FO: My Hope

Pattern: My Hope by Laura Linneman

Yarn: Calypso by Creatively Dyed

Needles: US5

I completely forgot to talk about this. I guess I sort of talked about it as a WIP, but I forgot to say that I finished it.

I can't tell you how much I love the colors in this pattern. The way the pops of white and pink and purple and blue showed up in the garter stitch, and the fun cabled drop stitches...*sigh*

I think it's really interesting how the center starts out dark and gets lighter as you move out. I'm guessing that's because of the rows getting longer and not the yarn itself - more time for the pops of color to pool together.

The pattern was really nice to knit, very meditative. It's definitely not something to do if you wanted to knit quickly - the cabled drop stitches required a lot of patience and the beaded bind off took multiple sittings to finish. But it's great for if you just want to sit and relax and knit (and watch video podcasts).

After knitting this I really want more shawls. I've since cast on two other shawls (Gingko crescent and Saroyan) and I want to cast on more. Like KNIT ALL THE SHAWLS more.

I might have a problem.

2012 FO: Peach and Gray Two-Face

Pattern: Two-Face by Veronica O'Neil

Yarn: Worsted wool from sby4718

Needles: US8

It's a shawl! I think this Peach and Gray Two-Face is the first shawl I've knit, definitely the first triangle shawl.

The pattern was great mindless knitting, but, like most shawls, it got really slow towards the end when I had a bajillion stitches (very accurate estimate) on the needles.

The yarn was not as great as the pattern, however. I bought this yarn online and attempted to judge the softness of it by pictures, which is rather difficult. The colors were accurate to the photos, but the softness not so much. It was listed as "pure wool" and actually feels a little more like acrylic, or a scratchy acrylic-like wool.

I has teh shawl pin

It's not super rough, but it's no malabrigo. It seems to be holding some of the wrinkles when I fold it, but I still like the colors and the way it looks.

So overall, an easy, enjoyable pattern with some not as enjoyable yarn.

2012 FO: Creature Comforts Cardi

Pattern: Creature comforts cardi by Amy Hendrix for madelinetosh

Yarn: madelinetosh tosh vintage in Antique Lace

Needles: US7 & US8

This cardi is very hard to photograph on the type of "dress form" I have (see shoulders). But I'm too impatient to find someone to take a picture of me wearing it, so it will have to do.

I finished this last year, using up just over 5 skeins of madelinetosh. The construction of the sweater is interesting, making more of a shrug than a cardigan. Which also makes it a little difficult to wear.

Nonetheless, it's a finished sweater, and the most yardage I have used yet. It's got a beautiful leaf pattern on the back that I really like and it got a lot of compliments at Vogue Knitting Live last year. Also, it has adorable little pockets.

Wheee, pockets!

FO: Malabrigo Mandelbrot

Pattern: Mandelbrot by Alexandra Tinsley

Yarn: Malabrigo Yarn Aquarella in Soriano

Needles: US11

Try saying "Malabrigo Mandelbrot" 5 times fast. *tries it* Hm, maybe it's not as hard as I thought.

I started this hat a long time ago, well, January 2012. And I probably finished it in the same day. But not "finished" as in completed the hat, "finished" as in ran out of yarn.

Where I ran out of yarn

So I waited. I wasn't in any rush and I bought the yarn at The Stockinette Knitting Cafe (now closed *sad face*) two years earlier without a project in mind, so I just let it sit. It marinated in my room until one day I finally decided to buy another skein in the same colorway.

The new skein

The original skein

Clearly not the same dye lot. So I decided to rip back to where I picked up stitches along the brim and alternate skeins for each row.

I think it turned out pretty well. And I ended up using all of the original skein when I got to the pom pom, and a little more than half of the new skein.

Pom poms are fun :)

2012 FO: Purl Beret

Pattern: Purl Beret from Purl Soho

Yarn: Prism Merino Mia in Fog

Needles: US1 & US3

Last year I knitted up this quick beret with some yarn that I bought from String in New York. I'd been searching for a project that would use less than 200 yards and finally settled on the Purl Beret.

This picture is a bit more true to the colors

It was such a quick and easy knit and really showcases the variegated colors in the yarn. And the best part is that it only used about 160 yards!

I would definitely make it again, although probably not for me since I hardly wear berets. This one works pretty well, though, as long as I straighten my hair...

FO: Twin Leaf Loop

Pattern: Twin Leaf Loop by Alana Dakos

Yarn: Becoming Art Jolie Bulky in Fig

Needle: US11

I know! It feels like I just talked about this. It helps that it was bulky yarn (and that I was almost done when I posted about it last).

I got the physical copy of Botanical Knits in the mail the other day so it seems appropriate that I talk about my first finished object from the book.

Like I said before, it's been a while since I knit lace, so it took me a little bit to get used to the pattern. But even still, it was so quick to finish! It took about 1.5 skeins, so it was a good thing I bought two.

I would have liked to use a provisional cast on and then graft the ends together, but I was too impatient and just wanted to start knitting it. If I make it again, I might try that. The seam isn't a big deal, but since it's bulky yarn, it adds a little bit of bulk, and it's pretty stiff at the seam.

I can't wait to knit more projects from this book...

WIP: My Hope

This really should be a finished object by now. I'm actually much further along than when I took these pictures, but I haven't taken any since then.

And by much farther along I mean practically done. I knit all the cable repeats, I finished the beaded cast off, but I haven't soaked and blocked it yet. Therefore, it's still a work in progress.

