Month: October 2007

- saffronknits 5 Comments

FO: Beret

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Pattern: Periwinkle Beret by Grumperina
Yarn: Australian Merino Sport Weight Wool from Cabin Cove Mercantile
Colorway:Sunshine Sherbet
Needles: US size 2/US size 3 dpns (pattern called for size 1 & 2)
Completed: October 27, 2007
Notes:I wanna say that first of all that this was a fun knit. Pattern was easy to follow. (and that’s saying a lot considering how pattern challenged I can be). This is the 2nd hat pattern by Grumperina that I’ve done and each one was a joy. She even made trying a new cast-on a non-scary experience. The tubular cast-on was cool to do and very stretchy.

The yarn is reused from another hat I did and I like this one so much better. This yarn was the first purchase I ever made from Cabin Cove Mercantile and that makes it extra special to me. I think it was among the first batch of yarns Dave ever sold online. I had never used wool and never bought yarn online. Classic Cabin Cove is how I like to think about this yarn. I think the coloring works well with the pattern… the spiraling is pretty.

I have no idea who this hat is for. This project was all about the experience of knitting. I have no doubt that I will probably make another.

Keep on knitting!

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- saffronknits 7 Comments

as the spindle turns…

(picture heavy post)

In the beginning… I spun these. I bought a sampler of some unknown wool that I really didn’t like.

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But this one was my very first attempt at spinning. I caught onto it very quickly… and I think I only dropped my spindle once while working on this little skein.
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My next attempt: 4 oz of dyed Corridale from Hello Yarn which resulted in about 35 yds of super bulky yarn. I have no clue what to do with it.
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This is the fiber that started all this spinning. This time I managed to get 70 yds from the 4 oz of Merino. I was kinda nervous about using this fiber ’cause I kept hearing that it can be a challenge for beginning spinners but I had no trouble with it at all. :)
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I continued my quest to get more yardage from 4 oz of fiber. This merino top (Dy-no-mite) was hand dyed by FatCatKnits. When I first finished this skein, I wasn’t happy with it… which is why I haven’t blogged about it until now. This time I got 100 yards of yarn. I kinda like it now. :)
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Below is what I finished plying last night. It’s approx 173 yds, 2 oz of natural Merino. I’m not sure what the wpi is… however … if you read my previous post about my spinning goal … well, I guess I reached it. Which has me totally amazed. Now a better goal would be to try to get worsted weight… to spin thicker. I guess I was so focused on spinning thinner singles, I went beyond what I was trying for. This took quite a while to spin … and … I have 2 oz more to spin. :-| This will be the most I’ve gotten out of 4 oz of fiber! :)
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Up next? I’m going to spin one of the other wool tops/rovings that I have before I get back to this yarn. Spinning about 346 yards of singles can get pretty boring when it’s one color.

In knitting news, I’m almost finished with the Beret. I’ve just started the decreases. I’m very much enjoying this pattern! Thanks for the fun, Grumperina! :)

And now for the good news! I ordered a new spindle!!! WOO HOO! I mailed payment today and it should take about 3-4 weeks for me to get it! I’m so excited! But I don’t wanna say what kind yet… I wanna surprise you! Stay tuned!!!!!!!

As always, thanks so much for stopping by! :)

ttfn! :D

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- saffronknits 5 Comments

Trust … adventure… and spinning

Trusting can be hard. Oftentimes it is not given… it is earned. And imagine my surprise to realize this applies to kitting as well. And specifically… knitting patterns.

I mean following the written instructions and believing that it will work out (errata aside). I mean, this could be about confidence in my knitting, but I don’t think so.

Currently I’m working on a hat that is started with the tubular cast-on, which I’ve never done before. While I was still within the first inch, doing a k1 p1 rib… and I looked at the circumference knowing full well this isn’t gonna fit an adult sized head and I’m envisioning that that will change one I remove the waste yarn from the edge.

I could have done more research about this particular cast-on, but that would have given away the opportunity of mystery and discovery that is a part of the process of knitting. So, I will keep knitting this hat … trusting this designer, trusting a technique that is not new, by any means, and enjoying the mystery and adventure of learning a new technique and trying a new pattern. :)

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The yarn I am using is recycled from previous projects that were either going nowhere or and I never did like the final result. So I washed and reset the yarn and started working on Grumperina‘s Periwinkle Beret. The yarn looked really nice as a stockinette hat before and I wanted to stay with that. I’m starting to discover that I don’t really like hand painted yarns in pattern (but I’m sure there will be exceptions :D ). The yarn is Cabin Cove Mercantile Sport Weight in colorway ‘Sunrise Sherbert’. It’s 100% Australian Merino… so soft and squishy. *happy sigh*

Oh… and remember these socks?

