A Whole Dang Week...or, Whaaaaaaa happened to March!

Geeze Louise, I haven't posted in nearly a week! What happened to the days? Well, I'll try not to be so remiss in the future, let me assure you.

Almost finished the Kilt Jacket and have subsequently and much to my delight taken up correspondence with my twin sister regarding "THE JACKET" as it is now known. She's getting it and in return, without my asking either..just because she wanted to, has crocheted my a really cool jacket as well....aren't we just the crafty ones? Miss Niblefingers is nearing completion of my jacket...she's quite speedy....and I am so excited to see it. She bought antique buttons for it and it's crocheted in some nice silky yarn...oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! I will post a pic once the package has arrived from Michigan.

The cotton yarn arrived yesterday for Tommy's sweater I am designing. I laboriously knitted a plethora(I like that word) of swatches in chosen patterns to get gauge and finally ended up with 7sts. to the inch on size 7 dp needles (and circular too). It will be lovely if I do say so myself!!!

I found a pattern last night for knitted stockings from the 40's....is it ever cool!!! Sure wish I lived somewhere that had some actual cold weather...sigh...but, at least I can knit for Pat, Johanna and Beth...who do live in an Arctic clime.

Margie died yesterday and I am feeling very sad. I loved her like a Mom-well, she was to me. She did so much for me and the boys when L. left us. I don't think we would have survived without her. The funeral will be Monday. I hope Andy gets back from Florida before Monday. He's there on Spring Break and we haven't been able to get in touch with him yet. Called Mama last night when I found out. Shes doing well...feisty as ever and working. Wanting to go on another trip soon, but probably won't for a little while. Hope to go see her soon

She's Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack

Went to the LYS, Dunwoody, and found out they're closing their doors next month. I am sad, I am devastated...I've only just found them. Wish I had lots of money and I could buy the place and make a go of it. All the yarn is so beautiful. The lady there is so nice and helpful. I only wish they were doing well so they could stay. I looked at all their yarn...it's just wonderful...but ended up getting one hank of Euroflax in Champagne color. I haven't got a clue as to what I will do with it...it's just a part of the stash I guess...it's really nice though. I might use just one strand of it and make a lacey scarf. It wouldn't be very big or long, but it would be quite pretty I think...kind of whispy and elegant maybe.
Well, that's all I wanted to say about that...I'm pouting.

Swatches and Knitting Euro Patterns

You know, you'd think the whole world would get one system for measurement and stick with it. A morning spent swatching a project is not my idea of a good time. I have this fabulous pattern I'm using from Drops...all of their patterns are just soooooooo gorgeous...and the swatch and pattern calls for size 7mm needles. Do you think American needles would correspond? Ohhhhh, no, of course not. I had to swatch three times before I could get gauge!!! I don't like swatching anyway. It's like exercising-uggggghhh-I just wanna get on with it. I'm excited about the yarn and how it's going to look and the pattern is awesome, but I'm swatching for at least two hours trying to get the right gauge so that I don't have, as the Yarn Harlot puts it, a house cozy instead of a jacket!!! Anyhoo, I finally got it on size 9 (5.5mm) needles and it really is lovely if I do say so myself! I've chosen a moss green bulky cotton and I found the most gorgeous pair of kids chopsticks-quite unique-to use for the fastner (avec "spare" no less!) I am quite chuffed with my choice on this one!!

Purple Kilt Jacket is progressing along. My annoyance with my huge error in counting has waned and I am once again steadily working on it. Couldn't use the yarn frogged from it but will use it on something else...thinking about a sampler afghan for all left over bits and bobs!

Ripping Great Day

Ahhh, don't you just love the feel of unraveling stitches...all the way back to cast on?? I finished up the front sides of the Ladies Kilt...indeed, it is going to my dear sister Pat, more about that later...and lo and behold when I laid it out to pin to the back, I noted that the cables were looking a tad different. What can this be? (I mused) Moi? Make an error in knitting? But, right there in front of my eyes I noted that I had indeed made a cable which was not up to par and was in fact, substandard (and short about three rows as well!!!!) Of course, wouldn't you know it, it was all the way back down to cable crossover #2 so I thought you'll never get all those stitches back on the needle with your level of frustration being what it is, so let 'er rip!!! And I took the end of the yarn and put it in the ball winder and wound that sucker right back into a nice ball of yarn....to start all over with. It's a knitters life I live. Well, last night I was too frustrated with it and looked at it several times and wanted to get the needles to it again, but didn't....maybe a bit of space betwixed myself and said ball of heathery purple softness is a good thing and I will take it up again-perhaps tonight. Meanwhile, I grabbed my #10.5's and the pink boucle and began knitting a nice little shawl to wear to the Atlanta Portrait Society's annual "do"....which we found out last night will include 2, TWO, of Tommy's portraits...Hannah and Jordan!!!! I am so thrilled for him. I hope, hope, hope that he will win an award. Both of them are so good and deserve to win. Maybe just maybe...fingers crossed! Pink boucle shawl photo above. I am adding a nice lacey knitted edging on it once done...I don't like boucle fringe as it knots up in itself and always looks untidy.

