Tickled Pink!

That is how I feel about my latest FO: My February Lady Sweater.

Please forgive me if this post is especially photo laden. I'm absolutely ecstatic about my latest finished object.

Details:

Pattern: February Lady Sweater - an adult version of Elizabeth Zimmerman's February Sweater.

Yarn: Tahki Yarns New Tweed (60% Merino Wool, 14% silk, 26% Viscose) Great yarn, small balls - 50grams/92 yards per ball, so you feel like you fly through this yarn. I was cutting it close at the end.

Needles: US 8

Size: Medium - I have the newer version of the pattern. Apparently the earlier versions were a bit sketchy when it came to determining the correct size, so several knitters knit sizes XS when they normally knit a size M. No way in the world am I an XS!

Modifications: Left out the eyelet row before the start of the lace. I think the eyelet row was originally intended for weaving a piece of ribbon, but that's not my style at all. The color pink is already pushing the envelope. 15 lace repeats on the sleeves, 19 lace repeats on the body.

Let's admire the buttons, shall we? What a great find! Sometimes details just fall into place.

The lace pattern is the famous "Gull Lace" pattern - very simple to memorize, so this project was perfect Sunday English Premier League knitting. What I didn't like was having to purl back a gazillion stitches (perhaps just a slight exaggeration). The yoke is straight garter stitch w/increases at the shoulders. I did a kfb for the increases - very simple, blends in well with the garter stitch & leaves no holes.

The back fits just perfectly. I was worried the neckline would sag, or maybe even ride up. But nope - all sits as it should. I think perhaps the hard blocking I gave the sweater last week helped out a bit. Last year when I was at Madrona Fiber Arts retreat I met a woman wearing a FLS & it sagged all over the place. The ravelry forum for the FLS warns against how the lace grows. I haven't noticed this happening yet & the sweater has been hanging for several days while it waited the adornment of buttons. I'm going to fold it neatly rather than hanging it in the closet, just to be safe.

This week is "Spirit Week" at our school & today's theme was "Girls in Pearls & Guys in Ties". A perfect day for my sweater's Maiden Voyage. My friends, colleagues, and students all admired with lots of 'oohs and ahhs'. You know you've done a good job when students say they want one (wear something that a teacher wears? Highest praise from teenagers!) & that it looks like something they might find at Nordstroms. Several conversations today went something like this:

Colleague: "You Made That?!?"
Me: "Yup, Why yes I did..."
Colleague: "Nu-uh!" (how do you spell that?!?)
Me: "Uh-huh!!"

Anyhow - I was very pleased with the responses & complements my sweater & I received today. If I'd known earlier how well this would turn out, I would have finished it much, much sooner!I leave you with my "Bio" photo I'll use in the engineering notebooks of my FTC robotics teams (we all have to add photos + biography). I'd like to think that my role on the FTC teams is that of kind, yet effective, Project Manager. After having to ask a couple of students not to return since they were hindering progress & my constant (yet gentle) reminders for the teams to focus & stay on task (I can even say it in ASL as one of my students is hearing impaired), the students on the teams have dubbed me, "The Hammer".

The smile and the pink kind of softens it, don't you think? :0)

Ciao!!

FO Flashback!

So much for starting out the new year by blogging! Oh well - time to jump back on the wagon. So much to share since my last post (over one month ago, gasp!!) - Here we go - hang on!!

FO #1 - Wonderful Wallaby Hooded Pullover
Size: 4 (yeah, right)
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash
Needles: Ummm.... 8? I started this in January '09 & finished in October sometime. My gauge was way off, so the size 4 would really better fit a 2 year old, I think. So - this FO ended up as a donation to the kid's school fall auction. Overall a fun knit; I'll knit it again, but pay closer attention to the marriage of yarn & gauge.

