Brickless off the needles

After some long rows of purple, the Brickless is finally off the needles.  Here it is blocked and drying. That's a mighty colorful towel behind it, eh?  About the worst way to photograph the scarf!

One of my friends stopped by and saw it drying; she said it looked like a shark.

Slow going on the needles

The Brickless Scarf is slowing coming along; I just haven't spent a lot of time the last few days clicking the needles.  However, the purple is becoming more prominent.

Progress in purple

I finally reached the color change in this skein of yarn.  Yahoo.  The Brickless scarf is coming right along, but because I continue to add more stitches to the needles, it is taking considerably longer to complete a few rows!  I'm liking the transition to purple a lot. 

Oh yeah, and of course I watched the Super Bowl, and am thrilled that the Broncos won the champion title.  With all the hype about the Panthers, and how everyone was betting in their favor, I was worried about the game. (I saw them in the playoffs, and they were impressive.)  But, if anything, this game showed how awesome the Denver defense really is, as it took Newton right out of playing the way he's used to. I never would have guessed that Denver would take the lead and keep it throughout the game.  The fact that they got an offensive touchdown and a 2 pt. conversion at the very end was good frosting on the cake!  I'm happy for Manning and the Broncos!!  Way to persevere through the challenges of the season!

Still building the Brickless

I'm gaining on getting to the halfway point (I think, anyway) of the Brickless Scarf, and STILL, I have not started the color change.  That's what's keeping me going...it's got to happen soon!  I'm so curious what it will look like.

New cast on

Looking through my stash, I picked out a single ball of fingering yarn that I bought at Yarn Fest a couple years ago.  I decided I could use the scarf pattern Brickless and be assured that the yardage would work out fine, and I could probably use up the entire ball.  Since it's fingering weight, I cast on with size 3 needles.  The yarn is ModeWerk Flow, 100% Superwash Merion, a product of South Africa, hand-dyed in Minnesota.

I decided to work from the center of the ball, and as the yarn came lose, it was very kinky.  Those first few inches of knitting will look a lot more relaxed after it has been blocked.  Right now I think it looks kind of funny.

I'm interested to see what the scarf looks like as the yarn goes from white to purple...

Finishing the skein

While I still had red yarn...why not make yet one more dishcloth and hopefully use up most of the skein!  THEN, perhaps I'll be motivated to go through my stash and see what motivates me to cast on.

I've got a UFO I could work on...but it's tedious.  So, I need a 2nd project.   Yet, I'm thinking I should try to do even a couple rows a day on the UFO or it will never get finished (and I've got a LONG way to go on it).  Or, maybe the UFO will have to wait till later...

More on the dishcloth

The King Charles dishcloth is coming along...slowly.  I finished a second pattern repeat.  Something that's interesting is the difference in look from right-side to wrong-side.  Here's a photo of the right side:

Here's the wrong side:

I think I prefer the looks of the wrong side!  So, it's an interesting pattern.  Will I attempt it again? Not likely.  I really prefer less tedious patterns for a washcloth!

Slow on the knitting front

Since I finished the two Blue Water Cowls (which I worked on furiously), I have not determined what project I want to cast on next.  So, the best go-to project is a dishcloth, as they knit up quickly.

I finished a simple one; then, I thought I'd branch out and try a new pattern, the King Charles.

Well, it's much too tedious; I have to watch the pattern for every stitch.  So, that's going rather slowly at this point.

I will soon have to pull out the stash and patterns and get inspired with something brand new!

Cowl #2

I finished the first Blue Water Cowl, although I haven't blocked it as yet.  I got right to casting on a second Blue Water Cowl, but this time I used the smallest size 6 needles (4.0mm), and I've noticed a difference...but it's not huge.  At first I thought the difference was going to be significant, but now that I've knit a few inches, I'm predicting that the difference is going to be minimal. 

It seems like the progress is slow...even though I'm working on it steadily.  I've been working with size 2 needles on socks...so I think I might have thought that working on 6's would actually be more like working with size 10!  Oh well, slow and steady...

Good weather for knitting

With the big snow storm that has hit WY (and we even got mentioned on national news!) the deep snow and icy roads have certainly not kept people from getting out and about, but it has given many a good reason to stay inside, keep a fire going, and just enjoy the first round of winter weather.  I find it a good excuse to cuddle up with a good knitting project! 

When I was in Port Angeles, WA in October, I got to visit a great little knitting shop!  I barely got in the door when I saw a knitting pattern hanging on a display of beautiful yarn.  The name of the pattern is Blue Water Cowl, by Shui Kuen Kozinski.  On the pattern it says, "This cowl is inspired by clear Blue Water."  Well, having been surrounded by water for two weeks, I thought that knitting this cowl  would be a good reminder of the Lighthouse Keeper experience.  I got Kathleen's attention and showed her the pattern and yarn, and she loved it too.  Seriously, when I looked at the pattern, I couldn't imagine how in the world it was knit, but the effect was so cool, I just had to try it.  How tough could it be???  I picked up a skein of yarn for myself, and I told Kathleen (who crochets) that if she bought a skein, I would knit a cowl for her.  She said she would also buy the pattern, and we had a deal.  The pattern had to be purchased from Ravelry, and a link to printing it off was sent to my email, ready to be printed when I got home.  So easy.  This pattern is knit in the round; it starts with casting on 280 stitches with the knitted method. 

