Christmas Knitting

Just finished blocking the second teacher's scarf. They turned out really well, and each has it's own character, due to the different yarn used. The pattern is Branching Out on knitty.com. These really were a fast knit. I'll bet you could knock one out in one day if you had a straight day of no interruptions. As it was, it took 2 or 3 nights of rink knitting for each.

I think the orange scarf is my favorite. Skye's teacher said her favorite color is orange, so I had bought a ball of Rowan Kidsilk Haze from The Gourmet Yarn Company. Knitty's pattern directions say, and I quote, "if this is your first lace project, the Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool is an excellent choice. It is extremely soft and light-weight, it does not split, it is easy to frog or tink if you make a mistake, and it has wonderful stitch definition. If you are a more experienced lace knitter, the Douceur et Soie makes a beautiful, feather-weight scarf." Well, I have knit lace before, have knit with the Silky Wool before and hated it, but the mohair turned out to be out of my league. Any pattern screwups could not be frogged without swearing and yarn breakage. So, in desperation, I went stashing diving (yay, me!) and came up with some leftover balls of Valley Yarns Southwick, which is a cotton/bamboo blend. Doubtfully, I combined the two together. It is wonderful! You get the soft, heavy cotton feel with a little mohair fizz for added luxury. It took two balls of Southwick and used about 75% of the Kidsilk Haze for 28 pattern repeats.

The white scarf is Elann Super Kydd (I had originally bought a package of three balls of it, one pink, one white, one blue for teacher's scarves and an extra, but the orange request threw that plan out the window). I didn't have any wool that was bright white and the cotton yarn was all 100% and too heavy, so I came up with a thin baby acrylic (Yarn Bee Baby Bee) that I had used for hats and was pretty soft and combined it with the Super Kydd. The result is nice. It has the light and lacy feel without the heaviness of the cotton. It's not quite as soft as the cotton/bamboo, but it's lacier feeling and still has the mohair fizz. I used probably about 50% of the Yarn Bee and 75% of the Super Kydd for 28 repeats.

I still have a blue and a pink ball of mohair that I may knock out last-minute Christmas gifts with, while the kids and I are home next week.

Elf Attire

Finished the Elf Attire for my son's play this Thursday (with 3 days to spare, oh my!). The hat pattern is on the Lionbrand website, Santa Claus Hat.



The boots are Curly-Toed Elf Slippers from Weekend Knitting. I used stash yarn (yay!), one skein of Red Heart worked doubled on #15s, and one skein of Lion Brand Fun Fur worked tripled. Unknown red stash scrap for the tassels.

Wet Fingernail Polish and other Knitting Roadblocks

Still plugging away on the kilt hose. One is completely finished with ends weaved in, the other is lacking 3 pattern repeats on the foot before toe decreases. I discovered yesterday that in my haste to fix a big problem and reknit the yarn laying in a tangled heap, (I failed to stop for the heel and did an extra 16 rows that had to be ripped back), when I did the heel flap I failed to add in the reinforcing thread, so now the heel feels floppy. I've gone too far forward, I've already turned the heel, picked up stitches and continued on the foot. I'll have to turn the sock wrong side out later and duplicate stitch the reinforcing thread in. I got the idea from Designs for Knitting Kilt Hose & Knickerbocker Stockings published by Schoolhouse Press. The author, Veronica Gainford, says you can go back and duplicate stitch the reinforcing thread on the wrong side of the sock, especially if you'd like to reinforce the sole but don't want to carry the thread across the top of the foot.

.With all of that going on, of course I've cast on for (Ravelry links) an Elf Hat and Slippers for my son's Christmas play next Thursday.

And I haven't even started the Christmas scarves and slippers.

So, with all of this going on, why am I pecking on the computer instead of knitting? Wet fingernail polish. Husband's office Christmas party is tonight at the Petroleum Club downtown. Now I remember why I stopped painting my nails -- decreased knitting time!

Stash-busting light-speed blanket

Husband's coworkers in Florida had a baby two weeks ago, and I'm still plugging away on the kilt hose. Enter Cascading Colors Baby Blankie on the Lion Brand website. Two colors of yarn held together on size 15 needles. Finished in 8 hours total! Best of all, completely knit from stash, no purchase necessary. Woot!

