there's a hole in my heart

and it's about 1 1/4" wide.

I've lost my favorite orange tape measure

I was carrying it around in my purse last week and now it's no longer there.

I went to Wal Mart, JoAnn, Michaels, and Target - they don't have any orange tape measures.

I'm really quite inconsolable - but the call that I just received offering me a job has helped! :-)

Traveling Vines Camisole

Pattern: Traveling Vines Camisole, VK Sp/Su '04

Yarn: Knit Picks Shine Sport (cream) 6 skeins

Needles: Addi Turbos US 3 and US 2

This yarn didn't really work with the cowl design, so I ripped it out and BO at the top.

When I tried it on, the neckline was too high, and I felt like I was being strangled, so I reworked the neck line again. When the pattern instructed BO for shoulders, I BO center stitches for neck and started short rows.

I used a US2 to do the finishing on the armholes.

I would have liked the body to armhole length to be longer. Instead of 11", maybe more like 13".
As you can see in the picture below, I'm wearing a tank top underneath...

things I should be knitting

instead of playing on Ravelry

1. knitting the sheer poncho
2. casting on for the glad wrap
3. casting on for the beaded cami
4. re-doing the neck of the traveling vines camisole and then doing the garter stitch finishing

instead of knitting, I was/am playing on Ravelry

1. befriending kimberlolly, b/c I saw the Spiral Octagon Shawl that she did; fell in love with her Bonita and Rebecca #29 wrap; made comments on her projects; then sent her messages
2. adding Starfish Shawl to my queue
3. joining the Norah Gaughan Fans group
4. re-organizing my queue of things to knit
5. posting in the Bunny Rabbit Lovers group about the Flemish Giant I saw yesterday at the OC Fair
6. lurking in the ISO group

swan lake bye bye

I knit past the armholes and it was all wrong.
It looked too short, the cables looked horrible.
I looked at someone else's project on Ravelry, and she had amazing stitch definition.
It was the yarn - there was too much silk in it to pull the pattern off.
I was instructd to step away from the yarn...and focus on something else.
So, SLC is RIP.

Working now on finishing the Sheer Poncho, then on to Glad Wrap and then the Beaded Cami!

chart, crayons, counting

The chart has been enlarged and I colored in the symbols.
However, I am stuck because the stitch count is off between stitch patterns.
So, I've been counting the number of stitches I have and comparing them to the number of stitches it says that I should have.
Math. :-(

I did have a realization this morning:
The heavy line which outlines the small size is only there to show the shape - not to reflect the number of stitches.

I've also discovered that I can only work on this in the morning. By the afternoon and evening my mind has turned to mush and I stare at the chart without knitting a stitch.

charts are serious stuff

Swan Lake Cardigan: Two-page chart.

I started knitting and then I ripped.

I started knitting again, and then I ripped a little.

I started knitting, and following the chart and the stitch guides - I thought I was the funk.

I looked more closely at the chart and then I ripped 30 rows.

There is a difference between

p2tog

ssp

However when the symbols look like this

.

on the page, it's a little difficult to see.

I had a friend try and enlarge the chart, but apparently I need to make it much larger.

So this

will now have to wait until I get to Kinkos or Staples to enlarge the chart.

BTW, this project being worked in, what I've called the green yarn, is Argosy Hanna DK (silk/merino).

In the meantime, I am altering the neck of the Traveling Vines Camisole, so I'll be ripping out one side to the shoulders and reknitting the neck. I finished the second side, and stopped at the cast off for the shoulders.

I am also making progress on Sheer Poncho.

It's a pattern I've had bookmarked forever, wanting to do.

I'm using Argosy Haiku 2-ply (silk/cashmere).

And, no, I won't be wearing it as a dress (if you look at the last page of the pattern).

Last night, I bought Rowan 39, because I couldn't resist using Haiku in a beautiful color, Wedgewood Blue, for Glad.

Cloud Bolero

Pattern: Cloud Bolero
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran, 2 skeins
Needles: US 11

This was finished awhile ago - just now getting around to posting.
The pattern suggests using a worsted weight yarn for a more drapey look - I'm really happy with the fabric - even more happy to have used my stash!

Now what to do with the remaining two skeins....

Stash Swap

I just completed a great swap with JustHope from Ravelry.

She wanted my SWS

And in return she offered her Opal Rainforest Sock Yarn

Orange yarn?! YEAH!

Green sleeves

I knit partial sleeves.

