We woke up this morning to more snow! Not too much, only an inch or two, but it seems that as far as spring goes and our progress towards it, we've been taking two steps forward and one giant step back! But this week the forecast looks good, with a couple of days hitting the low 70's. Though looking forward to spring, the snow fall last night really was pretty and the result this morning was postcard perfect. And by end of day it was mostly melted. :)
I finished the baby cardigan, all seamed up and it came out so nice! I had planned on a gripe fest post yesterday when I ran into some ghastly problems with the button band but now that its all sorted out I just don't feel the need to rant anymore. :) Tomorrow I'm planning on going to the LYS on a search for the perfect buttons for it. I'll post a photo of it once buttons are found and attached.
Hope everyone's had a great weekend!
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Friday, March 23, 2007
Frustration!
The baby cardigan is finished for the most part. I've already woven in the ends, blocked each piece to perfection, and sewn the shoulder seams. All that has to be done now is the button band along the fronts and back, then sewing in the sleeves. The button band requires picking up stitches, which I've never done! But having viewed a video on the technique ages ago on knittinghelp.com, and remembering how simple Amy made it look, I tried to log in to the site at 8 this morning...and the site was down! Every 10 minutes or so I try again, and still the site is down! Arrrgh! I've consulted my knitting books and tried several times to make a start, but it's just not happening. I feel like crying! So instead of sobbing, I'm going out for a walk on a beautifully sunny and warm day...and maybe the site will be back up when I get back! Oh, the frustration of it all!
11:53 AM: Update! I just got my coat on and tried one last time before walking out the door and the site is up again! YAY!!!
11:53 AM: Update! I just got my coat on and tried one last time before walking out the door and the site is up again! YAY!!!
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Progress!
I've finished the left front of the baby's cardigan, and the right front is more than halfway there. I should have it completed sometime tomorrow. :)
I have another WIP, a very pretty little bolero in a soft pastel pink. When finished it will have beautiful embroidery on the front and sleeves. I can't find the yarns used for the embroidery, so I think I will ask a friend in France who has an Anny Blatt yarn shop right up the street if she could possibly look for it there. If they don't have it, I'll hopefully have some luck in finding substitutions.
Its one day after a foot of snow was dumped on us! Which wouldn't be so bad but the snow blower went kaput yesterday morning and the driveway (long, long driveway!) had to be shoveled instead... which I didn't take part in, thankfully! I don't think my back could take that kind of shoveling!
Hope everyone's having a good weekend!
I have another WIP, a very pretty little bolero in a soft pastel pink. When finished it will have beautiful embroidery on the front and sleeves. I can't find the yarns used for the embroidery, so I think I will ask a friend in France who has an Anny Blatt yarn shop right up the street if she could possibly look for it there. If they don't have it, I'll hopefully have some luck in finding substitutions.
Its one day after a foot of snow was dumped on us! Which wouldn't be so bad but the snow blower went kaput yesterday morning and the driveway (long, long driveway!) had to be shoveled instead... which I didn't take part in, thankfully! I don't think my back could take that kind of shoveling!
Hope everyone's having a good weekend!
Friday, March 16, 2007
A New Arrival!
The baby that I've been doing all this knitting for has at long last arrived! Little Emma Rose was born a week ago today, bringing much joy to her family! She's positively beautiful and we're all so happy! I've written about it in my other journal, which is read by invitation only, so if my readers here would like an invitation sent I'd be happy to send one! Just drop me an email at mardi.xpress@gmail.com and I'll send the invite. I like to keep this journal for just knitting (and a few general things), and the other has a little more about me and my family. Not sure how interesting anyone would find it, but perhaps it's worth a peek!
I began a new project yesterday, a little cardigan for Emma. I'm not sure how it will turn out, now that I've realized that the variegated yarn I'm using won't allow for matching of the different colors at the side seams. I should have looked for a sweater pattern done all in one piece. Ah, live and learn! Here's an up-to-the-minute photo of what I've done so far, the completed back and part of the left front.
