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Showing posts from February, 2005

The Sweater Workshop find

The Shevron Scarf is so beautiful.....I feel guilty that it has not been blocked yet. That's the trouble with lace. I found an old Interweave Press workbook online. It is J. Fee's Sweater Workshop. I don't envision making the tube-like Sweater sampler suggested, in truth the photos within the workbook are less than flattering. I have found, however, some little gems within the book: A Famous rabbit pattern from the New England Dedham Pottery Company. It would be darling on a baby gift. An excerpt from Barbara Walker's invisible cast-on. (related to the lace cast-off) I think I am going to have to ask Lynnette at 3Bags Full to offer a one-time class on this knitted lace edging. It looks fun and fascinating. Finally, one of the sweaters is worked in a two-color pattern in the yoke of a crew neck, named Candlelit Windows. Its striking. Something for next winter perhaps. Enjoy the Oscars. I plan to work on sockapalooza, of course.
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We really have to block Al's chevron scarf.  
Long time, no post ... Okay, as soon as I get my sister over here with her digital camera I'll have some photos to post. In the meantime ... The Einstein coat is finished and hanging in the shop. I'm really happy with the way it turned out; the Schaefer yarn is a good match for the pattern - it has lots of body, which you need for such a heavy garment. I finished it on a Friday and then wore it all weekend before I turned it in. The Green Mountain Spinnery mountain mohair sweater is finished also and done with its display time, so I've actually worn that a few times. I would definitely use that wool again - it's so soft but not heavy - very comfortable. I may make some socks out of the leftovers - I'm going to make a swatch first and see how it fares in the gentle cycle of the wash. The Misti alpaca bulky sweater is done also! (I have been taking my Lenten obligations seriously!) Just finished it and really liked it. However, it's VERY heavy. So that whe...
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My sockapalooza pal's socks...so far. I am undecided about the heel. Al suggested I knit the second to the heel and then decide.  

STILL working on Lara

Yes, I'm STILL working on Lara. What you see in the picture is the left front, left sleeve, and part of the back. I just cast on for the right front. Does that mean I'm halfway done? I really can't tell. I also just finished 2 bucket hats ( Le Chic Boutique : ChicKnits Online Catalog : Bucket Hat Pattern ) for my nieces Brielle and Olivia who are having their birthdays next week. Mindy graciously agreed to pose again, but only with one hat (Brielle's). Livvy's is the same in turquoise. The season of voice/band contests and concerts is upon us, so I need a portable project. Lara is too big all in one piece to cart around. I thought about Maureen's beaded scarf, but I don't want to carry beads around either. I'm thinking of socks, unless I find something exciting in the new Rowan magazine. I'd like to find a good pattern for the Calmer yarn that I bought on ebay last year. Any other suggestions?
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Lara progress 
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An unwilling model 
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Guest Blogger Spirit Yarn, showing Valient effort in Dairyland 

Guest Blogger Spirit Yarn Vents

Well, it took her two trips to Wisconsin in the last two weeks to finally get it. She is so absent sometimes when she is knitting. I think some of it is the back-to-back 12 hours shifts she's been working. Although.... we've been knitted with by Girls Scouts who have gotten it faster...... Girl Scouts from other countries, with langauge barriers suffering from jetlag. We began to suspect she loves frogging more than knitting. Some strange genetic disorder that delights in the feel of the yarn popping when being ripped. A magician related disorder that gleefully delights in seeing a nearly perfectly knit sweater disappear before her very eyes while the crowd gasps. We did our very best to stop her. She actually USED the car skylight wrench to keep going on her last trip to Milwaukee after we thought we had hid every possible stitch holder from her. Maybe we should add a disclaimer to our tags: Past performance is not an indicator of future returns. Works for investment...
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Al's WIP: Iris.  

Desperate Times call for Sunroof Wrenches

I am sure we all have a story ............ Feel free to share. I was without a stitch holder of any sort and didnt want to break my yarn.....on a roadtrip to Milwaukee with a good hour up and hour back of knitting time.....so I found the sunroof wrench and it was nearly the size of my 7's. Now I am thinking, I could have used floss, but who could think then?
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Desperate times call for sunroof wrenches 
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Happy Valentines Day Lynn 

LYS to be on Today show

Al tells us that 3 Bags Full will be visited by the TODAY show Saturday Feb 12 to highlight their BOYS knitting classes. Al will be working tomorrow, so she might just dress like a boy and get the notoriety. Lynn is here helping me learn to post my own photos! I think its her Lenten offering or something. I watched Fargo last night for the first time and my HUSBAND noticed someone knitting. I was probably trying not to drop a stitch and looked away, hence he noticed before me. It was very endearing that he noticed! Isnt Lynn's sweater coming along beautifully? I enjoyed seeing it and touching it at Knitover last weekend. My WIPS that are getting my attention right now are: Another knitting Pure and Simple sweater Using Linie 116 from Online , spirit. Just the sleeves left and My SOCKAPALOOZA pals socks. Here's to 3 Bags Full in Northbrook Illinois and the Today SHow spot. The owner is Lynnette and her son is teaching the BOYS knitting classes on Saturdays.
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Lynn 

Mittenmania!

These are the mittens I knit for my daughter Katie. They are made from Muench Tessin, a wool/acrylic mix I found at 3 Bags Full. Katie had requested black with multi-colors mixed in and this yarn fit the bill. The yarn was not that great to work with (the colored bits got caught and it tended to unravel), but the color worked. Katie loves them----she's been wearing them to bed!
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Katie's mittens 
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Katie's mittens 
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Pederson Bed & Breakfast: Blowin in the Wind 
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Ice fish 
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Al and Lynn: knitting interrupted 
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Irish lace 
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Slumber party with Einstein: Maureen's Einstein jacket 
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Elephant Valentine and buttons 

Irisheyes Knit-Over (first annual????)

Things about our knit-over: 1. Artistic Fibers in Burlington Wisconsin has the prettiest yarn bins I've ever seen. Andrea Brewer and JoAnne Cunningham, another mother-daughter team, have a lovely store not far at all from Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Nice selection of Rowan yarns. 2. The Victorian B and B had darling vintage Valentines scattered about. All were from the owner's Family. See Photo post of Elephant Valentine alongside Allison's elephant button purchase from Artistic Fibers. (Times like these make me sorry I am so quick to throw things out in the name of space. How much space can dozens of little flat Valentines take up?) 3. I do wish we had knitted in front of a roaring fire, but the parlor at the B and B was cozy. Two resident felines were nothing short of thrilled to have Irisheyesknitters visit. (see Photo post of Al and Lynn : knitting interrupted) 4. Its so quiet in the country. I slept great. Photopost , Pederson Bedand Breakfast : B...

Happy Happy Happy, I win!

Nothing like winning some yarn to make my day! Hooray. Check out yesterday's MajorKnitter blog. Thanks Jen. Tomorrow, Irisheyesknitters will be off to a knitover in Lake Geneva. Hoping to post photos when we return. (on my own!) Lynn is planning to try to teach me the fine art of photo posting. I just have this major language barrier with all things computer. Wish me luck. Wish Lynn luck. I'll be working on my sockapalooza pal's socks and second Knitting Pure and Simple sweater. Im using Online yarn and planning to try to add some garter bands for interest at the cuffs. I'm not sure how this will work out, because I am planning to use Fixation black for the bands... In theory, Al tells me, if they knit up at the same guage, it might work. She's a tad concerned about the elasticity of Fixation. We'll see! Thanks to my supersecret Sockapalooza pal for her comment. :) Have a great weekend. I think that big football game might be o...
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Al's Lucky sweater