Shawls Being Worn

Just a post with photos of the shawls from these two posts.

Two Projects Finished

Last week was fruitful as I finished two projects – one knit, one crochet. I finished a pair of socks I started in March as the mystery pattern. The construction is different as it starts with a knitted strip in a cable pattern for the back of the sock, then stitches are picked up all around to add width perpendicular to the back and then another cable strip was added for the front. I used Sockenklecks Edition Tausendschön by Schoppel-Wolle. This is my third and last “ball” of this yarn and it worked just right for this pattern. You can see my previous projects with this yarn here and here. There is no reason that these took me so long and in the end I just wanted them finished.




The other item finished was a baby blanket I crocheted. Usually I crochet blankets as they are quicker than knitting but it wasn’t the case with this one. At the start it felt like that I undid all that I worked. But once I got into the flow it was easy to see if I was making the stitches in the wrong place. I think this is the largest baby blanket I have made and should serve the baby for many years. The yarn is Bernat Baby Coordinates as baby blankets have to be made from a good washable yarn. And the pattern is from a Leisure Arts publication - Our Best Baby Afghans.




And I was so happy about finishing these that I persuaded hubby to take photos of the shawls I finished recently so there’s likely to be another post this week with photos.

And I couldn’t be content with finishing two projects and reducing my project count so another pair of socks was cast on. Although they are progressing much faster.

Two Pink Shawls

It may appear that there has just been sewing going on chez moi but, rest assured, the needles have been clicking away and two shawls were finished in June. Both from sock yarn that just so happened to be pink.

The first shawl was really using up the stash as I used the pink yarn shown in the first photo in this blog post. I had about 85 grams left from the pair of socks, so it was hard to consider them as leftovers. Then I saw a shawl pattern that seemed just right. In my post about the socks I commented on the variation in tone of the yarn. I didn't like it for the socks but it suits a shawl pattern just fine. The pattern is Summer Flies and can be found on Ravelry. The only photos I have of these two shawls are of them blocking so you'll have to take my word that they look really nice with summer dresses.



I am really excited to tell you about the next shawl as it used the last skein of yarn I bought on the Calgary yarn crawl - Merino Superwash Fingering by Indigo Moon. Although it is sock yarn, I just couldn't get my head into knitting socks with it and I did try earlier this year. I am sure it will be worn more as a shawl than socks.



The pattern is Kuuru and available on Ravelry or here. I left out one pattern repeat as I didn't have enough yarn.

I am a little concerned that despite my good intentions, the stash is not decreasing as much as I would like. I have one project close to completion, after that it looks like it will be a little while before I have anything to show off.

More Sewing

Yes here is another sewing project. If I am not careful my fabric stash will exceed my yarn stash. I blame the sales and coupons at Jo-Ann’s.

I have already posted about the bags I have made from fat quarter bundles and I just had to buy more. This time it was a pack of baby flannel. On the same blog as the bag pattern, I saw a star quilt pattern and decided that would be a good design for the FQs.

Here's a close-up photo to show that some of my joins came out well.



After the quilt top was finished, I needed fabric for the backing and binding. I considered sewing FQs to make a backing but Jo-Ann’s no longer had FQ packs with the same fabric. So I waited for baby flannel to go on sale and bought some for the backing and binding. I already had plenty of batting in my stash. Although I had given away most of my fabric, I kept all of the batting. I machine quilted in the ditch using invisible thread in the top. I’m not over happy with how it came out and am not sure I will use invisible thread again but maybe it works better on cottons.







Not perfect but overall I am pleased with the end result.

Yarnover Truck

It started with food trucks. Those vans that pull up to the side of a road or parking lot and sell food. Hot dog stands were a regular corner feature in most towns, now food trucks are becoming more popular throughout the country. The reception to these is mixed. Hungry people think they are a great way to be fed quickly without having to resort to a burger from a chain. Other food establishments feel that it is a threat to their business. There is also a concern of noise and mess.

 

What I love about food trucks is that, if there are a number of them in one place, everybody in the group can find something they like.

 

So what does this have to do with yarn you ask? Well it’s just a preamble to other trucks. What started as mobile eateries has developed into a variety of mobile emporiums. The difference between a food truck and a non-food truck is that instead of being served through a side window, you actually enter the truck to view goods.

 

I believe that the first non-food trucks sold clothes, but now entrepreneurs are using the format to sell all types of goods.

