Swatching for thermal

For once in my life I did a gauge check and I am pretty much perplex about which size to choose for my next sweater pattern : Thermal from Knitty.com. I will use Gloss from Knit Picks as suggested by the designer of the sweater but when I was reading about it on Ravelry, I learned that it grows a lot in water. So I made a little swatch, putted it in the washer and let it dry till this afternoon to find it not so bad, it streched, yes, but not "so much". I don't have circular 3 mm so I'm using 2.75 mm and I'm planning to cast on for the B size which is for 34'' bust size even though I'm 38'' in real mesurement. Hope those two things will prevent the oversize strech to be dramatical... I want it to be fitted and since I'm narrowaited I think B will be good for me. Anyway I'll see when I'll cast on in the next few days.

On another theme today I went to ship my parcel for the Valentine Day Swap 2008, I had a lot of fun shopping for my secret pal and since she did not gave me a lot of clues how to please her, I made my best ending with a box full of goodies... yummy yarn and candies... Hope she like it as much as I think ! It cost me 17.24$ to send it so... I should be a little disapointed if she don't...

Say hello to the world !

Hey I'm now a member of KnittingBlog ring ! So proud to be in ! I will for sure increase my page view... hehe and as well as my time reading other peoples blogs ! I invite you to give it a try if you want by clicking "previous" or "next" under the Webring icon.

I just checked my sitemeter activity for today and already it's like BAM !!! I got about this time today more visit in this day than for the last 7 days ! Wow ! I had visitors from all over the world, Canada, USA, Crotia, Estonia, Romania, Belgium, etc. Thank to you all and wish you like what Quebec girl can talk about !

Umm ! Maybe I can begin talk about knitting now. Remember those Mock croc socks I cast on in early January, I just finished the first one and I already cast on for her pal.

I'm not crazy about the heel, but it's perfect fit on my foot and way much warmer than my normal sock I was wearing today, hope the pair was already done to warm both of my feet !

Drop Blouse FO !!!

Here it is finally a FO that I've been waiting for !! Blocking is a pain since it's so long to dry and I was the one to go around all the time is it dry, is it dry ? My Drop Blouse is finally done, blocked and reaady to show off in the vast world ! *Rotating drum*

While blocking

Tadam !

Specs of my FO

Pattern is 103-34 Blouse with short sleeves knitted in 2 directions with 2 threads ”Alpaca”. Size S to XXX by DROPS design

Yarn : Peruvian Pure Alpaca Fina by Elann about 8.75 balls = 1592 yards approximatly, color 1850 Smoky Grapes

Needles : circular needles 5 mm in 12 " and in 32" lenght

Mods : Not quite, only had a few cm to bottom lenght and made it a bit wider than the pattern called for size L. And I did not make the ribbon that was looking strange and I love it just the way it is right now.

Notes : Before blocking it was very very fluffy and was too short, but blocking rearrange it to make it wearable and very pleasant to see and touch !

Please don't look too close at my face, I was so sleepy when taking those pictures...

So do I have good reason to be proud of my first sweater ever ? :) I do think so, Don't have to wonder what I will be wearing at work today !!!

Have a nice knitting day !

Drop Blouse is done !

Youpi ! I did it, my first sweater is done ! It is at this right moment drying in my living room (hope blocking will help with some little issues I had with tension over it)

You will have to wait until it is dry for a FO picture, but now I can swatch for a new big project... umm interesting ! I have the yarn both for Cherie Amour and Thermal now I will be a good girl and swatch for both of them and then only I will decide which one I will cast on before. But maybe the Cherie Amour will win because it way more faster than Thermal with all those tiny stiches.

For now I will be off working on my other WIP ...

Did you receive this ?

This week I receive a very tempting magazine from Knit Picks... What am I supposed to do ? I will just answer that I will have an huge order for them in a few weeks !!! I also add something like 4 books in my stash with them... umm I'll plan my budget to buy it all...

Let's talk about something else, like the Valentine swap that is coming very soon I hope I'll get all the stuff I order on internet for my pal in time to post at the end of the week, you know how long is it to send a parcel if you don't want to pay 50$ so... I will be sending it by next friday. So far I have been very wise I bought only stuff for her except for a set of stich marker for me as well. I consider that it doesn't count because I do not have any stich marker excepts scrap pieces of yarn ! So it was a real need, I swear ! lol

About knitting this week, I'll post something very interesting tomorow, I am almost done with my Drop Blouse only a few rows and it's done. To be continued tomorow...

How do you like my new little friend ? It's a "hot water bottle cozy" that my mom gave my as a birthday present two weeks ago and since I do love sheeps at lot and it is related to knitting, I just wanted to present it to you all. But that's not all, she also gave my (with my dad) a new watch !!! I'm so pleased with it, look at this beauty :

I adore it !!! I wanted it for so long, thanks mom and dad !!! Love you both !!!

Quick little FO

Hello,

just a quick post to show you a quick FO : Little Sky sock from New pathway for Sock Knitters : Book one, author Cat Bordhi. It is the very first pattern of the book and I do love it a lot, quick, simple but I manage to learn new way to increase and a new architecture for socks that will come later. But I find those stich marker in my way all the time baby socks are too small for stich marker !

