KnitSanity

Mr. Purple Greenjeans AKA The Dissertation Sweater

2010-01-21T09:20:00.004-05:00

I haven't actually taken a full two-year hiatus from knitting. I knit two shrugs last summer, neither of which really fit well. But, graduate school has consumed the last 2 years. I'm finally finishing my dissertation. It's a really lonely and frustrating process. It's hard to stay motivated. I decided I needed something to calm me down, help me think, and reward me when I get over a writing hump. A quick venture into Ravelry led me to Mr. Greenjeans by Amy Swenson. As you can see, my Mr. Greenjeans is actually purple. I'm knitting it with Rowan Calmer 493 (how appropriate). It is affectionately known to me as THE DISSERTATION SWEATER. I hope to wear it when this dissertation is but a distant memory. For now, I'm in the beginnings of the cable rows. Wish me luck.

Knitting Again

2010-01-21T08:24:00.002-05:00

I'm knitting again. Just thought I'd let you know. More to come...

The ultimate inspiration to return to my knitting

2007-04-16T11:03:00.000-05:00

My knitting has taken a back seat to my Ed.S project over the past month. But, there's nothing like the Big Apple Knitting Guild (BAKG) Retreat to recharge the knitting needles. I took three wonderful classes with awesome teachers and the most amazing women I feel honored to call my friends. Friday night was a crocheted bracelet with Tatyana Mirer, a knit/crochet genius. Saturday was Aran Knitting with Janet Szabo of Big Sky Knitting. Nicky Epstein did a great class on Fair Isle Sunday morning. I have always been afraid of knitting with multiple colors, but this was really fun. So here's my list of projects to get started for the summer (and months beyond).

First aran sweater
Silk shell
Some small Fair Isle project - suggestions?
Tatyana's Rosette Lace Shawl

So much to do, so little time!

Same yarn, different pattern

2007-03-11T08:58:00.000-05:00

Look familiar? A whole two weeks since my last post and not much progress. Yes, I know this doesn't look quite as sophisticated, but I'm enjoying it a lot more. I decided I would never complete the second sock in Conwy. In fact, I was already hating it and I wasn't even close to the heel of the first sock. (The pattern looks great, but it was just too slow for me.) So, meet the Twin Rib Sock. It's a simple pattern...Row 1: K3, P3. Row 2: K1, P1. I love how the light purple makes little "waves" of color.

Lorna's Laces and Video Worthy of Oscar

2007-02-25T16:56:00.000-05:00

I'm knitting with Lorna's Laces for the first time. This yarn was a wonderful gift from one of my secret pals. I definitely see what everyone is raving about. The colors are beautiful. Yarn is lucious. The pattern is "Conwy" from Nancy Bush's "Knitting on the Road".

In honor of the Oscars...
A big THANK YOU to Comfy Bev for posting a brilliant YouTUBE video, "Knitting vs. Crochet". You really must take a peek. It's fresh and funny. I give it two thumbs up.

Another Finished Fetching

2007-02-19T19:39:00.000-05:00

Yet another Fun Finished Fetching. This was a great little knit to help me get over my sweater. I love knitting these. I hope Gayle enjoys them. My sister arranged for all of us to take the kids this Thursday evening to see the Florida Orchestra perform music from the "Lord of the Rings". I'll give them to her then.

The Closest I got to Maine

2007-02-18T15:17:00.000-05:00

We were supposed to be in Maine this weekend. However, our flight was cancelled on Friday due to the cluster &^%$ taking place at JFK and within JetBlue Airlines. Apparently, their problems were bigger than our cancelled trip. I must admit, I would rather stay home than sit on a runway for 11 hours. Ouch! But, just think how much knitting you could get done!

Anyway, here's a shot of the progress I've made on my Log Cabin throw. In honor of our big weekend (may it rest in peace), I took this picture on top of an old lobster pot in our back yard. The colors (green, brown, and blue aka khaki, cork, and slosh) remind me of the colors I see out my back window. This is slow going, and I do get a little bored with the garter stitch. But, I think I'll really enjoy it if I ever finish. The Rowan Calmer is very nice to work with.

I've also been knitting a pair of fetching out of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran (black) and a new pair of socks out of Lorna's Laces. (My first time with this great yarn.) I'll post some progress on those a little later.

