2011 "Do Your Own Thing" KAL - All are welcome.

[wiz3283]

Good morning ladies. I am feeling a bit better today and ready to start knitting away again.

 

Shelley your sock look great. I love the Zombie color yarn you are using.

 

Carla - Sorry about the yarn. I too have had yarns that ended up too scratchy for my tastes or just refused to become what I had in mind for it.

 

Patty-Can't wait to see what's next. You do beautiful work.

 

Darlene - Is there really such a thing as too much yarn? Can't wait to see your finished scarf. It is going to be very soft and cuddly.

 

Off to my local crochet and knitting group to see what everyone has been up to over the holidays. I hear inspiration calling. Just what I need, more Wips.

 

Have a great day everybody!

[HomekeepingGran]

Carla, that's a bummer about your scratchy wool. We're waiting patiently to see what's going to strike your fancy next.

 

I have a sneak peek at my sock. I need to get the second sock started while I'm still gung ho.

 

Your sock is pretty cool. What yarn is that, Shelley? Love the colors.

 

I have a LOT of aran colored yarn that would be perfect for a teen-sized blanket, but not enough yellow, and maybe not the right green.

 

patty

 

Ah. Perfect opportunity to yarn shop!

 

OK, I said I would try to get a picture up and here it is, Coral Gables from Anne Hansen. You may have seen bits of this before since I've been working on it off and on for months now. (Ahem.) I am so surprised at how pretty the color is with red. Hmmmm...

 

[HomekeepingGran]

Oh, good morning, Tammy. Just missed your post. So glad you feel better... I think you reeeeeeally need a few more WIPs to help you recover, ya' know?

[cshell]

Your sock is pretty cool. What yarn is that, Shelley? Love the colors.

 

 

 

Ah. Perfect opportunity to yarn shop!

 

OK, I said I would try to get a picture up and here it is, Coral Gables from Anne Hansen. You may have seen bits of this before since I've been working on it off and on for months now. (Ahem.) I am so surprised at how pretty the color is with red. Hmmmm...

 

[ATTACH]32935[/ATTACH]

 

Good for you for bringing out another WIP. The texture on that shawl is great. The color is perfect for winter! Okay, okay- or spring.

 

The Zombie BBQ is a Lorna's Laces shepherd sock yarn. It's the first time I've worked with it. I've been obsessed with zombies (in a comical way) for a few years so the name hooked me and then I saw the colors and they were right up my alley.

[wiz3283]

Good morning ladies. I hope you are all well and warm this morning. I managed to add about 6 more inches to my baby blanket and about ten rows to the front of the Monk's tote. I have been getting distracted by all the wonderful new projects I have seen on Ravelry and by some of the new kits on Knitpicks not to mention all the new yarns! My mind is racing at all the possibilities. Time to real it back in and get some of my wips done first.

 

Carla that Coral Gabels is gorgeous and I LOVE that color.

[Needle Arts]

'Morning. Light dusting of snow overnight. Expecting more in a couple days. Such crazy weather winter. Have a dentist appointment this morning then knitting group at library this afternoon for chemotherapy hats. I'm new to the group and looking to make some new friends and get out of the house. They supply the yarn and patterns and I'm itching to start. Good progress on my scarf. Made it a little too wide but it will be warm and the width made it easier for a first try with DP needles. Working on socks still seems daunting but that's my resolution for 2011.

[HomekeepingGran]

Afternoon, everyone. Just put a giant potato in to bake and split for dinner. Something hot and comforting is on the bill of fare for tonight because we got more than a dusting of snow! It's about 4-5" deep out there. If we got snow more often than we usually do the roads might actually get sanded but as it is, the road department just isn't equipped for taking care of snow. It melted on the roads today and will freeze onto them tonight. Uh oh.

 

Thanks for the nice words over my Everlasting Coral Gables scarf. (I need to name it that on Ravelry.) For some reason I don't particularly enjoy knitting this pattern although I love the scarf itself. Kind of hard to get in there and get it done. Annnnddd... makes it super easy to be distracted. What will I knit next? :dreaming One of these days it'll be finished.

 

In the meantime... how's it going, Brave Knitters?

[readstar]

Well, I've finished the scarf, will have to wait for someone with a camera phone to take a pic for me. I still have a bit of the yarn left, not enough for a new project, I'm thinking I will crochet a little bit of fringe on it. -EDIT- I crocheted the ends together and made it a cowl. Still haven't shown it to the mil, but if she doesn't like it, it may stay with me!

[wiz3283]

Readstar - I can't wait to see it.