Of course, I had to change it. The size 17 needles called for made really big holes since I wasn't using the fuzzy Lion Brand Jiffy called for, so dropped to size 15 needles and cast on 10 extra stitches. Almost wish I'd done another half repeat. Also added 3 rows of seed stitch at beginning and end, and two seed stitches along the size to tame curling.

Still Alive

I'm still alive, just plugging away on a pair of kilt hose for a fellow piper. I ran out of yarn after buying up all the closeouts from SWAK in the City, now I'm buying the last 4 balls of it from Webbs. Hopefully I can come up with a heavier substitute should any more pipers want kilt hose, these size 0 needles are taking FOREVER! I would post a picture, but I didn't ask the pattern author's permission to sell items from her pattern because I really didn't intend to do this pattern, the recipient insisted on it. I am going to make up some swatches with a heavier yarn and different cables/patterns should this request come my way again.

I have lots of Christmas knitting and a baby blanket to do, hurry up hose!

Eastlake and Russian Grafting

I just ran across this YouTube video on Russian Grafting and I am so excited to try it on my next pair of kilt hose. I don't like the way grafted toes look, probably because I'm not very good at it. I had the idea of knitting kilt hose top-down, then when you reach the toe, put half the stitches on a holder (the sole), and using the the toe-up method, form a toe pouch, then graft it back together on the sole. This Russian grafting video looks like exactly what I was thinking of, so I guess I'm not the first one to think of it!


Russian Grafting YouTube video


I also finished Eastlake, of course it took much longer than anticipated and there were, unfortunately, many errors in the pattern, some uncorrected despite the errata sheet that came with the pattern book. She also tried this weird neck extension thing that extends like straps from the front and meet together in the back that was a little different. (You can see the seam at the back neck in my photo.) Some Ravelers left it out completely, but I decided to try it. All in all I am very pleased with the way it turned out and I am sure I will wear it often!

FO: Radiating Star Blanket

Finally blocked the Radiating Star Blanket, the eyelet edges curled terribly after washing. I wanted this to be something she could toss in the washer and dryer, but she's going to be unhappy with the way the edges curl. Maybe if it's folded after drying they'll flatten.

Since I didn’t use bulky yarn, I knit rows 1-94, then repeated rows 71-94, ending with row 95, then started the eyelet row. Next time, I would add two rows of garter after the eyelets to give weight to the edge.

Book Review: Seven Things That Can "Make or Break" a Sweater

Just bought a new book, Seven Things That Can "Make or Break" a Sweater. At first I was a little disappointed, because it doesn't have any new, startling, who'd-a-thunk-it information that I didn't already know. But then, I realized, it's all the little things, tips, tricks, techniques, that I've learned along the way all compiled into one book, into one place. I sure wish I'd had this book when I was doing the Master Level Handknitting course, it answers a TON of questions that we looked up elsewhere. So, instead of trying to remember which book has the method for, say, increasing evenly across a row in ribbing, I can just pull out this book. Pretty neat.

I have about 200 irons in the fire right now, including T-shirt and Hoodie orders for our elementary, my youngest son's birthday, Halloween, and too many WIPs.

Oh, and I got a knitting job, a pair of kilt hose for a fellow piper! Yippee!

I'll try to take pics of the WIPs tomorrow. Too much to do today.

Radiating Star Blanket

Cast on for the (Ravelry link) Radiating Star Blanket which I have absolutely no business doing given the other things I have on or planned for my needles. But it's nicely addictive, watching the pattern emerge. I do have a recipient in mind, our neighbors are expecting a new baby girl. I'm knitting on size 7 needles with 5 balls of Cotton Ease in apple green, which is my new favorite baby girl color. Pink gets old.

I've started my Giraffe Jacket design three times and have been unhappy with the results. So it's marinating in my mind, still.

I washed the John Anderson kilt hose, and, as promised in the pattern, they softened up beautifully. I was afraid they'd be stiff as a board. I may even have gotten a knitting job making kilt hose after a local pipe band member saw my hose at the Fair. We'll, see he hasn't called back.

State Fair Loot

I was extraordiarily blessed at the State Fair. I won two first place ribbons with a Best of Show, and two second place ribbons!