FO Woes

2007-02-10T17:27:00.000-05:00

Doesn't this sweater look great? I had so much fun knitting this beauty. It's cashmere. Sooo soft. I posted this with the flower as a remembrance of sorts, a funeral for a friend (thanks for that tune, Elton). I frogged this the first time around after finishing the back. I realized that it wouldn't be big enough. My dear sister-in-law, Susan, helped me cast on the right amount of stitches. I gleefully re-knit from scratch - 42 stitches on size 11 and 13 needles. It even fit. That is to say, it was the right size. There's just one teensy, weensy problem. It looks RIDICULOUS on me! I now remember why I knit so few sweaters. It just seems impossible to know whether the damn thing will fit. This is one of those knitting life lessons. You have to kiss a few frogs (or is that frog a few FOs) before you get a really good sweater. I have to take a break and go back to my log cabin throw and a quick pair of Fetching for a friend. This puppy will soon be laid to rest in the back of my closet until I get over the trauma and rip it out to knit something better. &%$%$#@!!!

On a lighter, non-knitting note, I picked up the pretty flowers for my tea tasting. What's that you say? Yes, I had a tea tasting today with my family and a few friends. I thought I was being so creative with the tea party concept until I read this in the St. Pete Times last week. That's right...tea is the new wine! Cheers!

Happy birthday to my sister and my blog

2007-01-22T20:00:00.000-05:00

My sister decided to have a girls weekend in Maine for her birthday. We ate, we drank, we laughed til we cried....and....we knit. In honor of my sister and the one-year birthday of the KnitSanity blog, I spread the knitting love. Gayle just needed a cast-on refresher. Anna is a knitting newbie. As you can see, she's still smiling. (Not pictured: My sister and I in our jammies.)

While in Maine, I had to visit Pine Tree Yarns in Damariscotta. Elaine Eskesen always has the most amazing colors and natural yarns. I wandered in just in time for the first shipment of her new book, Silk Knits. I was honored to get the first signed copy. I'm looking forward to knitting this lace shell in Garnstudio's Silke Tweed. It's 52% silke, 47% lammeull.

What is Lammeull?

I have to finish this first (among other UFOs). Voila...the back of the Tank from Classic Knits. This is knit in Classic Elite Cashmere. Unbelieveably soft!

Dave Cole's Knitting Machine

2007-01-16T11:54:00.000-05:00

I thought I had seen it all, but every knitter should see this. Is your project overwhelming you? Is it just too large to think about? Perhaps you can borrow Dave Cole's Knitting Machine. What size would you give those needles? Size 1000 US? Larger?

Boogie Vest FO

2007-01-15T16:34:00.000-05:00

Finished the Boogie Vest with a small change to the pattern. After reading a few other blogs, I decided to shape the v-neck by decreasing one stitch on both sides of every right side row. It seems to give it a much more finished look. I still have to weave in some ends and crochet around the arm holes. I'm hoping to wear it up to Maine this week. Check out the hint of the glorious, crystal clear weather we are having on this MLK day in Florida. Still too hot for sweaters, yet I knit on.

I purchased some beautiful Classic Elite cashmere to make the tank top in Classic Knits. My sister-in-law is making it, also. We discovered this weekend that the gauge was incorrect. It is showing 18 stitches/12 rows = 4 inches. We believe it should be 8 stitches/12 rows, in other words 2 stitches to the inch in super chunky. I need to figure out how to send the publisher an email. Anyway, I'll post pics once I get started.

It is GREAT to be a Florida GATOR!!

2007-01-09T20:40:00.000-05:00

National Champions again! What in the world does this have to do with knitting, you say? Well, I knit like a crazy person watching this game. There are those moments in sports when all the planets align in perfect athletic harmony. That's just what happened. I'm so proud to be a part of the Gator Nation. Success is even sweeter when you're the underdog. GO GATORS!!!!

Classic Knits Book Review for Unwound

2007-01-05T17:14:00.000-05:00

A very big “thank you” to Kelli at Unwound for the book give-a-way. I selected...

Classic Knits, Fifteen Timeless Designs to Knit and Keep Forever, by Erika Knight.
Publisher Potter Craft, Copyright 2006

Amazon offers the book for $13.97, not a bad value for an aesthetically pleasing hardback book. The pages are all a soothing blue. There is a nice section of color photographs at the beginning of the book with a blue and white (versus black and white) photograph with each pattern. Most of the photos give you a nice view of garment details and pretty good idea of what the finished product will look like. The only exception is the Wraparound jacket. The model is leaning back on a pile of pillows with the jacket fanned out around her. It’s impossible to tell how this piece will look when a person is standing up in it.

Classic Knits is true to its word. The patterns are all classics with very subtle updated twists. I agree that these are pieces you will wear again and again.

