Mmmmmmm... Yarn! New Stash!

Using a coupon in these economic times, of course. I have plans for the Quilla colorway (a very subtle wash of pink over white) in both the Luscious Single Silk and Silk Thread II. Wedding related plans... The rosebud silk is just because it is pretty.
And of course, the March shipment of Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock club. "Gertrude Skein" in shades of roses, meant for the yarn Harlot's twining Rogue Roses pattern. I am looking forward to it, but it may have to wait.
Also in the works are a few baby sweaters for some expecting friends. One of them is a boy and the other we don't yet know, so I also got Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's Baby Mine and Baby Yours patterns!

WIP: Scuba Diving Surface Interval Shrug

It is rare when I feel the need for a sweater in Hawai'i: Woe for a knitter!
But I felt the need this winter. The water in the Pacific around Hawaii has been about 5 degrees colder than last year, and I have felt the chill between dives. I have been wearing various sweatshirts and a knitted cap, but wouldn't a sweater be that much better?
Requirements for surface interval shrug:
Wool (exothermic in salt water)
Warm (the water is 71 degrees in winter and we have had rain, clouds, and crazy wind for the past 2 months)
Long sleeves, closely fitting, can be shoved up while bending over rinse tank or boat lines.
Short enough to not get wet from folded down wetsuit.
Long enough to keep torso warm.
Fold-up shawl collar for back of neck warmth, can be folded down if remaining in hooded vest.
Color: Nice with black wetsuit, swimsuit colors, and sunburn.
Washable: Not only from salt water but the microbes present in salt water.
This yarn is Cascade 220 superwash in a color very rare for my stash! I was reaching for the usual periwinkle blue when this dusky rust caught my eye.
Pattern is Aran Cabled Shrug in Kaya Wool... and here is a pisser: What is up with "Aran Weight"??? The pattern calls for Aran weight, Kaya is bulky, and the store owner said that Aran and Worsted are about the same thing. Can we just agree on WPI or something?
As it is: I have not gotten gauge at all (of course) but would like it tighter fit than the pattern calls for. We shall see.

THIS is What I Am Up To With These Gloves!

I LOVE this! I am done with one fingerless glove and just started on the second, but couldn't wait to share!
Those of you making the socks will recognize that I began with a few rows of ribbing around the knuckes to "grow" into the beaded cross pattern...
...And then grew the cuff ribbing out of the pattern as well! Plenty beads: I divided them up into two little bags and strung half on half the yarn. I had enough leftover to string them all around the ribbing on the cuff. Enough yarn leftover, too: For those doing full fingered gloves to the elbow length, you shouldn't have a problem. I did this pattern in the small size? 50 stitches after the fingers were all joined were increased to 60 stitches around the knuckles, and reduced to 54 stitches for the beaded pattern. Used #2 needles, predominately, with size #3s for the cuffs.

What Am I Up to With These Gloves?

Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock Club selection January 2009: Yarn is "My Blue Heaven", beads are an azure blue, pattern is Queen of Beads by Silvia Harding...
I got the kit on... January 31st? Not too much later than the California kits. I love the idea of doing beads. I have never knit with beads, but always thought it would be fun. I love the beaded and twisted cable pattern, but do I really need another pair of socks? Beaded socks? What about pretty beaded mitts? On the club blog Deborah did beaded mitts: So pretty! So I started a pair (only I like fingerless gloves better than fingerless mitts: The fingerless mitts always seem to roll back...
What do you think?

Purpose.

It is supposed to be the culmination of a knitters work, the reason for the craft, the act of love: We are supposed to keep our family warm. Am I less of a knitter because my family lives in Hawai'i and has no need of knitwear? Or am I just a warm, purposeless knitter?

Finally, a commission for warmth! My mother shall be traveling to Ohio later this month, and presented me with a task... Nay! A Quest! In my mailbox, she wrapped up an old crocheted hat, a new, beautiful skein of yarn, and a note of her somewhat cryptic, long and loopy handwriting.

The hat I should use for sizing, as it was loose, warm, and comfy, and had a thick, turned up brim that had the dual purpose of keeping the ears warm. The yarn was purchased from my friend Jan at the farmers market. Jan has the Hawaiian Homegrown Wool Company, and has raised the Romney wool, sheared, cleaned, processed, spun, dyed, and skeined up the yarn for sale at the farmers market.
I used Marnie MacLean's Nautilus pattern, and since I deny gauge swatches I just ripped into it... and ripped it out twice when it was too large. When it covered my ears, I added a purl row turning ridge (which was a bad idea since it wants to turn under like a hem instead of out like a hat!) and finished the brim on smaller needles and reduced 10 stitches for a somewhat too sporty ribbed brim.

