August Classes

Here's a look at what I'm teaching in August at MadTosh!



This is the Mizutama Shawl - a fun knit that takes one skein of fingering weight yarn! I used Tosh Merino Light in Pop Rocks.



Earth and Sky by Stephen West - a great introduction to intarsia!



Elijah! Such a cute knit! My kids really wanted me to keep this one!



And this Double Knit Cowl - such a great accessory! Super warm and a nice introduction to double knitting!



Class information is available here, and you can call or stop by the store to sign up!

The Cowl's the Thing

I have always loved scarves. I wear a scarf and sweater most of the winter in lieu of a coat (in all fairness, we usually don't need heavy coats here in Texas except for a few weeks). But the seduction of the Honey Cowl could be ignored no longer, and two skeins of Madelinetosh Tosh DK in Ruby Slippers came home with me one day.



I wish I had used a needle one size up to make it a bit more drapey, but I do like the size of it overall. It is very warm and toasty wrapped twice around my neck.


I then knit this for a class I taught this month - it is the Everett Cowl. I didn't enjoy the knitting of this (very long rows and very repetitive), but it came out so nicely after it was blocked. I'd almost consider knitting another for myself. It is a good length, and very pretty.



Why do I make such funny faces when I take my own pictures?

Knitting catch up

I am behind on posting my knitting projects again. I have finished up several things lately, and I just haven't blogged them (as usual!).

I have been knitting for MadTosh again. I finished up a sample of the Leftie shawl for the class I taught in August and September. It was a fun knit - relatively simple, though a bit tedious at the end! I used one skein of Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light in Antler, and chose several of the mini-skeins they are selling to use for the colors. The kids and I had been attending a series of storytimes this summer where they talked about a different color of the rainbow each week, and read stories that corresponded to that color. I obviously had that on the brain when I chose my colors! I only used a bit of each color - I would have had enough to use them again in another shawl.



To use up all of my main color I knit through the recommended number of repeats, and then started weighing by ball of yarn after each repeat. Since the rows get longer every row, I was able to estimate how much farther I could go based on how much each repeat used up of the main color.



I also taught a sock knitting class, and knit up my sample in the new Madelinetosh Tosh Sock colorway exclusive to the shop - Go Frogs! We had a lot of discussions about how you 'know' when to use size one needles or size two needles, and how gauge can affect your size and the pooling of the yarn. So I knit one sock on size one needles over 72 stitches and one on size two needles over 64 stitches. You can feel a difference in the sock, and I'm sure there would be a difference in how they wear. I like to knit my socks as tightly as possible to ensure they last longer, but I thought the sock knit more loosely was softer.



Finally, I was asked to knit a sample of the Tea Leaves sweater for a shop sample. I used Madelinetosh Tosh DK in Composition Book Grey. I knit the 32" size and used just over 4 skeins. Such a pretty and useful knit. I may have to make one of these for myself someday!

Baby sweaters

Last of the FOs for a bit here - but more are en route - just as soon as I get some of that nasty finishing done. I sat and forced myself to "finish" for a few days last week - allowing all of these FOs. Perhaps this weekend will bring another batch.



Pattern: Baby Bolero from One Skein by Leigh Radford
Yarn: Manos Cotton Stira - leftover from mom's sweater last year.
Needles: Sz 8 Clover Bamboo circular
Dates: May-June 2008
Mods: I tried to knit it a bit bigger, since the pattern is sized for a newborn and it will probably still be hot here when she is born.
Thoughts: Would have been done much sooner if I wasn't such a loser when it comes to sitting down and finishing things!



Pattern: Baby Surprise Jacket from EZ's The Opinionated Knitter
Yarn: Mirasol Hacho - 2.5 skeins
Needles: Sz 6 Clover bamboo circular
Dates: April-May 2008 (buttons sewn on in June)
Mods: none!
Thoughts: My gauge is spot on, but this looks big. It's a little frustrating to not know what size it is, especially since we get so few months that are cold enough for a sweater. That being said, there's no guarantee she'll fit into anything when the pattern says she will!


Pattern: Encore Worsted Colorspun Worsted Toddler Cardigan
Yarn: Encore Worsted (only 1 skein- pattern called for 2) and Ella Rae Amity (for trim)
Needles: Sz 5 and 7 Addi Turbo circulars
Dates: April-June 2008
Mods: using the contrast color for the buttonband and collar
Thoughts: My gauge was a little small, but this is a shop sample, so we don't have to worry about it fitting a "real" baby. This is for our sweater construction class that is coming up at the end of July - I hope we'll have some takers as this will be one of the last classes I get to teach for a while!

