to learn is the percentage button to go underneath any works in progress. I put some comments out on some other blogs in order to learn more. Keeping my fingers crossed that I hear something back. I also started reading The Friday Night Knitting Club, so a review will be forthcoming in the next few weeks.

Book Review and Two FOs

I recently finished reading The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood. I have already reviewed Knitting Under the Influence, and I must say that Ann Hood's novel is leaps and bounds ahead in terms of writing quality. While Knitting Under the Influence was more of a beach book, The Knitting Circle would be ideal for a book club. The novel tackles some difficult issues as several women come to know each other through their tragedies and their knitting. The main character, Mary, has lost her daughter to meningitis, and her mother, a recovering alcoholic, keeps telling her that she must learn to knit because it will help her through the grieving process. Mary and her mother have never had a great relationship, so she takes her advice with much trepidation. It turns out to be advice that is worth taking, as Mary grieves and knits her way through the next two years of her life. She learns along the way that everyone in the knitting circle has a story, and that she must take hold of her own future in order to heal herself. I would recommend this book to knitters and non-knitters alike. It was very well written, and I will be curious to read more of Ms. Hood's books in the future.

However, for the present, I have two FOs. I finally finished DF's Frogman Knit Scarf from the Morehouse Farm Knits book. I bought the yarn almost a year ago on our yarn crawl through NYC and the Hudson Valley, and the pattern proved difficult at first, but I plowed through and succeeded. It's a gorgeous green, and I will probably be stealing it to wear as well. But, it does mark the first FO for my fiance, and that makes it special. He even said that he's sad that it's done because he likes watching me make things for him. Guess the hat won't be too far behind in the making.




Pattern: Frogman Knit Scarf from Morehouse Farm Knits book
Yarn: Morehouse Merino 3-Strand in Moss
Started: Over and Over, but officially for the last time in late December 2006
Finished: March 16, 2007
For: My fiance

I also completed my first dishcloth for the Monthly Dishcloth Knitalong. I joined this knitalong for a number of reasons, but it is a great way to do some stashbusting. Unfortunately, it also led to a little stash enhancing when we traveled to a baseball card show at a mall that also had a Jo-ann store. Thus, I purchased a few balls of Sugar and Cream cotton yarns in order to complete the other washcloths for the year. Below is the Mid-March KAL cloth that we bestowed upon friends of ours that we visited this week. They are redoing their whole house that they just purchased, but I think the tile has to stay. It's a great little touch of detail in a kitchen.



Pattern: Mid March KAL basket pattern
Yarn: Reynolds Saucy #44 in Peacock (I lost the ball band and am taking a guess there)
Started: March 15, 2007
Finished: March 21st, 2007
For: My friend D and her new digs

New projects and substituting yarns

Set out to work on a new adult sweater, and found what looks like a pretty quick and easy pattern from the Hollywood Knits book. Went and ordered some subsitute yarn from knitpicks, but alas, I did not check the yardage of the substitute yarn, only when I started the project and realized that the yarn was going much faster than the project, did I check and saw that the yarn I picked was only 75 yards a skein compared to 150 yards in the original yarn. Oh well, live and learn. so that project is on hold until I can get the rest of the yarn (which should be at the end of this week). In the mean time I'm about finished with another morehouse toddler sweater, just have half a sleeve to go. But so far I'm not feeling the color combo, I'll put up a picture when I'm done and see what you guys think.

Had planned on bring it with me today on the way to work (an hour train ride to go out to Jersey), but was running late and didn't bother. so it'll have to wait to finish.

At the rate these 2 sweaters are going, I might need to find a new project for my trip to FL in April.

-E

Adding some new blogs

I am adding some new blogs to the sidebar. I have been checking the following out lately and enjoy them:

A Knitted Frenzy
CRAFT Magazine (A new favorite subscription!)
For the Love of Fiber (lots of non-knitting related crafting)
Interweave Knits Knitalong
Monthly Dishcloth Knitalong
nonaknits (great to watch her daily swatching)
stitch marker
Vickie Howell Blog

Check 'em out and see what inspires you!

-B

Monthly Dishcloth KAL

I have recently joined the Monthly Dishcloth KAL. I joined because I loved making dishcoths for family members at the holidays, I get to experiment with different techniques and stitch patterns on a small scale, and I think the dishcloths are cute. At our house, we like the idea of generating our own things, from music to clothes, so this allows us to add another little flavor to the house. I've put the button on the sidebar, and added the link. One of these days, I will figure out how to make the button the link. Perhaps next week when I've still got some time off. In non-dishcloth news, I did finish DF's Frogman Scarf from Morehouse Farms. I will post pics tomorrow night (even one where he is wearing it live!). I've still got the socks and the multi-directional scarf to work on, and I started the Derby Poncho from Morehouse. It's a fun and easy knit that might actually be done and wearable by the time the week is out. Another book review should also be up this week for The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood. See, just cause I wasn't posting, doesn't mean that I was ignoring my knitting. Happy St. Patty's Day and enjoy the weekend!

-B

Hourglass Sweater

While the sweater is not completely done, all knitting is finished on it. I'll post full details when all holes have been taken care of and all ends are woven in. But I thought I'd post a pic as it is almost complete and I am officially on Spring Break and I'm not taking the sweater with me to finish, due to the minimal amount left and the requirement of a larger project over the break. And I'm rambling, so here's a pic...

-S