More in my yarn closet, less in my wallet...

So I mentionned a few days ago that I've been buying more than usual lately. I'm not sure why, I just felt a strong desire to buy knitting stuff. Today, I got my order from Ariadne :



The booklet, Steppin' out, has 12 sock patterns from Veronik Avery and Mona Schmidt. I LOVE IT! There are 7 patterns out of the 12 that I want to add to my queue immediately.

I also bought my first Lorna's, in Mixed Berries:



It's so soft and beautiful, I want to use it as a pillow!

I also got some Reynolds Soft Sea Wool in Olive:



I totally love this colour.

But that's not all. Earlier this week, I went to Indigo and I bought this:



I am loving many designs in that book and I've already added the Aspen top-down sweater (that's the cover sweater), Beret Basque and the Latvian fingerless mitts to my queue.

Oh and did I mention that I'm buying a ball winder tomorrow? I need to stop spending and use the yarn I bought!

Weekly WIP Report

Hello all! Before I talk about the knitting stuff, let me tell you I've had a very painful weekend. Last Wednesday, I began to feel pain in my right shoulder. A few hours later, the pain went up to my neck and down to my arm. Thursday, the pain was still there. Friday too, worst than ever. Saturday, I finally decided to go see a doctor. It looks like it's a pinched nerve. He prescribed some pain killers and something that "relaxes" my muscles. Unfortunately, it also makes me want to sleep real bad. I can tell you work was no fun today!

Because of that, I knit a little bit less than usual (though I don't think the pain is knitting-related). But I still got some knitting done. I have close to 12 inches done on the second tube of the Woven Trellis scarf and my Shedir hat is a little bit bigger.

I also cast on for Marina Piccola and knit one full pattern repeat:



I'm using Fleece Artist merino (LOVE!!!). The pattern is great too, though I kept on making stupid mistakes at first. I really hope I can finish them before the end of the month, for the Sock a Month knitalong. We'll see.

I was tempted and now I'm tempting YOU!

I've been purchase-happy lately, despite the fact that I don't really need more sock yarn. I don't have a ton, far from it, but I have enough for the next 3-4 sock projects I have in mind and that should be enough for me (yeah right).

First, I joined Robyn's sock club for October. I had missed out in September, unfortunately. It includes yarn, stitch markers and a pattern. I hope I'll like it!

That same Robyn also posted a pic of the socks she's making for her husband and I really liked them. Very simple and classic. The pattern is from a booklet. I checked on Ravelry and they had a pic of another sock that I liked from that booklet. So I checked out the whole thing on Ariadne (because I knew they were carrying it) and I realized I liked most of the patterns. And they are all designed by Veronik Avery and Mona Schmidt. So I bought. And if I'm going to buy a sock pattern booklet, I'm going to buy sock yarn. Duh! I checked out the yarn the booklet called for (Reynold Soft Sea Wool). It looks beautiful and it's not very expensive. So I bought some in Olive. I would have bought more but I want to try it first. Finally, I bought my first skeins of Lorna's Lace. It's about time I try it. The colour is Mixed Berries (I had a really hard time choosing).

So yeah. Yummy yarn goodness is on my way (or not. I chose the pick-up option instead of delivery). And my Secret Pal emailed and said there's a package coming my way soon. Oooh goodies!

Weekly WIP Report

I'm doing the WIP Report one day late this week, because it was a three-day weekend and the blog needs a break too (haha, as if I didn't take enough breaks during the week... I'm just lazy).

I've been working on the same projects as last week, but the good news is: I finished the first tube of the Woven Trellis scarf!



Only 5 more to go...

I also worked a little bit on Shedir. I have 1.5 pattern repeat done.



That's it for this week. I'm hoping to have a new WIP to report on next week. I want to cast on for the Marina Piccola socks.

Summer Goals, Fall Goals

Last May, I made a list of knitting goals for the summer. Now that summer is almost over*, I think it's time to see how I fared.

*Yeah, I know that technically, summer ends on, or around, September 20, but in my mind, once you say goodbye to August, you say goodbye to summer. September is really a fall month.

So my main goals were:

Knit three pairs of socks (or more)
Well I finished two.Roza's socks and my mom's socks.

