Thursday, December 16, 2010

I see Liz's underpants!


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Originally uploaded by knitswithasilentk
My friend from grad school, Liz, got married this past fall. When I heard the news, I was overjoyed and immediately resolved to knit her something special for her wedding. I used some eBay bucks and searched for yarn with free shipping - I got a nice ball of Laines du Nord pure silk for just a couple of bucks with the eBay bucks discount.

I knit the front panel very quickly. But the waist - I knit it, and decided it was WAY too big. So it sat for a few months until I realized the big event was coming up and I'd better finish it. I frogged the waistline (luckily it wasn't too hard, given it begins from a tiny triangle after the string) and started again. This time I think I got it about right.

I tied it with some ribbon I'd bought for my wedding, and sent it along with bachelorette items that Liz had gotten me at MY bachelorette (ha ha!).

Pattern: Lacy Thong, from Interweave
Yarn: Laines du Nord Mulberry Silk
Needles: size 5, probably KnitPicks 16" or something.

Yay!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Kniting for Christmas


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Originally uploaded by knitswithasilentk
So I knit this hat in a few hours over Thanksgiving break - cast on in the car, hit the ribbing, knit while talking between TLD's bedtime and mine, and it was done. So I decided it was doable to knit 5 more similarly. I went and bought yarn at my new favorite LYS, bought the necessary patterns on Ravelry, and cast on for the first one.

Yeah. Koolhaas, you are beautiful, but you are not fast.

Hat Most Likely to Succeed, you are faster than Koolhaas, but that's not saying much.

My original plan actually was that the men (3 total) would get hats and the ladies would get mitts. I've since decided that hats are much faster than any mitts could be.

I found some more fast-looking hats. Really fast. I don't want to repeat any of them. (Why not, asks a little voice inside my head. I've found a very nice looking, attractive, and proven FAST pattern?) I just don't.

Pattern: Nottingham
Needles: size 8, KnitPicks size 16, Takumi bamboo DPNs to finish.
Yarn: Cascade 220, 112 yds by weight.
Cast on November 24, finished November 29, and was not diligent. I might have made one of the cable crosses too late, hence ovals instead of cute little clovers. Did it all without a cable needle. Fast, fast hat. Very stretchy, should fit anybody from my huge-headed toddler to a grown man (its intended).

Next up: Finishing the forever cabled hat that must succeed, and salvaging my Koolhaas ribbing start to become a beautiful Turn a Square.

I usually avoid Christmas knitting, because I don't like to knit on deadline. But this year, I decided I was more into knitting than shopping (and I'd had one finished already). Next year, a mitt a month and I should be ready. Bonus if there's enough yarn leftover to make everyone mitts that match their hats.

Oh yeah, and it would be swell if I could finish TLD's sweater vest for Christmas. But I'm not holding my breath. The real deadline is February - a year from cast-on.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Cats & Mice sweater progress


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Originally uploaded by knitswithasilentk
I've finished knitting the body of the sweater. I took this photo at knitting group 2 weeks ago. I'm really pleased with how good it looks - the blocking was very gentle- just immerse in cold water, then roll in a towel and let dry spread out gently.

Next up: steeking. By now I've crocheted some stabilizing stitches in one armhole and I'm toying with the idea of actually knitting the armhole edging BEFORE cutting the steek, as I'd read here. A little piece of mind by picking up and finishing off the edge BEFORE cutting. Intriguing.