Vineyard Wrap

I finally did it, I cast-off the Vineyard Wrap that was begun in January 2011. Yes, I said 2011.

I have told you before about my boredom issues with knitting anything that resembles a scarf...but I have also told you about my tenacity when it comes to seeing a project though. So it's really not that shocking that a few weeks ago I decided enough was enough and just finished the damn thing.

And it's lovely. Scratchy, but lovely.

It's scratchy because I used Black Water Abbey 100% wool (Autumn colorway). Lemme tell ya, that is some serious wool. Sure it's scratchy and rough...but boy does it show a lace pattern like nobody's business. The ease with which this shawl blocked up was awesome. And the colorways at Black Water Abbey are stunning. Seriously, whoever does their color palette is a genius. So you can be sure that I will be lotioning up my hands and knitting with this wool again in the future.

This pattern was fine. Albeit monotonous...but I don't blame the designer for this. If you want a big shawl with an all-over pattern on it, well you get what you get. A whole lot of repeats of the same 12 rows.

The finished object is pretty and useful. I actually plan on keeping it on my desk at work for when it gets randomly chilly. (I say randomly because at my office you can be sweating and then 10 minutes later it's somehow cold.) I'm also thinking of adding a big button on one end so I can just secure it on and not have to fuss with it falling off my shoulders. But I'm in no rush, I will find just the right big button when I find it.

–Cassandra

The NeverEnding Story

Like Brenda Dayne says on Cast-On....I need to talk about my knitting right now. Sigh.

I mentioned a couple weeks ago that I had picked up some old projects during a bout of spring fever. Anxious to have a sense of completion and clearing the way for new ideas. (I'm not really good at having too many unfinished objects, they sort of weigh me down creatively.)


One of those WIPS that I've been trying to "power through" is the Vineyard Wrap I started...gasp...in January 2011. This is a project I have actually picked up and put down many times. In between holiday sweaters, embroidery projects, or anything else that can be worked on from the couch, you will usually see this wrap in my hands.

This is long-haul knitting.

For most projects on size 10 needles, a little bit here...and a little bit there...knitting will usually add up enough that eventually you are surprised that the project in finished. Yeah, not so much with this one. Since putting down my last major project a few weeks ago I have knit like a fiend on this sucker. And it is still not done. Right now it is about 60 inches which means according to the pattern, I have 10 inches left to go. Unfortunately, I think I might want it a little longer than the recommended 70 inch wrap length though. That means more knitting.

But hey, don't misunderstand me, I think it is turning out beautifully and I can't wait to wear my finished wrap. I am actually pretty excited to see what the lace pattern looks like after blocking. It's just the monotony of this type of project. This situation is much like Alex's "NeverEnding Shawl". That project nearly killed her with its mixture of miles of stockinette and random yarnovers, but it turned out stunning. I have no idea why I never see her wearing it.

I truly do love the look of the lace pattern repeat.

This is all reminding me why I don't knit scarves. Sure, they were great when I was learning to knit (and I love wearing a hand-knit scarf). But the process is a killer for me. The same pattern, over and over for a couple yards is too much for this Mighty Distractible gal.


–Cassandra

Sheepish

Unlike Alex last week, I am actually thankful for one more week of brisk air. No, I’m not crazy. I do adore all things summer and have been [loudly] complaining about the cold since February. The problem is that I have 2 large wool projects on the needles that I really want to finish.

This will be a cute sweater very soon...no really, I'm serious.

Normally, summer weather doesn’t keep me from knitting with wool. I have the luxury of central air conditioning pretty much everywhere I am. But the sweater (Owls by Kate Davies) I am knitting for my teeneage daughter is done in Rowan Purelife British Sheep Breeds Chunky. Anyone who is familiar with this yarn will tell you that it is heavy as heck and frankly, smells like the sheep stall at State Fair. Even the best central air can’t really fight those two monsters.

I am now well acquainted with the smell of the Steel Grey Suffolk.

The sweater body and sleeves are finished and have been attached by the yoke that I have a pretty good jump on. I am hoping to have this sweater done this week if all goes well. And then I will need some good non-humid days to get this sucker to dry after blocking (yesterday would have been perfect!). A smart girl would probably wait until fall to wash and block this sweater...I, however, am an impatient control freak who needs to have closure. I’m pretty sure I will have a finished sweater that took 2 weeks to dry in this humidity (and still smells sheepy).

It is actually very strange for me to have 2 knitting projects going at the same time. I am a start...finish a project...start another one girl. (This phenomena only occurs in my knitting world btw.) For a whole host of reasons I decided to get this sweater out of the way before I finished my Vineyard Wrap. It is not as heavy as the Owls sweater...but it is growing by inches every time I work on it and it is 100% wool. I think it’s probably halfway done. I would really like to get this cast-off before I start something summery...we’ll see if that happens.

My Vineyard Wrap about 12 inches ago...

I’m dreaming about knitting things small and practical. A whole pile of dishcloths maybe?

