Larger Pile of Cat Barf? Or A Shawl?

2012.05.24 Red Chinese Poppy

WIP

I am on the 9th repeat of 13 repeats of the main pattern of the Echo Flower Shawl  by Jenny Johnson Johnen I am making for my mom.  You might remember my earlier post about this shawl.

 It was a KAL for the Beginning Lace Knitters Group on Ravelry.  I did not start mine in time to knit it with the group because I was finishing my Princess Lace Wrap,

and I did NOT want to be knitting two lace projects at the same time.  It was bad enough that I was knitting that wrap and a pair of socks with a lace pattern, the Hearts Abound Socks for my sister, K.

 I kept confusing parts of the two patterns and knitting wrap stitches on the socks, and sock stitches on the wrap.  Much better to stick to one lace project at a time.  Of course, the Mock for SKA (Sock Knitters Anonymous) this month , Chiendent, designed  by the talented Rose Hiver, has a lace pattern, but it is so easy to remember, I am not confusing it with the shawl.  Or, at least I hope not.

When I hit eight repeats, I got really excited, and thought, "Wow!  I am half way finished."  But then I thought about the fact that I am adding 2 new sections with every new repeat, so, um, I'm too tired to do the math, but I am not half way.  This pattern is not hard, hence the Beginning Lace Knitters KAL, but I have to pay attention while I am working on it.  I can not watch TV, that's for sure.  I usually listen to a podcast, but not CraftLit because I have to pay attention to that one.  As it is, I sometimes have to replay parts of what ever I am listening to because I tend to block it out while I am knitting on this shawl.  Lately I have been trying to finish 2 rows every night.  Sometimes I manage more, sometimes, nothing at all.

But it is starting to have the shape of a shawl.  And I still love the yarn, Cascade Alpaca Lace in Cream.

Where in the World is f1bercat?

I have knit 201.18 miles!  Wooot!  Broke the 200 mile barrier today.  I had to take my car in for the 50,000 mile service check, and I almost used that as an excuse not to ride/knit. Instead, I rode and knitted, then went straight to the Dealer, yes, sweaty and wearing sweatpants and a T-shirt.  I refused to care.  It took about 1 hour to change the oil, etc, regular maintenance, and I knitted in the waiting room.  Then I stopped at the Knittery on the way home and picked up some yarn for a chemo hat that I want to make for the Sharing Our Gifts Group.  I am so glad I stuck to my exercise schedule.  I am still sitting on the side of the road.


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This is starting to remind me a bit of when I was stuck on the side of the road near Joint Base Lewis-McCord.  This highway is forever, and there are no yarn shops until I get to Portland.  I scouted ahead a bit and look at the map of Portland with the search for Yarn shops:


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Pretty amazing.

Ok, I hope to post FO (finished objects) tomorrow, so I need to get off my blog and get back to knitting.

Yours,
f1bercat
shaping the planet one almostish scarf at a time

Orange Chinese Poppy

A Coyote, an Eagle, and an FO

A Coyote, an Eagle, and an FO

This morning, as I was driving to the Y (late because of Daylight Savings Spring Forward), I saw a coyote.  I was about 1/2 mile from my house, and still in the neighborhood.  It quickly disappeared through a hedge into someone's yard.  I did not get a great look at it, but dogs don't behave that way.  Dogs in our neighborhood stand in the way of your car and ask to be petted.  They do not slink off.  I immediately turned around and saw it again further down the street, even closer to my house.  It quickly disappeared this time, also.  I drove back.  Partly because I had seen one of our neighbors out walking his dog and wanted to warn him, but really  because our two cats, Selena and Muffin (NO WE DID NOT NAME HER), were outside, acting wild in the windstorm that was our morning weather.  Coyotes eat cats in our neighborhood.  But not my cats.  I whistled for them, and they ran up to see what was happening.  Then much to their mutual indignation, I grabbed them both and put them back inside.  Safe and sound.

When I was driving home, after knitting my way to the next LYS (more to come on that), and after stopping at the grocery store for milk, I saw a bald eagle riding the updrafts over the lake.  It was my second sighting this year.  We have a nesting pair that live in a fir tree up our hill, and often we can see them fishing the lake.  Even better, by mid-summer, we will see them flying with their eaglet, introducing him or her to the wonders of flight.  It has been weirdly cold lately, more like winter than the spring that is coming.  But an eagle.  Yes, "Spring is a cummin' in."

Almost as exciting as a bald eagle sighting, and way way better than a mangy old coyote, is my new Princess Wrap Shawl!  Knit in Debby Bliss Cashmerino in Wine.

