Fridays are for Crochet

 

I'm trying to get back into a regular routine now that school has started, and that includes the blog.  So Fridays are once again for Crochet.  My Neat Ripple isn't very much farther along than the last time you saw it (maybe 3 rows), but it's been so long since you've seen it, I thought I'd show you all the stripes.  This is a Christmas gift so I really need to get going on it as I'm not even technically halfway done.  I do know how fast it goes when I really work on it, so I'm not panicking yet.  Once it starts to cool off around here, I'm sure it will get plenty of working time since I can sit under it while I work and it's very soft and cuddly.  I enjoyed the Ravellenic Games and Camp Loopy but its also nice to have more than one project to work on so I can switch off.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!  Happy Labor Day if you're here in the USA!

Hexipuff Update. Hexipuffdate?

I've gotten six more little hexipuffs done!  I am liking the way the little bit of color I've started using is working with the neutrals of my original plan.  I now have 40 hexipuffs!  I know, try to control your excitement, but at the moment, I'm doing six hexipuffs a week so this should grow quickly.  I started these about a year ago (the first blog post about them was August 23, 2011), but maybe I'll get more than 40 done in the next year.  Maybe.  Caleb is still asking for more and Max is still very interested in them, but since I'm not knitting them here at home, he doesn't get as much opportunity to swipe hexipuffs.

The Return of Ravi

I'm happy to report that the first day of Middle School went off without a hitch.  He didn't get lost, he said his teachers are nice, and he had a good first day of school.  He's got friends in some of his classes and he'll settle in and make new ones in the other classes.  There was a big Mommy sigh of relief yesterday when I picked him up yesterday afternoon and found out how his day had gone.  (He was working himself into a 6th grade panic attack when I dropped him off yesterday morning so the day could have really gone either way.)  I just kept reminding myself that most people don't die of Middle School.

In the meantime, since I'm not doing olympic knitting and I've completed the Camp Loopy projects, I pulled out Ravi again last night and started back to work on the wedges of the yoke.  I think there are two new wedges in the yoke since the last time you saw it, but since it's been a while, here are the details.  This is the Ravi cardigan and I'm using STR Mediumweight in True Blood Red, which is a really gorgeous dark red.  I know this is the third red cardigan I've knit this year (fourth if you count the Austin Cardi which I started last year and finished this year), but all of them have been different shades of red and different weights so they don't really overlap at all when they fit into my wardrobe.  I just thought I'd mention this in case anyone was thinking of calling in professional help for my red cardi "issues."  I don't have a problem, I can quit anytime I want to.  I just don't want to right now!

Camp Loopy Project 3 Complete!

 

I've finished my Camp Loopy socks!  I finished them up on Saturday and got the last one blocked.  I took the photos yesterday and my official photo is awaiting approval at The Loopy Ewe, but I've completed all three Camp projects!  These are knit using the Cranberry Biscotti pattern that I upsized to fit Mickael's feet.  I used 550 yards total of Loopy Solids for the socks, in the colorways Olive, Black, and Tan.  I needed two skeins of the Olive and one each of the Black and Tan.  I think if I were making them for myself, I'd only need one skein of each color.  This is a great pattern and I really like the finished socks.  Here's a close up of the stitch pattern:

The other big news around here is that today is the first day of school all over the DFW area (watch out for school zones), which for the Pink Lemon household means the first day of Middle School!  There were some nerves this morning but he's off now and should be sitting in his first class.  It doesn't seem that long ago that I was walking him to Kindergarten in Virginia.  I'm not sure how he got to Sixth grade!

We Interrupt This Sock To Bring You Hexipuffs!

 

I've made four more hexipuffs!  I can make two while Caleb works out at the gym, so these are Monday's and Wednesday's hexipuffs.  Can I take a minute and tell you how deeply I love the color Cove?  (The two matching hexipuffs with the robin's egg blue and the golden olive are Madelinetosh Tosh Sock in the color Cove.)  I love blue (it's my favorite color) so that part of my love of Cove I get.  I'm just ok with olive and if it leans gold, and this does, I'm really not much of a fan.  There's something about this combination of colors though, the way it looks like water in a mountain stream or at the edge of a rocky lake (or maybe water in a cove?) that just grabs me and won't let go.  I used Cove in my Color Affection and liked it so much I used it for the outer solid border even though I was "supposed" to use my darkest color (according to the pattern).  When I picked it up to knit hexipuffs with it, I felt that same connection to the color that I did when I used it in Color Affection.  This color speaks to me.  I find myself trying to find more things to knit using Cove or thinking maybe I should stash it in all the Madelinetosh bases in case they discontinue it.  I can't really explain my love for Cove in words, but be prepared to see more Cove here around the blog.  Unfortunately, I'm now out of Cove after knitting these two Hexipuffs, so in the meantime I will love them and squeeze them and call them "George."

