mariknits

Christmas Hat #2

2009-12-23T20:26:00.001-06:00

Christmas Hat #2
Originally uploaded by my_weezy

Pattern: An Unoriginal Hat by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
Yarn: Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Bulky in Aran
Needles: US 10.5

Love this pattern and it knit up very quickly. Warm and cozy. Need one for myself. This one is going to my other sister in law.

Christmas Hat #1

2009-12-22T15:14:00.001-06:00

Christmas Hat #1
Originally uploaded by my_weezy

Pattern: Adjusted Hot Head Pattern from Stitch N Bitch
Yarn: Brown Sheep Lamb Pride's Bulky in Aran, scrap Malabrigo Bulky in Sealing Wax
Needles: US 10.5

I collected all my bulky yarn scraps, half skeins and full skeins and started seeing what I could do with them. First hat completed was this variation on Hot Head. Edged with scrap Malabrigo bulky in sealing wax for a little splash of color. Pattern was used for stitch count and style, not color. Crown decreases changed to continue ribbing to the top.

I quite like it. Hopefully, so does my sister in law. :)

Book Review- Ethnic Knitting Discovery: The Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and The Andes by Donna Druchunas

2009-11-10T17:54:00.000-06:00

Visit my book blog to see my review of Donna Druchunas' book Ethnic Knitting Discovery.
I am participating in Eco Libris' Green Books Campaign.

In a Pickle

2009-11-05T19:41:00.000-06:00

I am in a bit of a pickle. The same one as last year. It is November and I have yet to start on Christmas gifts yet. Last month I thought I would knit everyone hats. That would be 16 hats! I have not knit any yet. Not a one. Can I knit 16 hats in the time I have left until Christmas?

Ack!

Socktoberfest Mystery Socks #2

2009-10-15T17:40:00.001-05:00

Mystery socks
Originally uploaded by my_weezy

I am loving this year's Mystery sock. So much fun and very pretty.
I am using Malabrigo sock yarn for the first time, too. Very nice. Soft and easy to work with. Well, easy now that it is in that lovely little yellow yarn cake. Getting it into that yarn cake...not so easy. My goodness. That was the most knotted and twisted skein of yarn. I am so glad that I had my ball winder and swift to use because if I had had to ball by hand it would have ended up in the trash. I was cursing and getting frustrated as it was.

Besides that little problem, love it.

I have a couple repeats to go on the leg of the second sock and then I will be getting started on the heels of both. Both socks will be done at the same time. Yay.

Rainbow sock

2009-10-10T20:55:00.004-05:00

Rainbow sock
Originally uploaded by my_weezy

Tried to blog this from phone but didn't work. Not sure what went wrong but here it is posted correctly.

Plain sock for the non-plain yarn. It is Jojoland Melody in a very rainbow like mix of colors. Not quite matching the toenail color, though. :)

I am also working on another sock at the same time. More info and pics on that one to come. It is Through the Loops' Mystery Sock.

Socktoberfest is so much fun!

Wedding Shawl Delivered

2009-09-24T13:45:00.003-05:00

I delivered the shawl to the bride this morning. She loved it. Yay!

It looked quite lovely over her pink robe. :)

Can't wait to see it with her wedding dress tomorrow. I will definitely be taking lots of pictures.

Have a great weekend!

FO: Luna Moth Shawl

2009-09-20T13:52:00.006-05:00

It's finished and I absolutely love it!!!

Pattern: Luna Moth Shawl by Shui Kuen Kozinski
Yarn: Classic Elite Silky Alpaca Lace in French Vanilla
Needles: US5

I can't wait to give this to my friend on Thursday. I hope she

likes it just as much as I do. It's not big, not too small. About 32' from neck to bottom point and 64' in length.

So this was my first attempt at blocking lace and I was definitely worried about messing it up. I had a sample size of Soak to use. Pretty floral scented, too. I soaked the shawl for about 15 minutes then rolled it up in a towel for about five minutes.

It took awhile to get the shawl pinned and it was a bit bigger than the mats I had so had to improvise by adding towels. Not a problem. It is now all blocked and drying.