At this point I am 2/3 of the way through the pattern.  It is the craziest thing I've ever knit; I can't imagine how the author of this pattern figured out how to make this design!  Seriously! The picture on the pattern looks like it was knit either with a little bit thicker yarn, or with smaller needles than called for in the pattern.  The fabric just looks more dense.  Mine looks a bit more lacy (although you cannot see it in this photo).  At first, I was not sure the more lacy look was going to work, but I think it will be fine.

I feel like I'm getting to the home stretch, and I am much more comfortable with the pattern now.  This is a good thing, because I have another one to make after this one is completed and sent to Florida!!

Holiday dish cloths

I have been enjoying knitting up some holiday dish cloths for a beginning knitting class (3 sessions).  The gals are all knitting like crazy and are finding that they like the circular needles.  It is so fun to see someone learn to knit, enjoy the activity, finish their small projects, and look forward to the next step or skill.  Yes, the new knitters are purling now and not making many mistakes, switching from knitting to purling. 

By the third session, they should be confident enough to try one of these patterns, a reindeer or a bell.

I have not abandoned my knitting...

All the while on the adventure as Lighthouse Keepers, I worked on a pair socks.  I nearly finished the first sock during vacation, but not quite. These are the first pair of men's socks I have knit, and of course, there's extra length in the leg and the foot...knitting on, and on, and on! Since I've been home, working diligently, I have finally finished up the pair...and they are ready for Christmas wrapping!  Whew!

Rehearsal Throw

I started this lap afghan/throw when I started our theater rehearsals, and I finished it just as we ended our final production.  So, I'm calling it my Rehearsal Throw. 

I used fiber from my stash, and I'm quite thrilled to get a quite a bit incorporated into this afghan.  I used a fan and feather pattern, and it was so easy to memorize.  Plus, I was on big needles.  It was the perfect mindless/wind-down project to grab after rehearsal and before bed.

Today I decided that I needed to get it washed and blocked so I can get the next project started.  I soaked it in the bathtub and then put it in the washing machine for a spin cycle.  I've not done that before, but say, that really does a nice job of getting the water out of the yarn. 

I folded the afghan in half and am letting it dry that way...not being too concerned about specific dimensions, or anything like that.  I'm looking forward to wrapping up in it as the temps continue to fall.

Old stash

I finally got inspired to knit a lap afghan from old stash...and lots of left-overs.  I'm just winging it...using a stitch pattern I found for a afghan...but but using my bits and pieces, lone skeins, and such to use up some fiber. I'm not following the pattern exactly...you know, just winging it.  It's the perfect project on big needles (10.5) -- some mindless knitting after a long day. 

But my mind is already thinking about casting on some socks... men's socks... a Christmas gift for my brother.  Since those babies will have a lot longer leg and foot than my normal sock projects, that ought to keep the needles clicking for quite a while. 

A second scarf

As I neared the finish on the first Serape Scarf, I surmised that I could get a second scarf out of the yarn purchased for this project.  Having weighed a full skein, I could compare it to the weight of the used skeins and discovered I should have "just enough" to make another! 

I'm nearing the finish line now...and the yardage is working out perfectly.  I may only have an inch of red left at the end, but I'll make it work.

Both will get fringe on the straight edge when the second scarf is completed.

Closing on a finish

I am so close to finishing this Serape Shawl.  The southwest colors are vibrant, and changing colors constantly has kept me interested.   I have been weaving in the ends as I go, so no big headache at the end.  Working the color pattern in stockinette (when the rest of the piece is in garter st) has been interesting.  I was contemplating figuring out how to do the color pattern in garter, and I finally realized it just wouldn't work.  Then I heard the voice that said, "That's why the the pattern was written this way, girl!"   Fine.

I have a lot of fringe to cut and attach - something to look forward to! 

A new shawl on the needles...

As soon as I received the yarn in the mail (from two different companies, because neither company had all the colors in stock) I had to cast on the Serape Shawl by Megi Burcl.  It's on the cover of KNITSCENE, Summer 2015.

Yes, the knitter must change colors often, but I like to weave the ends in right away so that it's not a big headache at the end of the project.  I love the southwest colors and am getting close to having the project half-done.  I am looking forward to the color work at the wide end of the scarf.

Just a toe's length...

I'm almost finished with another pair of socks.  I've got the toe to do, and they'll be ready for wear.  The pattern is Dragonfly, which has become one of my favorites to knit.

Turn a heel

The Knitting Gnome is already turning the heel for me on this new cast on.  This yarn is fantastic.  So soft and squishy. Oh, and I just love the Dragonfly Sock pattern!!  The color is washed out in the photo below; the real color is dark and rich, as you see above.

Buffalo, Bunnies, and a Beanie

On a trip back from Jackson Hole a few days ago, we stopped to photograph some buffalo that were very close to the road.  I didn't even step out of the car to take a few shots. 

It was maybe 5 minutes later, and about 8 buffalo decided they were in a hurry to cross the highway, and they headed for the fence.  And they jumped it!  Yes, they did.  I had never seen a big ol' buffalo hop gracefully over a fence (probably 4-5 feet tall).

The wild life in my yard is multiplying.  I guess it's true what they say about rabbits!  I've got another batch of babies under the boardwalk, and they are SO CUTE.  I'm watching and photographing them from the window...so entertaining.

The spiral-rib hat is off the needles.  I think it's going to work!  I was afraid the yarn was going to be too drapy, stretch out, and not recover, but it appears that may not be the case.  Time will tell.