The flower is somewhat abbreviated from Sweet Honey Beret by Faina Goberstein, published in this winter's Interweave Knits. Both the model hat and the pink yarn skein weighed 80 grams, so I figured I was safe, although I know nothing about crocheted yarn usage. This hat was knit from the top down, and I figured a white stripe would set off the white and pink flower (although it could have been a narrower stripe). I spun the white yarn to match, using Jan's roving. As it was, I nearly ran out of yarn, and the white stripe was needed for length. I finished the hat, and used the tiny bit of pink left for the flower. I have only a length of about 12 inches left of the pink! Perfect!

DBF thinks it looks totally 20's and very pretty, and he thinks Mom will like it. And it will actually be worn against the cold! Maybe even in the snow! So exciting!

2008 Socks and Holidazed are Done!

What a fun pattern this was! Quickly memorized and just flew along. Maybe it is because I followed the pattern to the letter and only knit 6 inches of ankle: I have been making medium sized ankles and small sized feet to reflect my proportions, and ended up with 64 grams of yarn left over!
This was the last of the 2008 Blue Moon Fiber Arts Rockin' Sock club installments, and I loved them all for various reasons. I am looking forward to 2009 club, which my awesome DBF bought for me for an Xmas present, and I even managed to finish all 2008 before the first 2009 kit arrived!
This was Holidazed by Anne Hanson, in the beautiful colors of Muddy Autumn Rainbow.
And with props to Nartian, who did it first, I give you a recap of 2008!
Serendipity, Lucky, Cleopatra's Stockings, and Holidazed. Missing are the Sweet Tarts that I gave to my mom, and the Cloning Anemone Rib for my cousin. Yay!

Finished! Blue Celtic Knot Purse

I am very happy with this bag! It was a quick enough knit, with the cabling keeping it all fun. I finished it a few days ago, and completed a lining with a ton of pockets a few days later. Yesterday I sewed in the lining, placed all my crap into the pockets, and took it to dinner and the theater, where a random woman in the lobby complimented it!
The wool and the button I purchased for this specific purpose at Weaving Works in Seattle when we were there for DBF's cousin's wedding. One of the only times I have ever used the correct yarn for a project!
I back-stitched along the cables with a double-strand of the contrast yarn. Other than the double-strand, I didn't even modify the pattern much:
I made the button flap longer and wider.
I made the handles longer by only one repeat (10 cables each).
The pattern seems wrong in two places: Purling should always be done on the correct side (there is a note about this on Ravelry) and I made the decreases on the second short side match the increases on the first short side.
Felting was resistant: I worked the bag in hot and cold water in the sink, without much shrink. I spun it in the washer, then threw it in the dryer until it shrank around the plastic netting. It could still have used more felting.
The only thing I would change isn't a knit problem at all. I should have made the lining from a thicker material: As it is, the lining is so thin that all my gear just falls out of it. A stiffer, stronger lining would have kept everything separate, and perhaps help the bag stand up.

I Love this Skirt!

This skirt is finally done and I love it for these reasons: It is comfortable, cool, washable and dryable in machines! It has a cute flirty ruffle and lace cut up to there! But still can be dressed up or down.
This is Indigo Ripples Skirt by Kat Coyle from Interweave Knits Spring 2007. It took me several tries to get gauge (okay, I never really did) and I lengthened the stockinette portion for modesty, added short rows for a more curvaceous butt, and ended up only doing about half the lace portion of the pattern. I then threw it in the washing machine! And the dryer! It shrunk up a bit but not badly.
It took me from June 3rd to January 1st to actually get it done, and therefore is the first completed project of the new year. I also made it out of cheap, dishcloth cotton... which I purchased on sale at Ace Hardware for 60 cents a skein, meaning this skirt cost me just over $6!
I wore it out to sushi the other night and am just totally in love with it.
As for New Year knitting: DBF gave me a wonderful Christmas gift and renewed my membership with Blue Moon Fiber Arts Rockin Sock Club for 2009 (which there was no way I could have afforded this year!) So that gives me 6 socks for this year (as well as the last one from this year). Like this skirt, I am always looking for cool, wearable knits in a tropic environment. Any ideas?

Finished Cloning Anemone Rib Socks

These socks don't fit me, because they are not for me. I knit these up for my cousin, who apparently loves warm wool socks! I am constantly amazed when people like socks, because I am surrounded by people who hang out barefoot. Or with slippahs.
My cousin is going through breast cancer treatment, and in the face of all this, she remains amazingly giving: She keeps all her cousins and relatives informed, and is even going through further testing to see if we are at risk (genetic pre-disposition).
It was nice to knit these for her. It was nice to think about her with each stitch, to send her good thoughts. And somehow the cloning anemone pattern reminds me of the repetition of good, healthy cells.

Also? The very last Blue Moon Rockin Sock Club installment came in the mail! I love the color on the skein but worry about how it will look all striped up?

Sweet Tart Socks for Mom are Done... What is Next?

After ripping out the first of the gumdrop socks (used too much yarn. But pretty pattern!) I cast on for the alternative pattern for the July sock, with better success: I still have a bunch of yarn left! These are for my mother, who enjoys the pastel colors much more than I.
So what is next? I wound up the September yarn, which I find to be beautiful!