Rachel's Knitting Place

Still no knitting

2008-03-18T14:19:00.001-04:00

I got my cast changed today. This new one is really really tight, so I doubt if I'll be able to knit. The scheduled removal date is April 8th.

No knitting for a while

2008-03-12T12:03:00.001-04:00

On Saturday, Feb 23rd, I slipped on some ice and jammed my wrist. I must have known deep down that I did some serious damage because I said to my daughter “it feels like I broke my wrist.” However, I could move my wrist and my fingers (although it was extremely painful to do so), so we assumed it was just a bad sprain and went on with our day. When we got home, I iced it and continued to ice it for the rest of the weekend.

On Monday, it was still pretty swollen, so I decided to let my doctor check it. He didn’t seem to think it was broken, but he sent me for xrays. Sure enough, the xray showed a fracture of the large bone - it's called a distal radius fracture. I saw an orthopedist on Tuesday, and he re-set the bone (OUCH!!) and put on a cast. Daily routine can be difficult with a cast, but I have figured out how to get dressed. I have to wrap my arm in a plastic garbage bag to keep the cast dry when I shower. I think the biggest annoyance is that I can’t drive. Our kids aren’t involved in that many activities, but there are enough things going on that it’s difficult for Rob to have to do it all. Thankfully, he hasn’t had to go on any business trips. I will get the big cast off on March 18th and after that things should be a little easier because I’ll be able to move my elbow. The doctor said it will be painful, though.

The biggest deal, for me personally, is that I can’t knit. I have become a really avid knitter and not being able to do it is a really upsetting. I had so many lace projects lined up, but now I have to re-think my plans. I had just started Secret of the Stole II. I was using colourmart cashmere, but since I didn't get very far, I've decided to rip it out and save the yarn for something else. I also have the yarn for dem-fischer-sin-fru but I never started it, so I'll save that yarn also. I had planned on knitting mystic light using my Hand Maiden sea silk, but the KAL is starting soon. I think I'll check out everyone's photos before I decide if I should knit it. I am about 60% done with the spring shawl surprise, and I plan to finish it once I can knit again.

Spring Shawl Surprice

2008-03-12T11:41:00.000-04:00

Here is a picture of the shawl through clue 4. I am actually about one third of the way through clue 8, but I am now stalled due to a fractured wrist.

I am completely addicted to the mystery shawl KAL's. So far, I've completed Mystery Stole 3 and Secret of the Stole. I'm currently working on Mystic Waters, and I've signed up for Spring Shawl Surprice, Secret of the Stole II, and once I figure out how, I plan to sign up for Secret of the Bad Neiheim.

This is my swatch for SSS. The yarn is zephyr wool-silk in magenta, I used US sz 3 needles (3.25mm), and it turned out to be 13x10 cm. I like the way it looks, but I might try it again with size 2 needles because it's a little bigger than I'd like. I have a lot of zephyr in my stash, but this is my first time knitting with it, and now I understand why everyone loves it. It's really pleasant to knit with and I think it will make a gorgeous shawl.

Mystic Waters Shawl

2007-11-30T15:37:00.001-05:00

This KAL started back on October 24th. My progress has been slow because I've been busily keeping up with Secret of the Stole. Now that's finished so hopefully I can catch up on this one. The yarn is from yarnchef on etsy. It's 100% merino in the colorway carribbean. It's really soft and I love knitting with it. This lace takes a lot of concentration, but I know it's going to be worth it in the end.

Clue 2 completed November 18

Clue 3 completed November 30.

Clue 4 completed December 7. Isn't it amazing what a difference the light can make when you take photos. The first picture is actually the most accurate representation of the color. The second one looks too blue and this one looks too washed out.

Clue 5 completed December 17th. It's getting difficult to get a good picture now because it's getting big.

Clue 6 completed December 26.
Clue 7 completed January 5.
Clue 8 completed January 12.

Blocked and photographed - January 15th.

Friday Harbor Socks

2007-10-26T07:59:00.000-04:00

The pattern for these is from Nancy Bush's Knitting on the Road, and the yarn is Mountain Colors Bearfoot in wild raspberry. I knit these fairly quickly because the yarn is thick, and I used size 3 needles.