FO #2 - My Kuspuk
This is the kuspuk I made for me. I *love* it!! It is so roomy & comfy; no wonder native Alaskan women wear them. Traditionally they are worn over other clothes as an outer, protective garment. Traditional kuspuks have a ruffled skirt at the bottom, but I learned that more modern AK native women opt to leave the skirt off. While you might not be able to tell from the photo, this kuspuk has a zipper - the first I've ever installed - I was proud to say the least! This was a fun & relatively fast project. I have another kuspuk just about finished (just need to hem up the hood lining - we know how much I love hand sewing!) & fabric to make another for me & one for my 7 year old.

FO #2.5 - Orion's Kuspuk
Okay - you're right, this isn't a knitted FO. I haven't abandoned my passion. I learned to sew a gazillion years ago, and pick it up now and again. Orion's class was doing a long term unit on Alaska studies and the teachers wanted all of the students to have a kuspuk to wear during their final presentations. It just so happens that I'd recently taken a Kuspuk class at the my local quilt/yarn shop, so I was good to go.


FO #3 - My Lanai Lusekofte Cap
Pattern: Lusekofte Cap from Hat's On by Charlene Schurch.
Yarn: Eco Alpaca
Needles: US 6
I call this my Lanai Lusekofte cap since I knit it while I was lounging on the Lanai during our Hawaiian vacation. I meant to write a post dedicated to this project alone entitled "Fish Out of Water" - I mean, who needs an alpaca hat in Kauai? But.... we misplaced our camera cable somewhere in our condo - there's the explanation as to why the vacations posts stopped to abruptly. I always feel the need to include photos in my posts.

FO #4 - Mini Sweater Ornaments
Pattern: Mini Sweater Ornaments
Yarn: RSC sock club yarn. Purple: Incredible Shrinking Violet, Red: Dragon Dance
Needles: US 2
What a great way to use left over yarn! My original intent was to knit these for my fellow teachers. However - the end of the semester got in the way, so I was only able to finish 2 before vacation started. So... made a wee "coat hanger" out of white pipe cleaners & used them as decoration for our 12 ft Christmas Tree. (Yup - that isn't a typo, our tree is 12 ft tall... One day the tree deserves a blog post of it's own) Perhaps if I stick with it I can crank out enough of these to use during the 2010 holidays.

FO #5: "Kitten Mittens"
Pattern: Cat Mittens by Jorid Linvik
Yarn: BMFA "Shadow" and "Branwen" - lightweight
Needles: US 2 (2.75 mm)
I was "smitten by these mittens" when I first ran across them on Ravelry. I purchased solid colored yarn with the thought I'd knit these for me as an end of 1st semester celebration. However - gauge bit me in the arse yet again. The lightweight yarn + needle combo created a mitten more appropriately sized for my 7 year old - hence the new name "Kitten Mittens". They were too fun to knit to rip out, and I'd purchased the yarn with these exact mittens in mind. I only went through a fraction of the balls too - now to decide what to do with the left overs. I think mini black sweaters is just a bit too goth for my taste. This project gets two photos so you can appreciate just how cute both sides of these mittens are. Perhaps I'll seek out a better yarn/needle combo & finally knit a pair for me. Little Iain loved the fact I knit his name into the cuff (although I think I can do a better job).

FO #6: 10 Cable Baby Hat
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran
Needle: US 8
Pattern: Cabled Baby Hats by Julie Hentz
Finished Size: Newborn
Our neighbors welcomed a brand-new baby boy on Winter solctice. So - what a better way to welcome him to the neighborhood than to knit him a cute little hat to keep him warm. Cute - how I love me some cables! I think this would be a perfect baby shower gift for a baby expected during the dead of winter. Baby won't get to wear it long (especially if they're born with a largish noggin - yes, Orion - I'm talkin' to you!) so act quickly & plan accordingly. :0)

Egads - I had more FOs to show you than I realized.... onwards...

