A virtual gathering of people sharing their knitting, books, thoughts, and random threads of conversation!

Live ~ Laugh ~ Knit

Friday, October 25, 2019

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Monday, October 22, 2018

Moral of the story.


Jane made up for her lack of knitting last week and progressed to the gorgeous salmon contrast color of her 3 Color Cashmere Cowl in Lux Adorna (Sport: 100% Cashmere, 230 yards).


Allison modeled Jane's finished Lucy Cowl knit with Lux Adorna Fun Size Bundles DK (DK: 100% Cashmere, 200 yards). Jane's lucky that Allison relinquished the cowl! It was questionable for a minute there.


Cornelia is about halfway though her Super Bulky Afghan (Westport Yarns shop pattern) in Mirasol Ushya (Super Bulky: 98% Merino, 2% Nylon, 114 yards). The colors evoke a seaside Cape Cod feel.


Trammi came for a review of her projects. Her pink Sea of Dreams baby blanket in Nordica (DK: 100% Merino, 136 yards) is almost done. She's knitting this as a gift for her kids piano teacher! She stopped mid-row and the knitting was all stretched out. I had to take it back a few rows. Moral of the story: Don't stop mid-row.


The Zickzack scarf pattern is a good project to leave the in car for random acts of knitting while waiting. She's knitting it with Koigu Painter's Palette Premium Merino (KPPPM) (Fingering: 100% Merino, 175 yards).


Trammi brought out her Anemone Poncho knit with Artyarns Regal Silk and Artyarns Beaded Silk & Sequins Light.

She has three other projects that we didn't get to, her charity blanket for Alice's Embrace, a long sweater coat, and a cabled sweater shirt. I suggested that she pick 3 of these projects and dedicate herself to finishing them so as not to spread herself to thin. (I should take my own advice.😏)


Nan worked the kitchener bind off on the neck of her Weekender sweater. Then she was able to join the shoulders with 3-needle bind offs. The end result...a very happy Nan who was able to try on her sweater! Yarn: Juniper Moon Farm Neve (Worsted: 100% Cotton, 222 yards).


In other Weekender Sweater news, Eleanor finished the short rows on her Weekender sweater and Allison was knitting on the upper back of hers.


Harry inspecting my Rhinebeck yarns. They must've smelled really good because he and Tucker tried to eat them! 😱

Monday, October 15, 2018

I'll have what she's having.


Cindy finished Simple and Easy Hat for the Whole Family for her grandson. She knit it with Anzula For Better or Worsted (Worsted: 80% Merino, 10% Cashmere, 10% Nylon, 200 yards)  in the Tea Bag version. This is a great hat pattern for beginners-advanced beginners.


                         She finished her Super Bulky Winter Vest just in time to wear it!


Jane hasn't knit since last week's class when she began her 3 Color Cashmere Cowl in Lux Adorna (Sport: 100% Cashmere, 230 yards).


Eleanor returned from Egypt! She actually had a chance to knit on her Half and Half Cowl while cruising the Nile. Yarn: Trendsetter Icon (Aran: 36% Alpaca, 35% Nylon, 15% Silk, 14% Cotton, 165 yards).


She learned how to take out the waste yarn from her tubular cast on ~ carefully!😱



She finished her Tot Toppers Favorite Cap & Blanket Set knit with Plymouth Select Worsted Merino Superwash (Worsted: 100% Merino, 218 yards.


Nan finished this adorable Candy Corn Hat in Plymouth Select Worsted Merino Superwash.


She's well into knitting Read Between the Lines in Yarn Catcher Sock (Light Fingering: 75% Merino, 25% Nylon, 463 yards).


She bought this particular colorway specifically to match this green top. The combination is gorgeous!


Cornelia was ready to start the next skein of her  (Westport Yarns shop pattern) in Mirasol Ushya (Super Bulky: 98% Merino, 2% Nylon, 114 yards).


