Jofrog is Knitfrog!
November 30 2004
My mom's knitting guild is knitting for charity this month. Everyone was encouraged to knit a hat or mittens for a local women's group. Rather than knitting on my personal projects over the Thanksgiving break I knit a pair of baby thumbless mittens, and an almost full pair of teen sized pink mohair blend mittens but ran out of yarn just before they were done... this mohair blend would not be ripped out, but the thought was there.
Of course I haven't knit any of my glove-along mittens in a while, but others have. So many people knit multiple pairs that I'm starting to put the number of pairs rather than more than one. If I have misnumbered you please tell me, and continue knitting. There are cold hands out there.
On a totally different note, almost all of my pictures disappeared yesterday evening. I'm working on getting them back soon. Wish me luck!...of mittens and knitalongs
November 29 2004
I'm back from the Thanksgiving traveling! I had a wonderful time with family, and I hope that you did as well.
Part of my Thanksgiving break included visiting yarn stores. A little bit ago I was looking all over for some rowanspun aran yarn. I finally called a yarn store that is close to my mom's and surprise surprise, they had the exact color and the same lot as what I already had! We took a trip to Selma's Yarns in Southbury, CT on Friday. I didn't have any high expectations for this store, but trust me when I say it was incredible. What really got me was the wide selection of yarns that Selma carried. There was Sugar 'n Cream in a bin right next to Rowan All Seasons Cotton! She had an incredible selection of Rowan yarns, but also a great selection of less expensive 100% acrylic yarns. The crowning glory was seeing some Bouton 'd Or yarn and then finding the childrens layette I'd been looking for. I've never seen these sold in stores, last time I ordered mine from Jimmy Beans Wool, but there it was, in person for my browsing pleasure. Of course I couldn't go home without it!
Our yarn tour continued in NYC. We had limited time, and I was just in NYC last weekend at Knit NY, and every year we hit different yarn stores, so this year it was just two. A friend of mine had raved about String, so we trecked all the way uptown to see the great yarns, and pleasent Ivete. Like most stores in the city, it's very small, but it was had very nice yarns in it. It's the first time I've seen Karabella Gossamer knit. They had a few beautiful shawls and I loved them. It's a great yarn, maybe for a future project. Despite this, we left empty handed.
Our final stop was School Products. We've been there before, but who can pass up the possiblity of great deals on cashmere. The cashmere existed, but again, none came home with me. Maybe I should knit the cashmere that I got last year before I buy some new stuff!
Our day in NYC ended with seeing Forbidden Broadway. For anyone that has seen a descent number of broadway shows, this is a definite play to see. It spoofs them all and we were laughing beginning to end.
It's good to be back at home now, I hope that everyone's Thanksgiving travels were as enjoyable as mine. I'm Thankful for Family and Yarn Store Tours
November 24 2004
You may remember that I love beads, I love knitting with beads, I love stringing beads, I love the colors, and how little they are.
I had some spare time Monday, so I made a little trip to Crystal Blue Beading Company in Watertown, MA. I've been thinking about what to do for people for holiday gifts, the classic make it or buy it, so I figured I'd try it.
This was my first attempt at a knitted, beaded bracelet. I think that the colors leave something to be desired, and it's a bit wider than the next one will be, but it was so much fun and done in an evening. This silly Jofrog even enjoys the task of stringing the beads in sequence. I can see me getting very into this with more complex designs, then again... it may never go farther than this.
**For those of you awaiting another amazing Grosmutter story, it will have to wait until next week. I'll be back Monday after a trip to School Products. Wish me cashmerey luck.**Mmmm Beads
November 23 2004
We had a wonderful weekend in NJ visiting with family and seeing Grosmutter. She just amazes all of us. Look at her here with her daughters (and doctor). It's not a great picture, but you can see how incredible she looks and that she looks a lot more like her 70-something year old daughters than a 100 year old woman.
Grosmutter loved her gift, and got to help me re-teach my sister to knit. She was just as excited as ever that I'm a fiber afficionado like she is. One more Grosmutter story tomorrow, and then it's back to our regularly scheduled knit blogging.If This is What 100 Looks Like, Bring it on!
November 19 2004
This weekend is my great-grandmother's 100th birthday celebration in New Jersey. It's going to be a huge party with family and friends from all over the world. Grosmutter is an amazing woman, and she deserves all of the hoopla!
As a gift I took a picture of me at her spinning wheel and framed it with my very first handspun yarn around the border.
She is always so excited about my knitting, crocheting, and now spinning. I hope that she enjoys this gift and all of the love and appreciation that goes with it.Off to New Jersey
November 18 2004
I now have two arms and the better part of the first sleeve for the treetop angel! May I say again that the stitches are so tini, and there are so few of them! It both makes it go really fast and really slow!
Early morning means lite blogging! May your meals be as lite today as my post is.Two Arms, No Pics
November 17 2004
I finished the bodice piece of my angel tree topper.
The arm is progressing... there may actually be two of them by tomorrow. I know that you can't wait!
Knit on You Crazy Angel
November 16 2004
Of course, right after I finished Mike's hat I had to get started on something new. I think that the next sweater will be the Phildar Jacket, (at least until I get yarn for the IK Shocking Jacket), but I've already started my next small project.
