Alas, Poor Mets!
Monday night was Stitch 'n Pitch at Citifield -- my first visit to the Mets' new stadium. It was a far cry from old Shea... a beautiful jewel of a ballpark. The sight lines are terrific and the scoreboard is so clear, making it extremely easy to follow the game. Unfortunately, the game was one I would like to forget. The Mets fell behind by four in the top of the first inning and it was downhill from there -- final score: Braves 11, Mets 3.
At least the weather was perfect, as was the company. Janice and I were seated seated with a bunch of others KIPing and crocheting. We saw Nicky Epstein and Shirley Padden at the Stitch 'n' Pitch table before the game, promoting their newest books. Janice is already planning to make a scarf or hat in Mets colors for next year!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Projects, Projects, PROJECTS!! and KIPing at the Race(walk)
While I've been too busy to post, I'm happy to report that I haven't been too busy to knit. My brilliant and talented godchildren Emma and Matthew were visiting for a few days last month. Even though we went shopping for school clothes and supplies, saw a movie (Band Slam), played lots of Mexican dominoes (at which I lost to Grandma [Ethel] each time), and ate out way too often, I managed to start and complete another loofah while they were here.
I also sprinted through the hats and booties for Tara's soon to be born twin boys. I did NOT sprint through the eighty-eight inches of I-cord, however! It was beyond boring to knit those ties, so it was with a sigh of relief that I delivered the completed project to Tara's co-workers at Millburn Veterinary Hospital.
Next in the finished project category are two toddler hats done in a jaquard sport yarn by Bernat.
One hat (with a rolled stockinette edge) is for April's daughter Jada. April is also on the staff at Millburn and it has become a tradition for me to knit this style of hat for Jada ever since April told me it was the only one that would stay on!
I made another of the same yarn but with a ribbed edge as part my charity knitting. Through the BAKG (Big Apple Knitting Guild), I learned of Sojourner House in Rochester -- a home for women leaving abusive relationships. They and their children often arrive with little other than the clothes they are wearing. So I'm going to try and make some hats, scarves and mittens -- Rochester certainly gets cold in the winter.
My Seaman's Hat and Scarf for the Christmas at Sea Program is also finished. Since several members of our Trinity Knitting Group are also making items for the program, they will all be sent in November.
Of course, I have have a lot of WIPs duly noted in the Knitting Buddy on my iTouch. This has not stopped me from starting two more projects. Since they say charity begins at home, I am finally making something for myself. I fell in love Anne Budd's "Garter Lace Jacket" in Simple Style. I am making it in "Island Coral" -- a lovely shade of KnitPicks CotLin. The yarn is a fifty/fifty blend of cotton and linen and has incredible drape. Naturally, I am using my new Zephyr needles, which makes even the boring garter stitch off my needles....which brings me to last Sunday.
The whole family went to Ocean Township to watch Ethel's daughter Karen compete in the Jersey Shore 40 K. Karen is a champion racewalker and this was our chance to cheer her on (and for Emma and Matthew to be her 'water boys'). A 40 K race is upwards of four hours, so Ethel and I hunkered down in lawn chairs and knitted while we waited for Karen to pass us as she looped around the course. Karen wasn't the only one to notice us -- several racewalkers called out to us as they passed. One said he was gauging the length he had gone in the race by the length of my knitting. Another referred to me as Mme. Defarge. Ethel told one we were taking orders for sweaters. Best of all, I knitted six inches of the back of my sweater -- the first time I had completely knit a ball of yarn straight through in one sitting. I am now at the twelve inch mark (and starting my third ball of yarn), so I must give some credit to the Zephyr needles.. they are so much fun to work with.
Of course, several hours in the open air did wonders for our allergies -- alas, poor nose, eyes and throat!
My other new WIP is a pair of socks -- a birthday present that needs to be completed within the next month. Since I am using a finer yarn and a different gauge than the pattern calls for, I had a disastrous start. I must have been on a different planet when I made my calculations. I did twenty rounds of the pattern for the cuff and then tried it on -- perfect for someone with swollen ankles! I must now frog and go back to the drawing board.
Enough for now ... tomorrow night is Stitch 'n' Pitch at CitiField. While the Mets may be dismal, at least I'll be able to enjoy Janice's company and that of other knitters. Who knows, I may even finish the back of my sweater!