Calann wasn't sure her #01 Long Cardigan knit with Tahki Montana (Super Bulky: 100% Wool, 130 yards) was looking like the pattern photo. After doing a side by side comparison, I felt it did. I'm not sure if Calann is there yet.

 
She was swatching for Rock the Pompom hat with Azteca Milrayes (Aran: 53% Wool, 47% Acrylic, 197 yards). We all loved the orange pompom. A photo was sent to the recipient for approval. Fingers crossed! The orange really  makes the other colors pop.


 Harry couldn't decide what to have, there were too many choices on the menu.



Monday, October 8, 2018

To knit or not to knit, that was the question.

 Well, it's never been my question! Read on for Linda's inner struggle ~ and the struggle is real!


Cindy was back after a summer hiatus. She's knitting The Simple and Easy Hat for the Whole Family, for her grandson. Yarn: Anzula For Better or Worsted (Worsted: 80% Merino, 10% Cashmere, 10% Nylon, 200 yards).


Nan knit up the most adorable Aran Cable Baby Bunting


Cornelia brought her sweater in to the finisher and began her Super Bulky Afghan (Westport Yarns shop pattern) in Mirasol Ushya (Super Bulky: 98% Merino, 2% Nylon, 114 yards). She is bravely knitting on circular needles, they are not her favorite.
 

Jane is knitting a 3-color striped scarf. 


She was ready to graft the ends of her Lucy Cowl knit with Lux Adorna Fun Size Bundles DK (DK: 100% Cashmere, 200 yards).  By the end of class it was done!


Eileen began the All Points South Poncho in a combination of yarns. Stunning! Perfectly autumn.

And on Wednesday...

Linda took a 3.5 year hiatus from knitting. 😱 Now that her daughter is expecting her second child, Linda was faced with a moral dilemma. She had a deep internal philosophical discussion with herself. To knit or not to knit. It's not like the second baby would know didn't get a blanket. In the end grandparent guilt won out. AND SHE'S BACK!

© Autumn Burns
Together we picked out the Easy Baby Car Seat Blanket in Hayfield Baby Blossom Chunky (Bulky: 100% Acrylic, 170 yards). Emphasis on the word EASY. The yarn is kind of cool, the way it's dyed, it creates little blossoms.


Thank goodness Linda's hands remembered how to cast on and knit.


Mary began a hat in Rasta (Super Bulky: 100% Merino, 90 yards). As you can imagine, it's coming along quickly. Mary knits in bed, and told us that she tried it on and promptly fell asleep. I guess she was warm and cozy in the hat. Her husband woke her up to point it out!😜😂


She's halfway through a baby blanket for a baby due in November. The pattern is a Westport Yarn Shop Pattern knit with KFI Luxury Collection Indulgence Hand Painted Worsted.


In addition to all that, she's finished the next part of her Crocheted Eshana Wrap. It's off to the finisher to be blocked before she starts the next section. This is quite an accomplishment! She used the exact yarns the pattern called for, this was a class this summer at Westport Yarns.


Lois was working on Washington Square, a gorgeous mosaic cowl knit with  Malabrigo Worsted (Aran: 100% Merino, 210 yards).

Today's blog pet pictures are brought to you by Thing #2 who happened to be sending me pix of her cats while I was writing.


First we have Simba, not too happily modeling a sombrero. Oh, it cat's could talk...


And then there's the baby, Jasper. He is just too cute for words!

Tuesday, October 2, 2018

Knitting and Buying Yarn ~ Two Different Hobbies


Calann finished her Building Blocks Afghan! She did a fabulous job and we all gave it the serious appreciation it deserved! Yarn: Plymouth Select Worsted Merino (Worsted: 100% Merino, 218 yards).


She was off pattern on her Long Cardigan. I took it back to the set up row and we began again. Yarn: Tahki Montana (Super Bulky: 100% Wool, 130 yards).