–Cassandra

Irons in the Fire

This weekend was two solid days of ADD. I couldn't seem to find a project that would hold my attention and that's just not (normally) me. Maybe it's because I'm excited about all the projects in my head... or maybe I'm overwhelmed with the stuff that really needs to get done. All I know is, I have five things in motion and none of them are near complete. To top it off, bouncing from project to project created an interesting comedy of errors.

Lets start with the Toddler Moc-A-Socs by Bekah Knits that I am making for the two littles:

This slipper pattern was calling to me from my Ravelry queue. It was the siren song of the "perfect little project" that would break the monotony of the large one I am working on. Friday, on my lunch hour, I ran to the nearest yarn shop and picked up some gorgeous Spud & Chloe yarn so that I could get started right away. I was motivated and ready to bang this small project out quickly. Ah...the best laid plans...

After dinner I got out my fabulous swift and ball winder and started winding the yarn. Yeah... halfway through the hank of yarn, the ball on the winder flies off and everything is a tangled mess. I thought, "hmmm, must be a fluke" so I just wound the rest of it by hand and set up hank #2. Again, flying yarn ball. And guess what happened on hank #3? You know I had flying balls of yarn everywhere. I'd like to point out that I have successfully used this contraption many times, so I'm sure it's user-error. Frankly, it better be user error or my love-affair with my swift and winder will be over.

Sadly half-hand-wound ball of yarn.

But, I wasn't daunted! I was going to cast-on as soon as everyone was tucked in bed. I went to get all of the supplies I needed and realized that I did not own a pair of #2 straight needles. Wa-wa-waaaaa. Another delay.

I finally got correct-sized needles on Sunday morning, thanks to my fabulous errand-running husband, and cast on Sunday night while watching TV. I knit two rows and decided that I was too brain-dead to start a new project successfully. So here is where it sits:

Yes, this will be slippers.

I have to admit, my enthusiasm for this project is waning a bit after all this. It's hard to stay upbeat when it seems like you're being thwarted at every turn. But, I will not be swayed. My kids feet are cold so I'm going get these done - eventually. (Hopefully before spring.) On a positive note, when I was feeling too beat to start the slippers, I was able to add a few inches on to my Vineyard Wrap during TV time. So, you know... I got that going for me.

Vineyard Wrap at 17 inches.

In addition to these two knitting projects, I worked on three sewing projects this weekend as well. Because this post is getting a bit long, I'll share those with you later this week. However, let me leave you with this... even an experienced seamstress of nearly 20 years (that'd be me) can still manage to cut out pattern pieces upside down. And the comedy of errors continues...

–Cassandra

Reporting From the Couch!

Happy Friday everyone!

Guess what? I haven't touched the needle case project since we last spoke on Monday. I did, however, purchase the remaining elements that I was missing so I am all prepared when I do take a moment to sew this up. I just needed some "couch time" this week after the kids went to bed. With that said, I have made some progress on my new knitting project!

Knitting in Progress

There were many projects in the running for my stash of Blackwater Abbey worsted in Autumn. I will give you a peek at those...

I have always wanted to make the Hemlock Ring blanket by Jared Flood:

Hemlock Ring Blanket by Jared Flood

But then I thought that this stiff wool wasn't soft enough for a lap blanket. So I considered the Perth Wrap:

Perth Wrap by Cari Clement

It is beautiful, and ideally suited for this yarn...but...it is cables. I'm a bit cabled-out after 2 fully cabled sweaters. I shifted gears and went to a little sweater I have had my eye on for a while. The Goodale by Cecily Glowik MacDonald would possibly look really cute in a more rustic yarn like my Blackwater Abbey:

Goodale Sweater by Cecily Glowick MacDonald

 The pattern actually calls for supersoft madelinetosh pashmina. Maybe it wouldn't hang right in something stiff like wool. I second-guessed my renegade yarn notions and decided to abandon that pattern idea. I went back to the idea of a wrap and logged some serious search time in on ravelry.

The winner is the Vineyard Wrap by J.L. Fleckenstein:

Vineyard Wrap by J.L. Fleckenstein

It suits my yarn perfectly and is something I could really use. I am embarrassed to say that I have a nasty fleece throw given to me by a vendor that I use at my desk during the day. It will be replaced by the Vineyard Wrap as soon as I can bind it off!

So far, this project is going well. At first, I had a bit of trouble with the K1B (knit one back) stitch. This was a stitch I hadn't done before and so of course I turned to youtube for some help. There seems to be quite a few variations on this stitch and I had gone down a few incorrect paths before finding the right one. Luckily, the one I needed was the simplest. Once I got my stitches down, I started to cruise. Well, as much as I can cruise on what is essentially a lace pattern. Let's just take a moment to thank the universe for the progress you can make with size 10 needles.

I have also been giving a lot of thought to my 2011 crafty resolutions. I keep coming back to the same thing. Cooking, cooking, and cooking. This is the area that I want to work on. I love to cook, am a decent cook...but I want to be an even better cook. I don't want to be fearful of things that seem complicated. And, I want to expand my vegetarian repertoire. So there you go...we'll see what happens this year!

Have a great weekend!

–Cassandra