FO At Last

It may not be as old as the "oldest original permanent floating crap game in New York," but this sweater has been on and off the needles for over two years.  I love the yarn, love the color, love the pattern, so why the delay?

Caissa by Anne Hanson of knitspot

Why, distractibility, of course. Falling for the lure of the quick, the small, the new.

This, of course, is the downside of the internet:  access to a steady stream of new patterns, new designers, new yarns.  Novelty has snatched the time that in the olden days of a few years ago I spent leafing through magazines, thinking, planning, going to the yarn store, paging through books of patterns, choosing, sitting with one, maybe two, projects, and finishing them.

Now I feel like Gargantua, stuffed to the gills with yarn, patterns, tools, books, and finished projects that, unlike this sweater, are sometimes just not all that satisfying.  Time for a reboot.  Or a yard sale.

As for distractibility, I am afraid that after completing the seaming of the sweater I noticed that I had sewn the sleeve to the armhole inside out and had to  pull out the seams on the sleeve, part of the body, and the entire armhole and resew.

FO Holiday

Although I haven't been blogging about them, I have managed to finish a few items.

I started these mitts in the fall to be a Christmas gift for my sister-in-law who is a painter.  She requested that the mitts have fingers, and I liked this pattern Hidden Gusset free from Knitty, First Fall 2014.  They make a snug, good fitting mitt, and the pattern includes instructions for a version with fingers and one without.

What with one thing and another, and another, and another, these did not get completed in time.  Inspired by the Spirit Trail Fiberworks 2015 Stash Down, I  grabbed the project bag and got to work this week.  Not much yardage to count for the Stash Down, but a lot of satisfaction in finishing them.

Finishing them also frees up the chair where the socks for my brother-in-law, a couple of books, some wrapping paper, and a shipping box have been sitting since December.  Not that I use the chair for much beyond a temporary landing place for things going in or out of the room, but it sits in a direct line of sight from my knitting chair.  Maybe it's taunting presence is why I've been doing my knitting in other rooms lately.

Stash Down Buffet

I've got my work cut out for me this year:  Two large afghans for the nieces, another blanket, and the Spirit Trail Fiberworks* Stash Down projects.

I'm hoping giving myself these marching orders will cut down on my crafting distractibility. Oh, call it what it is, outright attention deficit disorder.  It's what led to a closet and a half full of yarn, a slew of unfinished projects, and a general sense of chaos.

I've winnowed the huge pile of Spirit Trail Fiberworks down to this:

Which I hope to turn into this:

1.  Finish the (unpictured) unfinished:

Hidden Gusset Mitts
Glasgow Rose Shawl
Caissa Sweater

2.  Start and finish the unstated (clockwise from upper left):

Brigantia (Sweater Club 2014 blue)  Laurie pullover  Worked at a loose gauge, this should be a quick knit, and be a great sweater to wear with jeans.  It is knit without seams, but I may add faux seams after the fact because I like the structure, and I am too lazy to work out how to knit it in pieces.

Verdande (Sweater Club 2014 red) Adventurous cardigan.  A more ambitious project, but the yarn has excellent stitch definition and will do justice to the cables.  This is a very long coat sweater.  Since I may be a little short of yarn, the fact that it is knit from the top down is a plus.

Birte (Inkheart, Saffron, Glencoe, Graphite, Rosewood) Oslo Shawl.  After much procrastination:  color work.  One knitter commented that this was a good beginning colorwork project.

Sunna (Knitting Club yarn crimson and green) Faberge.  I have loved this pattern since the minute I saw it, and have dithered for years about what yarns to use.  This one is knit from the ruffled edging up, which will be fun, and for although I am someone whose wardrobe resemble's that of a yoga-pant- wearing nun's, I do love a bit of beaded bling.

3.  I'll be throwing in a design project or too, yarn to be announced.

Wish me luck.



*The auto-correct wants to substitute "Fireworks" for "Fiberworks" which is appropriate when you look at the intense, luminous colors of the yarn.

Stash Down

It's the crafter's polite version of a Smack Down.  The only thing we are competing with is our own accumulated yardage, though, not some trash-talking tough guy in tights.

Over the years I've acquired some gorgeous yarns from Spirit Trail Fireworks.  They are without a doubt the most luxurious yarns in my collection, and the colors are intense, gemlike, and subtly variegated.  Projects I've made to date with STF yarns are among my very favorite.