Cabled Cardigan Green Sleeve: Too small for my arm and I don't think I'm going to have enough yarn.

Swan Lake Cardigan Sleeve: Is pretty cute, and hey majority rules!

Spiral Top

Really, it's called Spiral Top!



Pattern: Spiral Top from Design Strik
Yarn: Brown Sheep, Cotton Fine, Antique Lace and Alpine Lilac
Needles: Knit Picks US 2
Time to finish: 14 months!
This beast measured 390 cm, over 6 feet long before it was sewn together.

Footies

These are adorable and a great way to use up extra stash!!







I had another entry in the what to do with the green yarn survey - this vote throws Swan Lake Cardigan into number one!

I will have pics soon of each sleeve. So far Swan Lake Cardigan is much easier to knit, and it looks like I may not have enough yarn to do the Cabled Cardigan. The chart for SLC and it is pretty trippy. A full two pages of the magazine.

Increase stitches evenly

I started the cable cardigan sleeve last night.
I knit in stockinette and then I needed to increase stitches evenly.
I tried to do some math.
I'm sure you know how far that got me.
Then I tried "winging it." A few stitches here, a few stitches there.
It sort of seemed to work out.
So I started setting up the cable row.
There are three separate cable patterns to set up. Written as Cable Pattern A, Cable Pattern B, Cable Pattern C. I was instructed to work Cable Pattern B, Cable Pattern A twice, then Cable Pattern C.
It was late. My brain wasn't cooperating.
So I put it down and went to bed.

This morning I tried again. I got through the first two rows. When I started the third row, my brain refused to cooperate again. And I had one extra stitch.

So I ripped out to the increase row. I started looking at the piece and wondering if there was an easy way to increase evenly - a magic knitting formula. I did a little search...

Just thought you'd like to know that this nice person appreciates that math is not my forte.

How to increase stitches evenly across a row.

Thank you, Lucia.

Thanks for your help!

Thanks to everyone who voted!

I like them all, so I am happy to do whichever one got the most votes.

It's basically a tie between Cabled Cardigan and Swan Lake Cardigan.

Dave picked the Cabled Cardigan because he said that he thought the the colors in the green yarn would look nice with the shadows of the cabling.

So smart that one.

I was especially happy to see that two boys picked Swan Lake Cardigan :-)

So this is what I've decided to do.

I'm going to start to knit both - I'll start with a Cabled Cardigan sleeve and a front of the Swan Lake Cardigan.

I'll post my progress picks and then we can all re-evaluate - how does that sound?

Luckily I have time on my side - this is a project that needs to be completed by the end of September.

Here is a progress picks of the Traveling Vines Camisole from Vogue Knitting Sp/Su 2004.

I'm using Knit Picks Shine Sport. It seems like it might be a little small - but I'm hoping that it will block bigger. The last four inches are the hardest - with stitches being cast off and having to continue to knit in the pattern!

I just purchased this VK back issue because there were a lot of really nice patterns in it - including a great hoodie jacket done in Koigu Kersti, that I will substitute with the cotton/linen yarn I bought in Italy!

Help me to choose!

I pulled out my mags and looked for patterns with the correct gauge 22sts/in.

I discovered that I have closer to 800-900 yds and have decided that I'm not attached to the short-sleeve thing.

Thinking about the green yarn

Which pattern would you choose?

Eyelet Pullover

Tie Front Cardigan

Cabled Cardigan

Cabled Scoop Neck

Swan Lake Cardigan

Other?

gleed out

I'm over it. I officially really dislike this pattern.
I knit about four inches past the previous picture and tried it on.
Gi-normous doesn't even qualify.
Super-extra wide doesn't even come close.

I will now be looking for another pattern for the green yarn.
And Glee will go back into the 3-ring binder.

The yarn really needs to be knit on a US4 and I only have about 600-700 yards of it.
I envision this yarn in a tee (short-sleeve sweater) pattern.

Suggestions welcome!

for the record

I do knit a lot. The name, Obsessed with knitting, is probably the first clue.
However, I'm currently unemployed.
I work part-time, intermittently, at my LYS, help friends with whatever I can, volunteer on Ravelry, take care of the bunnies, worry about global warming, clean the house, do laundry, and shopping.
But for the most part, when I'm home, I'm knitting.

Speaking of volunteering, while editing some patterns, I saw this cute one on the Caron website (free!):




And this is a cute shrug (also free!):





Glee is going. slowly. going.




Do you see the yellow heart stitch marker?! :-)