Sleeve Increases

The instructions say to knit two stitches, increase, knit the round to the last two stitches and then increase and knit the last two stitches.  I've chosen to knit these 4 stitches (2 stitches at beginning of round and 2 stitches at end of round) in the background color. It makes a nice "seam" going up the sleeve.   It makes it easier to see where the increase row is too.  I am constantly losing track of where I am and it's nice to be able to find my way again.

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

Sleevitis

I am well into my first sleeve.  My "placket buddy" and I are setting the goal to get our sweaters done before the Olympics start.  I want to get it done so I can start Lake Louise during the opening ceremonies.  For those alert enough, you will notice that Lake Louise is coming from my Dale stash and is listed on the left.  I'm stash knitting at last!  Yay me!

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

Arrival of The Deer

I finally finished the body of Lappland.    I shouldn't say "finally" as this is the fastest I have finished a body in a while.   I ran out of the natural yarn and had to order more.  Thankfully Susan from Spinblessing had more in the same dye lot, but I suspect a different dye lot would have been fine. 

I don't do color work knitting back and forth.  To me, that's insanity.  So - I created steeks for the front and back necks so I could keep knitting around. 

The back looks the pretty much the same, just a wider steek.  I generally add an odd number of steek stitches, knit the first two stitches and last two stitches of the steek in the same background color and then alternate colors across as I carry the colors across.  I do a K2 together (to decrease one stitch) or a K3 together (to decrease two stitches) and knit one stitch on the right side of the neck (as you're looking at it), knit the steek stitches, knit one stitch and then SSK (to decrease one stitch) or a SSSK (to decrease two stitches) on the left side.   Usually I would leave the front neck and back neck stitches on a holder.  But in this case there is going to be a front placket and it will be cut down the red rectangular area.  The back neck stitches are on a holder and will be put back on the needles when I'm knitting the neck.   When I pick up the stitches for the neck there will be a nice curved neckline instead of the jagged stepped neckline that would have been created by knitting back and forth.
When it comes to the sleeves, I basted where the sides are and will use this as a guide for sewing and cutting the steeks.

So here I am.  Body done.  Off to sleeve hell.  Stay tuned!

My Stash of Shame

I admit it.  I have a big stash huge stash.  It's embarrassing, actually.  I have so many Dale of Norway projects stashed I don't even remember what I have.  I am going to create a list on the side somewhere.  Maybe if I see what I have I will be more interested in knitting them.  I don't think I have them listed on Ravelry.  There is probably  more than I've listed and as I find them I'll add them.    Embarrassing, I know.  Hush, Lorraine.

Color Me Happy

I'm going to be attending a class taught by Janine.  Janine and I go way back; she taught me how to spin and loaned me her Ashford Traditional wheel. 

Friday, Saturday and Sunday I will be attending her 3 day workshop.  I'm SO excited!!!

The Ernie Project

Last summer, Bev and I met up in San Francisco.   There, we met up and made the great fleece/sock yarn exchange.  I swear, I got the better end of the deal;  I got around 4 or 5 pounds (not sure on the weight) of luscious creamy chocolate brown Ramboulliet roving and Bev got a bunch of sock yarn that was tucked away in a bin.  This fleece came from pretty boy Ernie.  I have been spinning for about 6 years now and I have never spun anything so soft.   I will 3 ply this and it will be aran weight.  Ernie is definitely going to be a sweater of cable-y goodness.  I don't have a clue how many WPI I'm spinning and I don't have a clue as to how much fleece I have.  I'm truly spinning blind here.  Ernie will become the sweater he's meant to be and I will be designing an aran just to show him off.   I will post photos later and will put up "Ernie Project" progress-meter on the sidebar.  Right now I'm just spinning the first bobbin so there isn't much to show.

Meanwhile, I'm just about ready to start on the main pattern of Lappland.  I think I can get it finished at lunch and be ready to go tonight when I get home from work.  Yippeee!!

The Never Ending Part

While my other fellow knit-a-longers are well into the upper body charts I'm still whittling away on the body.  Did I mention this is the XL size?  Sigh.

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

Lappland at First Glance

Here is my Lappland so far.  10 inches to go.  Ugh.

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

No New Year's Resolutions For Me

Two thousand and nine was a year of challenges for me but I learned a lot about myself in the process.  I learned to let go of a lot of things too.

In July my job shifted so that I ended up acquiring more work.  A lot more work.  However, with the economy the way it is I am most grateful that I still have a job.  I learned that I could handle the work load and challenges that came my way.

I also learned that I like having my blog and it's okay to write whatever I want.  I am not here to please everyone.  It is important to make myself and my family happy.  Okay, the cats too.  But other than that, I honestly don't care any more.  I let go of wondering what others think of me.

I'm also learning to let go of the things that just don't matter.  I'm letting go of the fact that I have such a huge yarn stash.  I enjoy looking at it and it makes me happy, so isn't that what matters?  Several years ago I sold some yarn that I just wouldn't use and I haven't missed it one bit.

This year I am not going to make any resolutions.  I am not going to make a promise that I will not buy yarn.  I am not going to make a promise that I will knit projects A, B, and C.  I plan on knitting whatever the heck I please when I please.  Knitting is very pleasing for me and I find it a great comfort when I come home from a long day at work.  Spinning is another pleasure spot for me too.  In fact, I've been spinning Ernie.  I will tell you about Ernie later. 

This year I'm going to do whatever I feel I need to do.  Losing weight is going to be a big thing for me in 2010.  I'm not setting a weight loss goal.  I'm just going to lose what I can when I can.  Life isn't a race.  Sometimes I try to make it so, and get frustrated in the process. 