Sock, Again

 

I'm just about to the halfway point on the second sock!  I always figure the heel is the halfway point (whether it is or isn't, I don't know, but that's where it is in my head).  There were questions the other day about the pattern, so just to recap, this is the Cranberry Biscotti pattern (free!) that I'm making for Mickael.  I'm using the Loopy Solid Series in Olive, Black and Tan.  I'm really enjoying knitting these and I will probably make a pair for myself at some point.  With all the colors this yarn comes in, I could make these any color I want.  And of course there are other yarns too!

Just to clarify from yesterday's post, Logan was actually staring at Max, not bacon, when I took that picture, but Max seems to taste pretty good as far as Logan is concerned.  At least he spends a lot of his time walking around with spiky hair, covered in dog spit, so I'm guessing he must taste good.  Thankfully, he starts it as often as Logan does and he is a good bather, so the dog spit never lasts long.

Catching Up

 

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...oh, wait, that's not right.  Last month, before the Ravellenic Games and Camp Loopy Project 3 took over the blog, I finished up my July Knit Something of the Month project.  I never showed it to you all blocked and being worn by Logan the Magnificent* though, so we'll do that today.  This is And So Are You, knit in Wollmeise Neptune Dark.  It's one of those small shawls that wears a little more like a scarf - with this shape, you could totally wrap it around your neck (as Logan shows here) and tuck it inside a coat or jacket for winter.  Of course, it can also be worn as a shawl too.  Easy and fast, I loved the stitch pattern and the little pleated ruffle.  Great pattern!

*Don't you think Logan nailed the dreamy stare into the distance so popular among catalog models?

A Stripy Sock of Great Manliness

 

I've finished my first sock and started the second for my last Camp Loopy project!  As soon as I finished and wove in the ends (I carried the yarns up the inside of the sock since the stripes were so narrow, so there weren't crazy amounts of ends), I ran upstairs to weigh it.  This last project has a 500 yard minimum so I had to use at least 250 yards per sock.  According to weight, this sock used 275 yards!  There was a big sigh of relief when I got that number and I double checked my math just to be sure.  There might have even been a happy dance!

Now I've got until next Monday to finish the second sock and I'll have done all three projects for Camp Loopy!  I do have a couple of other things to show you this week so it won't be all sock all the time.  You guys have been very long suffering looking at pictures of the same project over and over all summer, but don't worry, I'm seriously wanting to cast on new projects really soon!

A Little More Sock

I'm past the heel flap and heel turn and working the gusset decreases!  There were also two hexipuffs created yesterday!  I had to get out the hexipuff pattern because I'd totally forgotten how to make a hexipuff, but now the pattern is in the hexipuff box so I can make them anytime!  As you can see, I'm playing with adding some muted/pastel color to the original all pale neutral color scheme.  Max approves, but he hasn't quite explored the possibilities of the hexipuffs - he was more interested in trying to steal my sock needles this morning.  I don't know if you can see it yet or not, but I'm doing the sole of the sock in stockinette and keeping the instep in the original stitch pattern.  The stitch pattern has some texture to it and I don't think it would be comfortable to walk on.

On a completely unrelated note, I have a question.  This summer Caleb got very excited when we found him a "Save the Narwhal" t-shirt.  I had never heard of a narwhal (and had to google the silly thing to find out if it was even a real animal -it is).  Yesterday we went to the middle school (how did this happen?) to get Caleb's schedule and get school stuff.  On the front cover of the agenda (designed for the school by one of the students last year) are, among other things, three narwhals.  Then, innocently wandering through Ravelry, I find these - Narwhal Mittens.  So for the love of sheep, can someone please explain what is up with all the narwhals?  They're everywhere!

Back to Camp

 

I've gotten back on my Camp Loopy Project 3 again.  Since it's been a bit since you've seen them, these are the Cranberry Biscotti socks, upsized for manly feet.  I'm knitting them in The Loopy Ewe's Solids series in Olive, Black and Tan.  This is the first sock and I've got to get both done by August 27 to complete my Camp Loopy experience!  I'm hoping to get to the heel today though so at this point I'm not freaking out about time.  Yet.