Secret of the Stole

2007-10-18T14:50:00.000-04:00

September 17, 2007
Sometimes I think half the fun of knitting is picking out a project and then finding the right materials to use. Here is my swatch for Secret of the Stole. The yarn is Knitpicks Shadow in the redwood forest colorway. I also have some Shadow in the lost lake colorway, which is a dark green, but I think I'll stick with this color for now. I'm having a difficult time choosing the right beads. Here are the choices. On the far left of the swatch, placed vertically are sz 6 beads in light topaz. The rest of the beads are size 8. The next two over, placed vertically are silver-lined crystal. Toward the bottom, placed horizontally are dark topaz. The next two, placed vertically are crystal rainbow, then there are two black opaque beads placed vertially, and on the bottom are two green metallic beads, placed horizontally. In this photo, the crystal rainbow beads really show nicely, but I also like the dark topaz or the green metallic. I don't really like the larger ones - I think they're too big for this. The black opaque beads don't show up very well, and if I'm going to the trouble of putting beads on this, I want them to be visible. I have a couple weeks left before I decide for sure.

I decided to go with the crystal rainbow beads. Here's a picture of hint 1 completed on October 12. The beads don't show up very well in the pictures, but on the real stole they look nice.

Hint 2 Oct 16

Hint 3 Oct 24

Hint 4 Oct 29

Hint 5 Nov 5

Hint 6 Nov 14

Hint 7 Nov 2o

Hint 8 Nov 26

Blocking - Nov 28

Finished Nov 29 – Photo 1

Finished Nov 29 – Photo 2

Orange Autumn Socks

2007-10-15T09:13:00.000-04:00

I finished these socks last week. They are from the Loopy Ewe fall sock club. The pattern is called Pheasant Run by Lisa Parker and the yarn is Claudia handpainted. I enjoyed making these - the pattern was simple but not boring, and it really works with the yarn. I made the cuffs a little longer than the pattern specified, and I just barely had enough yarn.

Mystery Stole 3

2007-08-02T13:32:00.001-04:00

Finished and blocked!

8/28/07
I finished the shawl on Friday evening, August 24th. It will be a while before I can block it because I'm ordering myself some blocking wires, and I will wait until they arrive. I had so much fun with this that I've already signed up for another one called Secret of the Stole. It doesn't start until October, so that gives me some time to finish up my summer top and maybe knit a pair of socks. I haven't knit socks all summer, and I'm kind of having withdrawal pains...LOL.

8/9/07
I finished clue 5 on Wednesday night, early for a change since clue 6 will not be available until Friday. Now I have two free days to work on my summer top - which sort of got put to the side because I've been having so much fun knitting the mystery stole.

8/2/07
Here's my progress so far. I only knit a few rows during our vacation in Virginia Beach, but I now have only 23 rows left in clue 4. I should be able to get them done tonight so I will be ready for clue 5 tomorrow. This is one of the most fun projects I've ever done. I actually enjoy having a deadline every week.

Mystery Stole 3

2007-07-12T15:24:00.000-04:00

I've been dividing my time between this stole and a summer top.

When I saw the information about this project, I just couldn't resist starting it, even though I was already working on the top. After much indecision, I finally decided to go with Cherry Tree Hill supersock rather than a lace weight yarn. I tried making a swatch with Misty Alpaca, but it just felt like I was knitting with sewing thread instead of yarn. I like the way this is turning out so far. It's been a while since I knit lace, and now I remember how much fun it is. I'm a bit behind because I'm only about half way through clue 2 and clue 3 has already been posted. It does go fairly fast so I hope I can get caught up before clue 4 becomes available. I've also decided not to look at any of the pictures of stoles in progress - this is supposed to be a mystery after all.

Summer top - Twist and Slant

2007-07-12T13:58:00.000-04:00

09/04/07
I finally finished this top, and I think I like it. It actually fits me, and the yarn is really soft. If I were to make it again I would definitely make it longer. The pictures aren't the greatest but you get the idea. This was fun to knit, but the construction was

7/12/07
Well, I have been busy knitting, but unfortunately I don't have any finished objects at the moment. I decided to stray from the norm, and I've been working on two projects at once. I kind of like it, except that I think I have to buy another set of knitting notions - stitch markers, needles, scissors, etc. I have two knitting bags, but it always seems to happen that I sit down to knit only to find out that my notions are in the other bag. One project I'm working on is a summer top.