FO #7 & #8 - Wood Hollow Mittens #1 & #2
Pattern: Wood Hollow Mittens by Kirsten Kapur of Through the Loops
Yarn: Red: BMFA Heavyweight "Mustang Sally" Green: Cascade 220 Heathers "Irelande"
Needle: US 5
We know how much I love cables - so these mittens just screamed "YOU MUST BUY THIS PATTERN & KNIT ME.... NOW!!" Who could ignore such a siren song? So.... I knit the red pair during the first few days of winter break (when I should have been finishing up a sweater that's on the needles) and I knit the green pair while we were out at my parents remote cabin. The pattern is well written & produces a wonderful mitten that fits, well "like a glove". These are destined for the "2010 gift basket" to make up for my lack of gift knitting in 2009. January is "NaKniMitMo" (National Knit Mittens Month) on Ravelry, so you'd think I'd save these to use as official entries. Of course not. So.... I guess I'll just have to knit another pair. I have yarn in the stash (2010 is all about using the stash!) that will work quite lovely, I think. And have I mentioned there's a matching hat? Yup - that might be on my list of projects to do. But not in January - no, January is for mittens! :0)





FO #9 & #10 - French Press Slippers #1 & #2

Pattern: French Press Slippers by Melynda Bernardi
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool Purple Pair: "Wisteria"; Blue Pair "Worn Denim"
Needle: US 15

Virtually overnight, thanks to a post regarding this pattern on The Yarn Harlot's blog, these slippers became the must knit project of the 2009 holiday season. I fell hook, line, and sinker & smaller that I need (I wear a 8.5) So - I highly recommend giving this pattern a go, and if you don't mind seaming (some don't) - then just sally forth. Otherwise, join the French Press Knits group on purchased the pattern + yarn as soon as I could. However - I felt like I wasn't told the entire story, such as how much bloody seaming there is to do for these things. Yes - they are knit IN PIECES - that's 4 pieces PER SLIPPER - which requires seaming (BLAH!) before felting. Well - the finished project was so cute that I felt like I could overcome my aversion to seaming (sound familiar?) & give this project a go. It seems (hah!) like I was a glutton for punishment that I ended up making 2 pairs! The kicker is that this project was advertised (I must consider the source) as a "quick project" - one that could be finished between 1.5 & 2 hours. Yeah - right. Not so much for me. I probably spent 1.5 hours in seaming alone. Granted, I do things a bit overkill, so the length of time this took me shouldn't be that surprising. Thankfully there are others out there who aren't as fond as seeming & have figured out a no-sew modification to the pattern. Clever knitters! So - my next attempt at this pattern (these are destined for the gift basket once they are totally dry) is to do a no-sew pair for me. I knit the medium size (7/8) & they felted down to be just a smidgeRavelry, & check out the no-sew mods. I'll report back (I promise!!) when completed a pair of my own.

Whew!! 10 FOs that could have each had their own post had I kept on top of things. Okay - I'll attempt to do better. But with a new semester, robotics in full swing followed by high school soccer, I can't make any promises!

Hope 2010 is a good one for all!

~Ciao!

FO: Ishbel

Ta da!! May I present, Ishbel:

Details:

Pattern: Ishbel by Ysolde's Whimsical Little Knits collection.

Size: Large - too big to be worn as a neck scarf, but I think it will be lovely draped over the shoulders to ward off the evening chill.

Yarn: Queensland Rustic Tweed - a wool/alpaca blend. I used less than 2 skeins. I'd estimate about 1.5

Needle: KPO Size 6. I think I could easily have gone up a needle size or two.

Mods: Inspired by Blue Garter's Ishbel, I decided to add nupps as well. These add a nice finishing touch to the scalloped edges. I tried to knit the nupps as loose as possible so that when I was doing the purl bind-off negotiating purling 6 stitches at a time wouldn't be too cumbersome. I think I did an okay job, although during the bind-off phase which took me a couple of hours, I kept thinking, "gee, this seemed like a good idea at the time..."

Overall this is a great introduction to lace, and it is my first completed shawl. Don't know if I'll knit it again, as repeating the same charts over and over gets a little tedious. I'm glad I'm finished (it did go rather quickly as it's fairly easy) and I'm happy with the finished product. It's destined as a gift for a friend who's been so kind during my knitting forays to the pacific northwest.

I'm on a roll - expect a few more FOs in the near future!

Ciao!

First Finished Object 2009

My 2nd post in 2 days - not a bad start for blogging in 2009! I really wanted to post today to share my first finished object for 2009:

Bella's Mittens, originally uploaded by Arctic Knitter.

