Column of Leaves scarf

It's closer the end of school year, even though my son is only 3, he does have preschool teachers and a Chinese school teacher....that means I probably should prepare somethings for the teachers. I'm thinking about making the Brooke's Column of Leaves scarf for his Chinese school teacher. I want to use yarns that's easy to take care of, and it's almost summer now, I really don't want to work with wool or merino. I thought about silk, but not sure about the "easy care", so I went with this Ella Rae Silkience, it's got cotton, modal, silk and rayon, feels pretty good. I think the first two pictures show a closer color of the yarn, it's kind of like a purple-gray-ish color, the 3rd one is too blue-ish. I got till 5/19 to finish this project, with my slow speed, I better hurry....hopt it'll turn out pretty.

看到不少格友織這條圍巾,真的蠻漂亮的,決定來織一條給兒子的中文學校老師.因為夏天到了織條圍巾其實有些不太合適,但是我也只會這個,圍巾也不用管大小,任何人都可以用嘛! 我選了很久才決定用這組線,先織看看,若是不滿意再來換花瓣圍巾吧! 反正用鉤針也會比較快,應該可以趕在5/19前完成吧!! 加油喔!

Wicked

Well, I wanted to finish Sahara before I start Wicked, but but but....even if I finish Sahara now I can't wear it! So, I casted on for Wicked, I'm using Berroco's Softwist. I'm still working on Sahara, I finished one sleeve, one more to go, I will try to finish Sahara before end of this month (will I?!).

I'm making the short sleeves size M, I need something big enough to cover my tummy, I hope I can finish it before my belly gets too big or the weather gets too warm...

This picture was taken couple days ago, I just put the sleeves on scrap yarn today, I tried it on, so far so good, love it!

I'm BACK....

I've been to the "frog pond" and back...

I had to rip my Sahara, I tried it on after I joined the front and back, and it was way too small (I refuse to believe that I gained that much weight over X'mas!). I did my swatch with KP Options #6, and the stitch gauge was right on, but not the row gauge, that was why I decided to follow the pattern by inches. After I saw my sis's Sahara WIP, I can see my froggie friend is waving at me...

I love my KP Option needles, I really do, I guess I'm just having bad luck with it. Somehow I decided to use my BOYE knitting gauge ruler to measure the needles I was using, I couldn't believe it, it fits right through the size 5 hole!! How can it be? I checked all the needles before I made that call to the Knit Picks, I know I have all the correct needles. Then I remembered I had another gauge ruler from a different company, I test it, it fits the size 6 hole. Then I thought, it doesn't really matter what size needles I use, as long as I get gauge, I should be fine! ~long sigh~ Well, I kept staring at my Sahara, stare at it won't fix it. Okay, okay my froggie friend, I'm coming....this was Jan. 5. After 3 days I was back to where I was before the rip, this time I switched to #7 needles (perfect gauge swatch), it fits much better (can't say perfectly yet).

So far, I've finished the body and knitting the neck band as of now.

I have no problem with the Diamond rib pattern, they are easy to memorize, but the k3tog tbl and p3tog tbl are not easy to do, especially with this silk yarn so splitty, can't wait to finish that neck band (all that p3tog tbl)! I want to finish the neck band tonight, so I can do the sleeves on the plane tomorrow (ha, that's if my son lets me...good luck to me!).

Casted on for Sahara

I casted on for Sahara on Jan. 1, this is a mini kal between me and my sister. I casted on while we were sitting in the car waiting to exit the Navy Pier parking garage ^0^, the girls was watching movie, I was knitting, poor hubby!

I'm using Tilli Tomas Pure & Simple in color Aqua Zing, I bought it from Sarah before the whole messy pricing situation started. I got gauge using Knitpicks Option #6 needles, my swatch was 22 sts/30 rows before blocking, I guess I'll be following the "inches" instructions not the "rows" instructions.

