Bron's Blog II

Lots O'Stuff Yep - Banff

Lots O'Stuff

Yep - Banff is finished:



At least you can finally see the true color of the yarn. I know the ribbing looks scrunched in the pic, but it looks just fine on. After a wash & a fluff in the dryer the acrylic will relax and it will be a bit looser. I made the neckline much, much shorter and really like it. It's the perfect size without a lot of extra fabric around my face. I know I'll wear this a lot come next fall. I enjoyed the pattern - fast, easy and nicely constructed.

But the best thing about this is....I made the smaller size. ::::grin:::: I've lost 20 pounds on my diet as of this morning and now knitting sizes medium & large rather than 1X & 2X seems very, very possible. I knit the smaller size of Banff on faith...and I'm so glad I did!

Now....I really did intend to cast on for "Simply Marilyn" but I was distracted by these:

and this:

Because I seem to have lace on the brain, this popped out at me while I was browsing through Vogue Knitting:

Once again, a bad pic from my scanner, but I really liked the lace pattern and the "relaxed funnel neck." I liked it so much, in fact, that I made another swatch last night:

This is the Endless Summer Collection cotton from Sonata & Elann. I tried both to see which would work best with the lace pattern. I think the "Oceania" looks better than the "Fiesta." There is less contrast between the colors so the lace pattern is more evident. I do have an olive green cotton I could use for this but I'm dying to knit up at least one of the Sonata cottons so I think I'll stick with Oceania. I'm going to cast on for the cotton top this morning. Vogue calls it "Waves of Grain" but I think I should call it simple "Waves" in honor of the "Oceania" cotton. :::grin::::

There were a couple of other patterns in Vogue that I liked and I really have to try the shadow knitting outlined in INKnitters. But more on that - as well as "Knitting in the Old Way" next time. After all....I have new projects to cast on!

Happy summer knitting to all....

Come on, Time Change! I'm

Come on, Time Change!

I'm actually looking forward to "springing ahead"...I wake up with the sun & right now that's about 5:30 AM with the birds starting to sing around 4:30. Grrrrrr! "Sleeping in" until 6:00 or 6:30 sounds like heaven!

Moving right along... I finished the Banff sleeves last night & today I'll seam & do the neckline. Still not sure how I'll work it - I don't want a huge collar as the pattern states since I really dislike lots of "stuff" around my face. I might be able to fold it down for a big, loose turtleneck, however, or else I can do just a few rows of ribbing for a wide, flat neck. Either way, I'll have a pic of the finished product tomorrow.

And I'll probably have one or two other projects cast on by then also. ::::Grin::::

Gee - this might be my shortest entry to date... Lucky, lucky you! Happy Tuesday to all. :)

I have a confession to

I have a confession to make....

Well, a couple of confessions, actually. :::Grin::::

First off, Emma (and Nathalie!), you were SO right. That lacey cardi is perfect for spring and I should make it now. Having decided that, I thought long & hard about the yarn I would use. I know I said I'd "make do" with the colors of Cotton Ease, but darn it...I wanted that cardi in an off-white or tan. So even if Cotton Ease would be the least expensive route, it wouldn't produce a cardi that I was totally happy knitting & wearing.

Enter my Patternworks catalog...and this yarn. I've been wanting to try 2nd Time Cotton for awhile & hadn't found the right project. This will be perfect - the right gauge and a slightly weathered look to the finished product. I've ordered 6 hanks of Irish Linen. Can't wait!

But since I HAVE to wait, I'll be finishing up Banff in the meantime.....here's my progress on the sleeves....

There was a bit more knitting there than I'd anticipated but I've started the decreases now & should be finished with them by tomorrow. Which leads me to my other wee confession. See those needles? They aren't Addis...they are my Denises! I must admit, much as I love the speedy Turbos, the cord drove me nuts. Just like every other circular needle (except the Denise set) the cord is "sprongey." When I get a large amount of knitting on the cable it starts getting hard for me to find a comfy place for all of it on my lap because the cable is stiff and stays in a circle. I'm constantly rearranging my knitting - under my left arm, draped across my knees, etc. But with Denise set, I can smush & mush the cable to my heart's content. Heck - I can bend the cable in half and not have it protest! I put the knitting where I want it & can leave it without fear of a cable popping back out to interrupt my knitting flow.

So - the moral of this tale is....don't jump on the bandwagon TOO quickly - check out the music they're playing first!