While I've been too busy to post, I'm happy to report that I haven't been too busy to knit. My brilliant and talented godchildren Emma and Matthew were visiting for a few days last month. Even though we went shopping for school clothes and supplies, saw a movie (Band Slam), played lots of Mexican dominoes (at which I lost to Grandma [Ethel] each time), and ate out way too often, I managed to start and complete another loofah while they were here.
Next in the finished project category are two toddler hats done in a jaquard sport yarn by Bernat.
One hat (with a rolled stockinette edge) is for April's daughter Jada. April is also on the staff at Millburn and it has become a tradition for me to knit this style of hat for Jada ever since April told me it was the only one that would stay on! I made another of the same yarn but with a ribbed edge as part my charity knitting. Through the BAKG (Big Apple Knitting Guild), I learned of Sojourner House in Rochester -- a home for women leaving abusive relationships. They and their children often arrive with little other than the clothes they are wearing. So I'm going to try and make some hats, scarves and mittens -- Rochester certainly gets cold in the winter.
My Seaman's Hat and Scarf for the Christmas at Sea Program is also finished. Since several members of our Trinity Knitting Group are also making items for the program, they will all be sent in November.
Of course, I have have a lot of WIPs duly noted in the Knitting Buddy on my iTouch. This has not stopped me from starting two more projects. Since they say charity begins at home, I am finally making something for myself. I fell in love Anne Budd's "Garter Lace Jacket" in Simple Style. I am making it in "Island Coral" -- a lovely shade of KnitPicks CotLin. The yarn is a fifty/fifty blend of cotton and linen and has incredible drape. Naturally, I am using my new Zephyr needles, which makes even the boring garter stitch off my needles....which brings me to last Sunday.
The whole family went to Ocean Township to watch Ethel's daughter Karen compete in the Jersey Shore 40 K. Karen is a champion racewalker and this was our chance to cheer her on (and for Emma and Matthew to be her 'water boys'). A 40 K race is upwards of four hours, so Ethel and I hunkered down in lawn chairs and knitted while we waited for Karen to pass us as she looped around the course. Karen wasn't the only one to notice us -- several racewalkers called out to us as they passed. One said he was gauging the length he had gone in the race by the length of my knitting. Another referred to me as Mme. Defarge. Ethel told one we were taking orders for sweaters. Best of all, I knitted six inches of the back of my sweater -- the first time I had completely knit a ball of yarn straight through in one sitting. I am now at the twelve inch mark (and starting my third ball of yarn), so I must give some credit to the Zephyr needles.. they are so much fun to work with.
Of course, several hours in the open air did wonders for our allergies -- alas, poor nose, eyes and throat!
My other new WIP is a pair of socks -- a birthday present that needs to be completed within the next month. Since I am using a finer yarn and a different gauge than the pattern calls for, I had a disastrous start. I must have been on a different planet when I made my calculations. I did twenty rounds of the pattern for the cuff and then tried it on -- perfect for someone with swollen ankles! I must now frog and go back to the drawing board.
Enough for now ... tomorrow night is Stitch 'n' Pitch at CitiField. While the Mets may be dismal, at least I'll be able to enjoy Janice's company and that of other knitters. Who knows, I may even finish the back of my sweater!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Teaching an Old Knitter New Tricks
I finished watching the second season DVDs of Knitting Daily -- alas, I've had to buy them since none of the local PBS stations shows them in my area. One of the best things was a demonstration of the Estonian cast-on technique. I tried it and love it -- both for its elasticity -- important for socks and hats worked on the round) and its decorative edge.
I finished watching the second season DVDs of Knitting Daily -- alas, I've had to buy them since none of the local PBS stations shows them in my area. One of the best things was a demonstration of the Estonian cast-on technique. I tried it and love it -- both for its elasticity -- important for socks and hats worked on the round) and its decorative edge.
Imagine my delight when I discovered it was excerpted on YouTube
Now I can just refer folks to the video rather than try to explain in emails!
As for progress on projects, I completed the knitting on all four baby booties for Tara's twins -- just need to do the ties (beyond boring!) and I finally completed my crocheted shawl/lap rug for the Trinity Knitting group.
Thursday, August 06, 2009
Oooh, Shiny!
While I've been meaning to blog about Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (loved with some reservations) and the slew of new knitting books I got recently, those are topics for another day. My KnitPicks Zephyr needles just arrived and I immediately had to swatch something on them. Since the smallest size they come is is a four, I had to cast on a hat in DK weight. The stitches just fly -- as if I needed another incentive to knit obsessively!!
