Sneak Peak

This post was supposed to come on Sunday, but then I decided to make it slightly more interesting, which meant the post had to wait until today.

But here it is. I’m giving you a small sneak peak of something that I hope to be able to give you a much fuller view of around June 11.

I’m working on something, and I’m pretty darn excited about it. I can’t wait to tell you more about it and show you more about it.

I can’t give you too much more information because one of these is a gift knit for someone who I think reads the blog.  But I have some designs up my sleeve…and I’m hoping to have more coming soon.

But for now, I’m going to leave you with some lovely (in my humble opinion) pictures…and the names Mary and Beatrice. And one last clue…

FO: Aerie Shawl

As a Christmas present to myself, I joined the TFA Year in Colour Club for 2013.

The first pattern of the year was the Aerie Scarf by the very talented Julie Crawford. Now, my first thought on opening the pattern back in January was that it was very beautiful, but it was soooo not my style. I liked the lace pattern. I adored the yarn. But the scarf is just not my style. So I put everything for it aside and began ruminating about how to turn this into something that I loved.

full length view of the shawl

lace detail

And then, in early March, I was watching The Dark Knight Rises. Now, most of you probably didn’t notice this, but in TDKR, some of Bane’s henchmen wear these red (probably asymmetrical) scarves that remind me of something Martina Behm would design.  And that’s where I started working. I grabbed the (gorgeous) mulberry silk in boysenberry and my size 4 needles. And I started building an asymmetrical garter stitch scarf. Then, about three feet into the garter stitch, I added three repeats of chart A of the lace charts from Julie’s pattern. I then put in about eight or nine more rows of garter stitch, three more repeats of chart A, eight or nine more rows of garter stitch, and three more repeats of chart A. I used up about 75% of the skein (around 415 yards, I think). And I am thoroughly pleased with the result. I foresee this baby getting a lot of use this spring. And now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to make myself a pair of Patina socks. 

FO: Another Hunter Street Cowl

Less than three weeks ago, I posted about my recently finished Hunter St. Cowl. It was purple and gorgeous, and I was in love. In fact, I was so in love that I turned around, picked my size 4 needles back up, grabbed another skein of fingering weight yarn, and set to work making a second Hunter St. Cowl.

Yesterday, in the midst of a snow day, I finished my second Hunter St. Cowl. And I am still as in love as ever. I love the style, the pattern, everything. It’s stunning. Glenna has created a truly fabulous pattern.
One of the great things about this pattern is that while it in and of itself is gorgeous, it allows you to showcase a fantastic yarn. And for me, that’s what this second cowl was about. Back in the fall, I purchased a skein of 75/25 fingering weight yarn from Tanis‘ Etsy shop. Now, I love TFA for their stunning colors. And I love their yarns. (Let’s not talk about how many projects I currently have on-needle that are using TFA yarns.) But this yarn was just a dream. It’s 75% merino wool and 25% silk. It’s soft and smooshy and cuddly and I’m pretty sure that it is somehow related to baby kittens.  And then there is the color. It’s a one-of-a-kind color, and I love it. While I was working on this project so many people commented on the color. The color is named “Green Sea” and my mom says that it looks exactly like seafoam should look. In short, I love this cowl. I foresee it getting used quite frequently especially once spring finally shows up. This really is a great spring color and style.

Project Details:

Pattern: Hunter Street Cowl by Glenna C.

Needle Size: US Size 4 (3.5mm)

Yarn: TFA 75/25 merino/silk fingering (green sea), an Etsy special from Tanis Fiber Arts

FO: Hunter St. Cowl

While having a Doctor Who marathon last night, I finished another project. The project is the Hunter St. Cowl (from Glenna C.) and the yarn is Tanis Fiber Arts blue label fingering weight in plum.  As soon as I saw this pattern last spring, I knew that I had to have it. I bought the pattern in April, and I bought the yarn in October with every intention of making it then and there. But life got in the way, and I didn’t get the project started until January 18. But it’s done now, and I’m in love with it. In fact, I’m so in love with it that I have plans to make another one-in green.  The cowl took me one skein of yarn plus 1/100 yds. of a second skein to finish the bind-off. I love the feel of the yarn and the color. (The rest of that second skein is destined to become a pair of socks.) 

Miranda Headband and Cowl

 

Today, I have a great pleasure of announcing to y’all that I have finally finalized and published a knitting pattern that I started working on almost a year ago.  Back in February of 2012, I started working on a pattern for a headband and a cowl that I had decided to name after Miranda, Prospero’s lovely daughter in Shakespeare’s delightful, ethereal (and Caribbean) play The Tempest. It took me a year to get everything together, but at long last, it is my great pleasure to announce that the Miranda Cowl and Headband patterns are now available for sale on Ravelry. (Cowl pattern here, headband pattern here, both together here)Both projects require a US size 9 (5.5mm) needle and bulky weight yarn. I used Knit Picks Full Circle Bulky for the red sample and Dream in Color Groovy for the purple sample. The headband requires about 50-60 yards of yarn and the cowl requires about 110.
If you’re wondering how I combined a play set in the Caribbean with winter, it all comes from the dictionary definition of a tempest, which is “a violent windstorm, especially one with rain, hail, or snow.” Well, Shakespeare’s tempest had more to do with rain, but I live in Michigan. And while last winter wasn’t too snowy, I’ve already had three snow days in the past three weeks. In Michigan, we know what a tempest is all right. We just know different tempests than say those known by the folks in say Jamaica. I then looked at the way Miranda is described in The Tempest. And when I saw this particular line, I knew that I had found the name for this cowl and headband set.

