Knit Quest

Taking a Break

You may have noticed I've been MIA a lot lately. Between both kids being home, all.. the.. time.. , family travel, and Hubbo's work travel things have been a bit crazy. I like to keep busy, but I reached the overload point. In a effort to retain some of my hair and sanity I decided I needed to let go of a few things. So until Sept, when the kids go back to school, I'm not posting for the Chum, not designing any new patterns for Hazel Knits, and obviously cutting back on my posting here (to once or twice a week).

Ok, boring stuff out of the way, lets move on to the knitting.

Behold my Ravelympics swatch (Go Team Blue Moon!). I'm planning to finally knit the Urban Aran Cardigan. I figure nothing like a little deadline to get the needles flying. The yarn is BMFA Woobu in Thraven, and I'm knitting it double to get gauge. So far, I'm loving it. The stitch definition is good, the fabric is nice and light, and the shine and subtle color variations are captivating. I did have to order two more skeins to be sure to have enough for the sweater and it's possible I may have acquired some LSS in Mochaberry at the same time.

The only thing I don't like about the yarn is that is come in 620 yard skeins, which is quite a challenge for my ball winder and my arm.

Progress is still happening slowly on my February Lady. Hopefully I'll be able to finish before Ravelympics begins Aug 8th. I just need to remember to stop knitting after 10pm, especially when wine is also involved. One more row to knit backwards and then I'll be back to where I was Thursday night before the groggy knitting.

The sweater is too big for my purse so I'm also making a little progress on my second Pacific Diamond.

It's not blocked and quite blurry but for once the color is right on. The main color is almost an exact match for the Knit Picks cables. Very rich and vibrant. Changing to a variegated yarn and silk makes it looks and feel like a whole different pattern. I'm very interested to see how the silk will block out.

I'm off to make curry rice salad for a dinner with friends tonight, and should actually have an hour or maybe even two free this afternoon to listen to a book and knit. I hope you all are making some time for fun this summer too.  I'll leave you with this week's stair sleeping position.

Pacific Diamond

I've been teasing you all with peaks of my lace scarf and promises of a pattern soon. Happily I can now say it's done and get on with the show.

Introducing Pacific Diamond!

Lacy but not frilly. Elegant and interesting, but not stuffy or old fashioned. Or at least that's what I hope. For me it's all the fun and drama of knitting lace, with a garment that fits into my everyday wardrobe.

I love lace patterns that are easy to memorize and to read and I wanted this pattern to be the same. I can't be the only one who knits on the go and has a lot of distractions.

The scarf knits up pretty quickly and almost doubles in size during blocking. As you can see one skein makes a good size scarf (11" x 76").

The pattern includes written instructions, as well as a chart and can easily be doubled for a wrap. It's available for $6 on Ravelry or my patterns page.

Special thanks to EverydayAutumn and ColorPlay Fibers for test knitting! I couldn't have done it without you.

Run Away

Man, this week totally got away from me. Hubby's been gone (Singapore this time) since Sunday afternoon, and me and the kids have been on warp speed running to and from camp, swimming lessons, and playdates. 

(Billy had art camp, the photos are some of her work)

I have no FO's of any kind and it feels like hardly any progress on knitting, or anything else for that matter, has happened. I often wonder how you can work so hard and still not seem to get any where.

In any case.. some knitting did occur. I'm about an inch further than this picture shows, but unfortunately that's it. I'm still loving the sweater, but it's too big to fit in my purse any more, so progress has really slowed. The scarf is now my purse project, but since it looks pretty much the same I didn't take another photo.

In non-knitting news Bug lost both his front teeth and we've been singing "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth" all week. They think it's hysterical. Ok, I think it's pretty funny too.

On a sadder note my Grandfather passed away and I'll be heading to Oregon tomorrow for the service.  I'm looking forward to seeing my family, but wish it was for another reason. On the way back I have a chance to stop and visit my friend of 33 year and Twisted so that will brighten my visit a little.

Well that was a very sloppy, disjointed post, but honestly I'm just to tired to care (I haven't even started packing yet). I'll be out of touch until Monday so have a great weekend. Oh yeah, go see Mama Mia. It's the best movie I've seen in years. Loved it!

