Smitten w/ Knittin'

What?

2011-03-10T11:53:00.001-05:00

What happened to all my size 8 needles? Seriously? I only have one set? How is that possible?

Quick Catch-up

2011-02-04T15:00:00.002-05:00

Holy Cow, it’s been awhile since my last post. How does time get away so quickly?

Today is my mom’s birthday. Unfortunately she has the winter blues. But now she has a pair of blue socks to go with

I called her last night and had her open the package early. She loves socks that go with denim (she is a little more matchy-matchy than me), so she loved the color. I made them toe up and made them really long (something else she likes in her socks).

This was my first attempt at the Fleegal heel.

I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it either. I have noticed that I always wear my socks in the same spot (whether they are hand knit or store bought) and have been trying to figure out a better way to reinforce the bottom part of the heel. I was hoping that this would lend itself to that and although they probably would, I think I want to try this toe-up heel flap instead using a slip stich pattern on the flap for my next socks for me.

I used Cascade Heritage Paints (I think it is color 9872 – I didn’t keep the label or put the info on Ravelry). This is really nice sock yarn and I will use it again. The yardage is also amazing - 437 yards!

Since it has been so long since my last post, I didn’t get a chance to show you my holiday window at the store. As you may remember I saw those really cool yarn trees at Macy’s and wanted to do something similar. I couldn’t figure out what to use as a base for a tree…so I just used our mannequins instead:

Jenn got a really good close-up shot of it with the lights on:

It was hard to get a good picture of it in the window with the lights on…but I have to say that it did look pretty cool. I wish I could have kept them wrapped for next year, but they are the only mannequins we have.

2010-12-07T16:30:00.002-05:00

I think I need to knit this before the next election.

I am thinking that I will make each state a shade of grey. Then I will knit each states as a separate piece. But I will knit each state twice, once in red and once in blue.

Winter Bloom

2010-12-07T13:41:00.000-05:00

Malbrigo winner

2010-12-07T00:07:00.001-05:00

First I have to say I thought a few more of you would submit a story for me. Ruth, I am looking at you.
`
I was excepting a zombie story. Or may a story about a story about giant invisible moths. Or an alien abduction, with aliens who are trying to learn to knit. Well, there will be other contests.

While I had 3 good choice, it was Enid’s post that really made me laugh out. I think it was that is was relevant to SnB. Unfortunately we haven’t see you in awhile, so you don’t know that we don’t really see the Korean Bible study group that much anymore. We are now in a show down with a bunch of evil staring chess players.

Congratulations Enid. Please email me at smittenwknitting@gmail.com with you shipping address.

The good news is that the scarf is out of the freezer. I think I can save most of it. It may have to become a cowl. We’ll see.

Malabrigo conest

2010-12-03T11:02:00.002-05:00

Just a reminder that the contest for a ball of Malabrigo ends on Sunday. Leave a comment on this post - http://smittenwknittin.blogspot.com/2010/11/malabrigo-mystery.html.

I look forward to hearing some more good stories!

Yarn Tree

2010-11-29T12:02:00.001-05:00

I went to Macy’s about a week ago and saw the coolest Christmas decoration. A yarn tree:

Here is a close up shot:

It is a wire tree frame that is wrapped in yarn and has balls of yarn tied to it. How cool is that! I totally want to make one! Can you imagine it all in green yarns with some green Christmas lights on it (not sure if that would be a fire hazard) and some silver balls? I am not sure what to look for though for the frame though. I googled “wire tree,” “wire tree frame,” “wire cone,” “wire cone tree form” and lots of other combinations of those words. This is one of those things where if I lived someplace where I had lots of room, I would try to build it myself (I did some sculptures in college made out of steel wire, so I know how to braze), but where would I do that and store it in the mean time. Any ideas?

Malabrigo Mystery

2010-11-28T16:35:00.001-05:00

I am still having issues figuring out what happened to my beloved scarf. One theory I have is that perhaps the scarf got caught in one of the toggles on my coat. Between that and the rain and wind, something happened. But my issue with that is that I think that would make a rip, not a hole. And not so many holes. I still don’t think it’s the the the “M” word, but it is currently hanging out in my freezer just in case.

So here is my challenge to you dear readers. Come up with a theory or story for me on how you think it happened. Something to either educate or amuse me. Leave your idea in the comments. I will pick a winner one week from today – December 6. The winner will receive one skein of Malabrigo sock in Rayon Vert.

Special thanks to T for the great post name!

Black Friday (with a preview on Wednesday)

2010-11-23T22:16:00.001-05:00

Annie & Co Knitting is having a Thanksgiving SUPER Sale!
THIS Wednesday and Friday only! 11am - 6pm

Araucania’s Limari ….was $17… now $10

Araucania Nature Wool…was $11… now $6

Ella Rae Jaspe Wool….was $8… now $4

Ella Rae Superwash….was $10… now $5

Ella Rae Kamelsoft ….was $10.50… now $5

Sheep Shop Sheep Two….was $16.20… now $8.5

Blue Sky Hand Dyed Bulky…….was $15… now $8

Karabella Puffy….was $15.75… now $8

SWTC Karaoke…….was $9.50… now $5

Tibet….was $14… now $8

and some great discounts on sock yarns too!

Regia Design Line – Kaffe Fassett… was 8.50... now$6

Sockina Cotton… $17 … NOW $11

Socka Color… $21 … NOW $11

Step Duett… $24 … NOW $12

Mini Raggi… $8 … NOW $6

Fortissima Kids… $12 … NOW $6

Opal Cotton… $19…NOW $11

PLUS more 50% discounts!

Don't miss out!

WTF?!?!?!?!

2010-11-16T23:45:00.002-05:00

As I usually do on Tuesday evenings, I went to SnB tonight. It was a touch cold here tonight, so I decided to wear my favorite scarf…my malabrigo lace scarf. As I left Whole Foods, it started to rain. But I carried on. When I got home I was soaked. So I shed my layers and hung them over the shower curtain to dry. I just went into the bathroom and found this:

WTF?!?!?!?!? Where did those HUGE holes come from? They weren’t there when I left WF. They are way too big and too sudden to be anything insecty. Is it possible that the rain did this? I did wet block it when I made it, without any issues. Was it the stress of it hanging around my neck and being soaking wet?

The midsection of the scarf is intact, so maybe I can somehow save part of it. Or maybe I’ll felt the balance of it and make a pillow or something out of it.

I am really bummed right now.:-(.

Monkey Business

2010-11-04T12:12:00.001-04:00

I realize this post is a little late, since Halloween has come and gone already, but here it is none the less.

I unfortunately was not at the store when the mother picked up the costume last week. But apparently she was THRILLED with it.

Here are a few shots I managed to take before I handed over the project:

I also made a little trick or treat bag for the child out of the left over orange:

The one thing I forgot to take a picture of was the blabla tag I made. I bought some twill tape from M & J and had one of the Needlepoint girls help me trace the logo onto it. IMHO, that is what would have really made the costume.

I hope she is really that happy with it. When I first heard about this project I couldn’t think of anything except “Are you kidding? Really? A life sized knitted sock monkey?” But in the end I really had a lot of fun with it. I also hope this ends up being one of those things that the child wears around the apartment for fun. Just like when I make a baby blanket for someone. I hope that blanket becomes his/her binky/ cuddle blanket/blankie/security blanket…you get the idea.

Hopefully I will have more pictures soon.

As long as it's Malabrigo

2010-11-03T11:11:00.002-04:00

You are Merino Wool.

You are very easygoing and sweet. People like to keep you close because you are so softhearted. You love to be comfortable and warm from your head to your toes.

Take the quiz here.

As long as it's Malabrigo

2010-11-03T11:11:00.000-04:00

Yikes!

2010-10-25T18:52:00.001-04:00

From today’s Yarn Harlot calendar:

You can do whatever you want with this information, but there are about nine weeks until Christmas. I don’t know how fast you knit or what your plans are, but I thought it might be time to start thinking about it. No pressure.

I still have a commission piece I am working on, a pair of socks, a baby blanket and a baby sweater before I can even start Christmas knitting. Yikes!

Hehehe

2010-10-18T21:48:00.001-04:00

Those are really big balls of yarn

Phew

2010-10-14T19:35:00.000-04:00

Today was the fitting with the blabla child.

First, I have to tell you how cute this little girl is! Words could not describe! She had the blondest hair. It was that white blonde that little kids have. And she was really sweet too.

Overall the fitting went good. I have a few adjustments to make, but nothing too serious.

I need to redo the top portion of the hat. Although the mom was happy with the way it looked, it was a little too small for the child. Not that big of a deal, although it does mean having to redo the intarsia. C’est la vie.

The “romper” fit her pretty well. I need to make a few adjustments on the bib, good thing I hadn’t keep knitting last night. And the back is a little big on her, but I am going to fix that with some elastic. Very little frogging on this part.

The mittens were a perfect fit.

I also got to see the “original” doll today. This toy has been loved to death! I don’t think I have ever seen a toy this loved. The knitting in some places is thread thin. The mother has sewn parts of the doll back together in several places. Some of the stuffing is missing and what is there is clumped together in a way not originally intended.

I am very relieved to have had the fitting. I was a little concerned that if for some reason the costume was too small that I wouldn’t be able to redo it in enough time. But we are right on schedule to finish for next weekend.

Now…I can start weaving in some of those ends…

Fingers Crossed

2010-10-13T13:56:00.001-04:00

I have a fitting with the monkey girl tomorrow. Everyone keep your fingers crossed!

Monkey Update

2010-10-11T16:24:00.002-04:00

Do you guys remember that George Michael song, Monkey? I seem to have that in my head a lot these days.

I have been pluggin’ away on the monkey and feel like I have made some good progress:

I even attached the tail last night:

I am a little concerned about the size. It looks a little small to me, but I don’t have a child…so perhaps my perspective is off. I showed it to some of the ladies at knitting last week and one of the girls said that she had a big 5 year old and it would be too small for him. But, this is for a 4 year old who apparently is on the smaller side. By the way, I have yet to meet the child who I am knitting this for. I did measure some of her pants. Her mother brought me a pair of cargo pants and a pair of leggings to measure. I made the monkey legs not as big as the cargo pants, but bigger than the leggings. I am trying to arrange a fitting in the next couple of days. I don’t know what I am going to do if it doesn’t fit. Halloween is creeping up on us.

My other concern is that I may run short on the pink yarn. I had to double it, because it has much more drape than the cotton. I bought a few more skeins, but that is all we had at the store. The romper is supposed to be trimmed with pink, but I may have to use another color. I hope this ok. I know the mother wants it as close to the originally as possible, but I am not sure I have much choice here. Maybe I will get online and see if I can order a few back-up skeins. Since there is so much striping going on I don’t think it will matter if it is a different dye lot.

NYC Yarn Crawl

2010-10-08T21:22:00.002-04:00

Refill your metrocard...tomorrow is the start of the 2nd Annual NYC Yarn Crawl. Several New York City yarn stores are taking part in this fun event. Annie's is going to have some fabulous deals. Including an amazing cash and carry sale. Some of the yarns will include Noro Maiko, Rowan Tapestry, Karabella Puffy, Anny Blatt Sublime, Ella Rae Kamelsoft, Katia Austral, Ella Rae Superwash, Schulana Merino Superlight, Punta Balpaca, Elsebeth Lavold Chunky Al, Elsebeth Lavold Calm Wool, J.Knits Soft Twist, J.Knits Superwash Me DK, Sublime Organic Cotton, Bouton d'Or Yak, Bouton d'Or Ksar, Bouton d'Or Laika, Knit 1 Crochet Too Babyboo and S. Charles Victoria. Plus much more!

