Back on track...

I know you were waiting with baited breath to see if I resolved my DFS drama (hehehe). Well, I have resolved it after very veray careful tinking back. Four rows and eventually spotting the small mistake that threw me off so severely. Instead of doing a yo I did a knit one. A word to the wise, don't knit a shawl when you're sleepy! Also, don't make a mistake on a shawl and leave it alone... go back! check and see what went wrong before proceeding.

I still haven't started the swatch for Lucy... I took it to work but was busy during lunch so I didn't get to start it. I should do it tonight. Meanwhile my poor poor Laura Tee lays lonely and abandoned atop my basket... right next to Sonata Crest of the Wave. Am I going to finish these? In the words of Lofty from Bob The Builder - um, yeah I think so!

We'll see!

*Bawl* My DFS has a big fat mistake...

I really can't say exactly how it happened but somewhere between round 40 and 43 of the 7th repeat, an error occured. Maybe I didn't do extra yarn overs somewhere (and I suspect it may have been somewhere on round 40) but when I went on to knit row 42 I didn't have enough stitches to complete the round - or so I thought. I completed the 13 repeats and when I went to complete the last few stitches, I only had 5 instead of 11!!! So I picked up stitches (quite horribly I might add) and sucessfully completed the row. The next row was the purl row but when I went to the 44th row, low and behold I had too MANY stitches!!! ARGHH!!! How did that happen? If I had too little on row 42 to complete, added what I needed, why would I then have too many on row 44? Simple, I screwed up somewhere in row 40. Now, I have a clump of stitches where I added them erroneously and unfortunately am not brave enough to tink back to the offending row and undo it. It's already bothering me... big time. I'm soooo close to completing this lovely shawl... I have fantasies of blocking it on my bed... and here I've done something so very wrong with it. What to do? I think I may have to leave it alone for a bit.

*BAWL!!!!*

I need more yarn!

Oh my oh my oh my. I'm probably the last person to discover No Sheep For You and Fitted Knits (well I have seen them advertised in various magazines and seen some bloggers knit items from them but didn't really think I would be interested in them) and I am impressed! I've put them in my cart at amazon.com and will soon purchase them. I can't wait! I want to knit Cables and O's from No Sheep For You, but after the DF shawl is done. I actually would like to wait a bit before sinking my needles into that one as I still want to knit my mother's cardigan before her birthday in August. Once again I've changed my mind on what I want to make for her. I've finally settled on Lucy In The Sky from cosmicplutoknits! I really think she'll like it. I still intend to do Pippa but that'll be sometime in the future... since it promises to be a time consuming knit, It's best to get the right yarn for the job. I've also recently purchased some books from amazon (I only wished that I had "discovered" Fitted Knits and No Sheep For You before I shipped them here. Argh). I bought Gorgeous Knitted Afghans, Sensational Knitted Socks, and The Art of Fair Isle Knitting (see why I need even more yarn now?)

Ok, enough of the hankering for yarn (lol). Here's a personality type quiz I shamelessly got from Knitters Delight's page. I think it's spot on (although I'm not sure about the other's finding me boring... then again that may explain a few things. Otherwise it does seem spot on especially career wise.

You Are An ISTJ

The Duty Fulfiller You are responsible, reliable, and hardworking - you get the job done. You prefer productive hobbies, like woodworking or knittings. Quiet and serious, you are well prepared for whatever life hands you. Conservative and down-to-earth, you hardly ever do anything crazy. In love, you are loyal and honest. If you commit yourself to someone, then you're fully committed. For you, love is something that happens naturally. And you don't need romantic gestures to feel loved. At work, you remember details well and are happy to take on any responsibility. You would make a great business executive, accountant, or lawyer. How you see yourself: Decisive, stable, and dependable When other people don't get you, they see you as: Boring, conservative, and egotistical

What's Your Personality Type?

What's your personality type?

Half way done...

Here's my DFS. It is coming along swimmingly. I have no complaint about this shawl. The instructions are easy to understand and it knits up pretty quickly. The wrong side of the shawl does not have a pattern to it so basically every other row is easy going. I'm 50% done.

