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

Eastside Knitters Guild Attacked by Knitted Monsters

Rebecca Danger 2012.05.21

Eastside Knitters Guild

Rebecca Danger of the DangerCrafts shop on Etsy and the wonderful Big Book of Knitted Monsters visited The Eastside Knitters Guild tonight at Crossroads Mall.  She brought lots of fun samples of her monster patterns, books, and kits.

Rebecca started out designing, sewing and selling artisan purses and bags, and only switched to knitting patterns relatively recently.  The most amazing thing about her  is how self taught she is.  She is just so creative and ready to take changes and try things.  If she wants a pattern to do something and doesn't now how, she just makes it up.  I love how whimsical and endearing her "monsters" are.





In addition to finding the monster, dinosaur, and other patterns in her books, you can buy patterns individually at her Etsy Store.



WIP's  

I have finished the 3rd clue on the Mock (mystery sock) for Sock Knitters Anonymous and my "summer" colored sock for SolidSocks for May.  This clue started with the heel turn and included the gussets.



I just love this color.  I am using Cascade Heritage Sock in Turquoise.

The heels were pretty standard, but the gusset has a twisted rib, continuing the twisted rib pattern that made up the legs.  I really love the look.  The 4th and last clue will be released tomorrow morning.  I can't wait.

I also finished the third Spa Washcloth from my Liz Marino Gift Knits Club.  These are so much fun to knit and such a great gift idea.  I have decided to make them for my 3 sisters and 4 sisters in law for Christmas gifts.

Right after I bound off, I cast on another spa washcloth with some of the organic yarn I bought on the 2012 Puget Sound Yarn Tour.  3 down, 18 to go.










Where in the World is f1bercat?

When I left off my bike tour, I was at 183.63 miles and on the side of the road in Oregon.  I managed to knit another 5.1 miles and made it to Knit Divas!  188.73 miles knitted so far.


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To tell the truth, I am not sure this LYS is still in business.  They have a website, and a Ravelry Group, but it all looks a bit inactive.  The economy is so tough.  I am glad I participated in the 2012 Puget Sound LYS Tour.  It is so important to support our small businesses, especially our local ones.  I hope that Knit Divas is still alive.  It is such a great name for a shop.

Here is my progress so far:


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And here is where I am on the big map:


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I still have a way to go.

Stay safe and well.

Yours,
f1bercat
shaping the planet one spa washcloth at a time

one of Rebecca Danger's Monsters

Pay it Forward with Crafting!

2012.05.04

(Warning!  Spoiler Alert!  If you are doing the SKA Mock for May by Rose Hiver, and don't want to see it in advance, there is a photo of the cuffs at the bottom of this post)

1.  Pay it Forward

Yet another thing to give me a reason to craft - as if I needed one! I saw this post at Kara's blog {lbk creations} , and knew I had to participate, and I think I am her first commenter, so I hope I get to be one of her three! I've copied this from her:

If you’re interested in participating here’s the info:

I will send a surprise gift to the first three commenters on this post. The gift will be handmade by me. It will be sent sometime in the next 365 days. A year seems like a long time, but that’s what makes it a surprise gift. We all love getting surprises in the mail, right?

1. In your comment, tell me your favorite color or colors.
2. To sign up and receive a gift, you must play along, too. Pay it Forward on your blog, by promising to make a surprise for the first three people who comment on your blog post.
3. You must have a blog.
4. After commenting here, you must re-post this or something similar to your blog in 48 hours. If not, I choose the next person who comments.

Please leave me a way to get in touch with you - an email, Facebook, or Ravelry ID. Something. I will send to anywhere, so don't hesitate to join in!

2. New Follower

Hello to my newest follower, Barbara!  So happy to have you officially following.

3. Finished Objects

Yes!  I have actually finished my Liz Marino Gift Knits Club Snuggly Socks (Better than French Vanilla - or for short, French Vanilla Socks).

Over last weekend, I cast off these socks and my Squash Blossom Lyra's Socks.

I HAVE to finish the fish hat I am making for my nephew, A, for his wedding.

I HAVE to finish the placemats for my sister K's, housewarming gift.

I HAVE to finish the Coco the Cat (and her clothes) I am making for my niece, and god daughter, M's birthday.











I HAVE to finish the RED HOT SWEATER for Tony!  (no photo as I have not been working on that)!

I love these so much, .

 I immediately cast on another pair

and, another pair of socks for SKA/SolidSocks May challenge.

 At one point, as I was counting the cast on stitches (why can't I count to 36?), I actually thought that I need some one to be my Interventionist and say to me, DON'T DO IT!  But, well, I really want these socks.  The SKA/SolidSocks ones are a Mock (mystery sock) by Rose Hiver (Love her designs) in Cascade Heritage Socks Turquoise, and are for ME.  The French Vanilla Socks are in some Cascade Heritage Hand Painted sock yarn that I bought last year at Churchmouse Yarn and Teas.  They will be for my son, J.

Addicted to socks.

