more color

after i finished my infinity scarf the other day, i was itching for another colorwork project. i searched ravelry, looking at other projects using the yarn leftovers from my scarf. but instead, i settled on a fun hat with a pompom, free by bernat!



i used the bernat "mosaic" for the variegated, and a red heart yarn for the solid. the pattern is written to knit flat, but i converted it to in the round.





i knitted all day saturday. literally. after i got home from getting the yarn (for which i had coupons) (it's a $6 hat!), i knitted knitted and knitted. i was still knitting just before midnight.

sunday morning, i got up and made my pompom, sewed it on and steam blocked the top section of the hat. i didn't want the steam anywhere near the ribbing.



this hat was all about the pompom. i really just wanted a hat with a pompom!

finished!

yes, i finished my epic scarf! this is probably the most fun project i've had knitting in quite a long time ... each section being a different color combination, and a different stitch pattern ... each section requiring some thought and planning ....



i finished yesterday? i think. i steamed it today. and i wore it.

OMG! it's heavy! it's 14.1 ounces. that's a lot of acrylic !!!

i'm glad to be done, and i'm already working on a followup project ... a hat, in acrylic.

but, here's some pics of my infinity scarf ... the pattern can be found here (ravelry link).







i did wear it out today. i did get compliments. oh, how women suffer for fashion !!!

it's almost over!

i started this infinity scarf before christmas. i knit on it as often as i can (meaning, when the light is good, and i can think clearly about which colors or motifs i want to use next).

today, i was talking to mom, and realized that it's perhaps almost finished.

i had sent her this picture of it across my sofa ....



she says, "isn't it DONE yet?! ... i mean, it's as long as the sofa!"

me, "hmmm ... well, maybe it is .... "

i measured. it's about 59" right now. according to the pattern, the designer knitted hers around 62".

so now, i have to reconsider the next set of colors i was going to knit, as they'll be in very close proximity of the other end of the scarf, once it's sewn together.



here's my most recently finished section, waiting for "what's next" !

well, i think i know "what's next" now ... i need a row for stuart. i need a section of red with little white hearts. 'nuff said.

this picture is of stuart when he was merely a babe ! he's coming up on his 6th birthday in february too !

a bit of crochet

sometimes a bit of crochet is just what the doctor ordered when i run into a knitting slump or challenge.

i have found this really pretty shawl pattern while searching on ravelry. this pattern is yet another example of how fabulous something can be after not noticing it before based solely on the pattern page itself.

this is called country cotton shawl and is a free lion brand pattern (of course, they will want you to login to their site to take advantage of their free patterns). BUT, their version is crocheted with a light colored solid yarn.

i found some really fabulous colored and variegated versions on ravelry ... which i shamelessly copied.



i used a craft store yarn too ... it's Premier Yarns Serenity Garden in colorway "gems". it was on sale at the craft store for cheap cheap cheap. i used between 3 and 4 balls. now, it is a microfiber yarn, with lots of little plies that love to split, but if you crochet with care ... it's no problem.

i really love the colors. i have worn it once since finishing, but will wear it more once the weather warms up (to me, it's definitely a summer shawl).

before ... (THE HOLIDAY) .....

before christmas, i was more into my crochet vs. knitting. and i found this really cute pattern via ravelry.

this pattern was originally published in print, but it's also available via the internet.

just follow this link and then click on the download for the pdf.













i mean, who doesn't just love a garland of trees?! ... as the pattern recommended, i did use the yarn red heart & sole. i already had 2 of the 3 colorways in stash, and i think this yarn is perfect for the pattern.

the finished garland was sent of to live with leanne. so now i'm making one for me  =)

on the needles now ...

i posted my finished socks, but now i want to share what i'm working on now. i currently have 3 (active) projects on the needles.

i always need something mindless to knit. something i can literally knit in the dark. seriously. a plain stockinette stitch sock ... if i do the ribbing ahead of time, i can can knit the leg in the dark at a movie theatre.

