The top is done. I do need to seek out some better ribbon, but I am not going to travel the globe to find it. I’ll just search as I go along.
Michelle asked for a picture to see if/how it fits:
It fits great. And a picture of the top:
Chalk up another project!! I enjoyed making this. It was probably more for me than for her, but then she gets to wear it. 😉
Today I had to clean and do laundry :(. Here are my definitions of cleaning:
Cleaning the house: you are able to open your door proudly to family, friends, and neighbors
Straightening up: you are not absolutely mortified if someone happens into a room
Natural state: one step ahead of the Board of Health
Today I straightened up — somewhat. I also finished knitting the Vogue Lace Top and figured out the embellishment for it.  I found some old lace and also bought a beautiful ruffle, but let’s face it: it is for my 11 year old to wear to school, not to a Victorian-era debutante ball. So, I cheated a little and sewed it on by machine (please don’t turn me in!).
I’ll try harder on the front to get it perfect but I think it looks okay. The finishing won’t take too long, but the front and sleeves need to dry.
I also started the raglan shaping on Anya. I am loving the yarn so-o-o-o much. It is soft and nubby and a gorgeous color. Can’t wait to get it done.Â
PS — Laura made the soup, too: “Wanted to let you know some one else made the potato cream cheese soup — it’s awesome! I made a double batch, so the freezer is full of emergency comfort soup.”
Michelle asked what her pattern meant when it said to hold the yarn double throughout (thanks for the question, Michelle). Sally replied that as Michelle had suspected, it means that you hold two strands together as if they were one strand throughout the knitting of the garment. It creates a yarn with a bigger gauge or, if two different yarns are used, creates a hybrid yarn with combined characteristics.
Here is the scarf my daughter is currently making. She calls it Tennis Ball Green, which I think is quite descriptive (this scanned picture is very accurate):
When you hold 2 or more strands, occasionally you drop one strand accidently or only knit through one strand when making a stitch, so you have to pay a little bit more attention. If you look at the three yarns Laura is using, the skinny yarn is the culprit and frequently gets left behind. I’m not sure why so many newbies like knitting with these yarns, except that you get beautiful results with less effort (DUH, I guess that’s a pretty good reason!!). They are harder to work with.
AND, an unsolicited comment from Patti:
“I just wanted to say that I made your potato cheese soup, and my family thought it was wonderful. Such a delicious soup and it is made in under an hour. Thanks for the recipe.”
I am delighted that the recipe worked for someone else. I’ve had it happen that another cook tries a recipe and gets a total flop (it’s happened to me many times!). Thank you for the great feedback.
I have been working on my two latest projects: Anya and the Vogue Lace Top. Lace Top front is done, back is done, sleeve #1 is started. It would be great if I could get it completely finished this weekend so I can move on to other things. Yes, I constantly think about the next one in queue, or the next step (how will I finish the top edge?) as I am knitting. I think I kind of drive myself crazy.
Anyway, here is a picture of my mindless, on-the-go knitting:
I absolutely love the yarn and know I will love the sweater. I am fashioning it after a sweater that I wear all the time due to its loose fit and comfort. I always feel good wearing the thing. But I can’t wear it EVERY day, so I’m making its fraternal twin in this gorgeous, soft, beautiful, deep red yarn. Sally and I are both in love with red at the moment.
The only change I will make is to convert it into a raglan — I really like raglans!  Raglans are very nice to knit and sew up because a mattress seam is virtually invisible. I’m just about to the point of the raglan shaping on the back. I sure hope I get some knittin’ time this weekend. THAT is the definition of a good weekend!
Â
I just bought me two skeins of knittin’ insurance and that makes me feel fine! I was worried about my Kathmandu and now I am worry free! I also bought yarn for my daughter to make another scarf — she has one for every outfit almost. Tonight we bought electric neon green. It is gorgeous.  She made a purple one this weekend. When my daughter knits, all is right with the world :).
PS — I love reading all your comments about being a new knitter, etc. Thank you for sharing!!
Thank you for all of the positive comments about the new lace top. Its progress has slowed as expected because I had to do some other things yesterday — darn it!! I did start the front and got through the second lace pattern, and also tried to start Anya for my “at-work-mindless” knitting, but it is still not quite right, so I have a few more adjustments to make. The pattern has a small mistake and then there is the issue of my “customizations,” though these will be few (“I like you very much, just as you are.” — MD).
Michelle asked if I buy my yarn at my LYS or on-line. I tend to do both, but primarily at my LYS. Because I teach at two shops, I get a discount. It usually makes it cheaper for me to buy there AND I like to support yarn stores — to keep them around. Also, there is the instant gratification aspect. That said, if the yarn I want is not available at one of the two stores with aforementioned discount, my loyalties end. I will buy the yarn where I can find the best deal.Â
I teach classes so I can afford beautiful yarn. I won’t waste my time on crap. It takes as much time to knit something with Red Heart acrylic as it does to knit with merino wool, but what do you have when you are done? I have made this mistake in the past — as my friend Peggy said, “I only have so many stitches left, so I’m not going to waste them knitting on something I don’t love.”
PS — Michelle, I’m not “one of those.” I know people who can knit like speed demons and get fair isle sweaters done in a month (you know who you are! :)). It takes me months to finish those. The reason I get things done is because I spend a lot of time at it. I wish I was faster because there is so much knitting to do!!
