The good times are over.

Its all dark green stockinette from here :-(

Wild Apple Bohus

Wild Apple Bohus
Originally uploaded by e-lah

The knitting mojo has returned. I am knitting my Wild Apple Bohus and am now just 6 rows away from finishing the color work. then there will be miles of stockinette . . .

This was my second attempt. I frogged the first about half way through because I did not like the size of the neck and my gauge went all screwy with the color work. I went down a needle size and everything is much improved.

This yarn is a joy to knit with. It is super soft and the bloom is so beautiful.

When I finish the color work, I am going to string in a life line just in case. I figure the body and arms will make for good travel knitting as mindless stockinette never hurt anyone.

Knitting, Ravelry, Columbus Oh My!

The Columbus Dispatch : Knitters get in the loop as pastime goes online: "Hobbies
Knitters get in the loop as pastime goes online
Friday, June 13, 2008 3:13 AM
By Amy Lieberman
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Fans of knitting and cyberspace, from left: Mary-Heather Cogar and Jessica and Casey Forbes

SHARI LEWIS | dispatch

Fans of knitting and cyberspace, from left: Mary-Heather Cogar and Jessica and Casey Forbes
Clara Parkes, author and 'yarn whisperer,' compares the knitting community to a seashell that contains a hidden world inside.

For a few months, Casey and Jessica Forbes kept their knitting and crocheting Web site, Ravelry.com, as a private portal to that world.

Once they gave friends permission to advertise the site on their blogs, though, its membership climbed to 140,000 (with an initial waiting list of 3,000) faster than you can say 'knit one, purl two.'

The rise in popularity of Ravelry.com underscores how modern technology is altering the traditional world of knitting.

This week in Columbus, the hobby's new and old worlds are meeting face to face at Knitting Connection -- a three-day gathering offering 70 classes to about 1,000 knitters.

'This is beyond sitting and reading a pattern stitch by stitch,' said Parkes, the keynote spea"

Knitting Mojo? and Sewing

I am hoping this week's Knitters Connection will help me get my knitting mojo back. Until then I am practicing sewing. Today I made a slightly larger version of Amy Karol's clutch from Bend the Rules Sewing (Thanks Alicia. I'll be ordering my own and will return yours soon!).

I made it a bit larger with the expectation of using it as a cosmetic bag. I just need to buy a big fat button.

Sewing

I'm still knitting! Finished a BSJ over the weekend.


A few weeks ago I bought a sewing machine during the Woot Off.

Thanks to instruction from Alicia and Emily at Wholly Craft, I was up an running today. It has many "first pancake" properties (wonky stitching and ill-fitting seems), but over all not a bad first effort.

Ack -- have lost knitting mojo

Back on track soon. I hope :-)

2007: Year of Rockin Socks

2007 Rockin SOck Club
Originally uploaded by e-lah

L-R, Top - Bottom: 1. Summer of Lace (yarn sub Dragon Dance), 2 Inside Out (yarn sub: Rose Quartz), 3. Grasshopper (Yarn Sub Monsoon), 4. Salish Sea Sock, 5. Solstice Slip, 6. Salish Sea Sock, 7. Lenore, 8. Grasshoppers, 9. Inside Out, 10. Lenore, 11. Summer of Lace, 12. Inside Out, 13. Grasshopper, 14., Salish Sea Sock, 15. Solstice Slip, Salish Sea Sock.

Hey, I finished something and am blogging about it!

summer of dragon dance socks
Originally uploaded by e-lah

The Summer of Lace Socks are done! So I have now knitted all six of the 2007 Rockin' Sock club! I did not always use the intended yarn, but by doing all of the patterns I learned a few new tricks -- toe up socks, garter stitch short row heels and toes, EZ sewn bind off.

I am one sock into the 2008 kit and hope to be up to speed by the May shipment. Woot!

I hope I win this!

P3283478
Originally uploaded by LoveToRead

Several knitters from the Knitters For Obama group on Ravelry made this afghan and are raffling it off. Entires can still be purchased by donating to the Obama campaign.