Crossing the Finish Line!

 

I did it!  A sweater in 6 days!  And it's long sleeved!  This is the Hepburn Pullover from the Fall 2012 IK, knit in Madelinetosh Vintage in Norway Spruce.  I made the smallest size and used 5 skeins.  The only adjustment I made to the pattern was to lengthen the sleeves, but I always have to add a little to the sleeves.  This is going to be nice and cuddley if we get a Winter this year, but the oak trees are already starting on acorns and I've seen a few geese flying south, so I have hope!  (OK, technically it was only 6 geese and they could have been going anywhere, but they were flying south so maybe they were trying to get there early and get a good spot wherever geese go and besides, last year it took forever for the oak trees to start making acorns - usually they have a start when school starts and that's a couple of weeks away so yes, I'm hoping for a good winter!)  I actually finished it and wove in the ends late last night, but I decided to do a light blocking of the edges (neck, hem and cuffs) to stop them from rolling.  Max has inspected and approved of this project.

Someday I'll get more Vintage (maybe in Ink?) and knit the Wrought Iron Cardigan, but for now I'm just going to do the happy dance.  Oh, and I need to do my Camp Loopy Project 3 project now!

Drive By Blogging

No picture today but I'm almost done with my first sleeve!  This has to be all finished on Sunday at midnight in London (haven't done the time change yet), but I'd love to get it done before then so I can block it.  Blocking is optional, and once I have two sleeves and the ends are woven in I'm calling it done, but it will need blocking before I wear it.  (Also, there will need to be colder weather, but it's going to be a little while before that happens.)  I'll post with a finished picture when its all done!

Zipping Right Along

 

I've just got a few more rounds and a bind off and the body is finished!  (Plus some ends to weave in.)  I'll try it on and double check the fit before I start the sleeves, but I'm feeling pretty good about my chances of finishing in time!  See you soon, hopefully with sleeves!

There's been a change of plans around here

 

I was knitting along on my Wrought Iron Cardi on Saturday morning and looking at what I had left to knit and looking at the yarn I had left.  My gut was telling me it wasn't happening.  I tried rationalizing it, I thought about continuing on, but my gut just kept saying I didn't have enough yarn.  I love the shawl collar on the cardi but they are yarn eaters and if you're going to do a shawl collar, you need long sleeves, not 3/4 length sleeves.  I just couldn't come up with a way to get the sweater done with the yarn I have.

I realized I still had about half the time left and if I was going to change projects, I might still be able to start and finish something on time.  (Coming to this decision wasn't quite as rational and calm as it might appear.  There was maybe a little temper tantrum in there somewhere.)  I went to Ravelry Saturday night and looked around and picked the Hepburn Pullover from the Fall 2012 IK.  I grabbed needles and cast on and had the turtleneck part finished by bedtime Saturday night.  I frogged the Wrought Iron Cardi and wound the yarn last night during True Blood.  What you see here is just about ready to have the sleeve stitches put on holders.  Obviously this is a much simpler project than my first plan, but I don't think I've ever knit a sweater in 8 days before, so it needed to be simpler.  Blogging may be sporadic and short this week, but I think I can do this.

By the way, I'll still do the Wrought Iron Cardi someday, but I'll get more yarn before I start.

Still Knitting

 

I'm still on the body of my cardigan for the Ravellenic Games.  I'm also still ahead of my daily goals, so hopefully on track to get it finished in time (Closing Ceremonies are August 12).  I want to finish the body this weekend and start the first sleeve.  Hopefully I'll be able to show you that next week!

Have a great weekend!

Knitting and Knitting and Knitting

I've been working on my Ravellenic Cardi and I'm past the decreases of the body.  I'm working even right now and I've got a little more to go before I start increasing again.  As you can see, I'm using lots of markers.  Lots and lots of markers, so I don't get lost or confused and if I do, I can find my place again quickly.  I've also cut apart the pattern and made a Really Big Chart.  (For several reasons, this pattern just has too much going on to get it into KnitCompanion, so I'm working it with paper.)  All of this seems to be working, except when Max comes to "help."  He chases the needles, attacks the yarn, and sits in the middle of the chart and purrs.  I don't think he's helping me very much.

I'm still more than 24 hours ahead of my goal at this point and hope to stay that way!