…But you, O you,
So perfect and so peerless, are created
Of every creature’s best!

-The Tempest, Act III, Scene 1

So inside or outside, this set is designed to keep you warm and protect you from any and all tempests.  But sadly, I do not get to keep either of the samples. The red one must go back to its rightful owner and the purple one will be mailed to Pennsylvania tomorrow. Mercifully, I have a few skeins of bulky weight yarn in my stash yet so I can make myself a set. I love these two sample sets and I can’t wait to have one of my own.

So hop on over to Ravelry and check out the pattern pages!

P.S. Scroll back through my various pictures to see if you can spot my cutest employee photobombing my photoshoot.

The End of 2012…and the Beginning of 2013

It’s been quite a while since I’ve done a “Finished Object” post. So, here is a rundown of all of my finished objects since December of 2012.

First up, we have Owlet, which I finished on December 31, 2012. It is now off in the ends of its intended recipient. Details are on my project page.

Next is my Martinmas shawl for my mother. I don’t have modeled shots yet, but hopefully those will come soon. Again, more details here.  And then there are the Squall mittens I made for Jenn with more details here. And modeled shots to come after they are delivered. (I love this pattern and I have plans to make two more pairs  ASAP.) Here is a (terrible) picture of the cabled version of my Abigail headband that I made to go with the Squall mittens.  And then there is the Vaila sweater I made. Here are some pictures I took of it. I love it dearly and have more pictures of it, but I decided not to bore you with them. Details on my modifications can be found on my project page.  And then there’s another old one. There’s the Trillian I made for Jenny. It’s been delivered and appears to be liked.

 

13 Goals for 2013

For the third year in the row, I’m giving myself a list of goals for the year. As it is 2013, I’m giving myself a list of 13 goals. Two years ago, I had 11 Goals for 2011, and last year, I had 12 goals for 2012. This format seems to work well for me. I seem to be a “list person” and the blog seems to provide me with a sense of accountability. Last year, I went so far as to do a couple of check-in posts as my goals were achieved and evolved.

So now, here are my 13 for 2013.

1. To knit each of the patterns I receive in the Tanis Fiber Arts Year in Colour Club
2. To read Henry James’ Portrait of a Lady
3. To read Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives
4. To become a better cook
5. To knit the Hunter Street Cowl, the Royale pullover, the Water Street Cardigan, and the Chatelaine cardigan
6. To take a fun and exciting trip this summer
7. To get some sewing done-probably over the summer
8. To get my own place
9. To do something truly memorable and delightful to celebrate my quarter-century in July
10. To knit socks for myself
11. To go somewhere I’ve never been before
12. To develop a more regular exercise regime
13. To do something that scares me.

So those are my goals. I think I have some other dreams and hopes up my sleeves, but those are other stories for other days.

But for now, Happy New Year!

2012 in Review

At the beginning of the year, I set 12 goals for myself for the coming year. I updated y’all on them twice during the year. And now it’s time for the final reckoning. 2012 has been an interesting year for me. It’s been a year of growth and changes. And while it’s been one of the harder years of my life, it might just well win best year ever.

1. Finish reading Middlemarch. It’s a carryover from last year, but this year I’m going to do it. Sorry, George Eliot, but you will not be on my 2013 list. Someone else will be replacing you. DONE!
2. Make six shawls this year. I made four pairs of socks last year, and I’m determined to do something awesome this year. To be entirely honest, I don’t know why I’m so fixated on this, but I am. So, six shawls, here I come. (If you’re wondering why I switched from socks to shawls, it’s because I use sock yarn to make shawls, but I like shawls more because they’re accessories you can really show off to everyone…even if they don’t notice.) Done…and I’ll probably have more than six done by the time 2012 ends. Yep; I think the grand total is nine. 
3. To find a real job-I think this is self-explanatory. Done! Praise the Lord!
4. Take the GRE…Done, but I don’t think grad school is coming up as quickly as I once thought.
5. Figure out which schools I want to apply to for grad school…and maybe apply this year? I might put that off another year. It depends on how a few other things play out. As previously stated, this goal is probably being postponed for quite some time…and I’m quite fine with that.
   
