Major Knitter

Faery Ring Reunion

It's been awhile since I've posted, but tonight I had cause to celebrate and tell the whole world.  There was a Faery Ring Reunion in Seattle, Washington.

Lorette - aka The Knitting Doctor - and I committed to a KAL for the Faery Ring which we began on November 1, 2009.  

Shortly thereafter, BF and I were in Seattle, so Lorette and I got together for a knitting day.

We were both so gungho about our Faery Ring sweaters in the beginning.  Then somewhere along the way for each of us we slowed down.  I finally finished mine on 2/20/2012.  Ravelry says that Lorette finished hers on 1/3/2013.  But we did finish them.  

Last night was the first time we had the opportunity to meet up since completing our sweaters.  I flew into Seattle and Lorette and her husband John picked me up and treated me to dinner.  We even snapped a photo to commemorate the occasion. John got to pose between the two of us looking like twins.  We had a wonderful evening chatting and dining in Seattle.  John & Lorette were such gracious hosts.  Next time it's my treat in New York or Connecticut.  

Maybe we should come up with a new knit-a-long.

 

 

The Year of the Sweater - Progresso!

I've been working on the Ribby Cardi for ten days and it appears that I have knit 12 inches on the bodice of the sweater.  The pattern calls for 14 inches before attaching the sleeves.  I generally like my sweaters to sit a little lower on the hips than the average bear - so I'll knit either 15 or 16 inches to the underarm before I begin the sleeves.  

I am enjoying this sweater more than I expected.  It's amazing how quickly a sweater can grow when you practice project fidelity.  You know I'm not very good at this fidelity thing as it relates to knitting projects.  I like to mix it up.  I like to add a quickie project in between long term projects (e.g. sweaters) so I can show some sort of accomplishment.  I like FOs.  I like to see things finished.  But you know what - there is something to be said about finishing a bigger project, too.

But my fingers are itching.  Seriously.  I'm trying not to look at any other yarn; any other patterns; any other project pages; any other favorited projects.  I would like to show my steadfastness with this Ribby Cardi.  

Another Day, Another Inch

Since I'm always such a fan of the instant gratification, it's a little disheartening to be able to show you only an inch or two of progress on my Ribby Cardi.  I would really prefer to show you a FO.  But there you have it.

I've knit about 7 1/2 inches on the waist and body.  If you're following closely, or have knit your own Ribby Cardi, you have caught me.  I nearly doubled the size of the waistband.  I like my sweaters to fall below my hips (but without covering my behind) - so I find that if I add 2-3 inches to the body of the sweater, I'm usually a happier camper.

A note on this wool.  It's wonderful souvenir wool from my trip to Bogota, Colombia this past Memorial Day weekend.  It's handspun and a really rough fiber.  I knew that when I bought it.  I could have purchased softer yarns with less chaff spun into them, but I really liked this handspun.  It's a natural color - a charcoal-grey-nearly-black wool straight from the sheep.  Oddly enough, it's not nearly as dark as it looks in the photo, nor is it impossible to see when knitting as is the case with black or navy blue.  I think the fact that it's an undyed natural wool helps.  It doesn't seem to soak in all the light like a black hole.  I can actually see my stitches just fine.

* I thought you'd all appreciate the gratuitous Wilma ceramic bank placement.  I know you're all concerned about her so I'll give you a quick update.  She's doing very well.  Slowly but surely she's getting her strength back.  I hide her medications inside a spoonful of canned dog food or a bit of cheese - otherwise known as the pill delivery device.  She loves getting these extra special treats four times a day.  She's sleeping more than usual, which is really saying something for an English Bulldog.  Although she doesn't read my blog (at least to my knowledge), I'm 100% certain she appreciates all your concern!

2014 - The Year of the Sweater

Each year I either try to have a theme to my knitting, or one just seems to appear of its own accord.  In the past I have had several themes that you probably remember - The Year of the...

• Blanket
• Pig
• Socks
• Critter Hats
• Stockings - Jumbo and Mini
• Wonderful Wallaby
• Chicken
• Snowmen
• Penguins
• Socks, again

So this year, I decided to create a goal that might inspire me to create some clothes for myself as well as for others.  Therefore, I have dubbed this year - 2014 - The Year of the Sweater.  I bought some lovely natural black worsted weight wool on my trip to Bogota last spring thinking to knit myself some sort of cardigan.  I wanted to start the year off on the right foot with my sweater theme.  So for TV watching and knitting last night, I went to my stash and selected the yarn I bought for a sweater for self and then I went in search of my Wonderful Wallaby pattern. I couldn't find it in the usual spot. Then after looking high and low, I remembered I had started a sweater in the fall. I found the knitting bag with the UFO Wallaby - where I had already knit more than HALF the body. So needless to say, I decided to resurrect this UFO for The Year of the Sweater before beginning a new sweater for myself.

By the end of the night, I had finished a sleeve and a half.  What a great way to start the year.  I might have my first completed sweater before the week's end.  

How about you?  Want to join me on my quest to make 2014 The Year of the Sweater?

Upside Downton Abbey

You know you've arrived when Sesame Street does a spoof on you.  I can't embed the video, but you can click on THIS LINK and watch Carson and the Dowager Countess - or at least their muppet versions in a delightfully funny spoof called Upside Downton Abbey.

