Sil's Fab Knitblog

Phildar-sky and such

I got my hands on my Phildar yarn.  It was waiting for me when I got home today.  Yay!

There are two weights of Phildar Partner (6 and 3.5), chunky and dk respectively for me to make my lovely Cable Front sweater from the new Fall/Winter Phildar magazine.  The colorway is called "Brume" so I used my handy translation iPhone app and found out that means "mist".  It's more of a taupe to my eye though, but I'm not sure what color mist is in France.  Perhaps my San Francisco fog is whiter than French brume.  I will look into that when next I go to Paris.

Anyhoo, next up is swatching and finishing up the last sleeve of Anhinga.  Unfortunately I'm dead tired, so a nap is in order first.

Zzzzz.

Project time (homage to Flight of the Conchords)

When I work, I usually don't have time or energy to knit.  I worked seven out of the last eight days so I'll show off what I'm working on when I'm not working.  You follow?   Walk this way...

Firstly I've stared Cassie's Norn Socks.   They look nice in solid colors and I only had this navy tweed on hand.  I don't think it's the best yarn for this sock, but I like it well enough and I'm sure I'll make more of these with some yummy yarn I pick up somewhere.  I LOVE this sock pattern!

I've also progressed nicely on my OFA Little Red Scarf.  This is a Malabrigo Worsted yarn and the cable is Lancet Braid from Barbara Walker's Third Treasury.  It's a long chart repeat, but I love those long ones and it's pretty easy to keep track of where you are with a post it.  Heaven forbid I lose my post it though.

The last knitting example is the start of my first sleeve of Anhinga. What can you say about a sleeve that would be interesting.  Not much.  The sweater is great so far (it's got a triangular insert in the center front) so I'm hoping to finish it very soon, even though it's over 90 degrees today.

Another reason to hurry is that I ordered the yarn for the Phildar Cable Braid sweater (aka 021 - #2A).  I'd thought I could sub a yarn for the Phildar yarn, but after reading the pattern I discovered that the body of the sweater is a DK weight and the braided part is chunky weight.  The thought of finding two different weight yarns in the same color made my head spin, so I ordered the Phildar Partner 6 and 3.5.  I can't wait for it to get here.  I've got lots of time off at the end of the month and the crafty urges are busting to get out.

Anhinga is a bird

I've been knitting away on my Malabrigo version of Anhinga.  This pattern is from Berroco: Norah Gaughan Collection Vol. 5 btw. I subbed the Malabrigo for the yarn specified because I like it better and it was half the price of the one called for.

I've finished the back, front pieces and center dangly bit.  I still need to make sleeves (of course) and the floppy collar that is so freaking adorable.  Just a bit more work.

Unfortunately I'm at work all this week so knitting this sweater will have to wait.  As will the sewing projects I'm chomping at the bit to start.  Perhaps there was the teeniest bit of fabric purchased at Stonemountain on the half off floor.  Perhaps.  Cannot confirm or deny.

I love fog

Perhaps if the sun comes out later today I can get some pics of my Anhinga work in progress.  It's a dark gray/black Malabrigo, so sun will be key to actually seeing anything even remotely interesting.

In lieu of sun, I shall shine the light on my new fave Phildar mag, Autumn no. 21.  I've not like the past few Phildars enough to order them.  They have to meet a higher standard because of the high overseas shipping costs.  This Autumn mag had me breaking out the google machine and ordering away.

I've pulled out a few of my faves, that with enough time and will I hope to make.  Well, I hope to make at least one.

Here's hoping for a bit of sunshine.

Up all night

I awoke this afternoon after working an overnight flight and was raring to knit (and eat candy for breakfast).  Odd that.  Maybe because I canknit from the comfort of my hotel bed (shoutout to the uber comfy beds at the Doubletree).  I am quite lazy after an allnighter, which is why I hate them.

OK, what was I raring to knit?  A scarf?!  In the heat of summer?  Yes indeed.  I wanted to knit a scarf for Norma's fave OFA Red Scarf Foundation Project.  I would walk across hot lava for Norma, so scarf knitting is really a small thing to ask.  I found the perfect red yarn in my increasingly favorite Malabrigo Worsted yarn with the colorway Sealing Wax.  I love this yarn and if it's soft enough for me, it should be good for a college kid with something going on.

The pattern I wanted to knit eluded me.  I trolled Rav and found many inspirational scarves.  I also found scarf "patterns" for sale for $5 and $6 that seemed to be directly "imported" from one of the Barbara Walker Stitch Treasuries.  Right.  Well luckily I own all the Barbara Walkers and have enough sense to dream up a scarf pattern all on my own.  I'll use my $5 to buy a latte and a cookie.

