Another Case of Knitting Startitis!

It's been a month of no-knitting for me. Not sure why, just been running around a lot and basking in the sunshine I suppose...

This morning I snapped back into it though, after an epiphany of sorts with the current baby sweater I have on my needles, (no details, for baby gifties!)... all BOYS too.
Someone needs to make a girl baby so I can knit some frilly stuff!

I can, however, show you the yarn I am using.
Yummy, and perfect for a dirt-ball boy. The goal is to make the sweaters fit from infant to toddlerhood,
and these are earthy-farmer babies, so they will be in.the.dirt. 

The first sweater is being made from Miss Babs Yowza in Black Walnut.

This is a photo of the hat I made my dad in February, knit from the exact yarn.

As I have mentioned before, Yowza is my favorite, favorite yarn right now. 

Miss Babs is a color-fairy genius. Go buy some from her.  

It's yummy, and washable, and the skeins are huge... and her colorways? drool.

Second baby sweater (not on the needles yet) will be made from this... 

Which I purchased this morning from Handsome Fibers on etsy.

Nom nom nom.... cannot wait to hold it in my hands. 

~~~~~~

So I spent too much time on Ravelry this morning...

Bought and printed this... 

by Yarn Miracle (Ravelry Link)

MEOW!

Painfully adorable, isn't it? and MADE FROM HANDSPUN. Which I kind of have a lot of.

Not sure which yarn I will use though, digging through the stash starts another insanity-thing I probably cannot handle today. (grin)

This is beyond cute too... and sort of similar. 

I like the idea of skinny arms and legs for teething babies.

Pattern is by Kimberly Kwon of Kkhymn's Corner (Ravelry Link)

Then there is this pattern, a perfect stash buster project, 

especially for someone with a lot of tiny handspun foozles about.

Called Odd Ends by Carina Spencer (Ravelry Link)

LOVE this idea. I could go off in all sorts of directions with this pattern.

Luckily, we needed to move the chickens today, so I was distracted from collecting new projects.

What are YOU working on right now???

Major Case of Start-itis~

This morning I finished Eve's Kerrera (details) (ravelry link), which triggered a serious case of start-itis!
This is a good AND a bad thing. Good because it's cool to have several projects on the needles, having options never hurts. Bad because I am not sure how to stop myself.... ha (maniacal laughter).

On the needles still are...

The Five Year Socks. Lorna's Laces in Amish. Almost to the toe of sock #2, but not in the mood for tiny needles right now so it is in time out. Hopefully they will not turn into six year socks. haha.

My Atelier ~ On sleeve #1 and it is boring me stupid right now. I save that for tune-out knitting when I cannot think anymore and just need to, well... tune out. Fantastic pattern, highly recommended and I am excited to complete and wear it, but zzzzzzz.

NEW projects...
Red Alpaca Dragonfly Cowl~ Just cast on this morning out of nummy Alpaca yarn Co. Paca Peds. (color way is one of their experiments from the lab). This cowl is amazing to wear. I made myself one two years ago and wear it a LOT in the fall and winter. Quick and satisfying project.  Knit about two inches and saw this...

Saroyan scarf~ Researching right now but I am pretty sure I have enough yardage left from my Blue top-down creation to make it. PERFECT yarn for it... Miss Babs Yowza! 

I think blogging about all of this broke the start-itis madness. phew!

Ann's Baby Doll Tunic

Last week I cast on for a variation of the Baby Doll Tunic (here is the Ravelry Link)  

by Rachel of On The Round. 

I am knitting it in Malabgiro Twist in Burgundy. 

This of course changed the gauge as the pattern is written for a bulky/chunky handspun.

The pattern modifications are due to the fact that Ann is 11, not 25.

So I made the neckline smaller and changed the raglan increases 

so they are tighter with no lacey holes showing.

I knit to where I need to put the sleeve stitches on a holder, and tried it on her.

Perfect!

Wait! Except for ONE THING (grrr. grumble. smacking self in forehead)...

See it?

Apparently one of my stitch markers must have fallen off and I replaced it

 in the wrong spot- one stitch over. See how the increases shift?

haha.

So I pulled it out (frogged it) and am reknitting this portion.

Good thing knitting relaxes me, hunh? haha.

AND that I noticed it NOW and not when I was halfway down the body.