The View Around Here

I had a few random photos I've been wanting to share, but no post to go along with them. So today were are having a photo smorgasbord.

The view from my front porch at 8:55pm yesterday.

Dogs getting a bath on Wednesday. Imagine washing two 30lb cats and you'll have an idea. Photos all by Bug (not bad for a 7 year old).

The result: two pissed off dogs who smell like blueberries. She got my pattern notes off the table and used them to show me just how displeased. He gacked up grass on the rug. Twice. I didn't take a picture of that.

This is how I found Billy at 10:30 Tuesday evening. She sneaks out of her room so she can fall asleep where she can hear me. I just about stepped on her in the dark. She of course never woke up.

My favorite summer shoes. Can you believe they are Birkenstocks ? Love them!

Last up, a project bag I made from one of Billy's old T-shirts (yes, I actually used the sewing machine). Cute, green, and free.

We're off to Top Pot doughnuts. Happy Sunday!

Favorite Thing Friday: Olympics

(If you're wondering what the heck the pictures have to do with the Olympics, the answer is nothing. The pictures are of family fun day at the zoo yesterday, since I didn't have any Olympic photos to share)

21 days until the Summer Olympics begin. I can't quite explain the appeal of the Olympics for me. If asked to watch any of the featured sports individually, I would deem them boring and wonder why people spent time watching when they could be out doing. But every two years I can not be dragged away from the TV. Sports I've never even heard of become mesmerizing, sports I actually like are looked up and added to my calendar so I don't miss them. Last time I made Hubby Tivo all the main coverage. All of it! It's addicting and inspiring and I can't wait.

I think part of the appeal is remembering my childhood dreams of Olympic glory and at the same time having the ability as an adult to truly appreciate the skill and dedication it takes to make it to the games. I love seeing what kind of weirdness the opening ceremonies will display, cheering for my country, and getting a glimpse of a place and it's people that I've never visited. I'm sure all the hot guys in swim suits have nothing to do with it.

At my age, I felt pretty secure in thinking that any plans for a gold medal were safely behind me, and then two things happened. First Dara Torres made the swimming team at 41, making me proud and insecure all at the same time. Second I joined Ravelympics.

The idea is to cast on a challenging project with the opening ceremonies and complete it before the flame goes out. I still think my chances of a medal are pretty slim, but I'm going to have a great time competing. I've entered the Sweater Sprint and will be attempting the Urban Aran Cardigan in BMFA Woobu.  If you are interesting in signing up consider joining me on Team Blue Moon! You can enter any event or events just knit with BMFA  yarn.

Still Obsessed

After ripping back approximately 2500 stitches and re-knitting them, I'm up to the last buttonhole.  I spaced my button holes out a little further then the pattern suggested (3" instead of 2 1/2") since I'm on the tall side. I've finished all the increases called for, but I really hate, super hate, when the armholes are too snug so I'm adding a few more rounds (and the last buttonhole)  without increases before putting the sleeves on holders.

I'm using the increases I learned from Cat Bordhi at sock camp. You knit up to the marker and then knit through the purl bump two stitches below the stitch you just knit, knit the marked stitch, then knit through the purl bump below the next stitch, knit the next stitch and keep on going.  If you have "New Pathways for Sock Knitters" Cat gives a much better explanation.

How ever you do them, I think they add a nice detail. The only thing bad about them is, there's no fudging. The increases are clearly visible so it should help you to get them right, unless you're like me and you feel the need to add one on the wrong side.  Which, as I mentioned above, leads to frogging. Hard to do a 7 stitch repeat with an extra stitch.

Another downer is I can not for the life of me get a true picture of this sweater. The colors are so much more blended in person. No one color stands out. They melt together into a harmonious whole. Beautiful. Addicting. Perfect with jeans. I love it.

It's a whole nother story with the photos. The colors look separate and garish.  All I see is the purple.  If I saw this sweater on someone else's blog I wouldn't care for it. So come over and take a look at the real thing, or find the yarn, but don't let my poor photography skills turn you off this gorgeous color. (STR Lunasea if you forgot).

