Tackling the Backlog

I have been trying to get a blog post up for about two weeks now but have been thwarted by a crazy schedule and a nearly 9-month-old who has demanded my attention. I've got quite a backlog of things to show you, having recently completed two projects and gotten pretty darn close to finishing another, so let's just start with the oldest, m'kay?

Pattern: Pea Pod Baby Set by Kate Gilbert
Yarn: Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece (80% cotton, 20% merino), colorway Prosperous Plum
Needles: US 5 (3.75 mm) Addi Turbo circs
Size: 12 months
Started/Completed: April 30/August 24
Mods: none, unless you count the sizing

I was a naughty knitter and didn't swatch for this sweater. The yarn was leftover from my Mommy Snug, so I based my needle choice on the needles I used for that sweater (I'd used a 4 for mine, so I went up a size so that the fabric wouldn't be quite as dense). I thought I'd do a couple of sizes larger than what Rainbow was wearing at the time so that there would be a chance she'd still fit into it by the time I finished. It turns out that I needn't have worried; this looks to be more like a 2T than a 12 month size, so it'll be a while yet before she can wear it, but by then I hope she'll have stopped growing so quickly and will be able to wear this for a while. The nice thing about Cotton Fleece is that it's a great all-weather fiber blend. It's probably not the warmest in the middle of winter, but it'll be good for spring, summer, and fall.

I thought it was quite appropriate that I used yarn leftover from my pregnancy sweater to knit something for my baby -- both patterns by the same designer, no less, and I even found more of the same buttons! Unless there's a major surprise, we'll never be wearing our sweaters at the same time, but there's plenty of years ahead for us to be matchy-matchy. And we still have our February Sweaters to wear this fall and winter -- that is, if Rainbow hasn't outgrown hers before she's had a chance to wear it!

Nearing the End

I've spent the past few days trying to finish stuff. At the top of the list has been the Koi Pond Polwarth that has been on my wheel for at least a month. While Rainbow took an extraordinarily long nap on Saturday afternoon, I was able to finish spinning up the singles. I had one very full bobbin at the end.

I let the singles rest overnight and then, on Sunday, I started chain plying. For those of you who don't know what that is, chain plying is kind of like making a really big crochet chain with the singles and then putting twist into the chain. The result is something that looks like a three ply but you only need one bobbin to achieve it. It's not as strong as a traditional three ply (in which, if one ply breaks, you have two more still intact; in a chain-plied yarn, if the single breaks, the entire yarn can fall apart), but it is great for those times when you want to preserve color repeats in the fiber or want a self-striping yarn.

After a bit of plying on Sunday and more last night, I now have a rapidly filling bobbin:

I think that a couple more spinning sessions should see this finished.

Also nearly finished? Rainbow's Pea Pod Sweater, which is done but for the buttons.

It's definitely big, but I have a feeling it'll be a good fit for this time next year -- and it makes me happy to know that she'll be able to wear something I've knit for her. She was good enough to humor me while I had her try it on, though I think she was a little annoyed at how long the sleeves were. You see, she started crawling last week, and the long sleeves were slowing her down!

Welcome Back

And just like that, my mojo is back.

I pulled out Rainbow's Pea Pod Cardigan last Wednesday for Hurricane Knitting. It had suddenly occurred to me that I had started this sweater while on the way to my brother's college graduation -- which was May 1. It was about time I finished it, especially if I wanted Rainbow to be able to wear it this fall.

Something must've clicked at knit night, because all of the sudden I couldn't put the thing down! I finished up the front with the lace panel that night, started in on the back on Friday after Rainbow went to sleep, and finished it and the other front the next day. Now all that's left to do is a couple of sleeves (which I'll probably do at the same time), a bit of seaming up, and the collar.

The only problem? Well, I didn't swatch (I just went with a fabric I liked) and I'm following the instructions for the 12-month size, and it might be just a tad bit big.

Oh well, it'll fit her one day!

A Striped Shawlette

I'm beginning to realize that my days of blogging two or three times a week have come to an end, at least for the forseeable future. These days, my knitting time is relegated to about 30-40 minutes during my lunch break, and my crafty time in the evening is an hour at my wheel after Rainbow goes to sleep, if I'm lucky.