I've changed my mind again about the cardigan I want to knit for my mother. I'm now thinking I would like to knit Pippa from My Fashionable Life's site. It's very beautiful but it looks like it might be a challenge. I might be up for it. I also want to knit another cardigan for myself. I'm thinking of knitting the Nantucket Jacket from the Interweave Knits winter 2006 issue... but with longer sleeves. Maybe I should finish my LT. We'll see.

Having fun with my seasilk

I love LOVE this yarn! It is knitting up wonderfully and it goes very well with the DFS pattern. I am enjoying this pattern very much as well! It is less complicated than the Mountain Lace Shawl and it is working up beautifully! I am more confident with it and am almost finished the second repeat of the shawl (10 repeats for the shawl and 6 for the scarf I think).

There's not much to show right now... looks like a mass of bumps (I guess that's why Sivia instructs to "block severely". I really can't wait until it's done. It's going to be stunning!

Loveliness anyone?

My seasilk came! I got it much earlier than I thought I would and am very happy with it. I'm hoping to make this with it. I hope it's a good marriage of yarn and pattern! Or I just might change my mind. There are a few other shawls that I could see this yarn with. Oh the possibilities!

I'm also casting on for this for my mother. Her birthday is in August but I hope to be done way before then! (but then again... I knit like a snail on Ambien). For this I'll be using Knitpicks Shinesport in Sky. She likes blue so I think she'll enjoy the finished product.

Tonight I hope to do a little updating to the blog... just to post some of my FOs... not alot mind you as yarn is a little more difficult for me to get. Herein lies my problem. Here in Barbados, the only yarn you can get is acrylic and the thick kind. Not suitable at all for this boiling hot weather (think 86 degrees but feels like 96 with a uv index of 10!!!! yeah, that hot). So I have to buy my yarn from overseas. This wouldn't be a real problem except for the fact that some yarn companies don't ship directly to Barbados and if they do it costs alot to do so. So I have to send my yarn to a US address and then they ship them on to me but it takes a week or so (if customs is slow)... so when I buy yarn, I try to think of all the patterns and yarn that I could buy at one time (to cut down on shipping/ customs costs). So it can take a while between yarn purchases. Anyways, I'm always happy when I get my goodies!

I can't believe it - a FO!

Goodness gracious... a FO. I've finished Sahara and it turned out GREAT! I have to say here in the early that I hate HATE stockinette stitch... it just goes on and on and on. I even taught myself a "new" way to hold my yarn while throwing (I'm an English knitter and a very slooooow one at that - sometimes I wonder if I'm the slowest knitter out there... I see people zip through their projects and I just sit here seething with jealousy in awe that they are so fast!) as I'm pretty sure I was holding it in the least efficient manner there is for an English knitter.
I don't remember when I started this... I would hazzard a guess to mid-April? Which would make it almost six weeks of knitting (told ya I was slow) this kinda off and on. I put down the LT and tentatively picked up the Sonata Crest of the Wave Tank (remembered why I put it down in the first place and gently put it back from where I got it) so that could account for maybe a week? But six weeks it took me to complete this baby. I knit it a size smaller as I'm on a journey to better eating habits (pretty speak for I'm on a diet).
Here are the stats:

Yarn: Tilli Tomas in Limeade
Needles: Knitpicks options sizes 7 and 5
Time to knit: Approximately six weeks

I've also attached a pic. It is very fresh off the needles (finished it less than an hour ago!) and unblocked. I need to find out how to block this Tilli Tomas yarn as the instructions say that it's dry clean only.

I'm not sure what my next project will be. I've ordered this in the colourway Lilypond and am waiting patiently for its arrival. I plan to make a shawl with it and based on all the raves it's gotten I almost can't wait. It is nice however, to have my hands quiet if for a very short time. I get to browse the blogs of other more accomplished knitters and think to the day when my work too will look so polished, so beautiful, so enviable LOL!

Until then!

Awesome-ness from my swap pal

So there was a secret yarn swap over at KnittingHelp and I participated. It was a great experience seeing all the different delicious yarns people gave to each other!