 

I heard about the Yarnover Truck when one of my Calgary friends linked to a report in the LA Times. I had been to food trucks (love the row of them in downtown Portland) but had not visited any other types, and, of course, I was interested in anything that sold yarn. Except they were based in the LA area and there was plenty to keep them busy up there so they didn’t need a freeway journey to other areas of Southern California.

 

I was very pleased when over Memorial Day weekend they visited two wineries in the area. Especially as I had a gift certificate for one of them. But alas it was not to be. Oh well it was just a place that sold yarn, right? There are bricks and mortar stores in North County where I can buy yarn.

 

So I was excited when they came to San Diego on 30 June as part of the West Coast Mobile Retail Road Trip.  Now, believe it or not, I did actually need some yarn. I had started a shawl, designed by a good friend of mine, that was worked in two colours. I used one colour from my stash and now needed another colour, although there was no rush as I had plenty of other things to make. (If I wasn't in public I'd be rotflmao right now, did I really write that with a straight face?) I took the project with me and was really happy to immediately spot yarn that would go with my project. And, it is the same weight the only difference is it is 75% wool/25% nylon whereas the original yarn is 100% wool.

 

I was very well behaved and didn’t really look at the other yarns. I don’t need any more yarn on spec even though there was some lovely dusky pink lace weight. My impression was that the truck mainly had lighter weight yarns although I did see some heavier weights. But that makes sense as in their market area you do not really need heavy weight yarn. Also, I don’t know if this was part of their business plan but thinner yarn takes less room. In other words you can stock more.

 

And as there was a food truck at the event, we patronized that too.

Oh, and as for the yarn I bought, no I have not used it yet as my next outing is to a bead shop,

Another Bag

I know it appears that I am sewing more than knitting. But that is just because the items I am sewing are small enough and easy enough to become a finished object in a small amount of time. My knitting has not been abandoned.

The last bags I made were as a result of a link on Ravelry so, of course, when someone else posted a photo of a bag she had made I had to find the instructions:- reversible purse. This is a simple bag to make but as with most things there are a few changes I would make for next time. And I am sure there is going to be a next time.

I would press the seams at each stage and not at the end; I would mark a 1/4 inch line around the outside handle edge before joining the pieces as this was the only fiddly part of the whole project. There is a video to show this bag being made, which I did not see until after I had made my bag. There are also comments which are helpful for those with home printers which print on one size of paper only.

I used "home décor" fabric for my bag, (on sale at Jo-Ann's) which gives it a bit of stability. I am trying to decide if I want to use this as a project bag or a regular purse.

Another Quilt

After the last post, I realised I hadn't posted about my latest completed quilt. I had made all the projects in "I Can't Believe I'm Quilting" but that didn't mean my career as a quilter was over. Hubby had given me another quilting book and from all the fabric my mother-in-law had sent me, I was able to make a quilt top. The backing fabric had to be purchased.

I have no idea when I started this quilt or how long it took me or if I had any breaks between each section before stopping after the binding was machine sewn to the front. I know that it was sewn when we were living in Calgary and the backing fabric was purchased in 2009 and all I had to do was sew the binding to the backing. So I finally sat down and sewed. It didn't take long.

I really like this quilt. It is nowhere near perfect but it is not a gift nor a competition entry so the small mistakes do not matter as they are only noticeable if you look closely.




Just a quick note on the knitting front; yesterday I finished a sock. I still have the other one to knit to make a pair but at least it's a sock with yarn from my stash. This is the first sock I have made since the socks I showed off in this post. It is going to take a long while to use up my sock yarn at this rate.

Let's Make A Jelly Roll Quilt

This is not a post about how to make a jelly roll race quilt. There are plenty of instructions and videos available; just Google jelly roll race quilt and take your pick. Rather this is a bunch of photos of three women (and one onlooker) who decided to spend some time together and each make a quilt.

I was the only one who actually bought a (or bought an actual) jelly roll. After much deliberation I bought this one from Missouri Star Quilt Co. By coincidence this was also the company where I had first watched how to make a jelly roll race quilt.



My two compadres cut their own 2 inch strips from their own fabric supply. (OK one of them had a nice mother who did it for them.)