This is what I have so far, I'm knitting long sleeves version size S. I always have problem trying to decide what size to make, now this one suppose to have "negative ease" but this yarn stretches...I hope I chose the right size....crossing my fingers.

My Sock Advanture

While I'm waiting for my sis to get her yarns for the Sahara (our mini KAL), I decided to try knitting my first sock. I bought Knitting Korner's Sock I & II a while back with Joann's 40% coupons, I like the idea I can always go back to the dvds if I forgot how to do something. In these dvds, Nenah Galati uses 2 circular needles which is easier then using dpns (I think), and you can even knit 2 socks at a time, how great is that?!

And then I saw this booklet "Magic Loop" uses only 1 long (32"~40") circular needle. Hey, I like it even more.

I was going to start my sock with 40" addi #1, but I couldn't find a pattern (I liked) written using Magic Loop. I found some patterns uses 2 circulars, but no luck with Magic Loop :-(

Since this is my first sock, I'd better follow a pattern, I went with Diamante. I started it using 2 #1 KP 24" circular, this is a toe-up pattern (so I can try on as I knit), I used Judy Becker's Magic cast-on, I did it just one try, and it looks great! Hey, it's a good start!

I knitted for about 2", figured it would be a good time to try it on, OMG, it was big! How can it be? Then I realized that I miscalculated the stitches, my gauge was 32sts=4", but somehow I had 36sts=4" in my mind...I increased too many stitches! Ok, let's try again, I ripped and re-knitted. Still too big! Why? Why? Why! I read the pattern again and again and again...well, it says it's for women size medium, could this be it?! At this point, I had no idea what size M means anymore! When I decided to knit socks I thought if I just follow the pattern (using same gauged yarn) I should be ok. Well, lesson learned!!


I took time to measure my foot this time, and used Knitty's Universal Toe-Up Formula to calculate all the numbers that are needed to knit a pair of socks that will fit me. Now I got all the numbers, I also found Anastasia socks has the Magic Loop instruction in it, perfect! At first I wasn't sure how to apply Magic loop, after knitted with 2 circulars, I kinda got an idea how it should work. It was easy! I just keep pulling each "ear" (the 2 loops) at the end of each row instead of pulling the whole circular needle, and it worked like using 2 circulars!

See the picture on the left, I was so happy that I can start my heel soon, then of course, I found a boo-boo, one set of the k2tog and YO was messed up. ~sigh~ I put in a life line, it's all ready to be ripped...oh...do I have to? Or can I just drop that stitch and pick it up use crochet hook?

Clapotis

I started another project, the "Clapotis". I'm using the Lorna's Laces' Lion & Lamb in Black Purl colorway. I originally used it for the Stitch Diva's Cardi Wrap, (I got the yarn from Ebay at $25 per skeins, very good deal); I did my swatch and the wrap still turned out too big, silk drapes....be ware! Well, I frog the whole thing and here is the Clapotis.
















I don't want a huge Clapotis, so I only did the "increase rows" section 6 times, I'm on "straight rows" section now, I did 2 drops already, you can see it at the top right corner. This one goes fairly fast, love it!

I didn't abandon my Bubble pullover, it's just I don't have time to block the sleeves yet (I was too excited to block the SWT). Next week, I should have time to do the blocking, I sure want to wear it before the Spring comes. ^O^

Aaaaaaaa....Grrrrrrrrrrrr

I can't believe I did this!!! This is the last purl row of the Lily of Valley lace chart 2, while I was watching CSI, I dropped a stitch (欲哭無淚)! I tried to act quick and pick up what was dropped, too late, 1 st became 2 sts then became...I don't know anymore!!!


Well, I thought about rip back to the lifeline and start over, but I so don't want to, I took out my crochet hook, 2 #3 double point needles, and start to "fix" this mess. Voila! Can you tell?

Don't ask me what I did, I know I won't be able to do it again :-P
Now on to the last pattern chart...

