Cupcake Cards

Cupcake cards
Originally uploaded by p2squared.

How cute are these notecards?!

Excellent photography from a budding photographer. And the crochet handiwork isn't half bad, if I do say so myself.

Phildar cable

Phildar cable
Originally uploaded by p2squared.

What a great day to stay in and knit!

I love this Phildar magazine (Irlandais Winter 03/04). After three years the patterns don't look dated at all. There are at least three more patterns I want to knit from this magazine.

Taking it back!!

Blue Tuesday!!
Originally uploaded by p2squared.

Celebrating early! It's a blue Tuesday!! Can't wait for the Daily Show's Midterm Midtacular coverage.

Adrienne Vittadini Capsleeve

Adrienne Vittadini Capsleeve
Originally uploaded by p2squared.

Not too happy with this one. The armhole is too tight and the neck is too wide. I think Big Kureyon may make a nice pair of socks.

Six days

Demi front and back.
Originally uploaded by p2squared.

Started the front last Sunday and finished it last night!!

Demi

Demi
Originally uploaded by p2squared.

This is going faster than I thought. The armhole shaping is done for the back. Just another 3 inches until the shoulder shaping. The plan is to finish the back this weekend and start the front.

How to humiliate yourself

- Live in your head
- Be oblivious to reality
- False hope
- Ignoring the obvious
- Believing in luck
- Thinking you're really clever
- Ignoring your real problems
- Thinking your problems can magically disappear

FUCK!!!!

Breezy Cables

Breezy Cables
Originally uploaded by p2squared.

The pieces were finished in May and sat around all summer. I was dreading the seaming. I managed to overcome my fear and it was pretty painless to seam. There are no buttons. I am thinking of using it as an office sweater; anyone working in a cubicle knows those drafts can be chilly regardless of the outside temps.

IK Spring 2006 by Kathy Zimmerman. Cascade 220 color 9345. I can't remember if there were any modifications. It was four months ago.

Multifunctional

I saw these Knit Klips (oh, what klever marketing) in the Patternworks catalog. I have been using safety pins to align my seams while seaming. These look like they would be much easier to use when I need to adjust and maneuver the seam alignment.


They also remind me of the little hair accessories I see little girls put in their hair.


I found the mini hair clips at Bartell Drugs for $3.50/dozen. They work great as knit clips.

Fall projects

Fall projects
Originally uploaded by p2squared.

Rowan has come to their senses. Though, Roam is basically a saddle blanket. It freaks me out looking at it. Leah Sutton, the infamous R2 designer, can actually design a decent looking garment. I especially like her design in VK. My goal this fall/winter is to knit a Kaffe Fassett sweater.

Richesse Online

Yea!
Originally uploaded by p2squared.

I just discovered Richesse! Rowan. Sale. Speedy delivery. 'nuff said.

Rookie mistake!!

Rookie mistake!!
Originally uploaded by p2squared.

Fucked up the pattern here by omitting two knit rows!! Yes, I have already bound-off the back piece and have knit the front pieces to up to this row.

Think I will lay this aside and start on Salina from Rowan Vintage Knits. The weather has cooled down and working with wool sounds very appealing right now.

Cherry bomb

Cherry bomb
Originally uploaded by p2squared.

One step forward, two steps back. Trying to be efficient by knitting front pieces at once and ended up frogging down to the ribbing. Takes more concentration than expected. Very hard to watch foreign films and knit this pattern because I keep missing pieces of the dialogue when I have to look down to count stitches or to cable over two stitches to the right and to the left.

What up, dog... um cat.

amineko
Originally uploaded by p2squared.

My first amineko. Yes, there is going to be another one. Too cute not to have another one. I'm considering calling him Coco or Cyrus. Cyril? Clark?

The search for the plastic beads, also know as those things that Beanie Babies are stuffed with, was impossible. Joann's, no. Michael's, no. Then a light came on: Goodwill. Yes, there was a whole shelf of Beanie Babies people no longer wanted and for me buy for $1 each.

So people, if you need plastic pellets, pebbles, beans, or whatever you call them go to Goodwill because it is guaranteed to be there and it's cheap!

Hooked

amineko in progress
Originally uploaded by pknitty.

I love this little cat! And I'm not alone in my fascination. Crocheting takes alot of concentration. I have not mastered the no look hooking.

Alive and Knitting.

Scoop neck sweater
Originally uploaded by pknitty.

