Saturday, December 13, 2008
So I've been kinda busy and thangs, along with having no blogging energy
I did finish up a really cute hat last week and wanted to show y'all sooner but it was either dark outside, no one around to take pics of me, or the weather just dreary. So I had to make do
Pattern: Lady Detective Hat by Tracey Ullman and Mel Clark published in the Knit 2 Together book.
This is the 1st pattern out of the book I've made and I really loved doing it! Such an easy one and what another chic accessory!
Size: There really is only one size indicated in the pattern, and in reading some other knitter notes on Ravelry there were a few who had to go back and do alterations to make it bigger.
When I first started knitting up on this hat I was very concerned that it would be too small as well.
You begin this project from the crown and knit it down. It was looking really tight to me, but my knitting Purl friends kept encouraging me (thank you!!) to keep at it and that it would turn out to fit just right!!! :o)
Time: I started at the end of November wanting it to be another NOROvember project, and I will still count it as one! But once I realized I wouldn't get it done by the end of the month I didn't press myself on it anymore.
This is another fast knit (can do in about 1-2 days), even though the stitch pattern is a PITA (as others expressed in their Ravelry notes, and I absolutely agree!! )
Needles: I used US 10.5 and went down only 1/2 the recommended size, b/c I always need to go down at least one size in general with my knitting, but knew it was important to try and maintain the "big" look.
I think I used a 32" cord, and really should have used a 40" for MLing as some of my stitches in the back look slightly laddered, but thank goodness the variegation and stitch pattern hides it.
I also used another cable to do a "provisional hold" on my stitches right before increasing for the brim. I did this so when I would need to come back to BO them off together I could do it without having to go back and painfully pick them up
There is truly something to be said about reading ahead in a pattern and thinking through it!!
Yarn: Okay I am still on my Noro binge! :oD
The colors are simply gorgeous to me as the purple drew me in from the start!! It also has swirls of burgundy, gold, black, and green.
This is colorway #57, and if you haven't tried Iro you must!! I believe this is my favorite Noro line to date!!
I only used 1.25 on the hat and have plenty leftover for a matching neckwarmer! ;op
Cost: As I mentioned above I really had to justify the cost on making a project with this yarn, as it is typically $20 a hank. And also knew it would need to be a small 1-2 skein project! LOL
So when I saw it for 40% off online back in March I jumped on it!! I spent only $16 per hank.
I agree with others that it bites big time you only need about .25 more of the 2nd hank to finish off the hat!! Sigh....so this really is not a 1 skein project with the Iro. Be on the lookout for my matching neckwarmer Haha!
I got the buckle back in May when I went to ATL and met Adrienne for the first time! It was $3.00 and I knew then I was getting it for this project. At first I couldn't decided on the black or brown but you can see which one I settled on. :o)
What I learned: The Better Bucket Hat really prepared me for this knit, so if I had not done this pattern prior to that project I would have been a little bit up in arms.
But since I was seasoned in knitting bucket hats this one was smooth sailing.
The Better Bucket Hat was also knitted from the bottom up and in doing Lady Detective hat I realized how much I really like knitting hats from the top down! This was my 1st one and it was a breeze.
Modifications: None really other than using an extra cord mentioned above for the "provisional hold". Indeed one smart move!
I did slightly block it by placing it on a tupperware bowl that is shaped like a bucket and lightly sprayed it with water letting it dry over night. That was was it!
Verdict: The morning I wore my new hat into work I was walking on the street and the 1st person who saw me (a lady of course) said, "I love your hat!" And I said, "I do too! I made it!!" and she exclaimed back, "OOOO that is great! It is even more super cute!!" :oD
That made me feel all warm and fuzzy! :o) Haha!
Now....what I do not recommend is taking all of your F.O. pics
while zoomin' along in morning rush hour traffic ;op
Until life slows down a bit! See you next blog time!! :o)
Sunday, November 30, 2008
And would get a second glance when worn as a laid back flare of style.Pattern: So I went on a Ravelry hunt for arm warmers that would meet my desires. And the Ondine: Sleeves for a Mermaid were perfect!
It is always interesting to discover the background on why some of the designers name their patterns.
As the pattern indicates Ondine is a land bound water nymph, and was the source of the Little Mermaid folk tales and is also the inspiration for these fish tailed sleeves used as arm warmers.
I luv this pattern! It was well written and easy to follow.
Size/Needles/Time: The pattern gave several sizes and great notes on how to measure your arms for the appropriate size. I started out making the small, but stopped my increases at the x-small size.
