Knit Project: *wince* Ouch! That Hurt... :(

"Sniff!" - pencil sketch by Jenn 

So i was looking around the house for a particular set of knitting needles and remembered that i had left them on my half-finished beaded mesh cowl that i was knitting a few months ago. it was a new design of mine and was hoping to get it done by fall but then i gimped up my wrists and arms with my extreme knitting marathon-ing. so i went to the doctor and she told me that i carpal tunnel. so she told me that i had to stop knitting... so i did.

but  after a few months of not knitting and resting up as much as possible, i decided to start up again slowly and pace myself. when i opened the project bag where the cowl was, i saw that the wooden tip had broken off of the cable connector and almost half  of the 218 stitches had slipped off the cable. all i could do was wince and then utter a heavy sigh. there was no way i could salvage the project. so i began to unravel the cowl. i wound it back onto the ball of yarn and let beads fall off the project as i unraveled it. it was frustrating and heartbreaking at the same time... but definitely a learning experience.

i was really excited about this project but i guess i just have to be a bit more careful.

oh well... next time.

*extremely heavy sigh*

Design Project: Sparkly Mesh Cowl is S...L...O...W... Going...

My sparkly mesh cowl design is coming along but sadly I've had to cut back on my knitting a bit. I seem to have done something to my right wrist and it is causing some pain to do anything at all. So this already SLOW project is taking SO... MUCH... LONGER. But so far I'm happy with how it's looking.

I'm really getting the hang of knitting with beads. It's a lot easier that I thought it would be and I'm enjoying the little bit of sparkle it is adding to my design. I have a bit of a pattern emerging. we'll see if it holds up.

^.^

Design Project: Beaded Mesh Knit Cowl

I LOVE beading... I LOVE knitting...

Who knew I could put the two together?

I needed a project for my skein of Malabrigo sock yarn in the beautiful colourway: Zarzamora (grey, lilac, blue & green) but I wanted it to be something a bit different... Something special.

Now I JUST finished knitting up my Lacy Mesh Linen Cowl and I really liked how it turned out. I thought about doing something like that with this yarn but I wanted it to have a little bit more oomph to it. So then I thought about adding beads to it. 

I'd never added beads to my knitting before. I was intimidated by the thought because I thought that it would be incredibly complicated. But, after watching a couple of how-to videos, I realized it didn't look as difficult as I thought. So I decided to give it a shot!

So here's my yarn, my beads (bigger seed beads in silver) & my incredibly tiny crochet hook (1mm)... 

Wish me luck...

*clickety clickety click*

A-a-and a few hours later...
(err... I mean last night. It got so late I had to go to bed after knitting this row.)


Voila!

So here I go on another knitting adventure! Squee!

^.^

Knit Projects: Finishing It Up... Blocking!

So I've finally found the time and space to block my two spring/summer accessories (my Strathcona and my lacy mesh linen cowl that I have yet to give a name to :S). I've never blocked anything before so this is all new to me. I really hope I did it right.

I can't wait until they are dry so I can see them on! But... I WILL wait patiently...

*sigh*

*foot tapping*


*tapping grows louder & more impatient*


GAH!


*runs to grab a hair dryer*


Lol!

Design Project: Lacy Mesh Cowl

My latest design project... A lacy mesh cowl for spring and summer made from linen. This is my first time working with linen and I have to say that it does take quite a toll on your hands. First off... It gets to be pretty heavy. Even after the 2nd ball I started to feel the weight of it. And secondly... It's a bit of a stiff yarn that can get pretty rough to work with... Literally. Although, my hands became really soft and smooth from working it, the downfall was that it became hard to work with over long periods of knitting.  But on the plus side, I've heard that after blocking it softens right up. So that will be my next step. 

But for now it is my "something light and pretty" accessory for the warmer weather! Yay!

It started with this...
Punta Yarns: Rope-Light Hand-Painted Linen
I fell in love with the colours... light lavender, blues, greens, and yellows

I cast on a whack load of stitches... and chose an openwork mesh pattern.
Then I just kept knitting... until...

VOILA! A cowl emerged!

It was so much fun and easy too!