The only problem I had was figuring out how to keep the straight edge straight. Any ideas? Also, I need someone to show/tell me how to use the blocking wires properly. Don't think I did. :)

We leave Wednesday for CA and Thursday morning I will be taking over the shawl to my friend's in San Francisco before she leaves to Sonoma. Can't wait to see it with her wedding dress.

wedding shawl update

2009-09-13T14:41:00.002-05:00

Wow. It has been a long time since I have posted anything about my knitting. I have been desperately trying to finish knitting my friend's shawl that she will be wearing for her wedding. It is coming along nicely. I really like how soft it is and how simple but pretty the pattern is. I am getting close to finish. I have the week to get it done and the weekend to block it. We will be leaving for CA on the 23rd. I will be sure to take some pictures once it is done and I feel the need to document my first lace blocking attempt. I really hope I don't make a mess of it.

I have blocking mats and wires that I ordered from KnitPicks. I think I have some pins. I am all ready to get to it.

Wish me luck on getting this done on time!

Scotland Yarn

2009-08-17T19:32:00.003-05:00

Scotland was such a great trip. Besides seeing really cool places I also found yarn! Yay, yarn! In Edinburgh I found a really nice yarn shop near the GrassMarket. K1 Yarns Knitting Boutique.

I was really wishing that I had some knitting with me after going in. The place was really cozy and welcoming. A nice place to sit and knit. Everyone inside were very friendly and I found some really great yarn there. Not really Scottish but from the UK. Good enough. :)

Artesano 100% Alpaca 4 ply

Scotland

2009-07-29T10:50:00.003-05:00

If you visit both my blogs this is going to be a repeat. Just skip right over one of these posts. I was going to to a completely different post, but am in need of food then nap. Still a bit jet lagged. I purchased some yarn in Edinburgh and started a sock while traveling. Will be back with pics of both soon. :)

I am home!
Such a wonderful trip but I am glad to be back in my own bed. And my own shower! I was getting a bit tired of the cramped showers in the Guesthouses we stayed in. It took some creative maneuvering to shave my legs. :0
We had a lot of fun touring Scotland. We rented a car and drove around for five days before settling in Edinburgh for four. We visited Oban, the Isle of Skye and Inverness and had some stops along the way to see castles and distilleries.

There were a lot of rainy days like here in Oban but it didn't ruin our fun. In fact, I really liked it. We haven't had much rain in Texas. Oban was a very nice seaside town. I really would have liked more than one night here. Will have to go back, I guess. We saw some traditional music and dancing here. Our first ceilidh. So much fun.

On leaving the Isle of Skye we made sure to stop by the Eilean Donan Castle. This was not our first castle and it wasn't our last, but it was definitely a favorite. It was used as a location in Highlander and one of the James Bond films (can't remember which). This picture is now my wallpaper on my computer.

Besides enjoying all that Scotland has to see I also went on search of some Harry Potter sights because, well, I am a bit of a Potterhead. Love anything and everything HP. So, we took some specific routes so I could see some sights used for locations on the HP films. Such as the bridge that the Hogwart's Express goes over in Chamber of Secrets. Do you remember this? When Harry and Ron are flying over the train in the Ford Anglia? :)

The train back to London from Edinburgh conveniently took us to King's Cross Station. Despite construction going on, Platform 9 3/4 was still there just moved to a different location while they work on improving the station. :)
(Saw The Half Blood Prince in Edinburgh. So good! Favorite of the bunch so far.)
Lots of fun.
Before Scotland we went to Bath, but I am going to hold off on those photos for an Everything Austen post later this week. I visited sights mentioned in Jane Austen's books and also the Jane Austen Center while there. Lots to share, including a small gift for one lucky person. Be sure to come back and see what I brought back to giveaway.
I will leave you with one last photo. Stonehenge. It has been on my must see list of places forever. It didn't disappoint. Very cool to finally see.

