Cast-On Monday: Borough For Sale

October 29, 2012October 29, 2012remilyknits 2 Comments

I started a commissioned project last week, for an agility friend. She wanted something special to give to her mom for Christmas. Normally, when I quote my going rate for custom knits, the response is a moment of silence, followed by a vague excuse. This isn’t un-intentional on my part — I have a lot of design knitting and a lot of personal knitting I want to do, and knitting a specific project for someone else needs to be worth the time. My base rate is $0.25/yard, plus cost of yarn — which doesn’t approach minimum wage for most projects, yet is far more than most people are willing to pay.

This time though, my friend said something along the lines of, “Great, do you think you can be done before Christmas? Do I pay you now?” So, for the first time in a while, I’m working a for-pay project. I don’t want to give any photos or other important information away — Christmas surprise and all that — but suffice to say the yarn is DELICIOUS and I am loving the project.

FO Friday: TSS Scarf

October 26, 2012October 26, 2012remilyknits Leave a comment

Sometimes simple projects are the most beautiful…

Project: TSS Scarf

Pattern: improvised

Designer: my head

Available: (not available, at least not yet)

Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Merino in “blue-purple” (2 skeins)

This scarf is for a good friend, the owner of TSS (aka Trial Secretary Services). She handles the scoring for dog agility trials, and often asks me to help her at the big trials. Scoring is one of my favorite jobs at agility trials, and working with Judy is always a pleasure. I’ve been wanting to make her something knitted for a long time, and I finally settled on a project that she would like and use.

I held the fingering-weight yarn doubled, and used #8 needles. Using an i-cord cast on, I cast on for 30 + 3 + 3 = 36 stitches. The three edge stitches stayed i-cord throughout, and the I worked the center 30 in linen stitch. I think the simple stitch pattern allowed the doubled hand-painted yarn to really shine. I finished the top with an i-cord bind off, and grafted the last three stitches of i-cord to that side’s i-cord edge. The seamless i-cord runs all the way around the whole scarf, giving a soft yet polished edge. There was some curling in the FO (as a mostly-stockinette stitch pattern, that’s expected).

FREE Mystery KAL: Lace Shawlette

October 24, 2012October 24, 2012remilyknits 9 Comments

I am very excited to announce my very first Mystery Knit-Along: Crushed.

As I have mentioned, I am working on a three-pattern collection of lace shawlettes. Each one is made from a single skein of sock-weight yarn. I’ve finished the samples and written the patterns for the first two, and I’m in the process of testing them. The third will be done soon. I will be offering one of the patterns FREE as part of a Mystery KAL during the month of November.

I would like to invite all my readers to join this KAL. I will be hosting it in the Remily Knits forum on Ravelry.

Here’s a rough schedule:

available now: Pre-Clue (a swatch pattern)
Nov 8th: Clue #1 (setup and first few rows)
Nov 15th: Clue #2 (main body pattern)
Nov 22nd: Clue #3 (border)

CO Monday: I’ve been a-swatching

October 22, 2012October 22, 2012remilyknits 4 Comments

No new projects this week! Instead, I’ve been swatching for Classic Elite Yarn. Their Fall 2013 call for submission was inspiring, and I have sketches for three different projects. I picked up swatching yarn last Thursday, and I’ve been working hard. I think I’ve finally found the right cable design for the first idea. Yay!

In other news, I wanted to share a horrible thing that happened this weekend. Brace yourself — it’s really sad.

Ready?

I forgot my knitting at home, and was at a two-day agility trial without my knitting bag.

I’ll give you a moment. I know, it’s hard to handle even the idea of no knitting.

I was fortunate in that I had some emergency backup knitting in the car — it’s my “waiting in the carpool lot” knitting, a hat I’m not crazy about in yarn that I love. So, it could have been worse. I did get a day “behind” on my 365 Puffs project, but somehow, I will survive.

FO Friday: Chicken Mittens

October 19, 2012October 19, 2012remilyknits 1 Comment

I made some chicken mittens!

Project: Chicken Mittens

Pattern: Honeycock Mittens

Designer: SpillyJane

Available: sometime after July 2013

Yarn: BMFA Socks That Rock Mediumweight in “Doodle Doo” (red), “Honey Cocka” (yellow), and “Valkyrie Fledge” (purple)

This was the July Rockin’ Sock Club “not a sock” pattern. The club yarn was GORGEOUS, as you can see. I loved the whimsy of the chicken mittens.

I have to say I was a bit disappointed in how the red/purple colorwork on the cuff just doesn’t show up as colorwork — the colorways just overlapped too much, sharing more than one red/brown hue. Similarly, some of the brown in the yellow colorway was close enough to the brown in the red colorway that some of the rooster’s tail can be a bit hard to see. This makes him look off-center on the mitten.