Now...when the Banff seams are sewn & the neckline knit, I'm going to cast on for "Simply Marilyn." That will provide a bit of semi-mindless knitting when I'm in the midst of lace & cables and want a break. I'm also going to play around with my Fiamma - see if I can get that simple top whipped up.

And finally, to make up for that awful pudgy shot of Emma the other day, here she is while asking for a rub on her trim & toned tummy:

Hmmmm...Pretty I couldn't resist a

Hmmmm...Pretty

I couldn't resist a little swatch last night:



I was all set to order, order, order from Elann....my hand & mouse working in perfect synchronization.....when I realized the cotton coned yarn wouldn't work for this cardi - too fine a gauge - and the new cotton would work, but would be expensive for the project. (Although I still really, really want that Araucania Nature Cotton!) Then finally it dawned on me ... I have some Cotton Ease handy that is, lo & behold, the right gauge for the pattern! I swatched & you're seeing the result. Forgive the mushed stitches on the right side - those are courtesy of my scanner lid. The cool thing is that I'll only need 6 skeins of cotton ease to make this cardi:



I do wish Cotton Ease came in neutrals other than black & white but I'll make do. I'm not going to start right away so hopefully Hobby Lobby will have a sale & I can make the cardi for under $20.00. That would make my purchase of an otherwise dreadful magazine worthwhile. :::grin::::

In other knitting news, my Father-in-law is leaving Sunday for a 3 week cruise around South America. He might be getting off in Peru for some sight-seeing and I mentioned yarn. Any yarn he might see - buy! ha! We'll see if he remembers.

No lace in my forseeable future - just Banff, Banff & more Banff! My goal is getting the actual knitting finished this weekend - we'll see if my elbow holds out.

FCEK & Knit'NStyle During my

FCEK & Knit'NStyle

During my precious few moments of freedom without the children yesterday (I really, REALLY needed a break from Spring Break!) I drove down to B&N to see if they had any new knitting mags in stock....obviously they did. :::grin::::

If I hadn't been so giddy with my escape I probably wouldn't have purchased either one. But....I did and now I'm trying to make the best of it. Here are a few thoughts:

This is the cover outfit on Knit'NStyle:



This is knit from 3 different Fiesta yarns....and I actually fondled this very sweater & hat in the Fiesta outlet store a few weeks ago. Yeah - I think the sweater & hat is pretty...well...fugly....but the yarn is really soft. Really soft. That eyelash yarn (a new product called Flirt) is the one I said was "to die for." I actually had a couple of skeins in my hand to buy before I asked the price. "$24.00 a skein." At an OUTLET store! I dropped the skeins back in their cubby as if they were on fire. 85 yds per skein. Sheesh. I haven't had the nerve to look up the retail price!

Most of the designs in the issue are ho-hum, but I did like this lace cardi:



It's hard to tell from this pic, but the pattern seems to be using a variation on 'fishtail lace' and it's very pretty. Worked up in a nice cotton this would be a great spring/summer cardi. It's going in my "someday" pile.

On to FCEK. Well, it's easy summer knitting which means lots of tanks. Most of the designs are very body conscious & that's fine - this issue is geared to the newish, 20-something knitter. The crochet portion of the mag...well... mesh bikini cover-ups...and a bikini. Um....I'll be restrained & say it's just not my style. Ahem.

But....after all the shawl talk yesterday in my comments, I did see this:



This shawl starts at the point & just goes on until you're finished. It's actually a pretty simple lace pattern that looks complicated. Hmmmm....this might go in the bag along WITH my alpaca. :)

Here's something that I really like in theory:



This has really nice details at the collar, cuffs & hem...but a hell of a lot of stockinette in between. I'd really like to have this for my wardrobe, but I really don't want to knit it. Ha!Oh yeah...and I'd like to have that body too - not just in theory, though. But I don't think ANY diet is THAT good. Hehehehehe

I hope everyone has a great weekend - we're off to the zoo today & after all the festivities I'm hoping my elbow pain lets up enough for me to knit awhile. I want Banff finished so I can concentrate on other things!

What the heck should it

What the heck should it be?