FO: John Anderson's Kilt Hose

I finished the kilt hose last night, ended up having to undo the bindoff on the first one because it wasn't matching the second one. I used the K2tog, pass stitch back to LH needle, repeat. Now they match, but I just tried one on this morning, and the bindoff is too tight. Sigh. These are toe-up socks knit very densly with worsted yarn on small needles and I'd really like for them to go away! Ha.


But, they are a Christmas present for my husband, so I'll spend another hour this morning ripping out the bindoff. I guess I'll do EZ's sewn castoff.

UPDATE: Ripped out the bindoff, did the sewn bindoff, worked beautifully. It uses the same amount of yarn as a regular bindoff, so if you need to rip something out, don't worry about running out of yarn.



EZ's Sewn Cast off from Knitting Without Tears:
Break yarn, leaving a tail about 4 times as long as the circumference of the sock. Thread a tapestry needle.

* sew forward (right to left) through two stitches as if to purl, leave the stitches on. Sew backward (left to right) through one stitch as if to knit and remove the stitch. (For the very first stitch only, after you go backwards through it, do not remove it, instead move it to be the last stitch on the final needle. It will then become the final stitch to be cast off. This gives a neater finish to the end of the round. )
Repeat from * until you run out of stitches. Work in tail on the inside of the sock and trim any excess.

The above directions were found here, but I couldn't find them on socknitters as it cites.

Had to un-friend a knitter on Facebook

I am hoping to one day make my living in the fiber world. So I am always studying other people's work, reading their blogs and trying to learn all that I can. I admire the work of Annie Modesitt, read her blog, and "friended" her on Facebook and Twitter. (I have since discontinued Twitter, I don't like it). I soon learned, however, that in order to read her posts about her latest project, which is taking medieval pieces and re-interpreting them as knitted items, I was going to have to wade through a whole lot of liberal socialist crap that doesn't even make sense half the time. I perservered, ignored the posts that made me want to scream and just played nice. But then, she offended me beyond tolerance when she posted the so-called "survey" that 77% of Oklahoma high school graduates did not know who the first president was, and I could no longer be silent. But I was nice. I suggested politely that I wasn't sure that that was a real survey, and if it was, then possibly they only polled the one problem school district that we have that has a 50% dropout rate. I really said it like that, very nice. SHE DELETED MY POST!

I looked her up on Twitter, thinking that if she lived in California I would suggest that she wouldn't like being compared to Jay Leno's "Jaywalking" morons just because she lived in California, then discovered that her location is Tehran! Iran! She doesn't even live in this country, yet I'm wading through all her stupid opinions of how this country should be to get to the meager knitting content. I started to post something on her wall to that effect, then realized that she isn't interested in anyone's opinion but her own, and she also isn't interested in facts. I know she gloats over the number of followers that she has on Twitter, so I struck back in the only dignified way that I could. I "unfriended" her, on Twitter, on Facebook, and on Ravelry. I'm sure my one insignificant stat will not even be a blip on her radar, but I feel better.

I still like her knitting work, but she should keep her offensive political opinions to herself.

The 2009 Oklahoma State Fair was good to me!

Michael Kors Cabled Tunic
1st Place - Knitted Sweater and Best in Show


Printed Silk Cardigan
1st Place - Knitted Cardigan


Prairie
2nd Place - Knitted Shell


Rhiannon Kilt Hose
2nd Place - Knitted socks

Thanks, Bette, for giving me your advice on entering!

I've been a bad, bad girl

Yep, I caught this puppy on sale on Joanns.com. I paid $120, which is about $100 cheaper than buying one at Hancock's. I've been wanting one lately because I have this design idea for a sweater but I'm modifying the width of the saddle shoulder straps and I'm having trouble visualizing how this is all going to meet at the neck. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. (grin) It's also been motivation to restart the diet and exercise program, as I had to do a lot of fiddling with the dials to, er, conform to my measurements.



Have made great progress on the John Anderson's Kilt Hose, calf shaping is coming along nicely. This is a really nice pattern so far. The foot looks absolutely huge, but I tried it on and, embarassingly enough, it fits. My husband's foot is the same size as mine (can't believe I admitted that), so all is well. This has been a great portable project for taking to the rink during my boy's hockey practice.

