sWatch Cap

As I mentioned a couple of days ago Tyler had requested a cap for Christmas having lost the one I knit for him in 2010. The pattern is, sans color work, the swatch cap from Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Knitting Workshop. I ignored her cast on numbers since she doesn’t provide a gauge and I was figuring on what seemed appropriate given the yarn and needles I felt like using. Yarn is Sundara Silky Merino, a gift many years ago, from Catherine aka 3C whom I haven’t heard from since 2012 so deep stash diving here. Lovely yarn. Simple pattern. The reason I prefer this pattern as a template over the Hat in a Knitters Handy Book of Patterns is that the depth is so much shallower. Tyler wants a Watch Cap not a Slouchy Cap. Slouchy Caps being very popular tend to influence the depth of every other cap pattern I have seen. 4-5″ deep before beginning decreases works for him.

As I suspected this wasn’t much of a digression from my yarn cache clearing goal. I wound the yarn on Thursday morning before work, cast on and did the ribbing on Thursday evening, knit the bulk of cap Friday, did the decreases today and am done. So now to figure out which of the other two yarns that had been living in my dresser to work on next. Until next time

Yarny days and knitterly evenings

Elka

Knitting ADD

Heel Stripes from Gentleman's Sock in Railway Stitch

Heel Stripes from Gentleman’s Sock in Railway Stitch

Sometimes I believe I have Knitting ADD.  Not only do I suffer from an inflated sense of how much I can knit but I also grapple with what to knit next.  Now admittedly, in my defense, I used to knit professionally and am well aware that I can whip out a sweater in a week.  Back in the day when I didn’t have failing eyesight, bad neck issues, and a full time job outside of the house.  

I have a habit of purchasing the pattern I will knit next, or the yarn I must cast on right away. My latest pattern acquisition is the lovely tam set designed by Lorraine aka Twisted Traditions called The West Wind.  I am fairly certain I have most of the yarns called for in my stack of shetland yarns.  Maybe missing the pink she calls for but I need to look at numbers on my hanks since I do not believe the colors are actually named. Anyway I am on a low to no buy yarn binge at the moment and hope I have everything listed–mainly because the # 1 reason I was drawn to the pattern was the colors she picked.

To get to the shetland yarns I have been wading through boxes and bags of yarn picked up for those small projects such as socks and mitts.  I decided to combat my Knitting ADD {KA from here on out} I would bag up all the sock yarns and put them next to my newly assigned knitting chair.  I also put my bag of Buachaille yarn purchased just when it was being released with the sharing same name booklet. Kate Davies is a lovely designer and writer. Her old blog, Needled, was one of my favorites.  I do admit that the new layout does not appeal to me although I am sure that if I delved closer I would find it equally informative.  But that one or two sentence just doesn’t draw me in at all.

Anyway onto the what am I knitting content.  Currently I am working on what I believe to be the loveliest socks ever knit in the universe.  In large part to Nancy Bush’s pattern and the excellent dye job on the yarns.  Deep stash: one of my precious two hanks of Sundara Sock yarn and Sanguine Gryphon {Verdant Gryphon as of 2012} combined to make the gorgeous stripes pictured above. My youngest, ever honest, told me that they were not the most beautiful socks imaginable since knee socks in those stripes would be lovelier.  boo. Still I believe these will fall into the most gorgeous items I have ever knit category.

I have also talked to a friend about making me a blocking frame.  My back can no longer take the bent over pinning out of shawls which was, as I have mentioned before, not something I enjoyed in the first place.  For this reason my Stonington is still awaiting blocking.  But in the meantime I am going through washing all the woollies, checking for repairs etc, prior to putting them away for summer. I found two holes in my Inky-Dinky Spider Stole which makes me want to cry.  I actually parted with the extra hank I had post knitting so am see sawing between knitting another, helpful in the stashdown goals, or finding a few yards of the yarn I used, not as helpful since asking for a few yards from somebody is trickier.  If you are not one for looking at holes please have a yarny day otherwise witness the sadness:

IMG_0405
Okay that is it for now….

 

yarny days and knitterly evenings~ Elka

 

Progress Report

Stonington shawl ready to graft

Stonington shawl ready to graft

Last night I left myself off at the exciting grafting stage for Stonington Shawl and have finished that today.  Not knowing exactly where my blocking pins were I started today with washing older knits.  One of which is a doily I don’t think I ever really showcased on le blog.  Horrors I believe there is a stain despite much soaking.  I honestly dislike blocking lace even though I know it is an integral part of the process.  So here I am eying a stain and considering if I should just scrap the pinning out or soldier onward.  Above Stonington.  Below  photos of doily.

stain?

stain?

doily corner

doily corner

blocking doily

blocking doily

yarny days and knitterly evenings~ elka

Ghosts of Knits Past

The other night I woke up from a dream of a baby outfit I knit for Princess Zoe.  Princess Zoe is now 20 and has moved away from home so something knit oh so long ago.  I could see the little buttons I put on the cardigan and pullover as well as feel the cushiness of the yarn. No longer owning the outfit or pattern booklet I turned to Ravelry for help finding the pattern name/source.

Not sure if this is one of those I have gotten so old I am nostalgic for ye good ole days or what.  Might be just a longing for the many knits I have given away instead of keeping for myself.  I started searching for old blog posts, via the internet archive for project details.  No small feat since I lost several posts due to switching from wordpress to blogger {or vice versa} and then when I blogged via iWeb.  Those iWeb years get my goat.  I realize the  apple folks gave me plenty of notice that the  platform was going away but I just didn’t realize the posts, which were on the iWeb application, would also disappear.  I mean they assured me I could use iWeb even after they would no longer host a site for me so not sure why the posts had to disappear from the program as well as the world wide web.  Anyway I am slowly but surely looking for old posts and moving them here.

On the needles:  Stonington Shawl by Elizabeth Zimmermann in Jaggerspun heather yarn just like my last one.  Which has been lost over the years.  Ignore that I steadfastly insisted on typing Stonington in those old posts.  Pics forthcoming.  Until then

yarny days and knitterly evenings

~Elka