If I don't win it, I may have to start knitting one myself. I should finish sometime during Obama's second term.

To give you an idea of how big this is, it is spread over a king sized bed.

ColumbusAPVillage

2^nd Annual Open Market

Mamas Promoting, Supporting & Encouraging Mama Businesses

It takes a village to raise a child.

And, it takes a village to cultivate entrepreneurial mamas.

Saturday, April 12

1:00 PM – 3:30 PM

First Unitarian Universalist Church,

93 W. Weisheimer Rd., Columbus

Spend the afternoon with more than 20 mama-owned vendors for

shopping, education, community and door prizes.

Vendors Include:

• Natural Health: Reiki sessions, massage therapy, reflexology, doulas & more

• Fabulous Fabrics: Hand-made bags, hand-made custom children’s apparel & silks, cloth diapers, wool covers, dyed yarns & more

• Artisans: Custom jewelry, nursing necklaces, natural handcrafted skincare products & more

• Parenting & Children’s Toys: Baby carriers, toys, baby gifts and parenting support information

• Also, Independent Contractors and Professional Services information

Enjoy the shopping! Meet & support entrepreneurial mothers! Win fun door prizes!

ColumbusAPVillage is a community of families and caregivers with an interest in Attachment Parenting, and committed to raising children to the best of our ability. We realize we can’t always do it on our own, and so we have come together to encourage one another on our journey. For more information visit, www.columbusAPvillage.com.

Event Sponsored by:

Karina Brown, Realtor^®

www.karina.revealty.com

Finished one summer of love sock

summer of love sock
Originally uploaded by e-lah

I couldn't resist swapping yarns on this one. I tried three times to knit this sock in the designated yarn and something always went wrong. Frog it once, shame on the yarn, frog it twice, shame on the pattern, frog it thrice . . . .

So I used the Jan 08 Dragon Dance yarn and I really like it. I guess I need to knit up serendipity in Flower Power now, huh?

Socks

So I finished two more pairs. One was a long suffering single sock started back in June last year:



And I cast on and finished a pair of coriolis using STR medium weight in the Dixie Chick colorway while on vacation:

One more pair to go

I finally finished my Inside Out socks from the 2007 Rockin' Sock Club. I already used the Monsoon yarn for the grasshopper socks, so I used a skein of Rose Quartz for Inside Out. it was a good choice because the lighter shaded solid color really draws out the texture of the cables. Not to mention the ribbing, which combined with the garter short rowed toes, made for an interesting start.









NextI need to cast on and finish the flower power socks, then I can move on to the first installment of the 2008 club. Whew!

Yes We Can

Salish Sea Socks -- Finished

Salish Sea Socks
Originally uploaded by e-lah

Yippee! I still have two other socks to finish before the end of the month, but it is possible I could finish FIVE pairs of socks in one month.

Salish Sea Sock

Salish Sea Sock
Originally uploaded by e-lah

So I thought I was a Cat Bordhi Toe Up Master. Ha! Not so much. This one taught me a few things. I love the star toe. Lots of fun to knit and it fits my Fred Flintstone feet rather well. I suspect those of you with dainty Audrey Hepburn feet will find it a bit bulky. To you I say, "suck it." You were blessed with pretty feet. You cannot have everything.

Cat's pattern here called for increasing wing stitches, which makes this a much better fitting sock than its Coriolis cousin.

I finished sock alpha today and cast on beta right after. My goal is to finish before the inaugural 2008 Rockin' Sock Club installment arrives on my doorstep.

Knitting in Biology 101

Knitting in Biology 101
Originally uploaded by estonia76

This is hilarious! More at Craftyhedgehog's Ravelry page.

Finished Second Set of Mateless Socks

plain socks
Originally uploaded by e-lah

My January knitting goal is to finish the mates for my solo socks -- to make their solemates ;-)
I finished up my Lenores last week and yesterday I finished the farmhouse STR plain socks. The two mateless socks I have left to finish, though, are non STR socks and I find that I just don't enjoy knitting with non-STR yarn.

