Monday, December 31, 2007

Koolhaas hat- Last FO of 2007

Koolhaas hat
Last FO of 2007.

I got the yarn Sat. This was a fun knit, but it took a day to get used to the twisty stitches.

Koolhaas hat.
malabrigo yarn - worsted. not even one skein.
size 6 & 8 16" addi circs.

Its true. malabrigo is very soft to work with, and warm to wear.
This hat will go to a friend who's birthday is in 2 weeks. yes, I know. I look like I really love it (I DO!) but she asked for it.
good news- I have another skein of this malabrigo!
;-)

P.S. I know I have not spelled out my 2008 resolutions. I am still working on the short list. One thing comes up on all the short lists- steeks.......................................

Happy New Year!!

2007 year in review

FO2007

Knitting Goals I achieved in 2007:
(all for the first time)
Lace.
Felting.
Toe up Socks.
Drop Spindle Spinning.
Knit an item with my own hand spun yarn.
Knit a tea cozy.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Long time no blog!

Ya'p. I've been MIA. Between traveling and worries, and very little knitting. I have been taking a break from the blog and not got to any real knitting. I have tones of WIM (Works in Mind as opposed to WIP) but no time to get to them. Got to take care of a few things, and I'll be back to knitting and blogging, I hope during the holiday break. But all that does not stop me from going to see some interesting exhibits. A glass show featured this curious item:

glass yarn & needles

Merry Christmas from New York City!

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Fit for a Mad Hatter!

My tea cozy (cosy) is finally finished. Stared on July 7 with this, it evolved into this! You can see some of the process here. It fascinates me to see it grow, even as I have created it. You can also see the close-ups here. It was very engaging to make. and talk about using scrapes of stash!! Can you guess I am very pleased with it?

Its been suggested I should name it. I am open for suggestions!
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tea cost freeform 2007 side 1
tea cost freeform 2007 side 2
side view
side view
lining
tea cosy detail

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Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Freeform tea cozy

My Freeform tea cozy is coming along. side one is all finished, and I am almost done with side 2. I have modeled it on a tea cozy I have, (11"x13") that fits my large tea pot. I want to make a lining for it. I wonder if I should just use the template as the lining, or use some fleece fabric I have.
side 1
side 2
the tea cozy template.
tea pot and tea cosy

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Bicycle Helmet Liner

I got the idea for a Bicycle Helmet Liner from the Helmet Liner I made for a soldier. For my bike helmet I wanted it thin, so I knit it with the wonderful Alpaca Sox yarn from Classic Elite. 60% Alpaca, 20% Merino Wool, 20% Nylon, 100 grams, 450 Yards. Needles: addi circs 0,1,2 (don't ask...) I modified the pattern for the thinner yarn, which landed me in trouble, since I did not knit a swatch. I ended up doing short rows and improvising right and left. it worked, but I will not be able to repeat it. Next time, (and I will make another), I'll know better! It feels wonderful to knit with and to wear, and you feel very cozy, yet its thin! This yarn will be making more appearances on this blog soon!
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125.365
cosy
spider wed top
helmet liner as a hat
helmet liner as neck warmer

Saturday, November 03, 2007

Kaffe Fassett sock yarn Collection from Regia

Some of you may have noticed my admiration of a certain knitting guru... Kaffe Fassett is famous in the knitting and textile community for his amazing use of color in his designs, and he has joined up with Regia to create an amazing sock yarn collection. Naturally, I had to try some! The yarn is a wool nylon blend, so it will hold up to wear and tear and is washable. There are 2 kinds- Mirage and Landscape. The color transitions are fantastic! Kaffe said that he is not crazy about using variegated in general, because he feels its not creative enugh, but even he can see that sometimes you need to "just do it."
The first pair was in the Mirage line, color Fire:
Simple top down.
Addi US1 2 on 2 circs.
Regia Design Line Kaffe Fassett-

The second pair inspired me to try my first toe up! From IK summer 2007.
Toe Ups
Landscape line in Fire.
Magic cast on.
2 on 2 circs addi US1
KF regia socks- My first Toe-Up!

