Koigu Scarf

My mom sent me some yarn and a pattern that she wanted me to make for her and since there was no picture, I was quite unsure what this scarf made from two colors of Koigu yarn would look like.  It’s been fun watching the pattern grow.  Here’s a picture I took a few days ago.  I now have about 18 inches knit.

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Crazy Zauberball Socks – 2

This yarn is so much fun.  Crazy Zauberball yarn from Schoppel Wolle allows you to use a simple sock pattern and still have the excitement of not knowing what it’s going to look like next.  This is the second pair of socks I’ve made for John with this yarn and he loves them.

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What I’m Working on Now

In spite of the fact that I haven’t been posting on this blog over the past year, I have still actually been working on fiber arts here and there.  Some of it has been for my Doctor of Ministry classes and dissertation project, and some has just been regular knitting and such.  So. . . . I thought it might be time to start trying to record things again.  A New Year’s resolution if you will.

I’m in the midst of writing my dissertation and am beginning to see an end to that.  But I don’t want to post those projects until the dissertation is complete and turned in.  The finished product is due April 15.

What I’m working on right now is the Twisted Rib Cardigan from “Knitting Goes Large” by Sharon Brant.

I’m using Jo Sharp Luxury 8 ply DK Pure Wool in color 353 Fleur.  I have the back and one front side completed.  Now I’m working on the other side.

This is a great project because once I got the pattern down I could just knit on it in the evenings without really having to think about it.  Only problem is that it’s taking a pretty long time and by the time I finish it, the cold weather will be gone.  The fabric knitted with this pattern is REALLY heavy so this will be a very warm cardigan.

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Dashing

Quick, before I have to run off to a church meeting:

Here’s a picture of another New Mexico project I started.  This is the one that was for airport and airplane knitting.  And for the end of the day when I’m wiped out and need something mindless to work on.

It’s Grace Anna Robbins’ Double Bias Scarf made with Kauni fingering weight yarn.  I love the way the colors graduate.  And it’s super simple to knit yet interesting enough with that little bias trick and an increase at the beginning of each row to keep you from totally zoning.

Got them both on my first visit to Tutto in Santa Fe last month.

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Sweater Swatching

I started a few new knitting projects while on vacation in Taos last month.  I usually don’t like to work on more than one project at a time, but I needed something challenging, as well as something easy for airplane/airport knitting.  And, I of course, had to do some sampling at some of the great yarn shops in New Mexico.  So I now find myself with 5 active knitting projects–two of which are socks that have been on the needles for months.  We won’t go there right now.

While visiting Village Wools in Albuquerque on our last day I found a great book called Knitting Goes Large.  There are some wonderful patterns in this book, so I just had to get it along with the yarn to make one.  This week I’ve been swatching for the Twisted Rib Cardigan by Wendy Baker.  The yarn is Jo Sharp Luxury 8 ply DK Pure Wool, color Fleur 353.  It’s worked up quite nicely in the twisted rib with size 6 needles.

I’ll post the other projects in coming days.

In the meantime, along with everything else, I’m reading an outstanding book on creativity titled, Trust the Process: An Artist’s Guide to Letting Go, by Shaun McNiff.  There is so much great stuff in this book.  I’ll be using it to spark my own creativity for a long time, and am also finding some great ideas to use in planning for my doctoral dissertation project.

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Still Working

I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted anything.  I’m still working on a paper and a project for my D.Min. classes.  And neither has anything to do with fiber.  I did get some really positive comments on my first mixed media project “The Way of the Cross.”  So that’s been really encouraging and my next/current project is all in acrylic on wood.  I think I’ll wait ’til it’s finished to show it, since it’s not fiber related and this blog is mostly about fiber and textile.  I have at least one other idea in mind for some more mixed media with metal mesh, textile, and hand-made paper that I hope I will get to before too long. 

I’m still plugging away on my “Pentecost Socks” with not much progress to show.  Writing, painting, and, oh yes, work have conspired to keep me from all things related to fiber.  But I have a few things on the back burner that I hope I can get to after my D.Min. work is due at the beginning of July. 

I’ve noted Vicki’s blog here before and it’s always fun to see what she’s doing.  She’s now opened an etsy shop and to celebrate she’s having a drawing for some fabric she has dyed and painted.  It looks really exciting.  Check it out!

I’ll be doing a dyeing demo for the local quilt guild in July, so I’ve got to get going on some of that myself.

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Mystery Yarn

I got this mystery yarn from my mom last year, and I know she bought it a long time ago.  I don’t know what it is–there were no labels with it–but I’m pretty sure it’s all wool.  I’ve determined that it’s about DK weight.  I love the coloring and have been looking for something to make with it.  

This week I ordered Skein for Skein by Cheryl Potter and found in it a pattern for a cap sleeve Sunshine Lace Cardigan designed by Celeste Pinheiro that I thought might work.  Although the original pattern calls for cotton yarn, there’s a variation done with alpaca that looks nice and I thought I would try doing a substitution since that’s what this book is all about.  

Here’s my swatch that I knitted last night. (Photo not so good since John still has the camera.)

 

It creates a very different look from the original.  Now I’m going to wash and block it to see how it looks and drapes and maintains the gauge.

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New Sock Start

After numerous tries with the sock yarn I got from the Tour of DC Sock club in January, I may have found a pattern that works with it.  I’m finding that I’m not crazy about this yarn — it’s a little thicker than I like for socks, and the color is brighter than I really like.

Nevertheless I’ve started in again with it and am using Ann Budd’s Mock Wave Cable Socks pattern from Favorite Socks. The picture was taken with my computer’s camera — the first time I’ve tried it — so it’s not fabulous.  But here’s what it looks like so far:

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Taking a Break

I’m taking a break from the BIG PROJECT today and started knitting a prayer “shawl” for a friend who’s undergoing cancer treatment.  It’s actually more like a lap robe, ’cause I don’t think guys really do shawls.

It’s made with a simple k3 p3 pattern suggested in “Knitting Into the Mystery.”   The pattern is symbolic of the Trinity.  I’ve made a couple of prayer shawls before and they were very well received and loved by the people I gave them to.  Sadly, one of those succumbed to brain cancer a couple of years ago, but I know the shawl was well used while she was going through treatment.

I also put together a quick couple strands of prayer beads that my Relay for Life team is going to make for the annual event at the end of May.   I needed to see if I could actually make them and how long they would take to make so I would have some idea for the workshops we’ll be having soon to make them for the relay.    Actually, John did most of the one on the right.  We wanted to see how long it would take someone who’s never done beads before, and he did it in less than half an hour.  Not bad.

 

 

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Cable Rib Socks Complete

I have finally completed the Cable Rib Socks that I started in January before I went to DC.

I hit a glitch on the first one with the cable as it went into the instep.  Turns out there’s a “design element” in the pattern that IS the glitch. I think I agree with some other knitters on Ravelry that I’m not especially fond of this “design element”.  

However, the socks are finished and ready to wear.  I knew the cable would not show up well with this yarn, but it seemed that the yarn would look its best only with a simple pattern ( I did try a lace pattern that did not look good) and I knew I would get bored just knitting a rib.  So I got some cable practice and I know the cable is there.

I do really like the Interlacements Tiny Toes yarn, but I’m finding it doesn’t work especially well with the kinds of patterns I like to knit.  Alas!

The pattern is Cable Rib Socks from, you guessed it, Favorite Socks.  The first of the patterns I’ve used from that book that I am not wild about.  I love all the others I’ve tried.  Great book — as I’ve mentioned ad nauseum before.

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