Three

It's my third blogiversary! Let's celebrate with a lacy triangle.



Pattern: Ishbel by Ysolda Teague
Yarn: Malabrigo Lace in Paris Night (52), less than 1 skein
Needles US 4 (3.5 mm)



I really enjoyed knitting this (and wearing it too)! While I originally was making this for a Malabrigo March knitalong, I thought the greys fit in well with the North and stone grouping for Project Spectrum.



During the same time I was working on Ishbel, I read Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey. The heroine, Catherine, is fascinated with Gothic novels, so I took inspiration from this and found some Gothic-influenced architecture for a photo shoot.



Have a great weekend!

New Yarns, New Project

Another Stitches has come and gone. I went on Friday with some friends from Ravelry, and ran into several more while I was there. It was nice to see so many familiar faces, especially considering that two years ago I didn't really know any other knitters in person. Ravelry has certainly changed that.

As for the shopping at Stitches, I pretty much stuck to my plans. Here's what I got:



(I rather like how all the colors go together.)

From left to right we have:

50/50 Silk/Merino fiber in No. 9 from A Verb for Keeping Warm. I know I said I wanted to try something other than merino or merino blends, but this was too pretty to pass up! I think it would be great as a laceweight.

Malabrigo Lace in Paris Night. Actually, I didn't buy this yarn at Stitches. As if going to Stitches wasn't enough yarn shopping for one day, R and I stopped by my LYS (Stash) afterwards. There had been some of the laceweight at Stitches, but I wasn't crazy about the colors, so I figured I was better off checking out my LYS, since they had just received a shipment of Malabrigo (both lace and worsted).

Malabrigo Dos in Indiecita. If you knew the password, the nice folks at the Malabrigo booth gave you a skein of yarn to try! I can't wait to knit this up, probably as a pair of fingerless mitts.

Toots LeBlanc BFL/pygora laceweight in Chocolate. This was the only thing I bought that wasn't on my list, but I figured it was okay because (1) I skipped purchasing something else on my list and (2) I walked the rest of the market first in case I saw something else I would rather have. Toots LeBlanc was my favorite new find (thanks to Stash and Burn); I love that their yarns and fibers are left their natural color.

Black Water Abbey worsted weight in Moss. I'm planning to make a vest with this yarn, and the color is a nice fit for the first color/theme grouping of Project Spectrum: Cardinal Directions, which starts today.

But before I begin my vest, I'm casting on for Malabrigo March! I started working on Ishbel this morning (using Malabrigo Lace in Paris Night).



My progress is a little slow since I keep stopping to pet the oh-so-soft Malabrigo. Mmmmmmm.

Anticipation

It's hard to believe that it's time for Stitches West again! I'm headed there tomorrow (Friday) with some fellow Ravelers. We're "only" going to the market, which is pretty overwhelming by itself. So much to see and touch!

Last year I found it helpful to make a fairly specific list and budget (including a list of what not to buy), so I've done the same this year. It keeps me focused and I'm much less likely to make impulse purchases. When I put my list together, I kept some upcoming knitalongs in mind.

March is just around the corner, which means another Malabrigo March! I'll be on the lookout for some Malabrigo Lace tomorrow to make Ishbel (for this KAL [Rav link]).

I'm also planning to get yarn for a Veste Everest at Black Water Abbey. It'll be too late for Vest-uary (Rav link), but there is an ongoing KAL thread for this pattern in the Interweave Knitters group on Ravelry. And, depending on what color I choose, it could work for Project Spectrum 4.



Quite honestly, all of the colors are gorgeous, but I keep wavering between Old Purple and Moss. I think either one would look good in this pattern. Old Purple was one of the colors I was instantly drawn towards; Moss would fit in nicely for the first color/theme set of Project Spectrum (North, Green, Stones/Gems/Rocks, Winter, Earth). Hopefully, seeing them in the skein will help me decide.

I'll also be stopping by some of the fiber vendors tomorrow, including A Verb for Keeping Warm, Pigeonroof Studios, and Tactile. Most my spinning lately has been with merino or merino blends, so I'd like to branch out and try something new.

If you see me at Stitches, please say hi! Most likely I'll be wearing my Ene's Scarf.

Ends and Beginnings

Last May, I started a pair of Endpaper Mitts. I don't remember when I finished knitting them, but they've been sitting in the ends-to-be-woven-in pile for too long! Now the ends are secure and tidy, and the mitts are blocked and ready to wear.



Pattern: Endpaper Mitts by Eunny Jang
Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool in Teal (20) and Sandstone (50), less than one skein of each
Needles: US 0 (2mm)



For me, colorwork takes a lot more effort than most knitting, but I'm glad I persisted! I really liked how these turned out, even though the pattern is slightly obscured by the tweedy nature of the yarn.

I still had a decent amount of yarn left when I finished, so I made myself a hat (which happens to be my first FO of this year).