So of course I cast on for the Dec 2007 club socks!

Bohus

IT arrived today, all the way from Sweden.

Wild Apple
Originally uploaded by e-lah

Wild Apple
Originally uploaded by e-lah

Wild Apple
Originally uploaded by e-lah

Wild Apple
Originally uploaded by e-lah

I'll start winding later this week and will try to resist casting on until I finish those damn socks.

Knitters for Obama Unite!

"Barack Obama has won the Iowa caucuses. You’d have to have a heart of stone not to feel moved by this. An African-American man wins a closely fought campaign in a pivotal state. He beats two strong opponents, including the mighty Clinton machine. He does it in a system that favors rural voters. He does it by getting young voters to come out to the caucuses.

This is a huge moment. It’s one of those times when a movement that seemed ethereal and idealistic became a reality and took on political substance.

Iowa won’t settle the race, but the rest of the primary season is going to be colored by the glow of this result. Whatever their political affiliations, Americans are going to feel good about the Obama victory, which is a story of youth, possibility and unity through diversity — the primordial themes of the American experience.

And Americans are not going to want to see this stopped. When an African-American man is leading a juggernaut to the White House, do you want to be the one to stand up and say No?

Obama has achieved something remarkable. At first blush, his speeches are abstract, secular sermons of personal uplift — filled with disquisitions on the nature of hope and the contours of change."

David Brooks (who ever now and then says something reasonable. Go figure.)

2007 Finished Objects

Baby Kaftan IBaby Kaftan IIDiagonal Cross-Rib SocksEven More Mittens Again New Pathways for Sock Knitters: Book One Grasshopper SocksJune Rockin' SockMonkey Socksmore mittensstill more mittens

Project Name	Project Description	Pattern Source
Baby Kaftan	The Baby Knits Book
Baby Kaftan	The Baby Knits Book
BSJ I	Baby Surprise Jacket	The Opinionated Knitter
hat	stripey hat	The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns
BSJ II	Baby Surprise Jacket	The Opinionated Knitter
Chevron Scarf	Chevron Scarf	Last-Minute Knitted Gifts
Diagonal Cross-Rib Socks	Favorite Socks
Even More Mittens	Basic Mitten Pattern	The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns
stranded mittens	EZ pattern
Fire Socks	Master Coriolis
Knee High to a Grasshopper	Blue Moon Fiber Arts
Irish Hiking Scarf	Irish Hiking Scarf	Hello Yarn
The Solstice Slip	Blue Moon Fiber Arts
Mittens	Basic Mitten Pattern	The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns
More Mittens	Basic Mitten Pattern	The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns
Monkey	Knitty, Winter 2006
Basic Mitten Pattern	The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns
NaKniSweMo Sweater	Lite Lopi Pullover	Interweave Knits, Fall 2003
Olive Garden Riverbed	Rushing Rivulet (Riverbed Architecture)	New Pathways for Sock Knitters: Book One
hybrid basic with ez thumb	EZ pattern
Upstream Socks	Cat Bordhi's Toe Up	Cat Bordhi Free Knitting Patterns
Weasley Sweater	The Weasley Sweater	Charmed Knits

More things I am not going to knit

A friend of my husband's would have liked this knit for him.


Now this (found on Ravelry) is more DH's speed.

January is Second Sock Month

I resolve this January in the year 2008 to finish my neglected second socks. And there are several.
Behold:





Three of these already have mates in significant states of completion, so with rather little effort, by completing these neglected second socks, I could have FOUR FOs for the month of January. FOUR.

Sock Club SPOILER

The December shipment arrived last week. I love the color and the pattern is a toe up using JMCO, but with a star toe, which I have always wanted to learn. So this may be the best shipment ever. :-)

Spoiler Space . . . .

