A productive vacation

Looky what I made!!

Pattern: Picovoli by Grumperina

Yarn: Knit Picks Shine Sport in Orchid; almost 5 balls

Mods: none

I absolutely love this sweater!!! I think it is my most favorite thing I've knit so far! I was so eager to take pics that I didn't block or wash it so you can see the neck is rolling slightly. It fits me so perfectly! and it's incredibly comfortable. YAY!!! very exciting! The pattern was extremely well written too.

The picot edging took a while to sew down but I love the effect it gives....it's a nice detail. And I had a little trouble in releasing the provisional cast-on edge of the neckline in order the sew the picots down so I just winged it and hopefully it won't fall apart in the wash because of my incompetence.

An FO despite the chaos

Yay! I'm done with Orangina! Seems like it took forever but I think that's only because the lace was somewhat tedious and I could only work on it so much at a time. It was a fun pattern though. Sorry for the lousy picture.

Pattern: Orangina by Stefanie Japel

Yarn: Jaeger Sienna 100% mercerized cotton in Sapling; 3 balls and a little of a 4th

Needles: US #3

Mods: I had seen a lot of Orangina's that other people knit and I was really afraid that the small size would be a little too big. I wanted it to been fitted so I redused the width by one repeat on each the front and back. So intead of 103 sts I only did 94. I think this may have been a mistake because actually a bit tighter than I wanted. I love the how the color turned out and I highly recommend the Jaeger Sienna yarn. It has a subtle sheen to it, not like "dishcloth cotton". Overall I'm happy with it and I think I will wear it.

In other news.....

I've been busy, busy, busy! mostly work-related. But thank goodness this coming week will make up for it! First off, I have a 22 hour road trip ahead of me where I will be able to knit to my heart's content! and then a relaxing weekend on the grandparent's farm in West Virginia where the nearest town is 30 minutes away! I've got all my projects all picked out to take with me....let me tell you it's been tough....I must choose carefully because if I get stuck on one project, there is no internet to look things up on and find answers. So I'm taking my Picovoli which I just started on, Persimmon Lace shawl which I also just started on, and Forecast which I plan on starting if I sick of or stuck on either of the other two projects. I might also take some socks as well.
Speaking of socks, do not attempt to use cheapy bamboo dpns in US #3 that you got off of ebay on fingerling weight sock yarn. They suck. I've been trying to knit gently with them but it still feels like they're going to snap in two at any moment! And the tips of these things! you could practically do some serious damage if your finger slipped...."uh doc, yeah, I had an accident...with knitting needles". Anyway, I HAVE GOT to learn the magic loop method so I don't have to worry about accidentally stabbing myself with super-cheapy deadly-pointy needles. This is the Jagger Spun Zephyr Wool-Silk I found to make the Persimmon Lace shawl with....it's gorgous! and at $11/ball it's a heck of a lot cheaper than Rowan Kidsilk Haze. 600-some-odd yards per ball!

Fraternal Twins

I have conquered the second sock!! And this time I alternated rounds with yarn from each end of the ball. I also played around with a different needle size and sock size but both are top down.
Lefty (aka: Ugly Twin): #6 dpns and cast on 56 sts
Righty: #5 dpns and cast on 48 sts

So, lesson learned: with Hill Country Instant Gratification Sock yarn, you must alternate yarn strands every round or two to achieve a more visually pleasing sock. I just don't understand, the skien looked so perfect and beautiful in its natural state (see pic in my banner). Oh well, practice time over, time to get down to some sock business!
Anyway, I've made more progress on Orangina. I worked on it almost exclusively last weekend and I have a couple of inches of lace pattern left before starting the ribbing.

Knit faster!!

Wow, I just stubled upon this shawl, Sarcelle, from the very talented gals at Knitters Anonymous. Isn't it gorgeous!!! I am going to buy the pattern as soon as she offers it for sale, that's for sure! This is something I could definitely wear here in Texas! It's a good thing I'm finding all these beautiful lacy patterns now so that I can have the whole winter to knit them so they'll be ready for next summer. I'd better get knittin'!!