 

Morning all. Hope everyone is safe and warm. I have been slowly working away at my monks bag and the baby blanket. the blanket is now at least 1/2 way done. The pattern is extremely easy and works up in no time (provided you actually take time to knit). I have been busy with job interviews lately so haven't had a lot of free time. Have to pay the bills somehow right? Can't wait to see how everyone is doing and what new things everyone is going to do this year.

 

Have a great day everyone.

[Needle Arts]

Bouncing around between projects. Finished two adult sized chemo caps. Have some pretty variegated yarn and can't decide on a pattern. More practicing this morning.

[cshell]

Readstar- A cowl sounds great. Can't wait to see it.

 

I'm plugging away on the calf increases on the first sock. But I also started a baby blanket for the NICU charity. And, I too, have been browsing more patterns which I need to stop doing. I refuse to have more than two projects going at once, it makes me too nervous.

 

Sounds like everyone is knitting away and enjoying the snow. Today we had a bright blue, sunshiny day with a high of 67 - wait, did I just say that out loud.

[HomekeepingGran]

Hey, guys. I've been reluctant to post since I often seem to be a Thread Killer. I post and everything goes reeeeeeal quiet for several days. Hmmmm... ................. .

 

Are pics of your cowl coming soon, readstar? LOL, I know that feeling: if my recipient doesn't like it I will keep it! Been there, thought that.

 

How is your monk's bag and your blanket coming along, Tammy? And I guess I should ask, your job interviews? I hate to see you have to take a job. You won't have time to knit or crochet so much!

 

Ah, I have a friend who will start chemo soon. Are you using that elastic yarn, Needle Arts? Seems like I read somewhere that it hugs a bare head better than regular yarns but I really don't know anything about it. There are some attractive patterns for chemo hats on elann, though. Which pattern are you using and from where, if I may be nosy?

 

I do better with only one project at a time too, Shelley. Unfortunately I have a few more than that hanging around. Now are you making knee socks? It sounds kind of like it with calf increases.

 

At the moment my MIL is here and the Coral Gables lace is intended to eventually be a gift for her, so it's in hiding at the moment. Actually I pulled the hated wool back out and am crocheting a hat with it. It's going pretty fast. I'll have to tell you that some of our grandchildren were here yesterday and I showed them how wool will spit splice. Then we got out a scrap of knitted wool and the three of us felted that scrap up in about 10 minutes by scrubbing it in a sink. (It had been a gauge swatch for the misbegotten sweater that will never be.) They were so excited, especially Kati, 9. They knew wool comes from sheep but had never heard of felting. It was so cool to them to completely change the character of the fabric from loosely knitted individual stitches to this thick, firm stuff. They took the scrap home with them to "show and tell" to family and maybe at school. I told them a little about how felt is used. So fun. Should have gotten pictures.

[wiz3283]

Hello Ladies. The sun is shining and it is going to be 78 today. I am off to the hammock to get some good crochet and knitting time in. Hope all of you are safe and warm. I hope to finish the last of the monks tote pieces this week so I can start assembling. It might help if I weren't constantly distracted by the great weather. Happy Knitting everyone.

[DesertCrocheter]

I'm knitting two more of the shawls for my sister, and finished one last night. It's the same color as mine (my sis and I'll be twins!), and will start the other tonight in light purple for my other sis. Luckily it goes so fast I should have it done in three nights, so my mother can hand deliver them for me.

 

Then I think I'll need to crochet for a while just for a change!

 

Patty

[HomekeepingGran]

Tammy, you have good weather? How nice. We've been overcast for days and days. It doesn't particularly bother me but it does many people. How can you knit or crochet in a hammock? I can't imagine. Seems like your elbows would be knocking the sides of it all the time. LOL.

 

Got any pictures, Patty? I would love to see your finished shawls. Great that you don't have to mail. Moms are great couriers sometimes.

 

I'm crocheting away on my hat. As usual, I slowed down once it got quite a few stitches on it. I'm nearly ready to start the brim and trying to decide if it needs to be a bit wider than the pattern calls for. I kind of like wide brims. And I always keep knitted cotton warshrags going but I must say, I haven't touched one in a few days. Once my MIL goes home this weekend I will pull Coral Gables back out. I want to finish it!

[readstar]

I'll post a pic of the scarf/cowl once I can get someone to take a pic!

[HomekeepingGran]

Oooops, Coral Gables will have to wait again. I told a friend last night I would like to make a chemo hat for her. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in December and starts chemo at the end of the month. I'm thinking I'll make a non-felted, crocheted hat of cotton and a knitted, watch-cap style, but with feminine details, for her. She wants RED. With all caps. LOL. She said she really loves it.

 

My own crocheted hat (to be felted) needs several more rounds. I thought I was about through but decided to rip back and make the brim, well, brimmier. So I'm morphing two patterns together and hope it will work!

