The Lion and the Lamb

She's ba-ack

I've been neglecting my weblog for much longer than I should, but I'm back with a vengance! The first thing I want to send out is a belated thank you to my secret pal for the package and the nice note. She (at least I believe it's a she) sent me a package with cake fingers, a pattern book, chenille yarn from a local (to her) mill, lavender eyelash yarn (much softer to the touch than the brand I'd used before), and a thin, nubby rainbow colored yarn.

Oh, and the package also had what looked like a pen, but turned out to be reading (or working) glasses, and a cat key chain. The next picture does more justice to the latter, which wound up rather buried (and backward) in the one above:

I haven't yet decided on a project for the yarns, but I have a few ideas. I think I may use the chenille for a baby garment (maybe a hat) for Stitches from the Heart, with at least some of the eytlash yarn as a trim. The rainbow yarn may also make a good trim for throughout the project. They may also make a good hat on their own, or maybe some gloves or mittens for moi.

In knitting news, I finished the knitting part of my original Charlotte mid-August, as predicted, and set it out for blocking. It still needs the crochet edging mentioned in the pattern, and the crochet lace trim I decided to use instead of fringe in the pattern. Here is my blocking picture.

While Charlotte I was blocking, I started Charlotte II. Charlotte II went much more quickly than her big sister. I think the main reason was my goal to finish it in time for my mother's birthday (which is this Saturday). I also had become more confident in the pattern, to where I could even bring it out and about with me. Charlotte II actually beat Charlotte I in my finishing, because I decided to make the edging before the blocking instead of after. After several false starts (including an edging I ended up hating for Charlotte and frogging--after it was almost complete), I finally finished the edging last night, and set it out to block just before sunset this evening. Unfortunately, the time of day was not conducive to a very good picture, but here is my blocking picture of Charlotte II.

In my last post, I mentioned wishing I'd finished Charlotte I a day or two earlier so I could block her in the place where I house-sat. That evening, I had another reason to wish I'd finished her earlier. I wore a sleeveless dress to DBF's reunion, which was held on a hotel rooftop in downtown San Diego. Even a Southern California summer can get a little chilly at night. It wasn't cold enough to warrant a heavy, zipped-up jacket, but Charlotte's Web would have been just the thing, and would have added a little more elegance to the outfit. Well, there will be other evenings. If all goes well, I should finish the trim on Charlotte I tonight. Then, maybe I can take a picture of both Charlottes draped over the couch.

I have also finished the extra ribbing on the Knicks sweater. I extended the bottom and each sleeve to about 4 inches, which was as much as I dared. Now for the bad news. I'm afraid I forgot to take a picture of the finished (refinished?) sweater before giving it back to DBF ::gives self 40 lashes::. It is now (I assume) on its way back to Poland.

Now that I have the Knicks out of the way, and (almost) both Charlottes, it's time to get back to some socks. I have yet to start the Making Waves socks for the 6-Sox knitalong, and I still have my Baby Cloverleaves to do, as well as the 2-cicrcular needle socks I'd started for my nephew. It's also time to get back to work on Kersti. I mentioned the beret and gloves in my last post, but I now have a picture of a glove in progress:

More finished (and almost finished) objects

I've finished my Flickering Flame socks, and am almost finished with Charlotte! Unfortunately, I'm not posting this from my own computer, so am not in a position to post pictures. I'm now trying to figure out where to block Charlotte. Too bad I didn't finish it a few days ago. I am now house sitting (again) at a house with a nice deck in the back. I could have blocked it on their picnic table, or even their hot-tub cover, and let the sun do it's thing! As it is, this is my last day here. I'm just sending a post prior to packing up and going home. I'll probably either use my bed during the day, or borrow a card table and block Charlotte outside.