While I've been meaning to blog about Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (loved with some reservations) and the slew of new knitting books I got recently, those are topics for another day. My KnitPicks Zephyr needles just arrived and I immediately had to swatch something on them. Since the smallest size they come is is a four, I had to cast on a hat in DK weight. The stitches just fly -- as if I needed another incentive to knit obsessively!!
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
More Knitting + More Reading = Less Blogging Time
I was on a tight deadline to complete another Montavilla market bag -- a birthday present for my friend Norma. I must admit, as much as I bitterly complained about making the first one, with the four balls becoming entangled even with the use of my knitting nest, it was much easier the second time around. Of course, I feel I must prove that I DID "knit one, give one" as the kit suggested, so here is my photo of the two bags. The one on the left is the one I made for myself, stretched out because I have been using it, while Norma's is on the right.
I was on a tight deadline to complete another Montavilla market bag -- a birthday present for my friend Norma. I must admit, as much as I bitterly complained about making the first one, with the four balls becoming entangled even with the use of my knitting nest, it was much easier the second time around. Of course, I feel I must prove that I DID "knit one, give one" as the kit suggested, so here is my photo of the two bags. The one on the left is the one I made for myself, stretched out because I have been using it, while Norma's is on the right.
I did meet my deadline and even was able to make a Loofah Scrubbing Mitt as part of the gift package. Norma said she may even use it -- which is a reference going back to the Peacock Lace Washcloth I knitted for her around twenty years ago. It was a lovely pattern and the rage at the time it appeared in Knitters magazine. I used a sturdy Egyptian cotton which allowed for great stitch definition. Norma took one look at it, loved it and said -- "but of course, I can't wash my face with this -- it's a work of art." To this day, it remains unused! Since the loofah is more utilitarian, I'm hoping Norma will soap it up and use it!
I've also been hard at work on the baby gifts for Tara's twin boys, who are expected in September. Tara is an assistant at Millburn Veterinary Hospital, where all the feline members of the family are treated. So far, two hats and two booties are completed and I'm at work on bootie number three. At this point, I have a good chance of being finished before the babies are born. My goal is to have the present ready when Delta goes for her checkup on August 14th!
The yarn is Dream Baby which I got on sale at Accent on Knits before it moved to its new quarters (reopening this weekend, YIPPEE!!!). The hats were done using Anne Budd's basic hat pattern from her Knitters Handy Book of Patterns. It was the first time I've used this pattern -- I tended to use Anne Nordling's Fruit Hat pattern in the past, which called for a sport weight yarn and a specific gauge. The Budd book allows you to use whatever gauge your swatch turns out to be -- a much easier approach. I also made my own finish at the top: a two inch I-cord which I tied into a French knot and tacked down.
The booties, on the other hand, are a tried and true pattern from the KnitList. I began using more than fifteen years ago, when people shared knitting patterns through email lists. When there were finally browsers, Knitlist patterns became part of Woolworks. I first made the booties for my goddaughter Emma who celebrated her 15th birthday last month! The pattern is called "Jane's Baby Booties" and I actually copied it into a Word document and carry it around on my PDA for easy reference.
My charity knitting has been moving along, too. Last Saturday was a meeting of the Trinity Knitters. I worked on my crocheted shawl in black, gray and white. I hope to have it finished before the next meeting and then move on to a hat to match my Seaman's Scarf.
More to come tomorrow on the books that have cut into my blogging time and my book shopping spree at KnitPicks!
Saturday, July 11, 2009
I'm Just Wild About Harry!
AT LAST -- this Wednesday marks the premiere of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. ABC Family is celebrating with a marathon of the first four Potter movies. Today was Sorcerer's Stone, Chamber of Secrets and Prisoner of Azkaban. Tomorrow will be Goblet of Fire. The Order of Phoenix is still only available on HBO, which will be showing it multiple times on Tuesday. So I've been tuned in all day. Of course, I could have my own marathon any time I want, since I own all five DVDs. However, I'm tuning in more for the commercial breaks than the movies, since ABC is showing interviews about and excerpts from the new movie.
I've been a Harry fan since 1999. I bought the first book ostensibly for my goddaughter Emma and read it to "quality assure" it before giving it to her. Within a few chapters I decided it was mine and bought another copy for her. From then on, it became a tradition that I would buy two copies of each Harry Potter as soon as it came out: one for Emma and one for me. We would look forward feverishly to each volume. I also would reread each of the previous volumes right before the new one came out. So it makes sense that I would want to rewatch each of the movies before the new one premieres. [Right now, poor Professor Lupin has transformed into a werewolf!]