The yarn is Knitpicks shine sport, and the pattern is called Twist and Slant from Heartstrings. I really love this yarn, it is very soft and I like the way it drapes. It is also machine washable which is a big plus for me. After I had knit about 6 inches of this, I took it off the needles and put it on waste yarn to make sure it would fit. At least I know it fits around my body, but it will be interesting to see how it looks when it's all done.

Diamante Socks

2007-06-25T14:23:00.000-04:00

This is my latest pair of completed socks. The pattern is Diamante from Knitty.com, and the yarn is from All Things Heather in the colorway purple haze. These were fun to make because they were done toe up, but instead of a short row heel, they have a heel flap. The pattern was not difficult at all, but it does get a little lost in the variegated yarn. It took me almost a month to finish this pair. Weekends have been busy, so I guess I just didn't have as much knitting time as usual. Right now I'm taking a break from socks to knit myself a summer top, and I might knit a lace shawl also.

Summerfield Socks

2007-05-23T16:13:00.001-04:00

These are my completed socks from the first Loopy Ewe sock club shipment. The yarn is a merino/bamboo blend from All Things Heather and the colorway is called skinny dipping. The pattern is Summerfield, from Wildhorse Farm Designs. These socks were fun to knit and the pattern was really clear and well-written. I think these will be great summer socks because the bamboo will make them a little coolor than if they were all wool. My 13 year old DD wants me to give these to her, even though they will probably just sit in her drawer. If that happens, I guess I will just take them back.

Step Socks

2007-05-16T10:28:00.000-04:00

Here is another pair of socks I just finished. The yarn is Austermann Step (color 3), and the pattern is the seed stitch rib from More Sensational Knitted Socks. I did these toe up using a provisional cast on and a short-row heel. I'm not overly thrilled with the color of these (I wish the green was a little greener), but they are really comfortable. This is my second pair of socks with a short-row heel, and although I find knitting them a bit fiddly and confusing, I really like the way they fit.

Entrelac socks - finished

2007-04-30T10:36:00.000-04:00

Here are my completed entrelace socks. It only took me two weeks to finish these, so either I'm getting faster or entrelac is quick. The pattern is from the spring 2007 issue of Interweave Knits, and I used the yarn recommended which is Koigu. I had a lot of fun making these. They were a bit of a challenge for me since they are worked toe-up with a short row heel, which I have never done before. I made them shorter than the pattern because I don't really wear knee socks. Also, I couldn't get the cast on from the magazine to work, so I used the easy toe from More Sensational Knitted Socks. I am wearing these today (even though it's a bit warm for wool socks), and they are very comfortable.

There are a couple things I noticed about these. When I picked up stitches for the entrelac blocks, sometimes I didn't pull the next row of stitches tight enough so I have a little gap in between the rows. Also, when doing the triangles for the heel and the top of the sock, I have little holes wherever there was a M1 Pwise. They're evenly spaced around the sock so it kind of looks like it's supposed to be there. I'm hoping that some of the gaps will even out after the socks get washed.

Entrelac socks in progress

2007-04-13T09:50:00.000-04:00

Pomatomus Socks

2007-04-09T13:06:00.000-04:00

Here are my finished Pomatomus socks. The yarn is from Angoravalley.com (lacewing sock - 100% superwash merino, color: citrus. I really enjoyed knitting these. The pattern is very clearly written and easy to follow. I think I'll be trying some more of Cookie A's patterns in the future. I originally started these on size 1 needles. I knew my gauge was off but I thought it would work because the pattern is written for size 9 feet, and mine are size 6. However, after I finished the ribbing I noticed that they were too tight. I ended up using size 2 needles. I think ideally this yarn would be better at the tighter gauge, but I like the way the socks came out and they feel nice.

