More With Les

So as seen in the photos in my Stitches post, I finished the Rayures cowl from the kit I got at Nine Rubies.  People, at the risk of sounding like Rosanne Rosanna Danna, I thought I was gonna die.  It’s just simple stockinette but that’s the problem — it’s endless stockinette.  On teeny tiny needs.  (I bumped up to a size four from my original size two but still…)  The end result is pretty — very pretty, as evidenced by many compliments I received at Stitches — but what a PITA.  Like the Cedar scarf, it almost wasn’t worth it.  What a slog.  It didn’t help that I chose to make it longer than the pattern called for because I wanted to end up with as few leftovers as possible.  The good news is I followed up that project with a quick, clever, beautiful little project from Botanical Knits, the Oak Trail hat:

I used Madeline Tosh Vintage in the Thyme color way and size 5 & 6 needles.  In contrast to the cowl, I enjoyed this knit a lot.  I’ll be gifting this to my son’s advisor at the end of the year.  It’ll look super cute on her.

Meanwhile, I finished the charm square quilt I made for my son.  I’m pretty pleased with how this turned out.  I am still a totally sucky quilter, but I am improving.  In this quilt, I used a fusible batting for the first time.  (I think I bought it by accident but I figured it was worth a try.)  I have fewer wrinkles and puckers but that may just be because I’m getting better so the jury is still out on that method.

I also tried invisible thread (my world almost came to a standstill when I learned there was such a thing!) for machine-knitting the binding to the back side.  OMG — it looks so totally terrible.

Even in that blurry photo, you can clearly see what I mean.  UGH!  I may still use invisible thread for bindings in the future but I think I have to stick with hand-sewing the back side.  My hand-sewing is bad but not as bad as that hot mess.  I’ve already started a second charm square quilt  — this one, for my daughter.  We’ll see if it turns out any better.

As for Stitches, my purchases were minimal but I love what I got: a pair of square needles to try, some skin stuff from the Barmaids (which I’ve long heard advertised on the Knitmore Girls podcast — the stuff is awesome!), some buttons for the Entangled Vines cardigan from Botanical Knits (next in my queue) and, finally, an awesome pattern: the Grown-Up Hoodie.  I would never have looked twice at the pattern online but I tried on a sample of the actual cardigan at Stitches and it is SO CUTE. I can’t wait to knit it.  With those cool pockets, it reminds me of the Farmer’s Market Cardigan, which I have long coveted, but far easier to knit.

The Rayures cowl is taking a looooonnnnggg time and it is so tedious.

I love the way it looks but it is an endless knit.  Fortunately, I got an out-of-the-blue order in my teeny tiny Etsy shop (seriously, I sell like two things a year!) so that forces me to take a break on it.  I think I’m going to use the proceeds from the Etsy sale to purchase Botanical Knits, another stunning creation by Alana Dakos.  As I’ve mentioned, I’ve been really wanting to attempt another sweater and I think it may just come from this collection. Also in my queue: socks from my last shipment of the Cookie A sock club, a knitted deer trophy, knitted flowers and a loooooong-marinating design project.  Meanwhile, I’ve also been quilting!

It’s a small quilt for my son made with neutral charm squares from Connecting Threads.  In most cases, the corners actually line up pretty nicely.  I still suck — but I’m getting better.  The back is pieced with scraps my friend gave me:

In other news, this week I’m taking a baking class, which I’m really excited about.  I’m also keeping up with the 365 Project on Instagram and…working on my next novel. Phew!

I’m working (and working and working) away on my Rayures cowl from this kit, which I first saw at the Interweave Knitting Lab marketplace but purchased a few months later. The more I work on this project, the more I’m convinced the kit sample I saw featured slightly different colors.  In any event, here’s where I’m at:

I started off using size 2 needles and after doing almost an entire stripe series, I realized that even though I am a loose knitter and usually need to go down several needle sizes, the fabric just wasn’t quite right.  So I started over using size 4 needles.  Following the pattern, I’d end up using only half of each ball of yarn, as seen here (unused vs. used):

So I may decide to do a whole second series of stripes.  This is taking a realllllllllyyyyy long time and is realllllyyyyyyy tedious.  But I know I’ll get a lot of wear out of this cowl and I also know that I’m better off using up the yarn with this pattern rather than trying to find a use for the significant leftovers.  It’s soooooo boring and tedious that I’m forcing myself to be monogamous with this project — otherwise I’d be tempted to ditch it altogether.

Meanwhile, I’ve been keeping up with the 365 Project.  You can see my photos on Instagram here.

I finished the crocheted hexagon blanket.  I love it!  Here it is being held up by my kids in the Tahoe snow:

And here it is by a cozy fire (not a great shot but it’s serving its purpose):

There are 92 hexagons.  I used Valley Yarns Superwash, Cascade 220 and Spud & Chloe Sweater; an H hook; and this pattern.  I was originally inspired by this project on Ravelry.

I also finished some mittens:

They’re the Lychee mittens.  I used Valley Yarns Superwash and Cascade 220 and size 4 & 5 needles.  Very quick and functional.

Meanwhile, I’ve started the Rayures cowl, which is going to take awhile, particularly because I’m using size 2 needles (I’m a loose knitter).  I’ve also launched into the 365 Project for 2013.  I’m doing iPhone only and posting on Instagram.  (I’m LGordon555, if you want to follow me.)  Here’s my favorite shot so far:

So I finally finished the never-ending Hedgerow socks from the October shipment of the Cookie A sock club:

And I made one of the recipes from the December shipment – Lemon Bars:

They were yummy!

I’m also about 2/3 done with the seaming of my hexagon blanket:

I am seriously loving how this looks!  Here it is close up:

Once this is done, I’m going to make some mittens and a cowl (from this kit, which I saw at the Interweave Knitting Lab market and couldn’t get out of my mind!).  I am still pondering whether to do the 365 project.  My dad gave me this iphone photography course, which I am loving, and it may inspire me to go for it.

I went to an awesome class today at the Interweave Knitting Lab.  It was sweater design/mathematics class with…wait for it…Ann Budd.  She was AWESOME.  She was funny and kind and low-key and super informative and practical.

You may remember that it was at last year’s Interweave Knitting Lab that I learned about the Cookie A Sock Club (while taking a similarly awesome class from Cookie herself).  Unlike last year, the market was open on Sunday this year.  I didn’t buy anything but spotted a few patterns knit up that I might want to try, including this one from Quince & Co.  As far as the class itself, I may have worked up the nerve to attempt a sweater for the first time in more than a year. (Two ideas that have long been on my list: the Rocky Coast Cardigan and the Farmer’s Market Cardigan.)  Hopefully that’ll lead to more interesting blog photos than purely knitted hats.  Speaking of hats…

Between the September class with the Yarn Harlot and today’s class with Ann Budd, I’m hoping some of that superstar knitting mojo will rub off on me!