meow

Indulge me in some pictures of my fluffy beast, will you? They are sort of knitting related...he recently discovered the comfort of laying in my WIP basket.



Though I likely won't let it happen again.

In ACTUAL knitting news, this cowl:



free pattern: birthday cowl
yarn: 1.5 balls of Sublime Cash Merino Silk DK in "Ink" (leftover from the Raglan Wrap sweater
needles: 4mm




LOVE it. I really love a good cowl.

that is all.

"not everything is flat on the Prairies"...

...I used to have a t-shirt with that very slogan that went right across my chest. Yeah, that's right, I'm a classy lassy. (Though in my defence I never really wore it out in public).

Bet you thought you'd NEVER see these done:





They've been sitting over there on my toolbar under "hibernating" for about a year and a half now. One boot completely done, the other just the sole. And there they sat all this time until I finally just got so SICK of looking at it and cranked out it's mate.

And cranked I did. I seriously feel like it took about two seconds to knit so I'm all the more confounded as to why I put it off for so long.



pattern: Prairie Boots from Coco Knits
yarn: Patons Classic Merino in Olive (knit double-stranded) and some random Lopi (single-stranded) for the soles
needles: US #10
buttons: random. I really just wanted to get these done so I couldn't bring myself to go out and buy new and matching ones.

When I first bought this pattern I think I really fancied myself a pair of those "knit-style" uggs that were in all the stores at the time. Like these, but I didn't fancy the $150 price tag. I know, I know --Uggs?! uggs, you say?! It's a love/hate thing for sure. For the record, I've never owned a pair of Uggs. I did however have a cheap knock off set and Sweet Marie they were THE BEST. 40 below outside and need to warm up the car in ten feet of snow? No laces? Awesome. I am not ashamed. Fortunately the bloom fell off the rose before I forked out any money and I decided to knit myself the nearest facsimile.

The main problem with waiting a year and a half to finish a second boot: apparently my gauge is much MUCH different now. Boot number two is about two sizes bigger than the first. That sucks a little bit since boot #1 is pretty much a perfect fit! But no matter --they will pretty much just be worn as slouchy/warm/around the house booties anyway. (Though note to self: glue dots for the bottom of these as I'm wiping out LARGE on the hardwood floors).

Also on the sticks right now is a cabled pillow. After two sad attempts at using this Manos,

sad attempt #1:


sad attempt #2:


I'm going for a third and already fearing a lack of yarn. And I really, really don't want to buy more of it.



This is a free Drops pattern btw--already mine is looking nothing like the original (seen here PO-005), and I basically had to re-write it before I could even get going on it. It's been a while since I've knit from a pattern in "British" English (I'm Canadian --aren't we speaking the same language? or is this a Norwegian translation?) But I forgot how much more general or "assumed" things are. i.e K1 in the pattern --simple --"knit one" right? wrong. Knit seems to be used in a much more general way. Like "go" "make this sweater". Aye yi yi. But once I got into the mind of it again, all was right with the world. NOW I get it: purl means knit, knit means garter, up is down and hamburgers eat PEOPLE. got it!

I may just need to accept that this lumpy-ass yarn is quite possibly, cursed. Or really, scrap this pillow in favour of another.

bow-nanza!

Ok, I think I am juuuuuust about caught up on everyone's blogs and officially ready to get back into the knit-swing of things again.

I am rested, back to work, and more importantly: back to knitting baby! My wrist pains appear to have subsided. (knock wood)

And in honour of that small miracle I hunkered down and finally finished off the BEHEMOTH that is Laura Irwin's Alpaca Silk Bow scarf.


not sure what this expression is saying...

Yarn: Blue Sky Alpacas Alpaca Silk (50% silk/50% Alpaca). About 5.5 balls of the "Chestnut" brown, and less than one of the "Mandarin".
needles: 3.75 mm

This is even the yarn that the pattern calls for so it was a real splurge for me. It is seriously beautiful and gorgeously soft and silky.

Scarf-y here also marks the fourth item that I've knit from this book --the others being the Raglan Wrap sweater; and both the sideways grande and side slip cloches. ALL fabulous, well-written and "sure-are-purty" patterns from Laura Irwin.

So, even though this is the yarn the pattern called for, I'm not sure if it was necessarily the best choice. It is just SO drapey that it really makes weaving in the ends a pain in the butt (though possibly I am seriously bad at this task and it's just me...), the silkyness equals ends-that-pop-out-just-when-you-think-they're-woven-in-perfectly.

For a normal scarf the prospect of a couple of yarn ends sticking out here and there might be all well and good, but this was intarsia. My FIRST attempt at intarsia. Sure-- intarsia, as it turns out, is easy. But it is also totally maddening. Every six inches look like this:



My one consolation here is that I was smart enough to weave the ends in as I went. Had I left them all until the end, this scarf would still be incomplete. Permanently.