Because my time with yarn and needles has been so limited, I've been working on things that are interesting -- I just don't want to spend my limited knitting time working on stockinette or garter stitch these days. Specifically, I've been knitting lace. I've been on a real shawlette kick lately. My most recent? Another viral pattern -- Traveling Woman.

Pattern: Traveling Woman (Ravelry link) by Liz Abinante
Yarn: my handspun laceweight Falkland
Needles: 32" US 6 (4.0 mm) Addi Turbo circs
Started/Completed: April 26/May 12
Mods: none, other than blocking a little more aggressively than suggested

Although these detail shots don't quite show the colors accurately, they do give you a sense of the really subtle -- but really pretty -- color variation in the yarn. All the credit goes to Kristin of All Spun Up for that. I thought the subtlety would be perfect for this pattern.

If you look at the completed shawls on Ravelry, you'll notice that most are blocked with a semicircular border or gentle points. I, however, find it practically impossible to block anything gently, so my Traveling Woman has pretty definite points. The lace motifs don't seem to have suffered by my showing this shawl no mercy, though, so I'd say it all worked out in the end.

After finishing this shawl I immediately cast on for another -- Haruni -- in some Dream in Color Smooshy that'd been in my stash for maybe a year. I hope I'll have more time to work on it so that I can show it to you soon.

I'm also working on a little something for Rainbow that I started several weeks ago when we were driving up to Michigan for my brother's graduation. I've made this pattern before, but always for gifts, so it's nice to finally be able to knit it for my own child. It's the (in)famous Pea Pod cardigan. If the yarn looks familiar, it's because it's Cotton Fleece left over from my Mommy Snug. Rather appropriate, I think, that I'm using the same yarn for mommy and daughter sweaters -- both by the same designer, no less!

2008: Year of the Baby

In a year that is bound to see a great deal of knitting for many babies (none of them my own, to The Mister's great relief), it is only fitting that this should be the first Finished Object of 2008:

Pattern: cardigan from the Pea Pod Baby Set by Kate Gilbert
Yarn: Knit Picks Shine Sport (60% pima cotton, 40% modal), colorway Green Apple, approximately three skeins (150 grams/330 yards)
Needles: one 24" US 5 (3.75 mm) Addi Turbo circular
Started/Completed: December 24, 2007/January 1, 2008
Mods: grafted rather than sewed shoulder seams; picked up an additional 20 sts for the collar
Recipient: baby Macedonia

This cardigan turned out to be just as adorable -- but much faster -- than the first one. Because the parents-to-be are in the dark about the sex of the little one (who is due to arrive this month), I chose a cheerful green color that will do for a boy or a girl. The buttons likewise are a very gender-neutral pearlized white.

The experience knitting this sweater for a second time couldn't have been more pleasurable. Having knit the sweater once before, I knew the pattern well and was able to dive right in without having to think through any particular parts. I also was able to conserve yarn by planning ahead and using longer cast on and bind off tails that could be used for seaming.

I'm still undecided about making the matching hat. There's plenty of yarn left (nearly two full skeins), but I just wasn't completely happy with the first attempt. I may just use the leftover yarn and do an Umbilical Cord hat or a simple baby beanie. Thoughts, oh wise readers?

Now that this baby's knitting is done, up next are the coordinating Baby Surprise Jackets for our cousins' triplets, who we're hoping won't arrive until the end of the month at the very earliest. I am not in a great hurry to finish all three sweaters in time for their birth, because I know it will likely be a while before they're big enough to wear them, but I have a feeling that knitting the same pattern three times in a row is going to get a bit too monotonous for me, so I'm planning on breaking up the series with the other two baby sweaters left to knit. If I can have all five done by March, I'll be happy -- and then I can return to knitting big people sweaters.

Tonight is knitting with the Hurricane Knitters and the long-awaited return of Jenn's dpn. The snow won't stop us this time!

An FO and a Reminder

I've never done such a fast finishing job in my life (I suppose it helps that this project is itty bitty)!