Once every few months, I remember that I have this:



stuck away in my closet. I'm not quite sure why this never made it into my yarn tubs. This cone of 100%, fingering weight, maroon (not brick red like the photo), alpaca was one of my first purchases from eBay when the knitting bug hit. When I got it in the mail I remember being disappointed at how fine the yarn was. Since then I've gotten a bit better at gauging actual size from wpi, ypp, etc. I wound off that ball because I had some vague idea of using the yarn doubled. But then I read about how very, very warm alpaca is and how you shouldn't knit a top or sweater from it alone or else you'll swelter. Hmmmm...

So - I wonder - what the heck should I do with this? I'm thinking a lacey shawl or lacey scarves. Perhaps a carry-along with something else? I could knit a pair of very fine mitts...but I have so much of it! I would think a shawl would be the best use. I could start at the point & knit until I run out of yarn......someday, of course. This isn't going on my to-do list anytime soon. But I AM going to put it in one of my yarn tubs....at least I'll see it more often & maybe something will occur to me.

If anyone has any brilliant ideas - comment! :::Grin::::

I didn't do too much knitting yesterday. My elbow was acting up again so I decided to take a little break. I did pick up those Banff sleeves during Survivor and knit until DH caught me. "I thought you were taking a break from knitting today?" Dang - foiled again!

Before I leave for this morning, I must apologize for the unfortunate camera angle on Emma. Poor thing has lost a few pounds since coming here (which she sorely needed to do!) and that tummy shot made her look too tubby for words! I'll try & get a lean/mean shot of her today & give you all a more realistic image of her Majesty. :::Grin:::

Have a great Thursday!

Plain - Solid Color -

Plain - Solid Color - Yarn

I don't have enough of it.

I don't have enough of it because I'm constantly eyeing variegated & hand-dyed yarn. Not only do I eye, I buy!

Because of the nature of variegated & hand-dyed yarn, most do not look good worked up in complicated patterns with lots of cables. Neither the beautiful colors in the yarn or the lovely cable patterns are done justice. So when I come across a pattern like "Byzantine Bazic" or "Spring Forward Cardigan" and "Mo's Reading Shawl" in the spring 2004 issue of Twists & Turns, I can't go to my stash 'cause I already know a nice, plain, wool or cotton blend isn't there waiting - the yarn for "Marilyn" notwithstanding.

So here's my new yarn resolution: To resist the seduction of hand-paints. A pretty face isn't everything - I need some plain, down-to-earth, solids in my life. They'll lend stability & versatility and allow me to create something beautiful from a blank canvas. So - I'm putting on the blinders, folks - I'm on a mission for lovely solid blue, solid green, solid tan, solid....ok, you get the picture. :::grin:::

And just to prove I'll use a solid color if it's there, here's my progress on my modified Banff:



That's the back & front with both sleeves cast on in the middle. Obviously sleeve progress takes a bit longer, but when I'm done, I'm done! Woohoo!

Here's something else I've been working on:



Here is the crocheted wrap with 2 skeins used. On the right is the right front almost complete - just a couple more rows needed up top. You can see the front tie clearly on the left. I'll have plenty of yarn - for some reason I thought this wrap was longer. Hmmmm. Anyway, I'm hoping to be finished with this in a couple of weeks.

Just because I haven't posted a pic lately, here's Doorway Dog:



We keep telling her if she lies around like that her head will stick that way but she never listens. Dogs!

I'm feeling SO virtuous! But

I'm feeling SO virtuous!

But first, some other stuff....

Those responding to my question on Friday were unanimous - everyone saves the entire magazine. Most thought that patterns which don't appeal now, might appeal sometime down the road. That's a very good point. I know that I've saved a couple of mags that discuss stranded knitting. Heck, someday I might want to do colorwork and there ARE some pretty patterns in there. :)

So - this weekend I tossed a couple of magazines, but kept the majority. I found a few patterns that went from the back burner to the front....and even found yarn in my stash to match. More on that later....

I've put one project on hold - my Santa Fe Shawl. My knit-a-long buddy, Lisa, has put that project aside for awhile until her life calms down & I've decided to wait for her to finish. :) After all, projects that are knit-a-longs rather than knit-a-lones (hehehehe) are always more fun to do. So I've added a "Projects in Stasis" area to my sidebar.