I started my summer of socks project - but I'll save that excitement for next time!

I can still finish things!

Proof that I don't only start projects, and that I am still knitting, contrary to what the contents of the recent blog entries would have you believe - finished knits!!

Some of these have been finished for a bit, but they were gifts, so they had to wait to have their turn in the spotlight.


Pattern: Reverse-Bloom Washcloth from Weekend Knitting
Yarn: Baby Bee Pitter Patter (Hobby Lobby brand) - barely a skotch of it
Needles: Sz 6 Circular and DPNs
Dates: Um, early May until early May?
For: Mom
Mods: none
Thoughts - goes surprisingly quickly, especially after you get into the rhythm of the petals. That said, I chose not to make another for my MIL for her gift. But I do need to use up the TONS of this yarn I have (OK, I think I only have five skeins, but since this project didn't even put a dent in one skein, I'll be knitting lots of washcloths).



Pattern: Feather and Fan Bonnet from Larissa at stitch marker
Yarn: Cantina cotton, 1/2 ball
Needles: Sz 6 Circular
Dates: sometime in April -May
For: two summer babies
Mods: none
Thoughts: I like this so much I made it twice! We have two friends having baby girls this summer, and I didn't want to suffocate them with wool gifts. I remembered I had this odd-ball of yarn in the stash (purchased a few years ago to get me up to Little Knits $25 minimum purchase). Cotton is good for those summer babies, and I thought the colors would look summery as well. Delightfully, I had enough yarn to make 2 bonnets, and bust a ball of the stash! Woo Hoo!



Pattern: Cherry-O! from Itty Bitty Hats
Yarn: Rowan Handknit Cotton
Needles: Sz 7 Addi Turbo
Dates: April-May
For: Shop sample
Mods: none
Thoughts: When I make this again (and I probably will, as the baby will need one), I'll go down a needle size for the cheeries, as you can see the stuffing coming through. I also really didn't like the cotton/addi combination - it hurt my hands and this took longer than it should have as a result.


I've got one TWO! more FO(s) up my sleeve, but they deserve their own posts. I'm hoping to get a lot of knitting done on our extra day off Monday. 10 more days of school! Now if my principal would just make up her mind about whether I'm teaching summer school or not (kind of crunch time here!) and what grade I'm teaching next year, that'd be great.

Rappin' penguin

Pattern: Playful Penguins from Fiber Trends
Yarn: Brown Sheep Nature Spun Sport, some black fun fur, leftover Lovely for the hat and scarf.
Needles: Sz 11 Circular and DPNs for penguin, sz 8 for hat and scarf.
Dates: Wednesday November 21 - Wednesday November 28.
Mods: None
Thoughts - I think he is really cute! I was nervous at first, but he turned out pretty well. Last night, before I had his scarf finished, he looked like a rapper with just his stocking hat on - hence the "rappin' penguin" title. His beak is a little crooked, and one of his wings is more forward than the other, but that just gives him personality.

Unfortunately, he is not a Christmas gift, so I can't cross one off the list, but it is a WIP down!

Quickie FO

I've had this finished with only the ends to weave in for over a week. I finally got around to it.



Pattern: Fetching from Knitty
Yarn: RYC Cashsoft Aran
Needles: Clover bamboo DPNs US 6
Mods: I did a plain bindoff, as I found the picot bind off too fiddly, and it seems to make the top of the mitts want to roll.
Thoughts: Another cute success! These are off to live at the shop as a sample. But I might need some, if it ever cools off around here.

Oh, and I did block my sweater, and it seemed to help, and I did wear it today for first day of school luck. It must have worked, as I seem to have a very good class.

To block it, however, I had to get creative, since The Girl was home, and I didn't have another room with a door that closed. How was I going to keep the cats from pulling all of the pins out?


When in doubt, go with cooling racks. Worked great.

Quick knits

I did manage to finish a few tiny things in July, in addition to the sweater that shall not be named (which I plan to try blocking this week - thanks for all the advice!).




Pattern: Calorimetry
Yarn: Alpaca with a Twist Landscapes - one skein.
Needles: Sz 8 Clover bamboo
Dates: one day at the end of July
For: Shop sample
Mods: I cast on 98 stitches and only worked 12 repeats of row 5.