As I said in the previous post, they are for my niece/nephew to be born in the end of august so I will have plenty of time to knit a lot of little sock, hat, sweater, etc. and since baby stuff are so quick to do I do love them just a little bit more. My only concern for the moment is that most of the baby patterns call for worted weight yarn and I don't know which to choose because for the new parents it's easier to throw it in the washer, then in the dryer (if possible) then re-use it... umm yarn shoping ahead !!!

You will soon see the number 2 patterns ...

Drop Blouse back in force !

I finally get back to my Drop Blouse from Garn Studio, it was left all alone since many week because I had to pick stiches for the bottom part and I wasn't able to arrive at the good number so yesterday morning I kick myself to do it witout further delay. I'm really proud of myself now because it look really nice and since I achieved the "picking part" for the bottom successfully I will not wait for a long time to finish the whole thing...

Then, my Mock croc sock are coming out slowly but really nice too, they will be higher than my previous socks. I can see a big progression yet since my first socks back in last october, see by yourself :

January work : Mock croc sock by Knitpicks.com

January work : Little Sky sock from "New pathways for sock knitters book one"

I cast them on today they are for my nephew/niece to be born in the year. I'll talk about my new book in another post this month... but as you can say The number 1 sock made out of it looks really great and I will do his pal tonight or tomorow for sure and later on when we will now if it's a boy or a girl I'll add some cute ribbons on it !

October work : Sweatpea from knitty.com

It has been my first attempt on knitting sock and it went really well, also first time working in the round for this project. A lot of first timer techniques all coming really nicely together in a pair of sock. I wear it a lot since then and I will definetly use the same yarn again (ONline supersocke)

Talking of success, yesterday I watch a very good Disney movie : Meet the Robinson. Wow, I wasn't expecting to be that kind of movie ! The story is telling us to "Keep moving forward" and to even celebrate failure because we have learn from it. This thinking is inspired by the founder of Disney himselk : Walt Disney which have been a great man and one of death celeb person I would have meet if time travel is possible one day... like in this movie.... umm future is close to our doors... Anyway, maybe I'm partial because I love animation movies, but I you have not seen it yet, try it !

Oh, I was almost forgetting !!! I finally got my swap questionnaire for my pal in Be my valentine swap 2008. It is my first swap ever and I am pretty excited now !!! I will go to shop for some stuff right today: candies, chocolate, yarn of course !!! Youpi !!! Maybe you are in the swap and maybe, my pal.... it's a secret.

Book review : Favorite socks

Favorite socks (25 Timeless designs from Interweave)

I just received it as a gift for my birthday and I am really pleased with it. Since I know Interweave I am a big fan of most of the pattern they published and I am also a new member to the magazine. So I asked for it and now that it is in my hand... umm I can hardly resist to buy many and many yarn to try a lot of patterns in it !

I really like the fact that there are many type of pattern, really simple rib, great lace work, men confort socks, colorwork sock with intarsia. Also some pattern have many size even to fit a child or go from a woman size to a man size. It will for sure increase the number of sock I will cast on this year.

It contains 25 patterns as said on the cover, 19 from previous issues of Interweave and 6 brand new designs to be sure that even you have all issues since 1996 it still a good value.

The book also shown great picture at least two for each models and since it's on a spiral it makes the book to be durable and easy to leave it open at the good page as long as you want. Above I have included some pictures to get you to get your own opinion on it but be sure to so soon a pair of sock from this book here !

Happy birthday to me !

Hello ! back from the other end of the world and today is also back to real world as well. Yesterday was my birthday and I had a surprise at the restaurant, I was expecting to lunch only with my BF and my parents, but surprise, my brother, his GF, the family of my BF, a bunch of friends ! WOW ! I love surprises...

Look what wonderful books I got... Yummy, I can't wait to begin something and on top of it all, my only brother is going to be a first time father, so I will have plenty of baby stuff to do, yay!!!

Then about new knitting stuff, as soon as I've been able not to sleep (stupid jet lag) I have begun theses Mock Croc socks from knitpicks.com. And the are a really good way to get yourself busy when you woke up at 2 o'clock in the morning...

And now about my super trip in Middle-East... umm we took about 300 pictures... so I can qualified it of a very good vacation ! We visited Dubai in UAE, Doha in Qatar and Muscat in Oman, and since we had 13 hours of transit at Amsterdam airport.... we can say that we have been in 4 countries in 12 days ! Cool huh?

Look just this one... It is the Burj Al'Arab which means the Arabia tower. It have been taken from Jumeira hotel.

Then this one is Burj Dubai, the Dubai tower. It is still in construction for a while, it is going to be the tallest building in the world. The tall has not been announced yet because the Cheik don't want his tower to be surpassed now. But in the way that it is constructed they can make it bigger if they want.

It is obvious that they don't have law for workers because they work for 24 hours shifts, and the project have at least a death by month ! But it is still very very impressive.

Then, what could have been a trip like this without a try on camel back and Dune Bashing... Dune bashing have been the wildest adventure of our trip. Our driver was a crazy local man, we were listening to Rihanna, 50 cent and stuff like that while bashing !!! I was not expecting people out there to like the same kind of music that here !!!

To conclude today, what can I can say... umm Dubai was so fun but not so far away from what happens here. Except for the arabic signs it look like a lot for what we can find in America. I hope to be able to get back there one day when Dubailand will be open and when I could visit Burj Dubai as well.