in progress :: Through the Loops Mystery Shawl KAL 2013

Cat, co-opting yarn and knitting as her pillow #tabby #cat #yarn #knitting, originally uploaded by earthchick.

Clue 2 of the Through the Loops Mystery Shawl was released midday on Friday and I was so excited to get on it! The cat was excited too. She loves to use my yarn and knitting for her pillow, whenever possible.

(if you don’t want to be spoiled for the 2nd Clue, don’t scroll further)

I am still loving my TTL+TPK mash-up:

That’s Plucky Feet in “Flannel,” “Princess Phone,” and “Dancing Queen.”

It’s already getting pretty big:

I love the Mystery KAL approach to a shawl – the anticipation of a new clue, the chance to get the project done in little chunks. So fun! I’m also loving seeing other people’s color combos in the KAL.

Squeee! Look at that yummy lace!

raveled

in progress :: Through the Loops Mystery Shawl KAL 2013

ready :: yarn for TTL Mystery Shawl KAL, originally uploaded by earthchick.

It’s no secret that I’m a HUGE fan of Through the Loops . I love her designs, and her patterns are always clear and easy-to-follow. And she runs great Mystery Knit-alongs!

So when she announced her Mystery Shawl 2013 KAL last month *and* made it clear that it would involve multiple colors, I couldn’t resist, even though I already have too many wips to count.

It just so happened that The Plucky Knitter was having an update a couple of weeks ago, and I got obsessed with the idea of a grey, golden, and purple shawl in Plucky Feet. I got cartjacked more than once during the frenzy, and then came to terms with the fact that I shouldn’t really be shopping anyway. And then I got a text from my friend Barb, offering to gift me with a Plucky Feet Color Obsessions kit that she wasn’t knitting. WHAT. Seriously generous, right? Love you, Barb!! 

And! Her kit was: grey, golden, and red! It was put together as a Plucky kit (“Mid-Century”) and was super-pretty. I subbed out the red for some deep purple I snagged in a destash and BOOM, ready to knit.

The clue was released last Friday night and I got to knitting last Saturday. (Clue one is below – don’t scroll if you don’t want to be spoiled).

Pretty, right?

Plucky Feet in “Flannel,” “Princess Phone,” and “Dancing Queen.”

I can’t wait for the next clue!!

raveled

knitted :: Narragansett

Well, hello there! It’s been awhile, but I’m still here and still knitting – and even finishing a project here and there. Today is my birthday, and in an effort to “start as you mean to go on,” I thought I’d start the year by blogging.

This knit is one that’s been in my queue for two years – another babycocktails winner: Narragansett. When Thea released this pattern in the spring of 2011, I instantly fell in love with it: top-down construction, easy raglan fit, sweet little cabled details, gorgeous neckline. The Plucky Knitter was selling kits for this knit, and I snatched one up in the pattern color, “Narragansett Gray.” (By the way, have you seen that TPK is celebrating her 6th anniversary with an Anniversary Update?) 

I finally cast on for the sweater at the beginning of April. It was a sweet knit, as I expected i would be. 

Knit in The Plucky Knitter Merino Lite, in about 750 yards.

I made a stupid decision with this sweater, though. I cast on for a size 38 when I had intended to do a size 36 (for a little negative ease). When I realized my mistake, I decided to just go ahead and do the bust as a size 36 but leave the neckline in the size 38. I should’ve known better since the neckline is so wide already. More on that in a moment.

Even with a wee bit of negative ease in the bust, the sweater itself fits comfortably without being slouchy. I wore it to work yesterday and was very happy with it. I got lots of compliments on it.

 

My husband really likes the neckline (I do, too!).

But the truth is, it bloomed in blocking far more than I expected. Everything fit *perfectly* before I blocked. The neckline was wide enough without falling off my shoulders. Then I blocked and it all came out huge! I was so disappointed. I crocheted a single chain around the inside of the neckline, which helped a little, but not nearly enough. A friend recommended that I spritz it and toss it in the dryer for a few minutes. I did that, and it did make a difference. I felt like it needed more, but I was afraid to dry it further for fear of how the dryer seemed to be roughing up the yarn.

Any suggestions? I’m wondering if I can somehow tack down the inside of the neckline in a couple of places. I would be interested in any advice anyone wants to offer!

Other than that – which is my fault, not the pattern’s – I’m thrilled with this knit. Fast, fun, and imminently wearable, in a yarn I love and a color I *adore*.

Love those cabled details!

I loved this babycocktails/thepluckyknitter match-up so much that I’ve already begun another (Cape Cod). It is zipping along and I hope to be showing it to you soon. In the meantime, I’m looking forward to getting a lot of wear out of this sweater.