Phew...that was a lot of typing.

So stop by and say hi...see if youy can find the apple for the scavenger hunt!

Bla bla bla bla

2010-09-30T23:27:00.006-04:00

Meet Clementine. One of the Blabla dolls.

I bet you are wondering why I am showing you an orange sock monkey. One of our needlepoint customers has a 4 year old daughter who loves this monkey. She loves it so much that she takes it with her everywhere she goes. She even has a backup doll in case she can't find the original. She loves this monkey so much that when her mom asked her what she wanted to be for Halloween, she didn't hesitate.

This is where I come in.

The mother has commissioned me to make a costume for her daughter. A 4 year old sized Clementine.

I started with the easy part. The tail:

I cast on 18 stitches and magic looped it till I thought it will be long enough. It should be long enough that the child can twirl and move the tail, but not step on it when she walks (safety first!)

Then I made some cute little mittens:

I used this pattern. I made the child's size, so I hope it fits. They were pretty fast too.

The hard part so far? The Monkey head. The mother and I both agreed that we didn't want to obstruct the child's face (again, I cite safety). My first thought was to make a balaclava. I started using this helmet pattern. But it wasn't quite right:

I started thinking about how to make the heart shaped portition of the monkey face. And then it hit me -- I need to make a cross between a traditional hat and a balacava! But I still had the issue of the heart shape. I knew the answer would include intartsia. So I Ravelry'd "Monkey." The very last pattern was the Punk Rock Backpack from the first Stitch 'n Bitch book. I was so excited that not only had someone else already done the chart for me...but I already owned the book.

I am really happy with the result. I also finished the ears, but haven't sewn them on yet:

I started the leg of the first pant...haven't gotten too far. I need to buckle down tomorrow and see how far I can get:

Keeping checking back to see my progress...and if I will make my deadline!

Never Forget

2010-09-11T13:14:00.000-04:00

This email was sent to me shortly after September 11th by a co-worker. I re-read it every year on this date and I wanted to share it with you. I still get very emotional about this date and can’t imagine why anyone would ever want to do something so hateful.

I will never forgot.

As I don't have Osama bin Laden's email address please forward this letterto as many as folks as possible so that he may receive my heartfelt thanks!
Dear Osama:

Allow me to thank you for your recent visits to our country! I am a 49 yearold male, 4th generation, well educated, prosperous and yes, a spoiledAmerican. I have never really understood our nation's history nor theactions of the past generations. You see I grew up in a time period when wehad our unpopular war in Vietnam and it wasn't cool to be a patriotic. Wentthrough the space generation, the love generation, the me generation andthe x-generation without any real appreciation for what went on before mytime. I couldn't understand why men would rush to sign-up to defend ourcountry in the World Wars. Nor could I even really appreciate why we hadVeteran's Day or for that matter the Fourth of July. For my generation, itwas merely a holiday which was a day off from work.My hero's weren't fireman, policemen, soldiers, or politicians. They weresports figures, business tycoons, movies stars and the like. Why wouldanyone take one of those low paying, dangerous positions when you couldhave more money, more respect, and have a whole lot more fun as one ofthese others?

My view of the world was; USA against the rest of the world because nobodyappreciated what we did for them. I was never concerned about the rest ofthe world or really cared for their well being...except to dole out moneyfor food and medicine thru one of our relief programs (like the$171,000,000 we gave your countrymen last year). All I ever thought aboutwas maybe a vacation to their corner of the world to experience theirculture.

Your visit here has changed all that! So I want to tell you "Thanks"! Isincerely mean it too. You have no idea how your visit has changed allthat. You see I realize now what my forefathers fought for and why theyrisked their lives. I understand what Memorial Day and the Fourth of Julyare all about. Upon seeing our Flag, my chest expands, our national anthembrings tears to my eyes. My fellow Americans are truly my brothers and Iwill defend them with all my might.

As you watch CNN (from our satellite) broadcasting our American familyportrait, I am sure you have noticed a different pose. We are all one now.Racial barriers have been broken, religious barriers are gone, as webelieve and trust in any and all religions that support a just and mercifulSupreme Being. My heroes now are firemen, policemen, soldiers and yes,even our politicians. The outside world as I have known it has now embracedus. Taking us in during our time of need and given us the support we so
desperately required. Our enemies of the past are not.So, you see, Osama, we OWE you. Thank you for realigning our perspectivesand values like no one has done before. Your actions have created more
good will than any one single act I have known in my lifetime. I know youdidn't think this would be the outcome, but rest assured this is what youhave created!! You made us understand a lesson we hope to never forget ortake for granted again.

In closing it is a custom in our country to express our gratitude. So weand a few of our friends (the rest of the world) are going to stop by anddeliver a message to you and yours. I hope it comes soon and swift butdon't worry if you don't see us right away we won't forget...not now, notever.

In Appreciation,

Dave

Hats

2010-08-27T12:32:00.002-04:00

We had a little cold snap here in NYC this week. And when I say cold snap, I mean it was below 80°F. But it started me thinking about my hat project. I haven’t made very much progress this year on it. For those of you who don’t know, last year I collected 139 hats, 10 scarves, 1 pair of gloves and even 1 sweater. I donated these to New York Cares in conjunction with their coat drive. When I dropped them off, and told the woman what I had and they were all hand knit, she said she thought she might cry. She thought it was so special that people would donate hats. And it made it even more special that they were hand knit.

I did receive some lovely hats from Karabouts’ mom who lives in Ohio. CityMinx also gave me a few hats. And I have managed to make a few myself. But I am not quite as far along as I was last year at this time.

Starting today I am going back to only knitting hats during my lunch hour to try and increase my production. It is a great lunch hour project. It’s small so I can keep it in my desk. The hats don’t need to be complicated, so I don’t need to worry about having a pattern, row counters, stitch markers, etc. And they go pretty fast.

I know we are all really busy with life and knitting projects for ourselves and our loved ones, but one hat can make a big difference. I keep thinking about these people who have nothing. No place to sleep at night and not enough clothes to keep them warm. It warms my heart a little to know that I can make a difference in someone’s life by doing something I already love to do.

If you are interested in making hats you can drop them off at Annie and Company Knitting on Madison Ave in NYC. Or email me at smittenwknitting@gmail.com for an address you can send them to.

Ten!

2010-07-15T14:20:00.001-04:00

I was sitting in the park at lunch today, knitting on my noro sock and thinking of my in progress list, when I remembered a project not on the list! It is hibernating (and for whatever reason I never put it on Ravelry) so that is why it didn’t come to mind when I was typing my list the other day. It is a top-down wool/alpaca hip length cardigan in grey. I was working on it when Murray died and for whatever reason, I just couldn’t knit on it anymore after he passed. I am emotionally ready to pick it back up again, but it’s really warm and we are having an above normal summer here in NYC. So I won’t be touching that one for awhile either. I think I need to rent a cabin in the woods for a week, so I can stay up all night knitting to get some things done.

My Knitpicks order was shipped the day. It is currently in Edison, NJ according to the FedEx website. But it says it’s not due until Monday. Why? It’s just across the river. Why do they want to torture me!?!?!?! I guess its ok; I am only on row 5 out of 16 on the border. And I have other things that need to be finished first. So close, yet so far away.

Update

2010-07-13T11:48:00.003-04:00

I must be the WORST blogger ever! I feel really bad…but apparently not too bad, or I would have blogged before this.

I don’t know what is wrong with me but I have been obsessed with lace lately. The last 2 pages on my Ravelry queue is all lace shawls. That is all I want to knit. Lace, lace, lace. Have I knit much lace lately…not really. Here is a list of what is on my needles:

1. A pair of Noro socks for Jon – a swap. Basic rib and cable socks.

2. Veronique in a pretty purple cashmere. I don’t know why this is taking me so long. Miles of stockinette stitch I guess.

3. A Lady Kina in a (you guessed it) pale pink. I had some Rowan Wool/Cotton in my stash and I felt the need to cast on.

4. A pair of Anastasia socks in Punta de Este MeriSock. I love this pattern. I love this yarn. So why am I not done with these yet?

5. A pair of striped socks from some yarn I got at Renegade Art Fair a few yarns back. This one, I know why I am stalled. I did make one sock last summer in this yarn…but it wasn’t as long or tight as I would have liked. So I decided to use a solid to go with it and do stripes using smaller needles. I had some solid blue in my stash from quite a few yarns ago. I am not really loving the color combo. This may go into the frogging pile.

6. A tweedy blue multi-directional sweater. I like this one, but since it is all in one piece it is way too hot to knit on during the summer. So this is hibernating until the fall.

7. Charity hats (this is always on the needles…in my desk drawer at work…you know in case of emergency.)

8. A secret project I can’t talk about here…yet.

9. Finally…a lace shawl. I am using some Rhinebeck yarn in a raspberry. I am making the Dover Castle Shawl. I have tons of yarn, so I decided to make it a little bigger than the original pattern. I started the border chart last night which is only 16 rows. I can’t wait!

Wow, that's more than I thought!

But what I am most excited about…after a lot of hymning and hawing on my part, I broke down and ordered some lace blocking wires. Like I said before, I have really been into lace lately…so it seems like a good idea. I ordered them yesterday from Knitpicks. Hopefully they will be here soon. I am hoping to time the bind off of the Dover Castle Shawl with their arrival.

I think my next shawl is going to be Ishbel. Although it starts with lots of stockinette, I am hoping I will motor though it in hopes to get to the lacey bit. I think it will be very wearable. I have seen lots and lots of pretty ones on Ravelry. I think I am going to use some grey alpaca I have from Rhinebeck a few years back. I have about 1800 yards, so I will have left over yarn. I can always make another shawl out of the left over, right?

Do you see the other trend here? Yes that’s right, I am using Rhinebeck yarn. I told myself I couldn’t go to Rhinebeck until I had used all the yarn from the previous trips. I have been really wanting to get out of the city lately and have been dreaming of a cool autumn day upstate. So I have been planning out my projects to use all my Rhinebeck Yarn. Or at least start using it...that counts, right?

Abrazo

2010-05-24T15:23:00.001-04:00

I have been thinking about lace and shawls lately. So when I saw the pattern on Twist Collective for Abrazo I knew it was going in the queue. I have been trying to use stash yarns as much as possible and found a pretty purple ball of Trekking. The pattern calls for about 400 yards (however Ravelry said about 420 yards, so I knew this was it.

I cast-on on a Friday night, and by the following Friday I was done (with the knitting anyway…I had to wet-block it). It was a quick knit…even with me tinking back a couple of times (apparently you have to do the YOs and not just the decreases when you are knitting lace).

Over all I am happy with it, but I do wish it was a little bigger. I do realize that my gauge is off and that accounts for the smaller than expected size. I was really planning on wearing it more like a scarf than a shawl anyway. But I do like the idea of the short row shaping. I will be making more shawls in the near future and will keep this concept in mind.

I also couldn’t help but thinking of the mastercard commercials when I was blocking this on my living room floor. You know the ones where they find unexpected faces in random things? Here take a look:

Photoless...

2010-05-04T13:52:00.002-04:00

Right after I wrapped my gift for Mother's Day, I realized I never took a picture! Too late now. It is wrapped, packaged and stamped. Will be going in the mailbox on the way home today!

Did you see…

2010-04-09T10:37:00.002-04:00

Army of Knitters (aka my friend Heather, not that I am bias or anything) has a great new website. It launched today. I love the new look. The colors are great. Not to mention the designs. I personally love Erquy. How could you go wrong with a little lacey tank for the summer? Or do you need a cute lacey cardi to go over all your summer dresses? Then Benodet is for you. I might have to make mine a little longer though, to cover the gut.

