Two FOs and Rogue Beginnings

This is the halter top from the left over yarn from the One Skein bag. The crocheted edge was a bit a of challenge, single crochet along the edge backward. It still curls a bit. The i-cord looks much better since I washed it.

This is Lotorp Bag from Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton's book, "Noro Revisited". I used a little over two balls of Kureyon in color 154. I got carried away on the strap, so maybe 2 balls would have been enough. The bag is smaller then I imagined. I have enough left over to make a bag for my Neuros mp3 player. I am looking for a proper mold to use. The bag was just one of those "gotta knit it" projects. I fell in love seeing in on the Internet, successfully bid for the pattern on line, and braved parking downtown to visit Isle Knits for the Kureyon. I'm not sure whether I will use it, but it might make a good home for a stuffed animal like the picture in the book.

I started Rogue using Jo Sharp SilkRoad Aran. Let me say this yarn is very nice to knit with. It is going to make a very warm hoodie. The kangeroo pocket is very cool to knit in and the cables are pretty. If it wasn't nearly 90 degrees no doubt I would be working on it a lot more. I hope I have enough left over for a hat, because this yarn is so soft, I think even a guy would wear it on his head. When I ordered the yarn it looked a little blue in the picture, but it is very definitely green. I am working up courage to knit something in a more girly color like pink or lavender.


Lately I've been obsessing on the one skein wonder everyone has knit already. I turned the heel on the cable and seed stitch socks, but they aren't going anywhere fast.

Odd Sighting at Aloha Knitters

Originally uploaded by acornbud.

These photos don't really do this creation justice. The creator wishes to remain anonymous. I say it's twin rambutan. In person it was almost, well, heh, disgusting. It's suede and some Fizz and roughly based on a pattern from A Second Treasury of Magical Knitting, by Cat Bordhi. It being crochet as a gift for someone in a science field. I hope to get another glimpse of it finished and even better during daylight although they really belong where the sun don't shine and are meant to hang.

It was a nice turnout. Lililoi Knits shared her Leaf Tank from Knitting Nature. J is making the cutest booties out of a very soft eyelash yarn, and K's cranberry sisik is growing nicely.
In a effort to get out of a slump and break out of the serial knitter mode I have 3 projects going. My favorite though is the Cornelia Tuttle Lortop Bag of Noro Kureyon, color 15.

Lacey Disasters and Spinning Out

Wildefoot cable and seed stitch socks are moving slowly. This is my first 48 stitch sock and I think it might be too small. The yarn does not show the pattern very well and is very splitty. Perhaps this will be a lonely one. I cast on Rogue and the Jo Sharp Aran Silk Road is much nicer to knit with. (not sure why blogger keeps loading this picture vertical) All my attempts at knitting lace have been rolled back up into balls. I tried Faery Tale Scarf from Interweave Knits and kept getting giant holes. Most lace patterns say purl all the wrong side rows but this one had yarn overs over yarn overs and it made me nuts.

Wayback sometime ago I bought a book on spinning and a drop spindle at a garage sale. It has been rediscovered in the cleaning frenzy (okay well frenzy is and exaggeration) along with some carded wool I had gotten in the pincushion addiction period of my life. The drop spindle was huge and being quite short it was very heavy. I researched making one of my own and was contemplating a run to City Mill when a lightbulb went on and I decided to do surgery. My son sawed off the crochet hook end of the bottom whorl spindle and screwed in a cup hook.

My odd little ball of yarn was well, strange! I could say the surgery was a success, but the patient died :(
I got a little understanding of how the fibers separate and a lot off knowlege about overspinning, heh. I am resisting the urge to order roving until I go to the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival in September. The plan is to sign up for a spinning class where no doubt I will lust after wheels, whorls,and yarns and dream of raising alpaca.
Of course I need a new hobby like I need a hole in my head.

Whine Ahead, stop now if you wanna get off!
I blame work for all this inertia in my crafting. The edict went out "We must change or die!". Being a detail, process type personality, generalities like that just make my head spin. I have to learn to stop those "tank" type personalities from running me over. It's cutting into my creative energy!@ OK, whine over.

Wildefoot cable and seed stitch socks are moving slowly. This is my first 48 stitch sock and I think it might be too small. The yarn does not show the pattern very well and the is very splitty. Perhaps this will be a lonely one. I cast on Rogue and the Jo Sharp Aran Silk Road is much nicer to knit with.

Wayback sometime ago I bought a book on spinning and a drop spindle at a garage sale. It has been rediscovered in the cleaning frenzy (okay well frenzy is and exaggeration) along with some carded wool I had gotten in the pincushion addiction period of my life. The drop spindle was huge and being quite short it was very heavy. I researched making one of my own and was contemplating a run to City Mill when a lightbulb went on and I decided to do surgery.

I could say the surgery was a success, but the patient died :(

My Mess

My Mess
Originally uploaded by acornbud.

Lolly's mosaics looked so cool I had to try it myself.

I decided to share my mess. Its always quite a task to find places for everything since I'm remodeling my craft room.



Here is the nearly empty room. I found I have a lot of sewing patterns. Oh what to do with them.

Blues gather for Project Spectrum Blue

The Blues is made up of the blue Totoros who insisted on posing with Blue Koigu Totoro on the Catbus square of my quilt. The square was one of 9 quilted in a group where we all learned to quilt in 1998. The catbus was made by our talented teacher.


Koigu demanded to show off the Noro silk garden, color 244 and Kureyon color 154. I want to try my hand at felting and am planning Klaralund with the Silk Garden.
I've started cable/seed stitch socks in Wildefoote. It is crunchy as I read on another blog and not fun to knit, but the sock itself feels pretty good. Koigu thinks I should "Get a life" , clean my room and get that sewing machine out. Sigh. He had to pose sideways putting his best eye forward, because I am embroidery impaired. Maybe that is why he is cranky.

PS: I apologize for not replying to some comments as blogger does not show an email address for everyone. Regarding questions about knitting a Totoro, please send me an email at Acornbudatyahoodotcom and I will invite to you test knit one.

Confessions

The sunshine and clear skies made this orchid happy. My mom is anxious to transplant it as the biggest spray is on a part of the plant outside the pot. Its all I can do to keep her from doing it before the last bud blooms! I equate big blooms with happiness. My live and let live approach to gardening has resulted in a lot of weeds but every once and awhile I get a bonus!





Speaking of weaknesses, I will have to admit, I'm a follower much of the time. I have allowed myself to be swayed by the many blogs touting the glories of Socks That Rock. The package arrived yesterday and I'm so intrigued with the color. I got the medium weight. Now to decide on the projects.
I am showing the toes of the finished Embossed Leaves pair as they really cool. AND, no kitchener stitch.


The buying bug has bit me. I have rationalized that since I found this book from an Amazon reseller I am justified. My Jo Sharp yarn is on its way...hope I can get gauge for Rogue. Lucky for my pocketbook I did not win 3 ebay auctions for Noro yarn (phew!), but I did order some for my Klaralund. Help! Paypal makes it too easy.

Blues Project

I've been waiting for Project Spectrum blue month to start these socks in Koigu solids blue. I love Koigu-so springy and interesting with its monochromatic varigations. The pattern is Interweave Knits Embossed Leaves by Mona Schmidt. So far I have only one, but can the second one be far behind?

The pattern is different in that the first couple of ribbing rows are knit back and forth, and the yarn is broken at the end of the gusset. Needle one is actually the needle I am used to being needle 4.
After a few halting starts, the lace was easy to do. I am in love with this pattern. H