Not going to happen!!

I was planning on finishing this sweater for Christmas. I finished sleeve one on Friday night, I decided I don't need the stress of finishing a second sleeve and darn all the ends and block the whole thing in only a couple days. Oh Well.

Green Sweater

Sorry I haven't posted for awhile. Busy knitting, going to the gym and being sick the last week. Anyway I am thrilled to be one of the few who ordered quickly enough last Weds for the Elizabeth Zimmermann Green sweater kit from School House Press with the original wool like EZ used 60 years ago. I received the kit yesterday, I can't wait to get started. Regretfully it is 3rd or 4th in line right now. A couple gifts need to be finished and my annual Christmas sweater (Blue Sea) needs to be finished as well. For those who don't know the story of the Green Sweater I post more information later or you can visit Brooklyntweed's blog, he has the info there.

Purple with pink daisies

This is a knitting challenge I gave myself. Do a child's sweater with only my knowledge from EZ. I got the sizing right after one pull up back to the design, I needed to reduce stitches after the 2 color knitting. The sweater was getting wider which is not needed yet for a small child sweater. This is the first time I knit sleeves from the cut arm hole. It worked fine the the two sleeves are only off by one stitch. I may try again, but how do you know when to stop and make sure the sleeve is long enough with the shoulder drop? I used Dale of Norway. What beautiful wool, after blocking the stitches were perfect and had a nice shine. I had the ribbon in my stash to add the detail and cover the cut edge, which didn't look that bad.

Green Basket Weave

I decided to knit a woman's sweater from a pattern for the fun of it. I couldn't let the pattern alone, I did the collar and button front a little different. Also I used a cable pattern for the ribbing.

3rd time is a charm???

I have been having a great summer biking through the rolling hills and bluffs of Juneau County. I cruise along thinking I like my bike and how far can I go, the weather is wonderful I am not sweating into my eyes. Well in the past 3 weeks I have had 3 flats. Last night was the last, I may have decided my road riding is over for the season. I went out for a quick spin, needed be home before 7pm for the start of "Dancing with the Stars". Once I was at the edge of town a little after 6:30 something didn't feel right. The @#$% back tire was flat again. This is a new tire and tube. Why me? So I walk the mile and half home, just in time. The thoughts that go through your mind while walking. Even if I had tools and tubes with me it still would have taken too long to change in the middle of town. The thought I may pursue is asking the city for tube money since all of my flats occur when I bike through town. They do a terrible job with sweeping the streets, all I do is jog around crap on the streets.

Couple new hats

Here are a couple hats I have been working on. Practicing with reverse twist purling (braided stitch). Also a couple pictures from our day at Devil's lake.

Fun Wisconsin Weekend

Had a great time this weekend. Tami and Colleen came up from Chicago. Spent Sat at Devil's lake near Baraboo, hiked around the lake, I had forgotten how high the trails take you. We picnicked on the north side and just enjoyed the day. Sunday I went for a nice road bike ride. Ended up logging in 30 miles. Found myself on some new roads with new vistas south and east of me. The weather was great. The ride just made me smile.

Ganomey Hat

About 2 weeks ago I received my latest Vogue Knitting. The more involved in knitting I get the smaller the world gets. Ideas and techniques are starting to repeat. Reading Meg's article on the Ganomey from Elizabeth I realized I have the pattern in at least 2 books at home. I didn't think it looked like something I was interested in. Well I changed my mind and thought it would be a good idea for Christmas presents for all of the young children of my friends and family. The pattern as any from Elizabeth relies on gauge. I choose some blend yarn for ease of parental care and started knitting. Wow what a fun and easy pattern. I knit 4 in the past week, even with getting a crown, biking and driving way up north. The pictures only show 3, two were knitted with the same size needles. The first one I did in size 6 with worsted weight, thinking it would be too big for a 5-6 year old. Well it may fit a new born. Then I went with size 8, I think these are going to work for lower graded kids. Then I am thinking what size needle do I need for an adult size. The 10 worked but with the worst weight the hat isn't as tight as it should be to keep your head warm. I will use thicker wool for my next adult. I don't like knitting swatches especially for little projects. So why not knit complete hats. I forgot to mention the pattern includes inserting a ping pong ball in the end and tie in. I think it is a wonderful addition. As EZ says the hat will float if it falls off in the water. I will certainly experiment with colors and stripes like Meg did in the Vogue article.

The green is size 1o, red size 8 and the blue size 6 needles. All are knit with the same pattern and stitches.

60 miles complete

Had a good ride on Sat. We got 60 miles in 3 hours and 54 minutes. The route was changed and seemed we were always riding against the wind, and we had to go up the harder hills vs last year going down. Oh well. The Amish farms are beautiful and the actual weather was great. The food at the end was confusing and challenging as usual.

