Frogged and Resumed

Forest Fiesta in Progress, a photo by Garyou on Flickr.

I've started knitting honey cowl with Jaeger Luxury Tweed this morning. But the pattern didn't appear as I expected.
So I frogged it and resumed knitting Forest Fiesta.
I'm now on Welt 13. I'm going to knit in round to Welt 18. Still long way to go.

Another Cowl

I've been knitting Forest Fiesta. Started with 520 stitches, now I have 336 stitches in a row. It's getting faster to finish a row, but, in a way, I'm a little bit getting tired of it.
So, I'm thinking of knitting something different, such as this one.
I have four skeins of Jaeger Luxury Tweed. They would be nice to knit a cowl with.

Stash-Enhancement

Stash-Enhancement, a photo by Garyou on Flickr.

I went to see Spamalot.
And on the way home from the theatre, I did some stash-enhancement. I've bought 11 balls of Felted Tweed and 2 balls of Scottish Tweed DK. The latter was a real bargain.

I am going to knit a vest with Felted Tweed. I was thinking of dense fabric, but the shop owner showed me a floppy vest with the same yarn. He said it was knitted with size 10 (5.1mm) needle. He also said it doesn't become elongated so much because it is light.

I got home and knitted samples with size 5 (3.6mm) and 9 (4.8mm) needles. Both swatches look fine with me. I usually prefer floppy fabric.
I just sleep on it tonight and maybe decide which to make tomorrow.

Wearing Hand-Knitted Mittens

ざっくりミトン, a photo by Garyou on Flickr.

I wore my hand-knitted mittens today. The photo here shows what I put on. It was my first time to put them on.

They are extremely warm mainly because they are knitted with bulky yarn, Anny Blatt's Mini-sport.
The cuffs fit so well. I knitted them with size 4 (3.3mm) needles and that made the fabric so dense. They also have adequate length.

I've never thought of fair-isle knitting with bulky yarn. Now I think it is not so bad.

Colour Revolution

Blue is my favourite colour. I remember I chose something blue instead of red when I was five years old. I also remember I was told "Why don't you take red one? You're a girl." at that time.
I did like red and pink when I was much younger. I preferred red sweater when I was three or four. I was not satisfied with the navy blue one that my mother made me put on. But as far as I can remember, that's the last time I preferred red stuff to blue. Ever since then, blue is the colour for me.

Knitting made some changes on my taste on colour.
The more I knit, the more colours I become to like.
Now I love autumn colourways so much.
I never thought of knitting with yellow yarn at all. I don't hesitate using yellow yarn now.

Knitting, crochet and tatting surely made my life more colourful than ever.

Oh, another thing is kabuki play, of course.
I went to see one tonight. It was fantastic.

Time, Time, Time

Another work week starts again and I'm already out of time for handcraft. It's 21:32 now and I'm still in a bus. I haven't had my supper yet. Should I skip it since it is late already? Or what.
Anyway, I must go to bed by midnight. No time for impulse actions.
I know that. I just can't resist them.

Above is what I wrote on the bus on the way home.
I've managed to knit for about half an hour. Well done, I think.
Sorry for all the complaint I made. It would be gone in a while.

Spendthrift on Yarn Becomes Tightwad?

Forest Fiesta in Progress, a photo by Garyou on Flickr.

It is Coming-of-Age Day, one of the national holidays today.
I worked on Forest Fiesta. The photo shows how much I knitted with a ball of yarn.
It's a kind of mindless knitting for now.

I wonder how long it will take to finish this.
In my rough calculation, it would be more than a month. I must hurry up a bit or winter would be over before my Forest Fiesta'd be finished.

As I work on this large project, I realise that my stash is too large. Extremely large for my knitting and crochet capability. That prevents me from buying more yarn.
Stash enhancement is a great relief for my stress. I sometimes desperately need it. I spare that for the time I really have to have it.


Via Flickr:
40 g of Chieti 15 & half row
Designed by Sandra McIver
Source: _Knit, Swirl!_
Yarn: Puppy Chieti Col.614
Needle Size 8 (4.5mm)
Started on 8 Jan. 2012

Casted on

Forest Fiesta, a photo by Garyou on Flickr.

I've started knitting my large stuff project, Forest Fiesta. It takes more than 10 minutes to purl / knit a row now. I wonder I really finish this project or not.



Via Flickr:
Designed by Sandra McIver
Source: _Knit, Swirl!_
Yarn: Puppy Chieti Col.614
Needle Size 8 (4.5mm)
Started on 8 Jan. 2012

Am I Capable?

Tatted Stitch Rings, a photo by Garyou on Flickr.

I'm thinking of making another large stuff this winter. I've already done with a crochet cardigan and now I'm wearing it. It's warm and nice and I think one cardigan / sweater a season is enough. But I just want to knit one.

What I need to think is the time I can manage. Well, they say you can't manage time. It's just 24 hours a day. I must think carefully how long I can use for knitting.