Pattern: cardigan from Pea Pod Baby Set (pdf) by Kate Gilbert, offered as a Web knit by Interweave Knits, summer 2006
Size: 6 months (20 1/2" chest circumference)
Yarn: Knit Picks Shine Sport (60% pima cotton, 40% modal), colorway Sky, approximately 3.5 skeins
Needles: US 5 (3.75 mm) 32" Addi Turbo circs
Started/Completed: July 5/July 16
Recipient: baby boy Bowden, due to make his arrival in November

I am, to put it simply, in love with this sweet little sweater for so many reasons -- not least of which how quickly it knit up. I love the little peas created in the border by a yarnover and cleverly placed cable. I love the lace panel and how it breaks up the soothing monotony of stockinette. I love the asymmetrical placement of the opening and button band. And, as always, I love the miracles a good blocking worked in terms of (1) opening up the lace panel, (2) smoothing out the stitches, and (3) allowing me to cheat the gauge monster.

As this sweater is for a little boy, and as the lace panel might be thought by some (not me!) to be a little girly, I went with very plain faux horn buttons I had in my collection and sewed them on with a light blue thread to complement the yarn:

I have somewhat mixed feelings about this yarn. This particular colorway (a total of six skeins to begin with) had been in my stash since around the time I completed my Tivoli, for which I used the same yarn in a different colorway. I'd contemplated making another Tivoli at the time, but never cast on, so it had been marinating in the stash for many months. Then came the explosion of baby making among our friends (or so it seems) and I thought it best to make use of the baby-friendly and washable fibers in the stash when knitting for them. This yarn fits the bill: it's natural, it won't melt in the face of fire, and it's machine washable.

However, this batch I had shed like -- well, I guess like a long-haired dog who sheds. Every time I got up after a decent knitting session, I found myself covered in blue fuzzies. (Fortunately I did most of my knitting at night, in my pyjamas, so I didn't have to go out in public looking like a blue Muppet.) I discussed this fuzziness and shedding problem at length with Jenn, who is using the same yarn to knit her Josephine but who has not had any shedding problems. We've decided that Knit Picks must have "reformulated" their Shine, along with their other yarns, to make it less sheddy; we've certainly noticed that the Essential sock yarn has gotten softer.

There's one more feature of this sweater that I must point out -- in my opinion, my first fully successful set-in sleeve!

Tomorrow is the third Wednesday of the month, which means that the Hurricane Knitters and I will be at the Waterworks Barnes & Noble for our monthly meeting. Hope to see you there!

We're Blocking, We're Blocking*

All the pieces of the Pea Pod Cardigan are done! I finished the body last night and promptly blocked it:

I'd been a tad bit off in my gauge when I blocked my swatch (I had an extra 1.5 stitches and 1.5 rows over 4 inches), so I blocked this baby pretty strongly to match the measurements in the pattern schematic. I just love how the lace opened up and smoothed out as a nice by-product of my pulling and stretching:

Tonight, once I pin the sleeves into shape, I'm going to graft the shoulder seams and pick up stitches for the collar. I should have this sweater finished up in the next couple of days -- and then it's all about the buttons.


*Ever since my mother mentioned to me the other day that she'd been watching Dave on TV, that Bonnie Hunt line has been going through my head, so you'll have to excuse the pun.

Here I Am!

After my last post and all the excitement over DJ, things got a little crazy. However, there has been a little knitting (progress is easy to make on small knits!):

I finished the right front -- the front with the lace section -- of the Pea Pod Cardigan and have picked up the stitches for the back. You'll notice I didn't bind off the shoulder stitches at the top; I've decided that, with such a little sweater, I don't want to add any unnecessary bulk with seams, so I'm going to graft the shoulder stitches.

For the most part, I'm really enjoying this yarn (Knit Picks Shine Sport). It has a lovely sheen and knits up to a fabric with great drape. My one complaint is that it sheds. Frequently a ring of fuzz forms around the working yarn that I have to rip off, and I've noticed that when I get up after a knitting session, I've got fuzz all down the front of me. I'm sure this will go away after blocking and washing, but for now I'm glad I've only been working on this at home in my pyjamas.

