My Never-Ending Queue…

I have so many things I want to knit. I have so many things that I want to knit, for which I already have the yarn. Sometimes I’m almost paralyzed by the sheer number of choices. So today I just want to review some of the top candidates 

First up is the The Shetland Fern Sweater.  

The Shetland Fern Sweater

I saw this sweater in The Natural Knitter about this time last year, fell in love with the pattern, and begged for a copy of the book. I got my copy and immediately set out trying to acquire the yarn. The pattern calls for Shetland 2000 (I believe it is now called Shetland Supreme). The distributor for this yarn in the US is Yarns International. As luck would have it, in February, they had a sale, so I ordered the kit. The original sweater was knit entirely in natural colored yarn and I just could not see trying to find substitutes. Never mind that I had never knit a stranded pattern of any sort, and still have not completed one. I had to have this sweater. We won’t even discuss the fact that it will probably never be cold enough for me to wear this sweater, should I ever finish it. I had to have it. 

Shetland 2000 Yarn for Shetland Fern Sweater

 So now I have the yarn… 

And I’ve knit a swatch.  (But let’s not discuss the fact that I don’t remember what needle size I used to knit the swatch.) I got gauge. 

So the yarn arrived, I knit a swatch, and enjoyed it immensely. But I was busy with other things, so it had to wait. Now it’s time to get back to it, but is it the major project I want to begin now, or could it be option number two… 

The Woodland Jacket from Sunday Knits.  I had been eyeing this pattern for a while and then when her pattern for the Kelmscott came out in the Winter 2009 issue of Twist Collective, I decided it was time to buy. 

 

Woodland Jacket Pattern and Yarn from Sunday Knits

And buy I did.  I ordered the kit with the Nirvana yarn in prune.  It is gorgeous stuff.  A blend of merino and cashmere.  It came and I have barely had time to start a swatch.   I love this sweater and really want to knit it, but is it the project I want to start now.  I have other options…

I have also been eyeing Fountaine by Marion Foale since it first appeared in Rowan 44.  For some reason, when I saw the pattern I decided I finally wanted to knit a Rowan pattern in the specified yarn, but just as I decided this, Rowan discontinued their 4-ply soft, so I scrambled and found some at Webs.   (Actually, looking back I have the specified yarn for all of these projects.  Hmmmmm! How did that happen?)

Fountaine by Marion Foale

 

Rowan 4-ply soft and Swatch for Fountaine

So here I have yet another choice, complete with the yarn.   There are others, but I think I’ll stop for now.  I’m feeling a bit overcome by the yarn fumes.  So many choices, so little time.  I know there are much worse problems to have. 

The Christmas Round-Up

First let me say that I had a wonderful Christmas, and I am so very thankful for all that I have. And as I go forward this year I am going to do my best to remember to count my many blessings. 

Now for the Round up and the knitted gifts given… 

There was a little more Christmas knitting than the scarf I talked about in the last post.  Not a whole lot more, but some.  

I knit a few items for my sister.  First up, she had asked for a knitted cozy for her insulated coffee mug.  Yes it is an odd request, but we saw one in a store at Myrtle Beach in November and she requested one.  She never asks for anything knitted, except socks, so she got what she asked for.  Here it is in all it’s glory.  I designed it myself, complete with shaping.  Ta da! 

My Sister's Coffee Mug Cozy

Now aren’t you impressed.  It’s knit from leftover skeins of Patons Classic Wool in pink and brown.  Actually I think it’s kind of cute and she seemed very happy with it.  Which is all that matters. 

My sister also got a pair of the now famous French Press Slippers.  I don’t think she liked them as well as the Coffee Mug Cozy, but they turned out well.   I really like the buttons.

Sister's French Press Felted Slippers

Pattern: French Press Felted Slippers

Yarn: Lion Brand Fisherman’s Wool – Nature’s Brown

I also knit another pair of these for my knitting friend at work, but I forgot to take a picture.  I was cutting it so close, they were still slightly damp when I gave them to her.  She was very pleased with the gift and promises to give me a picture. 

The last knitted gift this year was a Baby Surprise Jacket for Ethan.  

Baby Surprise Jacket

Pattern:  Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmermann

Yarn: Encore Colorspun – No. 7991

This was my first, but it will not be the last.  I enjoyed making this sweater and it knit up very quickly.  This yarn is a little heavier gauge than the pattern suggests, resulting in a little larger sweater, so hopefully he will be able to wear it a little longer.  You never know with babies.  And aren’t these buttons just adorable.  I found them at my local JoAnn’s. 

BSJ Buttons

Now for the knitting gifts received… 

I did well this year in the yarn department.  First my wonderful friend Julie sent me some beautiful yarn from one of my favorite indie dyers, Kim at The Woolen Rabbit.  

Yarn from Julie

In the front is a skein of Bambino in the Mystic Mountain Pine colorway.  This is a sock yarn with a blend of merino and bamboo.  I have never knit with this sock yarn from Kim, but I am in love with several of her other yarns.  I think it will make a beautiful pair of lighterweight socks.  The skein in the back is Kim’s Whisper Lace Yarn in Victorian Hydrangea. I have drooled over this colorway on the website and it is even more gorgeous in person.  I am searching for just the right pattern.  I have 800 yards, so if you have any suggestions, please let me know. 