I decided to just sew my strips together as they came off the roll as had been suggested in one video. I also joined my strips with a straight seam as suggested in another blog. These two methods made it easy to align strips. Originally I chose the straight join as I liked the look in the one I saw on-line. Also it would have taken me for ever to join the strips on the diagonal. The other two chose strips at random and joined on the diagonal. This meant I "won" the first part of the race.

Here are my strips waiting to be sewn together and then after they have been sewn together but before cutting the threads.



Jenny sewing her strips. We knew it was serious when Jenny put her headband on.





After sewing together, I pressed open all my seams and smoothed out the wrinkles in the fabric, folded the strip in half and folded it in my lap to keep it under control while sewing the first seam.

Here it is sitting nicely in my lap and coming off the machine.



Elizabeth wrangling her first long strip all 1600 inches.



And Jenny with hers.



As each seam gets shorter the sewing time should get shorter but I didn't feel that was the case and I soon fell behind. Elizabeth showed Jenny how to wrap the strip around the newel post to ease the folding in half.




Elizabeth won the race.



(She was in a hurry as she had to pick up her children.)

Then Jenny.



And finally me.



And here is our onlooker, Lisa, concentrating on the sock she is knitting.



And the obligatory cat photo.



And now we all want to make another one, except we should finish these completely first. I am going to add borders to mine before backing, binding and quilting as I would like it to be bigger.

The things that I have learned from this first one: I do like the diagonal join but I would need much more time to ensure every strip lined up correctly; joining the strips as they come off the roll produces a nice enough quilt but the colours are spaced too regularly; don't eat a chocolate chip muffin and sew at the same time; you can sew with friends and produce something and have fun.

A Skirt and a Shawl

I have finished two things from the too-many-projects-on-the-go. As the title indicates, a skirt and a shawl. Bad timing for the skirt as it is not wool skirt weather. Oh well. It is finished and I like it.

I started the skirt in January with yarn purchased in 2011. The pattern is Lanesplitter from Knitty.com. I have made this pattern before and although the pattern calls for Noro Kureyon you can use any yarn as basically you are knitting a rectangle (on the bias) to the length and width you require. A new yarn shop opened in Calgary in 2011 and our knitting group had an outing on its opening day. I purchased some Noro Shirakaba in dark pinks.


I knew this would be great for another skirt but it needed another colour to go with it but the store didn't have any other suitable colourways so I bought it, put it in my stash and stayed on the look out for a suitable match. In the end, when Personal Threads had their end of year sale, I bought more Shirakaba in a different colour.


These colours work well together as they tone each other down.

The main thing I wanted to change on the original pattern was the waistband. On the original pattern the waistband is worked in rib with Tahki Cotton Classic, sewn down to the inside of the skirt and elastic inserted. This made a bulky waistline on my skirt. For the second version I worked a stocking stich band with the Shirakaba. This also meant that I did not have to buy a third yarn. After sewing the seam I picked up stitches along one edge, I had worked out my row and stitch gauge and picked up stitches in this ratio, and then knit (I was working in the round) two rows in each colour until the band was the same width as the elastic. I worked a purl row for the fold line and then worked the same number of striped rows. And then came the fun part. Elastic was measured around my waist and the ends sewn together to make a circle, this was held against the waistband and I picked up one stitch from the pick up edge and knit it with the stitch on the needle thus enclosing the elastic. I really should have taken a photo of this process to show how it was done. After the elastic was enclosed, I cast off. The waistband is exactly the same width as the elastic so it will not twist.

Here's a picture of the skirt and a close-up of the waistband. No photos of the skirt being worn yet.



The other project, the shawl, was a quicker knit in terms of start and finish dates. The Yahoo group for Mystery shawls is very quiet but they decided to have a new mystery starting on March 14 - Pi day. Rather than using lace yarn (and I do have some in my stash) I used a sport weight alpaca that had been in my stash for who knows how long. The only thing I can say is that I purchased it in Calgary and there was an original purpose for the yarn which eventually went out the window. I had four balls of the yarn and intended to knit until I had none left so I knew I would not make the full shawl. I ended up with two full sections and half the edging. This is a circular shawl worked on the Pi basis of doubling rows and stitches, I still doubled the stitches before working the edging although I knew this would make the edge ruffled but I like the effect.

After completion, I just did a gentle block. I soaked it and then spread it out to shape. I really like it but once again the photo does not show it being worn.



I forgot to measure it before blocking, but post blocking it is 112cm in diameter.