Back to the increases. Just in case the visual from the increases wasn't enough to remind me when to increase (pattern says every other row) I gave myself a hint. I placed one white maker, the rest are pink, in the first set of increases on the increase side. In other words, if the first pair of stitch markers I came to had the white one I should increase, if not don't increase. Simple. Ok, I still managed to screw it up, but maybe the idea will help you.

The only other project I've touched the last few days is a second test scarf.

I wanted to double check the corrections made to the pattern after the test knitting. So far so good. Details will have to wait. The evening breeze on the patio, a beer, and my sweater are calling.

Favorite Thing Friday: Pancakes

Breakfast is a big thing around here. In fact we eat it for dinner a couple time a month. Today we had breakfast for breakfast, and busted out some sour cream pancakes, sausage, and fresh local strawberries and raspberries. Yummmmm...

The pancakes are a Barefoot Contessa recipe (get it here) and are some of the best I've had. The instructions call for bananas, but since no one but me likes them I leave em out. They are quick to make and the sour cream makes them light and a little tangy.  It's a great way to use up that last bit of sour cream that always seems to be left.

I was too busy eating to remember to take a picture, so I'll leave you with a shot of my finished scarf.

Thanks to ColorPlay Fibers and Everyday Autumn for helping me test knit. You guys rock!

Happy Friday!

Looking for Help

This is Pacific Diamond. Unblocked and unfinished, but soon it will be finished and my next pattern for sale.  As you can see it's lace and while not a difficult pattern to knit, writing it all out, with out mistakes, it a bit of a challenge.

Here's where you come in. I'm hoping to find a couple of you who have a bit of extra time this week, like lace knitting, and are willing to help out for the small payment of the pattern for free. I'll send you the pattern and you agree to knit the border and at least a couple inches of the main repeat, then send me feedback and corrections on the pattern. All in the next week.

If you're interested leave me a comment or email sam@roshak.com .

Lookie, Lookie, Lookie

I couldn't possible be more excited, unless I'd gotten the yarn on sale or it came with chocolate. I even got gauge. Exactly. The first time. Not even fudging it.Perfect Gauge!

What is it? Swatch for February Lady Sweater. Knit last night at Hancock and dinner at Palomino (the Rosemary Lime Cooler was amazing). Knit with BMFA STR in Lunasea.

No more time to talk. I'm on the last 6 inches of scarf and I have to finish it before starting the sweater. I may start gibbering or twitching if I don't cast on soon.

2498 Yards

I don't fall off the wagon, I jump.

This is what I brought back from today's trip to Churchmouse Yarns & Teas on Bainbridge Island.

Other then the sock blank I haven't bought any yarn since camp in April. Let's all pause for a little pat on the back. (.........) My ability to resist was a combination of already having enough yarn to start my own shop (maybe two) and anticipating going to Rhinebeck in October. I was on the knit from your stash bandwagon. Notice the was.

Here we have one of four skeins of Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock Heavyweight, in Lunasea. I love the colors of this yarn and I'm hoping it will be subtle enough variegation for the February Lady Sweater. I'm really not sure how it will work up in the lace, but I decided I didn't care. If it doesn't work for that sweater there will be another one, or maybe I'll just loop it around myself and wear it that way. It's mine, I found it, and I'm not giving it up.

Next up, the last 3 skeins of Malabrigo Kettle Dyed in Damask Rose. The color almost perfectly matches my favorite backyard bush and the yarn is exactly what I was thinking of for a vest pattern I have swimming around in my head. 

The green at the top is Manos Silk Blend destined for Hew.

Here's me and Chandria grinning over our purchases at at the shop.

If you ever get a chance to visit the shop, do it. The staff is friendly and helpful, the selection in fantastic, and the shop is gorgeous. There's even really good ice cream next door. A few other shots of the store...

Socks that Rock, Kiogu, Buttons

Plucky Knitter, Habu Textiles, the Shop

Honestly it's amazing that's all I bought. I think I need another pat on the back.