KNews at Knitting Today » projects

So close to being done

susan — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 19:45:12 +0000

"Tee for Two" in Blueberry Fields

I have not had near enough time to knit recently. I planned on getting more done last week, but when the sweet corn is ready, it’s ready. I like to put up lots of sweet corn, so I took two days off of everything else and did nothing but corn. The second round should be ready late this week so I have to knit like crazy the next few nights. Doesn’t it drive you mad when you are so close to finishing a project only to be too busy to knit. It’s almost enough to make me cuss. Anyway, I have maybe three inches to go before beginning the second sleeve and then it’s a pretty quick round and round and ready for the trim.

I have tweaked just a bit and did a three needle bind-off on the first side and knit the sleeve in the round. So much easier than seaming when finished. I am not a big fan of seaming and I like the idea of being done when I’m done. I am going to take out the last few rows of the sleeve and do it over on a smaller needle. I think my gauge loosened when I went to purl and I don’t like how loose/big the sleeve ends.

Anybody notice the coffee mug in the background? That’s the newest from Knit Happy, the Bright Sips Mug, in yellow. Click the link to see all five bright colors.

I had to come back and edit this to add that the Diva Bundles are in stock! These are so pretty. I’d like to buy a bunch just to hang up and look at.

Knitting at the McGregors

lea-ann — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 02:19:01 +0000

We’re all busy knitting away. Tom on his Elsebeth Lavold Eucool sweater. He reports he’s almost to the underarm on the front. Hakey hiding way in the back working on Tahki Cotton Classic and a White Lies Design pattern. Tara starting a pair of Selbuvetter Fair Isle mittens in Shepherds fingering in hopes we’ll have them for the Stitches Midwest booth. I worked on my Cassidy sleeves a little, little bit. But the most exciting news is my daughter-in-law picked up the needles for the second time today. Can you guess what her first project will be? Go ahead, guess….pictures and close ups later when it isn’t dark out.

Haley, the fingerless gloves and Shipshe, ebay

lea-ann — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 14:04:16 +0000

Getting down to the wire and Haley has three little fingers to finish, ends to weave in and washing/blocking to do. Saturday is judging. She has several days this week that she’ll be working with her horse, Luke, getting him ready to show so she needs to have it finished today. Thankfully she should have plenty of time. Instead of spending my day off at home, look what I’m trying out–a booth at the Shipshewana Flea Market. I brought some yarns we’re kind of tired of, some books and some Quilt Happy, Stitch happy, Scrap happy, and Knit Happy. It’s hot, 92f, but the building, the fans and the breeze make out cool. I’m meeting lots of knitters and getting time to work on my Cassidy sleeves, so all is well. Susan reports she has been busy back at the store, but with customers not website work so you’ll have to be patient and wait for the new stuff. (hint, one of the new Knit Happy products is in a picture below…can you find it?). We also have Caitlyn doing some ebay work for us. Check out her ebay auctions at http://myworld.ebay.com/girlbhindthemusic/

Update: Cleopatra

lea-ann — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 10:16:21 +0000

Tara is progressing on Cleopatra and I have no doubt now that she’ll have it done in time for fair July 10!! When did she cast on? A mere seven days ago? She’s binding off for the underarm and back shaping right now. Go Tara!! Oh, and lest I forget that there is another daughter knitting for Fair, Haley is finishing the fingers on her second fingerless glove using Ty-Dy Sock Grapevine (too bad we didn’t have the Camouflage colorway when she started, she would use them for hunting gloves!).

Well, what do you know!

susan — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 15:47:34 +0000

Opal Kaleidoskop and Cotton 2010

I DO have a few things under my desk, thanks for asking. They have been pillaged and plundered but there is still plenty left. Waiting patiently to be checked in are Opal Kaleidoscope and Cotton 2010. I am really digging the Cotton 2010. The colors are somewhat muted and have a very soft look. Soft to the touch, too. See those two skeins with the yellow labels? Whatever could that be? Some special dye lot, perhaps? Maybe a one of a kind colorway? Hmmm. I wonder?

Susan's Opal

oh, wait! I know what it is! It’s me being greedy. :0 Take a closer look- do you see what it says? It says “Susan”. That would be me. Isn’t that positively shameful? It’s just that sometimes we have yarn mysteriously disappear from the boxes, so if I really want something I have to put my name on it. I have this (completely unreasonable) fear that if I don’t grab a yarn the minute it comes in then it will be gone and there will never again be a yarn that I like as much and I will have missed my chance. I do realize how ridiculous this is, but I also know that I am not the only one who thinks this way so I admit it freely. It’s why we all have a stash.

