The Last Days of Purple

Project Spectrum purple month is almost over. There were no purple flowers in my yard, only periwinkle ones...Blue Daze, Agapanthus and some daisy-like weed. Periwinkle-a purplish blue, a type of snail and a type of flower, used medicinally for menstrual disorders. I never knit my pinkish-purple yarns, Cascade Pastaza and Heathers. I blame the heat and being wooed by Noro and Socks that Rock., not to mention the wander to the dark side of hooking.

I managed a few earrings and a couple of bracelets in the air conditioning of my friends home. Nothing fancy, just trying to use up some stash, hopefully to sell at a craft fair in November.

On the knitting front, I am in the final garter rows of Klaralund. Wyvern socks are approaching the heel turn, and Rogue is resting.

More WIP

Fat Bottom Bag using stash Cotton. The band is white white and the bag, off-white. Not sure if I'll leave it as is or overdye the whole thing. Most likely it will remain as is and I'll sew in the handles.
Wyvern in STR medium weight lemongrass, magic-loop two at once toe up. This project has varied from 5 needles, two circulars and one circular. I'm thinking I should move up to a slight larger needle then the ones as this is turning out to be a very warm, thick sock.


For some reason I have been obsessing on making a Rosary, and lo and behold a woman I know wants one. I was going to do moss agates but didn't have enough beads so settled for aventurine and chrysopase. Turns out green is her favorite color. I have to find a center medallion but hooked it together with a wire heart for now. Hope I have all the parts right.

One FO, One WIP

Cameron's Hat
Pattern by Sarah Peasley.
After finding two knots in the first 2 inches of knitting, there were no more knots. I knit the band up instead of sewing it up at the end, left off the i-cord top knot, and it seemed to work out just fine. Lana Grossa Cool Wool Big on size 6 needles worked out perfect for the hat. It is very cushy, and superwash. I used about 1.25 balls of black and a fractions of the rust. I haven't washed it yet.


Klaralund in Noro Silk Garden color 244 progress-two backs done and 13 inches of sleeves (on the left). As always, the color changes are surprises! I'm not sure how long to make the sleeves.

Rogue is in a holding patten. Just too hot here to get inspired.
I'm still trying to figure out what pattern to use for my medium weight STR Lemongrass.

At the Aloha Knitter's the other night Sarah was crocheting a purse and also had another one she was using that was too cute. I don't know if she has picture of her's up anywhere, but I found this one: Fat-Bottom Bag from Debbie Stoller's Happy Hooker. Makes me want to whip out a crochet hook!

Blended Sky

This morning sky had these blended colors that reminded me of the way Noro Silk Garden blends into the next color, unless there is knot. My Klaralund torso pieces are done (sorry no pictures yet) and I cast two sleeves on and have almost knit one skein each. I started with the same colors and then one skein had a knot and the abrupt color change is a straight line. Somehow it works. (BTW, the view out my patio faces west)

I also cast on Cameron's Hat in my closeout Lana Grossa Cool Wool Big. I cast on 110 stitches and knit along, finding the yarn very soft. When it got to the part about placing markers, lo and behold I discovered 110 does not divide by 4 equally. Hah! Read the directions wrong. Needed 112. Sigh. Luckily I only knit a 14 rows. In those 14 rows I found two knots already! No wonder it was on closeout.

My goal is to have several projects going at once. I just find it's hard not to have favorites and the other lanquish and I suspect Wildefoote socks are destined to be frogged. No sense fighting my true nature. I'm a serial knitter, what can I say!

Bead It! Had one of their very frequent Trunk Shows. I went for eye pins, somehow having become obsessed with making a rosary. Of course they had no eye pins only head pins, so I'll have to make my own, sigh, but I managed to find some cute toggles , beadcaps and dangles.

Watermelon Socks

Watermelon socks
Dublin Bay Pattern , on 64 stitches

I just have ends to weave in then they are done. A really nice simple pattern. The Sunshine yarn is very substantial and cuddly. I love the colors and the random patterning.