I have a peach yarn in the same weight which is a perfect complement to the peach color in the variegated, so I'm thinking to make the sleeves all in peach to help cut down on the mismatching of the colors in the seams.
I began a new project yesterday, a little cardigan for Emma. I'm not sure how it will turn out, now that I've realized that the variegated yarn I'm using won't allow for matching of the different colors at the side seams. I should have looked for a sweater pattern done all in one piece. Ah, live and learn! Here's an up-to-the-minute photo of what I've done so far, the completed back and part of the left front.
I have a peach yarn in the same weight which is a perfect complement to the peach color in the variegated, so I'm thinking to make the sleeves all in peach to help cut down on the mismatching of the colors in the seams.We have a saying in New England... "If you don't like the weather, wait a minute!" Our weather over the past few days couldn't be closer to the truth! The day before yesterday the temperature was 72 degrees. Summer-like, bright sun, the snow cover finally melted. Today we're in the midst of a snowstorm, with up to 10 inches forecast by storm's end tomorrow morning!
Have a lovely weekend everyone!
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Hooray For Finished Objects!
I've found a few moments to post the photos of the last few finished projects. A welcome break, I've been cleaning since 8 this morning!
First, the little Manteau Gari.
I was so happy to have that one completed!
The little kimono sweater and bonnet, I was happy to hear, has been chosen as part of the baby's coming home outfit. :) The pattern for the kimono is from Simple Knits for Cherished Babies by Erika Knight, but I made many changes and sort of made it my own. The pattern called for straight garter stitch, but I thought the angora would be shown off better with stockinette so that's what I did. I also had to adjust the stitch counts throughout, to account for the thicker yarn I was using and larger size needles. There are only a few people in the world more mathematically challenged than I am, so my knitting notebook is just filled with calculations to rival any jottings of Einstein! lol I also did the first five rows of back and front sides in garter stitch to prevent curling. Here's the result:
As I'd mentioned in my last post, I searched for a bonnet to match the kimono, and the mom-to-be had requested a ruffle around the front. I couldn't find a pattern that worked so I wrote my own. Also done in stockinette st., the bottom edge and front were worked in a few rows of garter st and the ruffle is crocheted. If anyone would like the pattern, please drop me a line (MarDi.xpress@gmail.com) and I'll be happy to post it here. The bonnet, kindly held for the photographer by a very friendly flop-earred Easter bunny:
The ribbon is attached with a pretty little flower, centered with pearls. I thought it gave it a nice touch. The yarn used for both kimono and bonnet is 70% French angora/30% merino wool by "Jolie", and size 7 (US) needles were used. I had a real problem stitching the seams together because I used mattress stitch and when I pulled the yarn to tighten the stitches together the angora just pulled apart like wet tissue! I solved the problem by using regular white sewing thread, doubled. Strong and invisible...
I thought I'd include one more pic, of a set that I crocheted for the baby last summer when I first learned that she was on the way! I've crocheted for years, and made several sweaters and blankets in crochet before I taught myself to knit last fall. This is a little side-buttoned jacket and beret, and I can't for the life of me remember where I got the pattern or what yarn I used!
Hope everyone's having a great Tuesday!
First, the little Manteau Gari.
I was so happy to have that one completed!