I've also loved the fact the knitting -- and especially sock knitting -- has played a large part in Harry's tales, especially the early ones. Mrs. Weasley knit a sweater for Harry's first Christmas at Hogwarts (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone) along with the one she knit for Ron. I think the knitting needles were knitting magically by themselves when Harry visited the Weasley home in Chamber of Secrets (boy, would I love to be able to do that!!). And after Harry tricked Malfoy into giving house elf Doby his freedom with a sock (Chamber of Secrets), socks became Doby's favorite article of clothing and he knitted a pair of mismatched ones for Harry as a Christmas present in Prisoner of Azkaban.
Knitting Hogwarts scarves and hats were quite the rage for a while on the KnitList and I remember many bitter denunciations when people said they were knitting "HP" items, leading to wars of words over copyright law. As a side note: it's rather interesting that I never heard of any controversy over knitting Doctor Who's scarf -- of course, he doesn't wear it in this (David Tennant) incarnation nor his previous (Christopher Eccles) one.
What's on My Needles
As for my own knitting (as opposed to Mrs. Weasley's and Doby's), I completed the seaman's scarf, but discovered I made one side two rows longer than the other. I will have to fix that before I photo it. (Note to self: do not measure and bind off one's project at 3 AM ever again!) The matching watch cap will have to wait a week or two, along with the bootie languishing in my knitting bag, since I've started the second Montavilla market tote and have only a week and a half to finish it!
Another Completed Project
KnitPicks had this wonderful spa kit using their Cotlin (fifty percent cotton / fifty percent linen) yarn. (Alas, I believe it is no longer in stock.) It provided yarn in cool pastel colors -- beige, white, pale blue, pale green, lilac -- with enough yarn to make a loofah bath mitt, an eye mask, a soap caddy, a scrubby and a traveling bag to tote them all in. The colors in the kit don't really match the colors of any of the three bathrooms in this house -- two of which were newly installed last summer. However, I really wanted the patterns so I bought the kit plus more Cotlin in appropriate colors.
Ethel has the the first floor apartment and her new bathroom is in her favorite color scheme -- black, white and red. So I made her a loofah mitt in red and black. It is knitted in linen stitch, which gives it a nice bumpy texture (for exfoliating) on one side and a smooth texture on the other. Now that Ethel has had a chance to test it out and give it thumbs up, I may make more as stocking stuffers for Christams 2009.
AT LAST -- this Wednesday marks the premiere of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. ABC Family is celebrating with a marathon of the first four Potter movies. Today was Sorcerer's Stone, Chamber of Secrets and Prisoner of Azkaban. Tomorrow will be Goblet of Fire. The Order of Phoenix is still only available on HBO, which will be showing it multiple times on Tuesday. So I've been tuned in all day. Of course, I could have my own marathon any time I want, since I own all five DVDs. However, I'm tuning in more for the commercial breaks than the movies, since ABC is showing interviews about and excerpts from the new movie.
I've been a Harry fan since 1999. I bought the first book ostensibly for my goddaughter Emma and read it to "quality assure" it before giving it to her. Within a few chapters I decided it was mine and bought another copy for her. From then on, it became a tradition that I would buy two copies of each Harry Potter as soon as it came out: one for Emma and one for me. We would look forward feverishly to each volume. I also would reread each of the previous volumes right before the new one came out. So it makes sense that I would want to rewatch each of the movies before the new one premieres. [Right now, poor Professor Lupin has transformed into a werewolf!]
I've also loved the fact the knitting -- and especially sock knitting -- has played a large part in Harry's tales, especially the early ones. Mrs. Weasley knit a sweater for Harry's first Christmas at Hogwarts (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone) along with the one she knit for Ron. I think the knitting needles were knitting magically by themselves when Harry visited the Weasley home in Chamber of Secrets (boy, would I love to be able to do that!!). And after Harry tricked Malfoy into giving house elf Doby his freedom with a sock (Chamber of Secrets), socks became Doby's favorite article of clothing and he knitted a pair of mismatched ones for Harry as a Christmas present in Prisoner of Azkaban.
Knitting Hogwarts scarves and hats were quite the rage for a while on the KnitList and I remember many bitter denunciations when people said they were knitting "HP" items, leading to wars of words over copyright law. As a side note: it's rather interesting that I never heard of any controversy over knitting Doctor Who's scarf -- of course, he doesn't wear it in this (David Tennant) incarnation nor his previous (Christopher Eccles) one.
