FO Friday: Icarus!

I am DONE!!!!



DETAILS:

Pattern: Miriam Felton's (genius!) Icarus Shawl
Yarn: Alpaca with a Twist "Fino" in the "Frost" colorway
Needles: Knit Picks Options Harmony, size 3, 24-32" circular
Time: January 11 - March 21, 2008 (working somewhat steadily)
Fun: A! (I can't say enough how much I loved, not only knitting this, but the end result. The charts were well made, pattern well written, the design is amazing and you always knew where you were when doing the lace rows. This is the first lace that I've ever wanted to knit again!)

*I know I shouldn't be saying this, but there is one mistake in my knitting. When I had to frog the 40 rows when I first started (I'd read the chart wrong for the center stitch), I picked up one stitch wrong and didn't notice it until I blocked it. So, on one of the diagonal "wings", there is a "k2tog" that is out of place. Oh, well. Besides that, I am THRILLED with it!*

Oh, and one more thing....when coming to the very last 2 rows, I ran out of yarn. (Story of my knitting life!!) I had hoped to use only 1 skein of the Fino for the whole shawl and thought I would, since I was so close to the end. But, alas, it was not to be. Look at this:



I only had this much...so, needless to say, I had to ball up another skein of Fino (which I had bought, just in case, knowing myself as I do). The cast off using a purled type method, which I hadn't tried before, was awesome and it gave the best, flexible bind off that I've ever seen. Must try that again sometime. Anyway, now I've got 90% of another ball of Fino to use for something else. That yarn is amazing and I'd recommend it HIGHLY to anyone doing lace....silky, didn't split, super soft and has a very slight, but beautiful shine/halo because of the silk/alpaca.

Wanna see more pics??

Here is the shawl before blocking:



Shawl blocking on my bed, looking mighty delicious:



A close up of the lace part blocking....boy, I love those flower head pins!



A pic of me trying to show off the lace part of the shawl....



A pic of the shawl feeling all lazy on the chair:



I think that's enough, huh? LOL!

I'm totally in love with this shawl and had such joy through the whole process. I didn't add the beads at the end, but I think I'll do that to the next Icarus that I knit. I'm sure there will be another one in my future.

What do you think?????

Oh, and before I go, I just wanted to share with you a picture of the pysanky eggs that Ian and I made years and years ago...ones that we put out each year at the Spring Equinox and Easter. Aren't they cool??



Have a very happy Spring Equinox and Easter!!!

An Erotic Intermission...not for kids.

While you are all waiting patiently to see my finished Icarus Shawl (which has 5 more rows to go...sadly, each row takes me almost a half hour to knit), I thought I'd show you another knitted project I'm working on, as well as a little erotic crochet.

Hmmm....excited you say?

Well, unless you cheat and scroll down (missing my fabulously interesting knitted scarf in progress...ha!),you will have to wait just a moment for the sexy stuff.

I'm working on a store sample of the Phiaro Scarf (which is more like a HUGE stole) from Knit Scene Winter 07/spring 08....page 66 for instructions and a great picture. (Scroll down on the link page to see the scarf.)

(Unlike this picture, which is overexposed and a bit yellow-y...sorry.)


I've had this on the needles for a l-o-n-g while, but figure that I really should finish it. It's stupidly simple- knitted in the round...around and around...for 22". Then, some binding off and drop stitch magic and- voila- it's a stole! The yarn, SWTC Oasis, is very nice to work with and makes a soft, drapey, silky-like fabric. Would make a great summer top, too, I think. I'm using the colorway, Bistro, but would love to make one in black...which I may still do.

The only problem I've had is the gauge. I am a very loose knitter and I've been getting between 5.25 and 5.5 stitches per inch on the needle size suggested (US 7) and the gauge calls for 5 stitches per inch. Not sure how they're getting that on such a small needle. So, I will surely run out of yarn and think I'll just make the scarf 1" narrower than it calls for to make up for the gauge. It's not a big deal, since it's a scarf...and a wide one at that...but if you make one, make sure to check your gauge first or buy an extra skein of yarn.

