Major Knitter

Many Projects

Whoa, how did that happen?  I was making great progress on my projects.  In fact, at one point, I only had four active WIPs on my Ravelry project page.  Then I kept having those squirrel moments and I kept getting distracted by the Bright Shiny Objects (or in this case - BWO - Bright Woolly Objects).  My LYS is having the great Weaving Class extravaganza and everyone seems to be jumping on the bandwagon.  I showed you my progress after my first class, so I thought I should report in and show you more progress since then.  The only problem - it's hard to see how much progress is actually happening.  I'll try my best.

My scarf is moving right along.  You can't really tell, but it's already about 4-5 feet long.  It's all just rolled up on the bottom scroll and is hard to see in this picture.

From the back of the loom, you can see all the paper that I already unrolled.  This is a much better indicator of how much I've already woven.  

Here's my actual scarf all wound up on the scrolls.  This is a fun craft and I'm really enjoying it.  Stay tuned for my final class (getting the project OFF the loom) when I'll be able to show you my first woven FO.  Won't that be cool?

That's What Friends Are For

My friend Caroline posted a dark picture of her new socks on her bunk last night.  It was dark - so it's really only two feet... that third looking foot is really a shadow.

"Oh yea who got hand knit socks from majorknitter, Jennifer Jackson at Woodbadge?!? Oh yes this girl did!! Cosy:-D"

Camping socks and good friends make a great combination!

A Work of Art

I like to think of my knitting as a work of art.  Today, I presented my good friend Caroline with her very own pair of hand knit socks for camping when I went to teach the Leading Change class at Wood Badge.  Our photo backdrop took center stage, though.  I think you can see why.

This larger than life painting of Scouting's founder, Sir Robert Baden-Powell is utterly fantabulous!  Our mutual friend Dave and his wife painted it for this course and it is simply stunning.  I'm hoping Dave will make a smaller recreation for our upcoming fundraising auction to support our five camp properties.  I bet it will be a top seller.

Wear them well Caroline!  Here's wishing you many cozy nights of camping!

 

Breckenridge

Since I'm nearly finished with the Sampler Blanket, my mind started wandering to the next bright shiny woolly object.  There's a certain new pattern online that has been speaking to me.  Have you seen it?

It's Breckenridge by Fiona Ellis and it's FABULOUS.  I love everything about it - the shape, the shaping - see how it comes in at the waist? - the three quarter length sleeves and the asymmetric cable design.  I think I'll go diving in my Knit Nook and see what yarn I might have for this.

Haste Makes Waste...

Or in my case... a few new design elements.

I'm speeding along with the Sampler Blanket and have finished the fourth strip.  When I went to photograph it, I placed it down and then realized it was upside down, so I flipped it and realized that half the stitch patterns were facing one way, and half the other.  Ugh!  It really only affects one pattern when faced upside down... so I am going to consider this a design element (unless I cave, and rip out the one swatch and do it over).  

Double Lace Rib...reverse side.

Double Lace Rib - public side

Double Parallelogram Stitch

Diagonal Ridges Stitch

Diagonal Seed Stitch

Error #2 - This is the Not-so "All Over Eyelets" - where I was tired and mistakenly did something wonky on my PSSO.  I'm OK with it.  It's still an interesting design element... but not quite what was originally intended.  This stays.

Lattice Stitch.  I like the way this wandering cable stitch looks when finished (and I like it even more when it's blocked) - but this is definitely a Hocus Pocus Stay On Focus stitch.  I really can't do much of anything else when I'm knitting this one.

So there you have it.  Four of five strips are knit.  I'll probably rip out the Double Lace Rib and redo it.  We'll see how it goes.

 

 

Foiled Again, or Why I Can't Count to Four

There's not really much to knitting the Bramble Stitch.  It consists of four rows, two of which are purl.

BRAMBLE STITCH – multiple of 4 = 44 sts 

Rows 1 and 3 (right side):  purl
Row 2:  p2, *(k1, p1, k1) into the next st, p3 tog,* end p2
Row 4:  p2, *p3tog, (k1, p1, k1) into the next st* end p2
Work these 4 rows 12 times = 48 rows

Doesn't seem that complicated right?

Wrong!  

I've now ripped out my Bramble Stitch section of the sampler blanket four times.  I keep messing up.  I can't seem to keep track of which row I'm on.  So I'm going to stop knitting for awhile and do something else to clear my mind.  

Hopefully when I return to it, I'll be able to count:  one, two, three, four.  

When I successfully complete this dreaded Bramble Stitch swatch, I'll only have two more swatches to knit and I'm done knitting the blanket.  Then I'll block, sew and edge.  I'm so excited to be this close to the end. 

Get Well Weekend

This weekend the whole house was under the weather.  Wilma ate 1/3 bag of chocolate chips.  ICK!  Suffice it to say that I used 3 rolls of paper towels and trailed after her all day Saturday cleaning up.  She's better now.  Whew!  Secundogeniture and I had the nasty head cold that's going around - but we're better now.  Even BF was not 100%.  

This meant lots of rest and relaxation.  What better way to relax than watching TV and knitting?  I finished the third strip of the Sampler Blanket (currently offered as a class by Lynn Wilson at my LYS)

The Little People Pig posed with the Popcorn Stitch.

I replaced the snowflake stitch with my own Seed Stitch Heart.

A favorite of mine is the Bow Knot Stitch.

The Eyelet Mock Cable Ribbing is another favorite.

This Purl Triangles Stitch is a little deceiving.  It's really rather simple, but you must pay attention or your triangles will turn into a mess.  I find myself checking after every row.  Nothing worse than catching a mistake several rows down.

The final swatch of the third strip is the Little Arrowhead Stitch.  It's easy to memorize and provides an interesting texture.  It's definitely a crowd pleaser.

So there you have it.  The sampler blanket is 60% complete.  I confess that even as I write this, the fourth strip is well under way.  There's a chance all thirty swatches are completed by the end of the week.  Now that's definitely the silver lining on the cloud!

 

Must Be Back to School Time

I love fall.  I love back to school time.  I always forget what comes hand in hand with those two things -- Cold and Allergy season

Here's our survival kit:  Kleenex, Tylenol, antibiotics, NyQuil and DayQuil.  

And after a few days, we're all starting to feel a little better.  With lots of rest, medicine, and knitting, life is looking rosy again.  Whew!

Ballad of the Harp Weaver

Edna St. Vincent Milay is one of my favorite poets.  In fact, The Ballad of the Harp Weaver is a favorite of mine.  I can nearly recite it verbatim.  I recently discovered this Johnny Cash rendition

 

So why has this poem come to mind?  Well, you guessed it.  I've finally taken the plunge and am giving weaving a try.

My friend Michelle loaned me her portable loom for my class at my LYS with Laura.  I'm using Spud & Chloe yarn for the warp.  Tanglewood Fibers Creations fingering weight merino is what I'm using for the weft.  I like the look of these two yarns together.

Here's a close-up of my first attempt.  It's not perfect - but I'm fine with it.  I enjoy the process of learning a new craft.  I may or may not repeat my weaving experience, but I'm very glad to give it a try!

Wilma on Skype

You know, I think Wilma does some pretty amazing things, but last night she impressed even me.  Why you ask?  Because this dog was on Skype!

Grandma called to talk to Secundogeniture and Wilma got in on the action.  Although she didn't say much, Wilma stole the show!