Spring Fling (Tangerine & Lime) bag

Here's a bag I designed for the Bag-A-Holic Yahoo Group. The pattern will be available to members of the group for the month of March. It was made with Rowan Handknit Cotton, and Katia Idea Jeans ribbon yarn. The embellisments were made using a pattern from Nicky Epstein's book entitled "The Hat Book".

February Mid-Month Dishcloth KAL - finished

Here's my February mid-month dishcloth. I loved the challenge of this pattern. I used size 5 needles and Rowan Handknit Cotton. It's too pretty to use as a dishcloth!

Science Project

I'm calling this a total science project. I have been making the Double Woven cloths with Peaches & Creme. But..I found a skein of Sugar'n Cream at Michael's in this Summer Splash colorway. However, please notice that it never got to looking like the other cloths made with Peaches & Creme. Some varigated fibers will work perfectly with the double woven pattern, but obviously some WILL NOT. I decided to knit the entire skein because I knew I wouldn't be using the leftovers for anything.

And more Double Woven Dishcloths

More Double Woven Cloths - All Peaches & Creme, top (faded glory), middle (teal ombre) and bottom (raspberry swirl). All on size 7 bamboo needles.

Hooked on Darrell

I'm still hooked on Rhonda White's Double Woven (Darrell Waltrip) pattern. These were made with Peaches n Creme (Sunrise and Lemon-Lime)

February Dishcloth KAL - Happy Valentine's Day

Valentine Cloths from the February KAL. Sorry about the BAD photo. I just couldn't get the heart stitch definition with my flash, so I had to take this photo in the sun, and my window was in the way!

The cloth on the left was made with Louisa Harding Nautical Cotton (100%) and the one on the right was made with Manos Cotton Stria in Cherry. I loved working with the Manos. It was a chenille type fiber (100% cotton) and extremely soft, perfect for a face cloth!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Is it Christmas AGAIN?

It's definitely WINTER....but why is my CHRISTMAS cactus finally blooming in February?

Yarns selected for Vaguley Vegas Bag KAL

I finally decided on the yarns that I will be using for the Vaguely Vegas Bag "Bag-A-Holic" KAL. I want to be able to felt it, so most of the fibers that I selected are wool, with the exception of the Berroco Optik. Here's what I will be using:
Some left-over Noro (purple, lime, yellow wool blend), Berroco Foliage (green), Berroco Keltic (purple-pink-white) - Keltic is a 50% wool, 40% acrylic, 10% nylon blend; Cascade Pastaza (golden yellow); Cacade The Heathers (purple); and the ringer of color (which will not felt) is Berroco Optik (48% cotton, 27% acrylic, 20% mohair, 8% metallic & 3% polyester.
Okay, so now I have to wind the skeins into balls...and begin the project.

Progress on Wakame

I've been knitting since I got home Friday night, with a few breaks for meals & sleeping. I need to give Kaleidoscope Yarns a thank you for getting the same dye lot to me quickly. I ordered the additional 7 skeins I needed for this project on Monday afternoon, and they were in my mailbox on Friday morning. Thank you! www.kyarns.com

I really love this new yarn from Berroco. It's no wonder that it is called "Love It". I have the main four pieces of the jacket/top done. I still have to knit the sleeves. I may do both at the same time on one set of needles.

Now I'm a Sunflower!

I am a Sunflower What Flower Are You?

Tuesday I was a Calla, today I'm a Sunflower.......??

What Flower Am I

I am a Canna What Flower Are You?

Berroco - New Yarns for Spring 2007

So, I have start-itis....I couldn't resist beginning this today. I ordered a few sample skeins of the new Berroco yarn Love It, and Nostalgia, and the Yin&Yang (Berroco booklet #262). Both yarns, and the book are 'new for Spring 2007' . Much more information can be obtained from the Berroco website. www.berroco.com
I absolutely LOVE Berroco yarn, and this Love It is great. It's a blend of 58% cotton, 38% acrylic and 4% polyester. It has just enough stretch to make working with it pleasant...and the stitch definition is very nice. I am making the asymetric jacket shown on the front cover. ( I have to order 7 more skeins of the brown that I'm working with.....although wouldn't a really thin stipe of turquoise or pink look nice going sideways on the right front piece??)
now, just a warning.....I'm working the right back piece first, and talk about lessons learned...I read thru the entire pattern...OHMYGOD, what a concept!...and what do you think I saw??? Those simple words "AT THE SAME TIME".....so you will see in my photo how anal I am in using the laptop to type out the pattern, and highlight it as I complete a row. I sure hope this will go easy. I've really struggled with poorly written patterns lately. (However, I have had a very minimal amount of trouble with Berroco's pattern instructions as a whole.)