Fifteen patterns are offered in “Classic Knits” which include pullovers, cardigans, a vest, scarf, socks, glove, jacket, turtleneck, camisole, and shoulder bag. My personal favorites are the casual sweater, the deep “V” vest known in the book as a tank top, and the mademoiselle jacket.

Yes, there’s a lot of stockinette stitch in these pages. However, that is to be expected with classic patterns. On the other hand, there are well-placed details included throughout. For example, the scarf is a single cable scarf with a pass-through slit. The Mademoiselle jacket has two different pocket styles with lovely ribbon details.

Sweater sizes are provided in inches and centimeters. You are first given the “to fit bust” sizes, then the actual bust size. I like this because it gives you an idea of the desired fit. For example, if the “to fit bust” size is the same as the “actual bust” size, your piece will fit snuggly. Whereas, the cardigan shows a “to fit bust” size of 36” with an “actual bust” size of 38. This indicates that the sweater will fit a little more loosely.

Many of the projects call for Debbie Bliss and Rowan yarns. Of course, you can use the yarn of your choice if you take care with the gauge and try to keep with a similar yarn weight. The suggested fibers in “Classic Knits” include wool, wool blends, cotton blends, silk, and mohair in various weights.

I’m very happy to have this book in my collection. It’s one of those titles that you will always be able to grab off the shelf and use for classic projects and gifts. Thank you again, Kelli.

And the winner is...

2007-01-02T22:09:00.000-05:00

Imagine my surprise to find that I won the book drawing on the "Unwound" Podcast. The only catch is that I have to do a book review. Not a bad deal at all. If you haven't tuned in, give it a listen. The format is very interactive and fun. Enjoy!

New Year Knitting

2007-01-01T19:57:00.000-05:00

Three new projects are on the needles for the New Year. I say "new" projects because there are many unfinished projects on the needles from years past. I'm actually working on these. First, the Boogie Vest by Amy King. The back is almost finished. Paton's Shetland Chunky Tweed is inexpensive, knits up quickly, and has rich specks of color against the brown. I know I'm a little behind the times on this one, but it's been in the back of my mind for a while. I'm hoping to finish it in time for a trip to Maine in 2 weeks. Heaven knows I won't be wearing it here. It's SO HOT! (Don't get me started on that rant.)

I started a lace chevron scarf with the qiviut I received for Christmas. You can just start to see the holes. Unfortunately, the color is not well represented here. It's actually a deep burgundy color. This yarn is soft and luxurious to knit.

I'm also still plodding along on the log cabin. For those of you wondering about the next color...(drum roll please)...it's blue. The center panel is really a cream color, but it appears as a pale pink on some computer screens. I'm only using cream for the center and the border. Each of the other colors (blue, green, brown) will spiral out from the center. I asked my husband what color was coming next, and he immediately blurted out "blue". Talk about spatial sense! I had to draw a picture to figure out how this thing was going to work. He saw it in his mind instantaneously.

Happy New Year to all. I go back to work tomorrow, but I'm going to try to post more often than I did this fall.

First Log Cabin

2006-12-27T22:13:00.000-05:00

This will be that project that sits in the basket by my chair. Easy mindless knit, knit, knit. I definitely agree that these Mason Dixon Log Cabin designs are addictive. Next time I plan to use more colors. I wanted to start simple. I actually started with the Moderne baby blanket pattern. But, I knew I would be more engaged if I changed the colors more often.

The yarn is Rowan Calmer, 75% cotton, 25% microfibre. Can you guess what color I'll be knitting after this brown row?

A Merry Knitting Christmas

2006-12-26T23:05:00.000-05:00

I was blessed with some great knitting gifts this Christmas! My very cool sister-in-law sent me the book "Unexpected Knits" by Debbie New. It is a beautiful book with amazing photos of the most creative knitting I have ever seen. It is truly fiber art. Susan also sent me an ounce of Qiviuk (Arctic muskox). The yarn is just lucious. I can't wait to knit this stuff. I'm thinking about making this Wavy Feathers Qiviuk Scarf.

Twas the day before Christmas Eve...

2006-12-23T16:01:00.000-05:00

and the last Family Sock Challenge sock is FINISHED!!! My fingers are a little sore, but all the women in the immediate family will get a pair of socks this Christmas. It only took the whole year to finish five pair of socks. Happy Holidays everyone!

Early present for hubby

2006-12-23T15:57:00.000-05:00

I finished this One Skein Double Cable scarf just in time for my husband to go to Maine last weekend. I made it from bulky alpaca that I bought at the alpaca farm last summer. It is so soft and warm. I think he liked it. I had to give it to him early because he'll never use it here in Florida.