These are Bella's Mittens inspired by the mittens the main character (I hesitate to call her a heroine - she's such a victim...) Bella wears in the movie 'Twilight'.

Details:

Pattern: Bella's Mittens

Yarn: Alpaca with a Twist: Highlander

Needles: Knitpicks US 9 (the pattern calls for an 8 - my gauge was on with a 9)

Recipient: My friend and Twilight fanatic, Lisa

Modifications: Other than the needle size, none. They are a bit short, so if I were to knit them again, I'd knit them longer by elongating the cable or something... The pair also forced me to dip into a second skein of the yarn to finish up the thumb on mitten #2. Arghh - now to figure out what to knit with this 2nd skein. How about this?

If you haven't jumped on the Twilight bandwagon, and are looking for some brainless, guilty pleasure reading, I highly recommend you jump on board! I do spend a majority of my time with teenagers and Stephenie Meyer has captured the teenage girl persona perfectly! In a nutshell, the book is a love story complete with vampires and werewolves. The story completely sucked me in (as well as other 30-something colleagues of mine...) & I do profess an affinity for the character, Edward, the 100+ year old vampire. Turns out after you've read the series (there are 4 books, although Twilight remains my favorite), you're either a fan of Edward (swoon) or Jacob. Edward seems more like a gentleman to me (he is over 100 years old) and Jacob too much like the goofy teenagers I teach everyday.

I'm currently reading Midnight Sun - the rough draft - released by Stephenie Meyer after someone leaked it to the Internet. It's the same story as Twilight, just written from Edward's point of view. It's fantastic & I'm going to be sad when I've finished the 264 pages that have been released. As of June 2008, she is planning on finishing the story - I can't wait!

So - the beginning of 2009 has been great, albeit cold (-18°F when we woke up this morning - the coldest morning thus far during this cold spell). Monday morning's return to work is going to be a shock!

Ciao!

Flurry of Finishing

While much of the lower 48 is being inundated with snow flurries (okay - that's a bit of an understatement; more like blizzards) - there's been a flurry of Finished Objects around chez Arcticknitter the past couple of days. Drum Roll please....

The Amanda Hat II

Details:

Cast-On: December 13, 2008
Cast-Off: December 21, 2008

Pattern: The Amanda Hat

Yarn: Left over Peace Fleece from Amanda Hat I & Cascade 220 remnants. I thought I would run out of Peace Fleece (after knitting 2/3 of the hat), so I frogged & restarted using the Cascade 220 superwash, held double, to maximize the Peace Fleece. Of course - I over estimated & still have yarn left over.

Recipient: No one in particular. This hat may go into the winterwear box.

Welted Fingerless Mitts

Details:

Cast-On: December 19, 2008 (evening)
Cast-Off: December 21, 2008 (morning)

Yarn: Manos Silk Blend in colorway 3019

Pattern: Welted Fingerless Mitts - A free pattern w/yarn purchase from Churchmouse Yarn & Teas. We visited this shop on Bainbridge Island, WA during our summer road trip. There was a knitted sample that I thought was soooo cute. This is a fun, quick knit!!

Recipient: A great friend...

Thorpe

Details:

Cast-On: December 21, 2008 (evening)
Cast-Off: December 22, 2008 (morning)

Yarn: Plymouth Baby Alpaca Grande Paint

Contrast Yarn: Mission Wool 1824 - remnant from the Koolhaas project (which I did finish - just no new photo to share....)

Needle: US 9

Pattern: Thorpe by Through The Loops

Recipient: No one in particular while I was knitting. I've now decided I'm keeping it!

Wowza!! This is a great pattern made with a fantastic yarn. I've oogled this yarn several times while visiting Far North Yarn Co., thinking it'd be perfect for this pattern. I wasn't mistaken. This hat is knit from the top down & the size large uses every bit of yarn. I think I had maybe 1 foot left over. Perfect!!!! The Alpaca is sooooo soft & warm. I purchased another skein in a blue colorway - that will become a hat for DH. I think I now know what I'll knit for teachers as late holiday gifts. (as fellow teachers I'll hope they'll forgive my horrible procrastination & understand why they weren't done prior to holiday vacation).