Here's a pic (taken by the receipient) of the yarn and goodies that I sent. I'll tell you the truth, I was torn at first between quanitity and giving her what she really wanted. In the end I went with what she really wanted because afterall she would enjoy something that was on the top of her "I want" list more right? And she did. This is a skein of Lobsterpot yarn from kyarns in Beach plum and some of her favourite teas from her favourite tea shop:



Now, here's what I received from my wonderful swap pal! I'm telling you, it was such a pleasure receiving all this goodness... she really took the time to get all the details right, from the "take-out" boxes she put the yarn in, the toys for my kids, the yarn itself, the magazine and books and patterns and how it was all packaged. I feel really special.

Total package:



Box contents:



Toys for kids! Cinderella outfit and trucks:



Book, magazine, patterns and a glimpse of Crayon:



Recipe book for kids, patterns from Knitty:



Take-out of yarn! Shinesport, Cotlin, Crayon, and some Bebe Baby balm:



What a haul! I really need to get a bigger storage unit for mt stash and books! I can't believe it! I have a stash!

Hello there blog, I've missed you!

So what has been happening on this end? Nothing much I can tell you that. I've been working on the LT and Sahara simultaneously and let me tell you, it makes for sloooow knitting. The right front (is it?) of the LT is done and I'm still on the left front. The hemp is stil fairly rough to work with and I'm really hoping that it turns out as soft as it looks in the book.


Sahara is coming along nicely. I'm using my new Knitpicks options to knit this with and it's lovely. It's going slowly though.




On my to finish list is this bag - Knitpicks Rick Rack purse. I felted this ages ago but still haven't found a piece of lining that I like and I'm not sure about that hot pink ribbon I have running through it. Definitely have to change this one up and it'll be a gift for my daughter.


Here are some books that I recently purchased... And So To bed, Pursenalities and One Skein Wonders. I'm very impressed with all three and hope to start working from at least one of them soon... but it's nice to know that I have them here!



From the And So To Bed, the Lula doll is next on my list to make. I'll be making it for my daughter but I have to dye the yarn first. It'll be my first dye experience! Which reminds me, I have to buy some black tea today to get it done.




Finally, here are some stitch markers that I bought from Charles Lee. He's done a wonderful job on them and I love them!

I hope to have some FO's on here soon! It seems like a long time since I've had any!

Ok, so it's not so bad

In my last post I was freaking about the mess progress on my Laura Tee (LT). I got some great assistance from someone at the biggirlknits group at yahoo but I'm stuck again. I'm waiting for the errata to be reposted as promised but meanwhile, I keep posting at the group and asking questions. Hopefully they don't get tired of my questions (I doubt it as they seem to be a very nice group)... so for now I wait.....

I confess.. I haven't a clue...

So like I said, I'm knitting the Laura Tee from Big Girl Knits. It was going fine until I realised there are some errors in the pattern. Seems there was an errata link on the biggirlknits site that somehow disappeared. Anyways, I trudged on through and figured it out and now I come to the realisation, once again, that I haven't a clue on how this top is structured! I've turned it this way and that and can't for the life of me figure out which part is the neck, the bust... the sleeve stitches are currently being held hostage on a holder until the time comes for me to start on it and join it to the rest of the body. I just can't see how it will fit!! AUGH! I can't find anyone else online who has completed this tee or has any progress shots or anything. I'm sorely, VERY sorely tempted to start ripping it out. I'm the kind of person that likes to be able to see my projects taking shape... I feel good when I know the neckline is here and the sleeves are here etc. Maybe it's the missing errata and the lack of a proper schematic in the book that has me itching to set this thing on fire. GAH!!!!!

I might carry on with it. For now I will set it aside and go visit some blogs to see what other knitty folk are up to. I'll also be looking for a fairly easy fair isle pattern to try. I'm also thinking of redoing this blog. If only I had the time set out in my mind to force myself to sit and plan it out. One of these days...

Here's my progress. Bah.

Slowly, ever so slowly coming out of my rut...