SO I knit two pairs of socks, top down and toes up. I wanted more! I remembered a pair of fingerless gloves I knit last year out of Austeman Step that was real easy. Its from Not Just Socks. It has really clear instructions! I now know that fingelss glvoes are NOT for me. they look so COOL, but the tips of my fingers are frozen. So it will be full gloves or mittens for me. I just knew the Landscape Twilight I had would be perfect as a pair of Fall gloves!
Fall Gloves
The Landscape line in Twilight.
From Not Just Socks.
Addi size us1 and us0 circs and bamboo DPN

gloves

And here are some of the latest in action...
glove love
the look
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Have I mentioned I LOVE Fall?

Friday, November 02, 2007

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Priceless (confessions of a yarn groupie)

Kaffe Fassett's Pattern Library= $35 at Knitty City.
2 skeins of Regia Kaffe Fassett Landscape Twilight= $18

Meeting your knitting guru in person, wearing a sweater you knit from his first book, surprising him with a glove knit with his sock yarn, and having him sign your copy of his book=
PRICELESS!!




Thanks Erin (Minty) for the awesome pics!!

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Need say more?

112.365
Finally, some chill in the air! And rain.
Tea, knitting, new knitting magazine, my new knit cardi, my new knit socks.
Listening to "I Am America and so can you" on my ipod.
And today, Eunny at Knitty City.
I knew there was a reason (or two...) I was looking forward to Fall!

Saturday, October 20, 2007

My "not in Rhinebeck" day!

I was determined to have a fiber filled day to compensate myself for not being able to go to Rhinebeck. I had 4 hours and some spending money. ( I was suppose to go to Rhinebeck.....)
So I started this perfect fall day (minus the tree colors, but hey, can't have it all right?) at Knitty City, on West 79 street. I spent 45 minutes there chatting to the owner Pearl and squeezing yarn. I came out with Kaffe Fasset's Regia sock yarn in the stripes version, for some gloves. Yes, its true I just finished a pair of socks with this yarn. I love it so much I want it as gloves! I proceeded to Beard Papa, a cream puff place on Broadway and 76 street. Why? well, I was going to miss the lamb chili, so there! These are divine! (as well as equal to my calorie allocation for the rest of the day...). I found some pumpkins on the way. Just like in the country side (...) but less mud... Hopped on the subway (the number 1 train downtown) and came out on West Houston street right outside my old hangout- Sounds of Brazil (S.O.B). Ahhhhh! those were the days... I walked East on Houston street and turned right on Sullivan street, over to Purl fabric and Purl Soho. I wanted to get some fabric for recovering some chairs, but forgot to take measurements of the seats. They DO have some lovely fabrics! On to Purl Soho the yarn store. It was packed!! I spent a lovely time there chit chatting to fellow patrons and getting some color suggestions. So I missed the blogger meet-up at Rhinebeck, but I got to fiber-socialize right here in NYC! They have a magnificent selection of Koigu! I was looking for some to make socks using a snow flake pattern from the new IK holidays. (Its a great issue!) While I was at it, a few other skeins of Koigu requested permission to accompany me home, and being polite and on account of me not going to Rhinebeck (have I said it enough times now??) I obliged them. lovely, rich, fall colors. If we can't have Fall colors on the trees- we'll have it in yarn! Now its time to sit and sip some warm or cold beverages and munch on some grab, and check out the yarn. What better than Once Upon a Tart, just 2 doors down? (they do have sandwiches and savory tarts). You could also lunch at pepe rosso a bit north of them. tiny tiny place. great pasta. So now, refreshed and still eager for fiber, I headed to The Point, hoping to surprise my friend Barbara who sometimes works there. North on Sullivan, left on Bleecker. While there, you must sit for a spell at Cafe Figaro and people-watch while having a cappuccino. Its a village tradition! If that is not your thing, and you prefer a cozy tea house, walk one block north, on Mc Dugal to Third street, and head to Tea Spot. Lovely.
I did not do Tea Spot today, but rather continued on Bleecker, crossed 6 Ave, turned left on Carmine to find myself on Bedford Street, and at The Point. Barbara was not there, and the woman who wanted to help me was missing Barbara's sense of color and her enthusiasm. I bought some alpaca (a fiber fun day HAS to include alpaca) for the Boot Tops from the same IK Holiday issue, but did not sit at the cafe. There was no point (no pun intended...). I was very full (hahaha) and Barbara was not there. I headed back to the subway, but not before I sat a bit in the sun and admired my yarn while looking at the world go by at a near by newly restored urban park. It was a lovely day! You could say, 3 LYS in 3 hours, but I'd give it the extra hour or two to sit and enjoy a bite, or beverage or both, and just relax! Home again ready to "cake" the yarn. What to start first? Now that I finished the socks.

