Die Koralle und das Meer cowl

I was lucky to be able to test knit this cowl. I think I've mentioned it before. I had so many color combinations I wanted to use for it, but either the yardage, or the thickness of the yarn was not there. Mostly I didn't have enough yardage though, because as it turns out, you can easily knit it with any kind of yarn, because it's easy to adjust the stitch count to your needs. Maybe next time.



It was an easy and fun knit, and it warms the shoulders wonderfully. The pattern is now available.



pattern: Die Koralle und das Meer cowl by Alexandra Wiedmayer. (I love her original color combo best so far)

yarn: Noro Silk Garden colorway # 252, a little over 2 balls, and Patons Classic Wool Merino in "Bright Red", less than a ball

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A wonderful day!

Yesterday was a lovely day. We all enjoyed it very much. It was sunny, not too cold, there was a little snow, and a lot of play time.

Happy




Maggie



and all three of them; happy dogs all around



I also had some coffee on the deck, catching some sunshine, warming my face



Wish it would come together like that more often!

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Early Morning

Seeing pretty snow flakes in the morning makes me happy.







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Handspun Friday - a day early!

I've made this cowl some time last year. I've been using it several times, since it's gotten so cold.

This photo shows the colors wonderfully (and I just plain like it).



I like knitting brioche stitch.It's very stretchy. I can wind the cowl around my neck three times, but then I can't move  my head anymore. It rests like a cabbage head on a plate, but it's toasty warm.


Brioche stitch has two sides to it, both look interesting to me.


The pattern for this cowl is from Purl Soho and it's free.



I used my handspun London Fog (fiber from FatCatKnits), and some handspun I dyed in the color Aqua some time ago (of which I have lots more).

The fiber is Falkland, the yarn is 3-ply.





I used 2 strands of London Fog, and one strand of Dove (semi solid colorway) to make this 3-ply yarn, that's why it's more on the grey side. I love this colorway, and it's a very popular one of Ginny's.

By the way, speaking of Ginny, and FatCatKnits, she is having a Fund raiser for her new studio. She worked from home for the longest time, and moved her work to a studio recently. There is still time to donate, if you are so inclined until January 26th, at midnight. I love her work, and like to support her. Plus depending on the size of your donation, there are wonderful gift packs to choose from.

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Hex socks!

It has been  brought to my attention, that I haven't written a new blog post in a while. It hasn't been THAT long!

I've managed to finish the Hex socks, I'm happy to say. Boy, those little buggers gave me some trouble. You would have thought they were my very first pair of socks, I've knit!



Since many of you thought I should use English Toffee to knit this pattern, I happy grabbed it and went to work. I think it looks quite lovely.



pattern: Hex by Cookie A. (gifted to me by Wandering Cat Yarns)

yarn: Wandering Cat Yarns Alley Cat BFL-colorway English Toffee

needles: 2.25mm

I will definitely knit this pattern again. It's easy to knit, if your mind is not somewhere else. I had trouble with the stitch count, and that there were not the same amount of stitches on each needle (I plainly forgot that I had 70 stitches on my needles, instead of the 64 or 60 I ususally have). So the heel/flap/turn came out a little wonky on the first sock, which I only realized knitting the second sock, where I was more focused. Doesn't matter though, they fit, and I love them.

Maggie's green sweater

Well, it's still not a good fit for her. The length is better, but the leg holes in front are to far back. It was hard to get her into it, and it was too tight in front. I didn't even do the cuffs on the leg holes, or I would even had a harder time stuffing her into the sweater. Argh!

I'm done for now, with doggy sweater knitting. Maybe we can get another one on Sale at Petsmart. Otherwise the pink one will have to do for now.

But, as with the red one, she looks good in green too!



This morning the ground was frozen, but by mid day it was all a big field of mud again. :o(



I like this picture. Happy is shaking his Frisbee, and Denny is patrolling the grounds.

I won a gorgeous prize!

Wandering Cat Yarns had a KAL going throughout the year 2012. I knit several projects with WCY, and posted pictures of my FO's on their Wandering Cat Yarns Ravelry group. In the end I was a lucky winner of one of the three prizes.
I was asked to pick a pattern from all the sock and shawl patterns on Ravelry, and was that ever a hard choice to make! I also got some custom dyed yarn with it.

Ready?!



It's really hard to capture the depth of the big skein. The colorway is called Dragon Stone. It's Wandering Cat Yarns Twisted Slinky Cat and has a whooping 600yds!!! This has to become a shawl some day.