Also, mostly through knitting during my lunch hour at work, I finished my first Garter Rib sock:

This is knit in TOFUtsies, which I just lurve knitting with. It's a little splitty sometimes, but it feels wonderful to knit and feels spectacular when worn. I will definitely be buying more of this yarn in the future, as it's a great summer alternative to the other cotton/wool blends I've tried -- this is much easier on my hands. The yardage is also amazing. With one sock done that's a normal size (7" leg and 9.5" length foot), it looks like I've barely made a dent in the skein. I have no doubt that there will be plenty left over after the second sock is complete to make at least a pair of baby socks. (Although I'm wondering if that's a good idea -- does anyone know if wearing a fiber made from shellfish can trigger allergies? I don't want to make a baby sick, especially if it's my too-cute baby cousin.)

Oh, and guess what?

My Koigu came. Now I can finally finish up the bad sock and knit its mate.

The Kindness of Strangers

The universe sometimes has a way of working things out. For instance, this morning I woke up with great difficulty, dragging myself out of bed because I knew I had to get to work, where a huge pile of reading awaited me. When I stopped at the top of the driveway to put a bill in the mailbox, I noticed that the mailman had left two packages on the front stoop. I had to wait until I got to work to open them, and what pleasant surprises were inside!

First was the prize I'd won from Julie for coming up with a name she selected for her latest design, the Haymarket Bag. Have you ever known me to not be excited about a sock book?

The other package was a larger box, from Mari. I knew she'd sent me something because she'd e-mailed me about a week ago asking for my mailing address -- but she only said she had a little surprise for me. As it turns out, when I'd gushed over Dudley, the stuffed daschund she'd made from a Japanese pattern book, she decided that -- although we only "know" each other online -- she had to make me one.

Meet Dudley Junior, or DJ, as I like to call him:

He's made of a beautiful chocolatey linen and stuffed with organic cotton (he came with a hand-written tag telling me all this).

Tell me this is not the cutest doggie face you've ever seen!

Thank you so much, Mari! I've repacked and unpacked DJ several times today, just to get the thrill I got upon first opening the box, and I've squealed with delight each and every time. DJ is going to do a lot to fill the hole I have in my life by not having a real dog (but not forever, J!).

Knitting is coming along without much exciting progress, probably because the heat and the stress at work is wearing me down. Last night I made it into the third lace repeat in the Pea Pod Cardigan. DJ approves of my work thus far:

Tonight will be more of the same. I'll try to have some more interesting knitting pictures in time for my next posting. In the meantime, happy "tails" to you!

(Sorry, I couldn't resist! And I know you're not at all sorry to see the cutest little puppy tushie ever!)

Finished: Embossed Leaves #2

First things first -- down to the business of the latest FO.

Pattern: Embossed Leaves Socks by Mona Schmidt (Interweave Knits winter 2005/Favorite Socks)
Yarn: Koigu KPPPM (100% merino), colorway P429, two skeins
Needles: two US 1 (2.5 mm) 12" Addi Turbo circs
Started/Completed: June 27/July 8
Mods: I used a regular long-tail cast on and joined for working in the round from the beginning, worked twisted rib for one inch, and did not cut the yarn after turning the heel.

Love these! The Koigu is an absolute dream to work with, and I loved not only the feel of the yarn but the lusciousness of the color. These socks are actually shades of muted greens and charcoal grays, somewhat difficult to capture on camera. Amazingly, I saw almost no pooling in these socks; what little there is can't really be seen if you aren't looking for it.

I have not yet frogged the original sock of this pair (or so I thought); thanks to a very helpful comment left by Amber, I was able to find another skein in P531! One day soon, therefore, I'll have another pair of Embossed Leaves to call my own.

Today was Stitch 'n Pitch and I have only one word for it: HOT! There are no pictures of any of the knitters or their companions because we were all rather, um, damp. I did manage to cast on and knit about an inch and a half of a new sock:

This is the TOFUtsies I bought for myself in Hilton Head. I'm just going a simple garter rib because I didn't want the colorway to compete with the pattern. I'm finding it strangely satisfying not to have to think about lace or where the yarn over should go.

I am, however, getting a little lace fix with the other project I recently cast on:

This is the beginning of the cardigan from Kate Gilbert's Pea Pod Baby Set (pdf). It's knitting up supercute and it's very hard to put it down without completing a chart. Its intended recipient isn't due to make his arrival until November, but I have a feeling this sweater will be complete long before then!

Meanwhile, we just found out some other friends of ours are expecting a baby -- due in January, sex not to be known until it's born. I think another Baby Surprise Jacket may be in my future!