Oh, and one other small tip....the pattern calls for using a 16" circular and I really discourage that. There were so many stitches on the needle that I messed up twice on the joining - and I never have that problem. Use a 24" and you will enjoy knitting it much more. I used an Addi Turbo, as well.

Wanna see some tantalizing crochet???

I present to you....the Crocheted Penis!!!



This was lovingly knit by my friend, Hilary (hillycrochet on Ravlery and a fellow Manchvegas Knitter), who knows that I, well, love penises. (Can I say that on here?) Too late now! LOL!

It's actually huge. (And who wouldn't want it to be??) It's approx. 24" tall and very squishy and erect. If Ben didn't sleep with us, I would totally be taking this into bed with me at night and cuddling with it.

Isn't it awesome?? Jackie has a picture of it (balanced on my foot) on her cell phone and, when I call, it shows the penis. Oh, it is hilarious!

Hope this has given you at least a little smile today (and hopefully not a heart attack or anything bad like that) and I hope to have my next post showing my newly finished shawl! Wish me luck!!!

P.S. I have around 10 more Amanda hat to add to the Gallery...I am planning to put them up soon. Sorry for the delay! I haven't forgotten, I promise : )

Icarus Update...Almost Done!!!

I am SO excited! I finished Lace Chart #3 today on the Icarus Shawl. The muscles in my arms are killing me but, man, it was worth it!

I spent most of last night (after putting Ben to bed) knitting this chart while watching alternately "The Shining" with Tim and then "Lost" with Ian. I really need to get a better light in the bedroom. Thank goodness my yarn is white and the needle tips are dark.

Just to catch up....here is the shawl BEFORE I started the lace charts. (It is reeeeeally soft!)



So, now here is what it looks like from far away after 3 lace charts are finished....seems small, doesn't it? But, it will be perfect once it's blocked and I do still have one more lace repeat to go. (I think it's 24 or 26 rows. Ugh...I'm up to over 400 stitches otn!)



Lemme show you a close up of the lace. Some of it is knitted with purl stitches, so the opposite side has some variation of knits and purls, which I l-o-v-e. It sometimes gets horribly boring (and painful) to only purl across such a huge row.



I'm off to knitting group tonight...yippeee!....and I am relieved that I got the shawl on a lifeline before getting ready to go. Not sure if I'll bring it tonight. Chart #4 looks mighty intimidating and talking while doing lace is not always a good idea. You know what I mean?

Love the pattern (Miriam, you are a genius!!!), love the yarn, love the needles (KP Harmony) and this is my most enjoyable lace yet. I'm definitely doing ANOTHER lace project next!

Happy Knitting!

Slightly Wavy

Whoa, I can't believe it's been almost a week since I blogged. I am BEAT! I still have my Christmas decorations up and my house is very slowly becoming a pigsty. Just enough so that I can feel it creeping up around me....damn dust bunnies and other crap!

Meanwhile, I've been working on no less than 5 PROJECTS at once:

-A new design using Heather's gorgeous Sereknity yarn in "Luxe", the 100% handpainted cashmere....oooooh....

-My Winter White Icarus shawl, which is about 12 inches long and coming along sooo beautifully. I just saw Hilary's last night and it's just lovely.

-My Wavy Scarf, shown above....which is about 2/3 done and coming along quickly. I bring this everywhere and I can work on it anytime...easy and mindless...compared to last time when it was kicking my ass. I think you get the hang of it once you make it once. I'm using Ella Rae Classic 100% wool, it's practically identical to Cascade 220.

-Tim's "Spherey" toy, which is also half done...in Lamb's Pride Worsted. It's going to be MUCH smaller than "Squarey", but very cute.

-A shop sample using SWS Oasis in Bistro for the Phiaro Scarf, found in the newest KnitScene. Very simple, but somehow this keeps getting pushed to the side. Must work on it more at work.

I've got the sniffles today and, thankfully, Ben hung out in bed and played with toys while I snoozed for a few extra minutes. I had lots of fun last night at knitting group, though we were missing some of our "regulars"....hopefully I'll see them on Friday. We had two new ladies join the group and I hope we didn't overwhelm them....we still had a HUGE group, even missing about 6 people.