Circle of Friendship Socks

2007-03-21T11:23:00.000-04:00

Here are my completed socks. I used Cherry Tree Hill supersock potluck in bright. The pattern is called Circle of Friendship by Heartstrings. I really like these, but the circle and cable pattern gets a little lost in this yarn. I think I'll make them again some day with a lighter/less variegated color.

Forest Canopy Shawl

2007-03-13T11:00:00.000-04:00

This is the Forest Canopy Shoulder Shawl (pattern by Susan Pierce Lawrence). I used Mountain colors weavers wool in the color steelhead. I really enjoyed knitting this. The finished size after blocking is 51" across the top and 24" from the top to the point.

Entrelac

2007-03-08T15:33:00.000-05:00

I have been working to finish two items - a shawl and a pair of socks. However, when I saw a KAL on knittinghelp.com for learning entrelac, I had to jump in. Here's my sample. It's kind of fun to do and I love the way it looks. Eventually I want to knit the entrelac socks in the spring Interweave Knits magazine. I'm not sure when I'll get to them, though, because I have so many sock patterns I want to try.

Sarah's Socks

2007-02-12T16:36:00.000-05:00

These are the socks I made for my daughter, Sarah. Her feet are a little bigger than mine, so we can actually share socks. I made her these so she wouldn't be tempted to "borrow" some of my other hand knit socks. I used Lang Jawoll yarn and the pattern is the chain rib from Sensational Knitted Socks. I love the yarn, and this color is great!

Almost Argyle Socks

2007-01-26T10:38:00.000-05:00

These socks are from the Knitpicks Almost Argyle pattern and the yarn is Lang Jawoll red stripes. This pattern was really quick to knit, or maybe it just seemed that way after knitting size 10 socks for DH. I really love how these came out - they fit perfectly and the yarn is really soft.

Socks that don't quite match - for DH.

2007-01-18T10:26:00.000-05:00

These are for DH because one day he said "when are you going to make me some socks?" I'm not sure if he'll really wear them, but I had a ball of Trekking XXL and it's supposed to be great for men's socks, so here they are. I ran out of yarn at the very end, so I used some leftover yarn I had lying around. It doesn't look great, but it's just the toe. Theoretically nobody will see it because it should be inside his shoe.

Ornament

2006-12-22T16:32:00.000-05:00

I made this cute little ornament with leftover Knitpicks merino style yarn. It's for the Knittinghelp.com knitalong. I added a little crocheted edge and an icord hanger, and I stuffed it with leftover sock yarn. It's a little too big to hang on the Christmas tree, so right now it's hanging on the door of my china cabinet. It is nice and soft and squishy.

Branching Out Scarf

2006-12-01T11:24:00.000-05:00

Here's my completed scarf. This took only about a week to knit. I used Elsbeth Lavold silky wool in color 9 (teal). The sun is not cooperating today so the picture isn't the greatest. When I was taking the pictures, I realized I forgot to knit the 5 rows of garter stitch at the end - so that's why I had more yarn left over than I thought I would. I think I'll leave it alone becuase it's not real noticeable. I haven't decided if I will keep this or give it to my SIL for Christmas. I think I might make a few more since it's fun and quick.

Wings of Fantasy Shawl

2006-11-27T15:12:00.000-05:00

First, here's the blob version of my completed shawl.

It is amazing to me how blocking has transformed that ugly blob into this.
It was 40x23" before and now it's 58x34". I could have probably stretched it even more, but this was my first lace blocking and I didn't want to ruin it. Anyway, this is the Wings of Fantasy Shawl which I ordered as a kit from Blackberry-ridge.com. I started knitting this at the end of October... the 29th or 30th, so it took me about four weeks to complete. There were some hairy moments. I had to frog the very beginning three or four times before I finally understood what I was doing. I used lifelines, and I'm really glad I did. Toward the end, I had to frog half of the border because I misread the chart again and I didn't like the way the miter had turned out. All in all, it was really fun to knit, and I think knitting lace is tons of fun. Too bad I'm not a lace wearing kind of person. I'll just have to make gifts when I feel like knitting lace. This shawl is for my Mom...I hope she likes it.

