Moved

This blog has moved to

http://www.shalenaknits.com

See you there!

All over the place

I have 5 or 6 projects going at once. I'm having a great time going from project to project, knitting as I please. Feeling frustrated with one and switching to another for a day or two. My newest is a blanket for my baby girl. I got the Lion Brand Catalog in the mail the other day and was browsing through it and saw a pretty looking blanket (sweet cherries blanket) so decided to give it a try. I've never used acrylic before because I don't like how it feels, but this one called for their microspun yarn, its nice and smooth and soft. I don't mind knitting with it at all. The blanket is knit on size 10 needles, so its been going pretty fast. As of this morning I'm just about half done. The only problem I have with it is that the yarn is splitty and so I've found a few flaws in the stitches where I've missed a bit or yarn. I took these pictures two days ago so it isn't up to date, I've pretty much doubled it since.


I also added a bit more yarn to my stash to make a cardigan for Julian. I have the yarn and a pattern for Hazel, so I wanted to make one for my boy too. :)

I like the color combo!

Leaf Cardigan Progress

I still have a ways to go, but its coming along, and looking really nice!

Knitting as Meditation

This was passed on to me by a friend:

Knitting as Meditation

A friend recently taught me to knit. So I took my needles on retreat with me last week to practice knitting mindfully. As I completed a row of stitches, a Persian woman sat down next to me and told me her story.

Her daughter is a yoga teacher who was preparing to embark on a yatra to India. She wanted to take a gift as an offering to the swami, so the mother knitted her daughter a shawl. When the daughter's group arrived at the ashram, they began to unpack their offerings. The swami immediately moved toward the shawl and declared, "This is for me."

What was so special about the shawl that it drew the swami's attention? As the mother was knitting, she mentally chanted "Om" with every stitch, infusing the garment with a vibration of the divine. Her story inspired me to incorporate chanting into my own knitting. The physical manifestation of my meditations, when completed, will go to loved ones for a bit of warmth and divine grace this winter.

From Yoga Journal, November 28, 2006 — Issue 233.

And now, socks!

Le Leg.

I'm having a lot of fun with this little project. I might catch the sock knitter bug after all. :)

Sock Yarn!

4 skeins wildfoote, 2 skeins Lorna's Laces

So busy with the knitting

I haven't updated in a week because I've been to busy knitting! Last week I started a pair of Fiber Trends felted clogs for my husband. He'd been asking me for slippers since before christmas, so I finally decided to make him some for his birthday (which was 12 days ago). I have one done and the sole of the other almost finished. I have second slipper-itis. The first one was exciting, but the second, not so much. I plan to sit down and get it finished by Tuesday.
Next, I started my cropped leaf cardigan. Its coming out beautiful. I've already finished the yoke and have the sleeves separated. I'm working on the body now. Its a pretty quick knit and fun to work on. The yarn (knit picks andean silk) is a bit splitty, but I'm loving it anyhow. Its very soft and shiny.

I took this picture two days ago, I'm about 2 inches past this part now. its hard to see since its all rolled up.

This is my favorite part of it so far:














The increase was worked by knitting into the stitch front and back on each side of the marker. It turned out really pretty. Anyhow, I'm proud of myself, this is my first sweater!

Next up, I got this lovely yarn in the mail Wednesday. I'll be making Hazel a Debbie Bliss Cardigan as soon as I finish Jeff's slippers. I am a bit surprised that it will take 6 hanks of yarn for a baby sweater, but we shall see.

Knit Picks Twirl in Petal and Knit Picks Ambrosia in Mint

Enjoy your weekend!

Stash additions

Look what I got this weekend!

Fitted Knits and Rebecca 27

And this came in the mail today:

Knit Picks Andean Silk

Six skeins of Andean Silk in Lettuce, for the Leaf Cardigan Pattern in the current issue of knitty (also in fitted knits). I can't wait to cast on for it and get going!