Still here. It has been easier for me to upload photos to Flickr than to blog lately. This is a stash buster from Bergere de France, my new Phildar since I can't find the free patterns on the redesigned Phildar site. It is knit with DB Wool/Cotton in navy.

Bobble Cardi

It's just about done. Just a few more ends to weave in. Overall fun jacket to knit up. The bobbles were fun to work on . The only disappointment is the collar I worked them separately and one side came out looser than the other, so it's not symmetrical as I like. I'm trying not to think about it or else I will be tempted to frog and reknit that loose side. I used Schoeller Bermuda in Linen Biege. The gauge was a bit off but worked out okay since my frame is small. I like this yarn (a combination of cotton/acrylic) and hope it holds up well with wear and cleaning.

Saturday

Eventhough today looks like this:


I am planning to be inside doing this all day:


Fueled by:



While being entertained by these people (yeah, yeah, I like watching junk.)

Finsihed another tank/vest this week. From the Rowan Cotton Tape book. I subsituted Rowan yarn with Jo Sharp Summer Soho because I don't want to pay $50 to make a tank top. I adjusted the neckline because it looked too high so I added two extra decrease stitches at the neckline edge so I had to start the decrease four rows earlier than what the pattern instructed. The book has some great patterns while the rest are too similar to each other.

Gilmore Vest

Gilmore Vest
Originally uploaded by pknitty.

Pattern: Gilmore Vest from Fable Handknit.
Needles: Addi #5
Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Cotton Patine color#08 (I don't recommend this yarn. The color bleeds. Not only did the color rub off on my hands while knitting the color ran when I blocked it. So the collar and armhole ribbing is darker than the body. Also, on the seams the color has faded from handling. A close inspection it has this pigment dyed look to it.)
Started: April 28
Finished: May 7

Well written pattern (I did find the armhole ribbing instructions vague, but I just went with it and after two tries it worked) Easy to follow. Simple and classic design.

knitting doppelganger

There's another pknitty out there? I am so old...what is MySpace? How is it different from LiveJournal, Blogger, Typepad? I thought Xanga was the hip online thing for the teeny boppers. How come everyone and their granny has one? I'm a GM Pacer on the information highway; too old, too slow and can't keep up.

Trellis

lace3
Originally uploaded by pknitty.

My efforts in the Trellis scarf. Knit with Misty Alpaca Lace in a seafoam green-blue color. Looks nice against the chocolate brown, no? Lace knitting is like one of those science toys you put in water and a few hours later it is ten times the original size. Dressing lace is like the same... maybe it's not ten times its knitted size, but you get me.

Pillow or Bag?

burst
Originally uploaded by pknitty.

I can't decide whether to use this fabric for a throw pillow or a tote bag. It has a linen like weave with embroidered circular bursts of red, black. cream and orange, and a greyish print of the the same design. I bought one and a half yard of red microfiber to match. Though I think the matching red is suitable for the back side of a pillow, black microfiber would coordinate better with the fabric if it is to be made into a tote.

Just finished the Trellis scarf. Not my best effort. I got a little sloppy in the middle and towards the end. Was just wanting it to be finished!! Eunny described it accurately when she said lace knitting is a Sisyphean effort. No kidding.

Poor man's pottery

ikea vases
Originally uploaded by pknitty.

These are cool and if they came in red I would like them even more. They are the poor man's Jonathan Adler pottery. This is the year I declutter; I am resisting all the siren calls to bring in knickknacks, candles, cooking tools, etc. (yarn is excluded, of course), so I forced myself to pass on the vases when I was at Ikea last weekend.

Trellis

I started Trellis on my way back from SF. As usual I didn't read the pattern thoroughly, just the usual quick skim (hmmm... looks doable, let's go get the yarn). K7tog!! Holy moley!! It took about four repeats before it got easier. Slippery Addis, dull points and lace weight yarn: YIKES! Not so easy at first.


Hey, the Ott-lite gives good light for photos at night.

Ahh... several reasons to miss the Bay Area...

I Lurv Cali

It is so pretty! We had great weather all week long. Our trip to Monterey was spectacular because of the sun and temperature. When I win the Mega Millions Lotto this is where you can find me!