What's on My Needles
As for my own knitting (as opposed to Mrs. Weasley's and Doby's), I completed the seaman's scarf, but discovered I made one side two rows longer than the other. I will have to fix that before I photo it. (Note to self: do not measure and bind off one's project at 3 AM ever again!) The matching watch cap will have to wait a week or two, along with the bootie languishing in my knitting bag, since I've started the second Montavilla market tote and have only a week and a half to finish it!
Another Completed Project
KnitPicks had this wonderful spa kit using their Cotlin (fifty percent cotton / fifty percent linen) yarn. (Alas, I believe it is no longer in stock.) It provided yarn in cool pastel colors -- beige, white, pale blue, pale green, lilac -- with enough yarn to make a loofah bath mitt, an eye mask, a soap caddy, a scrubby and a traveling bag to tote them all in. The colors in the kit don't really match the colors of any of the three bathrooms in this house -- two of which were newly installed last summer. However, I really wanted the patterns so I bought the kit plus more Cotlin in appropriate colors.
Ethel has the the first floor apartment and her new bathroom is in her favorite color scheme -- black, white and red. So I made her a loofah mitt in red and black. It is knitted in linen stitch, which gives it a nice bumpy texture (for exfoliating) on one side and a smooth texture on the other. Now that Ethel has had a chance to test it out and give it thumbs up, I may make more as stocking stuffers for Christams 2009.
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
I Love My iTouch - Part 2
Had a lovely relaxing 4th of July -- so relaxing, I didn't feel like blogging. I did a little work in the garden and watched some of my favorite TV marathons and, best of all, I knitted while listening to some knitting podcasts. Yes, thanks to my iTouch, I can now easily download my favorite podcasts and listen wherever I am. I first tried to listen to podcasts at my computer, but because of my severe hearing loss, I strained to hear. Quite frankly, the sound quality wasn't very good.
Then I got my iTouch. The sound quality is amazing and it is so easy to download the podcasts from the iTunes store. Best of all, they're free -- which is VERY good the considering song-buying binge I've been on (replacing my old college LPs: Gordon Lightfoot, Judy Collins and Bob Dylan!)
I began with the most recent KnitPicks podcasts. Kelly Petkun is a joy to listen to and has both interesting guests and interesting topics. One of the ones I downloaded was the 100th podcast. In it, Kelly referred to two earlier podcasts on i-cord as personal favorites, so I went back and downloaded them. I thought I knew everything there was to know about i-cord -- after all, I am an Elizabethan (Elizabeth Zimmerman) knitter! However, I loved Kelly's ideas -- I plan to try the self-edging i-cord on my next scarf instead of my usual garter stitch border. And when I did the i-cord knot on the second twin hat, I knit through the back of the first stitch on each round and saw Kelly was right -- the stitch loses it loopy look.
Another podcast I discovered is KIPing it Real by Jackie. I especially love that she separates each podcast into chapters, so I can listen to a segment and then come back to the rest later. Also, if I want to skip a segment (say on spinning), I can do so. I zipped through the first three podcasts in one evening. It was a very soothing experience. Not only was Jackie's content interesting, but the earphones helped to block out the very poor and very loud karaoke at a neighbor's 4th of July party!
Of course, my KnitBuddy software helps to keep me on track. Over the holiday, I slacked off a little on the baby booties -- for some reason, I was SO NOT in the mood to work on double points. Instead, I turned to my seaman's scarf. It's a perfect example of what I call mindless knitting -- I can work on it with my eyes closed if necessary. It's also great commuter knitting (small and knit straight on a circular needle) -- so I took it with me yesterday when I accompanied my best friend Ethel to her dental appointment in Manhattan. It was supposed to be a simple visit -- to get her permanent crown -- but she mentioned a strange feeling in another tooth and the dentist discovered a fractured tooth AND infection under another crown. Two hours later, she was minus one tooth but I was plus fourteen inches of ribbing on my scarf. Thanks to Ethel's tooth mishap, I should have another project to move from WIP to finished status on KnitBuddy tomorrow.
And now to show off the first of two completed projects -- both made from KnitPicks yarns and patterns. This is the Montavilla Market Tote.
