My Silly Husband

DCP01828
Originally uploaded by BoxerPixie.

Even though our anniversary isn't until tomorrow, Dirk got his sweater last night -- I'm terrible about holding onto a present for someone. I was just so excited to give it to him.

He loved it and as soon as he got it out of the wrapping, he put it right one.

(Please ignore the pile of shoes in the photo -- with all the snow we've had we've accumulated a ton of boots by the front door...)

Note: Dirk is also wearing a hat I knitted him and his felted clogs. :)

Dirk's Sweater 2006

Dirk's Sweater 2006
Originally uploaded by BoxerPixie.

Here's where I was yesterday afternoon. Last night I finished the first sleeve and started the second sleeve.

Obviously the sweater didn't get completed in time for Christmas, but our wedding anniversary is this weekend, so I'm hoping to have it done for then!

The sweater is laying on top of one of my husband's favorite sweaters so that I could check the size -- and they are almost exactly the same.

The grey faced boy in the photo is an extremely nosy boxer dog who refused to get out of any of the shots I was trying to take. He just turned 10 years old, so he'd allowed to be a pain in the ass....that and I adore him. :)

Still working on the Christmas Sweater....

raglan top down sweater
Originally uploaded by BoxerPixie.

I'm about 9 inches into the 16 inches of the body, then I've got the sleeves to finish.

Not bad progress considering it's been on the needles just about a week and I can only work on it when my husband isn't around -- which is difficult when we both work out of the house!

First go at lace socks!

DCP01773
Originally uploaded by BoxerPixie.

I cast these on Sunday morning, but haven't worked on them at all this week as I'm taking advantage of the empty house to work on Dirk's Christmas sweater instead!

(By popular request the pattern is:
http://autoscopia.com/amelia/assets/elfinesocks.pdf)

My perspective on knitting looks like....

DCP01778
Originally uploaded by BoxerPixie.

Here's the typical set up of me knitting:

- sitting cross legged on the futon
- Allie tucked up against me so that I periodically bonk her on the head with my left elbow
- on the ottoman is the home phone, the cable remote, my cell phone, a pen, pattern notes and a cup of tea.

Top Down Raglan Crew Neck

Top Down Raglan Crew Neck
Originally uploaded by BoxerPixie.

Husband has been dropping not so subtle hints that he would *love* a sweater.....so while he's out of town this week, I'm knitting like a mad woman trying to get as much of this project done as I can!

Finished Object: Fetching Mitts....

DCP01758
Originally uploaded by BoxerPixie.

Ok, so the photo doesn't really show the finished project real well - but damn, Allie's cute isn't she?

The yarn is some Encore Marble that has been floating around in the yarn chest for about 10 months.

The pattern is super easy and quick; this one of more popular "one skein" projects of the year. This is my second pair and I've got some

exquisite green cashmere/merino blend yarn for pair number 3!

Yet more socks....

I've had this sock yarn hanging around in the yarn bin forever -- actually it was some of the first sock yarn I ever bought at the old YarnArts location BEFORE I even knew how to knit socks. :)

Yarn Used: Schoeller Stahl Limbo Mexiko in Color 2587
Needle: Addi Turbo US 3 60" Magic Loop
Pattern: Based on Crazy Heels and Toe heel and math (toe up - two at once)

I cast these on on Tuesday night when I finished up the felted bag and got them completed through the first heel. Last night I finished the second heel and completed the leg all the way to the cast off. This morning I cast them off with the stretchy crochet cast off in the CTH book. I've got small feet so socks are a quick project for me; especially with thicker yarn and a US 3 needle.

Before I cast them on, I pulled out oodles of yarn from each ball trying to match up the pattern for identical socks. I finally got frustrated and figured I'd go with "fraternal" socks instead. About 15 rows into the socks, I realized that the two balls were wound in opposite pattern direction -- which I thought was very weird and I've never had this happen in self striping yarn?

Finished Object: Moebius Felted Bag

Pattern: Based loosely on a bag pattern from Cat Bordhi's Second Treasury of Magical Knitting.

Yarn Used: JJ's Handpainted Kaleidoscope(rainbow) and Galway Pure Wool Worsted Weight (purple)
Needles: US 11

Here's the bag unfelted, with Allie, a small boxer dog, for size reference (and tiny cat in the upper left corner...)


Here's the bag post felting (14 minutes in the washer). Again with Allie, the same small boxer dog, for size reference:

I love Cat's moebius knitting technique and have made a number of her projects. Once you get the hang of the cast on, the patterns are quick and easy to knit up.

The Cabled Cardigan is DONE!

Well, ok it needs a zipper....but it's all knitted! The sleeves went remarkable fast and I'm so glad that I used the Magic Loop method instead of DPN. Especially, since I didn't have the right size DPN and didn't really want to have to buy a set.

And I love it and thrilled with how it turned out. Can you tell from Charlie, the cat's face how much he likes it as well?

I think he's jealous and wants his own sweater.

Here's another photo where I think you can see the cabling on the front a bit better:

Cable Front Top Down Raglan Sweater.....

It's in the home stretch -- I've got about 6 inches left on the second sleeve!

The final bit will be putting in a zipper...I'm a little scared of wrecking the sweater, but I've got a plan to minimize it by machine sewing the zipper edges to a crocheted chain and then handsewing the crocheted chain the cardigan front edges.

Photos to come!

Felted Hat!

Recently my LYS had some store samples of felted hats that I have been dying to make from a FiberTrends pattern. This weekend my parents came into town and my mom went with me to the LYS to check out the new yarn shipment.

She asked me to make her a hat and she picked out some nice 14 ply chunky tweedy wool. I'd tell you the brand if I had the ball band right in front of me, but I don't and I'm too lazy to get up and go grab it off my knitting chest.