John Anderson Kilt Hose

The kilt hose for my husband's Christmas present are coming along nicely. The pattern is John Anderson's Kilt Hose, a free pattern.I used the toe-up method from Vogue Knitting Ultimate Sock Book, and the eye of partridge heel. Have just turned the heel and am now knitting the leg, which will be the long boring part, save for some increasing and shaping. And, of course, I still have to knit the second one. I attempted the two socks on one circ method, but got aggravated with all the manipulating, which is why I don't care for circularly-knit sweaters, too much wrasslin'!

Have done some more mental designing on the Giraffe sweater, I think I'm ready to dive in and start the sleeves to see how the charted pattern is going to turn out. I was supposed to enter this in the fair next weekend, I'm betting with everything else that I have going on that I don't make it. Sigh.

Scallop Edge Pullover, Part Deux

BEFORE
The more times I tried on the Scallop Edge Pullover, the more I realized that I would never wear it because I hated the sleeves. Specifically, the way the sleeves revealed the rolls at my armpit (you know you have them). So on Sunday morning, I took the sleeves back out, repinned them much farther down in the armscye and stretched the bejeesus out of them to fit. Not only did it fix the unsightly underarm roll problem, it reduced the flare of the sleeve so it removed the 'wing effect.'

AFTER
I wore the sweater to my neighborhood presentation Sunday afternoon and loved it!

FO: Scallop Edge Pullover

Finally finished the Scallop Edge Pullover. This was my first time to do picot edging and a buttoned placket. I think it turned out pretty well, the only mod I would make would be to make the sleeves one inch longer, they didn't attach to the armhole as far down as they were supposed to, and I didn't want to distort the edges to make it fit. Now I must go to the gym to tone my arms to wear this puppy. Ha.

Cast on for the kilt hose for my husband's Christmas present despite the fact that I bought yarn a month ago at Gourmet Yarn to design a sweater that I'd like to sell the pattern for. Oh, and I entered that same as-yet-formless sweater in the fair in an attempt to motivate myself past the fear of rejection and ridicule to finish it already. It's not working so far. However, I've already muffed the directions for the kilt hose and will have to rip back. P3TBL in worsted weight on size 1-1/2 needles really really stinks. So maybe I'll revisit the design sweater, it's to be a saddle shoulder, so if I knit the sleeves I'll be past the hard part. Of course, that's after I clean the house, walk the dog, workout, make a Power Point presentation for the neighborhood meeting that I'm conducting on Sunday, and get the boys to the rink before 5. Yeah, it'll happen.

Pining for Winter Knitting

I just watched a Berroco video on slip-stitch knitting and I am dying to try it. I absolutely LOVE playing with color and finding new combinations, but I STINK at stranded knitting. I checked a book on slip-stitch knitting out of the library, but was uninspired by the patterns. Maybe I'll go on Amazon later and browse the knitting books.

The dilemma? I am a mostly-serial knitter. I have a few WIPs that I haven't worked on in awhile, a winter sweater that I ran out of yarn and money for, a really long scarf that I work on in between projects until I get bored with it again, and of course, my TKGA Master course that is languishing for want of a report on blocking. Present project is a summer sweater on size 3 needles which is taking FOREVER. The sleeves and back are done, and I've made it up to the waist shaping on the front, finally, which gives relief from endless miles of stockinette.

And, I confess, I placed an order from KnitPicks yesterday. But it's for a Christmas present for my husband, completely justifiable in my opinion. Never mind that I added on a few goodies to get the free shipping (blocking mat!).

I really should be cleaning house right now instead of pecking on the computer. ;)

First Day of School

Today was the first day of school for my kids. This is the last year that they will attend the same school until my oldest is a senior in high school! Kinda sad.

Finally finished the back of the summer tee that I'm knitting, it's (Ravelry Link) Scalloped Edge Pullover from Knit Simple magazine Spring/Summer 2008, and it's taking far longer than I meant for it to. Probably because I'm having to knit on size 4 needles. I'm really ready to move on, but I still have the front to knit. It has some features that I'm interested in, it has a picot hem and I haven't done one of those yet, and a front placket that I'm interested in the construction of, so maybe this part will go faster.

I also sent in an entry for the State Fair, but I may have goofed it up, I had a letter returned the other day because of too little postage, and I think I used that same stamp for my entry. It never came back in the mail, so I don't know if they went ahead and delivered it or not. I swear, every year I intend to enter something in the fair and something always happens. Sigh.

