6.8.12

I have been casting around for projects to work on when the sun goes down. I spend a lot of time during the day with quilting either designing and planning or cutting, sewing, and hand-quilting. When the sun gets to s certain point, I switch to something that doesn't need as much natural light. I can pretty much knit while watching television so I have rediscovered some languishing knitting projects. 

This is a tweed Cascade 220 shawl I started probably four years ago. I was so surprised when I picked it up that I could still remember pretty much what to do and when. As a matter of fact, it is a fairly tricky bias style but once you set it up it is easy to do consisting of knit 3, knit 2 together, yarn over on the "right"side and knit 4, purl 1 on the "wrong" side. The trick is that the pattern "travels" to make the slant so each row is not an exact duplicate but shifted to the right one stitch on the front or to the left one stitch on the back.

1.12.11

This was to be my Christmas Vest. Not yet, I think.  It is Cascade 220 color #9544. I thought it was called Twist but maybe not. The store tag says Midnight Sun.

12.20.10

Cast on and finished! I took the pictures before I drew threw the last 6 stitches or tucked in the color ends. I had tons of different greens in partial and full balls of that workhorse yarn, Cascade 220 and a hat to make for someone who likes green.

I hope to write up the pattern for it but in the meantime, I am happily ribbing away on a Stephen West hat. It is a PDF that I downloaded from Ravelry called: WINDSCHIEF.

I am enjoying it immensely even if I am NOT using Lantern Moons and even if it does NOT have cables and even if it IS black yarn and even if I have to have my OTT lamp in my lap to see the stitches. I think I am using Cascade 220 Super Wash. At least, that is what I intend for it to be.

12.19.10

More subtle colors and texture. Mitts are not going to make it. There is so much I want to do to customize them and not enough time. I will pick them up again at the end of the week.

Cast on for a green hat. Got a black one waiting for its moment.

12.16.10

So. I bought one skein of Cascade 220 in a Heather pink for a ski hat. I used two strands and a provisional cast on for a short rib edge, thinking I would go back and knit it down for a doubled up rib if there was enough yarn. I made it all the way to the last decrease, slipped it on my head and didn't like it. Ripped it back to the first decrease row and took it almost all the way up straight. I thought I had seen a "neck gaiter" that could convert to a hat and thought I would give it a try. I made an eyelet row and finished off the top edge. I had to unravel my swatch to make a drawstring and to use for a single crochet Bind Off  of the provisional Cast On, which I think I may have "unvented" after about sixteen attempts that did not satisfy me. I found out with the live stitches in a rib pattern, knitting down the other way

just isn't that simple for me. I ended up dropping the stitches that would not ravel and crocheting a slip stitch to cover where they might have been.  I fiddled around with size zero needles and two strands of multi-pink sock yarn and "unvented" a puffy garter stitch heart for the ends of the drawstring that I like very much.