Not only is the spring/summer stuff great, but she has a teaser up for fall. Cables on the sleeves…you know I love it!

Gauge and the Olympics

2010-03-08T14:18:00.000-05:00

Gauge really enjoyed watching the Olympics with me. He especially liked the figure skating.

He was a little upset when I told him they wouldn’t be back until 2014.

Close…

2010-03-01T16:05:00.006-05:00

…only counts in slow dancing, shuffle board and atom bombs, apparently not in my RavelOlympics project. I was so close. But I ran out of steam towards the end.

I only have about 1 inch on the sleeves and the button and buttonhole bands left to do. And of course weave in the ends. And I guess also sew on the buttons - once I get some. OK, maybe a little more than I thought. But I am still pretty proud of the amount I did. I made a cardigan in sport weight in 16 days. Considering how busy I am, that’s really good.

Part of me wished I had done something a little more complicated. Looking at the Yarn Harlot's project is so inspiring. But then again...I would probably only have the solid part done. I am not really a fan of color work. All those colors equals twisting and turning, which equals tangling of yarn, which equals Claudine on the floor crying.

Of course it would have helped if I didn’t get distracted by my new Clapotis. I saw the yarn at the store the day before the Olympics began and I knew I was in trouble. (Funny how you can look at something a million times and then all of a sudden, you have to have it.) I am using Claudia Hand Painted in Cabin Fever. I was planning on 4 skeins, but I am towards the end of the second skein and I see that I will need at least 1 more than I had originally planned. So much for knitting from the stash.

But the real problem...I am having serious startitis. I am curving my itch for now, but I am not sure how long that will last. I have in the queue (in my mind, anyway…let’s not talk about how long my queue in Ravelry is) a Silk Kerchief out of handspun that I got from Malia in a swap, a baby blanket that was requested (have to have this one done by end of March so that is going on the needles next), a version of this gorgeous Valentino shawl I saw (the one I saw was in in blue/green and was GORGEOUS), this side to side garter stitch cardi, something in lace weight (not sure what, just can’t stop thinking about lace lately), and not to mention that I really need some new socks. If only there were more hours in the day!

I hope to have pictures of both of these projects soon.

Dilemma

2010-02-10T14:27:00.005-05:00

I have been pluggin' away on my Tea Leaves Cardigan. In fact I finished binding off the hem the body last night. The problem you ask. Let me show you:

See those nice bands of color? The yarn is hand dyed and I obviously did not strand the project. I am regretting it now. As you can see, those "stripes" are hitting me in all the wrong places. Even Gauge sees how bad it is:

So here is my dilemma...do I rip the sweater now and forgo the Raveloympics? Or do I put the sweater on the back burner? The other thing that throws a wrench into the mix is that I am doing a baby blanket for hire in March. I told the person I would be able to start it at the beginning of March, which means I wouldn't be able to pick up the TLC until April (which would be too late in the year to wear it by the time I get done with it.

Another question is do I rip the whole thing and start stranding from the get go, or do you think I can save the yoke? Another option maybe if I rip the whole thing, I could do it in the round and steek it. It would go much faster if I do that. Would that qualify it as a "new" project and be able to use it as my Ravelolympic project?

Any opinions?

Hello

2010-02-04T16:16:00.003-05:00

Once again too much time has passed since I have posted about knitting. I would give a list of excuses, but I know you don’t want to read that. So instead I will show you a picture of the baby blanket I am working on:

I feel like such a copy cat. Every time Jared designs a baby blanket, I end up mkaing it. I made the Tweed Baby Blanket and now I am working on a version of the Wool Leaves.(Ok, maybe not ever time, I didn’t make a Hemlock Ring, but I did help block one...does that count?)I have honestly always loved this lace pattern. It’s easy to memorize and still very pretty.

I am using some Malabrigo from my stash in an effort to knit it down to a reasonable amount. I had 9 skeins to start with. I think I will be using about 3 to 3 1/2, so there will still be enough left over for me to make a sweater or a shrug (thinking about this one, once the pattern is released)

I have also been working on a Tea Leaves Cardigan, but have no photo to show you. You will just have to trust me that it is pretty. I am using some Road to China Light that I had in my stash in a very pretty pinky/purple color (I know—shocking…Pink…?) I am almost to the “hem.” So really just the sleeves left.

I am hoping to have both of these finished before 6 PST on February 12th, so I can start my RavOlympic project(s) without much guilt. After much internal debate, I have decided on a pair of Esther socks. I have some soft pink (I know, I know) Kogui I bought a few years ago. I have been doing some reading online about using nylon sewing thread as a carry along to help prevent holes. I am going to run down to City Quilter later and see if they have some. Hope it works. Sewing thread comes in almost every color imaginable, so it will be less noticeable than using the reinforcement yarn. My second project will be a stockinette pair of socks in some hand dyed I bought at the Renegade Art fair a few years ago. And this time it’s not pink! I am going to stripe it with some blue sock yarn my mom bought me a couple of Christmases back. This is going to be more of a time challenge than anything. But I figure 2 pair of socks in 16 days…that should be good. Plus all my socks have holes in them, so at least I will have 2 more pair by March.

Does anyone else see how much stash knitting I am doing?

Gauge Matters

2010-01-14T13:59:00.003-05:00

Every knitter knows how important gauge is. Without it, that sweater you meant to make for yourself might be big enough for a young niece. Or have that hat you knit your new nephew fit his dad. We have all been there. Since knitting is a big part of my life, and gauge is a big part of knitting, so it was a no-brainer what to name this guy:

Meet Gauge, the newest member of the Smitten household. I adopted him from Animal Care and Control (I encourage everyone to adopt, rather than buy a pet) last weekend. The shelter told me he was 6 months, but I am thinking he might be younger than that. He is a shorthair grey cat with light grey markings. I didn’t realize that he had some Tabby in him until I got him home. And I love the fact that his markings on his face are just off center.

He is a big cuddler already and a major purr machine. He loves to eat (growing boy and all) and is very energetic. We had a little trouble with the box the first few days, but last night he used it twice. So I am hopeful we are on the right track. So far out of all the toys I have bought him, his favorite is a wrinkled up piece of paper he found in the trash. Typical.

He has keep me on my toes and pretty busy the past few days. I have barely had time to knit. But who could resist this?

Traveling

2009-12-21T15:21:00.002-05:00

I don’t know why this is, but whenever I travel I always get anxious about what knitting I am going to take with me. Does anyone else do this? Perhaps it is a cover for the fact that I am an anxious traveler. I don’t mind the waiting; I don’t even mind the lines. But I hate flying so much. The slightest bit of turbulence and I freak out. If God wanted us to fly, she would have given us wings.

Normally I say socks are the perfect traveling project, their small (so easy to pack), sock yarn seems to go further than other weights, many sock patterns are easy to memorize and really who couldn’t use another pair of socks. But, I have been knitting a lot of socks lately. And I think I am ready for a break.

But now is the question what should I take. I have been going back and forth about this a lot the past few days. Yes, socks would be easy. I do have a few pairs I could make as gifts, even a few pair I could make for myself. But on the other hand, I haven’t made a sweater in a long time. To be honest, it’s more like I haven’t finished a sweater in a long time. I currently have a top down sweater on the needles, but it is so big, that it would take up most of my suitcase. And there isn’t that much left to do on it, just the sleeves. So that is out. (Let’s not talk about the other sweater I was making, I pinned together the other day – not good.) I have been lusting over the Tea Leaves Cardigan and I have some Road to China Light that I can make work for it. Or I can go back to my Rosamund’s Cardigan in (now :-( discontinued Gobi) that I started earlier in the fall. Although I know it is too big for me, I wish I had someone else to look at it for me, before I recast-on. The other choice is the Vine Lace Cardigan. I love this pattern. I have some Malabrigo from a couple of years ago that would work nicely. Too many choices.

I also haven’t swatched for anything (although I guess I can use the Rosamund that I already started as a “swatch”.) But, what if I bring the wrong needles with me? What if I start something and I don’t like the yarn I am working with? What if I don’t bring enough yarn with me? What then?

My back-up plan is socks. But I really don’t want to make any more right now. Any thoughts? Quickly? Did I mention my flight is tomorrow morning?

Goal Reached!

2009-12-13T18:10:00.004-05:00

I want to thank everyone who helped me reach my goal. I collected 139 hats, 10 scarves, 1 pair of fingerless gloves and even 1 sweater. I want to give a big shot out to everyone who donated (for ease, only Ravelry links are given) Mary, Heather, Kara, Johanna, Joelle, Benita, Alyssa, Carlee, Joyce, Amie, Betty, Kathryn, Susie, Kathy, Sue and anyone else who either I forgot or didn’t leave your name with hats. If I have forgotten you, please email me so I can add you to this wonder list of people.

This is what our efforts look like:

When I spoke with the woman at New York Cares, she was really impressed. When I told her I had 133 hats (that was my count at the time) she got really excited. She said she thought I might have 5 or 6, maybe 10 at the most. It feels really good to know that I have done something to make someone’s day a little better.

If you still have hats for me, don’t worry. I am going to do this again next year. So hold onto those hats. I think since I achieved my goal of 100 from July to Thanksgiving and I will be starting in January my goal will be 200. Now I just need to figure out a better way to store them. Have I mentioned I live in a studio?

100 Hats...one week more!

2009-11-18T15:55:00.003-05:00

Thank you to everyone who left their condolences in the comments or sent me an email. I really appreciate all your well wishes.

There is just over a week left for the 100 Hats project. I am almost there! I think I have about 80 hats, a few scarves and one pair of fingerless gloves. If you have a hat please drop it off at Annie & Company Knitting or email me at smittenwknittin@gmail.com to make other arrangements. I know we can do it together!

To a Good Friend

2009-11-11T15:24:00.002-05:00

On June 26, 2004 I meet a friend who (once I coxed him out from under the kitchen table) would become my best friend. His name was Murray.

Murray was a sweet boy who liked to hunt…from the safety of the window.

He was a curious boy

Was tolerant of my knitting

Liked to show off a little

Was a GREAT cuddler

But mostly…just liked to hang out with his mom

Murray stopped eating last week. I took him to the vet and found out he had kidney failure. The vet said it just happens sometimes. Murray wasn’t in pain, but was very uncomfortable and cranky (not like my sweet boy). Although it was difficult, it wasn’t a choice. I knew I had to do the right thing by Murray.

Murray, I will miss you more than you will ever know. When I brought you into my home, I thought we be friends. I had no idea how much I would come to love you. Rest in Peace, my bubby.

Murray
January 2004 – November 10, 2009

From Inside the Park

2009-10-13T21:03:00.003-04:00

A few months ago, I found out that the exclusive Gramercy Park is open to the public on a few days a year – Gramercy Park Day, Christmas and Yom Kippur. So a few weeks ago, when I had the day off for Yom Kippur, I decided to take up the opportunity to see the park…from the inside.

There was this cool sculpture. One side was the sun:

The other side was the moon:

And it was surrounded by these mini giraffes, hiding in the plants:

There was a beautiful sundial:

And this really cute shed:

After strolling along the path:

I decided to sit down,enjoy the beautiful day...and do a little knitting:

The moral of the day – always take time to smell the:

100 Hats Update

2009-10-09T11:11:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone! Sorry for such a long absence. Life has been a little busy, to say the least.

But I am very excited to give an update on my charity hat project. I have been pluggin’ away and have knit quite a few hats. But the more exciting news is that I have had some donations. A customer from the store gave me these 6 hats:

They are beautiful. Especially the Fair Isle Beret. I can’t imagine the work that went in. Thank you so much!