Kersti is the reason I haven't yet finished Charlotte. I spent last weekend eagerly working on a pair of Kersti gloves (OK, still working on the first glove). The only "pooling" I've noticed is that the black/dark gray part of the colorway has formed a spiral until it reaches the palm. The other colors proably spiral a little, as well, but the black is the most pronounced. I love the softness of Kersti, and would like to try some of the colorways I've seen in Blogland. I may even make a sweater of it, or maybe some socks as Sharon has done. Although I haven't compared, I suspect Kersti is similar in gauge to the Schaeffer Little Lola I've used before. I'll post pictures of all of this (I hope) in the next couple of days.

As to my upcoming projects, I ended up frogging the "Robbie socks" I mentioned a couple of posts ago. I had not gotten very far on them. I will go back to them after I've gotten a few other objects out of the way. With the exception of Kersti, I haven't yet started any of the projects I mentioned in my "knitting queue." But with only 3 works actively in progress, I've done a lot on all of them.

I now have another unscheduled UFO to do. Several months ago, I machine-knit a Knicks sweater for my boyfriend's friend in Poland. Longtime readers of this blog may remember a mention of it. For the past couple of weeks, DBF has been in Poland visiting this friend. He returned with the sweater, in which the sleeves and bottom need to be lengthened. Luckily, the bottom ribbing was done from the stockinette down, then bound off (as opposed to your standard hand-knit ribbing, where the cast-on edge is the bottom of the ribbing). So I can probably undo the cast-off edge, put it on circulars, and finish from there. My one concern is that the bottom ribbing will be about 4-5 inches, which I've seen on women's sweaters once in a while, but I don't remember ever seeing this on a men's sweater. I'll also need to make a swatch (or 2 or 3) to compare gauge. Since it's machine knit, I can't go by what needle size I used before. But, it should be a short knit, just an afternoon or evening (or workday), and I can now post a picture for you.

Well, talk to you all later. I now have to get everything home, so I can get ready to go to DBF's high school reunion.

To my Secret Pal

Thank you, Secret Pal, for the nice e-mail, and I look forward to getting the parcel you mentioned. Like, I suspect, most of the Secret Pals, I hope I don't sound too greedy in this list, but here are my answers to most of Heidi's suggested Secret Pal questions:

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer high-end/natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you? Since entering Blogland, I've discovered several "high-end" yarns I like, but I wouldn't turn my nose up at acrylics either. The only kind I don't like (or only in small quantities) are the "eyelash" and "sparkle" yarns used mainly in scarves.

2. Do you spin? Crochet? I don't know how to spin--yet, but I do crochet.

3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.) Not many. Smoke is the only one out of those mentioned.

4. How long have you been knitting? Since I was a teenager in the early '80s

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? No

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.) The best way I know of to describe my favorites are the "watery" or "breezy" ones. That is, they have names like "Spring Rain" or "Ocean Breeze". I also like homey, kitcheny scents, like vanilla, and some of the gentler flowery scents, like rose and jasmine. The ones I shy away from (ironically, considering the first two I mentioned) are the ones suggesting tropical food and drink, such as coconut and pina colada.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth? Yes (more than I should)

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? I also enjoy paper crafts (such as scrapbooking and making cards), baking, and (I know this is a stretch) writing.

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if you want to make her a CD) My favorites are 80s and soft rock, but I'm open to almost any kind of music except heavy metal or rap/hip-hop. I do not have MP3 capability.

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? I like just about anything around the color wheel, but my favorites are in the "blue and green and in-between". Also, I prefer "true" or pastel versions of the colors over neons or muted/heathered versions.

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I am single and have two beautiful kitties.

I hope this gives you some ideas, and that I didn't sound too greedy. Have a great day, and I look forward to the next few months.

Happy Birthday, Harry

No craft content in this post:

Though she has other things to do than read knitting blogs, a happy birthday to author JK Rowling, and to her creation, Harry Potter! Though it's hard to believe, based on the books and movies, Harry is 24 today. This can be calculated based on Nearly Headless Nick's party in the book (not the movie) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. As of that party, Nick had been dead for 500 years, and the date on his cake was October 31, 1492, making the "current" year 1992. Harry had turned 12 on July 31st that year, making his birthdate July 31, 1980.