I knit this shawl with pixiesmom, another member of the Beginning Lace Group on Ravelry.  I have talked about this before, but I want to repeat some of it because it is great to join a group like this.  The Moderators and other helpful members are quick to answer any questions.  They hold your hand, well virtually, through the whole lace experience.  And knitting it with a buddy is especially fun because you spur each other on.  Both pixiesmom and I had lots of things on our needles and hooks, but we made sure to work on our shawls, because we were checking in on the chat thread daily to see each other's progress.

So here is my shawl, finished but unblocked:

Here it is being blocked, with Selena as official cat blocking helper:

(sorry this is a bit blurry, but it was cloudy and not so good for photos in the basement where I blocked it) this is a close up of the pattern unblocked:

and blocked:

Don't you love Before and After Photos?

This is the finished Princess Wrap Shawl. 

I love it.

Where in the world is f1bercat

I have increased my knitting while riding the exercise bike to 35 min.  Wow, it's not like I'm going fast or have super hard tension, but I did not want to ride/knit for 5 more minutes.  What a wussy.  I did it though.  So, today I rode 6.36 miles and have now knitted a total of 34.74 miles.  What's more important, I am on my second week.  I am so proud of myself.

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On the way south, I stopped off (virtually of course) at All Points Yarn in Des Moines  at 21921 Marine View Drive South in Des Moines, WA.

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This yarn shop has special events and lots of classes.  They have lots of classes in machine knitting, and are authorized Silver Reed knitting machine dealers for the Seattle and Puget Sound area.  One of the fun things they offer is a Men's Knit and Stitch Night.  Got to love a store that welcomes the male of our f1ber species. The owner is on Ravelry as AllPointsYarn and they have an active group.

If you stop by, remember to say "Hello," from f1bercat.

Here is my to-date progress map:

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Have a great night.

f1bercat

shaping the planet with 2 safe cats at a time

P. S. If I am biking/knitting (kniking?) near to you in the future, and you have a LYS you would like me to virtually visit, be sure to leave me a comment here, or send me a pm on Ravelry.

Stitching My Way to California

Hello fellow stitchers!

I'm going to start tonight's post with a quick summary of some WIP's, a FO (finished, yes really finished!  object), and then a short Life post.

WIP's

I have been crocheting like a fiend.  I still have one square for March to finish for the 2012 Crochet Block-a-Month group on Ravelry, but I was inspired by MWitch3's blog, Needles and Hooks and Books, Oh My!  She talks about hooking a square a day for Lent, to make a Lenten blanket to give away for charity.   I decided to hook some extra squares for a baby blanket for the Sharing Our Gifts group in addition to the other baby items I am making.

So I crocheted a stack of 6 in squares using the sweet Never Fading Flower Square by Nellas April.

 

I am still not sure how big, or what the configuration will be, but I love this idea.

I also hooked the "filler" square for March, the  Double Treble Burst Square by Amelia Beebe.

I made 2, of course, the red, white and blue 

one for J's U of Arizona afghan:

and a navy, light blue, and white one for L's Graduation afghan: for this one I tried to "carry" the white yarn behind as I crocheted, and only used it to make the FPDT (front post double treble) stitches, so it would really look like a sunburst.  It was mostly successful.  If nothing else, I am happy that both squares look pretty different.

In addition to the baby blanket, I have started another Berry Baby Hat by Michele Sabatier, this time in blue. So it is my Blueberry Hat. This will also go the Sharing Our Gifts March project.   But, a bit more about this hat, later.  

I finished the socks I was knitting for my sister, K.  This is an unblocked photo.  I washed and blocked them, and they looked much better, I could really see the heart pattern.  I put them in the mail today.  I hope they fit.  They are really fun looking.  K teaches 3rd grade, and I hope she will wear them to school.  Who knows?  She might inspire some of her students to learn to knit their own socks.

I started 2 new pairs of socks, but I think I will write about them more in a future blog.

I am making good progress, sort of, on the sweater for Lewk.  It is getting a bit embarrassing to bring the same sweater to the  Eastside Stitchers meet up week after week.  So, today I reached the neck decreases on the front of the sweater. I plan to finish the front tomorrow, and cast on the sleeves, so I can bring them to Crossroads Mall this Wednesday.  Ok, I will still be knitting that sweater, but at least it will be a different section of it.

I have finished 9 repeats of my Princess Lace Wrap by Betsy Perry, that I am knitting along with the Beginning Lace Knitters group on Ravelry.  I was challenged by Pixiesmom to knit this shawl with her as a knitalong.  I am so happy she asked me.  It has been very fun to compare progress with her, and share our questions.  Anyway, the shawl is now looking like this:

 
I have also been looking at some crocheted toy patterns. I am hoping to make some small, quick items for my nephews/nieces/god kids for Easter.  I will keep you posted.