Some People Have Firedogs

We have a firecat.

OK it's an excuse for a gratuitous cat picture.

Another Project Bag

In my last post I mentioned that I had started a patchwork bag. It is a bigger bag than the first one I made and should be fine for the shawls that I now seem intent on making.

This was a great way to use the larger scraps of fabric I had kept. And I had some actual lining material left over that was ideal for the interior of the bag. I also used interfacing as the lining material is thin. I messed up adding the interfacing but I hope if anyone notices they are kind enough not to say anything.

The bag is made from strips of fabric sewn together with different strips sewn together for the accent piece at the top of the bag which holds the drawstring. The back and front are at right angles to each other and part of me wishes I had used different directions for the accent pieces.

Make Project Bags of Course

(Like six of them!)

Someone on Ravelry linked to this tutorial for making drawstring bags which they thought would make a good sock project bag. I looked at the tutorial and it seemed easy enough so I decided to make one.

I don't actually have a fabric stash. When we cleared out my mother-in-law's house I brought back with me quite a bit of her fabric. When we moved 2 1/2 years later I had not touched any of it so I gave it all away. Apart from fabric for two designated projects, the only fabric I have are scraps which I am gradually sewing together.

To make the bag, all that was needed was 3 fat quarters and some ribbon for the drawstrings. Easy enough I thought, just buy a pack of fat quarters and sew. No deciding on matching or contrasting colours or designs. So what did I do when I got to Jo-Ann's? Buy three packs of fat quarters. Because if I am trying to use up my yarn stash, why not start a fabric stash?

I set aside some time to make a bag so as not to be interrupted by pesky things like housework or eating. Chose three fabrics from one of the packs and got going. I completed one bag apart from the drawstrings and decided I had time to make more. I wondered if I could streamline the process - stack fabric for cutting, sew the seams in a continuous flow etc. This worked except when you are making five bags and you make a mistake it is likely to be repeated across all five. You know that old adage "measure twice, cut once"? There's a reason for it and the five bags are narrower than the original. When cutting the first piece I read the numbers on the ruler from the wrong side. Oh well. The bags are still sock project size or can be used for gifts.

Rather than buy more fabric for the drawstrings, I used the fabric left over from the main piece. Instead of 2 pieces cut to the required width, I cut 4 of the required width and 1/2 the required length plus extra for joining. I used a diagonal line to join 2 strips together and then continued as the instructions.

I am pleased with my bags. The instructions say three fat quarters plus fabric or ribbon for the drawstrings. You can make one bag out of three FQs but two bags can be made from four FQs as one FQ is enough for accent and lining fabric. There are more bags in my future. I have 3 FQs that have not been cut plus I have started a patchwork bag out of the scraps of fabric I did keep. And by finishing the bags this weekend I did not add to my pile of unfinished projects. I am very pleased with myself.

And as I had the sewing machine set up I completed a few repair jobs that I had been putting off because I didn't want to set up the sewing machine for one small job. (Even though I had three small jobs.)

What To Do When You Have Too Many Projects On The Go

Before I answer that, I should probably explain how you (read I) can end up with too many unfinished projects. A term which can be reduced to a TLA or two; UFO for unfinished object which is a project that has been languishing for so long the chances of it being finished this decade are slim; and WIP for work in progress which is a project that is currently being worked on although it too may be set aside for other projects.

I have an ideal number of projects in progress: 3 + 1. The plus one does not really count as a work in progress as it is a project that lives in the car. This stems from my days as son's chauffeur and if I was early for pick up or practice ran late then I always had something to work on. Only yesterday I knitted a few rows on the car project as we had stopped to look at the sea on the way back from breakfast. (As a side note I love looking at the sea and you can't really do that when reading a book.)



Before I explain my ideal number of 3 I want to explain how I rate projects as easy or hard. The differentiation is the amount of concentration that is required. An easy pattern requires little concentration, it has minimal shaping and patterning and I can read, watch sub-titles, carry on a conversation while knitting (so that the person I am with doesn't think I am focused on my knitting). A hard pattern requires much concentration, the hardest being where the only other thing I can do at the same time is listen to music. Although I would like most of them to be at the level of being able to listen to an audio book. The first shawl shown in this post I classified as hard because of the beads and nupps and changing lace pattern. The neck warmer shown at the end of this post counts as easy because it is a simple rib pattern.