SWT closer to finish

Yeepii!! I finished 6th rows of the Lily of the Valley Border 2 chart, so excited!! I was so worried about the p5tog (after the nupp), I'm really really really glad I used the Knitpicks Option needle #4, the sharp tip really helped; Addi won't do it. I did the p5tog as sl2p, p3tog, then pass the sl2p over, it looked kind of sloppy, but I think the blocking will fix it. Another 22 rows, yeah!!

Progress report

Lotus Blossom on blocking board, this is the first time I use the "wire", I use 2 wires for the side seams, worked pretty well. As of today, I finished the neck trim/band and one arm hole, just one more arm hole, I'll be done with this baby. I tried it on, no rolling at the chest area, good good good!


Swallow Tail Shawl, I'm on the 11th repeat of the budding lace, my first lace project, it looked so small, I'm a little worried, maybe I should do 19 repeats, but will I still have enough yarn (I only have 1 ball of this Misti Lace)?


This is my Bubble pullover sleeves, I'm so tired of St. sts, 1 more inch to go then I can start the decrease. I'm going to try to finish these sleeves this weekend (still waiting for my yarns from WEBS).

Still knit knit knit

Don't have any picture to show, I'm working on my Bubble pullover sleeves, boring St sts, feels like taking forever. The pattern says to knit 6" ribbing, then 12" St sts, then starts decreasing for the cap, and that is another 7", total of 25"!! I'm somewhat petite, 25" is way too long for me. I think I'm going to knit just 9" for the body of the sleeves, since I'm so tired of St sts, I like that idea a lot. ^_^
I also ordered 3 more balls of yarns from Webs. I read Amy's blog, she had to buy more yarns for her Bubble pullover (I'm using the same yarn). I originally bought 13 balls (after calculation), I used 7 balls for all those pentagons, and the sleeves I'm working on (I'm knitting 2 sleeves at the same time), I'm only half way, and I already used 1 ball for each sleeve. I still have bottom ribbing and "huge" collar ribbing, I definitely need more yarn. I just hope Webs still has the same dye lot...

Lacy Kerchief Scarf

Here is another UFO, Lacy Kerchief scarf from IK summer 05 issue.

This yarn is Endless Summer Luna from Elann.com, it's rayon and cotton blend, very soft and shinny. I used the Knitpick's Option needle #4, I should've use bamboo needle for this. The yarn is slippery (rayon, da), and a little spongy, I'm still trying to get use to the feeling and keep the tension even. I often go back to reginalolaca's blog to look at her finished Lacy Kerchief scarves, (yes, she made more than one, amazing, her FOs), hoping that will keep me motivated to finish this scarf.

Lotus Blossom Tank top

I started the Lotus Blossom Tank back in August, I just finished the top part last week. Yeah, I had to put it aside because the SKB KAL. I still need to block it so I can sew the front together and then still need to pickup stiches (not my favorite thing to do) around the armholes and the neck band. Well, since I can't wear it now (too cold), I guess it can wait just a little longer...

SKB WIP

This is what I started with:



Yarn: Lang Yarns Musica
Blue sequins and Beading thread


This is what the sequin looks like.



I strung the sequin onto the beading thread. Yeah!! I got a sequin carrying yarn!



I know I know this is not the best picture, I promise I'll post a better one as soon as I found my photographer...(Honey! Honey! Where are you?!)

I'm knitting the Small size, my stitch gauge is right on, but not my row gauge, mine is 7 rows to an inch v. pattern 6 rows to an inch. Good thing this is knitted top-down, so I can try it on and adjust to fit me. I didn't do the sequin for the bottom hem; one, it is too glitzy, might not be good for work; two, knitting with sequin and #3 needle wasn't as pleasant as I thought it would be, it was taking way tooooooooo long!! Now I'm working on the sleeve, I'm still deciding whether to add the sequin or not, it would be nice to match the waist lace pattern, but but but....glitzy? knitting like a snail??? I still got about an inch before I have to decide....sequin or no sequin?