And indeed so floppy that any hopes of a bow like this...



...are immediately dashed.
hahahahahahahaha.



See!? It's a BOW.



Oh, who am I kidding, I am literally never going to wear it that way anyway. I will likely just wear it in the usual "drape-it-around-my-neck-way" that most of us just wear our scarves anyway.

Though, knowing this NOW does not really help me.

(And might I add I kind of feel like this particular project was what was really keeping me from knitting anything else --I didn't really want to be working on it, but at the same time didn't really want to stray too far from it either--which essentially amounts to: hardly ever knitting it OR anything else). Had I known months ago when I started this scarf that I wouldn't wear it in "bow-format" I would have made the following changes:

a) ALL ribbing. There are two sections of it that are knit in stockinette, you can kind of see those changes in this photo:



The stockinette is the flat part that allows the bow to be more, uh "bow-tastic". Again, it's also so drapey that I don't think it matters that much. Plus if you did it all in ribbing it wouldn't look quite so odd when you did just decide to wear it a more "normal" way.

b) Sweet Jesus I would have made it shorter. A LOT shorter. Not sure if the photos really divulge how many times this thing is wrapped around my neck (while still having ends that hang below my hips). I think even about three feet shorter would still mean substantial length and a decent bow. But again, perhaps this is just down to my own gauge (which I know is loose, even though I repeatedly check it). Plus there are just so many ends that tearing it out to salvage the yarn for other things is just pointless.

Perhaps you need some empirical evidence of it's length...some perspective maybe?

BAM!

(N.B---this was before I blocked it even...I tried to block it out a bit wider/shorter, but it's still groooooowwwwiiiing)

It's meant to be 9 feet, it's definitely longer than that and by the time I get home it may have eaten my cat and anyone I ever cared about.

But all ribbing aside (yeah, pun intended), it really is a beautiful thing to behold. It felt like a major undertaking for me, and the fact that only one other person on ravelry appears to have knit it should have been my first clue. People often say to me "how can you knit so many scarves?" --I know they are virtually like knitting a sweater sometimes, but this is really the first time I was feeling like "yeah this scarf is taking forever, I may need to take a take a break from these".

Now that it's done I can laguish in its gorgeous-ness, as the memory of all it's hard work floats away.

And you know, cuz I can never have enough crap around my neck it seems, I've started another cowl.



Perhaps someone would like to buy me this $1300 Nylon "knitting bag" from Dolce & Gabbana to carry it around in?

cute knit overload dot com

I know, I know, I am presently M.I.A.

And this post: purely fluff, I'm warning you now. Just popping in to say: "I haven't died, I'm on vacation, I'm lazy, new knitting is coming, please forgive me".

By way of apology, please enjoy these adorable animals in knitwear:




(this guinea pig is enough to make me change my mind about crochet...er, yeah.)









All images courtesy of cuteoverload.com, naturally. If you've never been on that site something is seriously wrong with you. I am pretty much obsessively there on a weekly basis. (Maybe the problem is mine?...I also subscribe to Maru's blog). Ok, confession time: lately my cuteness obsession has extended to "favouriting" cute bunny photos on flickr. I am obviously a softie at heart.

like this:

(flickr i.d: Little Bay Poo)

and this:



But then that would be me getting away from knitting...

If nothing else I can stop agonizing over what to knit as these sites have provided me with the perfect wedding shrug pattern:


kitteh shrug! (image also courtesy of cute overload)

Tommorrow I am off to soak up some cottage-style rays with my knitter-in-crime Julia. Par for the course we will likely obligingly pull out the knitting for 5 minutes before abandoning it all for beer, board games and charred veggie dogs.

Can't wait!

Sweet Marie, she knit something!

in an effort to try and get some of my knitting mojo BACK, I busted out a quick hat.



free pattern: Robin's egg blue hat from Rachel Lufer
yarn: leftover Patons Shetland Chunky in "wine" (less that 1 ball?)
needles: 5mm
vintage button from an antique sale.



At this point in my knitting career I have ENTIRELY too many hats. It's time to do a serious purge.

This one's very cute and is a great well-written pattern (and did I mention free?!), though kinda not really my style. I think it'll make an excellent gift, and I will likely stash-bust out a few more as prezzies. I've had a moratorium on all yarn purchases lately, due to some very recent (and questionable) spending on my part, so it's time I re-visisted the possible surprises in my stash anyway!


It's July? are you sure? My sister bought me that shirt at Giant Tiger for 4 bucks--I kind of feel a bit like I'm channeling Flight of the Conchords in it, but she bought it more as an homage to this (if you have some time and want a laugh, read the reviews on amazon.)