So how do I arrive at 3+1 for my ideal number of projects in progress? The 3 is broken down as one crochet project, one easy project and one hard project and the plus one is the "stays in the car" project. I know many people are monogamous knitters, working on just one project until it is finished and there are others who work on many projects. And then there are the monogamous knitters who work on one project until the next shiny thing comes along and the project is cast aside into the UFO pile. Whatever your knit number, it needs to be at a level where you can finish something once in a while and not too high that you feel so overwhelmed that you can't work on anything.

It is probably becoming obvious from this post that I have exceeded my magic number. (And I am not going to admit that number here as a certain marital partner reads this blog but you can always check my page on Ravelry.) There are many innocuous but insidious ways that a new project creeps into my work basket.

• Firstly the innocent little gift. Usually this will mean all the other projects are put to one side while the gift is worked on. The redeeming feature of gift knitting is a due date so once it is finished, I am back to my ideal number. 
• Next is the mystery pattern. If I want to keep up with the clues I have to cast on on the start date and start each clue on the release date. Depending on the complexity and size of the pattern I can work on one of the "ideal 3" while waiting for the next clue. (Confession - 2 of my current projects started out as mysteries.)
•  And then an easy pattern turns into a hard pattern. So I need to cast on another easy pattern because I can never not have an easy pattern on the go. If the easy project just needs casting off or seaming then it can jump ahead of the current hard project and quickly be finished but if more work than that is involved I know have two hard projects to choose from. 
• Running out of yarn. This doesn't happen very often but when it does, of course, I have to cast on an appropriate project to work on until I get more yarn. 
• Gift yarn. Although I will mostly wait until I have finished a project before starting a new one with yarn I have received as a gift, there are times when I feel guilty that such yarn is still in my stash so I cast on regardless of how many projects I have on the go!

And that's how an ideal of three can easily turn into eight or more.

Next time I'll have the answer to What To Do When You Have Too Many Projects On The Go.

Baby Blanket

It has been two years since I last made a baby blanket. (Excluding those made for WCOBBS.) So when my nephew announced that his wife was pregnant the opportunity arouse to start creating. I wanted to take the blanket with me to England so I could not wait to know the sex of the child before starting the blanket. Also because of this time frame I decided to crochet a blanket as this is usually quicker than knitting. That narrowed the choice down slightly! I needed a pattern and yarn that was unisex. But my first choice of yarn in an oatmeal colour was returned to the store as it was too thick to work with the pattern I chose. I might have been better off sticking to the yarn and changing the pattern. Returned from store with thinner yarn in a different colour and tried pattern again. The pattern still didn't work, so the pattern was scrapped and a new one started. That didn't work either. I had made a mistake early on but after ripping out, didn't restart as I didn't think it worked in the colour yarn I had chosen. So for pattern number three I chose a simple shell stitch and V stitch combo. Worked in a jewel tone blue it will work for a boy or girl. I finished it while in England and left it with a relative to give to the new parents.

Yarn: Caron Simply Soft
Hook: 5.0 mm
Pattern: Cloud-Soft Shells from Our Best Baby Afghans

On Being A Tourist

I have recently returned from a trip to Europe. This was for a family wedding in the UK. We spent some time with family but also spent a couple of days in London and some time in Rome which was first for me and our son.

On this trip I was really aware of people taking photos. Not sure why as these places were just as touristy as other places I have visited. What I noticed was the look on the faces of those who were in the photo. They were posing in front of some famous site (or even sight) and the look on their faces was of pride of being in that place. Unlike my husband whose look is usually of can we get this over and done with and a lack of me being in the photo as hubby doesn't think to take any.

The other thing I noticed is the cameras. It seems that more people have fancy digital cameras. When I had a SLR camera many years ago, most people had point and shoots. Now it is a digital SLR or camera phone. You can take loads of pictures and delete the ones that didn't come out right - so much easier than film. I gave up my SLR when the flash broke. Digital SlRs were expensive so I got a digital camera that was better than a point and shoot but now it is coming to the end of its life and the photos are not as good as when I first got the camera. So of course I want to be one of those fancy camera owners.

I wonder if someone can explain to me why if you are in a foreign country where you don't speak the language, when someone speaks to you in that language instead of replying in English, you reply in a foreign language that you do speak. So on this trip when someone spoke to me in Italian why did I find that I would speak French?