September's Knitting Update

I have been knitting away this month and have lots of projects on the needles and off the needles.  Up first is my Carnaby Skirt.  I am almost done and am truly loving the construction of this knitted skirt.  Short rows are my new favorite thing to use for shaping. 

Oh my a BSJ!  What does that mean?  It means that a lot of my friends and family are having little ones.  My bestie from back home is going to be a dad to twin girls.  That's the prefect excuse to knit one of my favorite Elizabeth Zimmerman patterns in some fun stripping sock yarn I've been wanting to try.  The girls are due very soon so I better get knitting

This is my lace weight Abalone.  I started this a about two weeks ago and I'm about 2/3 of the way done.  The yarn is a merino lace weight in a heather taupe color.  There are flecks of red and blue, yellow and pink. It gives the finished project a lot of interest and depth of color with out being garish. 

Now on to some FOs! Finished objects are always exciting.  This is the Prim scarf all blocked and buttoned.  This pattern was great to knit and it's simple with out being boring.  The button that is sewn on is from my friend Antea's shop the Ceramery.  She has some really lovely items, but I'm a sucker for buttons.

And finally my Boneyard is blocked.  I tried a picot bind off to give my edge some interest, to learn something new, and to make my scarf a bit more feminine   

July 2012 Knitting Update

I have been banging out Christmas gifts.  Ok, I've finished three, but that's pretty awesome with it being only July.  I am going to be a gift knitting ninja by the end of 2012!  The above balls of yarn are for two more gifts.  

My fall projects are also moving along faster than I had thought.  Even with the heat being unbearable some days I have some how figured out a way to knit with wool and not want to stab myself with my knitting needle.  It's mostly a combination of air conditioning, fans and hanging out a Nangellini when the apartment gets too hot.  

Even though I have tons of projects, (more on this later), I have been completing projects.  Above is my first shawl design.  I am in love with it, now all I have to do is weave in the ends.  

Did I mention I knit a Wingspan, you know that short row shawl pattern that everyone seems to be knitting.  This pattern is so simple that it's pure genius.  My was knit from my loop bulls eye bat that I spun up into a three ply yarn.  I still need to block it and yes, weave in the ends, but this might be the gift pattern of the year. 

You can still add some awesome Alchemy Hour Yarn to your stash by entering the Alchemy Hour Giveaway!    

Fall Knitting

Yesterday I told everyone about my summer plans and goals and today I am going to talk about the future.  I have started my designs for the fall.  Wait!? What? I have cast on and started knitting one of two fall patterns.  My hope is that I will be able to complete both garments by August and then find a few testers who would like to knit said garments.  The plan is to then have the patterns ready for September and October.  This is my first time looking this far ahead for my own designs and I like how it feels.  I planed this back in April and figured as soon as I was done with my spring designs I would release one or two free patterns on the blog in June and July and use the summer to focus on the fall.  My hope is to one day be about six months ahead.

This summer I am also working on a collection of patterns.  Here are all the swatches.  I am so excited about my fall projects.  Now all I have to do is find a nice air conditioned spot to knit in this summer.

April Knitting Update

What have I been Knitting?  I think the question is what haven't I been knitting.  In all actuality I have very few things on needles.  This isn't necessarily a bad thing, all though it is tempting to fill all of those empty knitting needles with new projects.

Here's what I've been up to:

I am still knitting the variation scarf from Interweave's Jane Austin Knits.  But look!  my ball of yarn is much much smaller!  So close, I hope to finish this sometime this week.

This is one of my designs, and I am loving the yarn, Hempathy.  This is knit top down.  After constructing two bottom up garments one as a sample and the other being my design I wanted to get back to my favorite form of construction, a top down seamless raglan.  My plan is to have this pattern out some time in May.

I've even been spinning.  I have just finished the aqua blue section in my loop bulls-eye bump.  Now it's on to the read section.

Look what came in the post yesterday.  I love getting packages in the mail.  My base yarn and all my new dyes.  I know what I'll be doing this weekend.  Don't mind that random ball of burgundy merino, I'm going to be knitting a swatch for my fall knitting from that ball.

Here is a super sneak peek at the design coming out at the end of April.  I love this lace panel so much.  I've been typing up the pattern and sometime this week will be taking photos.

Well there you have it.  That is what I'm up to with fiber as of right now.

Knitting Update

I've completed a few project lately, stalled on one and spun up some lovely hand spun.  Here's my progress.

