Knitless

No progress on knitting today. I did learn how to disassemble the door of my microwave to diagnose why it stopped latching. Thanks, Internet!

Brewing Tea

Nearly done with the lattice lace section of Afternoon Tea.

Julia in the Gym

In honor of the women's gymnastics I'm watching right now, here's the beginning of my Tea with Julia shawl getting going during my daughters' gym lessons yesterday morning.

Sprinting

Horrid dark unblocked shot, but that is a freshly bound off edge of the Multnomah Woodland shawl I started last night. One of three planned shawls for the Ravellenic games done! A bit smaller than planned as I was running short of yarn.

The Games Begin

First several rows of Woodland done as I watch the opening ceremonies.

Needles at the Ready

Julia will be on a size 6 and Woodland on a 5. I would probably choose a 6 for both if I didn't think they may overlap in execution.

Will likely wait to cast on until watching the ceremony tomorrow evening even though I could officially cast on around 4. Pageantry!

Good thing there will be plenty of Olympics to watch, because I have just run out of Doctor Who on Netflix. Could always go back to the classic seasons, I guess.

Ready for Tea

Also wound my Julia Child Nichole yesterday, for Afternoon Tea. I don't know which of the two shawls will end up on the needles first come Friday. I may just flip a coin.

Woodlands Wound

Ready to cast on for Multnomah on Friday.

Swatching

Had an idea for a simple wrap on the way home from work. After feeding the children I took a scrap of Noro from the leftover bag to play with some short rows.

Just bound off the interminable edge of the sampler shawl. She needs a good blocking, but I really like the shape. Would like to write up a proper pattern with the same construction.

Bordering on Sloth

Lazing about watching Doctor Who and starting the garter border on my Jewel Sampler shawl.

FO Friday

Textured step cowl, take 2, finished up this evening.

Non-Fiber Spinning

My husband is packing tonight for a weeklong bicycle ride across Iowa. There will be a full day of riding a bus to the far side of Iowa before the ride starts, and any number of postride hours to fill. He has two duffles of various bikey things, and the bike itself, and the shoes and whatnot. On a solo trip of similar duration, I would be packing ridiculous amounts of yarn.

Hyperbole

I've made two of these hyperbolic crochet washcloths recently. They were quite interesting to watch develop, even via my crummy crochet skills. I found the pattern here: Hyperbolic Crochet Scrubbie

Wilting

Too hot again to think about knitting, and my wrist could use a break this evening. Maybe I'll wind yarn for a Ravellenics project. Or open a beer and a book and go to sleep at 9:30.

Step Two

Cast on another textured step cowl last night out of leftover Boku. Have just joined the second skein.

Textured Step Cowl Recipe

  

This reversible cowl recipe can be worked in your desired yarn and chosen gauge by doing some simple calculations from a gauge swatch.  Circumference, height, and needle size can all be adjusted to suit your personal preference and chosen yarn.

Materials 

• Artyarns Golden Siam, 420 yards (held double to approximate worsted weight) or your chosen yarn
• 16 inch circular needle, US size 7 (4.5. 0mm) or size needed to obtain your desired gauge
• Stitch marker
• Tapestry needle

Gauge: 3.5 stitches per inch in sample, or adjust to suit
Circumference: 28 inches or adjust to suit
Height: 8 inches or adjust to suit

Preparing to knit

Knit a swatch in pattern stitch that is at least 4x4, or big enough to judge that you are producing a fabric with the drape and density that you desire.  Once you've settled on a yarn and needle that are working for you, determine your gauge in stitches per inch.

Gauge: ____ stitches per inch

Decide on your desired circumference:  ____ inches

To estimate the number of stitches to cast on, multiply your circumference by your gauge.  Estimate: ___ x ___ = ____

Your cast on number needs to be multiple of 6 plus 2 additional stitches.  Subtract 2 from the cast on estimate above, then divide by 6.

___ - 2 = ____

___ / 6 = ____

Did your estimate divide evenly by 6?  If so, great!  If not, add or subtract a few stitches to your estimate until it is a multiple of 6 plus 2.  

Calculated cast on number:  ____ stitches

In the sample shown, the circumference is 28 inches and my gauge was about 3.5 stitches per inch.  28 x 3.5 = 98.  98-2=96.  96/6 = 16.  So my cast on number was 98 stitches.

Pattern

CO calculated cast on number from above (98 stitches in sample shown).

Place marker to note beginning of round. Join to work in the round, being careful not to twist.

Row 1: *K3,P3*, repeat between * to last 2 stitches, K2
Row 2: K1, *P3,K3*, repeat between * to last stitch, P1

Row 3: P2, *K3,P3*, repeat between * to end of round

Repeat these three rows until piece is 8 inches tall or desired height.