Ironic t-shirts aside, I wish I could chalk my non-attempts at knitting up to summer-time frolicking (in truth this is partly true) but mostly it is that my dreaded Carpel Tunnel has reared it's ugly head again. I'm hoping it'll all just heal up on it's own before it gets to the point that I need surgery or something.

I've really only started one new thing...



...and the times that I do pick it up are fleeting at best. It's another attempt at a wedding shrug, not unlike this one, so that's not very exciting.

I'm pretty much just countin' down the days until my summer vay-cay at this point.

knitwear designers/artists

So, some of you know that I'm a bit of a design junkie. Usually this is within the confines of the mid-century realm, and that does extend into lots of things...furniture, architecture, art, fonts, you name it. And as you likely also know, that while I'm "into" fashion, for the most part it's nothing that I take too seriously (also there's that whole not-being-able-to-afford-most-of-it thing I've got going on). Oh yeah, and also: I'm a slob.

Very rarely do I make a truly expensive "designer" purchase (though I won't lie and say it hasn't happened on occasion ahem). It is often a discussion with the man of the house that I will turn my nose up at something if it costs more than three dollars (that is the thrift/junk/curbside re-appropriation/dirty picker in me!), and then turn around and buy a $300 (or worse but we won't go there) item in the same breath. What can I say, I'm an enigma.

But I am ALSO: queen of the knock off. If I can make it myself, I generally will. As knitters we are no strangers to the adaptation of patterns, or the desire to knit it yourself if you've seen it in a store. Seriously, since I've started knitting, when was the last time I purchased an actual "knit" sweater? Honestly, I can't remember.

So to that end I offer you: things we can't afford, but can probably make ourselves.

First up, from Kate Spade:



Ok, I am absolutely in love with these, and will definitely be attempting the Taxi ones, if not both pairs. Kate spade...hmmm, kinda not usually my thing--though I do think she does mod well when she does do it. Normally I might rant about the price of these basic mittens simply because "she's a designer" but apparently the sale of these mitts went towards the support of the women in Bosnia and Herzogovina who made them. Then I had an attack of conscience and felt really bad about even thinking about making my own pair.

In the end, they were sold out so I couldn't buy them anyway.

Also within the same hilarious/adorable/crafty realm from Jack Spade, these moustache gloves:



Fabulous. (and currently on sale...)

Or for the more adventurous, how 'bout you take some knitting inspiration from UK designer Lauren Jennings:



wow.

And if I wasn't already knitter, this amazing textile art from Aurelie Mathigot would still have caught my eye:


(found via Wool and the Gang --also newish knitwear designers (with their own line of yarn and knit kits you've probably seen by now) you should all check them out---they are even making me want a (gasp!) poncho)



And still one more non-sequitor for you (but still within the knit realm...) Phildar is having a SALE right now! I just bought three patterns books (in English for those of you concerned about that...) for about 15 euros (including shipping). Exchange rate or not, that's still a smokin' deal. You can buy yours HERE. The older the catalogue, the cheaper it is, so if there were some previous patterns you were drooling over, now may be your opportunity to get 'em for a song.

happy knitting! (oh and happy belated Canada Day and early 4th of July!)

free pattern alert!

I always love coming across free knitting patterns that I never knew existed. Actually maybe I should amend that to free modern knitting patterns (why is it only ever patterns from the nineties I seem to stumble upon?) And, I'm hurting for some inspiration these days so this couldn't have come at a better time.

Found this one via my friends over at Desire to Inspire.



The Puff Daddy knitted stool from Pickles.

Have any of you ever been on this site before? It appears to be Norwegian. Though like most Norwegians, there is some flawless English spoken there too. Personally I know how to say about three things in Norwegian (apart from hello of course):

1) turn up the music
2) I have to pee
3) you have beautiful eyes and I want you SO much

So, at least I have the fundamentals covered, but that still wouldn't really help me if I had to read an actual knitting pattern in said language.

This stool also appeals to me, as some of you might remember this post from awhile back about these poufs:



but at $1600 apiece, I think i'll just take Pickles' free pattern instead, thanks.

Other cute things from pickles:









and lots and lots of adorable kids' things:





Head on over and check Pickles out if you haven't already...I think there's something for all--craft tutorials, crochet patterns, sewing patterns (there is an adorable pattern for a bike seat cover I'm eyeing...) and oh yeah: CUPCAKES.



Sweet Marie I wish I was devouring about a half-dozen of those right now.

help m-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e

I think I am beyond help on this one. But here's my latest white whale.



Much like the aforementionned Moby Dick's white whale, this scarf is virtually all I'm capable of focusing on right now. Though unlike Ishmael, I'm going after this thing in a really half-assed way.