Then my brother surprised me with more yarn from The Woolen Rabbit.  But this time, it was two skeins of what is currently my favorite sock yarn, Kim’s Harmony.  

The Woolen Rabbit's Harmony Sock Yarn

In front we have the Oak Moss colorway and in the skein in the back is called Rosemary and Thyme.  It seems I’ve been telling everyone how much I like Kim’s yarn.  I’m so glad they listened. 

Then finally, my wonderful husband gave me a special treat.  Two skeins of yarn from Sundara Yarn.  

Sundara Yarn

I got a skein of the silk lace in Arabian Nights and a skein of sock yarn in Bronzed Forest.  I could not be happier.  I’ve never knit with either of these yarns.  So I need more pattern ideas. 

I’m off work today and plan on spending some time organizing my knitting.  Wish me luck.

A Little Knitted Gift

I didn’t do much Christmas knitting this year, I just couldn’t seem to get my act together, but I did knit a few items and here’s one…

My "Not" Red Scarf

On November 25^th, Knitspot posted about the desperate need for scarves for the Red Scarf Project, and since I wasn’t overwhelmed with my own knitted gifts I decided to help out.  (The donation did not have to be red.  Thank goodness! I had no red yarn in my stash.  What’s up with that?)  They just asked that the color be gender neutral and that the scarf be approximately 60 inches long.  I finished it and mailed it off on Friday.

Another view

Pattern:  used the stitch pattern from Knitspot’s Tesserae Socks

Yarn: 100purewool.com 3-ply worsted in Faded Chalk

Ravelry Project Page

This yarn was left over from a sweater I knit my husband last year.  It made at wonderfully soft and squishy scarf.

Some Accomplishments In Green

Well, there has been some knitting, and a little spinning, and apparently all of it in green.  I’m feeling a little disorganized about my projects, so in order to keep track of the things I’m working on and the things I’ve finished and all the things in the queue,  I’m gonna try to blog about them. Wish me luck!

First, I finally finished a Peacock Feathers Shawl…

Peacock Feathers Shawl

 I fell in love with this pattern shortly after I came back to knitting. After several attempts to knit it with various hand dyed yarn, I finally gave up and decided to spin my own. I had a picture in my head of how I wanted this shawl to look and could find yarn with the colors I wanted, but when knitted up the color changes were much too harsh, or it pooled in an undesirable way, or something. It just didn’t match the picture in my head.

I had ordered 4 ounces of hand-dyed BFL top in Forest Afternoon from Miss Babs and I was getting ready to spin it and it occurred to me that the colors were perfect. So I quickly ordered a second 4 ounces, just in case. After an email exchange about the order, Miss Babs even picked me out a darker bundle from her stock. Bless her. When it arrived it was perfect. So I started spinning.

BFL from MissBabs.com

I was able to get about 1500 yards from the 8 ounces, so I had plenty for the shawl. I’m very pleased with the results. The colors do change, but they are so much more subtle with the handspun. This was my first large handspun project. Now I’m ready for a sweater. What you think?

Peacock Feathers Shawl

Pattern by Dorothy Seimens of Fiddlesticks Knitting

Yarn: Handspun BFL in Forest Afternoon from MissBabs.com

Ravelry Project Page

Also, I almost forgot, I entered this in the NC State Fair and won a Red Ribbon (2^nd Place) – I saw the shawl that won 1^st Place – I’m more than pleased with 2^nd.

Another recent FO,  happened when I  joined the Goddess Knits Summer Mystery Shawl KAL, and knit a pattern now called Wildflower Meadow. I knit it with Lisa Souza’s Hand Dyed Lace Yarn in Sage. I was on a green kick there for a while.

This pattern could be knit as a triangle or a square and, of course, I went for the square. It was a really enjoyable pattern to knit, it had a good rhythm and I found it very relaxing. I had had the yarn in my stash for several years and I do not know why I had not used it. It was a great lace yarn, at about 300 yards per ounce. It blocked beautifully and was a pleasure to knit with.

I also entered this in the NC State Fair and it, much to my surprise, won a blue ribbon. Who knew?

Wildflower Meadow Shawl

Pattern by Goddess Knits

Yarn: Lisa Souza’s Hand Dyed Lace Yarn in Sage

Ravelry Project page

At the same time I was knitting these shawls I was also knitting a great pair of socks.  In green, of course.

My new favorite socks!

These are the Spring Forward pattern from Knitty.  I knit them with Harmony Sock from The Woolen Rabbit.  I can’t say enough about this yarn.  The color is beautiful, the yarn was a pleasure to knit with, and it seems to be the perfect sock yarn.  The colorway I used is called Herb Robert.  I don’t see it listed on the site at the moment, but go and check out all the other wonderful colors available.  Let’s just say I love these socks.

Spring Forward Socks

Pattern by Linda Welch

Yarn: Harmony Sock from The Woolen Rabbit

Ravelry Project Page