FO Monday

Okay, two posts in one night. Pretty unbelievable for me, I know. As new projects seemed to have jumped on the needles with willy-nilly startitis, I started feeling the need to finish some things. One of them was the languishing Fair Isle Jazz Scarf. Truthfully the knitting was finished a couple or even a few months ago, and I fringed one end of the scarf, but never felt like doing the second side. Since I had issues with making tassels, I took the easy way out and fringed it.

So, a crappy bathroom mirror pic, but seeing as how I don't know when my photographer would be available, this is what you get. Besides, I just wanted to "get er done." And that has happened. As much as I enjoyed knitting the scarf, well, at least the fair isle portion of it, the scarf is really too wide for any true usage, at least imo. When I finished it, I really realized how wide it is. I'm a little less than thrilled at its utility, but quite pleased at how it turned out. It truly is a great (for me) piece of knitting and I learned a lot from knitting this. I feel that I've conquered my fear of cables, at least more advanced cables than what I normally did. Although I've conquered it, I still don't enjoy cables, but I can do them and that's what counts. I really enjoyed fair isle, I can see more of it in my future.

On my head is my completed Rasta Hat. Yay, I finally finished it. I sat it down for at least a month or more, hmm just checked the archives, ok, about 2 months and finally realized that picking up the stitches for the brim wouldn't be so bad. Which was totally easy, but in my head I'd made it so much more difficult, that I left it for awhile. I worked on it on Sunday evening for maybe 1.5 hours and the hat was done. I really like it, but it is very warm.



Project Specs:
Fair Isle Jazz Scarf from Scarf Style
Project length: Too long, started January of '06-end date April '07
Size needles: US 7 (4.5 mm needles)
Yarn used: Cascade 220 in various colors
Modifications: not really, but I subbed Cascade 220 versus Mission Falls 1824 Wool. Don't be scared off by the time it took to complete this project. I put it down for the summer and the cabling took me awhile to work through, but once I did, I could hardly put down the fair isle, which was apparently the part I enjoyed the most.







Project Specs:
Rasta Hat pattern by Shannita Alleyne-Williams (featured on Knitty Gritty)
Yarn used: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran (3.25 skeins and boy was I was a little ticked that I needed that 4th skeins but oh well)
Needle size used: US 8 for the "body" of the hat and sz 6 US for ribbing, as well as elastic knit in for the ribbing
Project mods: none, worked as the pattern was written. Because I wanted to use yarn that wouldn't leave deposits or fuzz in my locs, I chose to go with the DB Cash Aran, which is the some of the yummiest stuff I've ever knitted. It's a bit pricey to use 4 skeins with about 90 yds each, but I did get some of it on sale, so it wasn't so bad. I wouldn't mind making a sweater out of this stuff, but it would be so expensive, so that would probably never actually happen. I'm very pleased with the hat and it's so warm. Not the best time to use it now, but it will be great for next winter. I love how the decreases on the top of the hat have this perfect star formation. I didn't notice until I took pictures, isn't that funny?

Back to the books people!

KFKS no more

I had high hopes for the KFYS (Knit From Your Stash), for those not in the know, but I failed miserably this year. So I've decided no more. Joanne had the right idea of not feeling guilt about buying yarn and I've decided to adopt this same attitude. Even with some stash busting efforts last year and then lots of yarn buying, I found that I used more than I bought and that's all I can really hope for. I'm good with that. The yarn that did me in was a purchase of Touch Me. I finally caved and got some Touch Me to make Vintage Velvet from Scarf Style.

I also did finish the My So-Called Scarf and added fringe. I'll try to get a picture up by the week's end. I've also been working on finishing up the Fair Isle Jazz scarf, as it needed something on the bottom. I tried making the tassels, but apparently I am a bonehead, as I couldn't get it to work right, so instead I'm also fringing the scarf, but with the multi-colored strands from all colors used in the scarf. I really like the design of the scarf and love that I did this Fair Isle work, but the scarf is really not functional. It's far too wide to be used or worn with my coats and jackets, so I'm not sure what the purpose of it was, other than to be completed. Which is not terribly bad, but I was so excited to finish it and then realized it's just not functional for my day-to-day wear. Hence, why I bought yarn to make the My So-Called Scarf. I just need to block it and it will be ready for its debut.

The Rasta hat is nearing completion. I've decided to work the brim on the hat, but I'm a bit unclear on the instructions. Once I get it figured out, I shall be done with it.

Although I participated in KFYS, buying sock yarn was still allowed as part of my rules. Well, I think I really overdid it in 1.5 months time.