Picture Post

Well here she is. I must admit, at first glance it looks just lovely, and I am really proud to have gotten this far. With a newborn and a toddler, knitting a pattern that takes my full attention is really hard! I can usually get 4-6 rows done, and then have to put it down. Mistakes are bound to happen.
This picture shows how I ended up with a mis-centered leaf pattern. You can see the 4 knit stitches that are off to the left by one stitch. I don't really know how this happened, but I am pretty sure its a result of a mistake that happened a while back that I just tried to cover up and hope that it would work itself out. Obviously not. Hee hee.









This picture shows the mistake I was just referring to. Another stitch i either missed or did to early or something. It goes along pretty well for 8 rows and then moves over to the right again. No idea. Terrible anyhow. Time to frog her. I've come to terms with it, no big deal (Wahhh).






Now, some more exciting pictures:

What could this be? Nothing yet! I have to recast it on, my tail wasn't long enough.

That's my kool-aid dyed Cascade Pastaza. After casting it on last night, I decided I don't really like the yarn. Its scratchy and the llama hairs keep getting in my mouth. Who knows how. It may not work out for its planned object.

This here is a hat:






Its not done, but those short rows are beautiful to me. Actually, I'm lying, it is done. I just made it a pointy hat, but I want a rounded top instead, so back on the needles it goes. The pattern is by Fiber Trends, it knits up really easily. I'll get the name for it when I post the whole thing after its "redone".

Sorry the formatting on this is all goofy. I tried to be all hip with picture placement, but its just turning out unhip. C'est La Vie!

Nothing good

I'm really disappointed at myself with this scarf. I was looking at it closely last night and realized that my last leaf pattern (8 rows) have somehow shifted by one stitch and off center. I really really hate frogging this thing because I have a hard time picking up the yarn overs. In fact, twice now I've ended up a stitch short and just increased somewhere and hoped it worked out. Really, I just need to start it over. My mother in law can get a nice card and some flowers. The wonderful (terrible) scarf will be mine (after i restart it).

In other exciting news, the new MagKnits is out. I want to make Ada June since Intarsia has always looked awesome to me. I'll have to work on my knitting technique first, since I pick up the yarn and throw it over the needle for every stitch. I can just imagine the tangles I'd end up with.

Planning Ahead

I bought the yarn for Knitty's Leaf tonight. I didn't get Cascade Indulgence because I didn't want to spend to much (its around 9.00 a skein) so instead decided on Knit Picks Andean Silk. I got 6 skeins for almost half the price.
I'm a little nervous about taking on something so big, but the pattern is not beyond my skill level so I'm excited. I also want something for me that I can wear and feel fabulous in. :)

Scarf progress and my yarn

I've been trying to quickly knit up the column of leaves scarf, and its coming along. I have to pay close attention to the pattern for every row or I end up losing my place and having to frog back a row or two. After ripping it apart 3 or 4 times I decided to place lifelines after every 8 rows (the pattern repeat). Its looking quite nice, and I'm pretty sure I'll get it done by Mother's day, if not I'm not to worried - my MIL doesn't expect anything more then a card, so I can give it to her later on.


I finished Hazel' LTK soaker last night. I'm really disappointed with how my kitchener came out, so I won't be showing it. She's wearing it right now, its a bit big in the thighs, but fits everywhere else.

The yarn came out great. Its all dried and in my stash now, waiting to be knit up into something fun.

Afternoon project

I used kool-aid and dyed some yarn this afternoon. It was a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to doing it again.
Washing the yarn:

Mixing the dye, 2 packs cherry, 1 pack grape:

The yarn in the dye right before putting it in the microwave:
The yarn after it came out (see how the water is clear now? Rad.)

Washing it again:
And all done, hanging in the shower to dry:


It actually turned out better then I thought it would. I can't wait for it to dry so I can twist it back up and see what it looks like that way.

(I have no idea what I'll do with it, mind you. Its 50% llama, 50% wool).