I'm reading Yarn Harlot's book "Knitting Rules"....what a hoot! I recommend it to all knitters...there's lots of good advice in it as well but geeeeeeze, was she hiding in my house and taking notes for this book?

I must get ready for the day job, sigh, and leave my little knitting world behind for eight hours...well, I will take the pink boucle to work on during my lunch, instead of lunch.

TTFN

Knitting News

MY FELTED JAR...on sock needles

I have been so busy lately that I've forgotten to post here but I will remedy that this morning.

I am teaching a lady at work to knit and she is doing a fine job. She making a very simple shrug in Homespun yarn by LionBrand. It's going to be quite pretty I think.

As for myself, I'm finishing up the Ladies Kilt Jacket-just the sleeves to go and then assemble and see how it looks then. I have a sneaky suspicion that my sister Pat would like it and not have me give it to her daughter. Well Jo doesn't know about it and I can make something else for her and now, will probably go ahead and wrap it up for Pat as an early B'day present. She's got the right figure for it as well and I think will suit her too.

Another thing I am working on is a felted jar to hold my knitting needles so that they do not disappear down the black hole of my knitting bag...along with markers, counters, yarn bobbins and stitch holders. I think I will make some smaller vessels as well to hold all these magical bits and bobs...now, how tidy and organized is that!!! I've still got to get this studio moved around and painted. Leslie is covering the chair cushion for me and making curtains to match so I really need to get these walls painted and set up in here so that it is more 'user friendly'!

And Moving Right Along.....

Finished up the left side of the Ladies Kilt Jacket tonight. I love it more and more and wish that I were younger and thinner and then I would have myself a new jacket! Haaaaaaaaaa Haaaaaaaa

Anyway, here is what is done so far and now I am off to cast on the right side and get going on that. Hope I will be finished this weekend with this jacket and get it posted here and in WC.

It's Wednesday, must be time for bed

Just a little PS at the end of the day-thought I would get more knitting done, but only a few rows what with cooking dinner, washing dishes, cleaning bedroom and having a nice long look at the Drops Design website. Now there is a lovely Website. Literally hundreds of free, gorgeous patterns to choose from...where would one start? Every needle in my basket would be filled if I were to try to make everything I wanted to make just from their Spring 07 collection. OMG, there are some little shrugs to die for and I'll be having some of those on my needles soon! Just lovely, lovely! There are also some men's sweaters that I want to take a good look at as well one of these days.
So now that it's Wednesday and I have no photo to post with progress I've made, I'm off to bed....soon enough I'll have to get up and get to work.

Changes, Changes and More Changes

Some days it just doesn't pay to make a plan. I had wanted to do the cable pattern with the seed stitch and for some reason-after about six tries, it just wasn't working with the front of my Ladies Kilt Jacket. I ripped out so many times I thought I was going to have a mess of my yarn...but anyway I went for one nice big traditional cable up the front of the jacket instead. Here is the result. Not too bad. I am also changing that ugly Peter Pan collar to something else...anything else but that....ugh!

Spring Has Sprung

OMG, what a glorious day today!! Tom and I just got back from a nice long walk around the neighborhood and it was sooooooo nice-not too hot, not too cool, just breezy and temp. was perfect!

Finished the back of my Ladies Kilt Jacket and began the front panels this morning. I decided not to use the Thistle pattern as it will be decreased away at the neck and that will ruin the look of the pattern...instead, I am putting in a small cable that is half seed stitch and half stockinette and that will run the entire length without any interruption. It's really going to look very nice when done. I blocked the back and I think it will do nicely for our kind of Autumn and Winter. The medium knits up rather small looking to me, even though I got the gauge right, etc. Guess I'll have to try it on someone of both proportions to see which it fits best...I am definitely not a "M"!!
So, once I get the pieces made and blocked, I'll post a pic of this jacket....hope it turnes out well.

It's Me in the studio

Designing Day

What a great Saturday so far! Slept late-for me-then off to the LYS to check out some new yarns. I'm looking for a cotton/wool blend but haven't found exactly what I am looking for yet...it's for Tommy's sweater that I have designed. I did the sketch and knitted up some swatches with cotton yarn on size 6 needles. I'm going to use the Woven Slip Stitch Pattern that is in the new Vogue Knitting Stitchionary 2 (love that book, getting the others soon) and a band of Seed Stitch across the chest and arms. Tommy had wanted a band of the Roots and Branches Pattern but it's just too large and doesn't quite fit, so I will make him a sweater with that pattern all over.

