Category: Blog

I will admit, I was dreading this book a little bit. I loved Stitch ‘n’ Bitch the original and was radically depressed with SNB Nation. Now, the Happy is back! It’s set up like the original Stitch ‘n’ Bitch with all the tutorial info in the front, projects and patterns in the back half.

I actually think this would be the perfect reference book for new hookers. Debbie Stoller does a great job at teaching, obviously with how well SnB sold. So I highly recommend this book to anyone that has an interest in the art of hooking. New or established hookers welcome!!

 I didn’t get nearly as much knit this weekend as I had planned. I am only 16 rows away from being done with the back of Brocade but I just don’t have the motivation to knit reading a chart & watch the olympics & deal with the kids all at the same time. Once I get back inside I will take the hour to finish it completely before I have to get the kids from school.

I did finish one of Tracy’s Twin Rib trekking xxl, color 100, socks using the magic loop method on size 0’s.  Very nice yarn & pattern from the book Sensational Knitted Socks. The second sock is already 2.5″ long. It’s simple patterns with the body of the foot all stockinette. Since Tracy will be wearing them with clogs I decided to do the foot without the pattern on the top of the foot body. No worries about it rubbing wrong that way.

Restraint has been my mood of late. I am in a cast on mood. I could start  a dozen new projects today & be very pleased. But I won’t. I will control the dark side in me & stick to my simple plan. Once Tracy’s socks are finished I will cast on for a pair for myself. And once the yarn gets here for my norsk sweater I will cast on for that. So the 2 big projects will be the brocade and norsk. And of course there will be socks, the vogue cardigan that may possibly end up being my mom’s and any other smaller items that strike my fancy. I do have to finish the second leg warmer. One isn’t quite cutting it. I do love it so!

peabrain has become my new favorite sweater. I can wear it, wash it, wear it & no worries about wrecking it in the wash. That is probably the only PRO about acrylic blend yarns. The biggest CON is the piling. Lame little pills, the sweater shaver will get a workout with this sweater.

 

Knitting last night at Java Station was just jammin’! Everyone was happy, talkative & the majority of us were wearing at least one item we had knit. Some of us, 2 items. I got cold, what can I say!? It’s not strange to wear 2 sweaters, it wasn’t my plan but the weather dictated it once I got in the coffee shop & sat down with my back to the open doors.

I got a whopping 50 rows done on the Brocade sweater yesterday. Woohoo!!! My goal is to finish the back today, it’s about another 15 rows to the armhole shaping then another 30 rows from there to the top. I love it! Once the back is done I will post a picture.

With the weather change & it finally becoming winter here I am so excited to wear sweaters! And legwarmers and wristwarmers and scarves and hats and shawls, etc. etc. The kids are home from school today so we are having a knit-in. Well, I am having a knit-in. THey are playing barefoot out in the freezing cold! Lots of olympics & knitting, that is my day!

 

This was our first charity blanket of the group. I just thought I would share it again!

We had 9 8inch squares left over. If anyone would like to continue to donate squares using any washable yarn in a cream color please feel free to bring them to Thursday night knitting.

I think the next blanket we do should be about 6 squares by 10 squares to make it a nice crib size instead of an infant size like the blanket above.

Have fun & try patterns that you haven’t ventured into knitting before! Cables, cables, cables!!

 

Over on the hello yarn blog I have found the inspiration to make my first sweater from the Norsk Strikkedesign book.

 She had a link to some of the sweaters made from the book and I found this

I do think that the colors are a bit more what I want. I love the modern black and cream but the brown & cream really scream out to me. My goal is to have the ribbings all a bit more fitted than in the picture above. I ordered Knitpicks merino style in these colors

 Main color

 Second main color

All of the highlight colors

I do think it will come out the way I have envisioned.

First I need to finish Brocade,

 then I can cast on for the norsk sweater! My progress on brocade is nill since I first cast on & knit about 5 inches on the back. Today is the day it comes out of hiding & gets some new life put into it!