a dillydallyknitter

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Catching Up

"Would it kill ya to post to your blog once in awhile?"


Well....not so much going on chez Cpurl. Work's been a little busy and my knitting mojo has been in a funk for awhile.


Making some progress on my February, March, April, May Lady Sweater. I looks like it's almost done but I started the left sleeve and noticed a mistake on the completed and bound off right sleeve. GAH!


It's hard to find but I know it's there so I have to rip back half of the right sleeve and re-knit it.


I loved knitting the body but the sleeves feel like a slog along. And the hank of yarn I wound to use for the sleeves (so I'd have one continuous length of yarn) has not one but two knots in it so far, ugh. But I really enjoy knitting with this yarn so I'll be forgiving.

BMFA Heavyweight in Jasper.

Hopefully I'll finish this soon so I can move on to something new! :)








L

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posted by cpurl17 @ 10:40 AM   12 comments

Tuesday, March 03, 2009

Stitches '09, Part II

I took a couple of classes at Stitches this year. *LeftCoastKnits suggested the first one -- "Backyard Birds", a needle felting class taught by Sharon Costello. I was skeptical at first but I should have known better than to be skeptical of a class that LCK would suggest because it was SO much fun!

Here LCK is sewing the bead eyes onto my bird for me because my eyeball sewing skillz are not so great:

I made a chickadee (or attempted to) and LCK made an adorable Blue Bird. Christmas ornaments anyone?


Then on Saturday we learned that:

毛糸 = wool
編む = knitting
棒針 = knitting needle
ゲージ= gauge

in an all day class called "Understanding Japanese Knitting Patterns" taught by Gayle Roehm. The class was both interesting and informative and we both left feeling inspired. I'm not sure I'm ready to attempt a complicated Aran but I'd like to try something basic, like a simple cardigan or hat.

Actually, LCK didn't need the class--she was wearing a hand crochet and knit cardigan that she made out of cashmere from a Japanese knitting pattern! I was with her all day and neglected to take a decent photograph of her so will have stalk her with my camera. Here we are at the Saturday night Student Banquet.

Josie, KnittingPsycho,Beadknit and LCK.

And here she is modeling it at the Student Fashion show with commentary by the colorful and flamboyant Rick Mondragon, editor of Knitters magazine:

Since it's WIP Wednesday, here's a shocker: I'm actually using yarn I acquired at Stitches to make a sweater. The pattern has become so ubiquitous that I won't even mention the name but there were many pretty versions at Stitches, including Irishgirlieknits. Josie and Knitpsycho and Beadknit are going to make one too.

Below is the gauge swatch in Blue Moon Fiber Arts, Socks That Rock Heavyweight in the Jasper colorway:

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posted by cpurl17 @ 12:00 PM   15 comments

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

WIP Wednesday

When I first started keeping a blog, I wanted to name it ProcrastiKnitter because Procrastination could be my middle name. Case in point, I signed up for the Sea Socks Cruise MONTHS ago but last week I suddenly decided that I needed a black stole. I even sent a panic email to Trillian42 for some advice on easy stoles.

So I thought about Cozy but I want to make Cozy while I'm on the cruse using some frogged yarn I have and instead, I'm making the Gale stole the pattern description describes it as "reminiscent of gusting ocean breezes" so I think it will be perfect for an ocean liner. I'm a little over 1/3 done. I'm using Stash Yarn (yay me!), Newton's Yarn Country 60% cashmere and 40% merino fingering weight




In fitness news, I captured my very first training step for my 3Day walk wearing some dusty old Avia shoes I bought a long time ago on sale. 3 miles later, my feet were complaining by developing blisters.


so on Monday I went to the local running store (LRS?) and got some spiffy new shoes. They got a trial walk on the treadmill last night and today they'll go out for a 4-mile training walk.



And thank-you for my lovely donors! I'm 20% towards my goal, yay!


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posted by cpurl17 @ 10:08 AM   17 comments

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

WIP Wednesday, WIP Wednesday

The twin baby Sweaters are done!

And with a week and a half to spare before the baby shower!

So help me figure this out. I knit 2 sweaters out the the same yarn but in two different colorways. Same yardage, same needles, same gauge, same pattern and when I'm done, I have this:


One ball with plenty of yarn to make a matching hat and one too small! Perusing Ravelry, I found another knitter who had the same experience with the blue. Is it something about blue dye?

To complete the set, I made one baby hat with a blue stripe:

and am waiting for another skein of blue. If I have time, I'll try to make some booties.

I also cast on the Optic Waves shawl from Clara Parkes' The Knitter's Book of Yarn using Brooks Farm Primero (the yarn used in pattern).


I hope to have this done in time for Sea Socks!

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posted by cpurl17 @ 7:23 PM   19 comments

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

WIP Wednesday---Update on My Near FO's

After the mini-disaster I had last weekend, I repaired and re-blocked my Magic Shawl. I've renamed it as my Maui shawl since I knit the bulk of it there so it will always remind me of vacation:

It's a simple and a fast knit shawl(even in Cpurl time)

Brook's Farm Acero:

Here's my Capitan hat with the wonky brim that I need to rip and re-do. Those of you who have knit one, do you think it would benefit from a light interfacing? I'm using Cascade baby alpaca so the knitted fabric doesn't have any body.

I want to finish another shawl and some Fiber Trend clogs for the Seasocks cruise but before I can do those, I have THIS deadline:

A baby shower! Did I mention she's having twins?