Just in case you think that is the only thing sitting around waiting on me, check out the Mauch Chunky.

: Mauch Chunky – New Colors!

Some of these colors are new and will be on the website soon, a few are re-orders and will available again right away (as soon as I receive them). We will have even more colors as winter approaches. I know, who even wants to think of cold weather when it’s the peak of summer, but it is inevitable so you may as well have something to look forward to, right. I really do have a love affair going on with this yarn. The colors are so cool- never only one color, but subtle shades provide this wonderful depth. Sometimes you don’t notice it right away, but as you get to really looking at it you notice the less prominent colors in each colorway. Worth taking a look at.

AND. The UPS man was just here with a box from Knit One Crochet Too full of re-stocks of Ty-Dy Dots, as well as Ty-Dy Socks (I think some new colors), and some new colors of Soxx Appeal.

Given all that is waiting on me- I am going to get to work. I’ll update soon on my Tee for Two. Planning on picking up to knit the sides tonight. Maybe I’ll even takes some pics and get this project on Ravelry. One can always hope.

UPDATE: The Mauch Chunky and Ty-Dy Socks (including the new colors!) and Dots are checked in! I’m so fast I can’t even see myself…

Cassidy progress

lea-ann — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 11:38:42 +0000

Today, I want to knit…. Here is what I’ll be working on in between church, dinner with the family, finishing a stocking for a customer, and hopefully cruising Pretty Lake in the sunshine.

I did have to make changes and I don’t know if I told you about them. The sleeves start with a cable instead I’d ribbing. This necessitated changing the cast on number, the increase rate for my short arms, and maintaining the pattern. My calculations called for increases every five rows, yuck! So I’m doing then every other than every fourth row. I ned to have this sweater done by Stitches Midwest. Can I do it?

Did I mention….

susan — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:48:34 +0000

that I only work 2 days a week during the summer? So when I said earlier that I would spend the next few posts updating you on what’s been happening lately I hope you didn’t take that to mean that these posts would be close together! But seriously, would you rather I write about the things under my desk that I could be checking in, or would you rather I get them checked in? Yeah, I thought so. Plus, it’s been so long that I honestly cannot remember what it was I was going to share. My brain seems to be melting like an ice cream cone in the hot summer sun. Everything is all mushy and squishing together.

New Shepherd's Wool Colors!

I have gotten the five new colors of Shepherd’s Wool that were revealed durning Lorna Miser’s visit (wasn’t that so much fun!!) ready for purchase! The colors are, from top to bottom, Harvest Wheat, Raspberry, Zinnia Pink, Frosty Blue, and Violet. I’m thinking that the Harvest Wheat would be perfect for my next Noni bag. I love the color but would look very, very, not good in it. That’s what felted bags and slippers are for. You may look like death warmed over in a sweater of a certain color, but you can get away with hanging it over your arm or sticking your feet in it, right? My favorite color of them all is the Raspberry, although I must admit to waffling a bit between that and the Frosty Blue. I wish there were a way to really let you see the color play in these new colorways. They have such depth and you really cannot see that in a computer image. If you’d like to have a look at the colors individually, click here. Which one is your favorite? What would you like to knit out of it?

I worked with Tara yesterday and she is such a bad influence on me! Not only did she let me know that there was still ice cream in the freezer but her Knit One, Crochet Too frenzy is contagious! I have been happily knitting on a sweater (the name escapes me for the moment- more melting ice cream) but when the new patterns were ordered I was sorely tempted by the Tee for Two.

Tee for Two with Blueberry Fields Ty-Dy

Here’s the story. I had seen this pattern on the Knit One, Crochet Too website and when we ordered the new patterns I couldn’t wait for this to come in. I knew right away that I wanted to knit it- but thought I would wait. Imagine my disappointment when I opened the box and saw that they had sent the wrong tee pattern. (visualize a pouty lip, if you will) Now, if you had been me, what would you have done when the pattern finally came in? Don’t even pretend that you would have restrained yourself because I have the same disease that you do and I know you would have snatched it up. Forget about waiting- I had to have it now. I chose to knit mine in Blueberry Fields because the colors are more “me”. I cannot wait to cast it on tonight. I think it was very wise of me to put the other sweater on hold. Who wants to knit with hot wool in the summer time? Cotton makes much more sense, don’t you think?

