Finished Objects....Woohoo!

I have been busy working on using up stash yarn to complete projects.  Here is a list of my recent accomplishments.

I worked on Boomslang as a gift for my friend Rebecca.  I posted about casting this on before, but was very vague in the description.  You can see her happily wearing it here.  I used Knitpicks Stroll Tonal in Golden and Stroll Solid in Ash, as well as a size 4 needle. 





I also completed my first sweater for my 11 sweaters in 2011 project.  I present to you, VAILA! 






I love this sweater.  I finished it just in time for Valentine's Day.  I made it with Malabrigo Worsted in the  Amoroso colorway.  I absolutely love it.  I made a few modifications by making it from the top down, and also adding a column of knitted stitches on the side to make a "seam".  It is warn and squishy, and I really didn't want to take it off. 

I have alse been making some projects from my miles and miles of stash. Here are a few of them.

A Button tab hat for my friend's girlfriend (Birthday Present)


A Thermis for me (Still needs buttons)


A Scrunchable Cowl for me.





I also received an exquisitely beautiful LaReine shawl from my knitting buddy Jane as a gift. She actually hand dyed the yarn, and our friend Angela designed the pattern. It is super gorgeous.


Whew!  Time to get started on LaReine for mommy in a Kumquat colorway!

Welcome 2011! Happy New Year!

I wouldn't say that I have any resolutions to make.  But, I will say that I have a few goals.
1. Knit More  - Last year I embarked on a 10 in 2010 mission, and didn't complete it.  I partied the summer away, and turned my nose up at my needles.  I tried to knit with full steam at the end of the year, only to become engrossed in some serious holiday cooking and baking that didn't allow for my hands to get tangled in yarn.  I am still happy though, and you have seen the rum cake that proved it.  My family is happy, and well fed.  Now, if my head can just be happy with me finishing that incomplete hat.  Sigh....

2. Study More for my GRE.  I need to ace this test in order to go to the school that I want to go to.  So, basically I have to re-learn middle school math.  (What do you mean they are not testing us on indefinate integrals... awww man!) Well, it's a good thing that knitting actually enables your mind to take in more information.  I am going to need it.  They changed the GRE to a new format that actually allows for more analytical thinking.  Hmmm that is right up my alley.

3.  Replace store bought sweaters with knitted sweaters. I have a bunch that have lived past their lifetime.  It is time to get the things that I am not using out of the closet, so that I can make room for nicer things.  Now, let's refer to #1 for again.  I have a ton of yarn that is all skeined up, and I would like to move it from the yarn cabinet to the actual clothing cabinet.  Most of the time, people ask if I made what I am wearing.  I want to say "Yes" all of the time. 

4.  Knit for 11 in 2011.  I know I didn't finish the 2010 challenge, but I can still strive for the 2011 one with a new strategy. 

OK, that's about it for now.

I leave you with the current progress of Vaila, that I casted on January 2, 2010.  Let's see if I can finish it by January 2, 2011.  Haha!  I'm so close. 

Floppy Silk

I had joined the earflaps of my snowboarder hat, and completed 1 round of the pattern.  But to me, it looked kind of floppy. The pattern initially called for chunky yarn on size 10.5 needles.  I used Paton's SWS yarn, because I saw a few other people on Ravelry use it successfully.  However, the material reminded me of....... GASP!  ..... Lace!    Not sturdy as a cabled hat should be.  I could see some semblence of space between my stitches. The truth was, it really should have been knit on size 9 needles, which in my mind is optimal for this yarn.  I was too lazy to do test swatches, and math to see if it would fit an adult head if it was knitted on a smaller needle.  Let's just assume that the answer is "NO" and that the hat would be perfect for my little 2 year old cousin.  Seriously, a hat doesn't need to be so much work.  So, off to the frog pond this piece of silky flop goes.  Farewell my dear friend. 

Immediately after the frog, I casted on THIS!