I wish I could say that today I could rest, but I've got to take both kids (Tim's got midterms today so he'll be coming home from school early) to Exeter to get Ben's birth certificate. I can't believe I never got that! DUH! He's 5 years old now! Jeez...

AMANDA HAT KAL UPDATE

Gallery Photos: 40 HATS and more than 6 that I haven't had a chance to add yet....it's sooo cool! (BTW, the Gallery, I've just found out, is only viewable if you actually go to my blog itself here. It doesn't show up if you're on a blog reader, for some reason.)

Bobby Awards: If you're on Ravelry, they are having a mini awards ceremony and The Amanda Hat is one of the chosen patterns for BEST FREE PATTERN 2007. Isn't that awesome??? If you're on Ravelry, I would truly appreciate your vote! Thanks!

Prizes: Pictures of the prizes are coming soon, so please keep a look out. If you have something you'd like to contribute, I'd be happy to advertise you and your blog/website, as a thank you. Anything knitting related is welcomed. Please email me if you'd like to contribute ; )

What Amanda hat is your favorite so far in the Gallery?

Winter White Icarus

I've been dying to show you my newest knitting project, but have been up to my eyeballs in everyday life responsibilities (the usual mountains of laundry, visitors, bills and cleaning...ugh!) to actually be able to blog about it.

But, I promised myself that, if today was snowing, I'd do my best to take time to post. And, HERE I AM!

I was inspired (aka corrupted) by Hilary to start the Icarus shawl. She bought some gorgeous Cherry Tree Hill Merino laceweight from the store last week for her birthday and started her shawl right away. Now, I WAS trying to be good and finish the three projects (Noro lace scarf, Wavy scarf and shop sample Phiaro scarf...hmmm...why all the scarves, I wonder?) I already had on the needles, but I've been dying to start this every since I saw Cayli's shawl a few months ago.

When Hilary brought her SIP (shawl-in-progress) to knitting group last week, I was just bowled over. Amazed. Dazzled! I immediately went home, took out the gorgeous Alpaca with a Twist's Fino in "First Frost" and balled it up. Oh, this yarn is wonderfully "cleavage worthy" and has just a slight halo from the alpaca and shine from the silk. Start drooling....now.

Here is what my shawl looked like after one night:



Here is what it looks like close up:



The picture at the start of the blog is how far I got after only 3 days. and now that I am 5 days into it (with only about an hour's work a day), it is about 8 inches tall and 20 inches (or so, hard to tell on circs) wide, unblocked. The pattern is extremely easy to understand and I can even knit on it while at knitting group or during the day with Ben. It's not difficult at all and, since the yarn is so pleasing to work with, I'm really loving every minute of it.

One other FO that I forgot to show you is a hat I knit about 2 weeks ago. Get ready for a PINK ATTACK!



DETAILS:

Pattern: Insubordiknit's Monster Hat Kit, "Hiya Cat"
Yarn: Jacey Bogg's Handspun and Handdyed single ply yarn in pinks and whites
Needle: Knit Picks Options size 9
Time: Only 1.5 days of knitting on and off, very quick knit.

I loved knitting Tim's Monster Hat and I begged Jacey to make me up a "Hello Kitty-like" kit. Isn't it great? It's a little big for me, even though I used the smallest needle size, but I knit loose. It's sooo warm and sooo cute!

One other thing....

On Friday night, after knitting, Blogless Amanda brought her new, adult size Hoola Hoop to show us and also demonstrate in the hallway outside the shop. I can't believe how fun it was to do it (though I was horribly spaz and only managed to do it with my knees) and so funny to watch others. Amanda said that it's great exercise, too. So....Lora has created a Ravelry group called "The Ravelhoopers" (I think...am I right?) and we're all going to make/buy our own hoops and then knit, then hoop. Though, at first, we won't be trying them at the same time. LOL!

Here's a great couple of pics of Heather doin' some hoopin'....with Jackie off to the right:



Go Heather!



Happy Hooping AND Knitting!

P.S. I put a Ravelry -along, called Amanda Hat Mania up on the site a couple days ago, so if you're on Ravelry and making an Amanda Hat, make sure to sign up for the group and also go back and link your Amanda Hat project to the group as well. I'd love to see lots of hats up on there by the end of week. Thanks!!