Finish Isabella
Done!

Seam the damn blue cardigan!
Blue cardigan? What blue cardigan?

Pick the Kiri shawl back up and hopefully finish it.
I did pick it back up but I definitely didn't finish it.

So I didn't reach all my goals, far from it, but I'm still happy with my summer knitting. I also started and finished a project that wasn't in my goals, Coachella.

Now I've set some goals for the fall. Let's see if I can reach them:

1. Woven Trellis scarf from Vogue Knitting (started)
2. Simple ribbed scarf for my boyfriend
3. Marina Picola socks for my sister
4. Shedir from Knitty (started)
5. Streakers shrug from Interweave Knits
6. Cablenet socks from Knitty

What are your fall knitting goals?

Weekly WIP Report

I gotta say, the Woven Trellis scarf is the ideal project to work on when you're watching TV. I am now done with the first season of Heroes (OMGbestshowever!) and I've been able to knit 63" of the first tube. Yay! Maybe I'll finish it this week... and then start little tube #2. *sigh* This is the scarf that never ends. It goes on and on, my friends...

So I wouldn't die of boredom, I cast on for a new project:



I am making Shedir from Knitty (you need to download the pdf available on this site to see the pattern). I'm using Rowan Felted Tweed. I'm in no rush to finish it, since (hopefully), I won't be needing a hat for a few months.

Answers to some knitting questions

My Secret Pal hostess, Robyn, asked us to answer these questions, so here I go:

1. What is the one knitting accessory you could not live without?
The one I use the most is probably my tape measure so I'll say that.

2. If you're heading on vacation, do you take knitting with you? If so, how much and what type of project?
I always take some knitting with me. Usually always a pair of socks, cause it's small and portable. The last time I travelled (I went to Paris and London last year), I had brought socks and a lace shawl. That lace shawl is Kiri and it's still not done.

3. Where have you travelled to that you'd consider your favorite spot?
Germany, definitely. I was by myself and I felt so independant and strong.

4. What is your favorite knitting book at the moment? Do you own it?
That's a very difficult question. I guess I'll say Knitting Rules! by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. It's both funny and useful. And since I've read it, I've been able to knit socks without a pattern. Oh and I do own the book. If I had to choose one I don't own, it would be Fitted Knits, by Stefanie Japel. I really want to make the Back-to-School U-Neck Vest, I'm just not sure I want to buy the book just for that pattern.

5. Do you listen to podcasts? Which is your favorite(s)?
I listened to a knitting podcast a while ago and I have to admit that I found it pretty boring. I won't name it, because I don't remember which one it was anyways. ;) But I've listened to the last episode of Lime & Violet and I really enjoyed it so I'll probably continue listening to that one.

6. If you could only knit with 1 color for the rest of your life, what color would that be?
That would be impossible! Hmmm. I'll say blue, because there are so many beautiful shades of it...

7. If you were far into a project and then noticed a mistake near the beginning what would you do?
It depends. I'm not a perfectionnist, so if it was just a small mistake, I'd forget about it. But I've unravelled finished sleeves after noticing a mistake so I will start over if necessary.

8. Where is the most unsual spot you've ever knit?
Ha! I have knit on the stairmaster. It was not a positive experience and I found out that for me, knitting and exercise don't mix (unfortunately).

Socks off the needles

I finished my mom's socks!



Pattern: I didn't use one. I used a 3X1 rib on the leg and the top of the foot.
Yarn: Austermann Step. I love that yarn. It's very soft and the colours are great.
Needles: 2.25 mm bamboo dpns

They took me a while to knit because my mom's feet are so much bigger than mine. My next socks will be Kate Gilbert's beautiful Marina Piccola. They will probably be for my sister who thankfully has small feet like me!

Weekly WIP Report - Short and Sweet Edition

I've been working on two projects this week. I've made good progress on mom's socks:



I even managed to make them match, something I usually don't care much about.