I decided to make a Thermis for the gift exchange instead of the hat.  Who doesn't love a Neckwarmer?  I am using Knitpicks Wool of the Andes in Iris Heather.  The color really looks beautiful if you take a picture of it with no flash.  I am about 65% complete.  This has been my subway knitting for the past 2 days.  I love the way people look at how fast my hands are moving, like I am some kind of alien or something.  When I feel them watching me, I quickly glance up at them, sometimes staring intently, while I just keep on knitting.  I am sure that confuses them even more.  How can she knit and not look at her knitting???  LOL!  Then they embarassingly look away as if to say "Damn, she caught me staring".

I haven't neglected my Vaila.  I knit on it last night while watching Vampire Diaries that I had taped on my DVR.  Currently, the sleeve is 7 inches long.  I still have 100 more rounds to go before I can start the edging pattern.  Ugh!  This purling is driving me crazy.  I have tried the Norwegian Purl method, but I am still very slow with it.  So, back to regular purling I go. 



More Deep V Argyle Pictures

I decided to take some pictures of my Deep V Argyle Vest that were a little bit lighter.  Overall, I loved this pattern.  I sewed the steeks before cutting, and that part wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.  The fit is great, and I am very proud of my work.  I am even more proud of the fact that I finished a serious garment in less than a month.  Wow! 







Here is the next project that I am trying to complete.  It is part of my 10 in 2010 projects that I started last January.  It has been hibernating waaaaaay too long.  This was supposed to be a project that I finished in less than 1 month.  Somehow I got sidetracked...sigh.  Well, it was 36 degrees outside last night, so if that isn't a reason to hurry up and finish a knit sweater, I don't know what is. When I read the directions, I realized that I have to purl 148 rows, then do the bottom edge pattern on the ends of the sleeves.  No shaping at all.  So, why didn't I just finish this before?  This is mindless purling.  Hopefully I can knock this out in a few nights watching some Netflix movies. Once the sleeves are complete, I will use the remainding yarn to add a little length to the bottom border of the sweater. 

Ravelympics Roundup!

I have been such a stranger to my blog.  I am so sorry.  I have just gotten so caught up with doing 365 in Flickr, and working late, that my poor blog seems to suffer.  For all the readers out there, I am so sorry.  i will try my best to keep things a little more updated.

As it stands now, I am taking part in Ravelympics 2010.  Last Ravelympics, I failed miserably trying to do a sweater and a pair of socks.  The sweater has since been completed, got a moth hole in it, been repaired and washed, blocked, and worn to work.  Yay!  I am so glad that I was able to save it.  Warning!  Clothing moths like Alpaca too. The socks are still a UFO, because I just don't like how the yarn feels, and I feel like i am knitting with brillo.  Over the course of time I have grown to appreciate finer grades of sock yarn, so my tastes have changed.  Who knows if I will ever get a chance to finish them.

So we move on to 2010.  The winter Olympics is ON AND POPPIN'.  The US has won 20 medals, and I would like to believe that part of the reason was because I was knitting while I was glued to the television set every night.  I belong to 2 ravelympics groups; Team Sit N' Knit NYC, and Team 10 in 2010. For my Sit N Knit entry, I decided to do WIPs Wrestling, and complete my Mulled Wine Raglan Cardigan using Cosmic Pluto's design.  I am proud to say that at this point, I have completed the body and am working on the sleeves 2 at a time.  I feel like a figure skater who has completed their second to last Triple Axel. One more to go! Here is a picture.

My second entry into the WIP category is my February Fitted Pullover that was supposed to be my NaKniSweMo project.  Well.... that wasn't completed in time for that, but I still wanted to wear it this winter so I decided to enter it into this category.  All I have to do is sew on the sleeves, and finish the neckline.
Here is a picture.

My entry for my Team 10 in 2010 group is the Sexy Vesty made out of Lion Brand Cotton-Ease in Azalea.  This yarn was originally bought for Hey Teach, but I frogged it because I didn't like how it was coming out. I started this on Tuesday night, and this was my progress after knitting group on Wednesday.  I have knit about 115 yards so far.

Before Ravelympics started, I was working on Vaila during the month of January.  I decided to work on it from the top down. I have completed the waist shaping. Here is a picture.

Here are my charts for my 10 in 2010 progress.