Thoughts: The yarn is very nice and soft. The pattern again, is simple and wonderful.




Pattern: Saartje's Booties
Yarn: Rowan Handknit Cotton (leftovers from the Petal bib and the ballband dishcloth)
Needles: Sz 6 Clover bamboo
Dates: mid July-late July, but mostly all in one day.
For: Shop sample
Mods: I used a slightly heavier yarn to upsize the pattern, as I had read that it ran small.
Thoughts: So cute! Great for babies, super quick and stylish.


There is also a nearly finished Sophie bag around here, and some other projects nearing completion. I'm hoping that August will be the month of the finished sweater, but I'll have to stop working on socks for that to happen.

Oh, I nearly forgot. I used up 9 skeins of yarn this month and purchased 8. Finally a month on top (barely)! Fingers crossed that I get lucky again!

Tomorrrow - the first leg of my team's Dish Rag Tag is complete!

Proof of Life

I've managed to find the computer under all the crap in our house (most of which is being stored in the computer room/study/yarn closet, which makes me irritated), AND find the camera, AND it stopped raining for a bit this morning, so you get a real live post! Since I have so much luck today, I will not talk about the kitchen, so as to drag out the blog fodder for as long as possible. Today - actual knitting content!

I was way too busy starting projects to finish much this month, but I did manage to get these off the needles at the last minute.



Pattern: Mine - simple cable socks (perhaps to appear here if there is any interest)
Yarn: Sweet Feet sock yarn in Raspberry Sorbet
Needles: Sz 2.75mm ChiaGoo DPNs
Dates: Early February - June 30
Mods: n/a
Thoughts: These socks seemed to drag on and on. I'm not sure why, other than my general malaise toward the yarn. It is not superwash, and I know it will felt if I look at with agitation, and why I made it into socks (and bought it in the first place) is beyond me. Unfortunately I have another skein in the stash. I love the colors, I just wish it was superwash or had nylon content so they wouldn't felt. Ah well.

And I finished up the first round of shop samples.


Pattern: Ballband Dishcloth from Mason-Dixon Knitting
Yarn: Rowan Handknit Cotton DK
Needles: Sz US 7 DPNs (I like the shorter straight needle for dishcloths)
Dates: June 2007
Size: n/a
Mods: none
Thoughts: love this! Super cute, super fast, and I want several for me!



Apologies for the sideways picture. Hubbo's iphoto shows it right-side up, but it will not upload right side up, even if I overrotate it in iphoto. ARGH!
Pattern: Felted bowl from One Skein by Leigh Radford
Yarn: Mauch Chunky - less than one skein.
Needles: Sz US 15 16" Clover bamboo circular and DPNs.
Dates: June 2007
Size: Large
Mods: none
Thoughts: While I like this, hubbo wants to know what a felted bowl is for. And I think I'd like to make the small size, as I think it would be more useful.



Pattern: Petal Bib from One Skein
Yarn: Rowan Handknit Cotton DK
Needles: Sz US 6 Clover Bamboo circular
Dates: June 2007
Size: n/a
Mods: none
Thoughts: CUTE! A little fiddly with all the ends, but worth it in the end! A must for baby girl knitting.



Pattern: Upside-down Daisy Hat from Itty-Bitty Hats by Susan B. Anderson
Yarn: Nashua Creative Focus Cotton
Needles: Sz US 6 Clover Bamboo 16" circular
Dates: June 2007
Size: 3-6 months
Mods: I knit the petals out of sport weight yarn, not worsted as the pattern calls for, I only had room for five petals at the top, not six.
Thoughts: CUTE! A bit fiddly with the petal attachment, but relatively quick and painless overall. Worth it for the cuteness!


I think the next baby girl born in these parts is getting a petal bib, daisy hat and perhaps some flowery booties (or the ladybug booties from 50 baby bootees to knit).

To answer questions - the shop that will be receiving all these goodies is Yarns Ewenique, where I am lucky enough to be escaping house dust to work at every once in a while this summer.


In keeping with our accounting of the stash numbers, I used up 2 balls of yarn this month (shameful!) and took in *cough*41*cough*. Yikes. In my defense, I did almost finish a large project (more on that this week) and started several (almost all out of stash yarn). I have no idea what the current number on the stash is, since my computer is still SOL. It will be fixed, but not until we hemmorage all the money for the kitchen (I swear, if someone tells me again that something costs "Only $$$" I'm going to slap them.).

Kitchen updates tomorrow! More knitting progress later this week!