Most of my knitting time I spent on Banff. The front is this <

Cable Envy & Saving Magazine

Cable Envy & Saving Magazine Patterns

I've been zipping around the Knitting Bloggers Ring and also checking out my usual suspects (listed on my sidebar) and I've caught a case of serious cable envy. There's some lovely cable work being done out there in knitland - not everyone has abandoned winter knitting for summery tanks! I'm not going to list who & what 'cause I know I'd leave someone out & I don't want to do that. But in response to all that cabley goodness, I've found a pattern I just might have to do sometime in the future. But before I talk about it, let me talk about this:

Do you save the whole magazine for one or two patterns that you know you'd like to make? Or do you cut out the patterns, put them into plastic sleeves, and chuck the mag? If you save the whole mag, how do you remember where the pattern is that you'd like to do? If you DON'T save the magazine, aren't you afraid that you'll throw out a pattern you might be interested in down the road?

Here's my thing: I do a little of all of the above. I have chucked mags in the past and just kept technical articles or a couple of patterns. But I've saved a lot of magazines & just put little bits of paper in to mark where interesting stuff lurks. However, I don't have a master list of the interesting stuff so I have to go through each mag to find what I'm looking for....and sometimes I don't find it!

Soooo...I'm leaning toward tearing & chucking. I did some of that last night - saved a couple of articles from the latest issues of Cast On & will toss the rest. Yes - I'm a little bit nervous about throwing a pattern that might interest me someday...but....have you ever stopped & really considered how many patterns are out there? And new ones are being written & published every day. Plus I like to design my own once in awhile. If I live to be 100 and keep on knitting 'til I drop, I wouldn't/couldn't knit everything I like. I think the convenience of being able to open a loose leaf notebook & paging through saved patterns to see what's next on my knitting agenda more than makes up for a few patterns that "got away."

Which brings me back around to this:

This is "Byzantine Bazic" by Kathy Zimmerman featured in Interweave Knits, Fall 2003. I'm sorry the pic is so dark, but the blame goes to the magazine on this one. However I think you can see the cool cable design down the front. Usually I'm not overly excited with KZ's designs - I think they tend to be a little on the plain side - but this one, given my current state of cable envy - I really, really like. I'm less thrilled with the turtleneck & will probably subsitute a few rows of plain ribbing. But all in all I'd really like to make this one.

I won't be using the Classic Elite Bazic called for in the pattern for two reasons. 1. It's 100% wool and I don't trust it to be soft enough for next-to-the-skinness and 2. It's about $50.00/bag of 10 & the pattern calls for 27 balls for my soon-to-be-size. It's hard enough for me to spend $50.00 to $60.00 on a sweater - I just can't do $150.00. Unless I win the lottery. Then all bets are off. :::wink::::

So this one will go in a nice, plastic sleeve - along with a couple of others from the mag - and on my to-do list. In fact, when I'm not knitting or crocheting this weekend, I think I'll be perusing magazines to see what I've overlooked before.

Kinda like that "Four Leaf Clover"...you know...to find the "pattern that I adore."

I might be back again before Monday - depends on how much progress I make on my projects. Hey, Lisa! I've picked up the Santa Fe Shawl again & managed a few more inches last night. How are you fairing with yours?

Have a great weekend all!

Couldn't think of a title!

Couldn't think of a title!

I mainly crocheted yesterday. I worked on the "Northern Lights" wrap and it's really starting to take shape. I cast on for the front of Modified Banff and have about an inch done. (Aren't you glad I spared you a pic?) Hmmm...and that's it! I had too much to do yesterday & too little time to knit!

I did add a new button on my sidebar. I'm definitely going to participate in the Critter Knitters Knit-a-thon hosted by Liz and Wendy. Go click on the button & read all about it. I was sensitive to animal issues before we had a dog, but now I certainly feel the plight of abandoned/lost animals more deeply. Unfortunately, I just sold almost all of my cheapie Red Heart on eBay...but fortunately I have a bag full of vintage "Bouquet" Aspen Marl in white and lavender. It's 70% acrylic & 30% wool & should wash & wear just fine. I'll be able to make 3 or 4 little blankets out of the lot. See - I knew there was a reason I could never sell it. :) Oh - and the deadline isn't until July - so you don't have to sweat getting them done quickly.

I'm hoping to get some knitting done today - after morning errands. Doug's going skiing for the last time this season at the Crest, the kids are in school, so I'll have plenty of quiet time with my knitting & the boob tube. So far we're loving having cable back again. More channels in more rooms than the satellite. Hubbie even had the garage wired for cable - sheesh, talk about handyman decadence! I never knew there was such a thing. Hehehehehe.

Hopefully I'll have a pic of something for you tomorrow. :::smile:::

Good knitting to all & to all a good day.