In honor of the day, here is a quiz, courtesy of Katy.

I'm a Ravenclaw!

Reported FO sightings

I now have two more FOs to report and one AFO (almost finished object). I finished my Cloverleaf socks for the Six Sox knitalong (just in time) and have posted the picture there. The other I finished was the Shapely tank for its knitalong. I also anticipate finishing the Flickering Flame summer socks early next week. Here are the pix of the finished projects; they are also in the Finished Objects photo album.

I can now start on the Baby Cloverleaves and on the Kersti project. Actually, another small project has rudely cut in line in front of the poor Baby Cloverleaves. A post on the Six Sox KAL led me to instructions on how to make 2 socks at once on 2 circular needles. Since I've been wanting to learn, I printed out the instructions, intending them for later use. Then I decided I wanted to try it, immediately if not sooner, and that the Cloverleaf socks would be a good place to start. So I ran off to the LYS to get a couple of size 1 circulars, only to find they were out of everything below 3. Undaunted, I bought two of those size 3 circulars, and decided to make a pair of socks for my nephew, Robbie's birthday. I already had some Regia yarn in my stash (black with lengths of red, yellow, green and blue to make narrow stripes). Robbie's birthday is in September and the Cloverleaves' intended recipient isn't due until Halloween, so I thought I could sneak his socks in first. But the Cloverleaf socks will, in turn, cut in line in front of the Making Waves socks (the second of the Six Sox). I've decided to make them out of black Jawoll for DBF, and I have to send away for the yarn.

Charlotte is making slow, but sure, progress. I'm now in the fourth color, and, according to Uli's calculations, just over halfway through. I see several other Charlotteers making crochet lace edgings instead of the fringe in the pattern. I'm thinking of doing the same thing, as I'm not fond of fringes (either to make or to have in a finished object).

Well, off to make progress on socks and shawls, and to start Kersti.

Project Queues

I've received my Kersti in the mail. It is color K139, and not as green as I originally thought, but here is a picture. It had enough green to where I didn't fear grass stains taking the picture on the grass, but enough of other colors so it wouldn't blend in:

As others have said, it is soft. Actually, it's a little less velvety than most wool I've used, but not as smooth as silk. It feels to me more like a cotton/silk blend than a wool. I can now hear loud protest from the cotton nay-sayers in Blogland, but I don't mean it as an insult; I actually like the feel of some cotton blends. I'd almost be tempted to make something summery in it. But I must remember it is wool, and I will stick to the gloves and beret. At least it's not a raspberry color, because I am nothing like the girl in the Prince song "Raspberry Beret," and I am not close to anyone who is. :) I may eventually get more Kersti and knit a pullover like I see others doing. Unfortunately, I am not yet done with the Shapely Tank. It is going quickly, but I promised myself I would finish it before I start on Kersti.

I've noticed something funny lately about my "project queue," the way I have lined up my not-yet-started projects. When I set my WIP limit at 5, the projects I hadn't started seemed to file in like at a bank. I would have "next project" which would start after I'd finished any one of my current WIPs. That reminds me of the the single line at the bank, where the whole thing leads to several tellers, and when you reach the head of the line, you just go to the next available teller. Now my project queue more closely resembles supermarket lines, where each checkstand has its own line, and you choose a line and wait for the cashier of that particular line to get to you. My projects now feel like that; I'm thinking in terms of "When I finish X, I'll begin Y," instead of "I'll start this when I've finished one of my current projects."

I think the reason partially has to do with needles; I don't want my five WIPs to all use, for example, size 2 dpns, or size 8 circulars, because I don't want to have to run out and buy more of the same size and type, nor do I want a clutter of duplicate needles when the projects are done. Another reason is that I like to have a mixture of challenging and mindless projects. I take a mindless project or two to work and work on them there, and I work on the more interesting ones at home. When I'm at any kind of crafts-based meeting, I usually like to have something in between, so I can socialize, but still have something in front of me that keeps my interest. If my queue used the "bank method," I may end up bored out of my skull with 5 "work" projects, or frustrated at work because they are all "home" projects.