[wiz3283]

Hello Ladies. I was hoping to get my monks bag done this week but I think its going to have to wait just a bit longer. I got a request from my sister to make her another rectangle granny ghan to match the first one I made her. I asked her if something happened to the first one and she said "YES The Dh stole it and claimed it for his own. " She wants the same colors so that they both have matching ghans that she can leave in her living room sine the first one I made her was for her love seat. Its really a pretty plain but simple ghan that works up quickly so I am almost done with it. I will post pictures when it is finished. I did manage to finish the baby blanket but forgot to take a picture of it before I gave it to my friend. maybe I can get a picture of it with the new baby, She is due in February.

[HomekeepingGran]

How is everyone doing? I've been a tad under the weather (had the flu, actually) but nothing that isn't passing. I feel much better today and am mainly just tired now.

 

My crocheted hat only needs to be felted, I guess. I'm scared about that at little, having never felted before, but it's just a leetle bit big to wear like it is, LOL. I had hoped to get to my LYS, which is actually an hour away, during January because they have a 10% off everything in the store sale then. So far it hasn't happened. Not sure it's going to, either.

 

What has everyone got going? I guess I ought to order some yarn for my friend's chemo cap. Any suggestions on that?

[cshell]

Hi Everyone,

 

Seems we're all still working away. I know I'm a slow knitter, what's everyone else's excuse?

 

I am super close on my first sock. This is my second pair ever so I have no idea what I'm doing. I decided to try a k1 f&B to make increases and I don't like the way it looks. I think for the second sock I will try an m1 instead.

 

On the other hand, crochet is second nature so I almost have my first NICU blanket of the year completed. It's a Dot Matthews pattern from here on the 'Ville, the basketweave pattern.

 

Carla- Hope you're feeling better. Have you decided on a yarn for the chemo cap? I wish I had suggestions but I don't. It seems natural fibers would be best but you just don't know how the chemicals will react with each individual. I'm with you in guessing the softer the better.

 

Enjoy the week everyone. Happy knitting.

[Needle Arts]

Finished my scarf and can't decide whether to add fringe or not, it would look more finished. Tried top down socks on size 2 metal needles (3 times) using four needles. I can't seem to get past about the third row of k2,p2 ribbing without dropping a stitch or two as I'm fumbling try to control my needles and move stitches. Frogged it and now observing the ball of yarn from a distance. Okay, this was just my second project with multiple DP needles and obviously need more practice. Any pointers?

[cshell]

Well, this is an easy fix. It's one of the first things I had to learn, obviously.

 

Let's see if I can leave a link for you. She is demonstrating on larger needles. I keep a handy dandy crochet hook close by when working on socks. Good luck, hope it helps.

 

[HomekeepingGran]

Finished my scarf and can't decide whether to add fringe or not, it would look more finished. Tried top down socks on size 2 metal needles (3 times) using four needles. I can't seem to get past about the third row of k2,p2 ribbing without dropping a stitch or two as I'm fumbling try to control my needles and move stitches. Frogged it and now observing the ball of yarn from a distance. Okay, this was just my second project with multiple DP needles and obviously need more practice. Any pointers?

 

I personally don't like metal DPNs. I use wood or bamboo because of their "stickiness". But a lot of using DPNs is just practice, no way around it. You might also like knitting with two circulars or magic loop. With any method you have to watch for ladders and learn how to tug up the work to eliminate them.

 

I am nearly done with a little sunhat for a friend who started chemo this week. I have not particularly enjoyed making this hat, possibly because the cotton yarn has made my hands so tired and maybe ('ya think?) because I made a bunch of stupid mistakes and ripped and re-ripped in order to finally get it right. I would like to order/buy some better yarn and make her a second hat in a different style. Haven't quite decided yet, though. It's hard to know exactly what another person will love and use.

 

Is everyone knitting away in the storm?

[mclendon1]

I'm knitting along, slowly. I am loving it. Right now on the needles I have a Noro Striped Scarf (with the new KP Chroma yarn), a feather & fan baby blanket for my 44yo BIL expecting his 1st child, & a cowl for my mom.

 

The only drawbacks I find for knitting compared to crochet, are speed, keeping up w/ my row count (bought some counters to help), & having to get to the end of a row before I can lay it down.

[Needle Arts]

Shelley, thanks for the link on stopping a ladder and picking up stitches. I used bamboo needles on my scarf and they were indeed much easier to work with. I'll have to look at some wooden needles in smaller sizes for socks. Charity knitting group meeting on Valentine's Day and want to get at least two more hats completed by then so will start on one of those today.