sKnit Fit

Still knitting...

While I totally slacked off on updating my knitting blog, I have continued to knit! I've done several things.

A scarf for a friend made out of yarn I bought in Paris last spring:

The design is my own. It's basically seed stitch with brown wool fringe.

I knitted another scarf like that, mainly a proto-type for that one. Pic coming soon.

I'm now working feverishly on Jesse's Flames, a sweater out of SnB Nation. It's for the hub and is challenging because the stitches are small.

Here's the progress as of earlier this week.

I finished the front of it last night. Pic soon:

I keep dreaming of knitted (possibly felted?) flowers to go on my coat as a brooch. I tried one pattern and didn't like how it turned out. I've got a couple of other ones that I'd like to play around with this weekend. Results to follow.

Fresh Blood

I've invited my friend, Red Betty, to post to sKnitfit with me. She just learned to knit but is already kicking my ass as far as amount of knitting she's doing.

Welcome, Red Betty!

Components of tote done

So all of the pieces of my tote are done. I'm now trying to decide how I'll line it and sew the straps on. Must run to the fabric store over the next couple of days to get material to line it.

Update soon.

Tote Bag Update

Here's the tote bag so far. I've complete one side and have started the second. It's funny, but I don't actually own a yarn needle. I've been using a big coat needle to sew pieces together. I need to make a run to the knitting shop so I can sew these pieces together properly.

Have been out of town and busy the past few days, so haven't worked on it as much as I'd like. I'm amazed by how quickly this knits up though. At this rate, I can have it easily done by the end of this week.

Knit One, Purl Two

Anyone head of this show?

Knit One, Purl Two

It's on DIY TV, 9:30 AM CST. I've been Tivoing it and it's actually a bit nutty, but I saw a fabulous bag that I want to work on. (It's good to see technique in action too, as opposed to reading about it in a book.) I've ordered the yarn and am expecting it any day.

Here's a photo of the bag.

(Crappy photo, I know. It's a still from the show. Couldn't they have show the entire bag?)

I'm making it with Lion Brand Jiffy Thick & Quick Yarn, Adirondacks.

Still working on my darling Cape Mod, making it longer. I should finish it by the end of the week and then will start work on the small tote. I'll post photos when done.

By the way, I was watching watching the Isaac Mizrahi show over the weekend. (Total GUILTY PLEASURE!) Isaac was interviewing someone and knitting at the same time. Loved it!

Cape Mod Revisited

So I opened up the bottom seam of my Cape Mod. I decided to make it longer. I wore it once over the weekend and the length felt a little odd for me. I have four skeins of the deeper gray left, so I'm going to use it and see how long it will go. I'll finish it up with a bottom stripe of the deep pink yarn w/ the light pink fuzzy accent yarn.

I'm getting ready to start a sewing project. This is an easy one that should ease me into it. I found it in the current issue of Ready Made. The project consists of taking old concert T's and turning them into cute biased sleeveless tees or long tanks. There are no photos of the project on the website, but I'll post mine when they're done.

I saw an old Martha Stewart Living show over the weekend that really got me going as far as making clothing and accessories go. Martha had Emily Mills on the show who explained how she felts fabulous wool scarfs. She also showed her knitting machine. Emily has a website called EmKnits.

Cape Mod = Done!

Whew! After having to re-do the middle stripe and the bottom stripe several times each, I've completed Cape Mod.

Here's a photo of it on:

Here's a photo that's more of a close up:

I used a different color of fuzzy contrast yarn on the bottom stripe. I'm debating whether or not I should sew some more of that yarn through that stripe so there will be less of a contrast in the colors. I think I'm going to do without the Pom Pom finishing touch. I'm not much of a pom pom girl.

Cape Mod Progress

It's taken me a while to get back into the knitting game, but I have been working on Cape Mod again. Here's an update photo:

I just switched over to the lighter gray yarn that I intend to use to finish it up. I am surprised at how quickly it's knitting up.

Life has been a bit stressful lately. I can't help but notice the calming effect that knitting has on me. I'm just dying to be able to wear the fruit of that labor! This will be my first piece of clothing that I created for myself from knitting.

Back from Paris and ready to knit!

I'm back from vacation, which took me away from knitting. My husband and I spent a week in Paris. I love that city!

I did manage to buy some quality yarn rather cheaply at my local Monoprix. I was worried about taking my knitting with me on the plane what with knitting needles and security. But with the gorgeous yarn that I bought, I wanted to give it a whirl on the way back. So I spent time searching the web (we had access in the apartment we rented) for a pattern that would be good. I found a couple of great things, however, they needed large needles. Only small needles in the Monoprix.

So anyway, I'm back home and ready to get back on the Cape Mod poncho. Which, by the way, my hair stylist gave me a great idea about before I left. She recommended incorporating some beads into the work. The yarn that I'm using as the contrast isn't super fluffy, so beads might be really cool. There's a bead store right down the street from me. I plan to go over my lunch break.

Cape Mod March 17, 2004

I love the Cape Mod poncho in Stitch 'n Bitch. So I decided to take it on. I visited CloseKnit in Evanston to buy supplies for the project. Anyone is the Chicago area should check out that store. They have great yarn and are extremely helpful. The woman who helped me out (I should have gotten her name!) had some suggestions that I decided to take.

They didn't have the Rowan Big Wool, so she recommended that I use a smaller guaged (is that right, guaged?) wool yarn, but use TWO strands for the project. This kind of intimidated me at first, but didn't end up being a big deal. I LOVE the way it looks.

I also decided to go with a darker grey for the turtle neck and the top portion of the cape. I'm going to use a lighter gray for the bottom portion. I'm also only going to use one contrasting color, a pretty magenta. My friend at CloseKnit recommended that I use a wool yarn and the fuzzy yarn with it so you can really see the stripe. I like it so far.

As you can see, I'm only about halfway through the turtleneck.

Has anyone else made the Cape Mod? Would love to hear what anyone else did with it?