Here is my current queue:

Kersti is waiting for Shapely Tank

Making Waves Socks are waiting for Flickering Flame Socks

Cloverleaf Baby Socks are waiting for the matching Cloverleaf "Mommy" Socks

Charlotte II is waiting for Charlotte I

Everyday Cardigan does not have a specific project right behind it, but I'm sure it will when I'm closer to finished.

For those of you who also have multiple works in progress, how do you usually decide when to start a new one? Is it the "supermarket" method or the "bank" one. Or do you usually start it right away, no matter how many WIPs you have going?

One project I forgot to mention in my last post is a crochet cat blanket for Critter Knitters. It is single crocheted on the diagonal with Lion Brand Homespun in Mexicana (click the picture for more detail). I can easily see some calico cat sleeping on it, but no matter what animal gets it, I hope (s)he finds it comfortable. Maybe I'll make another in the Sierra color by July 31. I put aside other projects to make this one, because I noticed how closely the end of the Critter Knitters is looming.

Photo Op

I've finally finished the Homespun Sweater Jacket, and it is (as far as I know) on the way to SIL's mother. The other day, my brother dropped by with his family, and I gave the jacket to SIL. I also found a beginner-level pattern for a similar sweater jacket, with the encouraging title "The World's Easiest Cardigan." Both are made with Lion Brand Homespun on the same size needles, neither has buttons, and both have fronts that fold into pockets. The difference in the pockets is that the one I made folds to the side, while the other front folds up. The biggest difference is that the one I made is with seed stitch and the other is with garter, but they produce a similar weight fabric. I offered the pattern to SIL, but she says she still needs to finish the scarves she started. However, if asked to make any more jackets, I will offer the pattern again. Here is the jacket, posing with the World's Most Beautiful Tabby (not that I'm biased or anything).

So now I'm free to work on the Cloverleaf Socks for the Six Sox knitalong, though I must confess, I did overlap the projects a little. I love the feel of Opal Handpainted. At first, I thought the multi-color might be too much for the pattern, but now it's grown on me. I'm glad I didn't frog it. Here is my Cloverleaf progress so far:

I'm also finally making progress on the Everyday Cardigan and Shapely Tank for their respective knitalongs. I'm almost done with the back of the Everyday Cardigan. It's a little thicker than I'd like for San Diego, and I almost wish I'd used larger needles and the worsted weight pattern, even though I'm using Peace Fleece sport weight yarn. But I may be thinking that because it's July, and definitely not cardigan weather.

On the tank, I'm done with the front, and up to the waist on the back. I'm happy with it except that the bottom keeps folding up, but blocking should take care of that. This is the first project I've knit with Lion Brand Microspun (I've only crocheted with it before). It is a little splitty, but I love the way it feels in stockinette stitch! And if I cut off short lengths (about 2-3 inches) and split them, each ply makes a great marker for projects like socks, where plastic store-bought ones can distort the stitch size. Here are pictures of my so-far progress of both Everyday and Shapely.

And now for my favorite project, Charlotte. Here is my progress so far on Charlotte the First. As of this picture I was up to row 74, but I'm now a few rows beyond that. More pix when I've added the next color:

And here are the colors for Charlotte II.

From left to right (and inside to out once they are knit), they are 414 (which is also Color 1 on Charlotte I), 602 (which is slightly more orange than the picture), 118, 124 and 440. I call this colorway "Coral Reef" (with apologies to the guys at Threadbear if they've come up with a colorway by that name, or to anyone else who has used that name).

I've also decided to join the Kersti-along hosted by Annie, Margene and Mary Beth. I've ordered Kersti in a green colorway from Threadbear, along with a patterns for gloves and a beret. Though both patterns are knit, I'm going to knit the gloves and crochet the beret (I'm a poet and don't know it). By the time I receive the pattern and yarn, I hope to have finished the Shapely Tank (thereby keeping to my WIP limit of 5). Besides, I want to finish the tank in the summer, while I can still wear it! :)