Channelling my inner Cynthia

Ommm ... must knit socks ... ommm ...
(For complete details, read on).

For Cynthia, but Rhonda can peek too ...

A store that sells only sock yarn...

Spam and Alpacas

Hmm, it seems that we just got our first comment spam on the last post. I left it there "for posterity", a.k.a. too lazy to figure out how to delete it.

But, I did turn on the word verification tool. Sorry for the extra work, but I don't think any of us need to be able to "Find out how to buy and sell anything, like things related to private road construction on interest free credit and pay back whenever you want! "

On the other hand, some of us may could use some of that "interest free credit" to finance the purchase of an alpaca.

For Rhonda...

... and her eighteen million granddaughters :)

It's a Cupcake Hat pattern!

tweediness

i've been working on the hats for my dad + nephew. easy as

1... (casting on gingerly with debbie bliss aran tweed)


2... (going round 'n' round)


3... (adding the banana brim)

commuting

For those of you who questioned my sanity, here is photo evidence that I only knit at red lights, not while actually moving.

Looking for something out of the ordinary?

Have you tried Free Form crochet ? Know any Free Form Knitters? The Knot Just Knitting web site explains the process using knitting and crochet together. Okay, that shawl at the bottom of the page under what is freeform is NOT for me, LOL. But I found the intarsia closeups in the gallery rather beautiful.

Just thought you might like to see this interesting process.

Too funny

You Knit What?

what do we do on rainy holiday weekends?

Work on FO's of course! I got the poncho done for my granddaughter, age 15. I'm a little too wide to model it for you, but here it is on the back of my couch.



Then I finished something for myself ... a scarf made with Pizzaz by Caron
Follow the link for the free pattern. I hope to wear it this Thursday. BTW, I don't think I'm going to make another ... one novelty scarf is enough I think.



Of course I had to finally complete the crocheted outfits for the two little dolls going to my 2 youngest granddaughters at Christmas. Both girls are age 5 and still playing with dolls. So of course I had to make a few outfits ...



All and all, it was a very productive weekend don't you think?

double-play

two FOs back-to-back! oh, the excitement.



ms. green pillow! my first home-decor-type project. not quite wearable, but one could definitely stretch boundaries. i used the bark rib motif from a tunic pattern in loop-d-loop. done in knitpicks merino style (doublestranded). i am getting more and more impressed with knitpicks. i have not yet had a bad experience with their yarns or their service. i hope they plan to expand their yarn selection with more aran/chunky weight yarns, and more subtle colorways. without knitpicks, i don't know where on earth i'd buy my yarn...



the corkscrew scarf for my sister dearest. intended for her birthday in sept, but looking like a christmas gift in my updated timetable. she's taller, but has a skinnier neck. i think it'll work.

Also spotted in the wild ...

Is is a zebra? Or a knitter?
(For the full scoop, click the link...)

Spotted in the Wild

I had such an excellent time at the KnitOut. Thanks especially to Rhonda and Jessica for watching stroller/pile o' baby crap while I chased Little Man around (and around and around) the Common. Another huge Thanks to Cynthia for entertaining Little Man while the Mafia used the very-unladylike-lady's-room. It's the little things that matter.

MIT SnBers spotted in the wild:


Christine (far left in official green T) was a great MC. She's so comfortable in front of a mic. Color me impressed.


Rhonda is really fast with a hook. Katie and I cheered "Go Rhonda" loudly. Perhaps we prevented her from winning the gold medal? Nah, she loved it.


Rhonda and Jessica knit peacefully in the grass.


It was a beautiful day.

more pix from the knitout

i was happy to see everyone at yesterday afternoon's lovely event!

check out those quick knitters to the left. during the contest, i believe the dj played will smith's 'get jiggy wit' it'. i kid you not. let's see, i think there were two winners, tied, with 8 rows done in stockinette stich on worsted lion brand yarn in 4 minutes. the prizes weren't too shabby either... a denise interchangeables set + a halcyon yarn felted bag kit for the fastest needles, and 2 filatura pattern books, a cd (special music for stitching?), and 3 skeins of soft pink gedifra yarn for the fastest hook. when i saw how sweet the prizes were, i had a difficult time handing them over to the winners. ;)

so above are more photos, and of the scarves entered into the scarf style contest. we got around 26 scarves total, with perhaps 75% of them entries to the contest, the rest as donations. the winning design was decidedly youngish, with colors and fun fur galore, but the interesting twist was that ribbons woven through the crocheted scarf allowed the scarf to be gathered and tied as a neckpiece, or a belt, or a headscarf. reminded me of drawstrings, which might be a cool way to design something sexily ruched, as illustrated on the right. i love the dark silk french ribbon which you can get for like $100 a spool. dreamy.

oh yeah, i also got to pet the classic elite yarns embrace, which is 100% italian cashmere in variegated colorways. a 625 yd hank, which is enough for a sizeable shawl, goes for $280. hey, if anyone has some, i'll be happy to relieve you of some of your stash. :) heh.

Boston Knitout & Crochet 2005, a success !!

This Sunday I attended the fun "Boston Knitout & Crochet 2005" event.
When I got home I had added to my stash and pattern library with the samples given out by the various vendors at the event and I had even won one of the many door prizes [the balls of Whimsey on the right]. What fun I had!



The day started out with the scarf I made for the contest [I didn't win, but it's going to charity and that's what counts in my book]. I also knitted 4 squares to go to the afghans for charity. At the train station I run across a knitter heading for the same event. We rode into Boston together talking about knitted socks of course while we each worked on a sock project. After checking in, I made the rounds while looking for anyone from our group. FemiKnit Mafia found me first. Then, The Dilettante Debutante bumped into us before the serious "speed knitters & crocheters did their stuff. Someone [Crystal] very easily talked me into joining the speed crocheters... Alas, I was 5 stitches short of being in 1st place. :( .... Note the speed-demon crocheter in this picture.

It was nice see Jessica & Cynthia there also. And Christine supervised the "speed" contest. It was not only a beautiful weather day, but I enjoyed being with people as nice as the knitters & crocheters I know & hang out with now. Here are only a few of the pictures taken during the afternoon. Wish you all could have been there with us. How about next year?!