Have you gotten the latest Vogue Knitting? It has a red scarf on the cover that is very pretty but looks like a lot of effort for a scarf. Inside is another in their series of gorgeous white camies. I fell in love with this one for my daughter:
And started it yesterday:
What fun knitting — rather addictive, really. It doesn’t hurt that I am making the extra small, which is tres petite for my tres petite daughter. I have never made a lace shawl with tiny yarn like this. This is a great introduction to it and not as difficult as I thought it would be.Â
I am using a Douceur et Soie/Kidsilk Haze knock off called Ovation from the SRK Collection. Absolutely wonderful to work with. The back got done in one day — how long do you estimate the rest to take me? You know how it goes: lots of activity and then a rapid slow down. My hands, arms, and shoulders are in pain from doing too much yesterday. But I’ll try to keep up the pace.
I also bought some yarn for one of those sweaters that you make to wear — a lot. The pattern is Anya from Jo Sharp.
Her Silkroad Aran Tweed is very expensive but I bought the identical yarn called Katmandu in color Plum (I say identical because it is from the same mill and has the same look, gauge, and composition: 85% merino, 10% silk, 5% cashmere).  I can’t start it until I finish the little lace top for Jena — m u s t   k n i t !   !   !   !
I am not Swedish, nor of Swedish heritage in any way, but when the Knitters Guild announced that a knitting designer and author was coming to town, I had to get involved. Inger Fredholm wrote the following book and taught classes here this week. I took her lace class and even though I did not learn any new techniques, I enjoyed every minute. She was delightful to listen to and a very generous soul. We got to see her exhibit and hear about the behind-the-scenes aspects of her lengthy knitting career.Â
Her designs include fair isle/Norwegian [Scandinavian] influences and simple lace. Her philosophy about lace knitting is that the pattern should be so simple that you can memorize it easily and always be able to find your place. She was wearing a hand-knitted skirt made out of medium gray, heavy-weight, cotton yarn in a feather and fan lace stitch. It was really quite lovely and something I would consider making. It is in the book.Â
Another thing I promised my knitting group I would share is my recipe for Potato Cream Cheese Soup. As you may have caught on, our knitting group meets weekly at Panera Bread. Every Thursday they served this fantastic and very rich Potato Cream Cheese Soup. It was my stand-by every week — I rarely branched out. Well, first they switched days of the week and it was no longer available on Thursdays. I would wander around other Paneras hoping to stumble onto the day my favorite soup was served. THEN they stopped serving it completely :(. A couple of weeks ago I experimented with a recipe and came up with a close (not exact, mind you) substitute. It takes under 45 minutes to make and is great served with buttermilk biscuits.
M-m-m-m-m-m-m-m. I’m going to go have some right now — it’s even better the next day.
Â
Â
Â
I’ve been working on Nina in my very limited knitting time. I’ve finished the left sleeve, left front and back, left collar, and most of the back. It’s not a particularly portable project — one of the disadvantages of knitting a sweater (especially a largish jacket) in one piece is that it’s like carrying around a dead body. It’s just not that easy to drag around.
My camera is still on the fritz, but as soon as I can I’ll update with some photographs.
I went to the Knitters Guild meeting tonight. The guest speaker was Inger Fredholm, Swedish knitting designer. She has an exhibit starting this weekend at the Swedish American Institute in Minneapolis. I signed up for her European Lace class on Friday afternoon. She is a lovely woman and appears to be very talented. I am really looking forward to the class and the reception/exhibit opening that follows. Her book is called “Knitting with a Smile.” She had them for sale at the meeting, but I’ll get 20% off on Friday so I decided to wait. More on her, the book and the class later.
As you may remember, the mitten exchange was also this evening. MANY of the knitters (most of the knitters) expressed the same level of frustration that I felt in trying to make their mittens. One woman did not finish her mittens, did not come to the meeting and sent the unfinished mittens with a note saying she would never come back (?). We figured she became part of the Knitter Protection Program for people too embarrassed by their knitting problems to be seen knitting in public again :(.
I received a gorgeous pair of mittens in the yarn I submitted — Rowan Tapestry. The knitter (and I am sorry that I do not know her name) also expressed frustration with the yarn I gave her — she said it was thin and rather too soft. It is DK weight I think and is very soft. It is a fairly new yarn and I had never knit with it before so I didn’t really know how it would knit up. She lightly felted them and I LOVE them! They were my favorite mittens of the night and I am very happy with them.
So, now, as promised, here are pictures of “the infamous mittens.” I’m sure you will just say to yourself, “Oh.” There is nothing special or un-special about them. They are plain old, seen ’em before, whatever !? mittens.
A close up of the “embellishment:”
The mittens aren’t that special but I fell in love with pompoms! I made these little cuties with the following new tool:
They are beautiful AND easy, just like it says on the package.  I may go crazy for pom poms or pom pons or pompoms (your choice). My husband could not see the attraction, but I told him they are so out that they’re in.  Â
So, there you go – I am now off the hook and feelin’ fine, never to do a mitten exchange again.  If you ever hear me say even in jest that I want to participate in a mitten exchange, please call the Knitter Protection Program without delay!! ;)Â
Â
Powered by WordPress