I need to do some stash busting. Knitting a large stuff would surely do the job.

I'm thinking of knitting this.

The instruction tells me I need eight stitch markers but I have only five. So I tatted three.
Stupid me!

Bulky Mittens

ざっくりミトン, a photo by Garyou on Flickr.

This pair of mittens is my first finished object this year.

It was a quici-knit. I started knitting the left hand mitten on 1 Jan., and almost done. I went to see kabuki plays on 2 Jan., and didn't knit that day. On 3 Jan., I finished the thumb of the left hand mitten, and casted on the right one and done.

Fair-isle knitting is what I adore a lot, but I'm not good at it at all. I've tried it several times, though.
What I needed was knit with thick yarn, such as this one. This pair looks still awkward, but it's better than other fair-isle knitting stuffs I made.

In the book, these mittens are in gray and red, and natural and dark blue. Mine look too bold, but they look bright and warm in chilly weather.


Via Flickr:
Designed by MIKUNI Mariko
Yarn: Puppy Mini-sport 711 (purple) & 685 (green)
Needle Size 4 (3.3mm) & 6 (3.9mm) DPN
Started on 1 Jan. 2012
Finished on 3 Jan. 2012

Seed Stitch Hat

Seed Stitch Hat, a photo by Garyou on Flickr.

On 31 Dec., I went to buy some yarn. It was the last stash enhancement of the year. We tend to refer to "the first" and "the last" thing to do of the year. For example, Hatsuyume, the first dream of the year, is said to judge our fortune for the following year. 28 or 29 Dec. is called Shigoto-osame, the last business day of the year, and so on.

This hat is my last knitting of the year 2011 and my first finished object of the year 2012.

Designed by MIKUNI Mariko, its gauge is rather tight. I knit rather loosely, so I tried to knit tightly as possible. The width went fine, but the height. It's a bit large in height.
I know tightly knit thing looks neat. I used to knit really tight. I found out that it's more fun to knit as you like. Not too tight, not too loose.

Seed stitch is one of my favourite stitches. When I first learned to knit seed stitch, I got addicted too much. And it's still the same. I finished knitting on the very day I started to knit. How addictive!


Via Flickr:
Designed by MIKUNI Mariko
Source: 「編みものこもの」
Yarn: Dia E-no straight col.508
Needle Size 7 (4.2mm)

Really Warm

Blanket
Originally uploaded by Garyou.

This is the very first blanket that I've made. I've tried several times to knit or crochet ones, but never completed making.
It suddenly got cold this autumn. It was awfully hot this summer. I thought I desperately need something makes me warm.
So, I started knitting this.
It's only a garter-stitch blanket, quite easy, and mindless if you use markers. You need to knit some stitches and purl some stitches and so on.
But it made me feel it took forever to finished knitting this blanket.

A few information on this project.
Puppy Princess Anny COL. 536 (green), 541 (Orange)
Needle Size 7 (4.2mm)
Started on Fri. 29 Oct. 2010
Finished on 13 Nov.2010

I'm putting it on right now. It's warm, but you can hardly notice you put this on your laps. When you put it off, next thing you know is you had it on your laps.

Lacy Baktus

Lacy Baktus
Originally uploaded by Garyou.

I chose Lacy Baktus because I only had 2 balls of Solfa and wanted to make this scarf longer. Solfa is so soft and easy to knit. Subtle changes of colour is nice, too.
It was 25 degree Centigrade today. I'm longing for cool and crisp weather.

Yarn: Nikke Solfa Col.418 2 balls
Size 9 (4.5mm) Circular Needle
Started on 3 Oct. 2010
Finished on 11 Oct. 2010

Moebius-addict

Moebius Shawl
Originally uploaded by Garyou.

I've been knitting moebius shawls for a couple of years and I'm still hooked on them.
Yarn is Puppy's Chieti in Colour 612. I used 2 balls.
Needle size is 8 mm.
I've made this for an experiment. I think I'll knit larger one this winter, hopefully.

Lacy Baktus in Progress

Lacy Baktus in Progress
Originally uploaded by Garyou.

It's a bit too much for me to write something in English.
So, I just put some photos of my work in progress.
Yarn is Nikke's Solfa in colour 418. I'm using size 9 (4.5mm) circular needle.

Too Late?

Weaver's Wool Mini Shawl
Originally uploaded by Garyou.

Of course I've been knitting, crocheting, tatting, and spinning.
Last month, I span about 93 g (3.3 oz) of Corridale for Ravelympics 2010. I was participating in Team Spindlers and the Event Flying Camel Spin. Yes, I was just spinning and spinning during the Ravelympics.
The fiber is from Grafton Fibers, now DyakCrafts
The yarn is turned out to be about 306.5 m (335 yd).
At first, I was thinking of crochet a shawlette before spinning. At that time I was hooked with crochet. Keeping that in mind, I was spinning, but, well, I just changed my mind. After all, I'm a lousy spinner. The yarn was thicker than I'd planned.
Weaver's Wool Mini Shawl is one of the shawls I've been wanting to knit. It was a kind of "love at first sight." Its shape attracts me so much. It's not just triangular; it's a bit shaped and that must be good for wearing.
It is.
It's already spring and getting warmer and warmer around here. I might have let the yarn stand for a while.
Well, but it's ok. At least I'm happy with this shawl.