Also, I've cast on for the Woven Trellis scarf:



*sigh* 23 inches done, 67 inches to go... and that's only for the first little tube (there are six total). The scarf is going to be so gorgeous and soft (seriously, I'm loving the yarn - Berroco Ultra Alpaca). But I'm not sure I'll finish it in time for winter ;)

25 cents sock blockers

I've been wanting sock blockers for a long time and I was looking at those beautiful wooden ones. They're fabulous but expensive. So I decided to make my own. I found a fantastic tutorial (gotta give credit where credit is due) and I made some tonight. I swear it took less than 10 minutes. I got placemats at 2 for 1$ at the dollar store and I can get two blockers with one placemat so each one cost me 25 cents. That's what I call a good deal.



(Sorry about the bad lighting on all the pics.) The first ones I made where great but I made the cuffs a little bit too short so I tried again.



These were perfect and so pretty, don't you think? Here's one modeling Roza's sock:

A little bit of yarn porn to start the day...

I went to my LYS, just because I felt like it and to see if I could find something for my Secret Pal. I did find something really lovely, but I can't show you in case she reads this.

I was also looking for yarn to knit a scarf for my boyfriend. I fell in love with this one, but I couldn't find the exact same colours of Noro Silk Garden. I could have opted for other colours, but they all seemed a bit too girly.

So I was looking at the (very soft) Misti Alpaca and then I noticed a sample (unfinished) scarf in the store. It was very simple (a 2X2 rib) but it was so beautiful and soft. So I decided to make one and bought the yarn:



I showed it to my boyfriend and he likes the colour. Plus, it goes well with the hat I made him two years ago.

I don't know when I'll cast on for the scarf. I just started the Woven Trellis one for myself. I have about 15" done on the first little tube. It's a very easy and boring knit, but it's a great project to work on while watching TV or a movie. And the yarn I'm using (Berroco Ultra Alpaca) is so soft!

No more yarn that hurts!

Here's another FO for you:



For some reason, I could not take a good picture of it (I feel like I say that for every picture I post here).

Pattern: I used the "pattern" that was on the ball band, but it's really just a 2X2 ribbed scarf with a fringe.
Yarn: Bernat Masala, a bulky acrylic.
Needles: Knitpicks options circular, size 10½ (6.5 mm)
Comment: Argh! I hated that yarn! My mom gave it to me last Christmas and hinted that she'd like it as a scarf and I was tired of seeing it in my stash so I cast on last month. But the yarn hurt my hands while I knit so I dubbed the scarf the Hurtful scarf. Ouch! That being said, I really like the colour and the scarf itself is pretty soft. I know my mom will like it.

I will probably start a new project soon. Probably the Woven Trellis scarf from last winter's Vogue Knitting. I expect a pretty boring knit but a beautiful scarf.

Two Years

Two years ago, I found out that the guy I had a crush on liked me back. My boyfriend and I started dating and things have been going well ever since. I've never had a relationship that was so fun and easy (and fight-less!) before.

I got beautiful flowers, as you can see. I love flowers.







Now, back to the knitting content with a Weekly WIP Report. Well I worked exclusively on Coachella for the first part of the week (see it finished, two posts down). I worked a little bit on Kiri, but I didn't make enough progress for it to show in a picture. But I did finish the first sock-for-mom:



I just love working with Austermann Step. I wish my mom had small feet like mine though. Her socks take much longer to knit!

Shut up, I'm counting has a contest where you can win books and yarn (see here). If you participate, please mention you got the link from my blog so I get an extra chance of winning. Thank you!

Michelle linked to the Lime and Violet Knitwar, which is a D&D-like little game, but for knitters. You get points and gold for each knitting/crocheting/spinning task you complete. I'm still just a Level 1 Fighter, but I'll go up in the ranks, I promise. Now I'm off to earn me a few points for posting in my blog... :)

Secret Pal 11 Questionnaire

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
Sock yarn is always my favourite yarn to knit with (though I realize there are many different kind of sock yarns, as long as it's not acrylic, I'm ok). Wool-wise, I like merino the best. I hate acrylic, though I do have some that I'm trying to use.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
Storing? They're all over the place! I really should come up with a better storing solution.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
Kitting is all there is, unless you count cooking. I don't spin but I'd love to learn.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
These days, I listen mostly to French-Canadian artists. But I also like Tori Amos, Björk, Beck, Placebo, Radiohead and many more.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
I love blue and I love reds. I love earthy tones. I like yellow but I don't think I'd make me a whole yellow sweater ;). There aren't any colours I can't stand, though I tend not to wear green close to my face unless it's a very dark green. It makes me look sick.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I don't have any kids. I live with my boyfriend. I'm allergic to pretty much anything that has fur so no pets.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Yes, yes, yes and no.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Socks, definitely. I could knit only socks for the rest of my life and I'd never get bored. I also love to knit hats because they're a very quick knit, but you can only have so many hats...

