WIP: Zephyr Cove begins

I am about halfway to the stripe part.  I have knitted and undone about three times as many rows as have survived. I want it nice and neat!

I am using a new set of size 5 Yarnology acrylic circulars I got at Hobby Lobby for a couple of bucks. The needles are connected by hollow plastic tubing.  It is flexible, but already, the tubing is bent and pinched at the connection to the needle and often snags up as I am moving the stitches down. Otherwise, I like them.  I have used acrylic needles before and they squeaked, but I like the way these handle and they are silent.

WIP: Zephyr Cove Scarf

I thought maybe my knitting days were behind me. My knitting group, which should be celebrating its ten year anniversary, barely meets up anymore. Rather than finishing WIPs, I have been putting most of my free hours towards organising photos and family history. 

But, it is autumn. The needles have been calling. This pattern found me.

This is Romi's Zephyr Cove Scarf.  I decided to make it with the Madelinetosh Pashmina yarn in Jade and Cousteau. Spendy, yes, but the colours are so rich and intense! I determined that if I was ever going to cast on a new project, I'd better splurge to work up some excitement.

 

Let me assure you, these pics do NOT do the colours justice!  

back on granny square train

After a good long year and change, I pulled out this project this week and finished the last 3 squares. I am connecting them up and considering how much of a border the blanket needs to pull it all together. 

There is a chill in the air...

...and it's making me want to knit!

WIP: 23/36 done

the baby has already beat me to the finish line!  d'oh!

i did get a bunch more squares done on my trip this weekend, where it occurred to me that this baby will have a blanket created in my office, at my home, late at night, at knitlunch, and while in the backseat of a rental car while traveling cross country. i even did one square in the dark, checking my stitches by holding up the square to the light of oncoming cars!

he may have beat me, but i'm still determined to come in a close second!

WIP: a quick dotdotdot blanket update

 

 13 of 36 squares finished so far.

i only get 3 squares from each little ball of white

so i ordered 10 more balls--just in case.

weedle wants me to change the colours to orange/black/white...and add rolly eyes.

WIP: final square design x 4

i redesigned my square pattern a little bit:  the circle is now about 3.5 inches in diameter and the the finished square is 5 inches. i deleted the large holes in the corner,  added diagonal ridges like the ridges in the circle. they are coming out more reliably now.

WIP: yarn arrives!

i am using knitpicks shine (60% cotton and 40% modal fiber) in dandelion, robot and white to coordinate with the baby's room. so soft! i tried it out and decided to use a j hook instead of the little g hook i started with.  less definition in the pattern that way, but it will be a much softer blanket in the end.


weedle was convinced it is a box of kittens and that each ball must be gently carried to safety. i had to pack the whole box up and take it in to work to keep her from bothering those sleeping balls!

WIP: baby blanket - sample square #4

this is the fourth square sample i've crocheted working out a baby blanket pattern.  the yarn has not arrived yet, so keep in mind, these are not the final colours.

after i sewed two of these together as just to see what they would look like, i decided this large dot would be overwhelming on a baby blanket. in the final piece, i will keep the circle down to 4 inches and add another row on the outside border to keep the square the same size.

another concern i had was for the holes in the corners.  i'll be eliminating those in the finish. i don't want baby fingers or toes getting stuck!

yarnin' time!

it's autumn and autumn is yarnin' time!

i have a project mapped out, a deadline and yarns being shipped to me from knitpicks.  i even spent the evening working up a sample square. the piece is a baby shower gift, but, unfortunately, the shower is tomorrow afternoon. i hope to get it done before the baby arrives! 

i whipped a few fleece projects this summer. here is one of a pair of long fingerless gloves in dark orange. i built my own pattern by measuring my hand and arm.  they are wonderfully snug and toasty.

earlier, i tried my hand at quilting to design this minecraft-inspired pillow.  one side is a "creeper" and the other is a "slime".

i'll get a picture of that sample square up as soon as i can.  it's good to be back on the needles...or hook, in this case!

FO: final shots of the teensy sweaters

i've been taking a break from yarning to work on ideas for an upcoming crochet project, but in the meantime, i thought i would post my own photos of the last projects on violet's doll. the folk in the back are long time members of my office knitting group. we've been meeting every wednesday for about 6 years and most of us learned to knit from one of our coworkers. not everyone works on a project every week, but we meet regardless to catch up and chat!
 

note: the doll's dress was sewn by violet's unstoppably craftastic mom, robyn!