This is a knit dress for my niece in Oz.  She turns one at the end of this month.  I had a lot of fun knitting this and it only took me three days.  The blue yarn was 100% bamboo and the yellow was Taki Classic Cotton which I may have fallen deeply in love with. 

I got to use some of my vintage buttons from my stash.  This top was loosely based on the Rolly Top, I changed how the skirt of the dress was done and I striped to yarns in the yoke.  

I also completed these boy shorts using the elann Esprit I had floating around in my stash.  They fit, but they are a bit scandalous.  This pattern was the Assets of Evo, I followed the pattern to the legs which I made longer and added contrasting ribbing. 

Here's the project I'm stalling on.  It's not even intentional, just a miss calculation in yardage and now I have to wait till my order comes in with the last two balls that I need.  

I have been spinning a lot more and here is one of my lovelies.  The photo doesn't do the color any justice, but I love this stuff.   This puppy was a 4oz braid of Frabjous Fiber BFL and Silk in their Iris colorway. 

Again this photo doesn't do it justice there is way more purple and teal.  I was able to spin 440 yards of a double ply from this 4oz braid.  BFL may be my favorite fiber, especially when combined with silk.  The color reminds me of peacock feathers. 

This cake of singles is something I spun last spring.  Again its Frabjous Fibers BFL in Plum Toast.  I plan to leave this as a single I just need to take the time to measure it and wash it.  It's as close as I think I will ever get to lace weight.  

Knitting Projects

I seem to have a ton of knitting projects hanging around the apartment.  Some I just started, some I'm think have gone into hibernation.

This is the swatch for a test knitting project I'm doing for NoTwoSnowflakes.  I wish I could show you the garment, but I am sworn to secrecy.  I will make sure to take some pics so when I can share the project with you, I'll have something to show.  The yarn is this great 100% silk lace weight that I'm knitting double.  It's knit up slinky and sheer.

This is one of mine.  It's going to be a spring pattern, fingers crossed, I'll have it out at the end of February or the beginning of March.  It's being knit with Knit Picks Shine Sport.  I used this yarn last year in the Heat Wave and absolutely loved it.  It has great drape.

Here is a test knit for me.  I have a tank top I'm designing that will be out right before the summer.  This knit is just the at the early stages of the design process.  There will be a lot of tweaks to this garment before I release the pattern.  The finally tank will be knit in a solid color.

You may remember this project.  This cardigan has sadly gone into hibernation.  I love the color and the yarn and even the design, but I just need a break from the endless knitting.  That sounds silly, I know, but this is the project that will never end.  It's time to take a break knit something new, and return to this at the end of the month.

Coming out of Hibernation

This project has been hibernating, and today it's coming out of hibernation so I can finish it up. This little pile of yarn and needles and one finished item of the pair will be a lovely pair of lacy leg warmers.  The pattern will be available on the blog as soon as I have finished knitting the second warmer.  My second sock syndrome got the best of me with these puppies.  I should have knit them two at a time, but I was all "no it will be fine I'll finish the first one then I'll cast right on for the second".  I should have know better.

I do have to order another ball of yarn, but I have enough to start the second one.  Here's to casting on to finish UFOs (unfinished objects).

Knitting Updates

It's rainy and gloom outside today and it totally zaps all of my ambition.  I did however get up and go to the Y, so that's a start.

Since today is starting to slip away from me I think it's going to be spent catching up on my knitting.  I just finished the best mittens ever.  The are knit out off super fine alpaca and lined with mohair and silk.  They are super warm and will keep my hands toasty warm when the weather finally drops to a seasonably temperature.

This is a super easy mitten pattern, and they're fast.  You can find it on Ravelry.com as a free PDF download it's called Delicious Mohair Lined Mittens.  I lined mine in a fun contrasting color.  It's like a secret surprise.

I also need to get knitting on some test knitting I'm doing for NoTwoSnowflakes.  I'd love to blog more about it, but I'm sworn to secrecy.  It's a really awesome project though and as soon as I can say more I will.

On top of test knitting I need to finishes this cardigan:

It's the never ending project, but I guess that's what I get for deciding to design and knit a garment in lace weight yarn.  At least it's with size 6 needles.  Don't worry I'm not that crazy, I would never knit this with size 2 needles.

I've started some swatching for spring patterns.  Lots of garments are being designed and, fingers crossed, knit up for the spring on Blue Betty.  I'm going to have to knit like the wind, but here's hoping for some pattern releases starting sometime in late February.

What  projects are on your needles?