:: shadow's igloo :: cashmere socks ::
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feb 23 :: half-turn
after a few false starts, managed one sleeve that fits nicely. proud of adding a few short rows to add to the front width, and the red is a knitted rose ala max that i think i will copy onto both cuffs.
began yesterday playing around with lopi combinations for child sweater and ended up with a fairly good start on one, but i think that is for next entry and the beginning of a new page. i have taken a few more stash shots that will create a 4th yarnarama page, meaning 12 colorful bits of stash, most of them needing far more than a month to knit up, so i am most definitely looking at over a year, trying not to make that turn knitting into work, but i am feeling something strong about it. still, it will be easier than losing body pounds...
have i told you lately how much i love my eMac xoxo panther-mare
pictures from Meadow visit
(if you don't have fast connection, don't try the 3-in-1 movie : ))
feb 21 :: yarn-arama
a few colorful pages of stash done, many to go. finishing cashmere socks did not do a lot to lighten my yarn load, there is enough left for a hat, which makes me happy knitting-wise. i am going to be at this yarn-weight-loss project for awhile. one thought is to begin working at one section of the mess, say one particular shelf and watch it go empty. if i started out with lopi, it would *seem* to disappear faster than the thin yarns... i do enjoy having several projects ahead in my thoughts and several of those are lopi at the moment(see page one of yarnarama)
feb 17 :: silk braids & cables
received my reward from Alchemy for hat knitting, enough of this beautiful red silk to make a vest. i plan on using the catnip mouse stitch, a 4 stitch braided cable, not seen very well in photo, for some of it, shoulders and bottom edges. best pay i have ever received in my life : )
stitched up a catnip mouse that had been hanging around undone, and added a tassle to tail, liked it so much, i updated the pattern to include the idea. i have truly enjoyed hearing about people's experiences knitting the mouse, and passing it along to others... it has made its way to new zealand
and here also is karl's sweater (super closeup here) i am happy with it so far, still nervous that i will stall further along as i did last year.
round trip is being a fun knit, chunky highland(from elann.com) is a hit with me. of course i couldn't leave the pattern alone, having made the band larger, the back shorter to compensate, now the sleeves, which include the front are to be filled in working out towards cuff, and i'll have to work out the beginning number of stitches.
wound some red & yellow orange naturgarn for next dulann hat, plan on finding a 2 color design from wyverns book. and bent a willow circle for framing igloo roof but it didn't come out quite big enough, so must find longer willow piece. i am wondering about long cedar root from the hill, i think traditionally they were used in basket making. the not big enough willow tho may work leaving a bit of overhang and the wall can become larger on the way down, slant could be gorgeous.
along with all this fun, my daughter is coming for the weekend, so, one happy knitter here. wishing this joy for all of you.
Feb 15 :: sidetracked
this pattern is in the same knitters issue(#72) as the hood i was knitting, and it suited elann's chunky highland, which i don't have enough of, but did have some regular weight highland and a bit of luxury alpaca, so the band is happening in that. i tried making this before in kureyon but it didn't suit me. not sure this will either, but i have been impatient to work with the chunky.
experienced my first big test of the year in not buying yarn discovering that noro's shinano is on sale @ carodan farm . i managed to resist and have started taking pictures of my yarns so that i can quickly go look at what is already here when temptation happens.
our house was built more than a year before we were able to move here, and during that time we got very used to being here in its empty zen-ness and we both find we miss that now that we are here with all our gear. my yarn stash is very-very-very-not-zen. here is a photoshop elements made panarama of my view from the knitting chair. i know there are ways of keeping this wool that would be completely eye appealing, but i also think less would be better. much less.
i could knit for several years without shopping for yarn. part of me wants to have just a few projects on hand, another part loves to see goo-gobs of warm colored yarn
next visit to the journal, i will have some pictures of karlie's sweater which is growing inch by inch. i've been stumped for awhile on shadow's igloo, i have begun soaking some willow to make a circle support for the roof, i think if i can see this done it will help me to see how the walls should be. i am thinking that i will knit it in the round, will be my very first steek (so new to me i am not sure how to spell it) to create a doorway ...
its also on my mind to knit a water-bottle cover with a new knitting friend, i'd like to do something new to me there too. i have jury duty the next few weeks, could have lots of time for daydreaming, at least on the 40 minute drives.
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