Mary also donated a bunch of hats to the cause. She loves to knit for charity and loves to makes hats. So this was a perfect fit for her. She gave me a huge bag at the swap last weekend. When I got home I counted them. There are 25 - yes 25!

She also gave me a bunch of strips that she was planning on sewing together as a blanket. But they are long enough to be scarves.

My total at the moment is:

Hats – 54
Scarves – 10
Gloves – 1

I am really excited. I didn’t think I would make half way to my goal and now I am a little over half! Thanksgiving is my target date, and I know I can make it with your help! Remember, they don’t need to be anything fancy, can use your scraps and yarns you don’t want to use for yourself. You can drop any donations off to Annie and Company Knitting at 1325 Madison Avenue or contact me at smittenwknitting@gmail.com to make other arrangements.

100 Hats – A Challenge

2009-07-15T14:46:00.006-04:00

About one year after I learned how to knit there was a homeless man in the same subway car as me. It was about a week before Christmas. I felt really bad for the gentleman - everyone was starting at him. He wasn’t trying to offend anyone. But he was dirty and smelly -- and really cold. As I clutched my first hand knit scarf closer, I had the thought that he probably needed the scarf more than I did. But I was just getting over a bad cold and didn’t want to risk the cold December winds on my neck. I even contemplated giving him my hat and keeping the scarf for myself. But as the train pulled into 42nd Street, my selfish human nature gave in and I just got off the train. I will always remember this.

In remembering this homeless gentleman, I have issued a challenge to myself and my friends. Knit 100 hats by Thanksgiving. I called New York Cares to see if they would accept a bunch of hats with their coat drive and they agreed. The hats can be knit out of any material, any style and any size. I encourage you to use any left over yarn you may have and be creative. No need to spend a lot of money. I would also encourage you to remember that these hats will most likely be going to someone who won’t have the necessary equipment to take care of a cashmere or silk hat. Most likely these hats will be worn until they are worn out (or even longer.) Pattern Central has an extensive list of free hat patterns here.

Don’t want to knit a hat? Don’t want to fuss with that pesky shaping? How about a scarf instead? Want to learn how to do a thumb gusset? Try a pair of mittens? Just want to knit in the round? How about a neck cowl? It doesn’t need to be fancy, just warm. This could be a great opportunity to learn a new technique you’ve been meaning to take a stab at.

Annie & Co. Knitting agreed to act as drop off location for finished objects. Just tell a staff member when you drop it off that it is for the Hats for Homeless program. The staff will know to hold it for me.

My goal is to have 100 hats by this Thanksgiving. And for Thanksgiving 2010 – 200 hats! I know with your help I can do it. It’s always a great feeling to give back. And this is something we can do to lend a hand -- not half way around the world, but around the block.

If you have any questions or need an address to send the hats to contact me at smittenwknittin@gmail.com.

Feather and Fan Baby Blanket

2009-06-16T23:00:00.003-04:00

As soon as I saw Jared’s newest blanket, I knew I HAD to make it. It’s beautiful and classic. Shortly there after, someone asked me to make a baby blanket for them. So I knew right away what pattern I was going to make.

I am really pleased with the result. The garter stitch went pretty quickly (although the middle part was starting to get a little tedious.) The worse part? Since I was too impatient to wait for Jared’s version, I had to chart the feather and fan border myself. Incorporating the pattern into the corners was a little…ummm challenging. There is no way I could have done it without Excel!

The Rowan Wool Cotton was a pleasure to work with. It has a beautiful hand without being too warm or too hard on the hands.

She also asked for a beret for the baby. So I took Wendy’s beret pattern and massively sized it down and put a few flowers on it.

(Please excuse the hand, I wasn’t sure how else to photograph such a small hat.)

I am currently working a simple Noro Silk Garden sock. I love the look of it, but it is a little tough on the hands. I can only knit on it for a little bit before I have to put it down. Although I am trying to cruise though it, I am on a little bit of a deadline on this one. Pictures coming soon…

Yankee Stadium

2009-06-10T21:43:00.002-04:00

I went to my first game at the new Yankee Stadium on Monday. I had heard that stadium was nice. But was thinking, “What's all the hoopla about? It’s just a baseball stadium.” Let you tell you my friends...the hoopla was right.

First, it’s really nice looking. It is layout beautifully. And the food! It’s not just hotdogs and nachos anymore, although they have that too. They have everything from philly cheese steaks to sushi. Yes sushi! At a baseball stadium! I myself had a Brother Jimmy’s BBQ. Very yummy.

The seats are very comfortable too. They are molded plastic and so much better than the ones in the old stadium.

Our seats we in the nose bleed section, but we still had a good view of the field. There was only a little bit you couldn’t see.

The best part of the night? The Yankees won! 5-3. And my future husband hit a homerun!

I did bring a sock with me, fully intending to knit. But I got wrapped up in the game and good conversation.

Hanging with the girls…priceless.

It Makes Me Happy!

2009-06-08T17:38:00.000-04:00

I grabbed this screen shot from Ravelry the other day:

101! Wow! Thanks to everyone who made my pattern a favorite!

Cat vs. Box

2009-05-03T21:58:00.003-04:00

Too Funny Not to Share

2009-05-03T14:25:00.004-04:00

Check this out...

I Love New York in the Spring Time

2009-04-27T22:37:00.003-04:00

Oh No!

2009-03-15T18:06:00.001-04:00

Murray...what happened...I thought we were best buds!?!?!?!?!

Lost on the Subway

2009-02-22T19:26:00.006-05:00

I would love to show you the really cute lace bonnet I made for a co-worker who is expecting. But apparently I left it on the subway.

I hope a knitter or mother finds it and puts it to good use.

Have you seen this book yet?

2009-01-12T20:11:00.006-05:00

French Girl Knits

Amazon Link

Knit Picks Link

Oh my goodness! I love it. There are about 4 or 5 things I HAVE to make. Including a beautiful shrug that has this really interesting construction. I had to cut the shape out of paper and tape it together to completely understand it, but you make a t-shape and sew it together to make a circular shape that you then knit the sleeves from the provisional stitches you cast on for the t-shape. The photo garment is made in Rowan Kidsilk Haze, but I am thinking this calls for cashmere. I might even have to make it in a few colors!

Catch Up

2009-01-01T15:04:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone. Hope you all had a good holiday season.

Here are just a few of the things I have been working on during my absence.

I made this dress for one of my co-worker’s new baby girl.

I had some leftover yarn from the dress I made for Peanut. I wanted to make something cute with minimal finishing. So I applied the EZ principle of top down, cast on some stitches and just kind went with the flow. The heart pocket was an afterthought, but a cute addition I think :-). If I were to make it again, I won’t make the ruffle quite so ruffly.

Another baby gift was for a vendor for the school. I didn’t have much advance warning on this one, so I needed something quick. What better than a Baby Surprise Jacket?

Pattern: Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmerman
Yarn: Noro Silk Garden Sock Yarn
Needles: 2 US

This is the perfect yarn for this pattern. I had about 5 yards left when I was done. Not to mention the way the stripes work up.

I only took me a day and a half. If you need a quick baby gift for someone, I highly recommend this pattern and yarn.

I also made some Christmas gifts this year.

Hats for the nephews:

Pattern: Ribbed Caps by Judy Gibson
Yarn: Noro Kureyon
Needles: 7 US – Magic Loop

Socks for Mom:

Pattern: My Basic Toe Up
Yarn: Tofutsies
Needles: 0 US - Magic Loop

I also made some dish clothes for my Stepdad, but forgot to take any pictures. Just the basic garter stitch corner to corner dishcloth in a natural color cotton.

I am currently working on several things. My friend Amie just finished knitting her first sweater (I am sooo proud) and I told her I would sew it together for her. I have one sleeve and side seam in, so almost half way. I hope to have it finished for her this weekend (no promises though Amie, it may be next week).

I am also working on a sample/pattern for the store. I have a Seed Stitch Neck Warmer I made for myself a few years ago. Everyone always comments on it. So I am making the same one in Noro Yuzen for the store.

Aren’t the colors lovely? It will have 5 buttons to keep it closed. You will still be able to pull it over your head though. Once I write it up I am going to offer it as a free pattern on the side bar and hopefully Ravelry too.

I am also working on a cardigan for myself. This was in the Gedfria book from this summer.

I am using some Ultra Alpaca Light from my stash in a charcoal grey. Nothing too exciting, but it will be very pretty and very wearable.

Murray and I want to wish everyone a happy and healthy new year!

I think he hit the cap nip a little too hard last night.

Socks Socks Socks

2008-09-14T20:42:00.009-04:00

Jenn tagged me for this sock meme. Which would have been the perfect ending to my “Summer of Socks,” but it wasn’t as “sock-ful” as I had imagined. I only managed 3 pair and 2 ½ singles. Somehow I lost steam after the first pair. I was always the student in high school who loved to read, but not what we were assigned (even if I liked the book). I think it has to do with being told what to do. So maybe I jinxed myself.

When did you first learn to knit socks? About 4 years ago. My mom had requested a pair for Christmas. I thought I would knit her a pair and that would be it (humm..that sould like my story about knitting in general…)

What’s the first sock you ever knit? The pair for my mom was made from a very fine wool from Rhinebeck. I used a basic pattern, but with a lace trim from Nicky Epstein’s Knitted Embellishments (Amazon Link) (Ravelry Link).

Favorite Sock Pattern? I like a little interest in my socks, but nothing too difficult to memorize. Socks are always a good subway project, so I can’t be pulling out a chart (esp. if I don’t get a seat). Jaywalkers and Embossed Leaves are at the top of my list (sorry, only Ravelry links here, I am too lazy. If you don't have a Ravelry Account yet...why? It's free AND fun).

Favorite needle method? Magic Loop R-O-C-K-S. Thank you Heather for turning me on to the brilliance of this method. Other than that, I usually work toe up. If I have a big skein, I will spilt it in half and work till I run out of yarn. I also do a Turkish Cast-on.

Favorite sock needles? Addi Turbos, size 0 32" – I knit really loose.

Who do you knit socks for? Mostly me. I have made a few pairs for my mom, a pair for my sister-in-law, a pair for Amie and a yet to be gifted pair for Lisa.

How many pairs have you knitted to date? I think about 12-15. Not sure.

What is on your sock knitting to-do list? I love Ester, but as I will need to pay close attention to this pattern, it will have to wait till I have the time to sit and give them the concentration they deserve.

What kind of socks do you like to knit-
striped? No, too many ends.
colorwork? NO WAY. I hate colorwork. I always pull too tight. Too many yarns to get tangled. See above about ends.
plain stockinette? Sure, these are perfect subway socks.
cabled? Diddo what Jenn said. Even though I cable w/o a cable needle, it’s still a pain in A** to do cables on such small needles.
lace? I am a girly girl.
anklets? Not yet. I just don’t see the purpose in my wardrobe.
knee socks? Too much of a commitment. I need something fast when it comes to socks.
solid colors? I tend to do semi-solids more than solids. Kogiu, Claudia (it is really weird not typing –ine)
bright and crazy? Not really. In general I am drawn to softer colors. Usually anything that has a grey or brown undertone. I especially like pastels.
Faux Faire Isle (where the yarn is doing all the work) I have no desire for the most part. But I do want to make some of the Kaffe Fasset Regia self striping yarn.

Jenn has been so busy with her new job we haven’t had time to compare notes about the sock-off. I am still pretty sure she is the hands-down winner. Although I do have a few single socks, so I shouldn’t count myself out yet. We are going to compare notes on Tuesday. So stay tuned to find out who the sock champion is.

In the meantime here is a picture of Amie in her birthday socks.

Sock Off!