Pattern: Wesley by Kate Gagnon
Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool in Teal (20) and Sandstone (50); Rowan Felted Tweed in Watery (152). These were leftovers from other projects; I would guess I used less than 1/4 to 1/3 skein of each for this hat.
Needles: 2.5mm (brim) and 3mm (body)

This pattern is a great way to knit up leftovers. Because the yarns I used are thinner than what the pattern calls for, I used the stitch counts for the "lots of slouch" size to get a hat closer to the "little slouch" size.

I really like the slipped stitches in this pattern; they give the fabric a nice texture, without being difficult to knit.



It's very satisfying to use up old yarns, and I definitely have plans for more stashbusting this year! In particular, I'd like to knit up my sock yarn, especially after reading about the Personal Sock Club on Ravelry. The idea is that you create packages of sock yarn with a pattern, and then surprise yourself with a new one each month (or whenever). I've set aside yarn for five pairs of socks, and will possibly add a sixth one (I might frog a pair that is a bit wide). But before I can start those, I have to finish the pair that is on the needles. I'm now up to the cuffs, so they should be done soon!

Looking Back: 2008

At the end of 2007, I had little intention of getting back into spinning. The few skeins of yarn I had made were rather disappointing, not to mention time-consuming. But earlier this year, a couple of my knitting friends learned how to spin, and I started to browse the posts on the Ravelry Spindlers group. Pretty soon, I was ready to give spinning another try, and bought new fiber and spindles.


1. Lily Spindle, 2. Golding RingSpindle, 3. Soft Handspun, 4. Big Plans: Spindling for a sweater

I'm so much happier with my spinning now. Good tools, trying different techniques, and practice make a big difference. Plus, I love being able to support some fabulous local independent dyers - A Verb for Keeping Warm, Tactile Fiber Arts, and Pigeonroof Studios.

Of course, the knitting has continued. Here are some of my favorite projects from 2008.


1. Mini Lace Triangle, 2. Lace Ribbon Scarf, 3. Trellis Scarf II, 4. Stripey Socks, 5. Koolhaas Hat, 6. Butterfly Moebius, 7. Ene's Scarf, 8. Squishy Handspun Scarf, 9. Amanda Hat

Malabrigo, my handspun, and lace seemed to be recurring themes in this year's knitting. I also turned to some simple knits (a garter stitch scarf and stockinette stitch socks), which I found surprisingly satisfying, considering that I usually like some lace or cables in my projects.

This year was also filled with a number of fiber-related events, which I attended with some members of my knitting group and other Ravelers. This year we went to Stitches West, Color, and Lambtown, and made a trip to Carolina Homespun and Artfibers. (If you hadn't heard, Artfibers is closing their San Francisco store at the end of January, but will continue selling their yarns online. They recently sent out an email saying they will open an East Bay location in April 2009.)


1. Alpacas at Lambtown, 2. Color Marketplace, 3. Artfibers, 4. Ravelry Goodies from Stitches

It's been a busy year! Hope you had a good 2008, and wishing you a happy 2009!

Trellis the Second

It's pretty rare that I knit the same pattern twice, but earlier this year my grandma asked me to knit her a Trellis Scarf. She liked mine, and wanted hers to be a darker blue.

Over the past few months, I had been making some progress on her scarf, but the approach of Christmas gave me the extra push to finish. And here it is!



Pattern: Trellis Scarf by Evelyn Clark, from Interweave Knits Spring 2006
Yarn: Jaggerspun Zephyr Wool-Silk in Aegean, less than 1 skein
Needles: Addi Natura US 1 1/2 (2.5 mm)



The only major modification I made to the pattern was altering the ending border. The pattern ends with a straight edge, which you block to points. However, this wasn't symmetrical enough for me, so I added in some make ones and decreases to the original chart.


Ending border on the left, beginning on the right.

I hope she likes it!

Happy holidays, everyone!

From Sockapalooza to Socktober

Remember these?



I started this pair of socks for Sockapalooza 4 (eventually switching to another color and pattern), picked them back up this year for Sheptember, and finally finished them a couple of days ago for Socktoberfest. It feels good to get these off the needles!



Pattern: Roza's Socks by Grumperina, from Interweave Knits Spring 2007
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Baltic Sea. (I've adjusted the pictures in this post to get a reasonable representation of the color, but this is the most accurate one I got.)
Needles: US 1 1/2 (2.5 mm) Addi Natura for the leg, US 0 (2.0 mm) Addi Turbo for the heel flap and foot.



Unfortunately, the leg ended up a bit wide, so the socks are falling down on me. I normally handwash my socks and lay them flat to dry, but I might send these through the dryer to try to shrink them up. While these aren't the best fitting socks I've made, I'm glad that this yarn and pattern combination didn't create any horrible pooling.



I'm planning to cast on for another pair of socks soon, after I get some other projects finished (I'm in a rare phase of finish-it-up-itis). More Lorna's Laces, this time in Edgewater.



I've never completed a pair of toe-up socks, and I think it's time for me to do so! I usually like to knit socks with some sort of stitch pattern, but this time I'll be going with plain vanilla stockinette stitch. I'm aiming for a taller-than-usual pair of socks, so I may throw in some calf shaping if necessary.

Have a happy Halloween!