I finally decided to knit up a big old cable.  I hadn't liked my swatches that were reversible, so I hope my recipient likes cables too.  Plus the back side of a cable is still nice enough looking that strangers wouldn't stop and point.  The Lancet Cable is a 46 row repeat that is 28 stitches across.  I added a couple of extra stitches at the sides and chose a Chain Garter Selvedge from M. Stanley's Knitter's Handbook and just started knitting.  I'm planning on knitting until I run out of yarn, so I hope 420 yards of worsted weight will be enough.  That sounds like enough right?

Summertime dressing

I finally buckled down and finished the last few bits of this sundress.  I used some poppy printed cotton and New Look #6774 which has you pick the elements of the dress you want in a frankensteiny way.  I used D, J, K and L (I think).  Note: I would not recommend the curved straps for beginner sewers, as they're a bit awkward to manage.

Of course I didn't sew it up the way they wanted and to confuse matters further I used an invisible zipper which has different installation needs.  I ended up having to sew the front bodice facing in by hand, which as you know, means the dress won that particular battle.

I think it just needs a stitch at the boob crossover so I don't flash the masses, not that there's anything wrong with that...Summer sewing is kinda like potato chips, can't stop with one.

The Olsen twins of socks...

Yippee!  Something's finished!

My travelling project has been Traffic Island Socks in Vesper Sock Yarn (colorway is In the Wildwood) and even if I must say so myself, I think they're darn nifty looking.  The pattern is super easy to memorize and I can testify that you can knit it successfully with rampant sleep deprivation.  Vesper Sock Yarn will now be the standard I measure all other sock yarns.  I love it that much.  I shall be moving in with Julia and her SO as soon as they return my phone calls.  Not really, but this is love people.  Did I mention that this sock yarn was a present from my sister?  See, more love.

I did attempt to make these socks identical twins, but I fear that like those Olsen twins, they are fraternal.  I also know I can't tell those Olsen girls apart, so there are degrees of fraternal.  I will deem these socks "identical fraternal twins".  There we shall leave it.

OK, now onto the subject of air travel which I don't get into much on this here knitting blog.  But it is summer and there are many novice travellers hitting the skies.

Old yella...

Yella Cardie (rav link) is done!  I finished her up last week, but then had six days of work before ends could be woven in and buttons sewn on.  I got that done today, just in time for a warming trend.

Yella Cardie is a drop shoulder, dolman sleeve V-neck cardie.  I know when you read those words "drop shoulder" and "dolman" you automatically think 80's.  Not so you naythinkers.

I decreased at the under arm in a pretty arc to get a comfy dolman fit, but no batwings or to make enough extra material to store nuts for the winter.  I ended up picking up the sleeves from the body and knitting down to a 3/4 sleeve length.  Easy.  Granted I did have to make those sleeves a few times before my math matched my ideas, but I got there in the end.

What I ended up with is a useful, comfy summery cardie.  And considering I live in California, I should actually get lots of use for this one.

Specs:  yarn - Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool color 30 (gold yellow); pattern is my own; buttons are wood and from Joann's.

Photo colors a bit wonky as the camera wasn't cooperating today.

Finished up

Despite being in the finishing stages of a few projects, I have completed none of them.  I've had time and opportunity, just not the will it seems.  Alas.  Now it's my "Sunday" and tomorrow begins a rather long six day work stretch, and my suitcase won't be holding any almost done projects waiting for a finish.

Instead of weaving in ends and hemming sundresses (it's too cold to wear it anyway) I started Anhinga.  I ordered the pattern booklet (Berroco: Norah Gaughan Vol. 5) off Webs and it came the other day.  The pattern calls for Berroco Pure Merino.  I checked it out at the yarn shop and thought it was ok, didn't love it and then saw it was put up in 92 yard balls.  Grr. That would have been one pricey sweater.  Luckily Malabrigo was displayed close by and I found the perfect colorway in the charcoal gray Tortuga, plus it was easier on the wallet.  Did I mention the color was the perfect one I'd imagined in my head?

Turns out mindless stockinette on size 9 (5.5mm) needles goes pretty darn quickly.  I've completed the back and one of the side fronts in just the blink of an eye.  Crazy.  Yes, I hear all of you saying "doh!" right now.

Ok, send some finishing mojo so I weave in a few ends and get Yella Cardie on the right track.

Socks of a different color

I thought after the last pair of bright fantastic socks, I'd whip up something a bit more sedate.  Well, not too sedate - that's no fun.

I grabbed a gorgeous skein of Vesper Sock Yarn in the "In the Wildwood" colorway that Claudia gave me for my birthday.  I wanted a pattern that would highlight the pretty stripes that form when it's knit up.  It also can't be super complicated since it's a road project.

I used the pattern filter on the Ravelry and came across the Traffic Island Socks.  Cute chevron stripes and a two line stitch pattern.  Easy as pie.  I'm just using the stitch pattern and 64 stitches, we're going back to the short row heel and toes this time around.  Flaps just aren't me.