On two side issues, I worked up the swatch for the Vivian Hoxboro Kimino that I'm making, and I have a question on the instructions regarding row 11 of the guage swatch. Seems that the instructions (as far as I'm reading them), and the chart do not match. I'm going to get a 2nd opinion from a knitting friend to see what she thinks.

And so, that brings me to the other side issue. I'm not much of a football fan, and I was happy to hear that my LYS is going to be having a Charity Knit-In tomorrow afternoon. We're participating in the Red Scarf project, and also knitted squares for blankets to donate. I plan on meeting up with Luisa and we'll go together, then grab a bite to eat afterwards. I wish I was able to get DIY network. Vickie Howell will be hosting a knit-in beginning at 5PM. I've been fortunate to get Knitty Gritty on HGTV, but I looked and HGTV has a different program scheduled for that 5PM time-slot. Tivo will catch anything "knit" related, so perhaps HGTV will air it at a different time.

That's all for now!

2 scarves - one finished, one in the works

I finished the blue/green scarf , and started the dark green multi-directional diagonal scarf this week. The blue/purple/green was made with Berroco Foliage.

I'm using Filatura Di Crosa in Print 127 for the dark green scarf. I love the fact that it isn't a totally varigated fiber. If you look at the skein you will see mostly mossy green. I love the way ths is coming out. It almost looks like plaid. It will need some blocking and steaming when I finish it. The pattern is very easy....it's a pattern designed by Karen Baumer. The pattern can be obtained here:
http://douma.net/Karen/knitting/Accessory-Scarves/Multidirectional_Diagonal_Scarf.htm

February Exchanges

I've finished my February exchanges that I participate in with the At My
House Yahoo Group. Both will be going in the mail to my partners on Monday. The first is for the Dishcloth exchange, and the second is for the Barbie outfit exchange. I made a cute miniature potato chip scarf. Simple, cast on 50 stitches, kf & b of each stitch (100 stitches) kf& b of each stich (150 stitches), and bind off. Voila...a mini potato chip scarf!

more trouble with the Shell Tank

More trouble with the shell tank from the Knitting Nature Book.
Okay, so I have to frog the right front piece again. (this will be the 2nd time ripping-let's hope that the yarn holds out)
Once I layed it out, I had to ask myself, why the heck did I knit so far past the armhole...it's not a wrap-around...hahaha...
At any rate, view the schematic....I didn't READ one very simple sentence in the pattern...simply stated 'AT THE SAME TIME'. So, while I was happily knitting away working the increases on the wrong side, I did not read "AT THE SAME TIME" increase on right side rows....I thought I was supposed to start the increases after I got up to the armhole. I have an idea that I might make a real-life size paper pattern of the piece so that I can check my knitting as I go. I am SO DETERMINED to make this darn tank!!!!!
see where it says "AT THE SAME TIME". I will never miss that in a pattern again!

Goodies in the Mail

Most days I dread going to the post office because I usually get bills, and nothing fun! But yesterday, I was so pleased to see a priority box. It's Terry Ross's brand new book. It even came with a few skeins to work a quick project. There are 12 felted bag projects in the book, and isn't the one on the cover so lovely. Terry Ross is a fellow member on the Yahoo Bag-A-Holic group. She has also designed several patterns for Crystal Palace Yarns. All of the free patterns can be accessed at: www.straw.com

Terry autographed the book too. At first glance the patterns are very clearly written. Each month features a different project, and I already want to work up several of the bags. Congratulations Terry, and Thank YOU!

If you are interested in obtaining a copy of this book, please visit: www.terryrossdesigns.com

A few more cloths

During the week I worked another DW cloth, and started this matching ballband cloth today. It's the famous Mason Dixon cloth and can be obtained at
http://tinyurl.com/26cw7l