A Simple Shalom, Y'all

Shalom
Originally uploaded by sunasak

I have been wanting to knit something with this particular yarn ever since it came in to the shop early in the spring. It is a very bulky, lumpy yarn in mottled grays that look a lot like the river rocks and the lovely smooth stones on the Irish coast where rivers join the sea. I just couldn't find anything that was right for it, pattern-wise. Plus the yarn is really expensive (even with discount). It's Farmhouse Yarns "I Am Allergic to Wool" and is mostly cotton, but a strand of shiny acrylic gives the yarn its texture and just a little (not too much) zing. I just fell for that yarn. Totally not my usual thing, but so what?

On Wednesday or Thursday I literally stumbled on the Shalom cardigan while staring at something. Maybe it was the Lime and Violet Daily Chum, which has lots of inspiring ideas in it. It is that shape I like so much and called for bulky yarn, so I figured I was all set. I bought 4 mega-costly skeins of this yarn and set out to make yet another overly expensive shrug-like item. I can't help it, I like them.

So far, my issues are:

• I have to use size 8 needles to get close to a right gauge, and this yarn would prefer a 10 in my usual gauge (calls for 11 on the label). So, wow, it takes some effort to make the stitches. I do think it will actually end up the right size, though.
• Also, the patterning on the yoke of the sweater will not show up in this lumpy yarn, which I could have guessed. That does save me hours of knitting and purling through the back loop with inflexible yarn, so yay to that "problem."
• It is my hope that the sweater doesn't end up too big. It is quite a flexible pattern, so I am not too worries. I am thinking it will go quickly, too. That will mean I can keep on with Maelstrom.

I have a photo of my newest socks, too. Always have some socks going! This yarn is really nice, and is self striping, but randomly so. I have been going on about my love of bamboo for quite some time now, and Twisted Fiber Art Kabam! stuff does nothing to change my mind at all. Such lovely colors that blend in and out! And they don't hide the patterning, as far as I can tell (I only have one pattern repeat done, though, since I have been concentrating on the shawl mostly).

Maelstrom is going fine, but not fine enough to merit another photo. Maybe after the weekend, when I don't have too much planned other than knitting and watching football. Too bad this week it's the funny Manning brother on, not the extra cute Manning brother, who was on last night (I loves my Mannings, but that is not a knitting topic).

I look forward to tomorrow, since I know I have at least one student, and hope another one or two show up. There's one (hi to her if she is reading) who I have really been enjoying the progress of. Everything she has made has been so pretty--even her first scarf! She has such great taste in yarn that I know she will be scary in a few months when she has all her learning curve completed!

I'll probably be back on Monday, so until then, keep up the knitting, and say hi if you feel like it!

I made a hat, and am progressing on the cardigan

White Sideways Cardigan in Progress
Originally uploaded by sunasak

I thought I should prove that I actually am working on that white sideways cardigan from Vogue Knitting. See, here it is. I have noticed on Ravelry that a lot more people have finished them. Probably that errata helps. I did just print that out, and even landscape it is one TINY chart, but I think it will help when I get to the top of the sweater. What you see here is more than half of the lower back. It's still a little thin, but this is the best yarn I could find. Of course, NOW I will have time to check out other yarn shops, since I have no job (but, that will take gasoline, which then means I am wasting money, sigh).

I also made a hat for my son's 15th birthday (which will be on Thursday). It is another pattern from Son of Stitch-n-Bitch, the Ski Beanie. I made it in Cashsoft Cotton DK rather than the wool Cashsoft stuff, since we are in Texas and all. The hat fits, though the boy has so much curly hair it's hard to get it on. I think what he wants to do is wear it while his hair dries, to flatten it out, for some mysterious teenage boy reason.

He was very impressed with the hat, which calls for knitting it up flat, then seaming it (for no reason as far as I can tell--if I do another one, I will do it circularly and save a LOT of purling). He came in with it and asked, "Mom, where is the seam on this thing? I can't find it!" I turned it inside out to show him, but he is right. I have really got that mattress stitch thing down! You can't even see the black yarn in the green trim! Take that, prospective employers! I DO have some mad skillz at something!