13. What are you knitting right now?
I'm making a plain ribbed pair of socks for my mother, and a ribbed scarf, also for my mom. I'm also trying to make progress on the Kiri shawl I started over a year ago. I'm itching to begin new projects but I want to at least finish the scarf before I do.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Of course!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
I prefer circular, except for socks, for which I almost always use DPNs. I really like bamboo needles, but aluminum is good too. I'm not a fan of plastic, even though I like my Denise set.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Unfortunately, I don't.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
It's the Kiri shawl I mentionned above. I started it in May 2006. I also have a cardigan that I need to seam. I started it in August 2006.

18. What is your favorite holiday?
Christmas!

19. Is there anything that you collect?
Does sock yarn count?

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
I do not subscribe to any mags, but I always get Interweave Knits and the fall and winter issues of Vogue Knitting as soon as they hit the shelves. The yarns I'm dying to knit with are pretty much all sock yarn (though I do like regular yarn too), mainly Socks that rock, Koigu, Lorna's Lace and many of the indie yarns. As for books, I love many of them but the ones I'm coveting the most are the Charlene Schurch sock books and one on Latvian mittens.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
I want to try some colourwork. It's my goal for the next year.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
I'm sure you can guess the answer to the first question ;) My shoes are a size 6.5 or 7 (I'm in Canada, I don't know if sizes are different elsewhere).

23. When is your birthday?
December 3. Turning 30 this year!

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?
I am on Ravelry and my username is Caroline.

I'm bringing sexy back...

I finished my sexy Coachella:





Pattern: Coachella from Knitty
Size: S
Yarn: Schachenmayr Nomotta Micro
Needles:Two sets of circulars, size US6 and US8 (I used my Denise set)
Modifications: I chose not to do the short rows on the bust because a lot of people who did them said that the cleavage area went way too low. I didn't want that. I also added some ribbing at the bottom because I didn't want a rolled edge. And I added more increases for the hips (5 instead of 3) and probably could have added 2 more (I have big hips).

I'm very happy with it. It was quick and easy. Oh and no seaming. Yay!

I bought the new Vogue Knitting yesterday and I love it. It's the 25th anniversary edition and it's a beautiful issue. Of course, I don't like all the patterns (I dislike many of them in fact), but I love Veronik Avery and Debbie Bliss' "cover patterns" (there are a bunch of covers under the real cover). They also have a lot of interesting looking articles, though haven't had the chance to read them yet. There's one on "Fits that flatter" that I'll try to read today.

Now working on: socks for my mom, the masalat scarf that was put aside while I worked on Coachella and Kiri.

Weekly WIP Report

I am back with the Weekly WIP Report after taking a week off due to sheer laziness. For the past week, I've been pretty obsessed with Coachella.



You gotta love a top that doesn't require any seaming. I put it on scrap yarn and it looks like it will fit. I'm giving myself two weeks (max!) to finish it so I can wear it before summer turns into fall.

I also cast on for a new pair of socks.



No pattern, just a simple 3X1 rib on the leg and foot. They're going to be for my mom so I have to make them quite a bit bigger than when I make socks for myself. I'm using Austermann Step, which I love.

I had planned on making Cablenet as my next socks but I opted for a simple pair instead because I really want to complete a pair of socks for the first month of SAM4 and I'm not sure I'll be able to finish cabled socks in one month. But I do see Cablenet in my future.

Oh and have you seen the preview for the fall 2007 issue of Interweave Knits? It looks fabulous. I'm in love with the cover pattern.

Oooh gifts!

Before I talk about the great package I received today, I will mention that I got the brand new Harry Potter book and that knitting will probably be set aside for a little while. I promise I won't post any spoiler on this blog, and I hope you guys will do the same.

