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!

Knit Project: Strathcona... FINISHED... No really! Plus... My FIRST Knit-Along!

Yay! My Strathcona scarf (designed by Jane Richmond) is now completely DONE! Woohoo! And I'm loving everything about it. Well... at least now I am. :D (Please forgive the picture I uploaded earlier. I was just so excited that it was done that I had to take the picture immediately :D) But I think I'm going to call it my "Sunset" Strathcona. That's what the colours remind me of. The pinks, oranges, taupes & bluey greys. After I've blocked it I will be wearing this EVERYWHERE! Plus I know that I will definitely be making more of these!  ~.^

But now... Onto something NEW!

Knit-Alongs.

I've never done a knit-along before! I have to say... I'm a little scared. But as usual, I think I'm making this out to be more complicated than it needs to be. And here is all the information... Tees Tanks and Tops Knit-Along. Hosted be the incredibly talented Shannon of luvinthemommyhood.

I have a few patterns that I'd like to try for this knit-along. It's just a question of what I think I can handle in the time that is given. I'm kinda new to the whole garment making scene but I'll never know if I don't try! :)

Wish me luck! *hugs*

Knit Project: Strathcona... Again.

So here is my SECOND attempt at the Strathcona...
I realized I read the pattern wrong and messed up the stitches in the first one :( But it still looked ok so I'm gonna finish it as is... But I at least wanted to knit one up properly. So, after consulting my knitting teacher/friend Rebecca & talking it out with my hubby, I figured out what I did wrong. And so here is the start of my new properly knitted Strathcona scarf.

The yarn is Cotton Cascata by Regia in the "Tugela" colourway. I totally fell in love with the colours and it's knitting up so nice. And now that I'm knitting it up properly... I can't wait to finish it!

Woot!

Knit Project: The Strathcona

So here it is... The Strathcona by Jane Richmond. I must say... I am loving this pattern. It is so light and airy and the v- shape of it is so unique. It will be perfect for summer.

I'm not sure if I have enough yarn to make the full sized scarf but I just wanted to try it. So I chose to use a Mericash fingering weight yarn by Punta Yarns (80% merino/ 20%cashmere) in "baby pink." It will be a bit shorter but I think it will look great. And since it's such an open mesh it will probably give a little warmth without being too stifling. So it'll be perfect for our cool Vancouver Island breezes :)

So far it's knitting up pretty smoothly and SO soft!

So once again... Great pattern, Jane! ~.^

Knitting: My Rae Collection... So far... ~.^

I just absolutely LOVE this pattern! The Rae scarf is still one of my absolute favourite scarf patterns. However... A close second is one that I just started knitting up yesterday... The Strathcona... Stay tuned to find out how it's going... :D 

Jane Richmond is just fantastic!

Family: My Husband's First Knitting Project!

My husband is incredible. ^.^ He learned to knit just this past February. As soon as he got the hang of it he started finding it more and more gratifying. I kept all the little swatches he had made and each one got better. His tension became more relaxed and consistant. I was in awe of how quickly he was progressing. Then he was up for a challenge... A first project.

So I found this book in the library called Knits Men Want by Bruce Weinstein (that I have since ordered on amazon and am now waiting patiently for it's arrival ^.^...) and in this book my husband decided on his first project... The "Reversible Cable Scarf" and as you can see... He's doing a pretty awesome job so far.

The book is fun, witty and it has some great knitting patterns (my husband and I looked through it together and with the exception of one or two items, there wasn't anything in the book he wouldn't wear. woot!) But the really great thing about this book is that not only does it give advice on what men like (and don't like) in clothing or accessories, but it gives you the reasons why... And you know what? All the explanations made perfect sense... And THAT is what I absolutely love about this book.

Class Project: One Button Wonder... DONE!

Soooo... Here it is... FINALLY completed on March15th. I was humming and hawing about whether I should block it now or later. Hmmm... But there's so much going on right now... So I will probably save that for another time. I messed up a bit in the seaming and the style is not really suited for my shape but hey!  What the heck! It's all a learning experience for me. And besides... I just made a sweater. I MADE MY FIRST SWEATER EVAR!!! woo hoo!

So now to round off the things that I need to do now...
1. I WILL finish my Rae Scarf #4 this weekend so I can...
2. I get back to knitting up my Inara Cowl for springtime... before spring suddenly disappears on me :D

But thanks so much to Rebecca of nook for
being a super fantastic teacher and new friend!

*hugs to everyone*

Knit Project: Rae Scarf #4

I know I should be working on my sweater for my knitting class... but I HAD to start my Rae scarf... and well... now I can't put it down. It's looking pretty good so far. The colours are beautiful! Plum, purple, green and a golden yellow. It will definitely be my all season scarf :)

And now I'm on to my 2nd ball of yarn and that means speedy decreases... woot! I can't wait ^.^

Knit Project: A-a-and Yet ANOTHER Rae Scarf

I can't tell you how much I LOVE making this scarf. The fact that this is my FOURTH one that I'm knitting should give a little bit of a clue :D Jane Richmond's Rae Scarf  is such a wonderfully simple knit and is such a classic accessory.

Step 1
Purchase the yarn you've been fawning over for the last few months
(diamond yarn: luxury-collection: footloose)

Step 2
Have a wonderful friend wind it into a cake for you...
(thank you SO much Rebecca ^.^)

Step 3
Choose the correct sized needles...

On your mark... Get set... GO! GO! GO!

WOOT!

^.^

An On-Going Project: A Sampler Scarf

So I decided to learn and brush up on some knitting stitches. My husband had an interesting suggestion. He asked if there was such a thing as a sampler for knitting. I had no idea. So I looked it up on ravelry and found scarves and blankets with different "samples" of stitched squares. Then I had this neat idea of taking my favourite stitches and making my own scarf.

I was inspired by my love of short stories. Quickly read and then done. Then on to the next story… So I thought I would create a scarf that combined all my favourite stitches on one medium/narrow scarf. Then I don’t get bored doing the same thing over and over again. This scarf gives me a nice break from the monotony. And so... TA DAH!

My "Short Stories" Sampler Scarf

is now in the process of being made I can't wait to finish it! I'm finding a whole bunch of cool stitch patterns and it's coming together nicely! 

Woot!

Knit Project: Stuff I'm Making...

The Rae Scarf - by Jane Richmond

I am so in LOVE with this scarf. I'm in the process of knitting up my third one. ^.^ It's a classic scarf and simple to knit.

 The first one was done using Lion Brand: Martha Stewart merino yarn in "pewter." I wanted to try out the pattern on a thicker yarn so I could easily see how the pattern worked. I had to alter the pattern a bit because was running out of yarn. :( But it knitted up quickly and It's thick and warm. Good first try it think. Sorry about the picture. The lighting was terrible and so was my camera :(
 



The second one was made using Aslan Trends: Royal Alpaca yarn in "plum." I knitted it using a larger needle so it has more drape. It's incredibly soft and light but warm and cozy too. Perfect for the transition from winter to spring.






And finally (for now... ~.^ ) I'm in the process of knitting my third Rae scarf with Regia Design Line Hand-dye Effect by Kaffe Fassett in "fog."  It's a light sock-yarn and I'm using a slightly larger needle for a lighter scarf. The hand-dye effect is beautiful on this yarn. Going through varying shades of grey. From light pewter grey to yellowy grey to a lavender grey... it looks just like fog. It will be light and lovely for spring and summer.




Knowing me I will knit up at least twelve of these scarves... Three per season should be enough for me... Lol!

~.^