Here's pre and post felting photos. It looks a little funny in the post felting photo because it was still wet and had been tried on by me, my mom, one of our boxers and my husband just before we took the photo.

It really came out cute, was SO easy to knit. I started and finished it in just a few hours -- so less than 24 hours after picking out the yarn, my mom was wearing a (slightly damp) hat!

I LOVE BIRTHDAY GIFTS!!!!

Everyone knows that I will immediately open any box or bag given to me no matter how far it is from the date of celebration.

Yesterday I got an envelope in the mail from my in-laws. I asked my husband if I could open the envelope. He said yes, but if anything inside had wrapping paper on it I couldn't open it. SUCCESS! Just a white jewelry box. :) (With nice blown glass earrings inside)

Today I got a big box from my mom. I called her to tell it got it. Her reply? "You opened it already didn't you?" I didn't. I waited until we were on the phone together. She was smart -- she gave me unwrapped goodies in the big box to try to keep me out of the other smaller box inside that was sealed with tape. I told her it was a shame that she used such crappy packing tape -- the small box just 'popped' open ALL ON IT'S OWN! (nah, she didn't believe me either...)

Anyway, I am now the giddy owner of the new KnitPicks Options needle set. However, I do think I'm going to still save up for a Denise set as well. A girl needs choices in her life, don't cha' think?

PS My husband is an enabler -- he actually went upstairs and brought back down a wrapped gift that he had hidden away that I was not supposed to see until Saturday. I opened it. And I love my new boxer dog sculpture.

How much do I love my husband?

Lendrum Double Treadle
Originally uploaded by BoxerPixie.

[.......................
T-H-I-S.
...............
M-U-C-H!
...................]

Not only does he get me a KICK-ASS birthday gift, but he gives it to me 11 days early.

I'm done with the body of my cable front cardigan and awaiting more yarn to complete the arms. It's going to be really nice. :)

Also on the needles right now:

1) Socks for amazing husband in a boring black with white toes and a white stripe at the top of the cuff.

2) i-cord handle for a felted bag that I started and finished knitting while watching football on Sunday.

The Cabled Cardigan is Going Well!

DCP01720
Originally uploaded by BoxerPixie.

Here's an update on the cable front cardigan that I started recently. The raglan sleeves are waiting on stitch holders and now I'm just going round and round and round on the body.

The pattern calls for ribbing at the bottom, but I think I'm going to skip that bit. It also calls for the collar to be stitched in half towards the inside to give it weight, again I think I'm going to skip that and instead fold it to the outside.

I can't remember if the sleeves are supposed to be ribbed at the cuffs, but I don't think I'd like that either. I wonder if I could pick up stitched and make a cable around the cuff?

Other suggestions on a different cuff idea?

10 Knitterly Things You Don't Know About Me: A Meme

1. I'm not a "thrower", I knit continential.

2. I recently have taught myself to purl backwards so I don't have to turn my work. It makes for an easier time when using two colors -- no ball tangles!

3. I'm a lifeline addict when working on lace. My lace project has a lifeline at least every 10 rows.

4. Everyone knows I am a sock addict, but I'm shit at traditional heel flaps which is why I use short row heels.

5. When I learned to knit I just couldn't understand casting on and had to look at a picture everytime!

6. I tried to learn to knit two years ago, thought it was too hard and quit.

7. I'm obessive about finishing project and the thought of having UFO's hanging around bothers me. The only exception is my lace stole and that's because I can't knit longer than about an hour at a time on this on.

8. When I learned to knit, I made 1 or 2 scarves, got bored and jumped right to socks!

9. I can't knit when it's too quiet. I like watching TV, listening to a book on tape or being with friends.

10. I never leave the house without a knitting project. You never know when you'll have a few extra minutes!

So that's my list. Are you surprised by any of it? Or did you really already know all of these things about me?

Think Pink

In honor of the women who have touched my life and have been affected by breast cancer, I intend to "think pink" with my next project.

-- With each stitch I knit, I send out a prayer to each family who is devasted by this disease.

-- With each stitch I purl, I celebrate each family who has beat this disease.

-- With each row, I am grateful for the time I am still able to celebrate with my mother.

Yarn Humor....

yarnhumor
Originally uploaded by BoxerPixie.

Cable Front Top Down Raglan Sweater

Cable Front Top Down Raglan Sweater
Originally uploaded by BoxerPixie.

Typical of me, when I want to try something new I jump in with both feet. I started my first big sweater project over the weekend. It's a cardigan with a cable front and raglan sleeves. I'm knitting it top down so that I can avoid the whole seaming and adding sleeves issue.

The pattern is a Paton's booklet pattern I got from a friend who works at the LYS. I'm thrilled at my progress so far!

The pattern is fairly easy to read and the questions that stumped me were pretty stupid ones. (Example, the pattern said "place a marker in the stitch" for some reason I wasn't getting that I actually PUT THE MARKER IN THE STITCH. duh, then I was a little confused on the wording for the repeats but got that situated with one phone call to the very helpful friend, Debi, who gave me the pattern).

The yarn is Cascade Ecological Wool, which is one of my favorites.

Patriotic Socks

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Originally uploaded by BoxerPixie.

I attended a weekend long workshop last weekend -- and because I know I can't sit still for very long I made sure I had knitting with me to keep me focused.

ta-da! Patriotic socks. Originally, I was going to make them tall socks, but when I tried them on at this length they screamed "WE'RE DONE!"

Aloha long tail cast-on
Magic Loop on US1
Short Row Heels
Fortissima sock yarn

These will be posted off in the mail to my mother this weekend. :)