Summer Lovin'

Green Tea Raglan
Interweave Knits
Knitpick's CotLin

This sweater was originally supposed to be a Christmas gift for my aunt, but I guessed wrong on the size and had gauge issues so it became a sweater for me. That's what I get for trying to surprise someone with a sweater and not taking time to do some math. Ah well.

I finished the aran pocket shawl (sans pockets), but I haven't taken pictures yet.

Other knitting goes on with ever more project ADD. I get excited about things and then give up when the project proves too difficult (or too simple) for my attention level. I have a colorful fuzzy ribbon yarn scarf that goes to the movies with me. I have a sock that attends my meetings. I have a complex cable braid band for a sweater that occupies my evenings. I never lack for yarny companionship! Of course, Ravelry also reminds me of the lace scarf, librarian cardigan, entrelac socks, and furry mohair shawlette that I haven't touched in months.

Ah well. Keep the stitches coming!

Camera-less

Alas! My digital camera has decided to bite the dust. I will have to sort it out later. I apologize for picture-less posts in the near future.

Knitting proceeds with somewhat less vigor at present. Classes, papers, projects, the fact that its Lent and church duties are piling up, and the amount of time I spend on the phone talking to a certain male someone have cut into some of my string time. However, I'm still crocheting string bags to take with me to the grocery store and plugging away at the wedding gift for my cousin.

I have a huge itch to start a pair of socks. My friend Emily sent me that lovely sock yarn for my birthday and I'm just dying to try it out! But then I feel guilty that I haven't been working on the Bristow project that I'm supposed to be doing for one of the ladies at work (or the wedding present) and the other projects I've got in the works. Anyone have any suggestions for curing the sock bug without neglecting the projects that I must complete?

Christmas Knitting is (mostly) Done!

Its true! I've just got one bit of a sweater to finish and I'm not seeing that person until New Year's so it will be okay if I finish that on my travels. I'll have lots of knitting time between now and then. Everything else is done and wrapped and ready to go into the car later tonight.

Pattern: Mug Coozies, Interweave Knits Holiday '07
Yarn: Peaches 'n' Cream cotton
This green one is for my dad. I also made a red one for my grandpa.

Munkus was very helpful when I was trying to work on my BSJ last night. He's rather opinionated about my traveling.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all! I'll be MIA for a few weeks as I travel around to my friends and family. See you in 2008!

Tis the Season... I think...

Today it is 80 degrees outside. What a strange state South Carolina is! I miss cold weather and snow, though I am thankful that I don't have to drive in that mess.

Finals are over and knitting time has come back with a vengeance! I've been working on some little projects for friends and for people with whom I am staying on my travels over Christmas break. I mapped the trip this morning and I'll be driving around 1,880 miles (round trip) over a period of about three weeks. I'm very excited to see so many friends and family!

First up, I'm making some washcloths to pair with nice soaps as gifts:



Then there's the beginning of a kitty wonton for a friend who will really appreciate it given that she had a cat that used to take real wontons right from the soup if she wasn't careful!All of the above are made with Sugar & Cream cotton in various colors.

And lastly, my very first BSJ!

Pattern: Baby Surprise Jacket, by Elizabeth Zimmerman
"The Opinionated Knitter"
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool Merino

I hope you can enjoy the lovely South Carolina sun in the pictures as much as Munkus and I have been enjoying it today!

Almost there!

I started a BSJ to keep me sane during finals, but I haven't taken pictures of it yet. I've spent about 15 hrs longer than I wanted to on this paper for my Paul in the Lectionary class so any free time I hoped to have is very much gone. Luckily the first part of it is done and I just have to write the last bit and my final for Worship and I'll be done.

In gratitude for your patience, here is the sweater I finished last summer! Because sometimes in the midst of finals you just need to see something that is complete!

Pattern: Nantucket Jacket
Interweave Knits Fall '06
Yarn: Paton's Classic Merino

See you when the dust settles!

Sweater Fest

Somehow I have gotten myself into a lot of sweater projects this year. Top of my list is currently the Green Tea Raglan from Interweave Knits Spring '07 (minus the belt thing).


I'm making it from Knitpick's CotLin yarn which I am thoroughly enjoying. It gets softer as you work with it. I think the person I'm giving this to will really love it after its been washed a few times. It just needs a back and it will be good to go! I did the sleeves in between doing the second front/back piece so that I wouldn't get Second Sleeve Syndrome.

I had planned on casting on the last piece of this tonight, but I realized that this was taking up my size 5 straights:This is one of the front pieces of Knitty's Bristow. I'm making myself finish this piece before I reclaim the needles to start the last bit of the GTR.