Calann wanted to review the cabled cast on for her Tafsut poncho to work the second half of the poncho. Yarn: Valley Yarns Northampton (Worsted: 100% Wool, 247 yards).


Because Jane added a longer red section, she found her Lucy Cowl to be to an awkward length. Too short to wear doubled and too long to sit properly. She's going to add more length. We played around with different colors. Danni found a skein of Stargazer in a light grey to complement the cowl. Yarn: Lux Adorna Fun Size Bundles DK (DK: 100% Cashmere, 200 yards).


Jane swatched for the Dianne Luxurious Cable Poncho in cashmere (of course).

© Andrea Mowry
Allison and Nan split for the front and back on their Weekender Pullovers. Yarn: Juniper Moon Farm Neve (Worsted: 100% Cotton, 222 yards).


Nan finished her Intarsia baby blanket with Minnie's face! Her daughter is going to love this!! Yarn: Plymouth Select Worsted Merino (Worsted: 100% Merino, 218 yards).


Jeannine hadn't been working the faux slipped stitch seams on her Weekender Pullover. I was able to remedy them by dropping it back and laddering it up alternating with a knit stitch and a slip stitch.


Eileen is nearly done with Mixology. She is still not happy with her colors; it came as a kit from Kitterly and the colors looked more blue (less turquoise) on the monitor. Either way, it's a gorgeous wrap and it wear beautifully. Yarn: Baah! La Jolla (Fingering: 100% Wool, 400 yards).


Patti joined us today. She brought her current projects and swatches. We reviewed gauge and how to substitute yarns appropriately. When you want to substitute a yarn in a pattern, you need to look at the weight of the yarn the pattern calls for - not the gauge of the pattern. For Example, this ADORABLE  Little Peach (baby) Poncho called for Super Bulky yarn on a #11 needle. Patty used bulky yarn on a #11 and the poncho came out considerably smaller.

As we all admired and coveted the new yarns at Westport Yarns, we came to the conclusion that knitting and buying yarn are two different hobbies and it's one size fits all.😀 I've got a foot planted firmly in each hobby!


Tucker cruisin' on a pretty fall day. 


Harry enjoys the ride in a more subdued manner.

Monday, September 24, 2018

Tuesday Stitch and Chat

© Brooklyn Tweed/Jared Flood

Allison is making progress with Agnes knit with Brooklyn Tweed Loft (Fingering: 100% Targhee-Columbia, 275 yards).


She is up to where she needs to be for the Weekender Pullover Class. Yarn: Juniper Moon Farm Neve (Worsted: 100% Cotton, 222 yards).

© Lauren Raymond
 Only now she's bored with her two sweaters, and is casting on for the Elizabeth Caplet in Cascade Luminosa (Aran: 52% Rayon, 44% Alpaca, 4% Wool, 240 yards).

© Churchmouse Yarns and Teas
Eleanor was looking for a project to take on an upcoming trip. She discovered Trendsetter Icon (Aran: 36% Alpaca, 35% Nylon, 15% Silk, 14% Cotton, 165 yards) and is going to knit the Half and Half Cowl. It will be a gift for her sister.


Allison and Calann "ooohd" and "ahhhed" over her yarn choice and how it took the light.


Calann worked another swatch in preparation for knitting the Vogue Long Cardigan . Even though she likes the look of the larger swatch, she has gauge with the smaller one.


Jane cast on for 3 color Cashmere cowl in Lux Adorna (Sport: 100% Cashmere, 230 yards).


Cornelia is finishing the second sleeve on her Customfit sweater knit with Knitting Fever Painted Cotton (DK: 100% Cotton, 357 yards). She's going to take a break from sweaters for her next project and knit a super bulky afghan for her daughter.



While Thing #2 and I were working at the kitchen table, the dogs had other ideas.


Harry wanted to be picked up.

And Tucker... we're not too sure. He was feeling anti-social.