Grey Sleeve sweater

Here are update pictures on the sleeve sweater. It is actually done, it needs blocking. I have been busy biking. I biked 68 miles yesterday to prep for the Party in Pardeeville ride next Sat. I hope I am ready!!!

Harry Potter Fans

I had to see the new Harry Potter on opening day. To my surprise Dumbledore is a knitter, in the beginning of the movie Dumbledore and Harry visit another wizard and Dumbledore asks to use the Lu. He comes back and asks if he can take the knitting magazine from the bathroom, he says he is looking for some new patterns. Posts of my Sleeve sweater will be up soon, I just need to cast of the neck and weave the under arms.

Max taking me for a walk

Max and I usually get at least one walk in a week. Here are a few pictures from today. The weather finally was cool enough for Max to be out. He was in the water at least 4 times, the way he likes it.

Sleeve Sweater update #2

My gray sleeve sweater is moving along. Both sleeves are complete and today I started the body. I am using the gauge from knitting the first sleeve that started as a test swatch. I decided this sweater is going to be a seamless pull over wiith raglan sleeves. Knitting in thick yarn is a fun change for me now. I think I should have this complete by the end of the 4th of July weekend.

Sleeve Sweater update

Here is the sleeve for my experiment. What kind of sweater will it turn out to be?

Tam, Tam

This is my first tam. I got the pattern in Prescott Az when I was visiting in May. I did use some left over yarn from the Andes chula hat. As I started I was concerned that the tam was going to be to small, since I didn't switch and I was using different yarn from the pattern. Well as you can tell it came out bigger. G has a small head, so it looks big. It still was a fun knit. The last picture is not the correct way to wear it.

Can I knit a sweater starting with swatch?

I was lucky to make it to my favorite yarn source's annual warehouse sale. I drove into Point on Weds night, the sale started at 7am that morning. They advertised over 15,000 skeins of yarn. To my dismay (and I figured this would happen) all of or most of the yarn is acrylic. The wool and blends was very limited, in fact less than I have seen in years past. I was able to pull together enough for 2 sweaters and got a couple skeins of odds and ends to join into my stash for hats and color work. Anyway, I started to swatch the new nob hill yarn I got. Since have 12" circulars in every size now, I can quickly make a swatch in the round. I cast on 40 stitches and looking at it as I was going it looked very close to the sleeve width for Blue sea which is sitting on the table. I decided to continue and start adding stitches for a sleeve. Now I am going to use EZ's method somewhat backwards and see if I get a sweater that fits. The yarn is thick and I am using size 8 needles, it should go quickly. I am going to knit it plain with no pattern and design. Colleen says I should take a break from two color knitting. I will post my progress. Colleen how is your sweater coming?

#3 Complete

My third walking marathon is in the books. Cool in the morning and rain for the last 13 miles. Came at 7 hours, which I am happy with. It would have been a little quicker, but I kept on getting behind the starters for the 1/2 and 1/4 walks so that slowed me down. Felt good throughout. The feet and blisters were better than past years. Recovery was much quicker, an extra nap Sat night and Sunday and I am back to normal. I guess training and working up to this distance helps. I suppose I should do it again next year and get my 100 mile metal.

Stats according to my electronic pedometer.

Calories burned 3566

Steps taken 55873

Mileage 26.2 +

Blue Sea Update

The following are my updates on my current project. This is the start of the sleeve. I decided the cuff and hem needed to be fancier than what I started the body with so this is what I came up with. Now I will have to tear out the body hem and do that over. All part of being a designer as I knit. Anyone feel like darning for me? You are to start and end each color as you change patterns and not carry up. So you are left with hours of darning before I sew the center for cutting. It is a waste of yarn but there will be no pulling and the the tension will be even along the cut edge. Fair Isle sweaters still just as cool inside out as right side out.

Here you can see the tapering for the v neck.

A few shots from Arizona

These pictures are driving in the mountains to Sedona and Flagstaff. The mission church is in Scottsdale. If you have been to Phenoix area and know the weather it is surprizing to learn that Scottsdale now a high end pricey area started over a hundred years ago as citrus groves. Things have certainly changed. Hey Nikki hows it going?

This Weekend 2

I have been bad and not posted lately. Blue sea is moving along, thanks to Woolybaabaa.com for having Falk colors in stock that were clearance at another favorite yarn source. I really didn't want a vest so now I have enough of the gray and the electric blue to make a full sweater. I have been walking crazy, the marathon is only three weeks away. I got in 15 miles on Sunday, I learned I need new socks. This weekend is a trip to see Puddin in Iowa, I hear she is becoming more unsocial. I be walking, knitting and eating and maybe some mosaic (a hobby from my past). I will still be posting a couple pictures from my trip to Arizona.