Links in this post:

Baby Doll Tunic (Rav Link)

Baby Doll Tunic (pattern link)

On the Round (blog)

Reenie Sweater~

I have been wanting to make myself a sweater from this yarn since Sock Summit (Aug. 08) but could not find a pattern that makes me happy. I am built like I am 5 mos pregnant, but am NOT prego. Wow-- did I just admit that? haha So I am basically stuck between a woman’s XL and plus sizes. The XL are too tight around my middle and the plus sizes too large everywhere else. I am an anomaly. But that is another therapy session entirely. haha.

Knit patterns usually fall in that same conundrum.

So I am designing my own pattern as I go. To flatter those parts I want flattered and mask those that need masked.

This is a top-down raglan sweater, using combined techniques from EZ and BGW and the many patterns I have read. Ravelry Project Link~

Here is a photo of my math and notes...

Gauge is 20 st/ 4 in. and 26 rows/ 4 in. on a sz. 7 needle.

Yarn is Yowza!-Whatta Skein! from MissBabs.com

Colorway is Cadet.

Photo of the front section and the raglan increases~

2/5/10~ Cast on 172 for the neckline. The recommend neck size according to the percentage scale was too tight for my tastes. K2P2 rib for 11 rows (about 1.5 in.)

2/6/10~ did a ton of math and measured a favorite sweater to decide on raglan percentages, etc. Made the back section smaller than the front and am adding short rows to make it longer as I do the raglan decreases. I plan to add about 2 inches in short rows. Today I ripped back to the neck border for the third time and started yet again… all part of the learning process. My short row wraps were making an ugly hole on the right side. I realized the short rows were starting and ending too close to my raglan increases. duh. So I started over and started them 4 stitches from end rather than 2.

2/7/10~ Today I took the time to sit and figured out more detailed math for the yoke. How to space out the short rows, etc. So far so good. knitknitknit.

Photo of the back section (where I am adding the short rows)~

My Wicked Girls~

Photo by Paul... of an orchard in McMinnville, OR.

I just realized that while I am constantly knitting... I rarely post about the knitting.
It is such a huge part of who I am and how I keep myself sane.
Seriously.
It's funny when you see the buttons and shirts that say "I knit so I don't kill people", but it's really kind of true. haha... ahem.

Knitting connects me to tradition. It is meditative and wonderful and I just love it.

I love the math and the challenge and how it calms my neurotic brains and takes me to a calm place where my thoughts can just Be. and it is better for my body than vodka. :)

I am a person who counts everything all.the.time. OCD? not sure, but I do know that when you knit you can count and it is Ok. You are supposed to be perfect and compulsive about your stitches while still being creative. If I go a few days without knitting I find that I am a bit of a wreck...agitated, chewing the inside of my lips...

Enough talking...

I have been working on TWO sweaters at once. For Eve & Ann... same pattern, different color yarn.

Here are the latest knitting pics...

Ann's Wicked Sweater

Ravelry Link

Zephyr Website Link

My Ravelry notes on Ann's Wicked...

~ Been working at both this and Eve’s Wicked sweater pretty heavy the past month or so…

~ They both decided against the pocket, which was fine with me.

~ Need to add more to the length. Which means I have to rip out the cabled edge and put back on the needles and knit some more then redo the cabled edge. I think I will add about 2.5 more inches. I figured she will continue to sprout and this will give her some growing room.

~ I am almost finished with sleeve #2 (still on needles... she is holding the yarn ball in her hand).

Eve's wicked Sweater (see links above)

My Ravelry Notes on Eve's Wicked~

~ I ended up ripping out the bottom cabled edge and adding 3 more inches to the length!
~ I did not do any shaping, one because she is still a kid and the figure does not need enhanced, plus she is still growing and this will give her room.
It is also a bit long for her right now, but the she is 5’7 and only 13!
I figured she will continue to sprout.
~ I have one more sleeve to go and DONE.

Both sweaters are being knit from Miss Babs ~ Yowza! What a skein!

Superwash Merino Ann's in Verdigris and Eve's in French Marigold.

It is delicious yarn. Highly recommended.