I can’t pronounce it, but it’s done…

This is the Clapotis pattern (free!) knit in the Netherfield colorway of Twisted Fiber Arts’ Shiny.  Perfect yarn for a slinky scarf!  I think the name is French, but that doesn’t help me much.  I didn’t get much past “Je m’appel Kiersten” in French.

It’s a clever pattern, knit on the diagonal, with intentional dropped stitches.  The first few really freaked me out, but then it became sort of addicting.

I modified the pattern by doing less than half of the repeats to get the scarf-like width I wanted.  The original pattern makes a much wider shawl, and I’m tempted…sorely tempted.

This scarf is another testimonial to the magic of blocking…it was a rolled-upon-itself mess of silky yarn yesterday afternoon.  With the help of a little H2O and the back of my couch, it now shows off its lovliness…over 6 feet of lovliness.

Ripple Scarf

This ripple scarf will make a good scarf or headscarf.  I used up the rest of my skein of Maid Marian to make it.  I like how this scarf really highlights the changes in colors. The pattern is from the book Scarf Style, although I modified it by only doing one repeat of the feather and fan pattern.

And for the record, no.  It wasn’t in the unfinished socks pile. 😉

These are a few of my favorite things

MYA has two FO’s to report.  Her Very First Hat is done, made from yarn she bought during the Yarn Shop Hop.  We’re still working on the pom pom, as the first was anemic, but it is wearable!  She also decided, yesterday morning, that her miniscule stuffed dog needed a purple scarf.  She whipped one out and we’re pleased to report that the dog is now cozy.

Last Thursday I had the chance to get together with some ladies from a message board, two of whom wanted some knitting time.  How fun is that?

 

Miss Beck demonstrates her perfect long tail cast on technique.

 

Miss Stole-My-Name humors yours truly.

Miss Lovely Sister In Law graciously tolerates the invasion of knitters into her embroidery space.

Mr. Handsome inspects the German Chocolate brought to me by Miss Beck. This kind of chocolate lasts much longer and is so much less fattening than the other kind…even if you chose to inhale it, as Mr. Handsome wanted to.  I don’t blame you sweetheart…it is scrumptious!

Finishing is hard work

She’s on the home stretch.  MYA would tell you she’s been working on this scarf for decades.  (Yes, I know she’s 8…what’s your point?)

Look at those tendons a’ snappin’ as she binds off.  She’s doing it right, too, by binding off in pattern.  I’m so proud.

Ta-daaaaa!!!!

The lucky recipient. He never nagged her about when the scarf would be done.  Not once. Uh huh…suuure.

Finishing is hard work.  It’ll wipe a girl right out. It’ll make her fall asleep in her parents’ bed while reading Calvin & Hobbes (book removed for photographic purposes).

I bet she’s dreaming of her next project.

Calorimetry

Well, that was fun.

I got to practice knitting rule #14: When necessary, wing it.  I flagrantly disobeyed knitting rule #3 (Knit a gauge swatch, dingbat), and realized that if I continued in pattern, this headband was going to become a hood.  So, this one isn’t symmetrical along the length, but I put the curve on the front half so it covers more ears and less pony tail.  I’ve got some other hand dyed yarn I’m going to use for another go at this. MYA thinks she needs one, too, and it’s a quick knit.

My souvenir scarf is finished and I’m attempting steam blocking for the first time. We’ll see how that goes.  I had just enough of that yarn left over to put a little bit in the headband, which is mostly made of Lamb’s Pride Worsted by Brown Sheep Co.  They make good yarn. The other blurbs of pink and teal are from some scrap yarn…Lion Wool and Knit Picks Andes, I think.  They promised to play nicely together.

MYA’s FO & a cardigan update

She’s still looking peaked, but here’s the lastest from My Young Apprentice.  She’s all about casting off.

Actually, she’s all about casting on, too, thanks to her friend Kristen, who taught her this mad skill while Katie was staying with them last week.  MYA is itching to practice her new skill by casting on another project, but in a classic case of “do as I say, not as I do,” I’m making her finish her brother’s scarf before starting in on anything new.  I don’t want her to suffer from knitting ADD like her mother.  It’s a loving thing I’m doing.  Really.

Cardigan update:

The body is finished, and one buttonband is done.  I’m waiting for the commissioner to get back to me about buttons, and then this baby will be seamed, blocked, ends tied/woven, and put in the history books…or, on the shelf until the skirt is done to match.

Katie and Jonathan have already informed me that they need fair isle sweaters similar to this.  Not want.  Need.  I told them to get in line.

Perspective is cool.

And, oh, that pesky internet has done it again.  As soon as I can find the yarns I want to use up from my stash, I am making this cool headband thing to wear when I go running.  My earsies get cold, you see, and it just looks like a fun way to use up some straggly ends of yarn.

Productive Illness

My young’uns are ill.  It’s been several days of regular emptying of stomach contents…gotta love it. My Young Apprentice, however, is demonstrating that it’s hard to be too sick to knit.

I’ve been keeping her company and playing with the scarf yarn

But now it’s time for college football and later, the World Series, so the cardigan is coming out to play.

My young apprentice

She’s lean, she’s mean, she’s the dishcloth queen…

OK, not really (at least the “mean” part).  This is Katie, my young apprentice.  I am instructing her in the ways of the fleece.  She’s a quick study, and after an initial garter stitch project that turned into a scarf for her Mom…

…and a quick tutorial in purling and slipping stitches, she did whip out that dishcloth up there.  If she starts now, and makes one dishcloth a month, she’d have 120ish by the time she was 18.  That’s my idea of making good use of youth.

For her next trick, Katie decided that her oldest brother needed a new scarf.  She spurned my stash and chose to purchase the yarn from her own allowance savings (bwess her wittle heawt), and found a soft acrylic with blues that Jonathan likes.  I know, I know, acrylic…but we’ll get to that lesson later. I couldn’t squash the generous girl in her moment of generousness, could I?

Here is her progress to date:

She’s working a k2p2 rib and doing a marvelous job.  I’m not sure it will be done before the cold weather hits, but I’m learning not to underestimate the girl.

Notice, please, that although I have not converted her to complete yarn snobbery, she has accepted and embraced the superiority of wooden needles. 

That’s my girl.