February 29, 2008

Leap!

So I was entering the birthstone socks on my Ravelry last night and having a look at my projects. There's not one sweater on that list. I never went back and entered all of my older projects on Ravelry, many of them had long since been gifted away and a few I'm not so proud of now and I didn't blog back then so hauling things out and photographing them was more than I was willing to take on. So most of the items on my project page are things I've knit in the last year or so. A lot of socks, of course, a couple of scarves and (after the Christmas knitting) quite a number of hats. No sweaters. Rarer even than leap years.

Speaking of the birthstone socks, they're ticking along nicely. Also why don't I work in twisted rib more often? I'm enjoying the pattern, the lace is simple but pleasingly engaging. Yummy yarn too.


But back to the sweaters (or lack thereof). I have knit sweaters. Quite a few in fact, though some more successful than others. As near as I can recall the last sweater I knit was the Christmas before last - a top-down raglan for my Dad. My Dad is a fairly big guy and likes his sweaters very plain, so I can see how it might have taken it out of me for a while, but over a year? I certainly didn't make a conscious decision not to knit sweaters. Maybe I just didn't feel I had the time to take on a big project, or maybe it seems like a lot of yarn to buy at once.

When I went through the stash before storing it away I noted that I didn't have a sweaters worth of anything, but I certainly have lots of sweater patterns. Patterns that I have intended to knit. My Ravelry queue has several sweaters.

I need to get back to knitting sweaters and there are currently several good reasons why I should. My brother is getting married this summer and Adam and I will be in Canada for his wedding. I'd love to make a nice little summer sweater to wear to some of the family functions. Summer sweaters are small, maybe that's a good place to start. Also I'm engaged now, and it's time I knit Adam a sweater.

So I'm doing preliminary reconnaissance. Looking at patterns, plotting whether it is better to try and find yarn here or order from overseas. Easing into it.

Nothings going to happen too quickly though, because at the moment I am completely obsessed with Norwegian Snails. These ones:

click for big

Yeah, I can't explain it either.

February 26, 2008

Heads and toes

No points for guessing what this is.


Ah Kureyon. So pretty and yet so frequently vexing. Why is it so often the case that the best this yarn looks is sitting there in the ball? This time I seem to be lucking out and things are still looking good. This colourway, 149F, is about as neutral as Kureyon gets, I think, and the pattern works with the yarn rather than against it.


Another hat for Adam, who has gone way above and beyond for me this week. He does like a knit hat, though we've been having unseasonably spring-like weather recently so this may be the last one for a while.

Also in gift knitting: anyone remember this?


One of the yarns from the Chevron Scarf Fiasco (let us never speak of it again). I came across this Fleece Artist Merino the other day and was reminded how nice it really is, despite the fact that it didn't work for it's intended project. The colourway is Amethyst, the February birthstone, and as it turns out my soon-to-be Mother-in-law has a birthday in February. Perf! She won't get them anytime close to the birthday, of course, but it's a nice idea anyway.

I hunted around a bit for a little scarf or wrap, but defaulted to socks (I know, look surprised). I'm thinking something something a little lacy for spring. I'm thinking Hedera. This semi-solid should make the pattern interesting without obscuring it. Also despite ogling many, I've never actually knit one of Cookie's sock patterns.

Off to cast on and try to follow the NHL trade deadline via the Internet. Because apparently you can take the girl out of Canada......
look! alp!

February 24, 2008

Good Dog

.




very good dog



Vetta 1993-2008

February 19, 2008

Two hats

This hardly qualifies for a finished object post: Adam's hat is the one I knit on the plane on the way over. No pattern to speak of, just ribbing. The yarn is Berocco Peruvia and is very soft. Too soft I suspect to be durable enough for a sweater, but very nice for a hat.

awwwww.....

My hat is the one that was started in the leafy period back in January. I finished it before I left but didn't get around to blogging it and I didn't need to wear it until I got here. The pattern is Foliage from Knitty. I almost certainly could have gone down a needle size, but it's a great hat.

I'm afraid I still don't have a whole lot of knitting to show for my time here. I've been working on a pair of socks. Often I work on them while listening to podcasts on my laptop - which I do when I get to the point where I really need to hear English for a while.


This is another one that I'm largely making up as I go along. The yarn is Elann Sock it to Me 4ply, which I haven't used before. Shortly before I left Canada a bunch of this went up on the Elann site and I'm always on the hunt for good solid colour sock yarns. So far it's not the softest, but we'll see how it washes. It has a nice hard twist and great stitch definition. If you've got a pair of cabled socks in you queue this is a yarn worth considering. Can't beat the price either.

Happily I am finally feeling settled and have been considering some bigger projects, so things should get a little more interesting soon.

February 12, 2008

Home, away.

Long distance moves are never simple, but for some reason this one has had some complication at every available turn. I'll avoid the gorey details, but even I was surprised to look at the calendar and see that it is nearly mid-February.

As promised, the Alpine booties were finished and felted before I left Canada.

Fuzzy Feet
Teresa Vinson-Sternson Knitty
Patons Classic Wool


They've come in very handy indeed. Apologies for the iffy photos, I'm working with different light here.

Also finished were the Bootsocks of Betrothal. I was at first shocked that it had taken me a month to knit these, but the pattern is fiddly. The result is good thought. All those crossed stitches make a really dense fabric. They do fit (only just) though I have not yet managed to get an 'action' shot.

Uptown Bootsocks
by Jennifer Appleby
in Favorite Socks
Dalegarn Sisu


I'm glad that I had these to work on in that last crazy month. They kept me busy and focused and mindful of what all the crazy was for.

I decided against socks for the plane knitting this time, opting instead for a small project I could have done in the course of the trip. I decided on a simple ribbed hat. I cast it on to a bamboo circular the night before I left and had no problems with security. And due to some "issues" during travel I ended up having to clear security three times in three different airports. Fun. Hat photos will have to wait for next time, as it is being proudly worn to the Netherlands, where Adam has gone for a couple of days of meetings.

That's the old stuff dealt with, and actually there hasn't been much new knitting since I've arrived. Within a couple of days of getting to France I was felled by some sort of Euro-virus which wiped a week out of my life. I'm feeling a bit better now, but I'll save the wip shots for next time, if only to have some filler. There's nothing very exciting.

I also haven't yet had much of a chance to see what's on offer locally. I have made contact with a group of local knitters through Ravelry, and I'm hoping to meet up with them in the next week or so. I'm hoping they'll be able to give me to inside info on stash aquisition - I'm already a little worried about how long the supplies I carried with me are going to hold out. Very disconcerting!

I want to take a moment to say thank you to everyone who has sent good wishes and wondered how I'm doing. It's been a time of huge change and sometimes has felt a little overwhelming. It's good to know that there are people out there thinking of us and wishing us well. Thanks. I'll keep updating here, stay in touch.