Have a great knitting day!

Sisters . . . And A Rainy Day!

lea-ann — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 15:43:43 +0000

Aren’t they the cutest things? What else is there to do on a rainy day at the lake? Go to Knitting Today and work on their new sweaters. I really never dreamed they would become avid sweater knitters at 15 and 17!

And, for a close-up on what they are doing?

Haley is a few rows in on Coraline. Note the color coding work she has done on the chart. Each symbol is a different color so she can easily glance down to see whether it is an SSK or a K2Tog (or whatever happens on the purl side). She’s also keeping track with her highlighter tape. The yarn she’s using is Cotton Classic.

Tara? Well, she couldn’t resist and she did start the Ty-Dy Dots Cleopatra she blogged about yesterday. I guess she thought about it all night and the first thing she did when she walked in was pick up the yarn and try to find the pattern for it. Well, during knit night last night (she was on a babysitting job), I knew we had sold two of the patterns, maybe even the last one. I mentioned it to her and she started tearing up!! Seriously! She said I only have thirty days to get it knit! Well, looking through the stack, I did find the last one [and I see online that the inventory isn't tracking the POS sales so need to fix whatever is happening or not happening properly there]. I cannot believe she is doing this. She’s going to be knitting non-stop until fair!

The fit on both of these tops are different for me. They are both a-line shape. Haley’s gathers at the bustline and Tara’s is gathered by the yoke shaping. Haley has the complicated factor of adding in bust darts for her shape. I’ve not sized out an a-line shape before so I’m pulling out the new trusty book on Sweater Design to make sure we’re measuring correctly. What has been your experience with fitting an a-line? Do you measure under the bust and knit to gauge? Do you measure the bust itself and how much “a” do you want at the line?

As for me? Forget time to knit. I’m working on the brochure for MK Unite! July 29-August 1 and finalizing the luncheon for Lorna’s Day June 16 (which is now sold out, but we’re taking a waiting list so call 800-426-5098).

P.S. I’m on my wait to TNNA — anything new you want me to look for?

P.P.S. Don’t forget about the giveaway, it ends June 19!

STOP THE MADNESS!

taralea — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 20:11:51 +0000

OH MY! I am putting away the new Ty-Dy Dots yarn and Soxx Appeal. Gorgeous! Completely Gorgeous! I keep looking at Cleopatra Tank pattern wanting to make one! I need a project for fair, but I started knitting a hat (am quitting on it because I hate the colors together). I keep touching the Ty-Dy Dot and finding colors to match!!! I NEED TO STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You guys might want to buy it and get me out of this madness! ;P It’s too cute!!! Maybe, Mom will let me???? We need a sample made anyways ;P

What do you think, can I start it??

Memorial Day, A Visit With Lorna, Cassidy update

lea-ann — Mon, 31 May 2010 11:42:04 +0000

Memorial Day, celebrating the sacrifices men have made for our Country and our lives. It is also the end of the month, the beginning of Summer, and the start of June. Oh my! There is so much to do and no time to do it, but at least it is getting lighter so when I wake up early, I can actually see to do things. Will I get more accomplished or just be overwhelmed because I can see everything that needs to be done? Anyways . . . mark your calendar for:

June 16, 9-4, a Visit With Lorna — this is an event uniquely planned for Knitting Today. She will be bringing her Faith, Hope, Love, Knitting projects and telling us the stories, and the stories behind the stories. She’ll be showing us how to do techniques, talking about yarn and choices, and getting us started on a project of our choice form the book. It will be a relaxing day for us, crazy for her, and more info can be found at http://www.knittingtoday.com/go.mvc?id=lorna2010.

Cassidy update: I can’t pass up an opportunity to tell you what is happening with Cassidy. I started the sleeves. I am modifying the pattern so it starts right into the cables without doing ribbing because i didn’t want the ribbing to hug my pear-shaped body. The back/fronts look good. The sleeves are about 4 inches to wide around the wrist. Do I do the ribbing? Do I cut back the number of stitches so they start at 8″ and change the sleeve shaping appropriately? What would you do? What do you think I’ll decide to do?

Have a wonderful day!!