New Year's Resolutions-Knitting Style!

Happy New Year, Knitting Friends!!!

Can't believe it's already January 1st of 2008! Where has the time gone?

I'm starting off my new year on the right path! The FO Path!

My first FO of 2008, highly recommended to me by the fabulous Melissa, whose birthday we celebrated on Sunday. Happy Birthday, Lisha!! (Also, a very Happy Birthday to Sarah and Amy, as well!!)

These are the Noro Fingerless Mitts from MimoKnits:



DETAILS:

Yarn: Noro Silk Garden, color 205 B
Needles: Knit Picks Options size 7 and 9 (magic loopin' it)
Dimensions: 8.5 inches long and 3.75 inches wide (there was no gauge or finished dimensions on the pattern, so I can't be sure if I was knitting to gauge. I tried knitting more tightly than usual (I'm VERY loose...lol), but it still seemed a bit large.
Time: Two Days
Rating: B+ (great fun!)

*Notes: The scale that Jackie got me certainly came in handy with this pattern. I wasn't entirely confident that this single skein would make the two mitts, but once I made one, I weighed it and...sure enough...I had a little more than half the skein left over for the other mitt. My hand seems to be much smaller than MimoKnits and I needed to take 5 rounds off the final top part, before the ribbing. Also, I wish I'd used only 7 rounds, instead of 11, after the cuff...my mitts are a bit on the long side. And, for the thumb, I knit 3 rounds less of the ribbing...to shorten the top. (I think I have freakishly short thumbs). Besides these adjustments, I LOVED the pattern and it was fun and easy. I especially liked the way the increases for the thumb is made....super attractive and MUCH simpler!

A close up on the yarn and pattern of the thumb:



Now, on to my New Year's Resolutions. This year, instead of making a HUGE list of things I won't do (while knowing full well that I will probably end up doing them anyway), I'm making a list of 10 things that I'm definitely doing....with knitting and spinning, that is!

NEW YEAR'S KNITSOLUTIONS:

1-3. I am going to finish at least 3 wip's....preferably....my Lizard Ridge Afghan, my Tim's sweater, and my RockStar Scarf...all of which have been on the back burner for some time.

4. I am going to blog more....2 posts a week at least, instead of 1, which I've ended up doing this past month with all the craziness.

5-6. I will knit at least 2 (yes, count'em, 2!!) lace shawls this year. One, a functional, warm and cozy one...the Spinner's Shawl. And the other, something really beautiful. I have 3 "beautiful" shawls in mind....the HoneyBee Stole, the Icarus, and the Wings of the Moth shawl.

7. Since my Ravelry account is coming along really well (over 100 fully finished projects with pics now!), I want to learn to take some better pictures with my digital camera.

8. It's going to be a very selfish year. I'm calling this the "Year of Knitting Selfishly 2008" and start knitting projects only for myself....and not have to feel that ever growing panic, arm pain, neck tightness and very slight "obligation-feeling" that comes with Christmas knitting...no matter how loved the recipient or how wonderful the project. (The exception to this is knitting for babies, in which I feel little or none of this for some reason.)

9. Yarn and Fiber will be bought in very minimum amounts and some will be donated to high school knitting clubs (Hannah, I'll have a bag for you shortly!) or traded for something else. I'm trying very hard to use up what I have...or at least make the output more than the input. (Is it really possible?)

10. SPIN MORE! I used to dedicate at least one day a week to spin, but have gotten out of the habit and I sorely miss it. I'm thinking...which day do I have the least amount of work to do and errands to run...and when I'll REALLY need some stress relief. Make Friday afternoon? Or maybe Tuesday?

And...now....make sure to come back on Friday to check on the new Sleepy Eyes Knit Along....grab a skein of Malabrigo (or some other very soft, slightly heavy worsted yarn) and a 16" size 9 (or so...please check your gauge!) circular needle. I'm starting the 2008 "DO the AMANDA" Knitalong....for my Amanda Hat pattern. I'll be correcting a mistake and changing the pic on the pattern so hold off on grabbing it until Friday, if you can. If you don't mind the slightly "off" version, then go ahead and get it now. See you then!