This is the head and first arm of the
Christmas Angel Tree Toppers from Kniters Magazine Fall '99. The quarter is to give you a sense of scale! Crochet cotton on size 1 needles... knitting 12 stitches in the round for 2.25 inches... I must be crazy. Good news is the angel is progressing really quickly and if I can keep going without having to rip out the crazy lace skirt, wings and sleeves (yes, she has arms AND sleeves) she should be done quickly.Back to the Needles Again
November 15 2004
I finished Mike's double knit hat just in time for the first big snow in Boston. It's great, he loves it, it fits perfectly, and he'll wear it on either side, so it's like he has two hats!
I used Alison's free pattern as a starting point and used my creative juices from there. I cast on 168 stitches on a size 5 needle, using Debbie Bliss Merino DK that I had left over from another project. I think that I still have some left over for one for me, and I'm so tempted, except for the fact that I don't wear hats!
This technique was really a lot of fun. It combines two color knitting with the motions of 1x1 ribbing. Try it, you may like it!Double Knit for His Pleasure
November 11 2004
I have three sweaters waiting in the wings with the yarn patiently sitting there, still in hanks, wanting to become balls and knit. I've been debating what project will be next, but obviously it will be one that I have the yarn for... Then comes this.
I have to make this jacket. I just love it. The lines are beautiful, the yarn is great, the flowers, the beads, how could I resist? So here I am thinking of what I'm going to do... Should I:
Why does the newest IK need to be so good anyways?IK Must Stop
*Get new yarn for this project and plan to do the others at some future point,
*Return the Rowanspun Aran, that I finally got enough of, in the correct dye lot, for the Phildar Jacket, and use that store credit to buy more yarn
*Go to NYC next week and find an amazing deal at School Products to make it worthwhile to justify holding onto the other yarn,
*Tell myself that there are too many projects, and too much yarn already sitting around here and I'll just have to wait on this one.
November 10 2004
Cccccold! There was snow on Cape Cod last night. Time for the
winter collar to break out! Keep yourself and your doggies warm.It's Sweater Weather
November 9 2004
Although two stitches need to be knit for every one stitch in a normal hat, this one is just flying off of the needles. I've just started the white section.
Now the debate is how should I do the color sequence... black, teal, white, teal, black OR black, teal, white, black, teal? I'm leaning towards the first, any thoughts?Flying Hats Batman
November 8 2004
I love learning new things. I started on Mike's double knit hat on Friday, and it's so much fun. Alison's instructions said to do one color, and then go back to do the second, and continue this way for every row. I wanted to do a bit of a colorwork pattern though, so I figured out how to do both at the same time, and it's so much faster this way!
The outside of the hat will stay grey, but the spots (and the inside) will switch colors from black to teal to white... or at least that is the plan for now. It's great how totally reversible this hat will be. See...
Knitting a hat like this certainly takes quite a bit more time than knitting one normally, but it's such a great technique and it will be so warm. Back to knitting! I Love Learning!
November 5 2004
Mike came home yesterday and told me that he was just at REI looking at hats! Um... if I'm not mistaken, winter hats do not come from the store. They come from yarn, and off of my needles!
What was he thinking? Needless to say, I'll be casting on for the double knit hat very soon.What Was He Thinking?
November 4 2004
As promised I wore my new cardigan to my advanced beginner knitting class and they loved it. I wore it with my favorite pair of khaki pants and I like it so much more now. I think that the look just wasn't right with a long skirt. It was really the combo that I didn't like, not the sweater.
Thanks Jen, for your comment and good sweater thoughts. I've definitely come around on this one and I hope that it can become a frequent rotator in my wardrobe!
Happy KnittingLace Yoked Cardi Update
November 3 2004
Despite this picture I'm not entirely thrilled with the sweater. It looks good, but I'm not so sure that it's me. We'll see. I told me advanced beginner knitting class that I would wear it tonight to show them. We'll see what the reaction is.
I agonized over the perfect buttons for this sweater and finally ended up with these.
...it could also be that I'm still recovering from the largest voter turnout in history, and things will look better tomorrow!
Ta Da!
Finally, after lots of time, endless sleeves, and running out of yarn, I'm finished with my yoke necked cardigan and it's blocked and dry.
I do really like them, but it may be what is adding to the "not me, a bit too something" nature of this cardigan.
November 2 2004
Last night was the debut of Mike's scarf. We went out to dinner last night. I didn't have a coat with me, so he gave me his jacket, and only had this scarf to keep him warm. It did the trick! I think he likes it, what do you think?
If you don't remember, the yarn is Cascade Ecological Wool. I used a stitch pattern from an old stitch dictionary that my mom gave me. The manley stitch looks like this. There is a ton of yarn on one skein of the Eco Wool. There may be some mittens in the future for the rest of this yarn. Maybe in the near future!
Enjoy your day, and don't forget to vote. I'll be working the polls all day, so when you are waiting in line, please, be polite to the election officials. We are trying to make things go as smoothly as possible.Presenting, My Warm Necked Husband
November 1 2004
I have been very good lately at working on projects that have been laying around here. There are a lot of little things that I'd like to finish before I get started on another new project.
I've been doing a great job with this; I actually have two FOs that are blocking as I write. ...then comes the temptation.
On Friday at work, when the mailman dropped by our mail, guess what was in it... The sock yarn that is pictured above! Thanks Jody, you Savannahchik you! They came with a sweet little note and so much thought. I was so surprised and touched.
The yarn is from Spirit Trail Fiberworks. They have really nice yarns. Go and check them out.
Have a great day and look forward to at least one of the FOs tomorrow! (Good news is I'm very happy with both!)Ahh Temptation
