Kniterati--Going Virtual

The upcoming semester promises to keep me extremely busy. I have class on the night that we will ordinarily meet, and it appears that other nights are busy as well (I have class two nights a week, and other members have things on other nights that keep them busy).

So, Kniterati will be meeting virtually until the dust settles from the Fall. Please post! And recruit more friends to the knitting cause. I promise to finally finish that top that I've been working on--it's so close right now.

Happy Knitting!

Catching Up

First: The Hat With a Story

In a far away city not so long a go, a young woman was inspired by the culture. So inspired that she designed a scarf. She shared her scarf with the world and it in turn inspired many. Soon her scarf was being made in all sorts of sizes and colors. Then, it inspired another knitter to design a hat. That hat inspired me to knit for my yarn swap pal. It was difficult at first, I knit and knit and knit, and I just couldn't see how it was going to work my hat looked flat and not like what I was trying to make. I told myself it was time to just trust the pattern, and pushed on. Eventually, it all made sense and what I was looking for started to appear. By the time I bound off the side piece, I had made exactly what I was looking for. I finished my very first hat, and it almost kind of matched the scarf I bought her in Paris.

I also think I understand why people love making this scarf so much. Quite simply, it is because you get to drop stitches on purpose. It was truly empowering to have one of my most dreaded mistakes become a design element.


Next: A Little Something For Me

The person in my yarn swap that is sending packages to me, made my vow to use my yarn on something for myself. So I started right away on a Sophie using my beautiful Wool of the Andes. No matter how much I photograph this wool, the picture never turns how how I see it. I think it is purple, the pictures always look really blue. Here is the best picture I could get of the color. Sophie was a fun quick knit and my first time to felt. I actually think I felted it a bit too much. My purse doesn't hold quite all of the things that I think I would want it to, but being so little made it absolutely adorable. It still holds all of the things that I would like it to; keys, wallet, phone, comb, chap stick. I just normally like my purse to be big enough for a paperback and that certainly won't fit in there.

Finally: The Huggable Hedgehog

A friend of mine is pregnant, and I'm making her a baby blanket. It has been tons of fun, she helped me pick out the pattern and the yarn. I decided that I wanted to make something else for her that was a surprise. Something that she isn't expecting and wouldn't know exactly what it is going to look like before I give it to her. So, don't ruin the surprise! (Donna, I'm talking to you :P) I've made one Huggable Hedgehog, and since she is having twins another is on the way. This is the first pattern I've paid for but it was too cute to resist.

These:became this:
which I felted into this:

Holy moly

Those of you who aren't comic-strips-about-old-people obsessives like myself probably missed Pickles' week of knitting-related strips recently. Here's my favorite:



I have never knitted a mitten, let alone this fast. Now that I know how to do heels and short rows, I like to think I could do a thumb gusset. And my kids could totally use mittens. What about you -- what's your experience with mitten knitting? What's the best way to learn?

Knitting--en espanol

Some of you know that I speak Spanish. Well, I was delighted to run across this website, the first of it's kind, that's a free pattern site (like Knitty). If you don't speak Spanish, you'd still like the pretty patterns that they put up (click on patrones to see the patterns).

For me, it might be a way to brush up on some Spanish (and learn some Spanish knitting terms) so that I can talk about knitting when I go to Spain this winter. Anyway, I thought it was neat, and that you all would enjoy it.

Sock knit-along update

How goes the sock knitting for the knit-along?

I have one sock down and am cranking away at another. Don't worry if you aren't that far along. I had a head start. Now my desire to finish a pair is pushing me to zip through this second one.

I began sock knitting as a doubter. It seemed awfully difficult. Although some people swear by it, I wasn't so sure that it would hold much interest for me, especially since the knitted socks I was seeing on blogs were all sorts of crazy colors or had frou-frou accoutrements that I would never make or wear.

By no means have I become a member of the sock knitting cult, but I can say that I like making them, just not as a primary knitting project. Socks have provided a good challenge for me, and I'm pleasantly surprised that I've been able to meet it.

I had no preconceptions of what I could or couldn't do when I started knitting, but if pressed for an answer, I probably would have limited my abilities to basic squares or long rectangles--scarves and dishcloths, in other words. I'm still pretty green when it comes to knitting, but one of the most satisfying things is discovering that I can do things like socks that would have seemed impossible to me a month or two ago.

If you're working on yours, hang in there. If you haven't tried, why not give it a shot?

Addendum: My progress just took a major hit.

Secret Summer Swap

I mentioned earlier that I was participating in a Yarn Swap this summer with the wonderful people at the KnittingHelp Forums. Here is the stash that my secret pal spoiled me with:

My camera did not at all do justice to the amazing colors of these yarns. The Wool of the Andes is an incredibly deep purple (Hyacinth). It is very regal. I love it! The Shadow is a fantastic burnt orange (Campfire) that is going to be a beautiful accent that pulls out the red in my strawberry hair. (I'm thinking in maybe a shawl). And the Andean Treasure is a strong earthy green (Moss). Not only do red heads love green, but this is so soft that the best idea that I've got for it right now is to knit a swatch to lay on my pillow and rub my cheek on every night before bed. I really would like to make something with it that I can wear near my head. I know that sounds a little weird but it would really bring out my eyes. Do you guys have any pattern ideas that only take 110yrds of sport weight? I haven't found anything yet. I may end up doing a pattern with two or more colors and buying some more.

Knitter Coffee Swap

The Secret Knitter convinced me to participate in a color swap ages ago. That inducted me into the world of knitting swaps, and one of the most recent ones that I joined/completed was the Knitter Coffee Swap. I had a great pal, and she sent me a wonderful package!


It was all somehow crammed into a shoebox (albeit, a big shoe box). Here's it all laid out on the kitchen table:

Yarn, yarn, coffee, the project bag in the upper right hand corner is awesome (I think it's handmade), books, sock knitting pattern--everything she got me was wonderful. So if you're looking for something new and fun for knitting, try swaps. I've just finished up the scarf exchange swap, which was also tons of fun--I'm still waiting for my scarf from my pal, but she's been in touch, so I'll see it soon!