As usually I knitted these two at a time and used my Harmonies in US7 and US6 on a 40" cord. The pattern recommends a US8, but I went down a size since I know my stitches can be loose, but now looking back it wouldn't have hurt to use US6 for the body.It took me about a week from start to finish, and that was even with me having realized I messed up the flow of one of the cuffs.
Yarn/Cost: I am sure you all figured out that I used NORO! :o) This is the Silk Garden line in colorway 213
The yarn was gifted to me almost a year ago by A Knitter in Queens! Who actually gave me 7 balls in total from a 'give thanks' contest that she did last year. Interesting how things come back full circle :o) Thanks again Veronica for the great Noro yarn!!
This time I actually tried to tame the stripping that Noro is known for, but as you all may also already know Noro is unpredictable. Afterwhile I just let it flow and stopped focusing on it.
About 2.5 balls of yarn was actually used, and as always I go into this silent panic along the way thinking I will not have enough to finish but always do!
What I learned: That I love these cuffs!! :o)
I liked that they were not the "glove" type arm warmers, as one of my criteria was to have my hands "free". The cuffs are just so flirty and I just love that!!
You know I already mentioned how well written this pattern was so there really wasn't any knitting pains or discoveries this time around.
I will say since I have never knitted a full-blown sweater with sleeves before, that this project was a great prelude to how they should flow in terms of increases, again pretty simple.
Modifications: Not much as stated earlier I started out doing the small size, but stopped after 6 repeats of increases which ended up being the x-small size so I am not really sure if that is considered a true mod ;o) Other than that I knitted according to pattern.
I did re-adjust where my increases/seam would be placed as I wanted them to line up where I originally joined the yarn for the cuffs (underneath the arm).
I will say that after only wearing them for a short time they started to sag. Can you see?
Verdict: I've always wanted my own knitted “tattoo” arm warmers, and now I made them! Yay!
I actually think of them as my arm "stockings" Haha! And like that they offer variety in my wardrobe, at the same time showing off my knitting (kinda like a walking billboard). These are great arm enhancements!! :o)
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Or baby coughing fishes :op
That is the meaning and the name of the fingerless mitts I made called Kolenyas!
I believe I like the thought of hugs on my hands better! Haha!
For NOROvember I knew immediately that I would be making a pair of Kolenyas as I've been eyeing them for a very long time now.
Pattern: You can locate the Kolenyas pattern HERE, which was designed by Carola Haglund about two years ago.
Size: On the 1st pair I made the "one size fits all" according to the pattern. Which I ended up not liking, as everyone's hands are just not the same size.
Despite this pattern being designed by a woman, I really think the original sizing is more for larger hands, or more fitting for a man. As the blue pair really came out loose to me.
Don't get me wrong... they indeed serve their purpose (as I wore them several times...while knitting, around the office, and avoiding cold steering wheels..before gifting them away to Janet! Haha) all while keeping me warm! ;op
I really like for fingerless mitts to hug me!
So the second pair I adjusted to be more of a custom fit for my smaller hands. Much better!!
Time: I knitted these up 2-at-1 time 
This project can be (and was) done within 24 hours! Really fast!
Needles: Well with the 1st pair I used US3s for the ribbing and 4s for the body, and for the 2nd pair I stayed on US3s the entire time both done on 40" cords.
Yarn: NORO of course! :oD And as much as I love NORO I never worked with Kureyon before, ooh wait that is not true...my 1st experience with Noro was with Big Kureyon!!
So this was my 1st time working with the baby Kureyon :o) Boy Oh Boy this stuff is rough!!
And I forgot how easily it breaks 
But all worth it in the end!
You only need 1 skein (really less than) to work these mitts up!
If you are really anal about the stripes needing to match, then you would need two skeins so that you can do some operating on them.
Cost: The blue pair was yarn that was gifted to me by Robin! Thanks Gurl!!
And the pink/brown pair I picked up during my last NCEE field trip earlier this month for only $7 bucks as we got a discount for coming as a group!
You can't beat that price for a pair of mitts, that would have cost more 'store bought' and wouldn't keep you anywhere near half way warm!!
What I learned: Overall, this was an easy peasy knit!
However, I did learn to do a gusset thumb, rather then just using waste yarn and keep knitting in a circle around it, only to come back to unravel later (like on my Fetchings project).
This pattern calls for you to do continual increases on both sides to make room for the thumb, and that was my first time doing that. I like that method much better!
Modifications: They say the second time around is better. So I definitely made some changes for the other pair.