and sometimes, my mind is to scattered to be able to focus on a pattern, so a plain sock is good medicine.

that sock right now is this one knitted in kroy sock yarn.



i have already finished the first sock, and am almost to the heel of the second sock (i had a lot of 'waiting time' this past weekend).

what i ♥ love ♥ about kroy ... it is self patterning. it's inexpensive. it wears very well. it's easy care. and, it's a little heavier than the standard fingering yarn, so i can knit it at 56 stitches on a size 2.75mm needle.

it soothes the soul .....

i know a lot of knitters love their luxury yarns. i love luxury yarns too, but truth be told, i love easy care and convenience too. besides, i can't always afford the luxury yarns.

craft store yarns are often on sale, and if they're not, they can be gotten for cheap with a couple of coupons. okay, 'nuff said about the awesomeness of kroy =)

next up on the needles is a mystery sock!



for my regular sock knitting group (SKA) on Ravelry, one of this month's options is to knit the mystery sock.

i don't usually knit the mystery sock (one of which is offered every other month), because as much as i love surprises, my knitting time is small.

but, this month, the designer is Rachel Coopey, and i just adore her designs. so, this was a "no brainer".

how a mystery sock works ... the featured designer releases a total of 4 "clues". the part you see right now is part of clue 2. we get clue 3 tomorrow. i haven't finished clue 2 yet !!!

i've just not had a lot of knitting or personal time, so i'm a bit behind on everything. i will finish clue 2 sometime this week (which is really only 4 or 5 rounds).

but so far, clue 1 included the solid colored cuff, and clue 2 has been the stranded leg portion. who knows what will be clue 3 ?!

the last project i'm sharing is my personal favorite right now. i'm knitting the "my favourite things" infinity scarf. i'm knitting in acrylic. yes. acrylic. it's vanna's choice.



this is just a close up of a small section of my scarf. this is after i blasted it with steam. in the machine knitting world, we say things like, ... "steam kills !" in backpacking we say, "cotton kills!"

so, steam on acrylic is a good thing, if you like the results and don't want to reverse them (the steaming is permanent). steam relaxes the fabric, and adds some drape.

i have tons of pictures right now in my ravelry account, and on flickr.

it's just fun. fun. FUN. and it's a blast of color. last month, joann fabrics had a 'coupon commotion'. they let me use all my 50% off coupons to buy yarn (because the yarn was not already discounted). i bought 10 colors then, and then 2 other colors later.

i know i should be stash busting, but hey, i'm a knitter ...........

better late than never, right?

i have been B U S Y. i will not "air my laundry", but will instead, get on with things.



i finished these socks in november as part of the october SKA challenge. the pattern i used is called Bremen Muster by Kristin Benecken. it is a free pattern via ravelry, though it is more a "recipe" vs. a detailed pattern.

i wanted to knit it because it was a bit outside my comfort zone. instead of using short rows in the leg, it used "rows", ... thus the little slits on either side of the "bubbles". i also used one of my craft store yarns, deborah norville's serenity sock weight. i used the colorway "surf".

often, this yarn is on sale at my local craft store. so this pair of socks probably set me back under $7.

the next pair of socks i finished was for the SKA november challenge. i had gone to SAFF in october, and scored both the yarn and pattern for this pair for cheap cheap cheap!

this pattern is allover texture ... and is appropriately named bricker by anne hanson. when i was at SAFF, i visited miss bab's booth. she had a sale rack of patterns, and a sale bin of yarn. the yarn i got was a discontinued yarn base, but still superwash. the socks are quite scrunchy, and i've already enjoyed wearing them!

ps! i cannot figure out why this block of text is mini!




this is probably my favorite pair of finished socks, year to date.

when i got home for christmas (before the holiday), mom and i "cheated". after all the witnesses have gone to bed, we open a gift each.

my gift was in broad daylight, a basket full of yarn! but, each hank/ball was wrapped in colored tissue.