6. Go to Iowa for a week and see The Hunger Games with Jenn. DONE! And I’m more than willing to tell you how much I loved The Hunger Games. I loved it. I laughed. I cried. It moved me, Bob. 
7. Make Katie a sweater for her birthday…I know, I said I was going to do this last year, but I’m really going to do it this year.  She picked a pattern and a yarn today. It’s going to happen. And it’s now been postponed until 2013. I attempted to make her a sweater for her birthday but it died. Then, I was going to make her one for Christmas, but then my life went crazy so that never happened. Maybe next year? 
8. I want to make myself six sweaters this year. And I want the Ravelympics Ravellenic Games to help me to this goal. (NB: These six sweaters do include the two cardigans I currently have on needle from 2011. They do not include the tunic I am frantically trying to finish right now or the two short sleeved shrugs I’m planning to make in the next week or so.) I did make six sweaters this year. And I’d like to repeat that again this coming year. 
9. I want to sew more of my own clothes. There’s something that I love about looking at a piece in my wardrobe and knowing that I created it. I value my homemade (both knit and sewn) wardrobe pieces more than I value store-bought stuff. Working on this…still working on it. I have a dress all cut out that I need to sew together and fabric for another dress that needs to be cut out and sewn together. Stay posted for more on this during 2013. 
10. I want to have an adventure this year. I’m not entirely sure what that means, and based on the amount of uncertainty in my life at this point, I’m fairly certain that some sort of adventure is inevitable. Life is an adventure. The further I’ve gone into 2012, the more I have realized that my life is an adventure and while I never know where I’m going next, I always end up where I’m supposed to be. 
11. Spent more time praying…and actually finish reading both of Pope Benedict’s Jesus of Nazareth books; I’m thinking that I need to accept that having a cup of coffee with God in the morning or a mug of tea with him in the evening is actually acceptable-and good for me. I’ve finished both books and I loved them. I also now own the third book (The Infancy Narrative) but haven’t actually read it yet. It’s the next book in my “morning devotional queue.”  
12. Last year, my final goal was to become more patient. This year, I have the same final goal but with a slightly different approach. I want to find some form of meditation that will help me to achieve some sort of peace/patience in my life. The prayer to St. Michael is helping me with this, interestingly enough. It’s helping a lot. 

 And that’s all for 2012. Stay tuned for my 13 goals for 2013. I can’t wait to see what the new year will bring.

FO Friday: Kerrera

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I finally finished Kerrera last Saturday. I would like to note that I actually did finish it in about three months, which is about a month less than the Brennan cardigan took. I’m pretty sure that we aren’t keeping score, but I just thought I’d point that out because I can.

Anyway, I had a photo shoot with it, a mug of tea, and a good book…because that’s how I roll.

The downside of doing a photo shoot on a Friday evening after working all week is that I tend to be a wee bit tired. 

Like I said, I tend to be sleepy. But Kerrera is warm and snuggly…

I have a feeling that this isn’t the best picture of the back, but it’ll do.

More precise project details: I used madelinetosh tosh vintage in “composition notebook gray” that I bought from a destash on Rav. It took about 1360 yards (or 6.8 skeins) to make my sweater. I love the yarn, and I will definitely use it again. 

But I love the sweater. It’s not perfect…because I made it a size too big, which means that it’s not really something I’ll wear to work, but it’s warm and cozy. Simply put? I love it. And that book I’m reading? That would Jasper Fforde’s newest book, The Woman Who Died A Lot. So far, it’s a thoroughly enjoyable read.

 

(In)Sanity?

I’m currently a first-year teacher who is questioning her sanity. And no, it’s not because I’m giving a test the day before Christmas break.

I finally finished my Kerrera sweater Saturday. But instead of going ahead and making the Royale that I’d be planning on starting, I decided (in a fit of sheer madness) to start a Vaila instead with the intent of finishing it in time to wear it on Christmas day…and then I’ll start the Royale after the Vaila is done.

So why is this the result of madness? Because I also need to make two pairs of mittens, three little girl sweaters, two shawls, a scarf, and a headband by the end of December.

If you’re counting, that’s ten projects by December 30. I have all the yarn. I have all the needles and all the patterns. I even have a spreadsheet telling me what I’m making, who it’s for, when I started it, and when I need to have it done. I also have a schedule for when I knit what. I work on Vaila every day. Trillian is for Sundays and Wednesdays. Owlet gets Mondays, Fridays, and any time I’m in desperate need of purse knitting. Martinmas gets Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. And as those go off needle, the schedule will fluctuate to accomodate new projects and projects that need to be rushed.

And in the middle of all of this, I need to do my real job. Teaching, planning, grading…and knitting ten projects. Work needs to be my first priority, and knitting needs to come second.

But because of my struggle with insanity, I need to make sure that I also have enough time to meet all of my knitting goals. Somehow, I believe that I can knit three children’s sweaters, one adult sweater, two pairs of mittens, one scarf, one headband, and two shawls on time. I really do believe I can do it. And don’t even try to tell me otherwise.

And that, my friends, is insanity.