Below is the laundry list for the more snug/hug pair I made for my hands:
~ Still CO 30 sts, and extended ribbing for 20 rounds
~ Did NO increasing!
~ Knit 7 rounds
~ On thumb gusset only increased to 8 sts in btwn sm.
~ Did NOT cast-on additional stitches just joined in rounds for a total of 29sts
~ Knit 11 rounds
~ No decreasing at end of mitt
~ 4 rounds of 1x1 ribbing before BO
~ Thumb - PU 4 sts, K1 even round, then did decrease round of (K2, K2tog = total of 9sts - however ended up kind of tight on my thumb! So next time I would increase thumb by picking up more stitches and use stretchy BO - fyi).
~ Then knitted 4 even rounds before binding off on thumb.
Verdict: If you are looking for a gift that is quick, easy, and cheap then you found it!! Definitely could crank out a ton of these without getting bored! Especially with the fun color changes of the magnificent NORO! :o)
Go! And have some holiday knit fun!
Friday, November 21, 2008
TO STAY WARM!!!
right now on this lovely sunny mid-day it is 42 degrees here, but feels like 35 degrees...according to weather.com (especially with that whippin' wind whistlin outside my window !)...for us here in the south that is cold! Haha! :oD
So I've been peepin out my favorite place (tar.jay) and all of their latest "knit/crochet" items to keep folks warm
And y'all know I got a thang for fingerless gloves and spotted these hanging around
This time of the year always makes me wonder if it is just easier, cheaper, and much faster just to buy this stuff straight off the racks......and the answer typically is yes for me!
Unless you want something unique...one of a kind...just for you! Then it's all worth it baby!!
I cranked those puppies out pretty quickly (2 at a time of course!) and will do it F.O. justice soon, as I plan to knit up another pair for me this time!
Figured since I am jazzin' things up around my way with colors and all I would try black on my fingernails too! ;op Very different for me as I normally stick to light colors or french. Me likey! I received more compliments about my nails the last 2 days then I ever have before! Haha!
And what I am holding is my newest perfume scent that I finally settled on (it takes me forever to commit to a smell on my body) Diamonds by Armani...I luv Armani and the men scent version of this is even better!! Gotta get me a man of mine (A.S.A.P.) to wear that so I can smell it all the time on him ;op
*clears throat*
Back to the regular scheduled blog post! Haha!
Since there is 9 more days left in the month and some holiday vacay time thrown in there too, I am hoping I can crank out a few more NORO projects since I have the yarn/patterns all lined up and waiting for me...we will see
Have a wonderful weekend!!
And if I don't speak to you in time for the big Turkey Day then enjoy!
Monday, December 31, 2007
Time is quickly expiring for the remainder of this year, as well as my vacation time!
But I have managed to squeeze in one last F.O. for the year. And I must say I am proud with how I culminated my knit year!! :o)
Of course, soon to come will be my year in review on the "what I've learned in 2007" post ;op and what I plan to do for the new year (very short list).
In the meantime here are My 1st Pair of Gloves!!
~ Project Details ~
Pattern: I searched and searched for an easy to read glove pattern. I originally had wanted to do the Urban Rustic gloves (which is what initially determined my yarn selection), but changed my mind once I realized how much grafting was involved because they are knitted flat. I also wanted more of a cuff on my gloves.
Desiring a more traditional glove making experience, I recalled tagging a pair of gloves in my Weekend Knitting book.
The Garter-Cuff Gloves by Deborah Newton. I liked the fact the fingers were knitted in the round from the bottom-up versus grafting them or knitting the fingers top-down. But more importantly the pattern wasn't greek to me, despite the heavy mods I made to it.
Size: Custom fit for me!! :op 
I went for the small, but mainly because of my yarn substitution I had to make some adjustments, so the size really is not in the book, but doesn't veer too far off from the small size. I do wear a size 7 in gloves (general rule of thumb is that your glove size is about the same as your shoe size. My foot is a 7.5)
Time: Originally I started this project for NOROvember, but then put it aside because...life happens :o). This indeed is designated as my NOROvember project! And I had to finish this in December for my own peace of mind....because Hey! Noroanuary just wouldn't sound right! ;op Haha!
This really is a weekend project as the book suggests. Overall hours spent on this I would 'guesstimate' about 3 days or less for some (I knitted at snails pace on those fingers Haha!).