I even had one friend suggest that last night's power outage at the Super Bowl must have been a woman... because it was so perfectly timed with the beginning of Downton Abbey.

Did you watch?  No spoilers, please.

Our Downton Abbey Tea Party

Michelle and I got together from 9-11 p.m. last night to watch the season premiere of Downton Abbey complete with a proper British tea.  Since it was so late, we decided to make it a pajama party.  You only get one picture... and it's not of the pajama party.

I tried to knit my Downton Abbey KAL while watching the show, but this required paying far too much attention to the pattern and not nearly enough attention to the TV, so the TV won out in the end.

We had a great time with our scones, biscuits, clotted cream, jam and English tea (which Michelle just happened to have!).  We just needed Carson to serve us and a scullery made to clean up afterwards and all would have been perfect.  Except for the fact that our sartorial choices would have made the Dowager Countess roll her eyes at our American ways.  

Pinkies up everyone! 

Downton Abbey Mystery KAL

Well, in just 20 more hours, I'll be getting my knitting together and settling in to watch Season 3 of Downton Abbey with my Mystery KAL in hand.  

If you haven't joined, there's still time.  You'll just need your yarn and a swatch.  HERE's the link.

The KAL is free to join, and you can use any sport weight yarn you have on hand.  My friend Julie gifted me the Christmas at Downton colorway specific to this KAL in Lorna's Laces Sport.  I was so surprised and delighted with this gift that I have to confess I'm doing my very first mystery KAL as a result.

I wound my yarn into a nice ball and actually knit a swatch.  Imagine that!

I am a loose knitter, so instead of using a US Size 3, I went down a size to a Turbo Addi size 2, which is not a US Size 2... but a 2 1/2 or 3.0 mm).  This difference is very important.  It was the perfect needle needed to achieve guage.  I'm all set for the show to begin.

I invited some friends over to watch BBC from 9-11 p.m. tomorrow.  It's kinda late, so it may or may not be a pajama party, complete with a spot of tea.  

And for a bit of fun while waiting for the season to kick-off, you can TAKE THIS QUIZ and see which Downton Abbey character you are.  I am Robert, Earl of Grantham.  Who are you?

 

Know Thine Enemy

I did it!  I really did it!  I picked up the Kaffe Fassett Floral Jacket after a 3-year hiatus.

This should have been my first clue that something wasn't quite right.  I'm not a ripper.  I cut my yarn when I'm done with it.  This was shredded.  Odd, right?

But I knit anyway.  I didn't notice anything amiss until I finished half a round of fair isle knitting and I came upon this purple stitch that was also shredded.  Uh oh!  This isn't shredded.  It's eaten.  UGH!

I was trying to explain to a friend how hard it is to knit on dark yarn (black, navy blue) and I pulled a partial skein out of the Floral Jacket knitting bag and knit up a little swatch.  ARGH!  It was entirely eaten to pieces at about 18 inch intervals.

I'm in a bit of a tizzy now.  I think my only solution is to rip out the row of sts with the eaten spot(s)?!  Then I'll toss all the yarn.  I took a moment for a quick inspection and haven't noticed any major damage to the sweater.  I had to put it down and take a deep breath.  Deep calming breath.  Breathe.  Breathe.

What do I do now???

 

It's Time for a KAL

My Wednesday Knitting Group met today and nearly everyone (except Michelle and me) is making the Stephen West Mystery Shawl KAL - Rockefeller.  In fact, here's a group picture of everyone's progress to date.

I'm not much for joining KALs, especially Mystery KALs.  I've learned my lesson.  I'm not very good at finishing the projects I want to knit.  I'm really not good at finishing projects I don't want to knit.  I cannot even imagine knitting a myster project where I don't know the outcome.  But I must admit, I really like the look of the Rockefellers.  Each one is more beautiful than the next.  I am eager to see the completed mystery projects of my friends.  When I saw them all laid out like this, I almost wanted to join in on the fun.

Instead, I brought out my oldest KAL to try to find some motivation.  It's my Kaffe Fassett Floral Jacket from 2008.  Yes, this puppy is FOUR YEARS OLD.  Which, by the way, is nearly as old as Wilma (She's six.  Thank you for asking.)

So while the Olympics are in full swing and people are trying to achieve Olympic GOLD, I decided that my personal challenge would be to finish some WIPs and UFOs.  I already finished two projects and have made great progress on a third.  But before the Olympics are over, I want to get the magic mojo working and see if I can finish the bodice and get some help cutting the steeks on this long, forgotten woebegone project.

Did you EVER think you'd see this one again?

Weekend Warrior Attacks 4,840 Stitches

There.  I did it.  I attacked the edging on the Faery Ring jacket - all 4,840 sts.  It's not really all that many sts, but for some reason it was an onerous task.  I think it's because it's 440 stockinette sts in one stretch... and I'm holding he entire weight of this massive project in my lap while doing it.  But during many baseball games, I managed to finish.

I stuck the needles in to prevent the edging from rolling over for the picture.  Of course, my next Weekend Warrior project will be to fold over the edging and invisibly stitch it on the inside.  That's going to take a bit of courage and commitment.  I think I can do it.