This year, I'll be adding some more.  Finishing up the two or three already in progress, including my WIP of Shame, a sweater that's been on the needles for two years, since winter storm Nemo:

There's also a new design for a crocheted infinity.  It's still plenty wintry here in the Boston area.

Snail's Pace Progress

This is my love-hate project. Instead of nicknaming it Take The A Train I should have called Take the Snail Train.  I love the design (Ellington by Cookie A).  I love the yarn (Lina from Spirit Trail Fiberworks).  The hate part has been the knitting.

I've had a hard time figuring out why it is that every time I approached the avalanche of unfinished projects, my heart sank when I opened the project bag and saw these socks.

I love to knit socks.  They are practical, ingenious in construction, and satisfying while in progress and when finished.  If they are gifts, they unduly impress the recipients.  If for my own use, they make me happy when I pull open the dresser drawer and see them lined up like cupcakes in a pastry box.  They make me happy when I wear them, in colors that are sometimes clownish, sometimes as sober as a nun's habit.

Lurker in the Shadows

So why have I dreaded working on these socks? Maybe the stitch patterns were too complicated for the mindless work that seemed a necessity over the past few months; they demanded too much concentration from my tired brain.  Maybe it was the needles I chose, knitting two at the same time on two circular needles, a technique that has served me well in the past, but which seemed to make them drag.  Once I switched to square metal DPN's, things seemed to go more smoothly, but I fear it affected the gauge.  I look at these socks, and all the work that has gone into them, and I wonder if they are going to fit the recipient.

The end is in sight, as I have completed both of them to the point where the toe pattern begins.  Eight more inches of knitting, four on each foot, the grafting (another thing I love), and then the test. We'll see whether next week's finished object report is bordered with smiley faces or a thick black band of mourning.

The Goad of Boredom FO

Never underestimate the power of boredom as a motivator. I wanted this to be finished before October and it was, but what got me through the last few reps was my sheer boredom. Lovely pattern(Longshadows by Anne Hanson of knitspot) lovely yarn,(Nona from Spirit Trail Fiberworks) but I just wanted to never see it again in my knitting bag, on my lap being worked on, or in my WIP list.

So long, Longshadows! See you around my shoulders.

Now go see some more finished projects at Tami's.

Doctor WIP

Enough! My notes tell me I cast on for the Longshadows stole in October, 2012. 

Yes, you have seen this before, but it still looks pretty much the same, only the hosta leaves in the background have progressed into their fall tones.

By October 1, 2013 it will be finished: stitched, washed, blocked, and photographed.

Bold words, but here's the man who's going to help me:

18+ hours of audio

I think I have a good enough handle on the stitch pattern that a few scary passages won't derail me, and if I stay up late to listen, so much the better.

To see how others are faring with their Works In Progress visit Tami's Amis.

F is for Finished

Pattern now available.
Free on ravelry.

One thing that is finished is the pattern for the scarf I posted in FOF a couple of weeks ago.  Absaroka is available as a free pdf download on ravelry. The stitch pattern is easy but yields an interesting texture that looks good on both sides and is appropriate for both men and women. It's a nice one-skein project for 180-200 yards(165-185m)of a heavy worsted or aran weight yarn. The sample was knit in Berocco Lustra, a 50-50 Wool-Tencel blend.

Note to self: remember to hit the Activate key on ravelry once the pdf is loaded otherwise the download link won't be there. Duh! The link is there now. Can I blame my mental lapse on the Blue Moon or was it just a shortage of 
caffeine?






Second thing that is finished this week is the Wild Iris cowl. Another winner from The Book of Cowls by Sivia Harding. I bought this e-book on faith on the strength of the first pattern (Sublimity). I rarely knit more than one item from any book, and I have cast-on for the first three as soon as each pattern was released--and have completed them all.

My wardrobe runs to earth-toned solid colors in extremely simple shapes, so I enjoy having a lot of cowls and scarves to choose from so that I don't disappear into the treescape  So far the cowls have involved interesting textures with Sivia's signature beading. Two have used Moebius construction.

For this one I used red beads with gold metallic luster, which give just a bit of sparkle. The button is one of a set of four I bought a couple of years ago which never found a good use until now. Good thing I never got into stockpiling buttons the way I stockpiled yarn. Then again, they would take up lots less space.

If you've made this far, jump on over to Tami's Amis to see what the others have completed this week.

K-WIP and C-WIP

Easy enough to keep up with WIP Wednesday, it's the FO Friday that's often the problem.