Non-knitting weekend

So far this weekend has been a bust for knitting. OKC is having their ice hockey travel team tryouts this weekend and not only has it been a nail-biter for the kids, but the Parents Causing Problems factor has reared its ugly head again. This year the Squirt team (ages 9 and 10) have a 3-time Stanley Cup champion as their coach, and we also have assembled some amazingly talented kids together who could easily play AA hockey (AAA is the best, then AA, A then B). We were an A team last year, so we are excited about the opportunity. However, Those Who Are No Longer In Control of the team are now trying their best to make everyone upset and miserable about this, because, of course, this team is about them, not about the kids. Sigh.

In REAL knitting news, I have managed to knit 6 pairs of mittens for charity. I still have a little matching yarn left but I'm sick of mittens, so I'm improvising a small scarf.

I'm still working on the TKGA Master course, have written my cover letter and typed up just the questions. I'll go back and write my answers when I have some quiet time (yeah, right!)

Still working on TKGA Master's Program

Yesterday Jo-Ellyn sent out an e-mail detailing the wonderful progress she's made on her program and I realized that I've procrastinated myself into lagging behind now. So I spent yesterday afternoon making the labels for the tags. I ending up entering the data in MS Excel and mail-merging it in MS Publisher. Then last night I pulled out each swatch, tied the tags on, and looked for rust spots from my evidently-not-stainless-steel T-pins. I ended up pulling out 4 swatches for rust spots. The Tide-on-the-go stain pen didn't remove the spots, so this morning I used Whink on a Q-Tip to dab at the spots. Worked like a charm. I didn't re-wet the swatches (since I don't have STAINLESS STEEL T-PINS, argh, and it's Sunday so Hobby Lobby is closed), just dropped little water over each spot to remove the Whink. I'll check later and see if it bleaches out. Hell, I've spent more time trying to get the rust out than it would take to re-knit the things. But then I'd have to block...

Today I'll tackle finishing the hat. We don't have any hockey today, so I might actually get to hang around my own house for a change. Tomorrow, it's another week of hockey camp.

Finished Lace Tank, Drops 107-8

See what 3 hours a day sitting in an ice rink will get you. Finally finished the Lace Tank, it's Garnstudio's DROPS 107-8 Lace Tank. Since Drops yarn isn't available here, I used Lionbrand Cotton-Ease in taupe, 4 skeins.
Only got 20st/4” in st st on #4s, so made the smaller size to compensate. However, gauge changed drastically on the second chart pattern around the waist, so I had to frog back to the end of the first chart pattern and change to size 6 needles for that pattern, then returned to size 4s for the rest. It worked out great and I'm really pleased with the results.




I really like the neckline!


I am still working on the TKGA Master course, but I've got it in 'time-out' right now. Seems my stainless steel T-pins weren't stainless after all, and I've got to figure out how to remove rust dots from about 9 or 10 swatches. So it's being punished right now. I bought one of those Tide stain remover pens, but haven't worked up the nerve to try it yet. I'm also having more trouble coming up with a label format for the tags than I thought I would, I may have to do it in MS Publisher to get all the info stuffed onto the label. Oh, and I haven't finished knitting the hat, but it's pretty easy so far.

So, of course I've started another project, instead. It's the (Ravelry link)Scallop Edge Pullover from Knitsimple magazine, Spring/Summer 2008. I'm using Pattons Grace in a mellow, yellowy-orange apricot color on size 6 needles. Whipped out the little cap sleeves last night as my gauge swatch (grin, thank you, EZ). Noticed this morning knitting at the rink that I muffed the picot pattern, but I'll just change the body, also and call it a feature. I did *k1,YO,k2tog* instead of K1,*(YO, K2tog)*,K1. So I'll have fat picots, so what. Ha.

Drops 107-8 Lace Tank

The lace tank is coming along nicely, for the second time. It's Drops 107-8 top with lace pattern. I couldn't make gauge with my chosen yarn, Lionbrand Cotton-ease in Taupe, so I cast on for the smaller size using size 4 needles. The tank has four different lace charts, but each chart has a short row repeat, so it's pretty easy for someone like me that has frequent interruptions in knitting (their names are Cael and Skyelar, lol). After the first chart was finished, I did a sanity check, and it fit around my hips nicely. After the second chart was done, I had a problem, gauge had changed by 2 stitches per inch! I ripped back down to the beginning of the second chart and changed to size 6 needles. Things are progressing nicely and it looks like it will go around me now without fitting like a girdle. After this chart is finished it becomes straight stockinette, so I may have to switch back to the 4s.

