Dale's Herringbone

Dale fell in love with my Herringbone so of course I needed to make him one. I used a much larger gauge yarn and needle for Dales. I used the Malabrigo Rasta in Black and only cast on 22 stitches instead of 30. The skein was just enough to make the perfect length for him.

Notes on this pattern: Herringbone Neck Warmer

The herringbone stitch is a little easier than it is listed in the pattern. I found a video on youtube that showed how to do it but you can also use this note. For the knit rows use: S1, K1, YO, PSSO. It is that easy.

So Sad... :-(

So it getting to that point where we are starting to do things to the house and I am feeling the need to get organized. One of the things on my list was organizing the wool. I wanted to take all the good wool and move it to space saver bags to both create more space and protect it. I am going to try and tackle one thing on my list per day.

Thinking it would be the most fun I started with the wool last night. I have two baskets of my cheap yarn that I keep in the living room just because it is nice to have wool around me. I keep the good stuff upstairs in large ziplock bags. I grabbed the two baskets to organize as well as they had got a bit messy. I started into the first basket and TOTAL devastation. Living in our little cabin in the woods has it's downfalls. Bugs. I'm not sure yet what it was but I had little potato bug looking critters eating holes in all the skeins. Fortunately as I said it was all for the most part cheap yarns. The only major upset was my Jitterbug:-(. The second basket was not as bad I took a few skeins that looked untouched and put them in a bag in the freezer. Lesson learned sadly no wool out for my viewing pleasure :-(.

At the same time though it was a bit liberating. A lot those yarns I have no idea what I would have ever done with them. I am now for the most part down to some really nice yarns for some nice projects. So even though a trash bag and a half is going to the dump, I kind of feel like out with the old in with the new. Of coarse there will always be projects that are perfect for a soft acrylic but as a evolved and educated knitter my yarn tastes have evolved as well.

Citron's Progress

We just got back from our honeymoon and I spent a bit of time working on the Citron. This shawlette has been a total love hate. It seems like every time I do a increase or decrease I have an issue. But I still love it and it is looking amazing. I am just a few rows from starting the last repeat section. I am not looking forward to the last row and cast off though.

The gloves are on time out. The pattern was a mess as the authors primary language is not English. So I am pretty much having to make it all up as I go.

Citron and Gloves

I have need of a full pair of gloves with fingers. I LOVE my Knucks gloves they are super warm. But if it is really cold then I really need my finger tips covered as well. This pattern is called Tornado. I am actually not going to do the convertible mitten but finish the fingers. I am using Crystal Palaces Mochi Plus. Yummy softness!

I finally dove in and am doing Citron. So for all intents and purposes this is a easy pattern. However; there are a lot of increases and decreases and with such a fine lace yarn it is easy to loose stitches. I am needing to seriously pay attention on these rows. But I am loving the finished product. The Malabrigo Lace yarn is so soft and while it seams very delicate it is actually pretty sturdy. Loving this project.

A little shopping

So I purchased this to make the Herringbone Neckwarmer for Dale.

This is for a hat for a friend that I have been promising him for some time.

This little bag was just too cute to say no to. It's the perfect little wrist bag for walking knitting.

I love SOAK! I finally finished the bottle I had and picked up a new one. This product is great for washing your hand knits and any kind of dedicates.

Ok so I finally broke down and got one of these. Talk about cute! It is a needle gauge but is pretty enough to put on a cord or ribbon and wear it as a fun conversational piece.

Getting things done

So I finally finished Dale's Green Kilt Hose. This is the second pair of He' mo Kilt Hose I have made. This pair was made with Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Forest Heather. I believe I used 8 skeins for the project. The wool is very nice and affordable too! I am very pleased with the final outcome. Dale is as well of coarse :-)

After finishing the Kilt Hose I needed a super fast easy project for some instant gratification. This is a yarn I spun about a year ago. It is a great soft Merino. The project I chose for it was the Herringbone Neck Warmer. This was a great easy project that I finished in 2 days and already love! It is a great little scarf to throw on under a coat to keep your neck warm without all the bulk of a scarf.