Well, I have lots of knitting to do on this US holiday weekend. I have already talked to my dad and thanked him for his hard work serving his country (he played baseball to entertain the troops, because, as he said "I just wasn't cut out to be a trained killer"--guess he knew he's end up a Quaker in his later years!). I mostly want to send sympathy for all the families worried about their sons and fathers who are doing the work they are assigned, not complaining, and just hoping to come home alive. It takes a lot of strength to serve in the military, and I think, even as a pacifist, I can honor that!

Again I Am Happy with the Random Number Generator!

Urban GypZ Hand Painted Twisted Sock Yarn
Originally uploaded by sunasak

A quick post to say how happy I am to get to knit with this Urban GypZ yarn (from the Loopy Ewe), so thanks, Random Number Generator! I'll have those Undercover Escalator Socks done by the time my bus ride home is finished, so I get to make something with this really cool stuff. I think I am going to use that interesting rib that the first Sock Wars socks were made from: K3, P3 on one row followed by K1, P1 on the next. They'll zoom!

I am also really, really enjoying knitting my second attempt at the Sideways Cardigan from the 2008 Vogue Knitting (especially having already read the errata!). The Cascade Pima Tencel yarn feels almost as nice as Panda Cotton. It is very, very soft, and lighter than plain cotton. It also is not splitty, at all. If you ever need a worsted weight cotton that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, this is a great choice. I'm through three pattern repeats on the back. I won't be worried until I get to that intimidating chart for the top part!

My son has asked for a skater cap, so I plan to get yarn for that tomorrow, for him. He will be pleased, and it will go fast. I am going to make one in shaker rib out of that same Stitch-n-Bitch for dudes book I made both boys items from over the past holidays.

Forget Me Not Socks, the Pair

Forget Me Not Socks, the Pair
Originally uploaded by sunasak

Here at last is a photo of the socks I finished on Tuesday. I forgot to upload the photo yesterday, but it IS a good one--the colors are really accurate.

These socks, Forget Me Not from a pattern I linked to on July 31, are really comfy and soft. Panda Cotton really feels "dry" to the touch and has a very matte sheen. They just look and feel like they will be cool summer socks! I'll test that over the weekend! They also look good with capri-length pants, which is not true of regular-length socks IMHO. And pastels were a nice break from my trend of more saturated colors. All in all, even though the edge is a bit loose, I liked these socks. I like the second sock better than the first, because I tightened up my knitting and the holes came out looking better. Also the pooling was more interesting with the slightly tighter gauge.

Next?

So, with all the socks I knitted from late June until the beginning of August, you'd think I'd be zooming off on my next one.

Nope. I have this beautiful Sea Wool sock yarn in the amazing colorway Hercules (pictured in the sock yarn post on the top). I cast on for the socks on the yarn label, like I mentioned in my last post, and got 3 repeats into the pattern on Wednesday. Well, ICK. My crappy knitting style, or the fates, or something, caused there to be a gap between the K2tog and the SSK. No matter how tightly I yanked those stitches, the gap was there. It didn't help, probably, that the gap was strategically placed to fall between needles (however, I was magic looping, and even gapped where there was no needle break). WAH. I'll try the pattern some other time, because I do like it.

Then I said OK, I will try the eyelet lace free Wendy pattern on the Loopy Ewe site. I made a really nice toe with a wonderful Turkish cast-on and marveled at the things the yarn was doing. Then I did 3 repeats of THAT pattern. Well, it looked like crap. You could not see the eyelets and the knit accent stitches were big and stretched out. The yarn and the pattern did not like each other. So I frogged that, but kept the pretty toe.

I said, OK I will make something up, as we were driving to Artz Rib House in Austin to eat barbecue and listen to the fabulous Chris Gage and Michael Austin (plug for friends). I tried a slip stitch pattern that resembled linen stitch. Well, yes, it looked good. But, duh, the slip stitch part was shorter than the bottom of the foot part. Nope, couldn't do that one unless it was only on the leg, and it would take up a lot of yarn. Frogged that.

Came home in a foul knitting mood. I knew what I wanted. It was something with a uniform texture that would mottle the colors even more than they already are, to make it look "tweedy." Then, lo and behold. I spied the package that had come in the mail from Loopy Ewe land. It contained a pattern for a very simple sock featuring a nifty texture pattern based on doing something interesting with a slip one, knit 1, PSSO (not an SSK). AHA! I tried THAT one, and yay!!! It looks really cool. Even Lee said so ("That part of the sock looks different. It's cool.").