4. Top Photo

As the blossoms are just about finished on my Fuji Cherry for the year, I will be switching my top photo to my Chinese Poppies and Black Bart Irises.  I am not sure if I will alternate the two plants, or exactly how I will show their progress from bud to flower.  Probably I will do the poppies first, as they are just about ready to bloom, and the Black Barts are a bit behind.  I need to find something to show the scale of these flowers.  I'm thinking...

but here they both are today:

Chinese Poppy

Black Bart Iris

 Stay safe and well.

Yours,
f1bercat
shaping the planet sock after sock after sock after sock

Echo Flower Shawl, Not Cat Barf

2012.04.19

 

Another gray day today.  The Fuji Cherry tree is starting to drop petals and put on its leaves, but because of the gloom, I don't think you can see much.

Life

This is a huge weekend for my family.  My youngest child, my son L, has the lead in his high school musical and they are performing this weekend.  The play is The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and my son plays the part of William Barfee who wins the contest.  He has been a ballet dancer with some tap/jazz/modern as well since kindergarten, and has performed in many ballets, especially The Nutcracker with the Pacific Northwest Ballet when he was younger (and much smaller and cute), but has never acted or sang on stage before.  One of his good friends has done quite a few of the school musicals, and talked L into auditioning saying, "you can get a small part in the chorus.  With your dance skills, they will love you."  So L got the ok from his ballet teacher to audition, and did it.  Of course, he did not get one of the minor rolls but is splitting the lead with another boy (the show is double cast to allow as many students as possible to participate.)  I can't wait to see him! 

My daughter, S, the talented writer who goes to school in Portland, is taking the train home tonight, and will be here for the weekend.  L will perform the final 2 shows, both on Saturday.  I will go to both of his shows.  My poor husband, the Doc, has to work during the day on Saturday, so he will attend the evening (closing) show.  My older daughter, Allifer, and her boyfriend A, will attend the matinee, since poor A works Saturday night.  I probably won't update this blog until Monday, but if I get any photos after the show, I will post some because I know all of you read this blog to see how my kids and cats are doing and not for the knitting and crochet!

WIP

Last week I posted photos of some new projects that I have cast on.  One is the Echo Flower Shawl by Jenny Johnson Johnen.

I am knitting this shawl with the help of the Beginning Lace Knitters Group on Ravelry.  I think this was the KAL for March, so I am a bit late, but I was BUSY. =)  And I will admit, a bit intimidated.  But I decided to screw up my courage, and take the plunge.

I am using Cascade Alpaca Lace in Cream.  OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO  I mean it!  OOOOOOOO!  This yarn is absolutely lovely.  I love the feel of it as it runs through my fingers while I am knitting.  Sometimes, I just stop and pet the ball.  I am using cream, because I let my Mom pick the color, and that was what she wanted.  I know she is not really a "shawl" type of person, what ever that is.  She lives in southern  California, and it is simply too hot there to wear a lot of knitwear.  But I miss her.  And I feel the need to show my love for her by knitting her something.  She may never wear this.  But I don't care.  She can just take it out and pet it occasionally.  I have seen that some of the people in the group put beads in the border section, and I am thinking of doing that.  I will have to find a bead color that does not pop, but just adds a tiny bit of sparkle.  I learned how to add beads with a crochet hook when I was making my 2011 Advent Calendar Scarf last December.  I remember the process as being super slow and tedious, but the beads as adding a really lovely touch to the scarf.  Perhaps I will be a tiny bit faster this time around.  Also, I need to practice this, because I fully intend to participate in the 2012 Advent Calendar Scarf this coming December!

I have completed the set up section, and 2 repeats of the main flower pattern in these photos.  It is simply amazing to me how much lace looks like cat barf before it is blocked.  I stretched it out just a bit so you can get a sense of what the flower pattern looks like.

The flower pattern is 8 rows and on the first row, there are some "3 into 9" and "2 into 9" stitches.  This is where you knit together 3 stitches (or 2) and do not drop them off the left needle, but yarn over the needle and knit into the same stitches repeating this again and again until you have 9 loops on the right needle.  On the way back, you purl these 9 new stitches.  In this way, the shawl grows by 2 sections every full 8 row repeat.  At first, I was stopping after completing row 8.  Now, I am going ahead and doing the row 1 increases before I stop, so that it will seem like easy fast knitting when I pick up the shawl to continue.  It's all a game to psych myself up for yet another repeat.  To make a real shawl and not a scarf, we are supposed to do 13 repeats of this flower pattern.  I have been reading the thread on the Group Page, and almost everyone who stopped short of the 13 repeats was sorry.  So even though it will take me (a VERY slow knitter) longer and longer to complete the 8 rows, I will do all 13 repeats.  I am determined to make my mom a beautiful shawl.

That's all for today.  I get to pick up my daughter, S, at the train station in Seattle tonight.  I can't wait to see her.

No bike trip again today.  I hope to restart it on Monday, even if I can only knit for 15 minutes before dropping with exhaustion.

Yours,
f1bercat
Shaping the planet one piece of cat barf at a time