Good-bye November

So, here we are again. On the bright side, November is finally on its way out the door. I don't know about where you are but here the weather hasn't been doing anything to further endear this month to me.  Dreary, drizzly rain all week, and more on the way. 

On another note, shortly after my last post the blocking of the blanket was finally complete and I gave it to its eagerly awaiting owner (who loved it). 

 

 

 

 

Up until this point I haven't formally reviewed any patterns or yarns I've used.  I think you and future me will definitely find it useful if I do.  The pattern is The Bobble Baby Blanket and is available as a paid pattern on Ravelry.  It is a well written PDF and is clearly illustrated with many photographs.  I would totally recommend the pattern.  That said, I found it slightly frustrating that the yarn requirements are listed in grams rather than yards.  My friend had already made this blanket in Cascade 220, so I did the logical thing and converted her yardage into my KnitPicks Swish DK, arriving with an order of 11 skeins in Sugar Plum.  I used 8 skeins and wound up with a blanket whose length spanned our double sized guest bed.  It's not the end of the world at all, but it is definitely surprising.  

Now onto the yarn.  Generally I liked the yarn - it was consistent.  There were no knots in it, and it was pretty soft, though not as soft as Cascade 220 superwash.  I washed it in Eucalan even though it is machine-washable, simply because I didn't want to mess it up before giving it to the new owner.  It smelled distinctly of wet sheep when I took it out of the laundry sink.  This is likely a good sign, one that means it actually came from a sheep, but it was a bit alarming to me, who had not yet washed a large project entirely made of wool.  The other thing I learned is that I hate that colourway.  I'm not sure if it was the colour itself or the lack of variegation in the yarn, but either way by the end I wanted nothing to do with Sugar Plum or anything resembling it.  It just seemed dead to me.  Once it was all washed and blocked and set aside and I was no longer forced to look at it, I liked it again.  Over all I would recommend this yarn to someone else, and I would knit with it again, but it would not be my first choice. 

Snapping me out of this colour funk is my latest love, as you know, my ripply blanket.  I am loving this project for all it's wacky colour changes, plus this yarn is soft, soft, soft!  The only problem I'm having so far with this is that I start getting a blister if I work too long on it.  Solution - alternate with knitting.  Hehehe.

 

And what am I knitting?  My UFO socks that have been shoved in my knitting bag begging for some love since well before I got married last June.  What can I say?  It turns out that I'm a fickle and unfaithful crafter.  But at least I always come back.  

 

November clearly wasn't all bad.  Mr. Frogged took me to my favourite Mexican restaurant, Dos Amigos, the other day, and allowed me to knit socks in public while drinking a lime margarita.  The food was great, the drink was great, the knitting got a little sketchy - I'm not gonna lie.  I don't think one is meant in any realm to turn a heel and consume alcohol.  It's just a thought.  But look how far I've gotten!  Erin from the Anatomy of Knitting Podcast is right.  No matter what happens, you always feel very clever after turning a heel.  I used some bastardized version of Wendy Johnson's Toe Up Socks With a Difference.I'm working with Shibui Knit Socks and I do like it very much.  It's boingy somehow and feels good on my foot (in my first pair of socks). I'm kinda champagne taste with a beer budget when it comes to sock yarns, so it's fortunate that I have small feet and that I like ankle socks so I get 2 pairs per skein. 

What I don't understand is how I ended up with this crazy hole in each corner?  Is it because I didn't wrap my stitches?  But the pattern stops wrapping after a certain point.  Is it because I didn't keep track of when to stop working across and occasionally knit right the way across?  I think that might cause this but any confirmations would be greatly appreciated.  Post me a comment to help solve this mystery. 

Lastly, I went to a thrum mitten class at Serenity Knits in Newmarket this weekend.  I cannot say enough good things about this store.  It's such a pleasant relief from the small, overfull stores you often find in The City.  It's roomy, but not overwhelming.  There is a lot of selection, and their yarns are clearly selected with care.  In case you don't know, thrums are essentially 4 inch bits of roving that are worked into stitches within a mitten, or hat, or sock to add a fleecey layer of warmth to the garment.  Traditionally, I learned from Beth who taught the class, they were used in Newfoundland and Labrador in unwashed wool providing the fishermen with warm and waterproof mittens.  Naturally I bought the materials for the class - Fleece Artist Thrummed mitten kit - Yum, and I am making this first pair for Mr. Frogged in a lovely green colour as you can see, and in a size large because he's got big hands and is obviously masochistic by requesting such a big mitten.  Can you see the cute little heart-shaped stitches that the thrums create?  I mean, very manly arrow shapes....

Naturally, to dispell mitten envy, and quite possibly theivery, I had to buy a kit for myself in this luscious red.  Please ignore my finger encroaching on the photo.  I'm posting unusually late tonight and promise I will get you better pictures of my mitt yarn soon.