Knitting Mojo is Back!

At least it seems so to me.
I've been knitting a Feather and Fan Comfort Shawl for my friend with Cherry Tree Hills Super Sock Potluck. Feather and fan pattern is one of my favourite lacy pattern, but I'm not very good at knitting it. Maybe because of k2tog.
I've just finished knitting it yesterday and been not able to stop knitting since then.
There's a one different thing than usual. I'm knitting UFOs that I haven't picked them up for a long time.
I want to knit something new such as Mojo socks Clover Leaf Scarf.
Not now.
I have to finish my Baktus scarf and an Old Shale Cowl.

Mojo is back.

Iroiro Enhancement

I've watched a TV programme featuring a 100-year-old lady making small blankets for persons who are good to her.
First, she knits garter stitch motifs, 10 cm x 10 cm (4 inch x 4 inch, approx.) wide. Then, I assume she sews them together. At last, she adds crochet embellishment as an edging. Most of them are shell stitch edgings. It is a little smaller than an ordinary baby blanket, but large enough to cover adult laps and knees.
Her blanket is always checkerboard pattern and her sense of colour is quite unique. She insists on colours she uses very much.

It seemed to me that she's just begun knitting and crochet. Her hands are unstable while working and that doesn't seem due to her age. And a narrator said something like "she wanted to take advantage of her years and years of sewing experience," and "she has made 30 blankets in these two years."

Still, her stash is enormous for a small blanket knitter. She has several cardboard boxes full of skeins of yarn. In the programme, one of her daughters sent her another cardboard box full of balls of yarn.
Wow, how many blankets is she going to make?

If you have small stash, your choice of colour numbers would be limited. But if you have big stash.... well, maybe there'd be no "enough stash", but still, your choice would be less limited.
Her persistence on colours requires that much stash. So I think.

Now, is it ok for me to enhance my stash, then?

Don't Know Much About Blocking

Summer Lace Shawlette
Originally uploaded by Garyou.

So I don't knit lace very much.
Well, actually, I've done with some knitted lace stuffs, but almost all of them were ill-blocked. I mean, I messed up with blocking.
One of the reason is that I don't have enough space to block.
I do tat and crochet doilies once in a while and have no trouble with blocking them. They are usually small and I can easily find a place to block.
But knitted lace stuffs.
Usually, they are long and large. Long enough to cover your neck and large enough to wrap your shoulders. They are usually no less than one meter (about one yard) in width or length or both. And I can't find any space to block.

And, there is another reason because I don't knit lace stuff very much: I can't follow the patterns.
I start knitting a lace shawl or something very happily and suddenly find myself missing a stitch or two, or, knitting too many stitches. I'm sure I've been following the pattern precisely, but in a way, I missed soemthing.
Yes, I'm a clumsy knitter, so to speak.

So I've given up with knitted lace stuffs, those beautiful lacey shawls and all. How I love them! How I love thier dainty looks!

And here I am, with my Summer Lace Shawlette.
With Olympus's Silk la Saine, it was really fun to knit.
This time, I didn't mess up with blocking. I used a lot of pegs. Those are usually what I use for blocking, but I pinched a wet shawl very carefully with them.
So, hey, that's not very bad, isn't it?

This is a very nice pattern, well considered. The shawl is not long enough to tie in your front, but it stays comfortably on your shoulder.
I'm looking forward to wearing it.
Ah, it's stil a bit warm around here. I'm wating for cooler weather now.

Strong Assumption

#4 Socks for SKP2008
Originally uploaded by Garyou.

Started knitting at age of 10, stranded knitting has been my problem.
I simply cannot knit fairisle knitting.
Why?
Because I believe so.

I've done with two stranded knittings, anyhow: one is a hat, and the other is "Canada" from the book _Knitting on the Go_.
Both are disastrous and tucked deep into my closet.

What's wrong with stranded knitting with me?
First and all, yarn in back becomes too tight or too loose, especially when I knit with double pointed needles.

I really love fairisle patterns, nordic gloves and mittens, Bohus and all. I've tried to knit them and all I did was just frogging them.

The 4th challenge for Sock Knitters Pentathlon is Ziggy, wonderful stranded knitted socks.
And the picture here shows how I did.
It was fun to knit this pair. I started knitting this on 2 Sep., 2008 and finished on 6 Sep., 2008. That's no later than other socks, such as sock with cables and lace patterns.

Yarn in back is sometimes too tight or too loose still, but it isn't so bad as before.
I need to try another stranded knitting.
And more.