ARDIRI

Puff-Sleeved Cardi Update & a "New" Sewing Machine

After multiple knittings--first with seed stitch, then with Turkish stitch--and numerous ripping backs, I have finally finished the body of the Puff-Sleeved Cardi sans lace.  I substituted Turkish Stitch a la Barbara Walker's A Treasury of Knitting Patterns (given to me by my dear B.):

Turkish Stitch Pattern in Peplum

I have also made much progress and then much frogging on the left sleeve.  Unfortunately, I have wide shoulders so the poufy-ness of the sleeve shoulders isn't so much so.

Puff-Sleeved Feminine Cardi Left Front (with 70's Linoleum background--groovy baby!)

Additionally, I do believe that I am going to have to cross my fingers and toes and hope that KnitPicks has more yarn in my dyelot as-- between my decision to make long sleeves and to increase the body length and despite considering such things when making the original order of yarn--it looks as if I am running out of yarn.  Aargh!  (Note to self: Yarn Colorway "Storm", dyelot 13940).

In the realm of super-exciting news, I decided to give in and buy a "new" sewing machine!  It is a Brother CS6000 Computerized Sewing Machine--factory refurbished from Overstock.com.  I've bought a refurbished vacuum from them and have been quite happy with it; it is as if it were brand new!  I am hoping to have the same luck/experience with this sewing machine as I am dying to bring my sewing skills up to snuff and beyond.  This city makes me want to have stylish clothes and not pay a fortune for them at one of the gazillion boutiques lining my street! 

Furthermore, I want to learn how to quilt after seeing such beauties as this, this, and this over at the Doll Quilt Swap!  I got a hold of Kaffe Fassett's Museum Quilts and Quilting for Dummies (I had to set my ego aside when selecting that one!) from the library and am off to Britex to choose fabric for the Floral Columns Quilt (Check out Ashley's at Dogged).

Also in the sewing queue is this purse (See & Sew B4271), which Mamoko is so considerately using his paw to point it out for you:

Which will be made in these fabrics (the green swirls will be the lining) and hopefully I shall find some extra-bitter dark chocolate colored corduroy or cotton duck to use for the strap and perhaps to go along the bottom of the purse as the city is a dirty place and I don't want to have to give the birds bi-weekly bird baths:

The Alexander Henry Fabrics Collection: "Bird Seed" and "Swirls" Fabrics

Now, the hard part: Waiting for my sewing machine to arrive in the post!

Textured Tunic Update

To the frogging pool we--the textured tunic and I--go, as the top is turning out much too big just below the bustline for a Fitted Knit:

I am not quite sure how to fix this.  Should I completely start over with a smaller size or should I figure out how to tighten up the sweater below the bustline with decreases (which may screw up the box stitch pattern)?

Details, details:

• Yarn is RYC Soft Tweed in Mist
• Using size #9 needles
• Using the 39.5 pattern size as my gauge was 3.5 inches rather than 4 inches.  In trying this sweater on, I do believe I should have used the size 37.

Shruggity-Shrug

I now understand why shrugs are called shrugs: You literally have to shrug (and twist about!) to take them off!
 
Glampyre's Fitted Knits Two-Tone Ribbed Shrug: made with 2+ balls of Elann Peruvian Sierra Aran in Dark Indigo, on size #7 & #4 US needles.  If I remember correctly, I did a size 15, but definitely would go up at least a size if I made the shrug again as I really don't like the tightness of the garment.

FrankeinMittens

I finally finished my Peekaboo mittens! 

Unfortunately, the first mitten I made had some flaws with regards to shortness in length and my starting the cuff too early, so I had to--STAT! CODE BLUE!--perform emergency surgery to remedy the mistake.

Step 1--Utilize a quick suture to prevent further complications:

Step 2--Pass the Scapel, Nurse.  Time to make the incision:

Step 3--Post-Surgery Recuperative Time:

Step 4--Take Post-Operative Photos of Yummilicious Peekaboo Mittens (Finished just in time for late -night, oddly-cold bike riding excursions):

Step 5--Peek the fingers out of said Peekaboo Mittens (I even painted my nails for you, dear reader!  But just this one hand!  ; >) --

Step 6--Squeal like a little piggy with joy: "Squee!  I've got me some pretty Peekaboos!"