This week there has been knit progress and crochet progress. From the knitting bag, a few more inches on the Wild Iris Cowl, 8 more rows and the knitted-on border (with beads) to complete.

From the crochet side, the start of a new cowl. Lots of invisible progress as I have started this one a few times. It's an in-the-round version of a cowl I previously crocheted back-and=forth. Progress is slowed by note-taking for writing up the pattern. I like the strong graphic element and the yarn, Quince & Co. Osprey, is one of my favorites.

There's always an aura of embalming about my WIP's pictured in isolation, so I'm including a picture of the whole cluttered environment, pared down summer version.

Could be the book cover for my memoirs.

For a glimpse into the much more orderly world of the WIP's of others, visit Tami's Amis.

WIP for Real

Another few days of a houseful of visiting family meant not much knitting time, so I'm happy with what progress I did manage this week. Not so happy with the overcast weather today which wasn't the greatest for taking pix.

Quadrupled the amount previously knit on the back of the Caissa cardigan. Holda, the yarn I am using, a blend of wool, angora and cashmere, is like velvet to the touch, yet very light in weight. 

Cast on for another cowl, Sivia Harding's Wild Iris, and got through the first 16-round repeat. Through the magic of Moebius knitting it is really 32 rounds. That's the kind of arithmetic I like.

To see a lot more progress, visit Tami's Amis WIP Wednesday. 

Cast On & On & On & On Monday

Fourth time's a charm? I love Moebius knitting, but I am decidedly ambivalent about the actual Moebius cast on. I spent the better part of an afternoon casting on and on and on for this project. 

Cat Bordhi's video is explicit. I have used the Moebius cast on many times more than once. It isn't all that difficult. It even has its own logic. I love this design. I just knit a Moebius cowl a couple of weeks ago. I wasn't even listening to an audio book or binge watching Breaking Bad.

Wild Iris by Sivia Harding.
Spirit Trail Fiberworks Cashmere DK in "Carnelian."

The fault lies not in the stars, but in myself. I lose count. Repeatedly. I stick the needle into the wrong place to form the first row of stitches. I twist the working yarn around the needle and end up with a wonky non-stitch. I stop looking at the knitting. I start thinking about what's to serve for dinner that won't cause the newly minted vegan in the family to have a snit fit. I think about how nice the weather is after weeks of hazy, hot and humid. I think about what wardrobe items will be complemented by the new cowl.



Who needs mere sitting meditation? Sitting knitting reveals my monkey mind in hyper-action much more readily.

Glad to report that once cast on and joined, it is flying along. 

Felicitous FO

Pleased as punch, tickled pink, happy as a clam, a lark, a camper. (Although I don't get that last one as I have never been happy while camping.) Pick a cliche, any cliche, for happy. I am so pleased with this project. I enjoyed knitting it so much that I am going to make another one for my sister.

The design, however, is anything but a cliche. I love the clever top-down construction that starts with true moebius and moves into ordinary knitting in the round. There are just enough beads to be interesting without being gaudy and their placement follows the undulations of the design. The pattern also includes directions for arm-warmer cuffs, and I hope to get around to those one of these days.

Lorelei by Sivia Harding

I'm happy with the yarn, a luxurious blend of merino, cashmere and bombyx silk (Spirit Trail Fiberworks Birte, Glencoe color way).

Since my previous cowl from this collection (Sivia Harding's The Book of Cowls) was also a darkish green with tonal blue-green beads, I went with contrasting beads (Size 6/0 Metallic Gold Lined Crystal from Earthfaire).

Celebrate more Finished Objects by visiting Tami's Amis FO Friday.

Friday = FO + FP

Finished the object and finished the pattern. The pattern is free, downloadable on ravelry.

In the Midnight Hour 

(a crocheted moebius wrap)


Pattern includes line by line instructions, a chart of the stitch pattern, and short tutorial on the moebius join.

Use any light laceweight yarn.  The sample is worked up in Spirit Trail Fiberworks Decima, 70% merino, 30% silk.

Could also be worked at with fingering weight at a larger gauge for a heftier wrap.



Really pleased with this. Started in March 2012(!)and resurrected it in March 2013. Finished the work in May 2013 and the pattern just this week. Hope to work faster next time as I'm no spring chicken and those WIP's and PIP's (Pattern in Progress) are mounting up.

A visit to Tami's Amis is your portal to a weekly celebration of Finished Objects in various crafts.