Not going to be a Square.


Not this year. Not going to play Rhinebeck Bingo. Due to a variety of circumstances, I will not be in Rhinebeck this year. Tears are flowing. I will not get to meet cyber fiber friends face to face. Oh , I was SOOOOOOOO looking forward to this, big sigh, but life gets in the way of fiber fun sometimes, and no use dwelling on it. I shall have some fiber fun here in NYC! I'll report on it tomorrow.
If you are not going to Rhinebeck, how will you spend today to create fiber fun???

Saturday, September 22, 2007

Lace away

Pomatomus are done! Knit in Mama Blue Knitting Goods Merino Semi-Solid Sock Yarn in the color Anvil. I don't like lace on my foot, in the shoe, so it gave me an opportunity to see how the yarn knits up with no stitch pattern. I like it! I love the way the yarn sparkles. They are a little too big, but only a little. I knit 10 pairs of socks this year, so far. 2 for my son, 2 for swaps and 6 for me. Wow.
Pomatomussocks so far- 2007
As soon as I finished the Poms, I swatched for the SotS. I even beaded! My LYS had a size 14 crochet hook (its tiny!) but it may be a bit too small. I ordered a size 13, which is recommended for the size 8 beads I have. I hope the size 13 will be a it easier to bead with.
I made 2 swatches.
left: alpaca cloud, knit picks with addi lace us4
right: Fa Re Baruffa Cashwool Decatito, merino, addi lace us6.
both-swatches
Getting ready for Rhinebeck!! Hope you are coming! Please stop and say hello if you see me! I am not sure what I'll wear yet, but it will probably be one of these sweaters.
The sweater I started hoping to finish for Rhinebeck this year, will probably be done for next year. (well, yes...) I am participating in the Rhinebeck Bingo, and I am a square! Very very excited about it, and Its going to be a fab fiber festival!
SquareLogo

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Pomatomus making progress in the park

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I spent a few hours in the park today, knitting up a storm on my Pomatomus. Slightly modified. I do not like lace on my foot in the shoe. Almost done, I am at the toe decreases, so I thought I'll cast on for some leftover wool/bamboo leftover spiral socks. I like the colors together, but its too orderly for this spiral idea. I guess 3 wild variegated yarns will be much better. moreover, the tangles are just too much for a little socks. I think these yarns will do better as wide stripes. Sitting in the park was mixed emotions. gorgeous weather and lovely time, but too long a break from work (it was a slow day) so too much worry.
spiral-to-frog
I am going to swatch today for the Secret of the Stole KAL. there will be beads, and I need to get a very very very thinn crochet hook. The yarn I'll use is Alpaca Cloud in color Mist, from Knitpicks. (I had it in the stash!) I am not sure which beads I'll use. Fall is here. Makes me happy. Cool and crisp sweater weather!
alpac_cloud_mist
beads