2008-05-19T12:23:00.003-04:00

After looking at my stash earlier this year, I noticed I had a bunch of sock yarn. I mentioned to Jenn that I was planning on knitting though my sock yarn stash this summer and she suggested a competition. So, without further ado, I present the First Annual Sock Off!

Beginning Memorial Day and ending Labor Day of 2008, PassionKNITly and Smitten w/ Knittin' will compete to see who can knit the most socks in a summer. Socks will be awarded points for each component, as well as weight after Labor Day. Both contestants will bring their completed socks to Annie & Company Knitting for weighing of socks and awarding of points. The current point system is:

Component...............Points
Heel Flap.................1
Short Row Heel............1
Short Row Toes............1
Patterned Heel............1
Lace pattern..............2
Cable Pattern.............2

Other points will be added as needed.

The winner will receive bragging rights and sock yarn of her chossing from the loser.

I am pretty sure Jenn will win. She has a new job that has a lot of traveling. With traveling, comes knitting time. What is the best traveling knitting project? Socks. Oh well, I will try and stop my natural Capricorn instincts and not get too competitive. The most important thing is to have fun and knit though my sock stash, right?

Amie, if you are reading this STOP now.

Seriously…click here or here.

Go on…

I am planning on Socks for Veronik (Ravelry link) for my first pair from Interweave Holiday Knits. I am making these as a gift for my friend Amie. I bought some nice green Artyarns Ultra Merino 4. Green is her favorite color. Even though I am primary a toe-up knitter, I am going to make these as the pattern is written (gasp, I know!) Although, instead of a K3tog, I will probably do a sk2p. A little easier on size 0 needles. So these should count as a 3 pointer, plus weight.

Let the knitting begin!

Long Post to Make Up for Long Time No Post

2008-05-06T16:14:00.003-04:00

So, I swear I have been knitting, and actually have some finished objects.

First is a baby blanket for someone at work. She and her husband don't want to know the sex of the baby, so I decided to use the sage green cotton/wool I had in my stash. I was planning on making a lace border, but I just could seem to do it for some reason. I kept losing track or dropping stitches. So I made the decision to do a seed stitch border, log cabin style.

Not bad, but not perfect. But I think the mom-to-be seemed to like it. The best part? I was in her office a few weeks ago. She had just bought the bedding online and was dying to show someone. It's blue with sage accents. SCORE! It'll match.

I also finished Soliel for my mom. I changed the neckline to a square. I am not thrilled with this one, but at least it is done. Sorry no photo on this one, it's in the mail as I type.

The SnB girls were so nice to get me a gift certificate to Macy's for my birthday. I finally went shopping and ended up with this:

Cute, right? The only thing was it is a little to bare to wear to work. So of course, I need a new shrug. Enter Florence, a rowan pattern from a few years back. I used the Ella Rae Shibu in natural.

(Why do I feel the need to tilt my head whenever someone is taking a picture of me?)

Last in the finished object category is a little sundress I made for Peanut, Jessamyn's yet to be born little girl. I never seem to have little girls to knit for, so when Jessamyn told us she was having a girl I jumped at the chance. But then I hit a brick wall. What should I knit? Cardigan, pullover…this baby is going to be born in June, not exactly sweater weather in New York. While scouring Ravelry, I found some really cute tunics and sundresses for little girls. I modified this one from Vickie Howell.

I had some Claudia Handpainted yarn in my stash in a bright coral. The yarn was a different gauge that what was called for in the pattern, but math doesn't scare me. I also wasn't crazy about the way she wrote the smocking. To give it a slightly more finished look, I added an applied i-cord. And of course...I knit it in the round (do I have to say it, no seams!)

Stay tuned for rules to the upcoming 1st Annual Sock Off between PassionKNITly and myself.

You Know You Knit Too Much When...

2008-03-25T14:41:00.000-04:00

You know you knit too much when you are watching a popular show about a psychic, and one of the characters owns a knit shop and you are pretty sure you recognize the yarn in her hands.

What a Feeling…an 80’s Flashback

2008-02-18T17:18:00.004-05:00

Flashdance was on TV last night, which is very fitting since what I have to post is a couple pair of legwarmers. The first I made for my friend Amie for Christmas. She loves anything green. I had 2 skeins of Noro Silk Garden in my stash in a lovely, yet discounted color :-(, of olive and plum.

I used the Super-Easy Legwarmer pattern from Last Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson. A 1 x 1 rib in the round using magic loop until I ran out of yarn. It really was Super-Easy. I decided not to try and match the stripes, because, well it was Noro.

The other pair I made for myself. I have really been wanting to try the tunic and leggings thing, but didn’t have the right boots for it. So instead I chose to make some slouchy legwarmers.

I even put a little spat action on them:

(One of the mannequins at school was kind enough to model for me.)

I used 4 skeins of Jasper from Berroco in Black Galaxy. I love this yarn. It is so soft and the colors it comes in are so beautiful. A true joy to work with. Because I wanted these to be a little slochy I cast on a few more stitches, which was enough so I could use 16" circulars. I also decided on these to not try and match the stipes. I wore them on Saturday and got lots of complements on them.

I other knitting news, I have been working on a square neck version of Soleil from Knitty (Ravelry Link) for my mom.

This is another easy knit. Made in the round until the armholes. Which is were I am now. I am using ArtYarns UltraMerino 6 in a soft yellow (not so sun shiny as the photo suggests). This yarn is so nice. It’s 100% merino and has a great hand. It comes in 3 different weights (4, 6 and 8).

I also started a baby blanket for a co-worker who is due in May. My co-worker and her husband don’t want to know the sex of the child before he/she is born. So I am using some cotton from my stash in a soft sage. I’m basically using the big bad baby blanket (Ravelry link), but instead of a seed stitch borer I am going to make a lace edging (but not too lacey, in case it’s a boy). I am also making it a little smaller. I am a little nervous about running out of yarn. Everyone cross your fingers.

Knit It...Loved It...Wore It Out.

2008-01-16T17:16:00.000-05:00

This was my first cable project EVER. And I loved everything about it. The pattern (an Adrianne Vittadini pattern), the yarn (alpaca from Patternworks, bought in person when they were in Poughkeepsie) and of course…the color.

This sweater got worn A LOT. At least once a week for the past 4 or 5 years (when the tempeture promitted, of course.) So why was I surprised when I put it on the other day and saw this:

I have never worn a sweater so thin, whether it was something I made or bought. The only good thing…I have an alpaca sweater in the same color on the needles. I already get teased about my obsession with pink; imagine if I had 2 sweaters in that mauve/plum color.

I think that it is time for a nice hot bath for the cable sweater. Maybe it can be reincarnated it into a bag, so I don't ever have to give up my favorite sweater.

Just a Quick Note

2008-01-08T13:25:00.000-05:00

Just a quick note to tell all you sock fans out there that Annie’s now has the coveted NORO Noro noro SOCK Sock sock YARN Yarn yarn. We have these beautiful colors:

The pictures don’t really do the yarn justice. They are all so pretty, I don’t know which one to pick.

'Twas the night before Christmas...once agin

2007-12-24T21:01:00.000-05:00

Reposted from 12/24/06

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all though the house,
The sound of my needles clicking was noticed only by a mouse.

The hand knit stocking were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that no one would see the grafting mistakes there.
The nephews where all snuggled in bed,
While thoughts of snowman sweaters danced in their heads.
While mom in her cable cardigan, and I in my fingerless mittens,
Had just settled in for a long for a long nights knittin’
When out on the lawn there arouse such a clatter,
I sprang from the purl row to see what was the matter.

Away the window I flew like a flash?
(Just one more row perhaps?)
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash,
After a few dropped stitches and decreases that match.
The moon, on the breast of the new fallen snow,
Was like lace out of mohair on my lap below.
When what to my wondering eyes should appear?
But a set of Denise needles and another knitter so near.
I knew in a moment that it must be the knitting fairy
To help with the holiday stitching, so I could be merry.

“Now purl one row, then knit two more!
Don’t forget to YO at the end of each row!”
To the top of the hat and matching mittens, does that look too small?
Too late now; knit away, knit away all!”

She spoke not a word, but when straight to her work,
And knit all the yarn that lurked.
Weaving in the ends as she goes,
She knit in a flash, taking with her all of my woes.
Her well-worked fingers gave a signal of approval
As she took her leave with her needles
I heard her exclaim:
“Merry Christmas to all, and to all good knittin’”

Embossed Leaves and a hat

2007-12-18T14:41:00.000-05:00

I finally finished my Embossed Leaves Socks. It only took me a week to knit them and about a month and a half to weave in the ends. But they are really pretty. The yarn was a gift from Avocado Fever. I believe she bought it at Maryland Sheep and Wool. The pattern (as I am sure you know), is from Interweave Winter 2005 and republished in 25 Favorite Socks. These really are some of my favorite socks.

When I was in college I had a professor who explained that flowers and leaves that are pointing down make people depressed. So by making them toe up, the leaves "grow" up, instead of down.

I have 3 pair of handknit socks. They are all green. I think it is time for a new color. And you guys think I only knit in pink.

I also finished a hat for the store.

It's my own pattern, which will eventually be a free pattern with yarn purchase. I made it with Torino Bulky, Dune and Lace Mohair (6 strands held together). One ball of each will do the trick.

I also have been busy with Christmas knitting, but I think I need to wait till the 26th to post those photos. I still have things that I need to cast on for. I guess I better start soon…

As Promised

2007-10-26T16:19:00.000-04:00

I have yet to get my copy of Find Your Style and Knit It Too, or even see it in a B & N. But since PassionKNITly got hers, I know it has been released. I have 2 patterns in the book but only pictures for one.

This first pattern (and my favorite) is Pirouetté – a flirty ballet wrap with lace trim to wear over your leotard during dance class. After class, slip a pair of leggings on underneath for hanging out with your friends.

Front

Back

A few detail shots

The second was suppose to be called Ornement de Cheveux de Fleurs, or Floral Hair Ornament. But, ummm, I guess there was some confusion there. Too bad no one at the publisher speaks French…or let me know that they didn't understand. Oh well. I guess you can't win them all. I see if I can get some pictures of that soon.

It Happens to All of Us

2007-10-16T22:13:00.000-04:00

So I "thought" I was cruzing along on Rogue. I even made it to the armholes. See the beautiful side cables?

And then I did what I should have done awhile ago. I measured her. Here's what happened:

Hummmm, that's a problem. Now I hear you saying "Smitten, did you check your gauge."
Yes. My gauge is spot on. See:

I really wanted Rogue to measure about 41", but the sizes were 39 1/2" or 43 1/2". I was too lazy to rewrite the pattern so I went with the 43 1/2". So I guess now that she will be frogged, I will get closer to the 41". By my calculations, if I make the 39 1/2" size, I should get 42".

Blogless Jill R, I hope this makes you feel a little better about the Peplum Jacket. It happens to all of us.

For the time being, I think I need to finish something I can feel good about. So I am working on the socks exclusively. I have one done and am almost the heel on the second sock.

I went with a picot bind off for a little extra girlness and stretch.

On another knitting front this book was released today. PassionKNITly preordered her copy on Amazon and brought it to SnB tonight. I haven't even got my copy yet. Be sure to stop by a book store to check it out. I'll post my pics of my patterns in the next few days.

Hello Again

2007-09-27T14:10:00.000-04:00

I apologize for the long pauses between posts. Life has been a little crazy lately. Something had to give, and unfortunately it was the blog. But I am here now.

So what have I been knitting you ask? Does anyone remember when I was a monogamous knitter? That seems to be in the past my friends. I currently have 4, yes 4, projects on the needles.