I visited a few yarn stores in between. First was Fengari in Half Moon Bay. This is a nice store with a large selection. They had lots of resources which is great, but I didn't find the IK back issue I am hunting for, the Summer '03. Yarnfibers has been talked up a bunch, but I was sort of underwhelming by it. I was expecting a lot more than I experienced. It most likely because handpainted, variegated yarn isn't really my thing. The discount room was disappointing. I did purchase two skeins of Siam, thin and thick silk; and I was planning a scarf with it but now I don't know if I want to do that. Then I stopped by Imagiknit. Now this is my kind of store! Two full rooms stacked with yarn from floor to ceiling, literally. The owner said she likes to stock a bit of everything so that everyone goes away with something. And boy, did they have a bit of everything!! If I lived in SF this would be my regular haunt!! They even have Phildar. The resource/pattern selection was over flowing, and the yarn was categorized by weight and brand. Two thumbs up for the selection, welcoming vibe and organization of the yarn. Nothing worse than a yarn shop arrange by color!! Such was the decor of Knitting by the Sea in Carmel. Man, I have not seen a pattern selection that was so sparse. Yarn arranged by color, what's up with that? I guess not too many people in Carmel knit. Too bad for them!!



Also, I went to Britex. Four flours of gorgeous fabrics!! An entire floor devoted to notions and trimmings!! Loved it. I wish I could afford the beautiful Liberty fabrics they carried, also, the silk prints. Again, when I win the lotto...when I win the lotto...

Vacation, all I ever wanted...

golden gate
Originally uploaded by pknitty.

Aah, enjoying the beauty that is Northern Cali. Tomorrow is the LYS crawl, Britex and H&M.

Drops patterns are now in english. Yay!! I can finally make that sweater I have been trying to translate for the last three years.

I would rather be knitting and wathcing the Winter Olympics on CBC*.

* Why the CBC? Because we are close enough to the border that the cable company provides it. Because it so much better than NBC's broadcast. Because unlike NBC, who make you wait until midnight before showing the good footage from the day, CBC broadcasts live.

This may actually work

pointelle2
Originally uploaded by pknitty.

That's right, this one may actually fit. Fingers crossed.

twist top redux

twist top v2
Originally uploaded by pknitty.

Here is the twist top altered for a better fit. Blah! That about sums up this project for now.

pointelle

pointelle
Originally uploaded by pknitty.

I am back for more punishment. Yes, another Adrienne Vittadini. This Debbie Bliss Cashmerino is from another frogged AV project hence the uneven stitches due to the crimped yarn.

cable tank

cable tank
Originally uploaded by pknitty.
Urgh!! I hit the wall with this one. I've never knit anything that fit so poorly on me. I swear the gauge was right on, and I'm not sure if blocking would have helped. That twisted knot on the front is about as big as one of my boobs!! Not a look that is in this season. I frogged it all and am trying again with modifications. No more lace panels, which now has been replaced with cable panels, so the design is cable and ladder stitches. I made it back up to the twist front and have accommodated for the twist so that there is more length for the twist to be less bulky. With all that I now have lost interest and have no desire to work on the back piece.

diagnal stitch

diagnal
Originally uploaded by pknitty.

Woot! Woot! My first Adrienne Vittadini pattern completed from the Spring 05 book. I am surprised that the pattern worked out as well as it did considering the many disasters that came before. I have started many a patterns from the AV books and for some snaffu with the yarn substitute I used it never worked out. This one was knit with Elan's Baby Cashmere. Doubled for the body and single strand for the sleeves. It is the same color as my Lace and Tuck Ensemble. Didn't plan to knit two of the same colors in a row but this diagnal stitch pattern was sitting around waiting to be finished and I was on roll with the Lace and Tuck. Now I'm on a roll with AV patterns because I have two more on the needles.

Update

I've got my agenda so why don't I start bloggin' already? Been really, really busy... and disctracted. I have been knitting in between. If you are interested take a look. I have to update that too. There are a couple of projects that need seaming, and the only time that I can do that is on the weekend when I'm at home during daylight hours to catch some good light. Did you see? I finally got to tackle the Lace & Tuck Ensemble from IK Fall 2004. The pattern has been in the back of my mind for years. I kept putting it off so some reason. It is like the fifth project I've made from that issue. Hands down my favorite issue. Speaking of good, I want the Summer 2003 issue that none of my LYS has anymore. I want so badly to make that Veronik Avery summer cable.

Doesn't casting on 70 stitches for the back side of a sweater seem like a lot when the stitch guage is 3.25/inch? And this is the smallest pattern size. I recently discovered this knitting ratio thing on a blog I was browsing through. I have to find it again!! God, I hate it when I lurk and open like a zillion blogs that look interesting and forget to bookmark the ones I want to visit again.

Simplified

I just need to simplify. A place to type out a few words and post some pictures. My goal this year is to keep it clean, clear and simple.