Christmas MEME

2006-12-20T20:57:00.000-05:00

Egg nog or hot chocolate? Hot chocolate, hot tea, or wine

Does Father Christmas wrap presents or just set them under the tree? Presents must be wrapped.

Coloured lights on tree/house or white? White

Do you hang mistletoe? No, I never see it around here.

When do you put up your decorations? Around the first part of December. Sometimes they're up the weekend after Thanksgiving. Not this year. It came too early.

What's your favourite Christmas dish? My inlaws have Plum Pudding. We light it up and sing "Deck the Halls". It's a neat tradition, and the taste is really growing on me.

Favorite Christmas memory as a child?. I grew up in Florida. When I was in fifth grade, we went to Pennsylvania for Christmas to visit our extended family. I saw snow for the first time. I still love it. Sadly, it's in the 80's here this week.

When and how did you learn the truth about Father Christmas? In 4th grade, I found my toys hidden in the closet. I think I already knew about Santa at that point, but I remember that my mom cried. She was more upset about it than I was.

Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? I used to as a child. I usually don't do that anymore.

How do you decorate your Christmas tree? We have a real tree with white lights. There is a large velvet ribbon that drapes down the sides. There are many unique ornaments, all with sentimental value.

Can you ice skate? Yes, I first tried it that winter in Pennsylvania. But, I really learned as an adult at a rink here in Florida.

Do you remember your favourite gift? I appreciate everything I get. I remember getting a "Baby Tenderlove" and a "Mrs. Beasley" that I really loved.

What's your favourite Christmas dessert? Tollhouse Cookies

What's your favourite Christmas tradition?I love going to church on Christmas Eve, setting up the Nativity, and watching "A Christmas Story".

What tops your tree? A crafty handmade angel.

Which do you prefer: giving or receiving? I love giving, but I agonize over buying gifts. I'm not very good at it, and I don't feel like I have enough time to be as creative as I would like to be.

What's your favourite Christmas song? Carol of the Bells. I've been learning how to play it on the piano for the last 4 years. I think I've finally mastered it.

Candy canes? Definitely. They hang on the tree, then I spend the month of January eating them.

Almost 3 months to the day...I'm back!!!

2006-12-20T20:44:00.000-05:00

Hi World. Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays. As always, the fall has been hectic. Teaching and grad school definitely put a dent in my knitting, but I'm off for 2 weeks and madly trying to finish the last family sock gift. My fingers are killing me. Anyway, I'll be posting pics soon. I'm hoping to keep up with the blog a little better in the spring.

Nice surprise when you're too busy to knit

2006-09-19T16:10:00.000-05:00

I completely understand when real life commitments threaten the things you really want to do. With teaching and grad work, I haven't had a chance to knit in a month. Imagine my surprise to come home to a groovy tote crocheted just for me by my One Skein Secret Pal. The fact that she kept it going, even as she was looking for a new job, makes me feel even more special. I don't consider it late at all. For me, it came at just the right time. It reminds me how much I miss my knitting.

Knit a Tube

2006-08-31T20:12:00.000-05:00

I have an original look and feel. I decided a change would be good to make the blog unique. Missa of Moon Arts did a great job. I still haven't had time to return to my UFOs, but I did attend a class this evening at Knit n Knibble . It was called "Circular Options". I learned how to knit in the round with two circulars, and Magic Loop with one circular. I think I might try to use the magic loop on my next pair of socks. (Hopefully, sooner than later.) Happy Labor Day.

Unfinished Business

2006-08-27T16:28:00.000-05:00

I promised to pop in today and flash a few of the items I'm NOT knitting. Last week was completely INSANE, even more so because I didn't have a chance to knit any sanity at all. Before you feel too sorry for me, I spent the weekend in Key West. Timing was good since we just missed the evacuation for Ernesto. Hopefully, things will calm down in the next few weeks (that goes for hurricanes and my school schedule).

The bags include all unfinished business. The middle picture will hopefully turn into a short sleeved linen sweater. I'm not thrilled with the rough feel of the linen. But, it's perfect for Florida. The picture to the right is the beginning of another family sock present. Last but not least, the yarn I bought for another pair of clogs. These are for me, so they'll definitely fall to the end of the list.

Sorry, I'm buried....

2006-08-25T12:36:00.000-05:00

Sorry guys. As a teacher, the first weeks of school are an insane time. I haven't knit anything since I went back. On Sunday, I will try to post pics of all the things I'm not doing. Hope to be back in the knit of things soon!