Sunday, Sweet Sunday

One Skein Wonder in Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran dusty pink. Actually a two skein wonder. Very wonderful nice soft yarn. The sizing on this pattern is tricky. I made the smallest size for my niece, but well, I had to move it up 3 sizes and it's still pretty tiny. I'm counting on the stretchability. I think I'll make a few more of these babies. They really fill that immediate gratification need.

I talked my self out of going out shopping for more things I don't need. (I really want a George Foreman Grill since I heard it can go in the dishwasher!) Okay well I confess, I shopped on line for some Berocco Chincilla, closing out at Kyarns to make a bunny and a bear. And oh well, I added on a couple skeins of the Lana Grossa Cool Wool always aspiring to make a hat that an actual boy/man will wear.
But other then that I had a productive day in the jewelry-making department.


A little late, there are some Stars and Stripes stitch markers, some earrings and bracelet from the ruby beads a friend gave me, and a bunch of purple bracelets, stash-busting and to celebrate The Fabulous and Inspiring Miz Lolly's Project Spectrum Purple Month
Alas the purple did not scan well.

I frogged my Watermelon Dublin Bay sock and have turned the heel on the redo on 60 stitches instead of 72. The colors are lined up in a whole new way with some very interesting pooling. I'll take a picture when more of it is done.

Happy 4th of July, America!

Even though it is purple month, I just wanted to knit up my Watermelon Patch yarn from the talented Dani's Sunshine Knits I decided to go with
Dublin Bay Socks on size ones. I supsect it is going to be too big and I'll have to frog it, but I can't help knitting on because I just love the way the short repeats and blending are coming together. KnitPastis has been dyeing some watermelon yarns, too, just in time for 4th of July.
My first attempt at felting was fun. I admit, okay, that I'm not hip and don't have fancy ipod. I have a shuffle but mostly use my Neuros mp3 player. It is not pretty, cool looking or small, but it is very functional, holds more music the I can ever hope to shuffle through and it's mine! It really needed dressing up and protection.

The bag had that inverse bell look I seen in some felted bags. I knit it starting at the tab and ended at the bottom with a kitchener stitch. It took about 3 wash cycles to felt it this much. I gathered up the top a little then messed up on the snap, so it's not as snug as I wanted, but at least my baby won't fall out. I am still trying to decide what kind of strap to use and how long. Anyone know how to undo a snap after squashing it together?
It's sitting atop Lotorp bag in the same colorway.

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

One Skein Project

One Skein is full of cute little projects. I used some varigated cotton from my stash for this little bag and it used way less then one skein. It was fun to make and very fast.

Psychedelic Totoro

Left over self-striping sock yarn Totoro.

Cascade Fixation Tabi Socks

Project: Tabi Socks, Size 10
Cascade Fixation: 2.2 balls of apple green
Needles: Size 4 DP
Pattern:
Dimensions from "Sensational Knitted Socks" by Charlene Schurch
Elizatbeth Bennett's Perle Sock Program for the general directions
Tabi toes from Kate Atherley's Summer Sock Collection published in Spun Magazine

Not having the feet here to try these on is risky. My dinky 5.5 size feet didn't fill the bill and my sons huge ankles just stretched them out too much. I am counting these for knitpastis's Cascade Fixation Ankle Sock KAL even though size 10 ankles are not that tall...oops;P
I'm counting these toward Summer of Socks KAL, too!

Aloha Knitters

Another picture from the walk around my neighborhood reminds me about the Aloha Knitters.

June 10 is World Wide Knit in Public Day. I read about it on Kai's blog. The Aloha Knitters are planning to meet somewhere in Kapiolani Park. It should be fun!

I hope Chris comes out for it too! The picture reminds me of her, as it is practically in her new back yard:)

An Abundance of Green

My Wisconsin sister is visiting and we took a spin around the neighborhood on a blustery day. This is Nuuanu Stream which I drive over everyday.

I love the staghorn ferns that grow on trees here.


I didn't see a lot of green flowers for Project Spectrum green, just yellow ones with hints of green. BTW, there is green knitting going on. Tabi socks in apple green Cascade Fixation for my size 10 friend. I am debating on whether the leg is too long :(