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Knitting Along

Just knitting along here. How about you? Did you read Clara's review of Stitch'n'Bitch? I looked at the book today in my LYS and I have to agree; this is a terrific book for new knitters and for knitters like me, who just want to channel some of the terrific knitting energy that is happening right now. And there is so much positive knitting energy! Doesn't it just do your heart good?

Our knit-bloggers community is such a wonderful resource! Every time I roll around the ring, I'm astonished at the number of clever, resourceful, and talented knitters that make up our circle. If you haven't surfed the ring lately, give it a go; there are new blogs and renewed blogs and a lot of lovely knitting going on. Right now I'm still in glove— I love Nanette's gloves so much! I'm still working on fingers and finger gussets in Sister's glove, but Nanette's photos have me energized and inspired. And on the knitting sidelines, I've finished another bead bracelet—not woven on a loom, but knitted on 0000s. Here it is, obligingly modeled by Little Jack:

And here's a close-up, obligingly modeled by me:

Deluxe results from string and beads and pins. I think they'll make great gifts, and they are addictively delightful to knit.

Pups

Here's some treats for you from me and the pups:

Della says Happy Halloween! And we all wish you a wonderful Friday and a wonderful weekend!

Knitknitknit 2

You must go see Nanette's Sanquhar gloves!

What? Still here? Really! Go look! Nanette has produced the most beautiful and functional knitting imaginable, and in luscious black and white laceweight. (Be sure to note the finger gussets!) I'm eager to finish my first pair for Laura so that I can make a pair just like Nanette's truly gorgeous gloves, except with my initials, of course. Aren't they splendid? I'm in glove.

Mail Call

A package for me! And look what was inside, fresh from this Ebay seller:

It's Colinette DK, in the colorway Popsicle. Isn't it luscious? I think it's grand, and that it will make a grand vest or two-color knit. Popsicle. Cool!

Pups

Pups are quite busy being adorable. They are very fond of wearing bandanas as a Dachshund Fashion Statement, and I made them some new ones for Halloween.

Enjoy your Thursday!

Knitknitknit

Tons of knitting fun here! The Glorious Glove Project is the most challenging knitting I think I've ever done, so thank you for your kind comments on Tuesday's entry.

I'm at a sticky bit with the index finger, so I picked up my other knitting so I could think about glove construction while still accomplishing stitches. By the way, I forgot to charge up my camera, so we will be photo-free today. Except for pup-pictures; we always have those laying about.

I'm still working on the Morning Glory Vest by Alice Starmore, but am finding it rather, well, familiar right now. The motif is lovely, but the same from row to row, so it's just a matter now of finding joy in the beautiful color changes. And looking forward to crocheted steeks!

The two pairs of socks I told you about last week are still in the works; Laura's Beaded Rib has the heel turned and the gusset stitches picked up, and those yellow-brown-stripey Opals have grown a few inches, down to the heel flap. And, because I am fascinated by beads right now, I cast on four stitches for a nice silvery beaded bracelet. Bead knitting of this type is very soothing, once the beads are strung.

Photos tomorrow!

Actually, I do have some photos, but they are too scary to show you. I think I told you my son and his girlfriend are living in So. California. They sent pictures to me of their backyard, and of the view from their deck. Less than an eighth of a mile from their lens, one of the fires is raging, and the sun is just a blurry disk in a smoky sky. Their neighborhood was evacuated, but during the night the fire moved south of them, so they were safely home the next morning, with no harm done, and lots of frightening photos. Please join me in a chant for rain to positively pour on So. California!

Pups

Della says Keep Your Sunny Side Up.

Have a wonderful Wednesday, and enjoy your knitting.

Glove Story

I've been working on my part of the Glorious Glove Project today, and we have, I think, achieved a thumb. The free pattern seems a little sketchy to me regarding the thumb details, so what I've done is knit it in the round and in pattern up to the top; from there, I'm decreasing and will then graft the thumb together. If you are working on this glove and know a more accurate or better way to interpret the pattern, please let me know.

Tomorrow I will attempt the fingers; but here is Monday's progress:

Rather elegant, if I do say so myself! Since this initial pair of gloves is for my dear little sister, though, I decided to spice up the palm.

Pretty spicy! I love knitting for my sister! And, I am loving learning how to knit something completely different from what I usually knit. First glove! It's glove at first sight for me.

Pups

Little Jack says it's Tuesday—wake up and smell the tacos.

Hope your day is easy. Send glove tips if you have them!

Beady-Eyed

The bead-knitted bracelet I finished a couple of weekends ago reminded me how intriguing bead work is, so this weekend I took a knitting break and took a class in bead-looming. That is, weaving seed beads on a loom. Oh ALL RIGHT! I didn't really have to take a knitting break, but I had gotten to the point in the Glorious Glove Project that I needed to measure the fit on Sister's hand, and we couldn't connect until late Sunday afternoon. Amazingly, my very first knitted glove is going to fit Laura perfectly. Go figure! I hope the second glove fits perfectly too.

So. Back to the bead-looming. I learned how to warp a bead loom and then weave with Delica seed beads, which are the tiniest of tiny beads. Here's what I made for my beginner's project:

It's a bracelet, only awaiting the perfect bead to use for a clasp. It's woven in Laura's favorite colors, black and silver and red. She likes little devils as much as skulls, but I was kind of skulled-out, plus, I only had the red beads, SO! red hearts and a little red smiley devil face. I feel very lucky that I have a sister who will wear what I knit and bead.

The scale of this weaving is 20 beads to one inch.

That's only six more per inch than the Sort-of-Sanquhar Glove project, so while it was tiny, I found it quite interesting to continue to further scale down my work. The drawback to weaving beads on a loom is that all the warp threads have to be woven in once the piece is finished. For this bracelet, there were 42 warps that needed to be hidden, so it took nearly as long to weave those ends in as to do the actual bead-weaving. (How Kaffe Fasset sweater knitters do it, with their hundreds of ends, I'll never fully understand.)

Catherine reports that she has just purchased a book called Knitting With Beads; I hope she'll be reviewing it. Beads and bead-knitting are addictive, even with all those ends. I'm knitting several more bracelets now that I've located a source for the metallic thread base.

I feel quite peculiar not having any wooly knitting news. Luckily, there's plenty of knitting in the works, so you'll have tons-o-wooly-knitting tomorrow.

Pups

Here's Mikey, modeling his Halloweiner costume:

He loves the Pumpkinhead disguise, and loves wearing it around the house. Della and Jack are not amused, as they seem to think this is beneath dachshund dignity.

Happy Monday to all! Is your costume ready?