I Want to Cry

Frogging, frogging and more frogging! That is what I have been doing this weekend on Scott's sweater. It seems I knit a couple of rows and then see a mistake I made several rows back and have to rip out several rows, putting me way back from the last picture I posted. I decided my problem was I have been knitting it on straight needles and can't see my work very well. Really, stockinett stitch shouldn't be that hard! I am switching to circular needles and hope that will make it easier. The back of a very simple sweater is taking way too long.

Frogging

You'll notice a couple of entries back where I talked about practicing the Continental knitting method on Scott's Sweater. Big Mistake!!!!!! I had to frog about 7 rows back. My tension was way off and it very noticable. I guess I will need to practice by making a swatch to get the tension right. This weekend I will be working on the sweater and hopefully will be further along than I was last night. I had to take the sweater off the needles and rip. It wasn't too hard getting it back on the needles thank goodness.

Cable Design

Here is what I have been working on for the past couple of days, the back of the sweater I am designing for Scott. I have a few more inches before I start shaping for the sleeves. I am getting tired of the stockinet stitch, but I just keep reminding myself that the front of the sweater will be more interesting. If I were to do it over, I would knit the sweater in the round.




I found the cable that I am going to put down the front of the sweater. It is the nine-stitch braid from the 365 knitting stitches a year calendar.



I hope to finish the back over the weekend, but I am going out of town, so I'm not sure how much knitting will actually get done.

I am still looking for a job. I think that has to be one of the things I hate the most. I need to support my yarn habit some how!

Continental Knitting

I have been an English method knitter since I was 8 years old. Tonight I learned the Continental method from watching a video on Knittinghelp.com. Hurray!!!! Maybe I will start knitting faster and be able to complete my projects quicker. The only problem is getting my tension even. I'll practice that on Scott's sweater (lucky him).

Cardigan Update

This week I am focusing on the Brae Cardigan. I want to make some serious progress. I will probably finish it in mid summer when it is too hot to wear it. I prefer knitting sweaters in the round, it will be hard to get back to Scott's sweater which has a separate back and front.


Brae Cardigan

Success!

I re-felted the Button Hole Bag and finally had success! The Lamb's Pride really does felt nicely. It is finished just in time for my sister's birthday, I hope she likes the colors. I picked these colors because they are Spring and Summer colors, so hopefully she will get some good use out of the bag this year. The rest of this week I will probably focus on the Brae Cardigan as it requires a lot of time to finish.


Felted Button Hole Bag

Try, Try again

Today I am going to try and felt the Button Hole bag again. I am going to use a different washing machine and I think I will have better results. I hope so, I need to give it to my sister next weekend! The bag was so easy and fast to knit up, if I can get this one to felt right, I see many more in the future. They would make great gifts. As soon as I have the bag felted, I will post a picture.

Stress Relief

Working on my Brae Cardigan has kept my mind off the stress of looking for a new job. I have been on so many interviews lately, and nothing looks like it is going to work out so far. I am hopeful that next week will be better. Anyway, the cardigan is coming along. I really have to work at keeping my knitting loose. I am a tight knitter, and that doesn't work when knitting Fair Isle.


Brae Cardigan

Lithuanian Sock Progress

Here is my progress so far on the first Lithuanian Amber Sock. I would probably normally be finished with this one, but I am in the process of looking for a new job and that seems to be taking up a lot of my time. When I get home I am exhausted. Wish me luck, I have a few interviews this week with some positions that look promising. As you can see by the picture, I am running out of the light green yarn. It is Cascade 220 which I should be able to find with no problem since many of my LYS carry this brand.



Lithuanian Sock Progress

Felting Failure

My first attempt at felting the Button Hole bag failed because I did not have it in the right type of washing machine. I will have to enlist the help of a friend to get it to felt as much as I am wanting. My condo complex has front loading machines, and I thought I would give it a try to see how it did. Well, it felted a little, but not much. I am happy with the little it did.

Knitting in the Round

Last night I met with Arlene to teach her how to purl and how to knit with dpns. She is knitting up a hat for her son. She did great with everything I taught her, it was me who messed things up. I knit the first round of the hat, and she took it from there. When she got to the end of the second round she noticed that there was something wrong. I checked her work and it was fine, it was me who cast on the wrong number of stitches. Don't ask me why I thought the first round went fine, I must have been talking and didn't notice my mistake! Some instructor I am. I stayed up quite late last night reworking the hat and it is now where we left off.

Lithuanian Amber sock progress

I am pleased with the colors I chose for this sock. I also have corrected the problem with the line forming where the needles meet, so I feel this project was well worth starting. Especially since I will be teaching Arlene how to knit the dpns. I don't want her to make the same mistakes I have done. The only thing I am worried about is running out of yarn. I will hope for the best.

Lithuanian Amber Sock

Lithuanian Amber Socks

I found some left over yarn and decided to start the Lithuanian Amber Socks found in the book Folk Socks by Nancy Bush. I need practice using double pointed needles as I always seem to get a line where the needles meet. I think I have figured out what my problem is, and hopefully these will turn out nice. I am using different colors than they used in the book, but I didn't want my yarn to go to waste, and I have been wanting to knit a pair of socks from that book. I hope to post a picture tomorrow.

Here are some books I would like to own. Since funds are tight right now, I was wondering if anybody else owns these books and what there thoughts are on them. I am determined to design my own sweaters and other knitted items, but need all the help I can get. If anyone would like to write a review of one of these I would really appreciate it.

Almost Done

The Button Hole Bag is almost done! All that is left is the felting. For some reason I always get a little nervous when it comes to felting. But at least the size is not a major issue with a bag. At first I wasn't happy with the color combination, but now that it is knitted up, I like it a lot more. This is a present for my sister, who does not knit but appreciates knitted gifts, whose birthday is coming up. I hope she will like it.

Pre Felted

Button Hole Bag

Okay, so I know I have too many projects going at one time, but my sister's birthday is coming up and I decided to make her the Button Hole Bag. The pattern can be found at Mason-Dixon Knitting. It is one of the cutest felted bags I have seen. I have had to make some adjustments to the pattern- I am using size 17 needles instead of 15 as I knit too tightly and I am afraid the bag would end up too small. It knits up real fast, I am almost done, I just have the handle to do, which I am going to do in the lavender color. This bag would be great to give as gifts and the neat thing about it is you can use what ever color combinations you want. The Mason-Dixon website has many examples which are adorable.

Button Hole Bag

Scott's Sweater

I have decided to finish one of my UFOs that I started last year, but didn't get very far. I have been wanting to design sweaters of my own, I would like to think that I am creative. I am knitting Scott a sweater basing the pattern from the Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns by Ann Budd. I am currently working on the back of the sweater, and haven't decided what I am going to do with the front. I am thinking of putting a cable down the middle. I usually don't like using acrylic yarns, but Scott does his own washing and I would just be sick if he put a wool sweater in the washing machine. So, I have chosen to use Encore so that it can be machine washed. I am now in a frantic hurry to get it done before sweater wearing season is over. If only I didn't have to work!

Scott's Sweater

Magic Loop Socks

I attended the Seattle Stitch 'N Bitch group again tonight. Molly showed me how to knit socks using a circular needle. It looks much easier than knitting with dpns. As soon as I can buy some new yarn I want to try this method. I will keep you posted.

Llama Along

Well I have joined my first knit a long, the Llama Along. It is hosted by Freddy Knits. The reason I wanted to join this one is the yarn they are using looks wonderful. I have never used fiber from llama before, I also like the natural colors. I think my brother might really enjoy this hat.