The little kimono sweater and bonnet, I was happy to hear, has been chosen as part of the baby's coming home outfit. :) The pattern for the kimono is from Simple Knits for Cherished Babies by Erika Knight, but I made many changes and sort of made it my own. The pattern called for straight garter stitch, but I thought the angora would be shown off better with stockinette so that's what I did. I also had to adjust the stitch counts throughout, to account for the thicker yarn I was using and larger size needles. There are only a few people in the world more mathematically challenged than I am, so my knitting notebook is just filled with calculations to rival any jottings of Einstein! lol I also did the first five rows of back and front sides in garter stitch to prevent curling. Here's the result:
As I'd mentioned in my last post, I searched for a bonnet to match the kimono, and the mom-to-be had requested a ruffle around the front. I couldn't find a pattern that worked so I wrote my own. Also done in stockinette st., the bottom edge and front were worked in a few rows of garter st and the ruffle is crocheted. If anyone would like the pattern, please drop me a line (MarDi.xpress@gmail.com) and I'll be happy to post it here. The bonnet, kindly held for the photographer by a very friendly flop-earred Easter bunny:
The ribbon is attached with a pretty little flower, centered with pearls. I thought it gave it a nice touch. The yarn used for both kimono and bonnet is 70% French angora/30% merino wool by "Jolie", and size 7 (US) needles were used. I had a real problem stitching the seams together because I used mattress stitch and when I pulled the yarn to tighten the stitches together the angora just pulled apart like wet tissue! I solved the problem by using regular white sewing thread, doubled. Strong and invisible...
I thought I'd include one more pic, of a set that I crocheted for the baby last summer when I first learned that she was on the way! I've crocheted for years, and made several sweaters and blankets in crochet before I taught myself to knit last fall. This is a little side-buttoned jacket and beret, and I can't for the life of me remember where I got the pattern or what yarn I used!
Hope everyone's having a great Tuesday!
Monday, March 5, 2007
My, How Time Flies!
It didn't seem this long to me since my last post, but time does have a way of getting away from us at times!
Back around the time of my last post I was contacted to make some major updates on a commercial website that I designed and maintain. That was a good three days work, which led me to some major updates on other websites that I work on. Still, I kept meaning to come here and type a few words, only to be so exhausted at the end of the day that I couldn't stay awake long enough to.
The past couple of weeks I've been away from home every day helping Sammi and her sister Jessica to ready the baby's nursery. I've started working on draperies in a beautiful pink toile, with a pale green velvet trim...I think they'll be very pretty. But there I've been and not here, and my poor house has been so neglected! I have managed to knit in between everything else, usually my wind-down time before bed these past nights. I made a kimono-type sweater for the soon-to-be-born baby girl in beautiful white angora yarn, and wishing to make a bonnet to match looked everywhere for a pattern. I couldn't find anything at all for what I had in mind so I actually wrote my own pattern, my first! I'm very happy with the way it turned out, and will post pics tomorrow (along with the Manteau Gari pics which I haven't posted yet).
That's all the news thats fit to print, and now I'm off to bed in a few, with plans to tackle some major house cleaning chores first thing in the morning. Hope everyone has been well! I have some big-time reading to do on a few blogs to catch up on everyone's projects. I see that Donna has been writing novels over at Nonny's This & That! It will take me days to read from where I left off on Valentine's Day! LOL
Have a good night all!
Back around the time of my last post I was contacted to make some major updates on a commercial website that I designed and maintain. That was a good three days work, which led me to some major updates on other websites that I work on. Still, I kept meaning to come here and type a few words, only to be so exhausted at the end of the day that I couldn't stay awake long enough to.
The past couple of weeks I've been away from home every day helping Sammi and her sister Jessica to ready the baby's nursery. I've started working on draperies in a beautiful pink toile, with a pale green velvet trim...I think they'll be very pretty. But there I've been and not here, and my poor house has been so neglected! I have managed to knit in between everything else, usually my wind-down time before bed these past nights. I made a kimono-type sweater for the soon-to-be-born baby girl in beautiful white angora yarn, and wishing to make a bonnet to match looked everywhere for a pattern. I couldn't find anything at all for what I had in mind so I actually wrote my own pattern, my first! I'm very happy with the way it turned out, and will post pics tomorrow (along with the Manteau Gari pics which I haven't posted yet).
That's all the news thats fit to print, and now I'm off to bed in a few, with plans to tackle some major house cleaning chores first thing in the morning. Hope everyone has been well! I have some big-time reading to do on a few blogs to catch up on everyone's projects. I see that Donna has been writing novels over at Nonny's This & That! It will take me days to read from where I left off on Valentine's Day! LOL
Have a good night all!
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