Needles: Harmony US3....have I said lately how much I lurve those Harmony needles?!? You just wait until they are no longer on back order and a full set will be all mine!! :oD
I magic looped the gloves one at a time. The body really could have been done two at a time, but I was trying to conserve and keep my yarn in tact to see how much I would have left over. And I will be making a cute companion for my gloves very soon! ;o)
Yarn: NORO Shinano (discontinued) Color #8, 1.25 balls.
I really enjoyed this yarn!! Loved the subtle striping - as if to creep up on you in purples, turquoises, pinks and even orange would pop up ever now and then! And I really like the tweediness about it too!
(had to get Knittilicious infamous glove pose in here! ;op)
The softness of this yarn is very similar to Silk Garden, but softer. In fact, they are like cousins in terms of weight and fiber content (minus the small amount of mohair). Shinano is 65% wool 35% silk = really warm on the hands!
There was no vegetation in this yarn, unlike the Silk Garden or Kureyon lines.
The one thing I did not like about this yarn were the freakin' slubs!! Ugh!
Cost: I got two balls from a Canadian seller off of Ravelry for $15 bucks including S/H. I only used 1.25 balls on the gloves so that would be a little over $8 dollars for the pair.
What I learned: How to do gloves!! :oD Making digits were the main thing for me.
And the eternal mystery of how do I close up those dreaded "holes" in between each finger?!?
Okay Okay! As Aimee had to drill in my head "there will be holes"!! :o)
That is fine but some knitters just make it seem so seamless! How on earth?!?
Well by the time I got to glove #2 I made sure to pick up more than enough stitches in between the fingers to close any gaps and did K2togs for the entire round to get back to the size I desired. You can also close any potential openings while weaving in your tails from the fingers, by tightening up those gaps at the same time. Another remedy is to use duplicate stitches if you see any looking wonky. If anyone knows of anymore tricks please let me know!!
I am still not perfect at this technique by any means and have to Thanks Aimee & Cristi for guiding me thru the fingers! We had fun eating some good JoJo Chinese, drinking P.rosecco champagne and knitting all night long like we were grown or something!! LOL
I also learned that in tight knits such as this one, on 'K2togs' I do best American style since I am a continental knitter. The "wrapping" vs. scooping the K2togs makes it much better in that tight squeeze. I learned this the hard way, and once I figured that out, my progress speeded up tremendously! I was so glad for that light bulb to go off! :o)
Modifications: There were lots of these! I did everything but re-write the pattern! LOL
Because I knew I was not using the same weight of yarn called for in the pattern, gauge was not happening....I was a good knitter and did one anyway. The Shinano is thicker than the one called for in the pattern. I CO for 30 sts vs. 36 because I wanted a snug fit around my wrists. I didn't realize how tiny my wrist are!! I tell yeah! My Handology was kicking in from the very beginning! I continued evenly for 8 rounds and only did one round increases (6 total 3:3) to come to 36 sts total.
I also did not do as many rounds of garter for the cuff as called for and only did 11 (22 in total K/P).
I did a little math and figured out where I needed to do the provisional thumb (Fetching really trained me up!). For the left hand I did a K11, K5 for provisional thumb and K20. For the right hand K2, K5 for provisional thumb, K remaining stitches.
As far as the fingers themselves, I did them in order rather than how the book had you hopping from one to the other. My index and pinky fingers I started with a group 4 stitches for the palm and back of hand and my middle/ring were 5s to have the total of 36 stitches.
I generally backward looped 2 stitches in between each finger and found myself picking up twice as many stitches to ensure I had no gaps.
As for as the tips, I did my decreases as *K1, K2tog, K1* instead of K2tog all around (which would of had a more pointy tip). My tips were more rounded out with the "star" look.
Verdict: I do recommend this pattern for beginners, and I know there are a ton more better out in e-land! Let me know about them! :o)
The key is to consistently try them on and make sure they fit YOU!
I definitely would make more gloves again for myself, but would find it challenging to try and do it for someone else, unless their hand was readily available for fitting.
If it wasn't for the variegated yarn hiding my multitude of 'knit sins' I would not have been pleased with the outcome of the gloves overall.
This yarn literally MADE these gloves and I love them! I wore them out already today!
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Friday, November 30, 2007
Yum! Nice and wholesome!!
My brother got me started on this meal special. :oD I swear I ate this everyday for like two weeks! LOL I couldn't stop!
And I have been enjoying my ball winder! :o)
I had been wanting to do Norovember since I heard about it earlier this year, because as y'all know I just luv me some Noro.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
What is Shinano?
It came via airmail from Canada just for me in all of its 65% wool and 35% silk = very warm project! 