So, on the fourth try, the Sea Wool socks are at last chugging along.

Bonus, Mail Call

Though I have made all these socks in the past 5 weeks or so (like, 5 pairs!) I now have more sock yarn. I am having a HARD time resisting the work of fiber artists. And today's mail contained two more sock yarns--one is that Smooshy Dream in Color yarn in "Pale Fire," which is pink with tinges of mauve/light purple in it. The other merino blend sock yarn in really subtle and lovely shades of violet and is called New Jersey in Superwash Me by JK . Oh I am bad. But, but, I did manage to buy nothing in the latest release of stuff at that addictive site!! And I even got to it before it was totally picked over!

OK, so...I also got two sock patterns, that simple one I mentioned earlier and a complex Cookie A model. AND those cute wooden sheep sock blockers everyone else seems to have. They will make sock photo time a little easier, and are just so CUTE. I think I' will keep recent socks on them, and put them on display.

Forget Me Not Socks in Progress, Vogue Knitting

Forget Me Not Socks in Progress 2
Originally uploaded by sunasak

Now you can see the current project, and exactly how far I am with it at this very moment! The very pale pastels don't photograph terribly well, but you can get the idea. I like the pattern and these will be good summer socks, but I do have some issues with my knitting.

The very lovely pattern calls for size 0 needles in Panda Cotton, and that is what I am using. I know perfectly well that I need to use smaller needles than called for most of the time, but was too lazy to go get the 00 needles. Plus, I was a bit worried that the splittiness of Panda Cotton would be hard to manage on teeny-tiny needles. So, the leg is a bit loose, and the eyelets aren't terribly pretty. The stretchiness of the yarn also affects the eyelets, I think (Panda Cotton has elastic in it, as well as cotton and bamboo). So, if I use this yarn in another project, I will go down a needle size or two.

I love, love the way this yarn feels. It is sort of "dry" to the touch--kind of like a cotton ball. It just feels like it will be cool when you are wearing it.

I also really enjoy the picot hem edge. In this elastic-y yarn it feels very sophisticated and classy, whatever that means.

Vogue 25th

Hey, cool, the 25th anniversary Vogue Knitting came to my house yesterday. It has the usual "interesting" Vogue patterns (which means mostly things I would never be able to wear or afford to buy the yarn for), but there are a lot of very interesting articles and super interviews. I'd recommend buying this magazine just to read the interviews with the "old guard" knitters and the "new guard" knitters. The new ones have some really good thoughts on the Internet and knitting, and the role of the local yarn shop.

And I just got tickled at the perspective of Alice Starmore in the "old fogeys" section. It's so nice to read about someone being so resolutely traditional. (Though I still wish I could buy her books from the past decade that I don't have, like the Aran book--grateful for the ones I DO have.)

They are selling patterns for some of the past items pictured in the interesting ad section at the start of the magazine (featuring different manufacturers and silver knitted garments). Hee hee, I have pretty much ALL the issues, so I don't have to buy any, if there's any I need. For once, being a packrat is good. I think I am only missing a few issues from when subscriptions ran out at the same time funds did. The relaunch of VK happened right when my 80s craze for knitting launched itself, and at that time I bought a LOT of magazines.

Feather and Fan Tofustie Socks, FO

Feather and Fan Tofustie Socks
Originally uploaded by sunasak

I got these fine summery socks finished on Friday afternoon. They worked up really quickly and were easy to do. Even though I don't like the way short-row heels fit, they certainly are easy! The only part of the socks that didn't work out terribly well was the garter stitch top edging, which wants to curl down. I have seen others put different tops on these, but I like the way these look when behaving nicely. I enjoyed how the green sections swirled and the rest of the colors mixed nicely.

Tofutsie definitely looks better knitted up than it does in the ball. Run out and buy some just for the antimicrobial properties of the chitin!

And I enjoy Wendy Johnson's patterns--visit her at Wendy Knits to see what you'd like to try!

Next...

