New Face, and New and Old Projects

Our "Knit One, Drink Too" group has a new face:  Granddaughter to Kee joined us, and she's going to show us up!  Resistant to knitting for a number of years, she has returned from college with new talents... and we welcome that!
Look at her lovely projects, as a "new" knitter!!  OK!!!!!  How about some more "!!!!!!"'s.!!!!!
Shawl wrap, with wonderful cables:

 First socks (amazing talent--could Grandma have anything to do with that?)

Meanwhile, Dee and Jee are (ahem) finishing up on the baby blanket...One more row, please!

And the never ending "knit while you talk" socks:

Grandma Kee is diligently progressing with yet another purple garment...
Elsebeth Lavold style:

 There was a little discussion on which is the right side.  The picture with the pattern looks most like what "we" think is the wrong side, and very boring, too.  We like this:

Now that it's getting near the end, and a bit too big to cart around, socks are in order, with a few explicatives thrown in...  We try to ignore such behaviors and hope it isn't contagious.

I kept busy with my little sleeve, and no sooner had everyone left, and I decided to finish the sleeve, my yarn came to an end, and I was done sooner than I thought!

What bind-off?  The end of THAT story will be tomorrow.

One more Post for Powell

Finished (again)...  I thought my Pink Powell Pullover was finished yesterday, but when I put it on the hanger, the neck seemed a little tight.  I took out the bind-off row and used a picot edging (M1, bind off 3, repeat) and it's perfect.  Adds a bit of girly finish to a hot pink pullover.

For other blogs about this project:  See Peer Pressure and Much Ado!

Much Ado!

The Pink Powell Pullover, which is a pattern that no Ravelry member has confessed to knitting, has been quite the challenge for me.  Of course, anyone who knows me, assumes that I didn't use the prescribed yarn weight and had to adjust all the numbers...  but even so!
There was the cable down the front that was 're-cabled' and the endless seed stitch, which led me to believe that a 2T size is enormous!  (Those little ones keep growing!)
Here's a few more trials that have been laid to rest:
The collar:
The original calls for seed stitch continued along with the cable, but when the collar folds over you see the back of the cable.  I found this fixable, errr, so I fixed it ....a few times.
First: Used stockinette and a reverse-side cable.  The reverse stockinette shows.

What I didn't like:  The stockinette rolled too tightly.  Rip...  Try again.
A combination of garter and stockinette.  Enough garter to straighten it just a tad.  (Sorry about the color.... It truly is a hot pink!

OK.   I'm happy with the collar.  Next:  Sleeves.
The sleeve opening didn't look proportionally large enough for the size.  I thought that the sleeves were wide enough at the top, but I changed my mind when I saw the body finished.
Fix:  Open up the sides a bit more,

and add a diamond (gusset) patch underarm.

Turned out rather well, I think.

The posing of the above picture pointed out that I might have another problem.  Might-- meaning, until the pullover is pulled over a little head, I won't know if the bind-off at the neck/collar is too tight. I noticed it when I put it on the hanger. I thought I was done, but I'm going to trouble-shoot and do a looser bind-off, so I won't have to fret!
May your projects be problem-free!

Pattern:  Powell, by Mags Kandis from Mission Falls Wee Knits 3;  Yarn: Cotton Rich DK by Cascade Yarns, DK / 8 ply 64% Cotton, 36% Nylon, 135 yards

Flash Knit Mob!

If you haven't seen it, you should!  Brings tears to my eyes... Here's Sock Summit 2: (With Stephanie aka Yarn Harlot in front row, yellow shirt on the right.

Half A Pair

Socks... gotta luv 'em.
They are so cool, to knit, to transport, to wear;  too bad they come in pairs.  I know the solution, or quasi-solution:  Knit two-at-a-time.  I like to do that BUT there goes a degree of their transportability:  Two sources of yarn, twice as much hanging on the needles... I usually knit just one at a time to carry with me.
Here's my newest triumph:

 Cute little tie in the back!  Surprised me, because I didn't notice it in the picture of the pattern.

Pattern:  #29 Lace Socks by Star Athena from Vogue Knitting, Spring/Summer 2009;
Yarn:  Regia Design Line Hand-dye Effect by Kaffe Fassett by Schachenmayr nomotta  Light Fingering / 3 ply 70% Wool, 25% Nylon, 5% Acrylic, 459 yards

I really like the pattern, and I love the colors of the yarn.  The fiber is a bit rough, but my foot doesn't seem to mind!  One more sock to go.  Will the colors line up the same?  Should I try?

Peer Pressure

I asked;  they spoke!
Lunch with knitting friends, show and tell;  I showed, they told...
Knowing that their keen eyes would spot my goof, I 'fessed up as I showed my Pink Powell Pullover.  Size 2T, with a gigantic cable down the front... I must have miscounted more than once and two of the cables were wonky.  They insisted I had reversed the cable (back to front crossover) and that it was going to "eat me up" until I went back and fixed it.  "No," I said.  "I'm stronger than that... it's gone too far... it's only a little pullover on an active playing child... it's not THAT noticeable (to the general public)."  And I continued to merrily knit-along. (The two obvious mistakes are marked with needles, in case there's any doubt in anyone's mind.  I must admit this morning, they don't look 'that' bad...)

Then it was later, evening, and I sat with it in my lap, smoothing it out as I often have, examining "how bad is it, really?" going through my mind for the 1,000th time, and I snapped.  Before I knew it, it looked like this:

UHGG-ly.  There's a lot of seed stitch going on... and THAT's not coming out.  I decided to bundle my rows, so I would know where every 10th row would fall (I was previously attempting to cable every 8th row having 'misread' the pattern earlier--I'm a mess, aren't I?  No comments, please.)

And an hour later (give or take an hour), I had this:

They are all the same size, except for the bottom two, and there's a little extra yarn on the left side of the cable pattern, and so it shall be!  Blocking and a little rough handling will even it out.  Peers: Thanks for a wonderful evening.  (You know who you are!)

Summer Knitting

& Sewing!
Can you believe it?  Once or twice a year, I get it in my mind that I'm a seamstress.  I used to be before the current decade of knitting infected me.
Last year it was a quilt that is hibernating in a box.  But before I finish that, I thought I'd make a stab at doll-making.  When my daughter was a little girl, I made all sorts of things.

Topsy Turvy Doll

A blonde and a brunette sharing the same body

I even have the leftovers of one of my favorite outfits.  The jumper (tunic) is long gone, but I still love that fabric.

With a gold thread...

My daughter (the creative starter) passed this one along to me a year or so ago.  She did such a great job on the skirt

Inside out:

Here goes my attempt.

I have a pattern made for the upper part of the dress, both sides.
We need more dolls as much as we "need" more sweaters.
I'm still poking along on my Pink Powell Pullover.  I added an "owl" to one sleeve to break the boredom of seed stitch.  I used black yarn for the eyes, but then found I couldn't hide the ends without them showing through the seed stitch.  So I used them as part of the outline, looking a little more like wings.  (Discuss!)

Owl on sleeve:  Black eyes, and black along sides

Maybe I need to outline it more. (I think it's obvious in real life...but not so much in this picture.)
And I'm rather excited about the look and feel of the tri-color cardigan.  Pattern and yarn purchased in Auckland last October.  I tell you, shop owners, make up a sample, and 'they will sell'.  It's going to be darling!!

The back - Tri Color Cardigan in two tiers

So much to do!  I think I'll take a nap...teehee