Stage 6: In the Mountains

2009-07-10T09:28:00.004-05:00

I haven't knit since the Team Time Trial. I guess it was just too much for me. :)
For the KAL we were to count our stitches knit in an hour. You must remember that I am knitting lace, but I was able to contribute 1074sph to Team Quickstep's average. Not too bad.

So, today I plan to get back on the bike and knit at least 1 repeat of the lace pattern.

The yarn I am knitting is Classic Elite Yarns Silky Alpaca. This is the first time I have used it. I love it. Very soft, easy to work with. I can feel the warmth on my fingers as I knit. It is working out perfectly. Plus, the color is perfectly matched to the swatch that my friend lent me to find yarn. The colorway is French Vanilla. Love that.

No more procrastinating. Time to knit!

Stage 3 2009 TDF

2009-07-06T12:40:00.004-05:00

Interesting stage today. The cross winds took many riders by surprise and caused a gap to form when Team Columbia-HighRoad punched it up. Hincapie said it was because they got angry that no other sprinter teams were coming up to help. Worked out well for them, Cavendish went on to win his second stage. Many of the main contenders for the overall win were caught in the chase group except for Miller and Armstrong. Cancellara made the gap and got to keep the Yellow Jersey one more day. Lance Armstrong with the .38 min gap moved up from 10th to 3rd overall. Good day for him.

So, the project I am working on is coming along nicely. One of my very best friends is getting married in September and I am knitting her a shawl to wear. I think it is looking quite nice so far, but still a little small. :)

The pattern is the Luna Moth Shawl by Shui Kuen Kozinski and I am using Classic Elite Silky Alpaca Lace in French Vanilla. I absolutely love this yarn. So soft and easy to work with. It is going to keep my friends shoulders nice and warm. The wedding will be in Sonoma and reception/dinner in San Francisco, so it will actually get to be used unlike here in Texas.

It is going pretty well so far. I just finished the third repeat of the lace pattern. Only four more to go. I ned to buy myself some blocking wires!

Do you Tweet?

2009-07-06T09:28:00.000-05:00

I broke down and joined Twitter! I put it off for so long.

Stage1: Monacco

2009-07-04T10:05:00.003-05:00

The Tour de France begins today. Stage 1 is a time trial through the streets of Monacco. I am participating in the TDFKAL once again this year. One difference- it is taking place on Ravelry. Go here and check it out.

So, my project for last years KAL never got finished. Still have about half left on my Clapotis scarf. I had planned on finishing it this year but instead will be working on a shawl for my friend to wear on her wedding day. (pictures and info to come)

Anyway, Happy 4th of July to my fellow Americans!

Sister's Baby's Dress

2009-06-15T13:23:00.004-05:00

Pattern: Little Sister's Dress by Tora FrøsethSource: knittingalot
Yarn: Jaeger Sienna
Needles: US3
[ravelry link]
What a cute little dress! I absolutely love this little thing and the pattern was really easy to follow and just came out great. I can't wait to see the look on my sister's face when she sees it. I am also making some itty bitty booties to go along with it. Hopefully they will be done in time. They are little, they shouldn't take too long. I need to find some little brown buttons for them.

Only changes I made was leaving off the buttons on the collar and using a ribbon instead. Also, only two garter sections on the hem due to yarn running out. I made the 6 mos. old size dress instead of the three month in the hope that the dress will get more use that way. We shall see.

Click on my ravelry link to see more details and pictures.

Bad Knitter

2009-06-08T12:40:00.003-05:00

I am a bad, bad knitter. I have not picked up my sticks in what feels like forever. It's not like I have nothing to knit. I have tons of projects I want to do, unfinished stuff that needs finishing and gifts to knit before I go to CA in 2 weeks.

What is wrong with my motivation?

I found a baby cardigan in one of my books to make for my sister's baby that is due in August. Must get started on that. It looks nothing like the photo of one she saw in a store, though. One she wants me to make despite having told her it is crochet not knit.

Here is a picture:

Do you all have any idea of a pattern that is similar to this?

I need a new project.

2009-05-18T16:27:00.003-05:00

I need something new to knit.

I have managed to finish a few WIPs I had laying around the house which means I give myself permission to start something new. But what? I have no idea what to knit next and I know it is not the other three projects I have yet to finish.