Knitting
Originally uploaded by e-lah

Done

Done
Originally uploaded by e-lah

Sort of.

I need to weave the ends and block it, but my NaKniSweMo is off the needles!!

Knitting update

Well, I did not finish my November sweater.
Sigh. It will have to wait for the new year.
For now I am all about the mittens.





I've finished four pairs so far. And I need to finish one more pair and two pairs of socks -- all for Christmas gifts.

But then I was distracted.


I had a skein of Farmhouse in STR lightweight in the stash and it called to me. This colorway is my favorite.

The photos do not do it justice. IRL, it is both more vivid and not as neonish. I really want to knit something up with farmhouse in Twisted. So, Friends and Family of Kelly, struggling for gift ideas? No need. Just click here.

Cool Fiber Demonstration Piece at the Columbus Zoo

So it is woven, not knitted, but it is nonetheless pretty cool. You may have to zoom into the picture, or better yet stop by the red barn at the Columbus Zoo to take a look.

Massive Grimace Sweater Grows an Arm

NaKniSweMo
Originally uploaded by e-lah

Progress is being made.
I finished Sleeve Alpha today and Beta is on the needles. This is Very. Very. Very. Purple.

Very. Purple.

I'd love to finish Sleeve Beta in time to start the yoke before Thanksgiving.

NaKniSweMo Progress

NaKniSweMo Progress
Originally uploaded by e-lah

So I am a bit behind, but only a bit. Two skeins of Cascade 220 on size 8 needles produces about 13 inches. I want the body to be about 17 inches before joining the arms. If I can finish that and the sleeves in the next ten days, I still have a chance to finish in November.

Miles of St st to go . . .

NaKniSweMo
Originally uploaded by e-lah

My goal is to finish the body up to the underarm join by the end of the week. Potential roadblock to goal: out-of-town trip by the husband puts me on Boy Duty 24/7, thus reducing knitting time. Then I am giving myself a week to do the sleeves.
That is two solid weeks of St st.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

I'll break it up with a little Lenore knitting.

I am off to a good start. I have nearly eight inches of the body done. I figure I will mod the pattern a bit by adding two inches to the 15'' the pattern calls for. I like my sweaters on the long side.

Off to get a few more rows in before bedtime.

He Wore It!

We bribed him with ice cream.

NaKniSweMo

I've signed up for NaKniSweMo.

This will be my first adult-sized sweater. I chose a seamless, knit in the round sweater as there is no way I could knit and sew a sweater in one month. Me hates the sewing.


It is a Norah Gaughan design and it has some Bohus design elements in the yoke.

I will use plenty of my cascade 220 stash for this project and the shrinking space in my yarn closet is happy about the knitting-from-stash part of this project.

Fire On The Mountain Socks

Fire On The Mountain Socks
Originally uploaded by e-lah

Wow -- I finished my second pair of socks in two weeks! These are STR medium weight Fire on the Mountain. I followed the Coriolis pattern from Cat Bordhi's New Pathways book. I've knit several of Cat's new "Sockitectures" and this is the first one whose fit has been less than ideal. Not a lot of give here. Blocking helps, but these are a tight fit. Perhaps they will be gifted to a friend of family member with skinny feet. So if you know me and would like socks for Christmas and have narrow feet size 9.5 or smaller, leave a comment and these Very. Colorful. Socks. could be yours.

If I were this good, this is not what I would knit

A friend of the husband asked if I could knit him the "outfit" below. Actually, I think he requested crochet (I am assuming because that is the word he thought of first). Now as much as we like this person and count his family among our dearest friends, even if I could knit something like this, I am certain I would choose not to.

Rhinebck

Lime & Violet’s Daily Chum » Blog Archive » column: The Knitter’s Guide to the Galaxy



The linked post from L/V's Daily Chum provides a very nice summation of why next year at this time I am planning to visit my brother.*






*Note that brother lives in New York. Sixty-six minutes -- giver or take a few -- from Rhinebeck.