The golden skein is called English Toffee, Wandering Cat Yarns Alley Cat BFL. The green skein was a purchase I made, and Rhonda stuck it into the package with the others. It's called Fern Gully, also WCY Alley Cat BFL.

The pattern I've chosen is Hex by Cookie A. Now I have the hardship to decide which yarn to use first for this pattern. I have many suitable skeins, here are a few examples. I think I will knit this pattern more than once. It really appeals to me.

Hex with English Toffee:



Hex with Fern Gully:


and Hex with Chimney Sweep:



But before I decide on the yarn, and wind it, I'm going to finish up Maggie's new sweater. 

Thank you Rhonda and Valerie! You are awesome Ladies!

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Rain

There is nothing more depressing for me than to wake up to the sound of roaring rain pounding on the roof in January, when it should be snow falling lightly, silently.



Our back yard is under water again, and so is the front yard. It was a struggle, to get my three four legged friends to do their business, and in the end I was as wet as they were, and as grumpy.



I remember, when we first got here, Winter were really, really cold. One day in January many years ago, I went shopping. When I came back to the car it would not start, because it was -21C! Today, we have +10C. I feel so cheated, because I really hate the hot weather during summer time, when it's too hot to breathe. I can only get through it thinking of the lovely Winter to come, with lots of snow for us to play in, but NOoooo, that would be too much to ask.

So, the best we can do inthis weather is this: curl up, and sleep the day away (well, not for me, unfortunately)







I envy them! I have to deal with a leaking washing machine, and a broken handle on my bedroom window. I'm waiting for the third shoe to drop, since these things happen always in three's.

When I'm done feeling sorry for myself, I'm going to finish a test knit for Alexandra.  It's a cowl, for which I'm using stash yarn. Some Noro Silk Garden, and Patons Classic Wool Merino. It's coming along nicely. I think Alexandra picked the most perfect yarn/colors for it possible.



O.K. I hope I haven't put you in a bad mood too! Have a lovely Sunday!

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Circular Carson

I've finished this shawl for a (long) while now, but sometimes there's too much to show, but not enough time.

When I saw this Wandering Cat Yarns Continental Cat yarn, I knew exactly what I was going to knit with it. A Carson shawl by Romi Hill. The colors, especially of the Merlot one, are richer, deeper, but I never got it quite right.



Right from the start I said I would love to knit this shawl as a circular shawl, and Romi wrote some notes for us, to do just that. Some used heavy yarns to make it a Carson Afghan, but I wanted to use fingering weight yarn.

Anyway, I love how it turned out, even though I made couple of major mistakes (which you can easily see in the next picture), which I only saw, when I was blocking it. I knit tow rounds, where I should have purled, and it shows. Oh well. It's staying with me, so I don't feel too bad about it, except that I'm wondering, if I'll EVER be able to knit a shwal without at least one mistake in it.



Note the snow free deck, it really has been a while.





Once again, it was the edge that drew me to this shawl at first glance. That happens a lot with Romi's designs. I used the simple edge, but it can be expanded, if there's enough yarn, and/or desire to do so.





I've used it to warm my shoulders, but I think it will rest on my coffee table in my studio for now.

Play with me!

Some Denny love!

Play with me!





Pl-eeze, I mean it!




O.K. if you insist! (and to shut you up)



You don't understand the concept, Denny. You need to let go of the pin so I can throw it!



Let go of the pin! (Not in your life, woman! Who am I? The village idiot, who runs after what you throw a million times? I think not.)

Hey Maggie! I'll be right with you!

Handspun Friday - FCK Greek Myths - Persephone

I'm waiting for the fourth, and last installment of FatCatKnits fiber club, whith the theme "Greek Myths". Meanwhile I've spun up "Persephone". Here's Ginny's interpretation : Rechoice & Despair, 5oz each, 85% Polwarth 15% Tussah Silk.



I hand carded 4oz of each colorway, and made these rolags.





Rechoice: chain plied, ~ 177yds



Despair: chain plied, ~ 172yds



Then I wanted to do another experiment, and spun the last ounce of each colorway, and made 2-ply, which I wanted to chain ply as last step, but I spun it in the wrong direction, and that's what I've got. A big mess.



I think it would have looked lovely as finished yarn. I think it was also the first time I've spun yarn in the wrong direction. Boy did I feel like a fool!

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