I've started back knitting. Yes, you can now breathe a sigh of relief. I've picked back up the Laura Tee... still ignoring the Sonata Crest of the Wave tank for now. I've also ordered this, the book that the pattern is found in - and so to bed, pursenality plus, one skein wonders and the famed knitpicks options needle set.

I would love to get my hands on some Rowan calmer, some tahki bali bamboo yarn and some more lace weight yarn. There's at least one baby that I want to knit a blanket for too. I see Morehouse has a baby blanket kit that I'm interested in as well. That baby is due in August so I have some time to get my act together for that.

Meanwhile, I've recently purchased some stitch markers from here. Aren't they lovely? (now if I figure out how to get these pics to place correctly in this blog - argh!)

Oh yes, I did forget to post the socks I received from my sock pal on the knittinghelp Sockintine swap. Here they are:

The socks are made from cotton lycra, colour field of violets and the pattern is corded rib from SKS.

The new knitty is out. I like Isabella and hope to make it sometime this year. Another "this year" project will be something in fair isle... some sort of intricate colour work. I can't wait to try something new! Now if I can just sort out a way to get my yarn in good time and through a reliable system. Argh - living in the tropics!

Mini knitting hiatus...

So I haven't picked up my needles in a little bit now, since completing the knittinghelp sockintine sock swap. I tried going back to the Sonata Crest of the Wave Tank but knit less than a row and put it down. There's the stitchdiva Sahara (short sleeved version) that I am thinking of tackling next (even though I have already started the Laura Tee). I feel really uninspired and am thinking of doing a purse or something like that. There's the Ruffled Surplice from the new Interweave Knits that I have my eye on (it will cost me BDS$255.00 approximately to make - ack!) so there are projects to do... it's just to work up the get go to do them.

I hope this dry spell doesn't last too long!

Pomatomus socks done...

Wow, what a feeeling! I can honestly say I feel like I've been knitting those socks nonstop for a year! But they are finally done! I feel like I can now return to my life as I knew it LOL! I did run into a snag on the socks. I ran out of yarn. The pattern called for 175 yards (was it?) and the Claudia Handpainted yarn was only 172 yards. Ugh. Why didn't I notice this before? I think I was so eager and happy to have finally found a pattern to compliment the yarn that I didn't realise I wouldn't have enough to finish the socks. So I what I had to wind up doing was using extra yarn similar in colour but not as dark so you can see the big difference. But I really wanted to get my swap pal something extra. If I had bought extra yarn I wouldn't have been able to get her something extra as I would have been way over my budget (and not to mention I need $2 of my dollars to make $1 of US dollars). Anyways, you can see the finished product that I hope to send out today.

What's next on my list? Well there's the Laura Tee, I have to finish my Sonata Crest of the Wave Tank and maybe a pair of my own socks. Who am I kidding? I'm not touching another pair of socks for awhile!

One poma poma down, another to go...

man! That sock was a little time consuming to make! I have a couple mistakes in there and worst of all, I've dipped into my second skein of yarn to finish the toe on this. I feel better now that I can start the other sock and get these off to my pal. I'm also looking around for some nice things to include in her package (hmmmm... I wonder if my pal is sending me something special in addition to my socks - is it juevenile to wonder? I just like getting nice packages!) Anyways, I've seen some local jewelery but that may seem too personal as we haven't even conversed on kh or outside of kh so I'm not sure how that would go over. I'm thinking of sending a cake as well... as small rum cake. It's not the traditional cake we make at Christmas and for weddings but it's nice enough to eat a whole one if you're not careful. I'm also thinking about sending some local sweets... not the sugarcake tho. I don't think it will survive the trip over there and stale coconut can give a sock pal a bad case of the runs. Soooo, what else what else? She likes a certain something but to order it will be very expensive. So I'll stick to the cake and a little carved turtle or something with the words Barbados splashed across it? She'll know for sure who the socks are coming from. Should I even keep my identity secret after I've sent them? I'm thinking of sending the package from another country I'll be visiting in February to throw her off (going all out eh? LOL) but I may be going too close to valentines day so that may not work.

Anyways, here's a pic of the lonely sockie that needs its ends woven in. I'll start its twin later after I've played around with my new phone. Technology at my fingertips! I'm excited!