Like others who had done the scarf, I was a bit confused on how to do the Herringbone Stitch pattern. I watched the youtube pattern that everyone provided on Ravelry and it made more sense. Basically on the knit side S1 K1 YO then PSSO. That is a little easier than how it is described in the pattern. I also tried it on as I went. The pattern said to make it 28 inches that would have been WAY too long for me. I made it up to an inch within the correct size and then did the button hole edging and it worked out great. I just purchased yarn for Dale he wants one too!

I also dusted (literally) off the wheel and decided to do a bit f spinning the other night. This lovely wool was purchased at the Sheep and Wool festival this year. It is a beautiful blend of silk, Romney and Corriedale from The Barefoot Spinner. I am thinking to make this a two ply. I have almost one bobbin full and I still have a foot wide ball of roving to spin! It's Pretty :-) Makes me think Firefly for some reason.

Update

Well goal achieved and slightly exceeded. I finished the calf knot and about an inch after it. So far goals are good. I'm going to keep working a bit tonight then work further tomorrow. I would LOVE to be at the heel by tomorrow night. I think it is doable :-).

Just keep knitting, just keep knitting :-)

Knit-a-thon begins....

I have 4 days to knit the entire leg and foot of the second Kilt hose. Today's goal is to finish the calf knot. Here goes nothing. I'll post the progress at the end of the day.

Wish me luck!

Traveling Woman

So I finally got around to taking pictures of my Traveling Woman shawl. This was a pretty quick knit. A little frustrating at times, but for the most part a relatively easy pattern. I used 1 skein of Dream in Color Starry in Deep Seaflower. I did do one extra repeat of the pattern and probably would have had enough to do one more. Over all I am REALLY happy with the way this turned out. It was something different and new for me to try. All in all...love it!

One down one to go!

Well with two weeks till the chunk I have one done and need to crank out another. I have made impossible deadlines before hopefully I can make this one as well.

Dales Green Kilt Hose

I am getting near the end of the first sock of Dale's Green Kilt hose.

I chose two different side knots from the first pair I did.

This pair is being made from Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Heather Green.

I am trying to do a real push on these as I would like for Dale to be able to wear them for Pumpkin Chunkin first weekend in November. So I have a lot of work to do.

Clapotis Finished

Clapotis is finally finished! This was a slow knit to get started but once it got rolling it was kind of fun. Dropping the stitches down was both exciting and nerve wrecking.For the most part it is a mindless knit but there is just enough to make you carry the pattern to check the beginning and end of the rows. Blackbeard was nice enough to model it for me.

HOSE!!

So since I am now a little caught up on some outstanding knitting I am finally starting Dale's green Kilt hose. I have had this yarn in stash for a while. It had another purpose but that fell through. So since they are the right weight and Dale wanted green hose. Hose it will be. The pattern I am using is the same as his first kilt hose He' mo Leanan Kilt Hose by Anne Carroll Gilmour
available as a Ravelry Download. I am using Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Heather Green.

St. Patrick is finished!

After almost a year, St. Patrick is finally finished. The yarn was purchased from a wool shop in Dublin, Ireland on my last visit. The pattern, St. Patrick is from the book a fine fleece.

St. Patrick is almost done!

So we finally got a nice cool rainy day in July so I am trying to finish St. Patrick. The weather outside says Ireland and Irish Sweater. So we are finished except for the collar. I'm going to go work on that now and see if we can finish this beauty today!

What is going on in my fiber world?

The weather was nice this weekend so I took the wheel out onto the deck and did a little spinning. I figured I better spin some of the stuff I got last year at Sheep and Wool before this years Sheep and Wool.

It was nice to hang out outside and do my hobbies.

I did do something new, I took a wood turning class. This is the Spindle I made in the class. It was a lot of fun and I think I am going to try and stay with it.

Not bad for my first try.

As for St. Patrick he is coming along. The front and back are finished and I am almost done the sleeves. I have decided nothing else will be worked on till I am done this sweater!

I have not posted because not much has been going on :-) I have been working a lot on my sweater St. Patrick but it still is not done. I have not had a whole lot of time lately to knit. But I am trying to make more time as the weather is getting better.