Spring knitting is here

I am happy to say that I have finally accomplished my first successful cotton garment ever! I have tried and failed numerous times to make a cotton sweater, and they normally end up sack-like, laying in the back of my closet. They all too often weigh in at what seems like 10 pounds as well

I decided to try and make a Gemini, by Jane Richmond. A simple top down tee from Knitty. I had some Knitpicks Cotlin in my stash, and went to work. Since I had already knit a sweater with Cotlin (a very unsuccessful Buttercup), I knew what my gauge was. Wrong! Once again, the knitting Gods smote/smited me for not making enough gauge swatch sacrifices. I ended up just past the arm holes, tried it on, and it was way too big. I frogged it and started again, this time using a 3.5 mm needle for the lace portion and a 3.75 mm for the rest. Jane’s advice on fit and the behaviour of cotton yarns was extremely valuable and also explains why my other cotton garments have ended up in a time out at the back of my closet.

Jane is a genius! My second successful garment that I have made by her this year. I’m hooked The other cool thing I learned is how to join in a new ball of yarn when knitting with cotton : It’s the overlap join shown at the bottom of the post…it really works!

A couple of more FOs: I made another Ann Hanson shawlette called Leafprints Shawlette. This one in my Tanis Fibre Arts March 2012 colourway, Sprout. It was a new base from Tanis, comprising of 75% merino and 25% silk in a fingering weight yarn. What a drape!

Speaking of Tanis, here is the club offering for May 2012:

It’s a very pretty purple, and I am totally thinking of making some socks with it. I got Hunter Hammersen’s new Book, the Knitter’s Curiosity Cabinet for my birthday, and given the floral theme of the book, I think some of the patterns would be perfect with this yarn.

A couple more FOs to share:

My first beaded knitting project, and I loved it! The pattern is Restless and the yarn is Sunshine Yarns Classic Sock Yarn in Farm Fresh.

Yes, more striped socks. I used two lonely 50 gram balls of Regia socks yarn I had kicking around. The pattern is Laurelhurst.

I have a couple more projects on the go; I try and keep it to 2 or 3 or I lose focus. Hope everyone is having a wonderful spring!

Boo!

The kids are getting ready to Boo some neighbours tonight. It’s a fun Hallowe’en tradition that we do in our neighbourhood. First assemble a bag of treats. I usually include some dollar store delights like balloons, stickers, pencils and bouncy balls. Of course I also include a few candies

Then we include a note. Every year, I am sure it is different, but the gist of it is this: Boo! You have just been boo’ed by The Ghost. Now you must boo someone else (or 2 or 3) before hallowe’en night. Hang this picture in your window so people know you have already been boo’ed. Happy Hallowe’en, The Ghost

So you sneak around just after dark, leave the bag on someone’s doorstep and then run and hide! Of course, this is the best part So if your doorbell rings just after dark tonight….you just may have been visited by The Ghost!

I finally have a pair of Hallowe’en socks, too. I made them with KnitPicks Stroll in Pumpkin and some black Regia I had kicking around. No pattern here, just a basic toe-up striped sock.

I finally completed a Brooklet cowl. The pattern is Brooklet by Cecily Glowik McLeod. The yarn I used is a fingering weight: Sea Wool by the Black Lamb.

I also made another Zauberball striped shawl, this time a Simple City shawl, using crazy zauberball. So easy and fun.

A couple of crafty things I would like to get to before Hallowe’en: how cute are these painted rocks? same goes for this pumpkin or apple centrepiece. Also, be sure to check out Tanis Fiber Arts…she has another giveaway on her site and it is some kind of gorgeous.

Next up…some Christmas crafting…

Tanis Fiber Arts and my awesome b-day present

I have to admit that in January I hit a milestone. A birthday that ends in zero. And of course that means I turned 30. And of course I had a party, and a cake (a Rebar chocolate cake no less) and my very good and smart friends enrolled me in Tanis Fiber Arts Year in Colour Club! Best gift ever. I screeched, I clapped my hands and I jumped up and down. On one income, there is no extras for yarn clubs, so this was a first for me and real treat. I thought I would share January and March’s installments for your ogling pleasure. This is January – Tanis Blue Label fingering weight yarn in the colourway Frost with a lovely pattern called Itasca designed by Tanis Gray. I haven’t knit with it yet, but have petted it many times.

March’s installment was some beautiful Purple Label fingering weight yarn in the colourway Clover, with a pattern for socks by Glenna C called Marching On.

As much as I loved the sock pattern, I had a serious craving for an Aestlight shawl, and so I dove right in…

It is so soft and squooshy – I love it! What a great pattern and wonderful yarn. I am super impressed. By the way, Tanis is having a contest right now on her blog. If you comment before Saturday you can win some yummy yarn and a pattern to make a wispy cardi. Good luck!