Malabrigo Peekaboo Mitten

I decided I best figure out how the pattern worked before I went and attempted any major changes (i.e. moving down to Koigu KPPPM gauge yarn), so I made a mitten out of Malabrigo Worsted Yarn in the colorway Forest:

The Down-and-Dirty Details:

• Cuff: Casted on 40 stitches with size 5 needles( which I thought were size 4 needles since they were labeled as such...and where are my size 3 needles?  Who knows?  Probably Mamoko cat!), joined in the round, switched to size 2 needles and worked k2, P2 for 1 3/4 inches.
• Hand: Knit on size 5 needles, still using only 40 stitches.
• Cuff, again: After finishing up the mitten, I decided that the cuff was not small enough on the wrist so I picked up the cuff stitches and decreased it by 6 stitches on the palm side (less visible, hopefully, for real-world wear).  Knit those 36 stitches  in pattern for another quarter of an inch.  For the next mitten, I shall just cast on 36 stitches and knit in pattern for 2 inches and then increase on the stockinette.  The left mitten won't be a perfect match for the right, but I am not all about perfection when it comes to my knitting.  If I wanted perfection I would buy machine-made mittens.  It's all about process, folks, process and enjoyment for me.  Plus, I'd like to get some use out of these mittens before this winter ends and in California, that could be tomorrow or sometime in April the way our weird weather has been acting!  Oh, and perhaps I'll make a matching Malabrigo hat of some sort to match!

More Mitered Madness

Here's the latest trio of mitered squares for my Mason Dixon mitered throw blanket--
Noro Silk Garden Colorway #251:

52 squares down, 28 more to go.  The end is actually in sight now!  Unfortunately, I used some of my skeins to make myInternational Scarf Exchange scarf, so I shall have to order more.

The other colors cataloged thus far are #'s: 247 and 249. 

Mitered Square Madness--Methodized

Here is Noro Silk Garden Colorway #247--look how pretty the colors knit out:

For Colorway #249, CLICK HERE.  Apparently, the second half of my Mason Dixon-Inspired Mitered Square Throw Blanket is going to take FOREVER.  I now have 49 of 80 total squares--OOOF!  Those final 31 may take me all winter at the rate I am going with school, tutoring, substituting, living, and breathing all getting in the way.

We're Doing It Again!

Tracey of Knitting Kneedles and I will again be hosting a dishcloth/washcloth swap.  The last swap was based on the specific Mason Dixon Washrag Pattern(s).  However, this swap will be based on the the theme of Winter Wonderland and you can chose whatever washcloth pattern you wish to make for your pal.  We are now accepting sign-ups at winterwonderlandswap@gmail.com.  And just so you know, this swap isn't holiday specific.  As  Tracey so wonderfully wrote on the Winter Wonderland Swap Blog:

"We aren't really focusing on a holiday, but winter as a whole. If your pal happens to love Christmas, Thanksgiving, Hannakuh, etc, then that's great, but please don't feel as if you have to go with that. There are lots of themes that can go with winter, and we don't want anyone to feel left out because of not celebrating a holiday, or celebrating a different holiday, or what not."

So please email us at winterwonderlandswap@gmail.com to sign up.  Tracey and I learned an awful lot from running the last swap and look forward to knitting along and swapping with all you wonderful knitters--new friends and old.

Hip to be Mitered Squared

In attempt to have a method to my mitered square madness, I've decided to do my latest round of squares in a row from the same ball.  What I mean is: I will knit up an entire skein of one colorway and keep those squares in order as they are knitted up that way I can document how the colorway plays out when it is knitted up.  This will also enable me to look back at the colorways and say either: "Oooooh, I love that colorway!  That'll make a great______(fill in the blank)" or "Yuck!  So not a good colorway.  No mas Noro, para mi, por favor!"
Here is colorway # 249:

On the Noro Road Again

It's time to get back to mitering...making my Noro Silk Garden mitered squares again.  I am officially at the halfway point (40 squares) of finishing my Mason Dixon mitered square throw.  Here's the colors I bought to finish up:

(Colorway #'s 203, 213, 217, 221, 234, 243, 247, 249, 251; some of which are repeat colors from what I used for past squares.  I am also awaiting 3 other skeins from Webs/yarns.com)

~Note to self: These  following two colorways would make great scarves:
#203

#247