I'm already well into the foot of a sock out of Panda Cotton. WOOO does that yarn feel nice!! I picked a wimpy baby kind of overly pastel colorway, but it will be nice and summery. The socks are called Forget Me Not, and are an anklet style with a nice picot top edge, which I found linked from the Crystal Palace site's collection of socks from their yarns. However, it actually comes from the Fiber Dreams blog, which is most enjoyable in itself There's a typo in the pattern where you are starting the gusset. It says:

Needle 1: S1, K5, place marker, K5.

It should be S1, K4, place marker... because there are only ten stitches there. Otherwise, a dandy pattern with sweet little florets on it (yes, I am telling the author, LOL).

Pie

In other news, a couple of days ago Sheri at the Loopy Ewe posted a blueberry pie recipe. That very day, my pie-crazed 14-yr-old son made us one, and I would like to report it is a delicious pie that is probably good made with other fruits, too. Her learned that it takes a while for a sauce made with cornstarch to start to thicken, but once it starts, it goes quickly ("Moooom, it's not thickening...MomDude, it's getting too thick!" "Well, take it off the heat, son!") Here is a link to a photo of our pie.

Um, do any others of you have children who call you "MomDude"?

Louisa Harding and Suna

Louisa Harding and Suna
Originally uploaded by sunasak

So, finally here's a photo of my brush with fame at the LYS. This is me and Louisa Harding, from when she visited here and did a little workshop last month (and I carry my sock in progress in the bag I made there, every day). I am wearing my Shiny Green Sweater.

I am so glad that Sarah, the LYS owner's daughter, finally got around to sending me these photos, because I was woefully disappointed in how the sweater looked in the earlier pictures I posted. It's not THAT ugly, honest! I still haven't re-blocked it, but I will one of these days, now that the frenzy of home improvement projects has ended. I hope you enjoy these slightly better pix!

I even managed to sort all my loose knitting instructions, Internet printouts and small project booklets by topic and filed them neatly into binders, all set in a lovely basket in our new media room. I had to use the biggest binder for the sock patterns. It's obvious where my love lies. Lace items came in second (I have more books of that, I think).

My next project will be to find all the patterns I have written up, make them PDF and post them here on the blog. I have sold some copies on the Internet and at the LYS, but none of them are so fancy that I feel the need to make a profit from them. They are just fun things I made and want to share. So, look for them in a sidebar near you, and soon!

In knitting progress, I started Glacier Lake sock #2 and am almost to the start of the gusset. I figure I will get a bit of that done at Chicks with Sticks tonight, and be ready for the next sock...I mean, ready to get back to other projects this weekend!

Shiny Green Sweater, Slightly Better

Shiny Green Sweater
Originally uploaded by sunasak

I'd been promising a better photo of the Shiny Green Sweater I finished a few weeks ago, but the one that a friend took last week still hasn't been sent to me. So, I took one for myself, in the bathroom mirror. I'd hoped the "special undergarment" I bought would look nice, but nope. I think I will get either a solid black or solid white 3/4 sleeve shirt to wear under it.

It's all wrinkled because I hadn't folded it well. I think when I am all settled from home improvements and travel in a week or two, I will reblock this, and see if I can get it to be more the size it was when it came off the needles--the sleeves hugged my arm, and the bottom hugged my hips. I think in trying to make sure the lace was well blocked, the rest stretched out.

Live and learn, only this is live and learn on expensive yarn!

In other progress, I began a cable rib top to my sock, only to find that the cable I was using made the sock not put-on-able. So, 2x2 rib it is. A nice, wearable sock. And this way I can zoom through sock #2 in planes, cars and airports, and try something fun for the next pair. One of the new ones in Knitty maybe.

As for my hair. Well, I got it re-colored yesterday and allowed my new hairdresser to put me in rollers and "set" it. I ended up looking a bit like Tammy Wynette. This photo is after it calmed down considerably. I must say it is silky and smooth.

Quick Completion Alert!

Woo hoo, I finished Slimy Green Sweater yesterday and tried it on at the yarn store to universal praise. At home I neatly mattress stitched the armholes and got the loose ends taken care of, then blocked it. I didn't use pins, just arranged it on the handy new sweater dryer we discovered (AKA a baby gate we are not using to block dogs any more). I think that will really cut the drying time, because the sweater was pretty damp when I laid it out. Of course it looks really BIG while blocking, but the part I blocked before went down to normal size once I picked it up, so I assume this will too.

