Monday, August 25, 2008

Interweave Knit Fall 2008

New IK is up, I did receive it last week and there are some lovely patterns. My 2 favorites are both sock pattern.

BaCchus socks (on the left) and Knotty or Knice socks (on the right)


they are clever and look fun to work. Already they are some exemple on Ravelry of both pattern and they seems to be error free so far. They both shows some technique I appreciate in a sock : bobbles, twisted stitches and cables... yummy socks to keep toes warm when winter will be there.

Another one I could like is the Estes vest... cool look. Something I can see myself wearing on weekend in any season because here the the evening night are quite cold sometimes. Another project with cable I have my eyes on, maybe it's the season for cables !

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Got needles !

I got my needles on last Tuesday... but I did not have time to blog about it even if I'm so happy to have them !!! (I forgot yesterday...too excited by Druid mittens) A set of Knitpick Harmony wood interchangeable circular needles + 4 fixed circular in the size I need to continue on my Thermal that I begun last winter and another for an eventual project... Anyway it's popular size, at least for me !! 2.75mm and 3.25mm are really usuful to complete the set. For once in my orders at Knitpick, service has been fast, just over a week and I even got my email confirmation of shipping before I actually received the package ! I don't know if they change the way they work...but last time it was so long and I got the email confirmation only after I received my order at home !?


I am just happy to finally get some good needles and I pray to be able to keep them in plane...I read that it's easier when the project it already in progress... so I will cast on a few days before just to be sure ! I will also prepare the yarn in a ball to carry it, an open is ok at home but not in plane !

While buying needles, I could not resist and I also buy 3 balls of Crayon yarn this bright green color, I have a green period now I think... green cascade eco+, green crayon, green Druid mittens... lol At least I'm not the only one if I look at projects pages on Ravelry.



And also a skein of lace that I wanted to try on... Shimmer in Turquoise Splendor colorway, it's sparkling and so light, umm I will have to choose carefully my pattern to show this beauty at his fullest glory. Any suggestions ? I don't want any granny style stole... maybe I could just try a swatch in a improvised pattern that I have in mind to see what it look like... Did I mention how soft this yarn is... will plan something to wear next to skin.


Friday, August 22, 2008

Magic on my hand !

Yes I am talking about my Druid mittens, I love them a lot ! Clever pattern, fun construction and even if the chart look like very impressive at first look, after a pattern repeat it's always the same till the decrease at the top. I worked almost a full pattern repeat longer to fit in my very long fingers ! I should have done a full pattern repeat, but I'm sure they will strech a bit after washing and light blocking. My only complain except the weird gauge...is that the palm is not strech enough in comparaison to the back of the mitten unfortunatly. As I said light blocking and will see after.
Here the first one :




I did made a mistake, I made the same row twice, but when I saw it I was almost at the end so I decide to live with it and keep it as is. I'm sure I will forget about it sometime and it won't bother me anymore ! hehe !



My mom thought I was kind of crazy doing mitten in the sunnier part of the summer...I agree with her ! But, since I begin on this project we had so much sun and warm weather than I only think that I must have done that before !!!



I am very happy with my gauge on the 2.25mm, if you ever attempt the pattern, really take time to swatch of check after a few row how it looks. When I first cast on with the 3.25mm it was so large it could have almost fit on my head... talking of my head...since I love so much this yarn/pattern combinaison, why not buying another skein to make a matching Druid-ish hat ? Umm, sounds good... I will hunt on Ravelry if I can find a skein cheaper than at the LYS.



Dream in color smooshy if a breeze to work with and the stitches definition is perfect, I rarely give a five a 5 stars rating to anything but this yarn deserved it truly.



And what to say about VK ... I love the magasine, I want it for my birthday !!! :) Anybody heard, if you need a birthday gift idea, VK subscription is the thing that I want...

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Green Gable will be really green !

Hey I forgot to tell you that I received my yarn to do my Green Gable in my trip to Spain... the shipping was so fast ! I order in the evening of Sunday and received it on Wednesday ! Wow that what I call fast shipping !

I order the yarn at Kitknit in Ontario, fast and clear communication with the shop owner and the website is really esay to navigate. She even included some sampler of Eulacan in the package, how sweet ! Price are good and they carry most of Cascade Yarn. This is the brand I was looking for to do my hoodie : Cascade Eco in the very bright green color they called : Kiwi, look at this !!!

It will be a perfect combinaison I'm sure. I can't wait to received my new circular needles from Knitpicks to swatch this baby ! I will have a hard time not to cast on before September 5th when I have a long trip to do all alone in alone, knitting will be very welcome to keep me busy ! Yummy yarn and it feel great in my hands.

I also bought a skein in color "half baked" which is a deep red. I though it would be a bit closer to be pink than red but it's ok, I will find something cool to do with it.

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Why not knit mitts

Don't you think august is the best month to knit mittens ? I do ! Weather is going to change fast I am kind of bored by socks for now... so why not switch to something funny and unusual to me. I choose the Druids Mittens from Fall Vogue Knitting 2008. This magazine is awesome, I will ask for a subscription as a present maybe... :)


Come to my mittens...



I had hard time on finding correct gauge, there is no way I was getting it on recommand 3.25 mm ... unless I wanted to put both hand in the same mitten ! I had to get down to 2.25mm, 2.5mm would have been better but they were busy at the moment. 2.25mm give me a snuggly fit that I appreciate on my hand to drive my car. I don't like to wear too big mittens I feel like having bags on my hand instead of mitts. So far it's a popular pattern on Ravelry and I know why, they look complicated but in fact if you know how to knit, purl and do cables, you can do them ! Try them by yourself and you will be surprise how fast they knit up. For exemple, I cast on for them in the evening yesterday and I am halfway of the left mitten. Not bad...



Yarn is my beloved Dream in color smooshy, color Happy Forest. I love love love the way it look so far !



I let you judges, mitts in august ?



Mods none so far but I think I will made them a repeat or two longuer to fit my long fingers and will probably do the same in the thunb section.

Saturday, August 9, 2008

News delivery


Hey look what I got this week in the mail... 3 new magasines ! Knitting one for sure... First the ever wanted Interweave knit, Spring 2007, then Vogue knitting spring/summer 2008 and the Vogue knitting fall 2008 !!!

Too much knitting in the same letter box, maybe it will explode one day...
Look at these...

From IK Spring...


From Vogue spring/summer


(if I could lose another 10 pounds)


Sweet shrug !


From Vogue fall

the now famous druids mittens !

and at last, my very loved Green Gable... (I ordered yarn for it today...)

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Nutkin part 2... finish too late but...

Hey, I just cast off the second Nutkin... a bit late for my friend birthday party, but this will ensure that I need to see her soon !!! Hehe ! They just need to be cold wash and blocked and they will be ready to go for their new home :) And as I know her they will be beloved socks...


Here the final spec :



Needles : 2.75 mm bamboo DPN

Yarn : Knitpicks Palette in color Petal, 1.1 skein

Time to knit, just a wee bit over a week, but I did not touch it for 2 days !

Mods : different toes because I did not want to figure a new one this time.



Enjoyement : fabulous, they knit up so fast !!! I love this pattern and I would love to make another pair in a multi-color version soon.



Have a nice week