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They now look like this:

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I just wasn’t happy with the colors. The yarn is so beautiful and bright and the pattern didn’t show that off at all.

Lastly… spinning. I finally have spinning goal. I really like this beret pattern and I think it would look pretty made with handspun. So I’d like to be able to spin enough 2-ply sport weight to be able to make this (or any) hat with it. And…I’ll soon be ordering a new spindle so I’m not tied to spinning one roving/top at a time (yes I know I can make my own… but I don’t wanna ;) ). Can’t wait!

I guess that’s it for now. Thanks for stopping by!!! :)

ttfn!

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- saffronknits 2 Comments

what kind of knitter am i?

I saw this on another blog and couldn’t resist! :D


What Kind of Knitter Are You?


You appear to be a Knitting Guru. You love knitting and do it all the time. While finishing a piece is the plan, you still love the process, and can’t imagine a day going by without giving some time to your yarn. Packing for vacation involves leaving ample space for the stash and supplies. It can be hard to tell where the yarn ends and you begin.

http://marniemaclean.com
Take this quiz!



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Don’t know about the guru part, but I’d say the rest is pretty accurate. :)

- saffronknits 5 Comments

WIP it good…

1. Fetching - (the color is not even representative of it’s true nature. Digital cameras do not like red… mine especially. :( )
[Yarn is Knit Picks' Wool of the Andes Cranberry] Fetching

I’m actually nearly done with this one… but it is too small
(yes, just like Odessa dsc05626-2.JPG…I detecting a theme here… :roll: )
So I’m going to rip this out and try again with size US 7 needles. The good news, tho, is that this is my very first cable project!! That was a goal for me to do this year. :D The cable needle is a little fiddly but ok. (I’m not ready to try it w/out a cable needle… I tried and it didn’t work.) I can’t wait to do more cable projects! :)

2. Bejeweled –
Neck scarf made from Carnivale handspun.
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Here is picture of the front …

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Below is the section that helped me come up with the name.

Bejeweled

The only thing left to do is the bind off … but I’m not happy about which row I’ve ended on so I need to think about it before complete this project.

3. Socks –

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These are in a holding pattern while I decide if I want to rip them out or continue them. The yarn is so pretty but the colors have become so muddy in this pattern and there’s a pooly-stripeyness that I just can’t get used to. And if the pattern looks familiar, it is. I modified the Cookie A.’s Monkey socks so I could do them toe up. There’s still one thing I wanna fix on the pattern. I learned a lot working on these. That’s why I’ haven’t ripped them out yet despite my frustration at knitting them.

4. Amethyst Socks
And, I’m still working on these socks.

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I am on the heel of the 2nd sock.

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Knitting on US size 2 needles goes sooooooooooooooooo slooooooooooow. But I’m still chuggin’ along. :)

Enjoy your week!

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- saffronknits 3 Comments

Hello, again … Hello!

There has been knitting goin’ on around here and it’s time for me to catch you up. First up: Finished Objects (yes… that means more than one! :D )

Finished Objects

BBE Socks

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Yarn: Apple Laine Apple Pie
Colorway: Royal Blue
Needles: US size 3
Pattern: Basket Weave (6-stitch) from More Sensational Knitted Socks
Notes:I didn’t finish these in time to give them to the intended recipient…which I why I still have them. But I like them. The yarn is really soft.

Odessa

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Needles: US size 4 & 6
Yarn: Rowan RYC Cashsoft DK (1 ball)
Pattern: Odessa by Grumperina
Notes: It only took me a week and a half to knit this. But it is too small. But that’s ok ’cause it’s basically my swatch. The gauge was given in pattern and I figured, if I’m gonna knit 4 inches in pattern, I may as well knit the hat. (I bought two balls of this yarn just for something like this.) But I really liked this pattern. Very easy to follow and a quick knit. Now I need to buy size 5 & 7 needles so I can make this hat in the correct size.

Next up: Works in progress… stay tuned! :)