Productivity

I was sort of house-bound for a few days this week, so I had a fair amount of knitting time. I made another Vine Lace Baby Hat - a very sweet little project from Knitting Daily. This is the second one I've made, and I enjoy it. I'll probably make one or two more. I used the recommended yarn (Cool Wool) in a minty green color. I also began a "Go With the Flow" sock from Favorite Socks. It's a nice, easy stitch pattern, 6 stitches in a 4 row repeat. Super easy to memorize, and I'm liking how cushy and stretchy they're coming out.

I also got started on my Mystery Stole. I think this is going to be a beautiful pattern. Melanie is a brilliant lace designer and I'm confident that this design will be gorgeous. So far I'm liking it quite well. It's my first experience in knitting with beads, and I'm so glad I decided to give it a shot. It's not nearly as difficult as I had imagined, and I think I will be very pleased with the result. (The beads are tiny and mostly clear, so you can't really see them in this picture, but I think they will add a nice sparkle once the shawl is done.)

And, today, to celebrate my return to the greater world, Pete and I took the ferry to San Francisco. I've lived in Sonoma County for 10 years, and this is the first time I've taken the ferry to the city. It was great fun! The trip is beautiful, and on Saturdays there is a wonderful, huge, farmers market at the ferry building, so we had a great time wandering around, eating, and shopping for produce.
Hurray for Saturdays!

Kimono Shawl Complete

My Kimono Shawl is complete! It's a crappy picture, but it's the best I can do for now. I'm very pleased with the result. It was a lovely pattern, not too difficult, engaging enough. Details below.


Pattern: Kimono Shawl from Folk Shawls by Cheryl Oberle
Yarn: laceweight alpaca, a gift from my friend Katy who got it in
Buenos Aires
Needles: Knitpicks Options, size 6
Finished Size: 72" x 24" blocked
Modifications: I did 18 instead of 25 repeats.
Completed: June 25, 2007

Quick Update

I have no interesting photos to share today, but I hate to let a whole week go by without a blog post, so here I am. I am very nearly done with my Kimono Shawl. I expect to finish it tonight or tomorrow and block tomorrow evening. I'm working on more baby socks - they are so cute and gratifying. I'm going to have a couple days at home this week so I'm hoping to get some more knitting done. I'm debating whether to start the Pea Pod Baby set, or another Vine Lace baby hat, or maybe some of these baby booties, or some more socks from Favorite Socks. I suppose I can do all of the above. The Mystery Stole Knitalong starts on Friday, June 29th so I'll probably stick to small stuff until then.

I had a very nice visit with my brother this week who was visiting from Venezuela.

Have a great week!

Okay, maybe I AM a slacker

I'm having a little trouble lately keeping up with regular blog posts. I guess I just have too much other stuff going on right now, which I will talk about one of these days. But I have been knitting some. Making good progress on my Kimono Shawl. It seems huge to me already, but I've only done 15 out of 25 repeats, so I still have quite a ways to go. I still like the pattern quite a lot. It takes just the right amount of concentration for my tired brain (which is to say, not that much). I can knit on it while I watch tv, movies, etc. So it's perfect for me right now.

Also, I made this adorable pair of baby socks. Lordy those baby items just knit up so fast and are as adorable as can be. I think there will be many more of these socks in my knitting future. All that leftover sock yarn can amuse me by becoming tiny socks. Sweet!

And that's all I've got for now. And here's a request, if you're reading this and you know me in real life (truth is, hardly anyone who knows me in real life knows about or reads my blog, but if you do), leave me a comment so I know you're out there. If you don't know me in real life, feel free to leave me a comment too so I'll know you're out there as well.

Waving Lace Socks

I FINALLY finished my waving lace socks. I don't know why these took me so long, but I'm very pleased with the result. Actually I'm going to go ahead and acknowledge that these socks would work better in a solid colored yarn, but I do love this J. Knits sock yarn so I'm happy with my socks. And I ordered a bunch of Knitpicks Essential sock yarn in a variety of solid colors so I can make some other socks from this book.

Pattern: Waving Lace Socks from Favorite Socks

Yarn: J.Knits in Boston colorway

Needles: Knitpicks Circular, size 1, magic loop

Modifications: I used an eye of the partridge heel.

And, I just got word that another Mystery Stole knitalong is beginning soon. I've never done one of these knitalongs, but I think Melanie designs beautiful lace, so I signed up. And, as luck would have it, I happen to have the right amount (1200 yards) of the same yarn as she will be using (Zephyr Wool-Silk Laceweight in Vanilla) in my stash. How handy is that?! I don't have a big stash, so this is actually fairly miraculous. Anyway, I'm looking forward to starting that, but I better get some work done on my Kimono Shawl before I get distracted by this new project.

Vine Lace Baby Hat

I finally have a finished object!


It is the Vine Lace Baby Hat, from a recent issue of Knitting Daily. It was a fast knit, and the yarn is lovely. It is the project recommended yarn, Lana Grossa Cool Wool 2000, in color #471. This one is for my friend Katy, who asked me to make it for a friend of hers with a new baby. I bought a ball of the same yarn for myself, in color #494, a paler green. Each ball will make 2 hats. I will definitely make at least one more of these. I also bought some yarn to make the Pea Pod Baby Set. Cute cute cute. Those baby knits are so quick and satisfying.

I had a great time this weekend hanging out with my friend Katy, who is a new knitter. We visited a lovely yarn store, Marin Fiber Arts, where we bought the above-mentioned yarn, and another yarn store, where Katy bought some super bulky yarn to make a feather and fan baby blanket.

Here's a lovely buckeye tree engulfing a big ol' oak at a state park that we visited over the weekend. So much beauty!