Tangled Garden Socks

2006-11-09T15:17:00.000-05:00

Here are the completed socks (pattern from Knitty.com). I used Regia sock yarn and originally started with size 1 needles. I got about 3/4 of the way through the 1st sock, but when I tried it on I couldn't even get it over my foot. I ripped the whole thing out and started over with size 2 needles, and I also made sure to carry my yarn loosely.

They are ok now, but they are a bit big and the knit fabric is looser than I'd like. You can see the yellow yarn peeking through the blue (yes it's yellow eve though it looks white in the picture). I think I should have just loosened my stranding without changing needle sizes.

What I think I've decided overall is that I don't really like the combination of socks + fair-isle. I've made other things in fair-isle - hats, mittens, and a doll sweater. I also have a vest in the to-do pile. Socks just seem to be a bit too problematic. Of course, I could change my mind some day and try again. I never seem to know where my knitting will lead me next.

Red Socks

2006-08-20T16:41:00.000-04:00

These were knitted using Opal yarn. I started them on our flight out to California for our summer vacation. The pattern is from Sensational Knitted Socks...my favorite sock book if you haven't noticed.

Sleeveless Top

2006-07-20T16:39:00.000-04:00

I made this top using Plymouth Fantasy Naturale - a cotton yarn. The pattern is from Creative Knitting Magazine. The top fits me pretty well, but the yarn is very heavy and I'm not sure I really like it. I may end up frogging it to use for a different project.

Pink Socks

2006-05-20T16:37:00.000-04:00

This is my favorite pair of socks so far. The yarn is Lorna's Laces color sherbert. The pattern is from Sensational Knitted Socks - I think it's called cloverleaf rib. These have already been worn and washed about half a dozen times, and they're holding up really well and very comfy.

Blue Socks

2006-04-20T16:36:00.000-04:00

These socks were made from Opal sock yarn, and the pattern is from Sensational Knitted socks.

Jaywalkers

2006-03-20T16:35:00.000-05:00

These are my Jaywalker socks made from Regia yarn. This was only my second pair of socks.

First Pair of Socks

2006-02-15T16:24:00.000-05:00

This was my first pair of socks. The yarn is Knitpicks Simple Stripes, and the pattern is from Sensational Knitted Socks - the garter rib pattern.

Doll Sweaters

2006-01-01T16:19:00.000-05:00

I made both of these sweaters while taking a class at Needlecraft University. It was an online course in 3 lessons, and the point was to teach steeking. I really enjoyed knitting these and think they're quite cute. The pink and white one is made with Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride worsted and the blue one is made with leftover Knitpicks Wool of the Andes. Knitting doll sweaters is an easy way to learn a new technique because even if you mess up, you haven't wasted much time. Also, dolls never complain about the way the finished sweater looks or fits : }

Felted Bag

2005-04-22T15:47:00.000-04:00

Here's the bag before felting.

I made this felted bag with Lamb's Pride worsted yarn. I made it for my daughter because she's the one who bought me the book it's in, but she doesn't really like it. Right now, it's in my closet filled with ... yarn of course : } I'm not really a fan of it either.

Hats and Mittens

2005-03-01T16:13:00.000-05:00

I am trying to build this blog, so some of the dates and sequeces might be slightly inaccurate. Here are some hats and mitts I've made. These were made after I finished my afghan. The fair isle hat on the bottom left was a great learning experience. I learned how to use DPN's and how to do stranded knitting with two hands. It's made with Knitpicks Wool of the Andes. The purple hat and mittens set as well as the red hat were made with Knitpicks merino style yarn. The pattern is called checks and charms and I got it from Knitpicks as well. All of these were really fun to knit. The purple set is for DD #1 and the red hat is for DD #2 - she said she didn't really want the mittens.

Learn to Knit Afghan - Finally finished

2005-02-15T11:26:00.000-05:00

This was my first project. The pattern is from the book "Learn to Knit Afghan" by Barbara Walker. Since I was a very new knitter, I didn't know about wool versus acrylic yarn, so for this project I used Red Heart Classic. I actually think it turned out fine since it is fairly soft and machine washable and dryable. The knitting itself took about a year to complete - there are 63 different squares. I learned tons of techniques and it was a great starter project.