First I have my "work/commute" project. A basic toe up sock in Great Adirondacks Super Sox yarn. I wanted something easy for while I am at Annie's. That way if I have to put it down to help a customer, I don' t won't have a difficult time figuring out where I am. I started this about 4 weeks ago, I am half way up the foot on the first sock. Needless to say I don't have a lot of time to knit while I am at Annie's. But isn't the color way gorgeous?

Next up is a bag that I am designing myself from yarn ripped from a sweater a friend was going to throw away. I loved the color and grabbed it quick. The wool is very course and will be perfect for felting. Because you KNOW how much luck I have had with felting. I have faith that this time I am going to get it right. I am also going to use some of my partial balls up and make some nice felted flowers to adorn the bag. I hope to have a picture soon.

Thirdly is the Aune skirt from Berroco. I love this skirt. I hate knitting it. It is made up of 24 lacy hexagons. The instructions tell you to knit them flat, and then sew them up. But you know me…"patterns are just inspiration." So I decided that I should knit the hexagons in the round (less finishing :-), which isn't so bad, except you kinda need to knit the hexagon all at once. It's difficult (since there is lace on every round) to find your place if you put it down. Each hexagon takes about 1 1/2 to 2 hours to make. But it will be beautiful once it is done!

And last but not least, I have always wanted to make Rogue, but thought I wouldn't wear a hoodie pullover. But while playing on Ravelry, I found this. A cardigan version of Rogue. How smart! So I set myself out to pick up some Cascade 220 to make it in. I was thinking, since it's a hoodie, it should be red (you know little red riding hood.) So I picked a lovely burgundy. I got a skein and a half into it before I realized that I didn't have anything to go with it. So I exchanged the yarn for some nice green. I know Ravi, I always knit with green, but what can I say, I like green. Here's a progress shot:

I better finish something soon as I have a very special project or two to knit for a special friend. I don't think I could handle five or six projects at once. Good thing I have till November before the shower.

Indulge a Little

2007-09-14T13:38:00.000-04:00

I was working at Annie's yesterday. A customer came in and needed help weaving in ends on her first ever scarf. She started telling me how excited that we were finally open. She then said she was going to come back over the weekend because she wanted to knit something in the window and need yarn for it. She went on by saying "it's the cutest thing; it's a cozy for your pint of ice cream! I am going to make several for friends as gifts. Who doesn't eat ice cream out of the pint?" I then told her that it was my pattern from Not Your Mama's Knitting. It's so exciting when someone tells you how cute your pattern is without knowing it's yours.

I finally got my ravelry invite. So come say hi. My user name is Smitten.

Coming Soon....

2007-08-09T17:51:00.001-04:00

I know many of you have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of the newest knitting store, Annie and Company Knitting. Fingers crossed we will be open on Saturday. Located at 1325 Madison Avenue, between 93rd and 94th Streets. We will be open 7 days a week. Here are a few shots to wet your taste buds:

We will be carrying SO MANY yarn. I can see my stash growing by enormous proportions. Some of the many yarn lines are:

Tilli Thomas
ArtYarns
Manos
Alchemy
Gems
Misti Alpaca
Blue Sky
Debbie Bliss
Noro
Trekking
Sublime
Mission Falls
Great Adirondacks
and too many more to list.

Our Hours will be Monday though Saturday 11-6 and Sunday 12-5. The number (so you can call and check before you head out is 212-289-2944.) If you live in the city, please stop by and say hi. If you are visiting the city, this should defiantly be on your to do list. You can tell your traveling partner that you want to see the newest exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, In your sweetest voice you can say "oh look honey, a yarn store, who knew there would be a yarn store so close."

By far this has to be one of the biggest yarns stores I have ever seen. The store is very spacious and has plenty of seating for you and your friends to come by hang out.

Hope to see you soon!

Looking for...

2007-07-22T12:27:00.001-04:00

Summer Tweed, Color 522 smoulder (really a raspberry color), preferably lot 22J4. 3 skeins. Email me at smittenwknittin@gmail.com if you have some and are willing to sell it!

She rocks in the tree top all day long…

2007-07-13T16:55:00.000-04:00

Here she is:

Robin
Pattern: Essential Tank Top, Lace Style
Yarn: Koigu, Robin Blue, 5 skeins
Needles: Addis, size 4, 32 inch
Mods: Knitted in the round, instead of flat (no seaming!). Also instead of using a crochet stitch for the spaghetti straps, I used I-cord.

I wish I had made this a little longer. I have almost 3 skeins left, so if I get inspired one day I can frog back to the armholes. This was a fast and easy knit. The lace pattern is easy to memorize. I would make this again using a different lace pattern.

Cursed Yarn

2007-07-06T22:51:00.000-04:00

Have you ever had cursed yarn?

I bought some mint wool/cotton yarn last summer to make this:

I got about ¾ of the way up the back and realized how bad this would look on me. So I started a basic cardigan, then decided I didn’t like that either. So then I thought I would make a tank I made once before. Can’t go wrong with that right? WRONG. The tank had some seed stitch at the hem and at the neckline. The seed stitch was great at the hem but somehow grew at the neckline. Now I know what you are thinking…a) was the stitch count off at the neckline? No, I double and triple checked it; b) Did you remember to switch to smaller needles? Not only did I remember, but after I saw that all three pieces (it buttons up the back) were larger at the neckline, I ripped and redid and they were still too big. Why at this point I didn’t just decrease the number of stitches, I don’t know. Instead, in a fit of frustration, I stuffed it into the back of my knitting drawer. Until I saw this:

It was time to ripe the tank and cast on for Julia. How could I not fall in love? As I approached the end of the garter stitch I realized that the yoke as pictured would only look good on a few people, and I was not one of them. Thinking I was so smart I decided to drop the line so it would look like a empire line. Sounds good right? That meant I would have to start the diagonal rib earlier, but that shouldn't be a biggie, right? So I charted out the rib and made sure to have it change directions, not only at the center back, but at the “side seams” as well. Finally, I arrived at the point where to split the body for the fronts and back. So, being the lazy finished that I am, I thought to myself, why not knit this as a yoke sweater so you don’t have to sew up the raglan seams? Genius...or so I thought. And, even though this is where my problem started I am glad I did this way. I would have hated to have knit the whole sweater, sew together and then see my issue. (I wish I had a picture to show you, but the camera is at work.) Anyway, I HATE what the diagonal rib is doing at the raglan sleeves. They are meeting at a weird angle. UGH! Plus as I laid it out I noticed that the proportion of the rib to the garter stitch was going to be opposite of how Debbie Bliss had designed it. There would be more rib than garter.

So here are my questions. Should I a) keep knitting, hope the angle works itself out and also hope I have enough yarn to rip out the cast on edge and knit it down farther, b) rip to the empire line, switch to something simpler (like seed stitch) and go from there again hoping I have yarn left over to knit down c) rip the whole thing and start as a top down raglan (duh, why make it easy) using a seed stitch and then I can knit till I run out of yarn or d) rip the whole thing and burn the yarn. Really I don’t think I would want to take the yarn to a swap. What if the curse is beyond me? Why would I want to do that to another knitter?

In the meantime, I cast on for some socks. Can’t go wrong with socks. I even thought this could be a good chance to do some cables again. I thought Eunny’s Bayerische socks would be nice.

Of course the yarn I had in my stash splits like crazy. Have you ever tried to cable a sock without a cable needle on size 0 needles that splits? Let me warn you, don’t. Make sure your yarn is nice and smooth and doesn’t split. So I guess that goes back into the stash for the time being anyway.

So much for getting lots of knitting done this week. What should I try next?

Run Lola Run

2007-07-02T18:39:00.000-04:00

Getting There...

2007-06-12T17:04:00.000-04:00

I have 6 inches of garter done...

...and only 6 more inches till I can purl!

Multiple Finished Objects

2007-06-03T22:11:00.000-04:00

Thanks to the long weekend last week I finished a couple of things.

First the bag. I decided that I wanted to finish the bag so I could take it to Long Island for the Holiday. I made very small buttonholes, that, should I decided to do grommets later I can just put them over the buttonholes. Once the straps are thought the buttonholes, you can’t see them anyway; so many grommets are just not in the future for the Betty Shopper. I took Betty to SnB last week and got quite a few compliments. Here she is:

I also finished the cream top. I wore it under my pink suit the other day and it was perfect. Here is a shot of her blocking:

And a close up of the lace trim:

And finally, isn’t it amazing how this:

Can become this:

Better pic to come soon.

In the meantime, I cast on for the Debbie Bliss Cardigan, Juliet, that Crafty Girl is also making. 12 inches of garter stitch should make a boring upcoming post.

Opinions Wanted

2007-05-25T20:00:00.000-04:00

I have been a busy sewer bee lately. I bought some fabric from Purl Patchwork awhile back to make this:

Out of this print:

This is going to be a great bag for the park and beach. I customised the inside pockets to fit my cell, ipod and wallet. After a long hiatus, I finished the sewing early this morning. Thinking that I had the day off, but most places would be open, I walked up to Steinlouf & Stoller to have some grommets put in, only to find out they were closed. I then spent a better part of the day cruising the garment center trying to find a place that could put grommets in for me, while I waited, in the right size and color. I didn't think it would be so hard.

So here is my question. Should I forgo the grommets and just make small buttonholes for the straps? Or should I wait till the next time I will have a chance to get to S & S (which could be a really long time as they are only open M-F, (9-5)?

Way to go JenWen!

2007-05-25T16:58:00.000-04:00

Johanna, Mary and I went to go check out my "little sister" aka PassionKNITly the other night. Luckily, Mary's camera has video capabilities. Check her out!

Finished Object Alert

2007-05-08T22:13:00.000-04:00

Say it with me…awww, so cute.

I finished this hat for a co-worker. She isn’t due until August, but she is moving at the end of the month. She’s moving to the mid-west, where they have very cold winters, so a hat is perfect for her. I hope she likes it.

So it’s back to the cream tank. I am almost to the armholes. Just about another half an inch. I should be done soon. Then back to Robin.

Quick Update

2007-05-04T09:54:00.000-04:00

Here is a picture of Robin as she stands now.

And a close up

Nothing worth a picture on the cream tank (yet to be named, any suggestions?) But she is moving along nicely. I slipped half of the stitches onto a spare needle last night and tried her on. I am about half way to the armholes. The trouble with using size 2 needles is it takes a-l-o-n-g time to get an inch of knitting done. But I hope to have this finished soon as the college has a lot of functions coming up, and the pink suit is dyeing to get out of the closet.

If you want to pre-order your copy the book with my recent secret project, click here.

Hummm…

2007-05-02T12:15:00.000-04:00

Well, there has been knitting going on, but there are no pictures to prove it today. Robin (aka the Essential Tank from Lace style) is rockin' along. I am about half way to the armholes. The lace pattern is pretty easy to memorize and goes pretty quickly. And I have only used about 2½ balls of the yarn I bought. I subbed the alpaca it called for, instead opting to use Kogiu (I heart Kogiu) and although the math tells me I need 10 balls of Kogiu, I think I will have a lot left. Good thing Purl believes in exchanges.

I also started another tank, this time of my own design. I purchased some Knit Picks Gloss in bare (I really need a basic cream tank). I am planning on reverse stockinette stitch with some garter lace trim at the neckline, but didn't want to do all that purling. So instead I am going use stockinette stitch and turn it inside out when I am finished. Such a cheater, I know. I have a vision of the tank under my favorite pink suit. I must knit faster, spring is already here!

Pictures to come soon!