Life

I have a new idea that I hope I can actually do.  I used to walk every day, and post here where/how far I walked.  But, I pretty much quit walking.  And I really hate that.  So, I decided that I am going to try to make it to the Y, and ride the exercise bike.  Why the bike and not walk. treadmill, or elliptical?  I can knit while I ride an exercise bike.  Ha!  So. I brought the Blueberry Hat today, and knit it while I rode about 5.1 miles.  The hat is just round after round of stockinette in 1 color at this point, so it was a perfect choice.

As I was knitting and pedaling, I was thinking of where I would go if I was actually riding a real bike.  I have always wanted to do long distance biking, but wow, I am so out of shape that I don't know if that would ever happen.  However, I can possibly do it in a virtual way.

So I decided that I am going to try to ride the exercise bike to visit my family in Southern California.  I will keep track of how far I pedal each day, and plot it on a map.  I am not going to cheat, and go by freeway, but instead, I have looked at a route that "avoids highways."  Also, if I am staying off the highways, I thought I might as well stop at LYS's (Local Yarn Shops) on the way.  The first one I have found is at the 17 mile marker, so I should reach it on Wednesday or Thursday.  I will try to do a little post on that shop if possible  (of course that shop is so close, I can ACTUALLY and not just virtually visit it)  and I might do that for fun.

Here is where I am on the bike tonight:


Anyway, I hope you will all follow my progress down the coast as I knit (oops. I mean pedal) my way from the Seattle area to Southern California.

Have a great night.

f1bercat
Shaping the planet one blueberry hat at a time

WIP Update

Good afternoon, everyone!

This is a bit of a catch up blog, just bringing you up to date on my WIP's before I head out for some fun stitching and chat with the Eastside Stitchers at Crossroads Mall.

WIP

Needles

I only have knitting in progress right now as I am waiting for next month's Block of the Month CAL to be released.

Hearts Abound Socks for my sister, Kathy

Hearts Abound Socks by Kerin Dimeler-Laurence 

I have finished the feet and heels of these self striping pink socks.  I am sure the yarn is too busy for the heart lace pattern, or the lace pattern is too busy for the self striping yarn.  However, when the socks are on, the pattern is more visible.  I did not like the heels in the pattern, so I substituted the heels I used in the Hungry Bees socks I made earlier this year.  These still don't look fabulous, I had some trouble controlling the stitch size on the ssk side of the decreases, but they are still neater than the ones used in the original pattern. 

Here are the finished feet:

Insteps

Soles

Here are the messy heels:

Not too bad

Ugh!  looks so sloppy

I just need to do 1 or 2 repeats of the lace pattern for the legs and the cool ruffled cuff, and they are finished!  I hope to have them off the needles by Feb 28th.  If I make that deadline, I will still be on target for at least 1 pair of socks every month since September.

Liz Marino's Gift Knit Club Gloves

Yippee!  The next project from the Liz Marino's Gift Knits Club from the Knitting With Karma blog has arrived.  It will be some slippers.

The first project is a pair of women's gloves.  Now remember, I have never come close to knitting gloves before, but I have finished the first one and am about 1/3 of the way through the second glove.

Isn't it beautiful???  Look, 4 fingers!  And it was actually pretty easy.

Lewk's Red Sweater

I'm about 1/2 way through the front of the never ending sweater project.  I like to bring this with me when I go places, because I soooooo have the patterns memorized, that I barely have to think about it now.  I brought it with me when I met up with my neighbor BFF's PR and BW for coffee yesterday.  I knit through our whole conversation about what amazing kids we have.

At some point, I will finish the body parts and have to start on the sleeves.  Someday... I plan on bringing this sweater tonight because the conversation can get lively, and I don't want to have to think too much.

Wrapped Like a Princess

I have started a new lace project with the Beginning Lace Knitters Group in Ravelry.  It is a rectangular wrap designed by Betsy Perry called the Princess Lace Wrap.  It calls for worsted weight yarn and size 7 needles.  I am using some gorgeous Cashmerino Aran by Debbie Bliss in a wine color and size 10 needles.  The finished dimensions on the pattern give only 12" in width.  I want a wider wrap, so I am hoping that the size 10 needles will take care of that.  I cast on today, and have finished 1 repeat of the pattern.  Super super simple chart, and it seemed to go quickly.  I am not secure enough though, to bring it to Eastside Stitchers tonight.  Maybe next week.  Anyway, here is what it looks like so far, and unblocked:

That's all for now, I need to pack up my knitting back and camera.  I hope to take photos of everyone's WIPs again tonight and post tomorrow who showed up for the fun.

See you tomorrow.

f1bercat

shaping the planet one lace wrap at a time