I also designed the Kimono Jacket and knitted up a swatch with my teal lace weight yarn on size 3 needles. It makes such a nice tight stitch and fabric and is practially weightless, which I think is going to help in making the folds in the jacket lie so beautifully! Now I have to find an embroidery pattern that I think will go with the jacket...it has to be something really stunning but also delicate and feminine....must do research!!!

So, now I am off to work on finishing the back of my Amethyst Heather Ladies Kilt Jacket and cast on the fronts before I go to bed tonight!

Gawd Awful Day...But ready to knit now

Guess what....My Yarn winder came...plus other goodies. I wound everything in sight!! What a fabulous gadget...love it, love it! That's Tom at the Art Show with his Abby Portrait! Such a sweetheart...Tom, that is!

Here is my rant::::: I can't even believe how awful today was at work...freekin people who lie and sit out of work so that I have to run myself ragged doing my job and theirs...soooooooooooooo glad it's Friday and I am back home now and can see to my knitting...at least for the next two days.

Knitted a little watchcap for Matthew tonight...just took a couple of hours-nothing fancy. I think he'll like it though.

Also got my toys yesterday...new Yarn ball winder, see above pic of all my treasure, four sets of sock needles and a ball of nice tweedy sock yarn to make Tom some socks. I wound my teal blue fingering wool into balls last night...this is the yarn I am using to make the Kimono Jacket I designed. It's going to be plain knit, then I am going to embroider on it...I think I have enough yarn to make this project-I may have to make some adjustments to the length though...I'd like it somewhat long, but we shall see. I am excited to begin it so that is why I went ahead and wound out the yarn. I have over 2000 yards so I am almost sure I can get the right length to make it very dramatic. I've even thought about doing the design in beading instead of embroidery but that might be a bit pricey...still, it would be worth it-and the patience it would take to do it. Off to the drawing table to work on the Kimono design some more...It has to be perfect.

Oh yeah, went to Tom's show last night. He should have won a prize for his portraits. This group is rather snooty...the Atelier type who think only the Atelier type of artist is any good...geeze Louise, I get so sick of those people...anyway, there was a nice array of artwork even though ONLY the "A" people won awards and Tom's was among the best...if not the best. DEFINITELY THE BEST!!!!!!

Sittin Knittin

This is my first Knitting Blog post...I am so excited. I want to have a place to post my knittings in progress, finish and of course the frogs...there are always the frogs...well, at least until I can get a website going and sell something.

I've been a knitter for years and years and that'll tell you that I'm not a young girl, but I love to knit. It's addictive-especially the yarn thing. I can't get enough. Chocolate is almost as good-but not as good as time spent in the LYS just drinking in the colours and the feel of the wool/cotton/silk/synthetic/mixes...what about chocolate coloured yarn-well, there you are-the best of both worlds!! Presently on the needles (size 8 circular) is a Ladies Kilt Jacket of my own design in a Heathered Amethyst wool that is to die for. Fronts have a panel of the "thistle" pattern which is in Volume 2 of Vogue Stitchonary....photo forthcoming at some point...probably when I get the front panels begun. I bought this book last Saturday as well as Turner's Design book which had some info in it that I did not have so was very pleased to be able to get two good reference books for my library. Good for business to have more information on design.

Shown here is my jacket I knit to wear with jeans and a little bag to carry with it...I also made the bag button to match (clay) I love this jacket and have had two people ask if I could possible see fit to think about doing one for them as well. I am bartering some sewing with one of them and will make same jacket but in another colourway. The other lady, dear friend, will recieve hers as a surprise Birthday gift...she does not suspect I hope!!

I also made this cute little red felt clutch to use tomorrow evening at Tom's reception with the AAG show. He has two, count em, 2, paintings in this show. I am sooooooooo proud of him!!

And speaking of Tom, I am so excited to be designing a sweater for him in two stitches he's picked out himself. A cotton/wool blend in natural colour that is going to look wonderful on him. I have to get the measuring and yardage figured out, then I will order the yarn and begin. I should get my packet of sock yarn next week, along with new sock needles and new yarn ball winder that I ordered on Sunday. I haven't made socks in years-not since my kids were little-so Tom will be the recipient of my first pair of grown up socks...very plain mind you-but serviceable and hopefully comfortable as well...no ribby seam at the toes!! Should be fun!

Ahhh well, here comes Ardmore to tell me it's time for bed...12:00...how does that dog tell time???!!! Until tomorrow...