I can't wait to show you what it looks like! It is so shiny, green and lacy! And flattering!

I started on Juliet from the Debby Bliss Rialto book. What do I do first on it? Knit a beginning knitter rectangle: a big old hunk of garter stitch. I must admit it feels soothing to knit plain on lovely off-white yarn that is soft merino wool that does not split, slip around, bunch up or otherwise cause challenges. It just knits. This is a very simple short-sleeve sweater that has one button in the front. I think it will be great for wear at work, where it's very chilly, with a nice colorful tank or tee under it. And of course, I will be back to the Rosebud shawl now, too!

Still Here, Still Knitting

redsweater
Originally uploaded by sunasak

I didn't post much this week because I have been feeling sick and didn't have much energy to do much other than sit and...knit (of course!). I only have ten more lace rounds on the Slimy...er...Shiny Green Sweater, then a ribbed edge and that one will be done! So, look for a photo this weekend, I hope (we ARE doing a lot of home improvements to our "new" media room this weekend, so I may not knit much, but I will finally have a knitting corner again, so my stash will look pretty). I have enjoyed doing the lace section of this sweater immensely--it has completely made up for the less-than-fun boring stockinette sleeves and body.

PHOTO: Ooh, I found the Rebecca Magazine site and here is a link to the page with a photo of Slimy Green Sweater. It is the first one on the left. Imagine it in grass green.

Today's photo is the sweater I am wearing today, only it looks a lot better on me today, with reddish hair and about 15 fewer pounds. Thank goodness for all that exercise and dieting of the past year and a half!

The sweater is one we had a sample of in the LYS, but in a black cotton. I made it in March 2006 with Gedifra TopSoft, which is a microfiber blend that feels really nice and soft, but, sigh, snags if you look at it funny (like Slimy Green will). It's a Berocco pattern and I have to say is a WEIRD one. The decorative eyelet and cable edgings to the neck, side vents and sleeve (insertion) were really not fun to knit--very counter-intuitive, but they look neat and interesting on the finished product.

Another not -fun aspect was way too much boring plain knitting than I like, plus not being circular (I must note that my seams are beautiful, though I did a couple of them more than once to get them perfect.) I made the arms a little longer than the ones in the instructions. Note to self: don't do that again. The arms hit an inch below my elbow, which makes the sleeves curl up.

Nonetheless, I enjoy wearing this one a lot. Today I have a black tank top under it, and my strapless bra so I won't be so concerned about it sliding off my shoulders. I need to get little snaps or something to keep it up. But, I won't.

Another thing about this one is that, at list price, it would have cost over $100 to make! I am thankful for a discount AND the generosity of the people who gave me a gift certificate for my birthday that allowed me to get it as a gift! The moment I got the certificate, I ran over and grabbed my balls of yarn--I knew what I wanted!

Holiday Weekend Progress

No new photos today, since my kids took the camera with them on a trip, so here's my favorite purse. I made two, one that lives in the yarn shop and this one, which I carried for so long that the handle came off (haven't had a chance to fix it). I guess I made this last year some time or in late 2005. What fun, though! These were my first entrelac projects and I had a BLAST with them. I also made a little holder with a triangular flap for my Palm Pilot in smaller squares, which has been used for lots of other stuff, too. I should write up that pattern. The pattern is from a Berrocco one that's out of print, I believe. I will treasure my copy!

I have been he**-bent on finishing the shiny green top this weekend, and yesterday, in a marathon of congestion incuded restful knitting, I got the body done. Then I looked at it. ICK, it looked just AWFUL. In the shiny (slimy) cotton/viscose blend Mytsik, every knitting irregularity glared back at me--slightly large stitches, slightly twisted sections (how do I do that?), the place where the stitches unraveled because I didn't have a stitch holder and the item was as large as my needles...blah blah blah. I said to myself that I didn't want to waste my time on this item if it was gonna look so bad. So, I stuck it in the sink and soaked it. I pulled and tugged a bit (hey, it's cotton!), then I wrapped it in a towel to get some of the water off.