So now, the gift. I got my last package from my Secret Pal, who happens to be Melanie. I am totally in love with everything she sent.



So what you see is yarn, fantastic organic chocolate (I already ate some!) and a fabulous-smelling soap.



The label says Huacaya Alpaca + Chiengora. Chiengora? Isn't that dog yarn? How cool! The only thing I'm worried about is that I'm allergic to dogs. I've been petting the yarn for a while now and I seem to be ok so I'm assuming either it's not really dog hair or I'm really allergic to dog's saliva and not the hair. Who knows. I have over 460 yards of it and I'd really like to make a shawl. I just need to find the perfect pattern (I accept suggestions).

Anyways. I hadn't planned on signing up for Secret Pal 11, but I just changed my mind. Sign-ups are up until July 31st, so visit this site if you want to play!

Oh I almost forgot to mention: I just cast on for another project : Coachella. I'll post WIP pics soon.

Roza!

I have a FO to present to you:



Pattern: Roza's socks, by Grumperina. Pattern in the Spring 2007 issue of Interweave Knits.
Yarn: Fearless Fibers sock yarn, in the Raspberry colourway.
Needles: 2.25mm bamboo dpns

I LOVE THEM! They fit perfectly, they are incredibly soft and just perfect. I will definitely buy Fearless Fibers yarn again (and I still have a skein in green for another pair!)

Odie asked me in a comment if I had received my Knitpicks book order. Well the answer is yes! I got them on Wednesday but I wasn't home so I had to go and get them at the post office and I was finally able to do it today. I got Folk Socks and Knitting Vintage Socks (both by Nancy Bush) and the first volume of Vogue Knitting Stitchionary. I only looked at them a little bit but I think I'll really like them.

Sock a Month Knitalong 3 is coming to an end and I signed up for Sock a Month Knitalong 4, which starts in August. I didn't knit a sock every month during SAM3, unfortunately, but I still enjoyed it very much. I encourage every sock knitter to join!

Weekly WIP Report

This past week was fun because I finally finished Isabella (see last post for pics). That meant I could start a new project. But instead, I decided to work on the Kiri shawl.



I know this is supposed to be an easy pattern and all, but it's really kicking my ass. I had to frog quite a bit (thank God for lifelines!) when I realized a big boo-boo and now I'm on the fourth pattern repeat. And I keep making mistakes. But I will finish it, I promise.

I've also made quite a bit of progress on the ouch-my-fingers-hurt scarf:



I really like the colour, and even the fabric, but the yarn doesn't feel good in my hands. I think I'm working on it fast because I really want to start the Woven Trellis scarf and I don't want to have too many projects at once.

I didn't work on Roza's socks this past week so I didn't bother taking pics. I'm hoping I'll finally be able to go to a knitting meet-up this Wednesday (I haven't been since April!) and I'll bring them and work on them there.

I may, or may not, cast on for Coachella this week...

It seems like the whole knitting blogosphere has been hit by the Mystery Stole 3 bug. I will admit that I was tempted. But I didn't sign up and now it's too late. I regret it a little when I see all the WIPs on everyone's blog, but I really should try to finish Kiri before I try something like this. There will be a Mystery Stole 4 someday, right?

Fini!

I finished Isabella! Finally! I only have bad unflattering pics to post because I'm all alone and had to take them myself.





(Now if this picture doesn't convince me to go to the gym tomorrow, I don't know what will)

Specifics:

Pattern: Isabella from Knitty, size small
Yarn: Katia Mississippi 3 (not sure how much I used)
Needles: 2.25 mm circulars (and 3.0 mm dpns for the armholes)

I'm not 100% happy with it. It's not flattering. The seaming is so-so. But I'm happy it's finished.

I'm not sure what I'm going to start next. I actually want to work a bit on the Kiri shawl and I want to finish the pink scarf before I cast on for the Woven Trellis one so I may not start anything new for a while. We'll see.

I'm still waiting for my books from Knitpicks (they shipped on the 9th so I think I'll get them soon). But I found Maggie Righetti's Knitting in Plain English at Chapters yesterday and couldn't resist buying it (they usually never have it in stock when I go). I love the book so far.