Munkus finds this whole thing very amusing.

Handy Hats

Well, its a good thing we decided to knit hats for our newly-bald football players. Gettysburg was frigid this weekend! We won our first three games, but lost the championship to Chicago. Sad day. The hats were fantastic anyway. Stephen certainly liked his:

Most of the hats were solid red, but I liked the stripes on this one the best.

I don't think I explained before, but the guys auctioned off the rights to shave their heads for donations to Heifer International. We raised over $2800! I think Stephen's hair went for a llama. I and two other knitters finished 13 hats on the drive up there. We also taught someone how to knit, so we were quite proud of ourselves. It was a productive trip.

I had, of course, planned to knit a lot during the games, but unfortunately it was freezing and I kept my hands in my pockets whenever possible! That scarf is one of the first things I ever knit (knitted?). At one point I had a long sleeve t-shirt, a wool sweater (from a store, I can't knit with the stuff but I can sure wear it over things), a regular t-shirt, a hoodie, a rain coat, a hat, the big red scarf, a pair of gloves, a pair of fingerless mitts, a pair of mittens, two pairs of socks, and big waterproof hiking boots on and was still cold. Something must be wrong with me. I've been in the south too long.

Or perhaps I shouldn't stand outside in the cold all day.

I did accomplish some knitting during our inside times. I worked on these socks but haven't taken a more recent picture. The heel is turned now.

I also worked on a steering wheel cover for the woman who cuts my hair. She's also a student so we barter knitting for haircuts.

I'm pretty sure its long enough, but I have to try it on the steering wheel to make sure it fits correctly even though I measured carefully. Cotton stretches!

I'm glad to be back from my travels, even though I came home to an entire container of cat food all over the laundry room floor. I think Munkus was a bit peeved that I left him. He had fun nibbling on my needles while I worked on a surprise project this evening.

Travel Knitting

I'm not much of a sports watcher, but this weekend is the big Luther Bowl tournament in Gettysburg and I'm going to support my school. A whole bunch of seminarians get together to play football (aka: run around in the mud). The gentlemen of the team have decided it would be fun to shave their heads. A whole bunch of (mostly) southerners who are headed much further north think its a good plan to shave their heads before they go spend the whole day outside. My seminary knitters think they need hats, so we're going to spend the 8-9 hour drive knitting for them.

Of course, once we get there and the hats are done, I'll need something else to do while I spend all day watching the tournament. I've got a ton of projects on the needles, but most of them aren't going to be good for sitting outside in who-knows-what kind of weather. Then there's the 8-9 hour drive back which will require some knitting as well. Throw on the fact that I'll be in a somewhat crowded 15 passenger van and you've got the gist of the problem.

What's a knitter to do?!

Here are my thoughts:
On the Way Up: Hats. Lots of hats. This is not really negotiable.
At the Tournament: Things that are simple. Things that are washable. Things that are small enough to cart around in my hoodie pocket.
- perhaps the cotton steering wheel cover I'm making
- one of my socks (if I turn the heel beforehand)
- crazy fun fur scarves
On the Way Back: Something a bit more complex, though still washable and rather small.
- Green Tea Raglan?
- entrelac socks?

Here's a picture of the socks from a few weeks ago. I have since turned the heel! I feel so incredibly smart when I work on this. Yarn is a wonderful confidence booster. If I can handle five tiny metal sticks and not impale anyone, I can do anything!

Of course... not impaling anyone might be more difficult in a crowded van. Maybe I should stick to circs.

I think its time

So, I'm pretty sure that my other friends are sick and tired of my knitting related posts on my other blog. Most of my friends don't understand my string obsession. They give me funny looks when I order them to "pet the yarn!" (Its just so soft! You must touch it!!) They just don't get it.

In the interest of still having friends who aren't string-obsessed, I will post knitterly things on this blog instead. I do hope you'll enjoy!

Knitting History:
My grandmother on my dad's side taught me how to knit when I was in high school. When she died a little over a year ago, knitting became a way to still feel connected to her. Now I'm 24 years old and studying to become a pastor and knitting is what holds me together when life gets stressful. After Grandma taught me knitting and purling and knitting in the round on dpns, I've pretty much taught myself out of books and magazines.

Current WIP list:
- Green Tea Raglan from IK
- Bristow from Knitty
- 1st of a pair of entrelac socks
- 2nd of a pair of plain socks
- Montego Bay Scarf from IK

Ravelry ID: Revseminarian. Look me up and we'll be friends!