Something for baby is what I am thinking. My sister is pregnant, due in August and I need to get started on some baby stuff. Thankfully, I know that it is a girl so that makes deciding on yarn and colors a little easier. But I need a really great pattern to start on. Garment, is what I am thinking. I really don't think a blanket will hold my interest right now.

So, what should I knit? Any ideas?

Hermione's Cable & Eyelet Hat

2009-05-10T16:54:00.004-05:00

Pattern: Hermione's Cable & Eyelet Hat by Jackie Lauseng

Source: JL YarnWorks

Needles: US 6

Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease in Oxford Grey

This was a really fun and fast knit. It came out great but just a bit big even for my large head. I did use needles bigger than called for. Once again, because of my large head, but turns out I really didn't need to. I didn't even do the extra cable round that the pattern calls for for the adult sized hat. Anyway, next time this hat is knit, it will be with a lighter weight yarn and lighter color to get it to look more like the hat in the movie. Click on the link above to go and see. Also, I think it needs to be a twisted rib to get more defined ribbing.

Click here to see more pics. (Ravelry link)

Embossed Leaves FO

2009-05-01T12:16:00.001-05:00

Pattern: Embossed Leaves Socks by Mona Schmidt
Source: Interweave Knits' Favorite Socks
Needles: US1
Yarn: Spinning Colors Fingering in Rustic

Look! An FO! I have finally finished a knitting project. I am so excited.

I started these in February for Dewey's KAL . Great pattern but I did do some modifications. For one, the pattern calls for you to cut the yarn after the heel flap is finished and then reattach to do the gusset. I didn't bother just made sure to remember that I started my gusset rounds in a different spot than the pattern says. The other modification wasn't really on purpose. :) Just a slight mistake on my first sock that I had to copy on the second so it is not noticeable.

Loving these even though they make my feet look huge! Maybe it is just the angle of the camera or perhaps the different toe? Who knows, but my feet look much larger than usual.

Knotty problems

2009-04-23T20:08:00.003-05:00

Do you remember these? I started them so long ago, I barely remember them. I haven't worked on them in months. I messed up the cable on these and have been putting off continuing on them because of it. Everyone I showed them to don't see the wrong cable direction and said to ignore but I just can't. I am a bit anal about my knitting. I think I will be frogging this down past the bad cable.

Show Me Your Bookmarks Contest!

2009-04-20T17:40:00.004-05:00

Come over and check out my current contest at MariReads. Go here to see the prizes. You have until May 1st to enter!

Whiskers on Wednesday- 4/15/09

2009-04-15T17:04:00.005-05:00

It has been awhile since my last Whiskers on Wednesday post. I just haven't been taking many pictures lately. This week I thought I would share an old photo. One of my favorites is this one. She just looks so regal and poised. I will try and be better at posting the Joey pics. :)

As for my knitting, well, I need some motivation on that too. That is my plan for tonight. Continue work on my socks. :)

Happy Wednesday!

Doe a Deer

2009-04-12T11:41:00.002-05:00

This is so cool. You have to watch. :) Enjoy.

Sound of Music Train Station @ Yahoo! Video

Have a lovely Sunday.

2 years old

2009-03-30T17:31:00.005-05:00

Oh no. I completely missed the day that my blog turned two. It was March 6th.

I can't believe I have had it that long.

In honor of starting my third year, I bring you actual knitting content. Hooray!

I have been slowly but steadily working on my Embossed Leaves sock for Dewey's KAL.

I was hoping to have them done by now but unfortunately that has not been possible. No knitting mojo once again. Anyway, I have finished one sock which I have photographed to show you all that I have not given up completely. Here it is:

Isn't it lovely? I absolutely love the toe on this sock! So cute.

Please excuse the bare foot. Had to show off the pedicure. :) It is a little chilly, though. Needs the other sock!

The other sock has been cast on. In fact, I have the cuff finished and should be starting on the lace pattern tonight. Hopefully I get through at least two repeats. Wish me luck. :)