I bought (for the first time) some yarn from Adrian of Hello Yarn and oh, my goodness, the package and everything was beautiful. It came in a Priority Mail box, but with chocolate tissue paper covering the yarn, which was enclosed in clear plastic bag with a postcard thanking for my order and a pattern for socks as well.


The color is called Staggering and it certainly lives up to its name. It is staggering to me in its beauty. I thought that perhaps I shouldn't buy it, but then a lot of her items go fast and so I went for it. I'm very happy that I did. I love it. I may even attempt a pair of Jaywalkers, but I'm not sure of the sizing of that sock. It calls for 74 or 86 stitches and I've never knit a pair of socks for myself with that many stitches, but I recall that there were alternate sizing out there (in blogland), so we will see.



The next beauty is sock yarn purchased from Fearless Fibers. Can I tell you that I love this stuff? The color is Brick House, and it's sort of muted and vibrant reds/oranges. I love it. It's 100% merino wool superwash and it contains 550 yards! People this is a great deal! I'm always excited about a perceived bargain. So I'm sorry if I come off a bargain 'ho, but I truly love a great deal. This stuff, $14.50 for 550 yards, you can knit a beautiful scarf or socks out of this. You can even knit thigh-highs with the yardage. Yeah, I'm pretty excited. I'm actually planning on knitting a Forest Canopy Shawl with it.

Some friends and I went in on a box of Socks That Rock and basically placed one large order of Socks That Rock. I splurged and got two skeins, one in the colorway Nodding Violet and the other in January One colorway.



Lastly and certainly not least, were some splurges with Colinette Jitterbug sock yarn. This stuff comes in some great colorways. One of the main reasons I splurged on this stuff, while I love the colorways, it does retail for $20. Not bad, the price, but the yardage is about 300 yards. Not very much. But my LYS had their annual end of year sale and with 35% off, it was less dear. First I bought one skein, then a few weeks later 2 more skeins jumped in my hand when I was returning some other yarn.


Flanking the Colinette on both sides, are the two skeins of STR. In the middle, there is Colinette Castagna, Blue Parrot and Copper Beech. I'm ready to dive in and knit tons of socks now.

So-Called Quick Knitting

I never got around to posting about the projects I started last weekend over the holiday weekend that I thought I might get finished. Well, that pipe dream never came to fruition. Although I did start two new projects, not so much are they finished, even a week later. Hmm. So much for that thought.

One of the projects I started was the My So-Called Scarf pattern in some new-to-me, Sheep Shop Yarn Company yarn is colorway F79, should you happen to check out the link. I love the muted brown with copper highlights peeking through. The scarf is a lot further along that the picture below shows as I've had made more knitting time as I would like to finish this scarf.



I have an older scarf, about 4-5 years old, made when I first starting knitting from some discontinued Noro. It was a solid color coppery-brown wool with white angora bits. See the dirty word, angora. I completely forgot about this and wore the scarf the other day as it perfectly matches a brown leather blazer/jacket I have and I love the combo together. Once again, the stupid angora gave me horrible fits and I felt so sick to my stomach, I really thought I was coming down with something. Then it dawned on me (and yes, I know I am slow) that it was the angora in the scarf. Since I knit this scarf so long ago and at that time, I didn't have an issue with angora, it totally slipped my mind that this scarf might have angora or could be a problem when I jauntily threw it around my neck. That sort of hastened my need for a new scarf, although I don't wear them that often. Sort of screwy that theory of "needing" a new scarf, but I do want one and feel the need to wear one with the never-ending snow that is called winter in these parts. I've also discovered that I really don't like long scarves. I'm not one of those people that wants a scarf to wrap around my neck 2-3 times. I'm rarely ever temperate in temperature, always too hot or too cold. Hence if it's cold outside and I've got a wool scarf wrapped around my neck a few times, I will get to hot and rip it off. I like a scarf to crossover my neck perhaps, but not wrapped, or it can just hang down, but not wrapped. The first skein of this yarn yielded 31 inches, but this scarf will not be 62 inches. At last measurement, the scarf was 52 inches, it may make it to 54 inches and then a bindoff and some fringe and this baby will be through. I can't wait.

The second new project is a Rasta Hat from Knitty Gritty. Shannita Williams-Alleyne is the designer of this pattern and I absolutely adore it. I've been working on it in small snatches of time as well. I'm using Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran and this yarn is absolutely delicious to work with, so soft. As this pattern requires 8-10 inches of length for the lion's mane of hair I have, I've got a bit to go with it, but I think it will be great. I can't wait to wear this as well!



I hope everyone is having a great weekend!