Current Project - Blue Sea

Just a few pictures of my current project. This will be my first totally fair isle sweater. I really have only done hats and yokes of sweaters. Don't get me started on where I live and the inability to get needles, I was going to knit the body in size 5. I didn't have one, we'll I couldn't wait to mail order so now it is being knit on 4's. Had to adjust my test gauge, let's hope it works. This will be a cardigan with a shawl collar, since that is my current mood with the last couple sweaters I have knitted. I will be off to Arizona for a long weekend. I will be hiking in the mountains in Prescott. So this will just have to wait. I have a little charity project to take on my trip. You can see I using Dale of Norway.

My First Car

This past weekend I was digging through boxes in the garage and ran into this picture. My wonderful first car, I paid $1,900.00 for it in 1984. It really only lasted another 4 years and a lot more money from mom and dad to keep it going. My reasoning with every call from college was, send me the money to fix it or you guys can drive 3 hours each way to get me. It worked every time. Also I forgot I barely weighed 150 pounds when I graduated from high school, what has happened with that???? You can click on the picture to see it better.

Check this blog for inspiring knit projects.

theraineysisters

Cute

I had to post this picture. I stole it from the Rainey Sisters blog.

Happy Easter

I had a nice weekend in Stevens Point. The hard core training has started for "Walk Wisconsin" in June. T and I got in a little more that 12 miles in on Sat. We did get to see the Easter Egg Hunt along the river front. I gave up chocolate candy for lent, so I OD'ed on it Sat night and Sunday and was sick on Sunday night. That is what I am blaming how I feel on.

Shawl Collar Vest

I tried a couple new techniques for Meg Swansen's knitting book "Handknitting". This was knit in the round as you can see in the earlier post. I used steeks for the arm holes. I should have taken a couple more stitches off from the under arms, the shoulders are a little wide for a vest. It makes me look very square with is OK. The Shawl collar was fun to knit, I didn't completely understand Meg's directions but my interpretation worked and the collar rolls nicely. I think I could have gone a couple more ridges to make the collar a little higher. I like the browns with the black. I have enough wool, I 'll have to come up with another idea. Now I will have to finish the sock knit a long, I lost interest early on.

Sock knit a long update #2

Here are a few pictures of the heel turn for the sock knit along. I like the method Joyce has given, only I don't want to learn knit knit back method. The few times I have seen it, I was very confused ,so I translated the directions and turned my knitting for the heel and actually purled and knitted for the heel. The finished heel is very neat and clean, only I have holes in both sock at the beginning of knitting the heel. I am sure I can fix it. I am doing a simple 2x2 rib for the rest of the sock.

This is the vest I am working on at the same time. I started last weekend. I guess I am moving at a good pace. I did loose some knitting time on Sat. I spent the day in Madison at the Boy's Basketball state tournament. Yes I did enjoy myself, but I have had enough basketball for a long time, it is not one of my favorite sports. The weather has held out today and I got a 8 miles walk in. Sorry for the mixed up pictures. I am not in the mood to try to figure how to move the pictures or text at this point.

Sock knit a long update #1

Thanks to Joyce for her guidance and quick e-mails. So far so good.

Knit a Long

Pictures will be posted in the next day. I started the sock knit a long on School house press. After spending too much time deciphering 14 pages of text to knit two socks on two needles, I have progress only after the second try. These directions only get you to the heel? Once again a true left knitter I needed to convert the directions, the pictures supplied did help.

Green Monster

I finally have a sweater that completely worked the way I wanted. This sweater fits the way I like a little loose and long. The sleeves are the right length. This was a true joy to knit. I used lopi lite and size 8 needles. It didn't take that long to knit. I finally put the buttons on today, actually wore it to work last night without the buttons. It was going to have a zipper but couldn't find the color or size to make me happy. The ribbing up the front was suppose to butt up with the zipper. It makes a nice detail now. I like the ribbing for the button bands. The collar folds well, I did add some short rows to help it lay right. Now I have a go base sweater to work from for all of the rest I will be knitting. I am excited for the sock knit a long on School House Press starting tomorrow. I will learn to knit two socks at once on two circular needles.

Pretty in Pink

Just a couple of hats I knitted this week. Felt the need to do something in pink. The right one did come out a little big. They both started with the same number of stitches. Tried some new ideas. Now they will go in the storage tub with the rest until I have someone to give or sell them to. I used Falk Dalegarn. Got the 2 hats out of a little more than 3 skeins. size 6 needles.