Those of you with astute observation have probably noticed that none of these projects is a finished Icelandic sweater. Ahhh - the art of procrastination - I have mastered thee. The sweater is out of my room & in plain view so it can't be ignored much longer. I also purchased thread today so I can attach buttons. So - buttons, button hole band & collar to do. I have until the 27th to finish, so I think I'll be okay...

Ciao! For those of you under the newest blanket of snow & ice - knit on & stay warm!!!

Monkeys off my back...

Yes! They're done! These socks were knit for my Monkey Swap Pal for MSS3. I figured I'd have finished these long before, but of course - life gets in the way.

Details:
Pattern: Cookie A. "Monkey Sock" - What a dream pattern. Fun, easy to memorize, creates a cool sock.

Size: & For a size 10 foot. This presented a bit of a problem, as my feet are a smidge smaller. I think I reknit the toe on one sock 3 different times. In order to accommodate the larger size, I added an extra pattern repeat. With the added repeat & the toe - the sock looked like it could fit a clown. I'd hate to send of a pair of socks to someone who'd end up hating them. Like a tell my students - the work you submit is a reflection of you, so following my own advice, I froggedreknit so as to send off my best work.

Yarn: Ugh. Plymouth Sockotta. Cotton blends are not for me. At least not this blend. The yarn wasn't very soft to work with. I have to admit I fell in love with the color, and kept reminding myself that my Monkey Pal, who lives down South, will appreciate the cotton in the warm temperatures.

Modifications: Again - avoided the kitchner by working a Star Toe on the socks. I just love the look, how it fits, and - I don't have to sew. I kept with the pattern on the 1st sock & kitchnered, but when I decided to rip back the toe & one pattern repeat, I went with the star toe. Just love it...
Next up... Sock Wars! Bring it on.... Feeds right into my competitive nature. Dossiers are released on Saturday & then you'll be able to smell the smoke from my needles. Of course - I have to finish a pair of socks before I receive a pair of socks from my assigned assassin. It should be interesting. I'm not planning on lasting long. I'm in it for the socks...

Tomorrow - the first gathering of the EastHigh Knitwits at a local coffee shop. A great time to knit, visit w/colleagues you normally don't get to see during the school day, and of course - indulge in caffeinated pleasures. I'm looking forward to it!!

I leave you with a picture that 'warms my heart':
DH with my 5-year old. Certainly no question of the paternity, huh?

Ciao ~

5 Years Later....

and it's finally done! Yee Haw!

Details:

Pattern: Rambling Rows Sweater by Cottage Creations. This is a very fun & quick knit. Now that I've done the seaming & see that the seaming wasn't as scary as I thought it'd be, I think I'd knit this again. However - I'd choose a different yarn...

Yarn: Lamb's Pride Worsted Weight 85% wool, 15% mohair. Yes - not a very baby/new-mom friendly yarn. I attribute my choice of yarn to the fact I knit this when I was just seriously getting back into knitting & I didn't know much about the different types of yarn. So... I'll write a little apology note for my sister warning her not to throw it in the washing machine. I suppose this could always turn out to be a baby doll sweater if it accidentally lands in the wash.

Needles: US 7 for body, US 6 for Garter Stitch Bands

Modifications: I added the Garter Stitch border at the bottom. The sweater looked like it needed something to make it look more polished. The additional band seemed to do the trick!

Recipient: Well... I have a confession. The original recipient was my niece, Alexa, who will be 5 YEARS old this December. The only thing that held be back was seaming up the sides & sleeves. Geez... So... Lucky for me, I have a new niece, Sydney, who was born at the beginning of September. Wasn't my sister kind to have a little girl so I could have an excuse to finish this sweater? :0)

Gosh it feels so good to actually finish something that isn't a pair of socks! Speaking of socks - the crazy, mismatched, but are really from the same skein of yarn, are calling me... Will post about them soon.

Till then... Happy Punctuation Day! (Seriously, I'm not making that up!)