I didn't want to knit another Mason Dixon baby kimono's so the KTPT Knit group helped me pick out a new baby project. (Mostly me asking J, "Would you put S (her son) in this?") I picked the baby pullover from Knitting Pure & Simple in Dream in Color Classy "Beach Fog". OK, no more blogging, must knit on!!

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posted by cpurl17 @ 12:01 AM   16 comments

Tuesday, February 05, 2008

Vet Visits & WIP Wednesday

As you know, there hasn't been a whole lot of knittin' going on lately but I have eeked out 2.9 afghan squares (I'll post a better photo after they're blocked):



And few more inches on the Boise Shawl:



Namaste has come out with some groovy new bags and, as we all know, it's not what you knit, it's how good your knits look while your carrying them around that counts:

$60 bucks y'all.



Today the Gangsta kitties had a visit to the Vet's office for their annual booster shots. I took them in two separate carriers but Mika jumped in with Cary while we waiting for a second temperature reading:


"Oww, Mika you're stepping on my paw..get. off. me."



"iz skared carewee!"


"It's okay kid, we'll get her back. I found her Weight Watchers score card"

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posted by cpurl17 @ 6:05 PM   25 comments

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

WIP Wednesday

Well it's been busy at work so not much knittin' going on.

I've got one lonely Noro sock going (slowly):


Last November I started the Boise Lace wrap and about a two inches in I made a mistake on the garter stitch edging where, for a few rows, I knit stockinette. I tried to ladder down and fix it but the yarn is sticky and I didn't get optimal results. I thought it wouldn't bother me so I plowed on for several more inches. Then Christmas knitting got in the way and I put it aside.

But it did bother me so, and I couldn't shake it so, at the beginning of the year, I ripped it all out and started over again and so far, so good:

Then, this weekI started an afghan sampler for my Dad--I've had the yarn for the afghan in my stash for well over a year It will take 20 squares and this is my first one in the Cable Check pattern:

Lion's Brand Fisherman's Wool. .5 down and 19.5 to go.

For Christmas, Muggle friend K gave me the Knit Picks Harmony inter changeable needles set (yes she's an awesome friend!!) and they needed a snazzy new home so I got me one of these:

From the fabulous etsy shop called Janez place!

30 seconds after I took the photo, guess who decides to use it as a cushion?

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posted by cpurl17 @ 12:00 AM   13 comments

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Gansta Kitties Stage Annual Attack on Holy Family

Santa Not Amused



Uh-oh

###


WIP posts become pretty sparse this time of year because:

a) major slowdown in productivity
b) WIPs are also secret projects




My sole offering this week is the first of three golf club covers for my Dad.
The pattern is the Spiral Golf Club Covers by Sarah Peasley, Handknitter
I'm using Cascade 220 in Navy, 8393
and Tumeric, 2823

These are going to be some warm golf clubs.

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posted by cpurl17 @ 12:00 AM   16 comments

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

WIP Wednesday

Boy, the fun & hi jinx never stop chez cpurl:
First I knit a Calorimetry out of some Filatura di Crosa 127 Print I bought on sale:
Then I put it on my cat:

Who was not amused.

"Get this thing off of me or I'll pee on your bed"

I finally re attached the sleeves on the Bulky Sweater and am beginning the raglan decreases. I also managed to attach a cat to the bottom. Cats on a sweater are quite the rage this year.

"Does this sweater make me look fat?"

Last week at KTPT, all the Karabella yarns & patterns went on clearance sale at 40% off so I caved and bought some soft, fluffy Karabella Boise (50% super fine merino, 50% cashmere). I'm knitting the Boise Lace Wrap shawl as a gift for my Mother:

Did you know that Zknitter's needle cases are comfy enough for a kitty's sweet head?

"Maybe someday I'll have mad sewing skillz like Zknitter"

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posted by cpurl17 @ 12:00 AM   17 comments

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

WIP Wednesday

Cpurl's Mom (while waiting for a table at a Japanese restaurant): What are you working on?
Cpurl: It's a sleeve--see? (cpurl puts it on her wrist)
Cpurl's Mom: "Won't that make you look bulky?"
The truth hurts.

So I've got 1 body, 1 sleeve and 1 cuff on my Bulky cardigan:
A couple of weeks ago I had a scare with Cary (blood in the litter box) so we went off to the Emergency Room. Cats, like kids, get sick on weekends when their regular doctor's office is closed. His Vet's office is feline only so he's not used to dogs and, to make matters worse we had to wait for almost an hour. When we finally got shown to a exam room he tried to hide in the corner:

Is that the saddest thing you've ever seen?

But he's okay! And I'm a few hundred $$ poorer..

"And I'm worth every penny."

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posted by cpurl17 @ 12:01 AM   17 comments

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Baby FO and a WIP for Wednesday

Here's one you've never seen before, hahaha:



Pattern: Heartbreakingly Cute Baby Kimono from Mason-Dixon
Yarn: Trendsetter Yarns Scoubi Du 50% cotton 50% acrylic 50gr. 2.25 balls
Needles: Knitpicks Options, size 6
Started: 28-September
Finished: 1-October

I put little buttons instead of the ribbon ties and lucked out by finding some buttons at JoAnns with the same colors as the yarn:

The Everyday Cardigan is almost done--I put on the button bands and just need to finish the neck--maybe this weekend I'll have a grown up sized FO!




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posted by cpurl17 @ 6:50 PM   15 comments