The kit includes the pattern and four balls of organic cotton -- one in each of the four colors (Marshmallow, Malted Milk, Toffee and Mocha). The four balls are enough for two bags. Once I started it, I couldn't put it down. The linen stitch on the bottom formed a nice secure base and the lace stitch for the body of the bag was enough to keep me interested. The handles were especially intriguing -- essentially two over-sized buttonholes done in linen stitch. The biggest problem was carrying the colors and trying to keep the balls straight. Fortunately, I am the queen of knitting gadgets, so I used my knitting nest from Circular Solution -- a canvas bag with four pockets, perfect for a four color project. Even so, I had to stop every few rows to prevent tangling. I am used to chugging along at a fast pace, so it was frustrating. However, the end product is definitely worth it. So, I'll probably start the other one as soon as I finish my scarf, since I need a birthday gift to be ready in two weeks!
Next post I'll show off the loofah bath mitt made of KnitPicks Cotlin yarn.
Off to bed and a few more inches of scarf before lights out!
Had a lovely relaxing 4th of July -- so relaxing, I didn't feel like blogging. I did a little work in the garden and watched some of my favorite TV marathons and, best of all, I knitted while listening to some knitting podcasts. Yes, thanks to my iTouch, I can now easily download my favorite podcasts and listen wherever I am. I first tried to listen to podcasts at my computer, but because of my severe hearing loss, I strained to hear. Quite frankly, the sound quality wasn't very good.
Then I got my iTouch. The sound quality is amazing and it is so easy to download the podcasts from the iTunes store. Best of all, they're free -- which is VERY good the considering song-buying binge I've been on (replacing my old college LPs: Gordon Lightfoot, Judy Collins and Bob Dylan!)
I began with the most recent KnitPicks podcasts. Kelly Petkun is a joy to listen to and has both interesting guests and interesting topics. One of the ones I downloaded was the 100th podcast. In it, Kelly referred to two earlier podcasts on i-cord as personal favorites, so I went back and downloaded them. I thought I knew everything there was to know about i-cord -- after all, I am an Elizabethan (Elizabeth Zimmerman) knitter! However, I loved Kelly's ideas -- I plan to try the self-edging i-cord on my next scarf instead of my usual garter stitch border. And when I did the i-cord knot on the second twin hat, I knit through the back of the first stitch on each round and saw Kelly was right -- the stitch loses it loopy look.
Another podcast I discovered is KIPing it Real by Jackie. I especially love that she separates each podcast into chapters, so I can listen to a segment and then come back to the rest later. Also, if I want to skip a segment (say on spinning), I can do so. I zipped through the first three podcasts in one evening. It was a very soothing experience. Not only was Jackie's content interesting, but the earphones helped to block out the very poor and very loud karaoke at a neighbor's 4th of July party!
Of course, my KnitBuddy software helps to keep me on track. Over the holiday, I slacked off a little on the baby booties -- for some reason, I was SO NOT in the mood to work on double points. Instead, I turned to my seaman's scarf. It's a perfect example of what I call mindless knitting -- I can work on it with my eyes closed if necessary. It's also great commuter knitting (small and knit straight on a circular needle) -- so I took it with me yesterday when I accompanied my best friend Ethel to her dental appointment in Manhattan. It was supposed to be a simple visit -- to get her permanent crown -- but she mentioned a strange feeling in another tooth and the dentist discovered a fractured tooth AND infection under another crown. Two hours later, she was minus one tooth but I was plus fourteen inches of ribbing on my scarf. Thanks to Ethel's tooth mishap, I should have another project to move from WIP to finished status on KnitBuddy tomorrow.
And now to show off the first of two completed projects -- both made from KnitPicks yarns and patterns. This is the Montavilla Market Tote.
The kit includes the pattern and four balls of organic cotton -- one in each of the four colors (Marshmallow, Malted Milk, Toffee and Mocha). The four balls are enough for two bags. Once I started it, I couldn't put it down. The linen stitch on the bottom formed a nice secure base and the lace stitch for the body of the bag was enough to keep me interested. The handles were especially intriguing -- essentially two over-sized buttonholes done in linen stitch. The biggest problem was carrying the colors and trying to keep the balls straight. Fortunately, I am the queen of knitting gadgets, so I used my knitting nest from Circular Solution -- a canvas bag with four pockets, perfect for a four color project. Even so, I had to stop every few rows to prevent tangling. I am used to chugging along at a fast pace, so it was frustrating. However, the end product is definitely worth it. So, I'll probably start the other one as soon as I finish my scarf, since I need a birthday gift to be ready in two weeks!Next post I'll show off the loofah bath mitt made of KnitPicks Cotlin yarn.
Off to bed and a few more inches of scarf before lights out!
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