 

There was a 10% off student discount at Serentiy, so I obviously bought something else too.  Oops...

It's not my fault.  Really it couldn't be helped.  First of all, it's the coolest sock yarn in the world because it's designed for two at a time socks and has been dyed two strands at a time, allowing me to make identical socks without having to curse out loud.  Second, it begged to be brought home with me and practically hopped in my knitting bag when I threatened not to succumb.  I had to buy it or risk the yarn framing me with shoplifting.  Tough decision, but someone's got to make it.  

Oh jeez, I'm getting a serious case of the head nods so I better go to bed.  Until next time, friends, Happy Crafting!

Not Off the Hook Yet

Look at me go! Two posts in one week, I must have my blogging mojo back.

First and foremost, I finished the bobble blanket! Yay! Well, ok let's be honest here. I finished CROCHETING the blanket, but it's still wet and blocking with a few...erm...loose ends.

Wanna see? I thought as much. Well...ok.




That's the blanket before being pinned. Imagine my horror when I realized that my chain edge was so tight that my beautiful bobbly blankie was all wibbly! However, after some creative fanangling it looked like this:




Much better!

When I began this blog, the intent was for it to be a knitting blog, but since then all I keep doing is crocheting blankets! The next one's on the hook. See?

It's my Ripple Blanket. I'm using a slightly (accidentally) modified version of the pattern Lucy gives here in her Attic24 blog. It's going pretty quickly and I like it so far.

I'm also going to be hooking something else but it's a Christmas gift and I can't say anything more because I'm not sure who actually reads this blog.

But can I be honest with you? I mean really honest? Shh...don't tell but I don't want to hook anymore. I want to knit. But I can't because I've been possessed by crocheted blanket-making. Possessed, I tell you.

I can't help but think that there are at least 17 different ways I'd rather be knitting right now or at least 17 different things. I mean seriously seventeen.

1) my unfinished vanilla socks;
2) my abandoned first ever sweater, which I believe to be in my house somewhere despite having not seen it since I moved after my wedding over a year ago;
3) my beautiful and neglected kid-silk mohair cowl (cowls are so in right now!);
4) my lonely fleece artist sweater kit, still tied up in it's bag;
5) Mister Frogged's self-patterning Regia yarn socks;
6) my self-patterning Regia yarn socks;
7) the red tam for Tasha;
8) the wedding blanket, which I cast on when I got engaged ... in 2007;
9) the cushion from my first skein of hand-spun;
10) a chunky cowl-y thing, from yarn not yet acquired;
11) a purple tam for me from my English souvenir merino yarn;
12) thrummed mittens!!  (the class is next Saturday...yaaaaaay!);
13) slippers - preferably felted clogs;
14) a little sweater for Tonka;
15) a Christmas Pickle;
16) a Clapotis, because everyone's done it but me;
and
17) a tea cosy, as a gift, with a union jack on it!

On second thoughts, that list is completely daunting...exhausting just reading it I think.  Maybe I'll keep hooking....just a little while longer. 

Cuteness in Pink

What are babies for if not to coo at, cuddle and dress in warm woolies?

I finally finished the second Tiramisu blanket after some frantic end weaving and ribbon threading only to the hand it over before photographing it. It was received with the joy and gratitude that most (good) receivers of crocheted yumminess show and in exchange I got this precious photo of the first Tiramisu blanket in full use.







Last night at my craft date I made nice progress on my cowl. I will photograph and post it up soon. It's starting to show that knit lace glory that I've heard so much of.

And there's promise of thrummed mittens on my horizons...stay tuned.

Happy crafting.

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Unveiling

It's been weeks since I've actually blogged about what I'm knitting and crocheting. In fact it's been so long since I mentioned what's on my needles, that a couple of projects have come off the needles! Before I begin, if you have read the Yarn Harlot's August 26, 2011 post, you may be disappointed with the size and quality of my below-posted blankets, but I so very much admire the Yarn Harlot that I only can feel honoured to complete one of my blankets in the same week as she blocked hers.  So without further adieu...

First I will tell you about the baby blanket that I made for my cousin in the U.K. She had a gorgeous baby boy while I was there, as I mentioned, and Mr. Frogged and I were lucky enough to get to meet the little monkey. Not only that, but he liked me (he really liked me!). Little Duffle deigned us with his presence at nine something in the morning after already hanging in an extra two weeks! At little more than an hour old we went to visit him.  After much begging and pleading we were allowed by the rigid U.K. hospital staff to visit this little man for whom we had made this special trip. We walked into the hospital room and he was there in his mummy's arms, happy as a clam. His daddy took him, he cried. His grandaddy took him, he cried. I asked for a cuddle, assuming that there was no way I could possibly make it worse, he stopped crying. He snuggled. He slept. His daddy took him, he cried. Therefore, I conclude that he likes me. What he also likes is his big baby blankie that I was able to give him that morning. Below are some blocking pictures and then a couple of cuties that I have been given to show you all. Awwwww, bless 'im.

