Shawl and Stole

The Melon Shawl is progressing. I finished the center section and started the edge. The colors didn't look great together as I started, and I questioned it again.... but I think I like it now - and more importantly, my daughter likes it.



After working on it a bit, I think I'm picking up approximately the right number of stitches (it's not straight forward because I didn't do the same number of pattern repeats in the center). The numbers are close to being right, and this is after I dropped down a couple of needle sizes so the YO sections would look the same with the new yarn. The truth will come after I do a couple corners, and then really when I block it, but I think it's good.



I'm about half done with one side, after working on it during tv watching for the past couple of nights... 18 repeats done - I'm estimating about 100 around, not counting corners. It is really starting to look nice though, as the edging pulls the lace out just a bit, making it so it doesn't curl at least.




On to the Mystery Stole 3...

This was after completing clue 1 (charts A and B). I wanted to get it done before the next clue came out, but I kept delaying, and then couldn't focus, and then was busy, and then delayed some more. Thursday I sat down and did chart B (chart A was finished last friday night at the cast on party).



Today I printed out clue 2, and started chart C. I'm just a handful of rows in (about to start row 116 - clue 2 has rows 101-150).



...and the center section, so you can see how the beads shine when they catch the light (otherwise they just blend in).


Pretty? The group for the MS3 (6547 members at the moment) closes to new members tonight at midnight. After that you'll have to wait until it's a published pattern in order to get it (and miss out on the Knit-A-Long)

...back to knitting (or putting the girls to bed or something)

Happy 4th

Today is the 4th of July - Independence Day in the US. My husband was off work, we put up our flag for a bit, and then went to a friend's house for a BBQ and to let all the kids play. Yummy food, lots of running for the girls, and a couple of games of Fluxx for the adults. Fun all around. I haven't been knitting much - as I had a mild head cold the past couple of days... But I did manage to finish the center section for the Melon Shawl - I even started the edging tonight (while girls watched Harry Potter again). Pictures of that, and the MS3 (clue 1) that I am planning to finish up tomorrow. The prizes from my 100 post contest are packaged and will be mailed off tomorrow hopefully.

Today's daily dose of finished objects are some of my more impressive ones (I think). Here are 3 lopi sweaters I made - 2 for me and 1 for my sweet husband. I'm guessing they were made in fall 2003.




...hope you all had a good 4th, whether it was a holiday for you or not!

Chart A and a Bit of Wire

My purchases for beading purposes:

from the local bead store...




...and from AC Moore.





The group at Creative Fibers on Friday night.

Some of us around the table (with chocolate goodies)...





...and everyone (everyone but Ellen I think) with their current MS3.





I finished chart A that night, and haven't worked on it since - I plan to tonight or tomorrow night - after all, after I finish chart B there's no more until Friday



Sunday night, I broke out the wire, and the extra beads I had purchased and tried some wire knitting. The pattern was supposed to be a bracelet - but I don't like how it came out (at least not on my arm) so I will try again another day. I did salvage the finished knitting though, I gather up the cast on edge, and made a little bowl.




It's a little hard to see (pretty hard to photograph shiny things), but it is a cute little bowl :)



The daily dose of older finished stuff:

I figured I should do these next since I mentioned I had used tigger scraps for the sweater yesterday...

...and yes M, the socks from a couple of posts ago are Tofutsies 'Sweep you off your feet' I believe!

More from Long Long Ago

Friday I went to a local bead store (that's been less than a mile from my house for the past two years and I didn't know about it) and got some more MS3 supplies. I also printed up the chart, and went to a cast-on party Friday night. I also (at the bead store) got some stuff to do some wire knitting. Pictures of those purchases and projects (and MS3 progress update) later tomorrow.

I'm still working on the Melon Shawl - getting many repeats done, almost ready to start the edging (I hope!). I was hoping to finish a couple more projects before starting a new one, but there are some baby gifts needing to be made, and those don't wait... while I decide what and when to start something new you can enjoy these pictures....

Last time I showed you some of my really early sweaters - some that I don't wear so much and some that I'm proud of, but would do differently now - for today's dose of old Finished Objects, you get to see some of the knits for my daughters that I just love (kindof unclear, I love how these projects turned out, and yes I also love my daughters).

A scrap poncho - I really should write this one up, as it was SO easy to make, and ended up with a simple, but pretty, shape.

I had a bag of scraps, I had a shape in mind, and I had a daughter who was walking around in need of just a bit of warmth. I made this ummm... I'd guess 2003 for my older daughter, when she was younger :)


Around the same time, I had a little red dress that I loved to put on my daughter, but, as children do, she was outgrowing it. It was made of a knit material and I thought, hey, I can copy this.... so I did.


...and then of course, I played around with a pattern and made a matching sweater.

The fact that the dress is too short (for my taste) for the child once the sweater fits, is a nice bit of irony - the sizes didn't overlap so well, I think it was worn once (or maybe twice) together.



Last year, I had made a number of things for my younger daughter, and it was time to make something for my older daughter. I used some scraps from tigger (who you'll see soon) and a couple of other scraps, to make this.


I wanted to try something new on this project, and I realized I hadn't done any intarsia. A book was purchased, a pattern was chosen, and the pocket was made (along with the rest of the sweater of course).


Next time, either more crafty-toys, or some grown up sweaters, and more current knitting (of course!)

Winners and Not So Winning FO

First things first: The contest is over, I drew twice (cuz it was so much fun!) using a tiny random number program my husband slapped together for me (no, it didn't make him the winner every time). The winners are:

My sister Carmen (blogless)

and

Ina

It was fun to hear from people, and I'm now on my way through the next 100 posts, keep commenting! :)



No new knitting today, just your daily dose of older projects...

My first sweater (red heart - dark blue with bright bits - cables in front):


And another early sweater (red heart - green, garter stripes):


I think by this point I had forsaken red heart and moved on to woolease, one for my then boyfriend (now husband):


..and one for me, with zipper :)



I don't really ever wear the red heart ones (unless I'm sick and mucky and cold), but we both still wear the woolease ones every once in a while.

For SSAL #2, I had some silk I wanted to sample... I've never spun 100% silk before, wow was that different. #2 was focused on andean plying, and following her directions it worked! (for those who don't spin, andean plying is a way of plying together a small amount by wrapping it a certain way on your hand so it doesn't tangle as you ply using both ends.)

I have a bunch more of that silk, now I just have to decide what I want to do with it, now that I know the feel it has to it.