Ok I will stop now with the Moby Dick symbolism. I've never actually read that book (it's the former Literature-major in me...I am prone to sudden bouts of bullshitting my way through essay-type questions). It took me many years to learn how to self edit and I'm sure it's just a matter of time before you start seeing my blog posts in point form.

I mean, this is typically the point where handmade scarves CEASE to be knit. It's SIX FEET long already.



So uh, yeah. Six feet long already and I'm not half-way done yet??? Something is seriously wrong here. I know it's supposed to go to 9 feet, but it'll be more like 12 at this rate. I may have to seriously shorten the center section if ths thing is to be at all wearable in the end.

It's a bit of a conundrum for me right now. I have zero interest in starting anything new until it's done, yet I also have zero interest in knitting this thing too. I pick it up every evening and knit about a centimetre in length. What's wrong with me? I know I've been busy lately, and it's summer now but still...I seem to find myself either reading books or flipping through magazines in the evenings when I'm home. Anything to avoid this beast.

Even the S.O commented last night "you've lost interest in knitting?". Is he right? Or is this just a phase? I'm one of those knitters that never suffers from "startitis". More like "finish-itis". Even when I know something is horrible (and don't get me wrong ---this scarf isn't). I am still compelled to see things through to the end. I am incapable of abandonning any kind of project until it is completely done (then I usually forget about it forever). I am very obedient. I always do what I am told, and this scarf is no exception. See---I told you I needed a magazine rack for all of my issues....

So to that end, I think I need to spend some quality time trolling new patterns that will inspire me to actually pick up the needles again.
Though preferably small, fast and satisfying projects.

Cara's mittens

My dirty secret: I am a closet Twilight fan. There, I said it...let us never speak of this again.

What can I say, it speaks to the repressed 13 year old girl still buried deep within. If I was still 11 Edward would be my new John Taylor from Duran Duran.

But regardless of whether I've read all 4 books, including the Edward-only-perspective-version of the first book online, and on-demand-ed the movie the day it went to DVD (right...TMI) I would still have wanted to knit these super sweet mitts.



free pattern: Bella's mittens from subliminalrabbit --a thousand thank-yous for making this super cute pattern FREE!!
yarn: stash-busted Patons Classic Merino (100% wool) not quite two balls (knit double-stranded) in "chestnut brown"
needles: 4mm
mods: I knit to a tighter gauge to make the mitts smaller for my child-sized hands.



I am not actually as obsessed as I sound...there is no question that that movie was lame. I do not even remember seeing those mitts in the film (though I do remember there being a barage of gortex jackets, which given that movie's location shoot of my former home of Vancouver, is no surprise) Gortex is in essence, fashion suicide. Sure, it keeps you dry I guess.

But I am definitely not in a position to make fun of any Twi-hards out there. Particularly NOT given the ever-so-relentlessly-sliding-me-to-insanity scale of crap TV, pop culture, cheesy books, bad groupie bios and underground comics that yours truly likes to consume with regularity and without impunity. I'm Cara, and I have NO SHAME. Consider yourselves my support group.

I was excited to use up some stash yarn for this project. As with most of my stash-busting knitting, I ran out of yarn about half-way through the second mitt. (Sigh). So after putting it down for a few days trying to decide whether I would actually BUY more or abandon them forever, I hopped on my bike and sped off to my mom's house to route through HER stash. And SUCCESS, I came up with a couple small balls of leftover Chestnut Brown classic. Jackpot! I biked home and finished up the mitts. Then I biked BACK to give her what was leftover of that yarn, as I refused to keep it in MY own stash (anal much?). Suffice it to say that there are at least three different lot numbers of yarn in these mitts. I guess the fact that I was knitting them double-stranded probably accounted for why it all seemed to blend together pretty perfectly.



My only hiccup came about three-quarters of the way through the second mitt when I glanced down to dicover that I had somehow twisted one of the cables the wrong way. Grrrr. I had to rip back down past the wrist. But no matter, they went up pretty quickly in the end.

It was only after I'd FINISHED them and was about to block that I discovered that in ripping back I had apparently begun knitting again at a different spot. All this essentially means is that one mitt has one less cable repeat. When I tried them on, one was about an inch and a half shorter than the other. BLOCKING to the rescue! Now they are both the same length, regardless of the number of cable repeats.

Other than that there hasn't been much knitting around these parts (still inching along on that brown and orange scarf...). Mostly "gardening", but I won't bore you with those details. We're in a row townhouse, so it's not much of a backyard. It's more of a ditch, really. And by "gardening" I actually mean about three weeks worth of hauling off dirt (our backyard is apparently made of ROCKS)under cover of darkness and replacing it all with topsoil. A month later we are finally at a stage where we can actually begin planting things, though I am possibly now too sore and exhausted to do so.

C'est la vie. Hopefully soon we'll actually be able to enjoy the space back there a bit more.