Look at those colors, aren't they gorgeous? The yarn is Calypso from Creatively Dyed in the Revelers colorway. I bought it at Vogue Knitting Live last year along with another yarn from Creatively Dyed. The pattern is My Hope by Laura Linneman, and I really hope (that was slightly on purpose) to wash and block it this weekend so I can take some pretty pictures and wear it on my trip to Oregon next week.

WIP: Twin Leaf Loop

I recently bought Alana Dakos's new book, Botanical Knits. I love it, I want to knit everything in it! When I went to Stitches West I stopped by the Becoming Art booth and picked up two skeins of this bulky yarn called Jolie in the Fig colorway.

I promptly started knitting the Twin Leaf Loop (Ravelry link) and am now pretty close to finished.



It's been a while since I've knit lace so it took me a couple of repeats to get the pattern down, but after that it was really simple and so quick!

I've already cast it off and I'm hoping to block it and sew the ends together soon.

2012 FO: Handspun Cabled Headband

Project: Aeline's Wreath by Leigh McDonna

Yarn: Handspun single ply Merino/Cashmere/Silk Blend

Needles: US7

This is my first project out of my handspun. It's a small one, but so soft and squishy (I have a feeling I'm going to be using those adjectives a lot). 

I love the colors in this yarn, the contrast of the teals and pinks...

And it's thick enough to wear over my ears. 

You know the merino, cashmere and silk is sooo soft against the skin.

Hand Dyed 60% Merino Wool, 20% Cashmere, 20% Silk from Creatively Dyed in the Bangles colorway purchased at Vogue Knitting Live 2012.

I'm going to have to make something else that goes next to the skin with the remainder of the yarn.

2012 FO: Aran Necklace Camisole

Pattern: Aran Necklace Camisole by Caroline Bautista

Yarn: Pakucho Organic Cotton Sport in Forest Mist

Needles: US4 & US7

I made this for my mom last year. I actually started it late in 2011, hoping to finish it by Christmas (haha, I know, what was I thinking?) but completely messed up on the collar. I have no idea how I read the directions wrong, but I did. So I frogged it and started over and finished it for my mom's birthday.

These photos are of the cami before blocking, if I can even say that. Being the amazing knitter that I am, I didn't block the top, I just gift it to my mom and told her she should wash it by hand when she needs to. Soon after I got a text from her that said, "I washed it and it stretched! But it's okay, I like it longer." So now I think it's more like a tunic...

2012 FO: Twinkle Cabled Cowl

Project: 125-34 Knitted neck warmer with cables by DROPS design

Yarn: Twinkle Soft Chunky in Twinkle Peach

Needles: US19

This is definitely one of my favorite FOs from last year and I always get compliments when I wear it - so much so that someone I met asked me to make her two (but more on that later)!

The Twinkle yarn is so soft and squishy and I love the color. The cables were very simple but the offset gave a lovely cascading effect.

I would definitely make this again (and I have!). 

FO: Rasta Truffle

Project: Neck Truffle by Breean Elyse Miller 

Yarn: Malabrigo Yarn Rasta in Zarzamora 

Needles: US17

I finished this cowl a while ago (last March) but have yet to post about it (I think that was mainly because I yet to take a picture of it). Can I say how much I love this project? It's so simply and the result is so pretty! I get compliments on it all the time (I think it's the ribbon).

The one issue I have is with the yarn and gauge - it has stretched out a little with wear, but that's more my fault, I shouldn't have made rectangle so long. I definitely plan on making another one of these in the future.

Winter is Coming

Has anyone else noticed that it's gotten suddenly cold in the Bay Area? Not too long ago (a couple of weeks?) I was complaining to myself how it was 70 degrees, what happened to fall, grumble grumble, etc. The other day it was cold enough for me to pull out my little space heater and turn it on before I went to bed...and when I woke up.

Speaking of when I woke up - OMG THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY EARTHQUAKES HERE, I'M SO SCARED. I've never experienced a big earthquake, minus the one in '89, but I was quite tiny then, so I'm kind of terrified about this one that's been "due" for a while on the Hayward fault.

In preparation for winter, I've started a couple of new knitting projects. First there's Rosamund's Cardigan. I love the cable detailing but I'm not too keen on the sleeve length so I'm making them longer. I'm using Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool (which is surprisingly squishy when knit up) so yardage is definitely not a problem.

I was pretty excited for Rosamund's Cardi until I saw the Creature Comforts Cardi by Madelinetosh. As soon as I saw the pattern I bought the yarn (from Eat.Sleep.Knit) and the pattern on Ravelry. I cast on last Thursday (the yarn came on Tuesday, not sure why I waited two days to cast on...) and I am loving all of it. I just passed the part where you add pockets and it's moving pretty quickly.

Isn't it so pretty? I know, you can't really see most of it...but you get the idea.

FO: Malabrigo Abalone

Project: Abalone by Beata Jezek

Yarn: Malabrigo Worsted in Polar Morn

Needles: US8

I am so proud of this cardigan! I've already worn it a few times and it is so nice and cozy. I do worry a little bit about the pilling but so far it doesn't seem too bad. I made quite a few modifications to the pattern so that it covers more in the front, all of which are recorded on my project page. I really loved how simple this pattern was and how easy it was to modify. This is the first project that I've done major modifications to and it didn't end up in a complete disaster - yay!