Summer Knits

Summer Projects
I have cast-on/swatched/purchased yarn for 3 different summer tops:

White Silk Sweater from Rebecca 33

I even took it with me to NC for Memorial Day:

This pattern is originally written to be knit flat in two pieces, but I wanted to knit it in the round, so I had to re-chart the lace, cast-on, etc.


Collared Tank from KnitSimple Spring/Summer 07

Cotton Twist

Rusted Root

Cotton Fleece

Summer Socks

After I modeled for Loopville, I bought some yarn (and they gave me a discount!)


I'm hoping to make nona's sideways socks

Adventure Bag Progress

This bag has accompanied me everywhere this week and it's growing quickly!!


I have lots of pictures and little time, so a longer post will be coming probably Friday as tomorrow's Girl's Night Out, and of course I'll be taking the bag.

Randomness

I have been intrigued by everyone's random things and found many of them to be like mine, so I tried to find some original ones (I know I'm too random).
Here goes:
1. I am a night person. Whenever I want to get things done, I start around 2 am and work, work, work until it's done. If I try to do it during the day, it doesn't get done.

2. I love French. I watch movies and TV shows in French whenever I have that option. I also love to listen to French music and sometimes translate songs and sing the lyrics in French. Also, I have a list of French knitting terms and sometimes I will read that for fun as well.

3. I hate heat. For a southern girl, that makes things tough. My pale skin and blonde hair is linked to my Norweigan heritage which prompts me to carry SPF 50 in my purse and offer it to friends whenever we go on an outdoor adventure.

4. I am a very idealogical person and believe that I will be able to do everything I want to in my life. Making my own beauty products, making my own clothes, baking bread, cooking with food from my garden, spinning my own yarn, having my own sheep, being completely sustainable while traveling EVERYWHERE as I begin school studying International Business, etc. You name it, I probably want to do it.

5. One of the most gratifying feelings to me is parking perfectly in a tight spot. Why? I don't know, but whenever I execute a perfect parking job I feel strangely proud of myself.

6. I have a fear of finishing knitting projects. Sewing seams, weaving in ends... it all scares me. I am a perfectionist and I always want my knitting to be perfect. The finishing/seaming of a knit reveals to me whether or not I'm happy with the project. Usually, there's something "glaring," but I suck it up and know that if it was perfect, I probably wouldn't be as happy with it.

7. I am an avid reader, or at least I used to be. Knitting has taken up a lot of my reading time and I have ADD, which makes it hard for me to concentrate on audiobooks. So, I now own more books that I have NOT read than I have. Luckily, I have learned how to knit and read, so this summer I hope to finish MANY of the books I own!!

Short and Sweet Update

Oh, it's been a very busy week. Graduation, which included lots of family in town, left little time for blogging this week. I do, however, have some knitty news.
My new project:

A great felted bag for summer made with Cascade 220 (my first experience with this yarn and it's been a good one).

Next, I went to my LYS and they currently have the Vogue Knitting Summer 2007 trunk show in town. Since they have the trunk show, there will be a piece on a local show and I will be modeling one of the garments tomorrow on tv!! I'm very excited and it's also one of my favorite patterns of the issue.

Anyway, more pics, thoughts, and a whole lotta bag progress coming your way very soon!

Ta da!

That can only mean one thing.
Yes, the Central Park Hoodie is finally finished and I wore it tonight! And I just realized that it also coincides with green for Project Spectrum!

Cast-on: November 14 ,2006/ Finished: May 13, 2007
Pattern: Central Park Hoodie from Knitscene Fall 2006
Size: 36" and fits great!
Yarn: Plymouth Encore Worsted color #1233 , 4.5 skeins
Needles: 4.5 mm(US 7) and 5.5 mm(US 9) Clover Takumi for the body and 4.5 mm Knitpicks Options
Modifications: I read the double cable chart backwards on the back, so I made the sleeve cables match.

For a bit of randomness, I found this after emptying out the purse I took with me to Europe last summer. Which is perfect cause my lips have been cracking so much lately.

Determination and Its Knitting Benefits

This week I've been taking a few AP exams, I went into 2 of 3 determined and sure of myself: English and Calculus... Government was disastrous. All the studying and just the feeling of determination (also the adrenaline rush of the end of the semester/high school!) made me determined to finish a project: The Central Park Hoodie.

I picked up and knit the edging, the seams have been sewn and by tomorrow all of the (MANY) ends will be woven in and I'll have my FIRST completed sweater.
Stay tuned for more fibery goodness!

Relaxing Knits

I've been relaxing this week before everything begins next week. Doing the daily rows of my KAL seemed to be just the trick. I had to leave in a hurry for a meeting and took a hat I'd started a while ago, frogged part of it, and left it sitting alone for months. It got some love today, but I forgot the book with the pattern and had to hope I could remember the stripe width (Candy Cane Hat from Handknit Holidays).
Yesterday I said I'd be trying some combination knitting and, people, I think I'm sold. It's so quick. My one problem is keeping a consistent gauge, but practice makes perfect, right?

May: Day 1

Spring and the end of the semester has sent me into small project mode. I finished two crochet coasters yesterday.

Started: April 30, 2007/ Finished: April 30, 2007, but I still have to weave in ends and block them a bit.
Yarn: Sugar n Cream Cotton in Yellow and Cornflower Blue
Hook: G/6 4.25 mm
Pattern: Soft Coaster from Cozy Crochet

This morning I woke up with 2 KAL's Day 1 messages in my inbox. As soon as I got home this afternoon, I cast on my bookmark. I'm using some leftover sock yarn and size 0 Knitpicks needles because I don't own any size 1's. I decided for such a small project I would attempt to knit in the continental method. I think I've got it down pretty well, but I do need to work at keeping a constant gauge. It's even green for Project Spectrum, unplanned of course.


Once I finished my rows on the bookmark, I cast on my dishcloth. I am also knitting the dishcloth in the continental method... hoping to be knitting faster soon.


Also, I was watching Knitty Gritty with Annie Modesitt and she was discussing Combination Knitting with which I am completely intrigued. Tomorrow I will try to incorporate the combo knitting with the continental. Pretty excited, really.