Went to the Knitty Committee meeting yesterday at the Village library. I haven't been able to go in about a year, it was nice to see old friends.

I am a little distracted, I read the Yarn Harlot's June 25th blog today, she is having trouble with a woman writing vicious and nasty things on her blog and can't seem to stop her. I really wish she'd posted the woman's name, possibly someone else is suffering from her hateful posts, and if enough people complained about her, her ISP would drop her. It's really sad how some people ruin things for everyone.

Blocked swatches 10-16

Still working on the TKGA Master Handknitting Level 1 course. Finally got around to blocking swatches 10-16, I knit most of them a month ago.
Swatches 10, 11 and 12.

Swatches 13, 14, 15.

Swatch 16.

I just sold my first pattern!

I just published and sold my first pattern on my website, redearthknitting.com. A whopping 3 people have bought one! lol. (Here's the link if you'd like to see it.) It's a tank that I knitted at the end of last summer and wrote the directions up for it, but just never got around to doing anything with it for two reasons. One, I had read a tirade from a designer about how if you submit a design to a magazine and they accept it, they then 'own' it and can sell it for whatever price they choose, and can even offer it as a freebie with the purchase of something else. But then, to try and sell patterns on my own, I'd have to set up a website and figure out the shopping cart and payment stuff, which sounded like a lot of work for someone who's too cheap to pay someone else to do it when they're perfectly intelligent enough to figure it out on their own (I used to do websites and lite programming as an engineer). But I finally caught a free hour last week to investigate and set it up (and of course, the first buyer couldn't get it to work and I had to figure out what was wrong), and now I'm a 'designer'!

FO: Valley Log Cabin Blanket

I finally finished the Valley Log Cabin Blanket. It's a gift for a friend's new grandbaby. I used an I-cord bindoff to give the edges a nice finish. It took me two weeks to make, but during that two weeks I travelled for 4 days, and spent my 4th of July holiday showing houses to an out-of-town buyer. Uninterrupted, this blanket could probably be finished in just over a week.

Now on to more fun things! But I really should destash some more...

Log Cabin blanket dragging on...

I have finished the fun part of the Valley Log Cabin Blanket, knitting all the different rectangles going in different directions. Now I'm adding the border, which I swear is taking forever, probably because I have another summer tank that I want to start on and this blanket just won't go away! Here's a pic of it with 3 of the blue borders finished:

And here's a pic of the I-cord bindoff border. Since you add on the borders one side at a time, you have to leave the last 3 sts of the I-cord bindoff on hold until you've added the next side. When you're ready to bindoff the next side, then you pick up stitches along the right edge of the new side as you bring the I-cord up around the corner to bindoff the new side.

Log Cabin Blanket almost done

Here's the Log Cabin Blanket with the 4 'granny squares' sewn together. The pattern suggested using a slip-stitch crochet seam to join the squares, but I'm not very proficient at crochet and wasn't happy with the results, so I just used good ol' mattress stitch. Now I just need to knit on the borders on all the sides and I'm done. Woo hoo!

Prairie is finished!

Prairie is finished, I decided not to do the neck and armhole finishing because it would have made them too small, and they aren't curling, anyway. I think I'll like it, we'll see this weekend in Lake Tahoe! Woo hoo!

A Study of I-Cord Bindoff

Been nosin' around the internet for techniques for an I-cord bindoff for my Log Cabin Blanket. There are various ways to do it. They all agree that after you are through knitting, you cast on 3 sts (or however many you want, depending on the thickness of the cord that you desire) at the beginning of the row using backward loop e, chain or knitted cast on. You knit 2 stitches (or all of the new stitches except for the last one), then perform a decrease with the last new stitch and the first stitch of the main piece. How you perform the decrease dramatically affects the look of the cord:

This one from Knitty.com uses K2TBL. I like the look of it, but the thought of doing K2TBL for the 12-foot circumference of a blanket makes me want to run screaming into the street naked. Okay, not naked.