When I laid it down, just a bit more stretching revealed a whole new sweater body. Yes, there are a few stitches that are a bit large, but it's way more even, lays flat, and is quite acceptable now. So, it's a-drying while I work on the sleeves. I am halfway through sleeve #2 (it is a short-sleeved top). I am knitting it in the round instead of in pieces, too. I hate seams. There will be short underarm seams, but that's all. Once I am done with sleeve #2, I will put the sleeves and body all on one needle and do the yoke. The fun part; the lacy part. Yay.

Also, I did the body on Addi bamboo needles, and I switched to Knitpicks for the sleeves. I am getting much more even tension on the sleeves, so I'm sticking with the Knitpicks for the yoke. The ribbing on the sleeves also looks better, thanks to my new Knitpicks 2.75 cm needle. I am so happy they made ALL the small sizes now. My socks will also be happy with more choices in needle size.

Placemat and Quiz

Placemat
Originally uploaded by sunasak.

Today's photo is one of my placemats. I have 3; I need 6. I will get back to them soon. So far, none of them are the same, because it's been a learning experience. The pattern comes from a rather odd book called Knitting in the Round, which seems to be have put out by a yarn company. The book has lots of slip-stitched afghans in it that are knitted in the round with steeks. Interesting technique.

But the last patters was for a placemat, and I had wanted to knit some placemats, so it was a thrill. I got a whole lot of Peaches and Cream yarn (two cones) in the best colorway ever--it matches all the potential stains that would land on it (actually the colors are prettier than in this photo--the red is pinker--and it is more rectangular than it looks). The first placemat I did followed the instructions exactly. You cast on in a circle, then when you are finished, you sew the seam straight in the middle, to create the rectangle. Well, even though I make lovely seams, I was not pleased with the result. It also ended up bigger than I wanted.

So, on the second one, I used the cast-on knitty.com says to use for toe-up socks. It's a really pretty one, and you really can't see it--looks like the knitting magically just starts going in two directions. As I knit that one, I said, oops. Instead of the center being a rounded rectangle, it veered off to the right and left. Duh. The pattern had you start at one rectangle corner, not in the center of the side. So, it was off balance. Heck, it's a placemat! I thought. So, I finished it, making it a little smaller. I liked the size. And plates sit on the funny spot.

The third placemat came out right, and it's the one in the picture. What I did was cast on two fewer than the instructions called for, then I did a little M1 kind of thing on either end--the genesis for each of the smaller ends. That came out balanced. If I could only explain this intelligibly, I could write it up, but in a different desig, and make a pattern...maybe later! In any case, the placemats wash well and sure enough, wine, mustard, gravy...all blend nicely.

Quiz

Directions: Mark with bold the things you have ever knit, with italics the ones you plan to do sometime, and leave the rest. [Oh yeah, I will comment, I bet...]

Afghan
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl - numerous
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk - silk blend
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL - just not my thing
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Domino knitting (=modular knitting)
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Baby items
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street)
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns (incl. Aran)
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book (I've sold patterns)
Scarf
Teaching a child to knit
American/English knitting (as opposed to continental)
Knitting to make money
Button holes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dying with plant colours
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cosies…)
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items)on two circulars
Olympic knitting
Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn
Knitting with dpns
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living (it doesn't make a living but I do get paid)
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dying yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Knitting two socks on two circulars simultaneously
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener BO
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting (watched someone doing it)
Knitting with self patterning/self striping/variegating yarn
Stuffed toys
Baby items
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mits/armwarmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories
Knitting in public

Whew, I've done a lot of stuff. And still there is more to do--that is why I like knitting!

Shiny Top in Progress

Shiny Top in Progress
Originally uploaded by sunasak.

Here's the other thing I am currently working on. When this extremly "grass green" yarn came in, I just had to get it, and that same day I saw a top in a Rebecca magazine with a round lace yoke in it, which I really loved. It looked like I could wear such a thing a lot. So, rather than the silk called for in the pattern, I am using this nylon/cotton blend, whose name escapes me, but I will add later.

The yarn is a bit "snaggy," and it is very hard to knit evenly on it, but that adds to the "handmade" look I guess. I am getting close to the intreesting part on this. I stopped it to work on the Fiesta Sweater, but will re-embark this week, alternating with the Myrtle Shawl.