For those of you who couldn't make it to FIT

2007-04-22T13:50:00.000-04:00

Part I

Part II

I guess that’s why they call it the blues

2007-04-16T22:24:00.000-04:00

So I finished knitting the stockinette stitch wrap for my mother. Once the wrap is on a person it will look something like this:

Flat it looks like this:

You can imagine how boring knitting all that stockinette was. I used 8 ball of Berroco Denim Silk in Acid Washed. I got four balls from Craft Girl during the last yarn swap and bought four others and stranded the wrap. What I thought was a little weird and kind of interesting was when I went to block it, the different dye lots absorbed water at a different rate:

I also finished the basic basic socks for my mother:

I knit these out of Regia Bamboo on size 0, toe up. I will definitely knit socks toe up again. I like short row heels better than heel flaps anyway.

I think I deserve a good daughter award for all this stockinette. Plus I am ahead for Mother's Day, even though I am really late for her birthday.

Now that I can knit something for myself, I wanted something a little more interesting. I decided to knit the Essential Tank from Lace Style (loving this book by the way). I got some beautiful robin’s egg blue Kogiu from Purl (much brighter than the picture). Of course I am going to knit this in the round in stead of flat (no seams!) I did a swatch on 2s, but my gauge is quite a bit off, so I am swatching on 4s. Even though this is all lace, I think it will go pretty fast. Here is my size 2 swatch:

Guess who said they liked my hair...

2007-04-16T16:23:00.000-04:00

Robert Verdi came to speak the other day at school. I was sitting in the front row and mid way though his presentation, he stop, looked at me and said "I love your hair." All while doing that finger pointing in a circle thing. Love him.

A Purr-fect Sunday Afternoon.

2007-04-11T21:28:00.000-04:00

Just me, Murray and a sock.

Revlon Run Walk

2007-03-29T17:13:00.000-04:00

Every year the college has a team made up of students, faculty and staff participate in the Revlon Run/Walk. Once again I will be walking. This is a cause that is very close to my heart. Breast Cancer is a disease that affects so many people.I am also a firm believer that once we find a cure for one cancer we will find a cure for the others. Click here to donate to the Revlon Run/Walk.

Just to embarss Nicole

2007-03-26T23:15:00.000-04:00

Sorry Nicole, love you lots!

The Harlot in NYC

2007-03-25T22:14:00.000-04:00

So the Harlot was here this last Thursday. She gave a talk at the other fashion college that I can’t mention, (don’t tell my boss I was there). There were A LOT of knitters there. They gave out buttons at the door to guesstimate the number of knitters there. I am sure Stephanie will have a count on her blog once she winds down. But let me tell you when I say a lot, I mean a lot. The auditorium was almost full.

I met some of the SnB girls there. So were wearing the now infamous t-shirts (another great British/American collaboration)

Stephanie did not disappoint. She was very funny. Her husband Joe surprised her. He had previously told her he would be in Montréal that week, but instead he greeted her at that other fashion school. So sweet. She introduced us to the idea of C.H.O.K.E. (which I already forgot what it stands for, but the idea is that it is why muggles discriminate against knitters). Some being that if you are a knitter you like boys (it doesn’t matter if you are a girl or a boy); that if you start knitting while you are single, you will be single for the rest of your life (I still hold out hope); how non-knitters can’t understand our obsession with yarn and many other hilarious things. She also asked how many people tried to explain where they were going that night to a muggle, most everyone raised there hand. She told us for future reference to just tell people that we were out. At one point someone’s cell phone rang (another reason I abhor cell phones) and she just rolled with it and told the person to tell whoever was calling that she was “just out.”

She was wearing her recently finished Botus and it got almost as much applause as she did. Towards the end, she was getting hot so she took it off. She put the sweater on the floor of the stage. Many of the knitters to offence to that. She kind of rolled her eyes and reminded us that wool is washable; many of the NYC knitters reminded her she was in NYC. She agreed to pick it up.

Provided on the seats of the auditorium was a bag that included a pair of aluminum needles and some Patons wool. Everyone was asked to knit a square for Warm Up America and they were collecting them at the end of the evening. Of course I had to be me, and start my swatch over when I wasn’t happy with it. So I didn’t finish it, but I have some other squares for Warm Up America that I need to send in. I think I will knit a few more before I do that. At the end of the evening I asked the SnB girls if they didn’t want their needles if they would be willing to donate them to the knitting club at school (as I know many of you prefer either Turbos or Bamboo) and they obliged. Ruth was on a mission. She went looking for bags that weren’t picked up and any needles lying around. I now have 13 pair of number 8 aluminum needles.

She was also selling pins for Knitters without Borders. They ran out of pins. At the end there was a big bag of cash. I hope that she also gives a total for that as well.

And I must give a shout out to our fabulous Heather. At the end of the evening the Harlot was taking questions. Heather got up and gave her a copy of Not Your Mama’s Knitting. She was the last one to speak and I hope that it will help sell at least a few more copies for Heather.

I also picked up a copy of her new book. She wasn’t signing them that night; most of the copies that were for sell were already signed. Unfortunately, they ran out of signed copies about four people before me. Since the Harlot will be in Ann Arbor this week I wonder if it is worth fedexing my copy to my mother and telling her if she ever loved me she drive a few hours to get it signed. Hum, I don’t think she will go for that. Oh well, perhaps I will have another opportunity to have it signed. I have read only a little of it, but so far it holds up to her other books.

Afterward some of the girls and I went across the street to Brgr for well, burgers. It was a great evening all and all. I can’t wait till the Harlot comes back to NYC.

The Harlot Rocks

2007-03-22T22:49:00.000-04:00

More to come later, but for now here is a tease...

Six Weird things about…Murray?

2007-03-18T21:41:00.000-04:00

So Jessamyn tagged me a while back with six weird things about me. However, I can’t seem to think of Six Weird Things About Me that are both weird AND that I am willing to divulge to the world. So instead I present Six Weird Things About Murray.

1. Murray likes to play fetch. I discovered this about him shortly after adopting him. He was playing with a toy on my lap, and of course I was trying to knit, so I threw it on the floor. He brought it back. I threw it again, he brought it back again. His favorite thing to do it to bring me a toy and drop it in my lap. If I don't throw it for him, he gets upset and sulks off to the other side of the couch.

2. He likes to drink the water out of my bubble bath. He drinks a few sips, shakes his head, which I take to mean “this tastes gross,” and drinks some more. I put fresh water out for him everyday. He also drinks out of the toilet. I wonder if he thinks I am trying to poison him with water.

3. He comes when he is called. I have never known a cat to do that. Most cats when they hear their name, they if anything gives you a look like “don’t bother me” and stay excatly where they are. Not my boy, he comes trotting when he hears me call him. (Now next time any of you are at my place you will want to see this and of course he will make a lair out of me.)

4. When I first got him, he loved to go out into the hall. So much so that every time I opened the door I had to be careful (he was really good at sneaking past me). About six months later he stopped going into the hall. Now he is terrified of the hall. He will occasionally put a paw out there, but as soon as he hears a noise he comes scrambling back inside.

5. He knows that when my phone double rings, someone will be at the door in a few minutes. He will sit and wait by the door, until I open it, then he runs and hides. Although I think he is a little scaredy cat, he is still very curious about who might be on the other side of the door.

6. He would rather watch cars than birds. I swear. I thought having a tree outside my window would be a bonus for a cat. But once again he took me by surprise. I see him look at birds without response. But cars, that is a whole other story. He will chatter over a car, but a bird…nothing. I don’t get it.

Some of these things lead me to believe that Murray has an identity crisis. He isn’t sure if he is a dog or a cat.

The most important thing about Murray? He is my buddy, and although he probably wouldn’t want me telling anyone this, I know he loves me. The list of the great things about Murray would be about 100 pages long, so I’ll leave you with this instead…

The Queen Returns...

2007-03-08T22:44:00.000-05:00

...the cable queen that is.

Here is my open cardigan with cable details.

And a detail shot

Ok, so there isn't a whole lot of cabling going on. I still need to block it, but I wanted to wear it at least once this season. Nothing like finishing an alpaca sweater right before the temperture reachs 50 degrees.

So what do you do when you finish an alpaca sweater right before the start of spring? You start a new one of course!

I have knitting that would be more appropriate right now, but I have had this idea for awhile and thought I could quick whip this up. It's going to be a top down raglan cardigan with lots feather and fan and 3/4 sleeves. Let's see how fast I can knit this.

I also decided to give my lunch time knitting to charity. I have lots of yarn that would be great for Cancer Care hats or squares for Warm Up America, so I took quite a bit of it to work and am leaving it there. This way I always have knitting at work for those stressful days when I just need to take a lunch break. Now I just need to convince my boss to knit during meeting, it is for charity after all!

Radical Lace…

2007-02-21T13:48:00.000-05:00

Taking advantage of President's Day, Jenn and I went to the Museum of Arts & Design to check out the exhibit of Radical Lace and Subversive knitting. What a great presentation. The exhibit included everything from lace made from car parts to a crocheted table topper with 3-D skulls around the edge. There was also a video of the infamous flag that was knit with telephone poles by Dave Cole (what is with guys and size, the whole thing was a little phallic). My favorite piece was a large piece of felt that looked like it was made from roving with snowflakes on it. It was so tranquil. I think I could have stood there for an hour looking at it. I also enjoyed the lamp that was crochet out of optical glass fiber. In fact, I kind of want to make one for myself. There was also a full sized knit body suit that is stabed with knitting needles, ironicly the piece was knit on a machine. I seem to have lost touch the past few years with the whole art scene, which is bad considering I have a B.F.A. from SCAD. But this got me really inspired and thinking once again about creating things for art sake. I would go back again. The exhibit is free on Thursday nights so that might be a good time to check it out. The exhibit is up till June 17. Check out the Museum's website for more information. I'll leave you with a few pieces from the show…

Happy Valentine's Day

2007-02-14T12:40:00.000-05:00

OK, maybe secret knitting isn’t done?!?!?

2007-02-07T14:42:00.000-05:00

So after trying some of Heather’s suggestions, I was still really unhappy with secret project I. So I asked Sharon if I could turn in the bag late, ordered more yarn from Elann, and started again. However, this time I am being much smarter. I figured out a way to make it in the round with a few short rows at the top to make a nice curved top. So at least it will go faster. In fact I started last Wednesday and I am about half way done. I should be done by this weekend. And I also thought of a really cute way to make a pouch for small things that get lost at the bottom of a big bag. Everyone…cross your fingers it works this time!

In the mean time I started the socks for my mother, whose birthday was last Sunday. Good thing I told her ahead of time not to expect her present on time this year. The last pair of socks I made for her she thought were too short. So I deiced to make toe up socks this time and just knit till a run out of yarn. I found this great link for Turkish Cast On. This makes a beautiful closed cast on and is super easy once you get the hang of it. I highly recommend it if you are planning toe up socks.

Even though the cold has finally hit NYC, I am starting to think about spring knitting. I am thinking about making this tank from Vintage Knits in some yarn I got at Rhinebeck this year.

I made this for my friend Amie once (actually twice, I had to re-knit it as it was too big for her). But this time I think I am going to make it in the round (it’ll go a lot faster (do you see a trend here) and build up the neckline so it’s more work appropriate. I even can use some of the left over yarn from Secret Project II for the trim, how perfect is that?

Secret Project Knitting is done!

2007-01-24T16:24:00.000-05:00

Ok, I know I promised to try and be a regular blogger. But see I have been working on secret projects and that's all I been working on. So it's hard to blog when I can't show you anything. But here's a little sneak peak:

This is from secret project 2. I am really happy with the way this turned out. Secret project one needs some tweaking and should be done shortly. Not quite as happy with the second project but Heather had some good suggestions for me. All the girls at SnB seemed to like it, so perhaps I am being overly critical of myself.