The bottom line for me is to enjoy 2010 however it may happen.  I wish you all a very Happy New Year and hope it is a great one for you too!

First finished project of 2010

Well, hopefully it will be.  Tonight when I get home from work I will be casting on for the Norwegian Knit-a-long we're having at Ravelry.  I'm doing the Dale of Norway Lappland out of Dalegarn Falk.  I've chosen the adult sweater knit in the colors of the child's sweater.  I've knit one of these before but out of Brown Sheep Naturespun sport.  I really didn't care for the yarn knitted for this project.  But, it's all I had at the time.  This time it should be a lot different as I really like this yarn.  Falk is the superwash version of Heilo, for all those who were curious but afraid to ask.  ;-)

Here are photos from the Dalegarn booklet:

Handsome Men of the Silver Screen*

I was reading a blog and there was a post about the handsome men of the silver screen.  I just love the classics (black and white especially) and I have my own silver screen hunk favorites.

How about Cary Grant?   The dimple in his chin.  :swoon:

I loved An Affair to Remember (1957) and Bringing up Baby (1938)??

And then there's Rock Hudson.   What a hunk.    Pillow Talk (1959) with Doris Day.  I loved that movie!

......... and then there's Sean Connery.  There must be something about Scottish men.  I married one.  (hee hee).   Sean is my favorite 007.

Okay - there you have it.  My top three movie hunks.  They don't make em like they used to.  :sigh:
*This was post was inspired by C-Dot.

Giddyup!

Santa was nice to me this year.  He brought me a new iPod and yarn.  Lots of yarn!  He brought me some Hebridean 3 ply for St. Brigid and yarn for two hats.  One hat is the Appaloosa Hat.  I was so anxious to start it that I cast on on Christmas Day and finished it the next morning.  The yarn is Dalegarn Falk in colors Copper and Off White. 

I am a loose knitter and went down a needle size.  The resulting fabric is a bit loose for my taste even going down a needle size.  This was a great exercise for me to work on gauge for the upcoming Norwegian Knit-a-long.   The pattern calls for one skein of yarn of each color and this photo shows how much was left.

I finished the "Oh Ruby" scarf but haven't taken photos yet.  That and the details of the upcoming Norwegian Knit-a-long on Ravelry will be coming soon.

I hope you all had a terrific Christmas!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Finished Knitting Update

If you follow along on Ravelry, you will have already seen these finished knitting projects.  Several years ago I started Luskentyre.  It sat for one year only needing one sleeve.  One day I decided enough was enough!  I picked it up and decided to "gitter done".  

Here is Bee Fields Shawl by Anne Hanson.  It's knit from The Woolen Rabbit's Tupelo Honey.

That's about it for this update.  If I remember to get pictures of the other projects I'll add them.

Kisses For Everyone

There is much holiday-making here at chez Purls.   We got the tree decorated and this is one of my favorite ornaments:

I've made two batches of my mother-in-law's shortbread but they're in an air tight container hidden away from sneaky hands.   Here are two batches of Peanut Butter Blossoms.

Go ahead.  Take one.  You know you want one. 

And now for another reason why I started blogging again:  Cat Cuteness.  Here is Meemers with trying to take a nap with her Serta Sheep #5.   Sheepie #5 is in her bed in the living room.  Sheepie #2 is in her bed next to my side of the bed.  

Time to get ready for bed and tomorrow off to work for a lot of merry making with my coworkers.  I hope you are all having a great holiday.   Next time, photos of projects I've recently finished. 

A Missing Spot

Several months ago I discontinued my blog at Typepad because it just became too much. At first it was a relief - kind of a vacation. Here and there I found myself saying to myself, "Wow! This is blogworthy." Oh. I don't have a blog any more.

Some of the things I wanted to post weren't necessarily interesting to all of my readers but it was interesting to me, maybe my husband, and perhaps a knitter friend here and there. I'm only blogging for myself so who cares if what I write isn't entertaining? Sometimes I write about things that are stupid, silly, and corny. However, that's why my husband loves me and I love that I can be my silly goofy self with him. (Because we all know he's done some mighty stupid stuff too.)

I have some dear knitting friends that blog too and I miss sharing my stuff with them. I'm very thrilled that another dear knitter is back on the blogging wagon again and I can see the funny stuff that goes on in her life too. It makes the eleventy million miles between us shorter.

We are in the holiday season now, so be of good cheer! I'm back.

Tudor Roses Knit-a-long

This is my old blog and boy was I surprised to find it was still up and running! As you can see from my old posts it's been a while.

I needed a Blogger account to be able to join the Tudor Roses Knit-a-long, so this fits the bill!

I am going to be knitting Henry VIII. In fact, I have already started and I hope by being in this KAL it will cheer me along to finally get Hank finished. I am about 10 rows from beginning the arm steeks.

Is it a sleeve?

Here is Mia, modeling the Sparkle Plenty sleeve. Not many can pull this off, but doesn't Mia look gorgeous in her poncho?




We have all recovered from the hustle of the Thanksgiving holiday. My MIL visited us and Tippi made it clear she loved having her Granny visit!




Hope you all had a terrific Thanksgiving. The countdown is on for Christmas!

I was just reminded by my 20 year 11 month and 15 day old son that his birthday comes before Christmas and he will be 21. :gasp: I feel so old.

Happy Thanksgiving!

A very happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

It's 1 year old!

Yup. My blog's first birthday was Nov. 13. I missed it. However.......