Getting ready for chilly weather...

overseas of course! You didn't think we got snow here right? LOL! Where I'm going is expected to be VERY cold and I need to be prepared. Out comes my secret weapon! Malabrigo! I sure hope it does the trick! I want to knit a scarf and some mittens before then. Wish me luck!

Also, here's an update on my Pomatomus socks (I seem to be having trouble spelling that word!)

I've got alot of knitting to do!

Pomatomus it is...

I've restarted the sock since deciding on doing the Pomatomus pattern from knitty. I've just finished the initial part of the cuff and now going into the pattern. I really hope I'm doing this right cause I feel like time's running out! Aaaaackkkkk!!!! I really REALLY don't want to have to start over with a new pattern or restart this one so I hope I'm doing good.

Here's a pic.

Yummy yarn... not so yummy knit up

Ok, I frogged the sock. This yarn is absolutely gorgeous. No if ands or buts about it. I simply cannot find a pattern that will complement it well. I can knit a plain sock but I feel like I'll be cheating my swap pal kinda by doing that... I wonder if the person that's knitting for me is having this same kind of trouble.

Anyways, I'm now going with Lorna Laces Shepherd sock in Carrot. I'm now doubting myself again. At this rate these socks are not going to get knit!!! I want to travel at the end of the month so I need to get these done and posted by then. Oh the self imposed agony! Nothing seems to be good enough for my partner... my partner that doesn't even really post to the Sockintine thread.

So, shall it be Baudelaire, Hedera, Kew, or Pomatomus?

Sigh.

Sockintine well on it's way

Tonight I'm busily, quietly, happily knitting socks. I'm one repeat in on the socks that I plan to give to my sock pal for the Sockintine swap over at knittinghelp.com. I'm using Claudia's Handpainted yarn in John B. It's a variegated yarn and I wasn't so sure that it was turning out ok, but I was reassured that it was so I'm pressing on. I am hoping that my sock pal enjoys them when she gets them along with a few other goodies I plan to send her. I don't really know that much about her... I've read most of her posts as a background study (LOL) and I know there is one thing she's crazy about but I'm not sure I can get it here... would have to order it online and hope it gets here before I send off her package. I want to send it at the end of January so that I would give the postal system enough time to get it to her (although I think it should only take a week, but better safe than sorry I say!) I've included a pic of my earlier progress on the sock.

I'll get back to it. 'night!

New knits, new rules...

New knitting rules that is... this coming year I will try new things knit-wise. I will learn fair isle knitting and I will knit something gorgeous and complicated. I will knit more and I will improve my knitting skills. I will fatten up my stash and get more accesories and maybe even a bigger place to store it all! New books and more lace knitting. More charity work and items for my kids and maybe... just maybe, an afghan. I know I'll be knitting a baby blanket for some friends who are freshly pregnant so that's on my list to do. Ah, the fun and joy and great expectations of knitting!

Here's what I'm working on now. The Laura Tee from the book Big Girl Knits. It looks complicated and that's precisely why I'm doing it. It's cute too and I am surprised that I haven't seen more people knit it... maybe it's because of its strange constuction. Either way, I am knitting the large size as I'll be back in the gym come January 3rd and it makes no sense knitting for me at this size when I plan to lose the weight. It prolly doesn't make sense to knit the large either but my goal isn't to be skinny, but rather to be healthy and to be able to fit into clothes that would flatter me not make me look larger than I already look. I'm knitting this blouse with allhemp for knitting in the colour dusty rose, and it is very rough on the hands. Others say that it softens up especially after it is washed. I certainly hope so. The one the model is wearing looks very soft and drapey. I hope mine won't disappoint...

Next is the toe up sock in Regia Crazy colour. This is the first time I'm trying a toe up sock and the first time doing the magic loop pattern! So many new things I'm learning! I am part of a swap on the knittinghelp.com forum and these socks are for practice. I'll make them to the ankles for myself and wear them to the gym. They are coming out a bit big and I'm glad I'm finding this out now as I think my swap pal has the same size foot as I do, so if it's too big for me, when I knit hers it will be too big for her.