Small change of plans with the column of leaves scarf

First, what a hard pattern to follow. I have to keep a page in front of me and follow stitch by stitch so I don't lose my place, and if I do, I have a really hard time figuring out where I am again. I've frogged it three times already.
Anyway, so I was knitting it and realized my mother in law would probably love one and decided to make her one for mothers day. I stopped by my LYS and got some yarn in a color she'd like. Now I have a knitting deadline, my first one!

In Progress: LTK Original Soaker

The LTK original soaker is almost done. I just need to find a quiet place and do the kitchener thing.
I love love love the colors in of the yarn. I'm using malabrigo alpine pearl. Its really pretty.
I made a size small, so it won't fit Hazel for probably a month. She's in between sizes right now - her curly purly soakers fit, but she's growing out of the others in the rise.
I use magic loop for most of my in the round projects. My husband is a little concerned. ;)

New project - Column of Leaves scarf

I've been drooling over my stash of malabrigo for the past couple of weeks, picturing all the pretty things I could knit up from each different hank. When I ordered, I made sure to get two hanks of Autumn forest, because I knew exactly what I wanted to knit with it. The colors are perfect for Brooke's Column of Leaves Scarf.

Pretty isn't it? I'll use the second hank and any left overs to make Julian a pair of shorties.

While reading a favorite knitting blog

I came across this handy tidbit:

"Changing any pattern to your desired gauge.... Just multiply the number given in the pattern by a gauge adjustment ratio (your gauge/pattern gauge). Its almost like following the pattern, just with a calculator!"

The awesome blog that came from can be found here: http://www.streetsandyos.com/

Knitting nightmare

I had a dream last night I ran out of yarn half way through my current project. Scary!

New stitch markers!

Look at these lovely markers! There's two more of each of the ones on the ends, but they are on my current project at the moment.

FO: malabrigo wondershorts in citrus

I finished these last week and Hazel has been wearing them since. I just got around to blocking them this morning (hence the little white dots - they're pins).








This was my first time doing picot edging and I love how it turned out. Unfortunately i didn't think about the fact that it will roll up. I have to block the heck out of them every so often, I guess! :)

FO: Two cotton dishcloths

I used sugar'n'cream cotton yarn for both of these, the patterns I found on knitting pattern central. I really liked knitting the purple one up, the pattern looks nice, and was fun to do, but the other cloth was called "Simple seed stitch" - the image in the pattern made it look a lot nicer then it turned out. The edges also roll in which I'm not happy with. I need to weave in the yarn still and finish them off.

No pictures yet, but

I have a lot to upload today! I've finished the NB Wooly Wonderpants I was knitting out of Lorna's Laces "clay", finished my dish cloths, and mostly finished a punk knitters NB soaker. The soaker's leg holes turned out quite small, and I think I'll frog back some and add a few more rows to the rise and put it back together. No big deal since I messed up my kitchener while grafting it closed anyways. When all the books tell you to turn off music and get away from all distractions before kitchenering, they mean it. Its easy to make a little mistake and mess up the whole thing.

The other day I got some lovely malabrigo in the mail, the colorway is citrus. I thought it was more orange then pink, and was hoping it would make cute unisex shorties (maybe longies, we'll see), but there is a lot of pink. It reminds me of a grapefruit. I love it, but if we have a boy its not really suited for one.

I can't find my tapestry needle, so all my FO's aren't all woven in yet. I'll get to posting pics soon.

Sharing pictures of my progress

I'm still working on the Wonderpants:



And here's a closeup of Jeff's scarf I'm working on - its a pretty red and burgundy baby alpaca.



Click for larger images. :)

Newborn hat

That probably isn't so "newborn" sized. This was my first time using cotton yarn for something other then a dishcloth and I think my gauge was a little bit off.

It has a cute rolled brim, and a top knot. Half way up the hat are some hearts, which I purled so they'd stand out rather then switching colors.