This one from wikiknitting.com uses K2tog. I don't like the zigzag ridge at the bottom of it.

This one from Knitpick's website uses SKP, I like this one the best and plan to use it.

So here are the directions that I plan to use. At the beginning of the bindoff row, cast on 3 stitches using cable cast on. Knit 2 stitches. SKP (Slip one, Knit one, pass slipped stitch over). Slip the last 3 worked stitches back to the left hand needle and repeat. I haven't worked out yet how to end the cord. Each side of the blanket is knitted separately. I think I'll have to leave the last 3 stitches live, add on the next side, pick up stitches along the edge of the new side, and possibly continue on around the corner. We'll see when we get there.

Oh, and here's a picture of the first square of the blanket. Went really fast.

Prairie is still languishing on top of the dryer, I may not have time to finish it before we leave for Lake Tahoe, I have appointments all day today and we leave tomorrow.

Log Cabin Baby Blanket

My husband's best friend in high school just became a grandfather. That rates a baby blanket, not just some quickie cap and sweater. I found several with techniques that interested me, but finally settled on the Valley Log Cabin Blanket in the interest of finishing the thing sometime before the little nipper graduates preschool. And of course, it was going to be a throw-in-the-washer and generally mistreat it sort of yarn. Vanna's Choice didn't have enough bright colors, so I settled on Caron's Simply Soft Brites in 7 colors bright enough to interest any baby that's been plopped down on it so that mother can go pee and get a cup of coffee. It's constructed of four panels with 14 strips in each panel. Here's 7 strips done in about 2 hours:

Should be good airplane knitting next Wednesday.

Have also made great progress on the Master HandKnitting Level I, finished up through swatch 15 and wrote up the pattern for it. All that's left now knitting-wise is to knit swatch 16, which is color work and not my strong suit, and the project hat. Then it's answering questions and writing a little report.

What has happened to Prairie, you may ask? She's languishing in unfinished sweater land. Front and Back are knit, blocked and dried, just need some kid-free time to figure out the crochet trim around the neck and armholes.

Knitting Progress

Since being essentially stymied by knitting mishaps the last couple of months, I have now managed to ACCOMPLISH something. The front and back of Prairie are now knitted and are drying (yarn faded somewhat, no longer that Aegean blue, but more sky blue now). Still plenty of finishing to do on it (must investigate crocheted crab stitch), but should be finished in time to take on vacation next Wednesday to ACTUALLY WEAR. Woo hoo!

Met with the girls today to work on the TKGA Master Handknitter Level 1 course. Am now on swatch 13, breezed right through the lace swatches already. We may fool around and finish this program by the end of summer!

Going to be going to South Lake Tahoe next week for Terry's stepdad's family reunion. Have never been, so of course have Googled yarn stores, one store in Lake Tahoe, 9 others in surrounding towns. Should be good shopping.

Educational Yarn

I was running out of my pale pink yarn for the Master's program and stopped by Gourmet Yarn and bought two more skeins of the Cascade 220 I'm using. When I walked in with the telltale Gourmet Yarn bag my husband, who knows I'm trying to de-stash by knitting for charity, looked at it and raised an eyebrow. I defended myself with, "it's for my Master's program, I ran out." To which he replied, "Oh, it's EDUCATIONAL yarn, huh?"

Prairie almost thrown out on the prairie

Finished the front, the double decreases look a little wonky, but it was that or huge armholes. I washed the front piece in Knit Wash that I bought at Hancock Fabric's and set it out to block. That's when the pain started. That thing grew and grew until it was absolutely huge. It could have wrapped around myself twice. I was so disapointed. So I set it on the top of the washer and went on to do other things. Changed it's status in Ravelry to frogged, added my 'angry' pic to it to designate it as a TOAD, put the needle back in the case and threw away the directions. Came back to it later and held it up to myself, and all of a sudden it wasn't huge anymore. Guess it contracted as it dried. I'm going to go ahead and knit the back (after going back into Ravelry and fixing that, and making new copies of the pattern after my kids dumped a wet paper towel on top of them in the trash).

I've also finally taken pics of my blocked swatches for the TKGA Master Handknitter Level 1 course. I have more finished, but ran out of blocking pins last night.



Sorry for the crappy pictures, it's cloudy today in OKC.