Bind off all stitches. Weave in ends.  Block if desired.

Aged Stash WIP - Textured Step Cowl

Testing a cowl idea with yarn from the aged stash. Holding this particular yarn double at the moment.

Vanilla whip

Almost a FO, need to weave in ends sometime between now and winter.

Aged Stash Project - Vanilla W(h)IP

Just started this hat tonight from leftovers in the aged stash. The alpaca is soft and pretty and has an angelic halo. It also makes me itch and sneeze and makes my face tingle, so it's a good thing this hat isn't my size. I have a wrap made out of it that I really enjoyed developing the design for and cannot wear. Oh well!

Aged Stash Project - Ruffle Shrug

This one was finished while I was on vacation in Central California in early June. I tried to get a photo of it on but it was too awkward to self-photograph.

Aged Stash Project - Comfy Dolly

Another project from the older stash made recently. This is a crocheted doll blanket that used up all of my Knit Picks Comfy. Improvised pattern, yarn held double.

Aged Stash Project - Fluffy Bit

So where did the yarn go between April and August? The pink Possum Lace WIP became this scarf, doubled on large needles and ruffled at each end. It's currently in the "to be gifted" pile in the stash cabinet.

Aged Stash Update

In comparison to the April aged stash shared yesterday, here's what left from that group of yarns as of today.

I'm thinking maybe hats from the purple merino and white alpaca, but no real plans for the rest as of yet.

Aged stash

As of April, these were my oldest yarns in the stash, over two years old. I've been focusing on knitting out of this group since spring. You can see the yarn that became my Summer Maple shawl near the front on the right. The WIPs in the picture have finished, with the exception being the baby sweater in the front, which was frogged and repurposed.

Woodlands

Here's the yarn for my second Ravellenic challenge, a Multnomah shawl from the Prism Saki.

I've had this skein for just over two years. I bought it in North Carolina while visiting extended family. One of the step-aunts-in-law was another knitter and we went yarn shopping at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop.

I've stashed it long enough! Time to get it knitted up.

Julia

This skein of Schaefer Nichole in the Julia Child colorway is earmarked for one of two shawls I plan to knit for the 2012 Ravellenic Games. The pattern I'm planning on is Afternoon Tea from Knitty. I bought the yarn in our first trip to Chicago, a year and a half ago. The project will compete in the lace, stash, shawl, and single skein events.

An Extra Day

Having a Wednesday off is just weird. I've spent today doing some of the things I wish I had more time (or motivation) to do around the house. Some of them were mundane, like going through the books in the office to weed out items to donate, or actually putting the bags for Goodwill in the car. Syncing my phone with the main computer so it can download the latest OS (and upload 23 months worth of photos). Some were more fun, like loading up a laundry basket full of my newer yarn and taking it outside to get photos, then updating my Ravelry stash. Photo shoot was very quick because it is still brutally hot.

I downloaded the Wooly app this afternoon and it's ultracool to update Rav right from my phone. I recommend it.

Maple in the Breeze

Took Summer Maple out on the porch in the scorching afternoon heat to get a picture. When it's 40 degrees cooler, maybe I can wear it.

Candid Jewel

The small one, playing with my phone during her sister's gymnastics lesson, snapped this shot of my shawl in progress.

Summer Maple

Christmas Day, 2007: I receive 3 skeins of Knit Picks Shimmer lace weight yarn in the Maple Leaf color way as a gift from my husband, along with other yarns. It is lovely and appreciated.

Sometime later: I discover that I do not love knitting lace weight yarn. Very much anti-love, in fact. The Shimmer remains stashed.

June 2009: we move from California to Indiana. The Shimmer comes along.

Years pass. A few times a year I pull all of my stash out and rearrange, photograph, and otherwise play with it.

April 2012: I decide to make a concerted effort to knit up some of my older yarns. The Stash Knit Down group announces a lace weight along as a stash busting challenge. I decide to knit the Shimmer into Elizabeth Zimmerman's Pi shawl, the July pattern from the Knitter's Almanac.

April-May 2012: I plug away at the shawl, which is easy enough to be relaxing. Eventually I start to add a faggotting edge. I wonder why I don't like lace weight.

June 2012: I edge. And edge. And edge. I begin to think that the pattern is named Pi not because of the increase pattern but because it is infinite. I edge some more. I remember why I don't like lace weight. Finally, at the end of June, cast off and sew up the edging. I put the unblocked piece over my shoulders and like lace weight again.

Today: I crawl around on the floor of my office for an hour trying to figure out how to block the damn thing into the semblance of a circle. Hate lace once more. Eventually fold it in half and pin down the diameter straight, then ease the curved edge out.

In the end, it is quite lovely. I could end up with lace weight amnesia in the wearing of this shawl.