Skip to main content

On the Needles

Finishing so many projects not only feels good, but gives me permission to start new ones - perhaps the best part about knitting.  There's really nothing like starting a new project - even though I try to keep my startitis in check these days, I really love the feeling of casting on for something new that excites me.

Here's what's currently on the needles:

1.  Super secret sparkly cowl!  I can't show you the particulars, but I'm working on a new sparkly cowl design using The Wool Dispensary's Useful Irradiant. 
2. Socks!  I started these while in Phoenix, and over this past weekend I finished the first sock and started #2!  The pattern is based on Judy Sumner's Kyoto Socks from Knitted Socks East and West (I'm just using the chart, since the pattern is for a different weight of yarn).  I got this yarn (Trekking XXL) at the Sweatshop of Love Holiday Party/yarn swap last December!
3.  Laceweight Shawl! Wait a second....after that last lacy shawl debaucle, wasn't I swearing off such projects?  Yeah, that lasted long.  The thing is, I've been wanting to use these two pretty skeins of Malabrigo Laceweight in Ibiza that have been in my stash for a few years....and I couldn't resist the Pear Drop pattern from Ysolda's Saturday Treat.  This past weekend I finished the lace border and picked up for the body of the shawl.  It's at that tough-to-photograph stage, but it's going to be gorgeous!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

App Review & Giveaway: Stash 2 Go

The developers for a paid Ravelry app for iPad and iPhone called Stash 2 Go contacted me earlier this year to see if I was interested in writing a review or their app on their blog. While I don't own an iPad or iPhone, I was able to gift a download to a knitting friend who had an iPad and was willing to let me play around with it for the purposes of this review! This is the first time I've ever accessed Ravelry via an app (on my Android phone, I typically use the m.ravelry.com site), and I found most of it to be easy to use. Some of the features weren’t intuitive to me at first, but once I got the hang of the idiosyncracies, it was smooth sailing. Stash 2 Go makes the most of API functions Ravelry has opened up to developers (there are still several areas which have yet to be completed in the Ravelry programming interface, so developers can only implement what is available through www.ravelry.com/api ). Most of the app's functionality allows the user to view the ...
1 comment
Read more

Australian Superfine Merino Yarn Review & Giveaway

After more than ten years of knitting, I can still have new experiences - even with well-covered territory such as merino yarn! This recent merino experience actually took me by surprise: I've spun with it, I've dyed it, I've knit with it, and I've even crocheted with it...I was pretty sure I knew all there was to know about merino! Turns out, there are four different classifications of merino fiber, sorted by micron count range . At the bottom of the spectrum is Strong Merino , which ranges from 26-22.9 microns; above that is Fine Merino , which ranges from 20.1-23 microns; next up is Extra Fine Merino, which ranges from 20-15.6 microns; and at the very top of the heap is Superfine Merino Wool , with a micron range of 18.5-15.6. If you're into numbers and wondering how these four classes stack up against other fibers you may be familiar with, here are a few for comparison's sake: BFL (Blue-Faced Leicester) has a micron range of 24-28, Cashmere goat down ...
68 comments
Read more

A Finished Sweater, With Cat Hair

After losing Tilly and Robin within a year of each other, I sure didn't think I'd be finding cat hair in my knitting any time soon. But the universe had other ideas. Over the winter, a white feral cat adopted us. I'd noticed her when we moved into our apartment last summer - I would see her hiding in the bushes or sunning herself in the grass when she thought no one was looking. I assumed she was someone's cat until I realized how skittish she was around humans, plus she had a tipped ear, which is a universal sign that a feral/stray cat has been spayed. Neighbors confirmed that she was a feral kitty (descended from several generations of feral cats, in fact), and that she has survived on her wits and whatever food various residents put out for her.  We had some bitterly cold days over the winter, and I just felt so sorry for this poor kitty! I started offering her treats and slowly gained her trust. She didn't even want to come inside our apartment at first, much le...
Post a Comment
Read more