 

raveled

running, remembering :: after the Boston Marathon bombings

my son, my running buddy, originally uploaded by earthchick.

Last night, after I read that an 8 year-old boy was one of the 2 killed at the Boston Marathon, I had to get out for a run, to clear my head and say my prayers. As I was about to head out the door, one of my kids asked if he could come, too. My first reaction was that no, he wouldn’t be able to keep up or last long enough. But then I stopped. I looked at my 8 year-old boy, and I realized what a precious gift he was giving me – time with him. And I thought of grieving parents who would give anything for such a gift. I grabbed that gift and ran with it.

We only went a mile-and-a-half, but at the end of it, my child said, “This was the best run I’ve had in my life.” Me too, buddy.

Praying for those who grieve, for those who hurt, and for those who fear. And hoping to hold tenderly the love I’ve been given.

knitted :: Child’s Chevron Love

knitted :: Child’s Chevron Love, originally uploaded by earthchick.

After the boys saw my Chevron Love Mittens, they asked me to make them each a pair. Nevermind that they will outgrow them in a flash, how could a mama say no to that?
Both boys wanted red-white-and-blue. Tiny Dancer asked for chevrons just like mine. Little Buddha has something else entirely in mind, but he has allowed me to wait until late summer to make his, since we are almost past mitten-wearing season (she says hopefully).

Mods for fit:
CO 48
Knit three chevrons before starting thumb gusset
Knit 23 sts, work thumb gusset chart, knit 22 sts

I also blunted the end of the mitten by stopping the chart decreases when there are 16 sts total left, then kitchenering together. I somehow ended up with one mitten ending in red and the other in white. But TD doesn’t mind. In fact, he says he loves them.

raveled

spun :: “Winter Storage” (Hello Yarn Finn)

spun :: Hello Yarn Finn, originally uploaded by earthchick.

So I’ve been spinning all my holy grail fibers lately, and I would be hard-pressed to name one more precious to me than this one.

This was the September 2009 Fiber Club, “Winter Storage” – 4 squishy ounces of delicious Finn

I knew I wanted to chain-ply it for socks. I also knew that, at the time, I wasn’t very confident in my chain-plying skills. In fact, it was only recently (as in, the last month!) that I began to feel like I could tackle chain-plying, which turns out to actually be easy-peasy. So I finally pulled this baby out.

I split it down the middle vertically, in hopes of getting two equal amounts of fiber, for matching socks. But I didn’t get the split exactly right – the skein on the left is 2.2. oz, the skein on the right is 1.8. I also ended up spinning the second skein (the one on the right) slightly thinner. Oh well, live and learn. I think I can make it come out even in the knitting.

I ended up with 240 yards of DK chain-ply, and I am ridiculously happy with it. With the exception of not splitting the fiber perfectly evenly, it came out exactly as I’d hoped. LOVE those colors, and I look forward to a sweet pair of socks.

raveled

Including this yarn, I’ve now spun 2.25 lbs. of fiber so far this year (out of a goal of 13 lbs. for the year). Sadly, I haven’t spun anything since this one! (i.e., in more than a week) I’ve had very little time (work, writing a paper for a doctoral class, training for a half-marathon – these things interfere with my sitting-around time!), and what time I’ve had I’ve been trying to finish up mittens for my kids.

When I do get back on the wheel, my goal is a sweater spin (that’s the March Challenge for the 13 in 2013 group on Rav). I’ll be spinning this:

Hello Yarn BFL/Silk, “Night Gathers,” the July 2011 Fiber Club
I have 1.5 lbs. of it and have plans to make it into a Game of Thrones-inspired sweater (the colorway itself is also GoT-inspired). I’m pretty excited about it, and I hope to get on it soon, in happy anticipation of the next season of GoT.

in progress :: Mittens in March (Child’s Chevron Love)

in progress :: Child’s Chevron Mittens, originally uploaded by earthchick.

When the boys saw my Chevron Love Mittens, they each wanted a pair, too. I will admit that putting the time into colorwork mittens for growing boys seems a bit inefficient – if I’m lucky, the mittens will last a whole season before they’re outgrown (or lost!). Nevermind that, now that it’s March, they will only get a little time to wear them before this season is up (I am adding some grow room in hopes that they will still fit next winter).

First up, a pair in red-white-and-blue for Tiny Dancer. I’ve already finished the first mitten and hope to get this one finished up quickly. Little Buddha has all sorts of plans for his pair that basically involve my designing a whole new, non-Chevron pattern. We’ll see….

raveled