In the meantime I have gone rogue with my monogamous knitting. I have 2, count them 2 projects in the works. I have decided to make the Shedar for myself. My brother's turned out pretty good, and now that I can cable without a needle, a 2 stitch cable isn't such a hassle. I am repurposing some Cascade 220 I have in, you'll never guess what color, that's right PINK.

I am also plugging away on the version of the Debbie Bliss Cardigan. The back is done, and I am about half way up the first front.

I am going away with some of the girls this weekend and I can't wait. I took Friday off so I can get ahead start. Good friends, good food and good knitting. What could be better!

And Finally, thank you to all my SnB friends who made me feels like a princess on my birthday!

Happy Birthday to Avacado Fever

2007-01-15T12:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday Michelle! And many,many more!

Make It Work!

2007-01-11T11:01:00.000-05:00

So I was a little bummed that I had to go to this black tie affair for work. I don’t have a black tie dress that I fit into at the moment and I don’t have the money or the willpower to go buy a new one. So I decided to wear a black suit with a fancy top underneath. The upside you ask? I might get to see Tim Gunn from Project Runway from afar. Boy did I do better than that! As I was watching him from a distance talking to some students, the guy next to me started talking to me. He asked if I was a fan of Project Runway and started asking me about how I liked the show. It turns out this guy works under Tim Gunn at Parsons. He introduced me to Tim. You want proof? Here you go…

He was so nice! We talked for about five minutes, about what I’m not sure. I did forget to give him my card to talk to him about LIM (I’ll bet that my boss is really glad she gave me the title Communications Associate now). I also realized when I got home that I should have asked him about Season 4. I do remember telling him that I was a big fan of Project Runway and he replied “So am I!” He looks exactly like he does on TV.

Knitting Content to come in the near future!

Knit From Your Stash 2007!

2007-01-05T13:09:00.000-05:00

I have seen this on a few blogs over the past week and decided to try it. I think I will do OK on it. I have a decent size stash and as they say, sock yarn does not count, so if I have a moment of weakness it will be sock yarn.

Knit From Your Stash 2007: Guidelines

1. The Knit-From-Your-Stash-a-Thon will start January 1, 2007 and run through September 30, 2007 -- a period of nine months.

2. We will not buy any yarn during that period, with the following exceptions:

2.a. Sock yarn does not count. What? You think we are made of stone?

2.b. If someone asks for a specific knitted gift that we really and truly do not have the yarn for, we may buy yarn to knit that gift.

2.c. If we are knitting something and run out of yarn, we may purchase enough to complete the project.

2.d. We each get one "Get Out of Jail Free" card -- we are each allowed to fall off the wagon one time.

3. We are allowed to receive gifts of yarn.

4. Trading stash is allowed.

5. Spinning fiber of any sort is exempt.

I am going to assume that re-purposing yarn counts as knitting from your stash. I had already decided to frog the wrap with sleeves that I made last year. Although I really liked the idea of it, it just didn't turn out the way I had hoped. And I do love the Baby Alpaca Twist that I used, and it would be a shame to have a knitted garment out of such beautiful yarn that I don't wear. So I began knitting something similar to this:

I don't have quite enough yarn, so I am doing a modified version with cables only on the edges of the fronts and perhaps some cabling on the sleeves. I already have the back done. And I guess I cheated a little on the Knit From Your Stash, because I started it before January 1. My defense is that I didn't know about this until yesterday.

Wish me luck!

Rant

2007-01-02T15:51:00.000-05:00

What is it about airlines that make them so suckky? I always seem to have issues when I fly. It doesn’t help that I am a Nervous Nellie when it comes to flying.

Let’s start with the first leg of my journey to Michigan. My mother was kind enough o buy my ticket home this year. So she forwarded me the e-mail that Northworst sent her. My flight was to leave LGA AT 6:30 AM. Now, I am not a morning person, but I was ok with that, as I would have the majority of the day in Michigan. I get to LGA around 4:30 and deiced to use curbside check in, because I have an e-ticket. I wait in that line till about 5:45, and I am still about 10 people back. The guy calls last call for 6:20 flights. So I speak up and say I have a 6:30 flight. He calls me up to the front. He looks up my information on the computer and says “Miss this is a Delta Flight.”
“No,” I tell him, “I booked it on NWA.com”
His reply was that sometimes they book people on other airlines (who knew); nowhere on my ticket does it say the flight is Delta. So I run as fast as I can with my luggage in tow to the Delta counter.
“Help, help,” I cry, “I have a 6:30 flight”
“Sorry Miss we just closed for 6:30 flights.”
So I explain my situation to him and he tells me I must rebook with Northworst since I bought the ticket with them. So I hang my head and walk over to the Northwest flight. While in line, I deiced to try and call NWA’s service line. They tell me there is nothing they can do for me that I must speak with an agent at the airport. I finally get to the front of the line and the agent won’t even give me the time of day. I try to show her the e-mail that they sent me so she could see the mistake for herself. She says it’, ready are you ready for this on “This is MSN’s fault. We always put it on your e-ticket when it’s another email. They must have deleted that information when it went though their system. So I ask to speak to her supervisor since she won’t rebook me. The supervisor yelled at me to go back to Delta to rebook. I tried explaining that since I made the reservation though NWA that they had to rebook me according to their 1-800 number. She then walked away from the counter. With little else to do I reluctantly walked back to Delta. At this point I couldn’t wait in another line. So I stood in the first class line so I would be called next.

I get up to the counter and explain the whole thing again. She explains that she can’t do anything for me. In defeat I begin to well up. She then takes another look and says even though it’s NWA’s responsibility she will do me a favor just this once and rebook me. She is my hero.

So I got to sit in LGA till almost 11:00.

Way you ask am I sharing this with you now? I should be at this moment in the Detroit airport during my layover. In stead I am at my parents house. I get to the Kalamazoo airport everything is fine. I am in the gate waiting to board. And they announce over the loud speaker in very mumbled low voice that this flight is cancelled because they are having mechanical difficulties. Now granted I would rather find that out before we leave, but still annoying no the less. So I once again get on the phone to NWA and at first he tells me that this plane is on time and will depart at 1:33. The time is 1:25 and we haven’t boarded yet, think about that guy. So I explain to him that they made an announcement over the PA and that the flight was cancelled. He put me on hold for what seemed like a really long time, and came back to tell me that I was correct the flight had been canceled. Then he asked the smartest question “Do you want to rebook?” So I finally rebook and get on a 7:30 flight, which gets me with a layover in Detroit back to LGA around midnight. I love traveling don’t you?

So the long and short of is it is, I was looking forward to going to SnB tonight, but I think I will be missing it.

I hope everyone had a great holiday season with a lot less travel stress.

Happy New Year!

2006-12-31T21:46:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year to you and yours. I would like to tell all my friends how much I appricate them. I am so glad I found SnB! And who would have thought that at one of my worst jobs I have ever had, I would find two really great friends! May the New Year fins you happy and healthy.

'Twas the Night Before Christmas, Smitten Style

2006-12-24T00:01:00.000-05:00

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all though the house,
The sound of my needles clicking was noticed only by a mouse.

The hand knit stocking were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that no one would see the grafting mistakes there.
The nephews where all snuggled in bed,
While thoughts of snowman sweaters danced in their heads.
While mom in her cable cardigan, and I in my fingerless mittens,
Had just settled in for a long for a long nights knittin’
When out on the lawn there arouse such a clatter,
I sprang from the purl row to see what was the matter.

Away the window I flew like a flash?
(Just one more row perhaps?)
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash,
After a few dropped stitches and decreases that match.
The moon, on the breast of the new fallen snow,
Was like lace out of mohair on my lap below.
When what to my wondering eyes should appear?
But a set of Denise needles and another knitter so near.
I knew in a moment that it must be the knitting fairy
To help with the holiday stitching, so I could be merry.

“Now purl one row, then knit two more!
Don’t forget to YO at the end of each row!”
To the top of the hat and matching mittens, does that look too small?
Too late now; knit away, knit away all!”

She spoke not a word, but when straight to her work,
And knit all the yarn that lurked.
Weaving in the ends as she goes,
She knit in a flash, taking with her all of my woes.
Her well-worked fingers gave a signal of approval
As she took her leave with her needles
I heard her exclaim:
“Merry Christmas to all, and to all good knittin’”

Christmas Knitting is Finished!

2006-12-17T16:42:00.000-05:00

I meet the deadline with a few days to spare! Here is a top view of the hat finished:

Last year when I was home I was making a pair of socks for myself; my sister-in-law commented that she really like the idea of having bright, funky socks. You may want to put some sunglasses on before you take a look at the socks I made for her. I got the yarn from the last yarn swap. Here is a in-progress shot:

And I know you won’t feel this post is complete until you see the sweatshirts. I took a picture of just one as they look the same:

That’s right I finished my Christmas sewing as well. All the adults are also going to get their gifts in fabric bags. I have been talking about doing this for years. It’s amazing how much wrapping paper one family can go though. This way they get an extra gift and it’s better for Mother Earth. I would have done the same for the boys, but all I had in my fabric stash was silk or pink flowery cotton. I think it's ok that I wrap a few presents in paper.

To prove that I have been a very busy girl lately I also finished knitting and sewing together secret project 1. I am currently swatching for secret project 2. It won’t be long now until I can knit for myself again, I can’t wait!

Progress

2006-12-05T21:46:00.000-05:00

So I have been making some good headway (no pun intended) on my brother’s hat. See for yourself:

The cables are a little hard to see in this picture, but trust me, they are there. I just started the decreases. I made a mistake in the previous round so I think I am going to tink it back.

In other knitting news I am finish with the bulk of the endless stockinette stitch for the secret project. Want to see:

I am such a tease, I know. Soon it will be taking a very hot bath in the washing machine. I made a felted swatch using the machine I will be using to felt the bag, but I a still a little nervous about how it will look once it is out of the washer. It just occurred to me tonight that I don’t even know the name of the book I am making these projects for. Perhaps I should find out.

In non-knitting news I finally cut out the sweatshirts for my two adorable nephews. Who wouldn't want a sweatshirt in this print? Now I just need to get motivated to pull out the sewing machine and get going!

Today is an important day...

2006-12-04T00:01:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to our English Bird!

My Friends R-O-C-K!

2006-12-02T22:26:00.000-05:00

Wow, I am so touched by the fact that my SnB friends left me so many comments on my first post. You Guys totally R-O-C-K! I am so thankful for our SnB group. Tuesdays haven’t been the same since I meet you!

So I cast on for my brother’s hat a few times. The black is just too dark to do cables on in my apartment, so I headed out today to Yarn Connection and picked up some Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool in a denim blue. Very nice. I think my brother will look good in the blue and it should keep his head warm. I tried it on and it’s a little lose on me, but he is 6’6”, so his head is probably a little bigger than mine.

There has been no progress on the secret project. It’s still pink…

In the beginning…

2006-11-30T19:21:00.000-05:00

I would like to start this post by saying to all those bloggers who I have pestered in the past about not blogging enough…I am sorry. I promise to try and post on a regular basis. Please forgive me if I don’t.

So where to start. My current project is a secret project (and I need to borrow the camera from work, even though they don’t know it yet). It’s a felted project for an upcoming book published by Wiley, who also published my friends Heather’s book Not Your Mama’s Knitting, which means lots and lots of stockinette! The really upside…it’s pink. More to come on that later.

All that stockinette is making me bored. I am normally a monogamous knitter, but lately I have been dreaming of casting on something with cables. So I think I am going to start this from Knitty for my brother for Christmas:

Here it is from brooklyntweed in a more manly color:

I hope he will like it. I have some black yarn that is a little bulkier than the calmer that is suggested for it, so I think I am going to take out a couple of repeats. Fingers crossed he'll like it!