36" x 36" of LOVE

See how all the extra stitches make ruffles?  Cool, eh?

Meet Duffle!

And now for a close-up...

But before Duffle arrived, there was much drama.  He was, after all, 2 weeks late, and did not come into this fair world on his own terms.  He certainly didn't come into it on my cousin's terms, who I love dearly, but had in fact been hoping for a relaxing water birth, with Snow White-esque forest animals fetching her ice chips but was stuck with midwives, a gross misuse of an oversized crochet hook, and what has been described to me as border-line torture.  The first day of this nerve-wracking madness we were in Bath sightseeing.  My glowingly round cousin and her ever cheerful hubby had ushered us there for the day because A) one must visit Bath when in England, and B) the induction was scheduled there.  We spent a glorious day in Bath and the pregnant party uttered not a single word of complaint in the sweltering heatwave walking for 8 hours, and in fact put every other pregnant woman I've met to shame.  As we readied ourselves to leave we received the call and were off to the hospital.  After leaving a fearful cousin in a hospital room awaiting the myriad ways of being induced, I sat in the waiting room waiting, as you do, because I was all but kicked out of the room due to strict security in UK Birthing Units.  Fortunately for the nursing staff I had a new baby blanket to work on and a nearly full ball of yarn in my purse to keep me occupied while I waited.  What seemed like two full hours of solid speed crochet later, my aunt and uncle arrived and managed to us an update.  It was going to be a long haul, was the update.  And thus the new baby blanket was seriously begun.  In those couple of nights while we waited for Duffle, I crocheted through an entire ball of Cotton Fleece yarn.  Since returning home I have managed to complete the blanket, and only have yet to wash it, block it, and weave in the ends before it meets its new little owner who will be born in a couple of weeks, hopefully with much less trouble.  It is going to a friend of the recipient of the first of these blankets that I made. 

Working on the edging where the ribbon is meant to go.

Edge Detail

The full blanket, awaiting a wash.

I am still working on my Frilly Filly Scarf Cowl, but am not very quick with it.  I have about 2 repeats done out of about 1000.  I pulled out an old UFO (Un-Finished Object) pair of socks and am knitting on those from time to time, but today I got a box of yarn. Heheheh, delirious laughter abounds.  My Knit Picks order of 11 skeins of Swish DK Yarn in colour Sugar Plum have arrived.  I am beginning a Bobble Baby Blanket, and I have another in the wings for when that one is done.  The Bobble Baby Blanket is a request from the recipient of my first pink blanket and I'm hoping she will like it.  I'm already in love with the yarn.  The one that is in the wings is not fully decided on at the moment, but it will be for another of my cousins who is expecting her baby sometime in October.  No rest for the wicked, as they say. 

Anyways my friends, I think that brings you all up to date.  Tell me what you're working on, I'd love to know.

Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Home Stretch

Hello one and all,
Welcome back if you're a repeat visitor or welcome altogether if you're new.

This weekend I've spent many glorious hours AT HOME! It seems that Mr. Frogged and I are constantly out and about on the weekends, so even though this weekend involved entertaining on two separate occasions it seemed to me to be heaven itself since only one (delicious) social commitment outside my home existed.

I thought I had better fill you in on my week.

On Tuesday I worked from home because my office had a blackout. I'm telling you this because I will now be working summer hours and doing my half days at home every Friday! I'm hoping this will prompt a regular blog post when I finish work each week but we shall see how that goes.

In just under two weeks I'll be hopping onto a plane for England to meet my cousin's new little baby (who's expected next Friday) and introduce my fairly recently minted hubby to my extended family. This means that the blankie I'm working on needs to be finished within a week to leave time for washing and blocking. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can... Here are some progress shots for you. What do you think?








That cameo is our little Tonka who is a crazy one year old Maltese. He's ready for his close up:




One of my guests was the mom who received the previously posted pink blanket (Tiramisu). She's buying me yarn (yay!) to make her another for a friend of hers and she's asked me to make yet another blanket for winter for her gorgeous baby girl. I can't wait to begin them! On a side note I made homemade scones and served them with fresh lemon curd from my local farmers market and my goodness was it ever good! (If I do say so myself)

Also I've just this morning begun a group on Ravelry called Completely Frogged in Vaughan. Please come check it out and join! The more the merrier...I mean, it's certainly no fun to be in a group alone!

And lastly for any locals to Toronto, a little plug for my favourite LYS's. Romni Wools and the Knit Cafe are both having sales. Romni for the entire month of July and the Knit Cafe beginning next Saturday. I'll be visiting next week for sure and will post about all my finds...I think I'll get some sock yarn. :)

Until then, happy crafting.

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