However these are minor quibbles. After waiting (and waiting, and waiting) for the mittens to dry, they have become my go-to mittens this season. Honey Cocka Doodle Doo, my Valkyrie Fledge!

Cast-On Monday: Prototype Shawl the Third, Sept 2012 RSC Sock

October 15, 2012October 15, 2012remilyknits 1 Comment

I designed and cast on for the third shawl in my upcoming three-shawl collection. Although I originally had a very sweet and romantic set of names picked out for these three designs, I have come to understand that they feel differently about themselves. I have heard authors talk about their characters having minds of their own, and subverting the plot, and now I feel I have experienced something similar. There’s nothing naive or light about these shawls — instead they bring to mind the current spooky season. I toyed with naming them after some of my favorite leading ladies of horror, but I worried about being too off-putting… and I don’t want them to be purely seasonal, either. I think I know the names now, but I’ll wait until I’m sure to announce them.

I’m planning to do a mystery KAL with at least one of the designs — so I’m not putting too many pictures out there.

I also received my September 2012 “Rockin’ Sock Club” shipment. This month’s sock pattern uses a toe that’s new to me, and a technique that’s new to me too! Nothing could make me happier or more intrigued. I’ve finished a good chunk of the first sock already.

FO Friday: Little Brown Aeolian Shawl

October 12, 2012October 12, 2012remilyknits 6 Comments

Way, way back in May 2010, I selected some soft brown Alpaca Cloud and some gorgeous bronze beads for a full-sized Aeolian shawl …. a mere 2.5 years later, I have finally got this ~~sucker~~ lovely creation off the needles!

Project: Little Brown Aeolian Shawl

Pattern: Aeolian Shawl

Designer: Elizabeth Freeman

Available: FREE! on knitty.com

Yarn: Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud in Carob Heather

Beads: #8 Miyuki seed beads in Dark Bronze Metallic

Now, here is a case where I had to be a process knitter. I absolutely love the finished shawl. Alpaca Cloud is light and soft, the beads are shiny and delightful, the edging and shape of the shawl are perfect. BUT — the knitting, oh the knitting! It was interminable. Beading and nupps? Seriously? I stopped counting stitches when I hit eleven repeats of at least 30 stitches each, per half. Ugh.

But look at this:

…. totally worth it.

I always like to block almost before the last stitch is off the needles. This project was no exception. For your edification, I give you the pre-blocked shawl…

… and the blocking shawl!

Finish It or Frog It 2012: DONE!

October 10, 2012October 4, 2012remilyknits 3 Comments

Way back at the beginning of the year, I took a good hard look at all the projects I had on needles. I searched my heart, and knew it to be true: some of them I still wanted to make and/or own … others needed to be abandoned. The good thing about knitting is that the yarn can be re-claimed. I pulled out needles, then frogged and wound like a mad, mad knitter.

The ones that “made it” looked like this:

I am pleased to announce that I have finished ALL these projects — with the minor exception of the Ongoing Forever Sock Yarn Blanket, which is (as should be obvious) an “ongoing” project, with no clear end date in mind. I think frogging the “unloved” projects was a great exercise in letting go of things … it’s made me better at deciding to give up on projects that just weren’t working this year — when my tendency is to plow ahead no matter what. I gave up on “just” four projects this year … but that’s tons better than having a bunch of WIPs slowly aging into UFOs.

Deciding to finish the above projects also motivated me. The shawl especially was a bit of a slog … lace knitting with beads, and nupps, on tiny needles with slippery, dark-colored yarn! I kept telling myself that all I had to do was finish that shawl, and I’d be done with my “Finish It or Frog It” projects. I cast off my shawl on October 3rd (look for a FO post this Friday), and I couldn’t be happier with it.

Here’s a quick photo gallery of the FOs….

Very Orange Hoodie

Princess Wander’s Aran Cape

Yggdrasil in Blue

Hellebores Wristlets

Little Brown Aeolian Shawl

Sheep Head Hat

Shoreward Socks

Tappan Zee Pulled Taffy

Cast-On Monday: Cranberry Wensleydale and Greta in Sanibel

October 8, 2012October 8, 2012remilyknits Leave a comment

I have been resisting casting on any big projects this week. I have sold a design to a magazine, and will have to drop everything and knit like mad as soon as the sample yarn arrives. (Deadlines being what they are …) Also, I’m making something for a friend, and I want to finish it quick so I can give it to her the next time I see her — so I must proceed at least 4″ every day on her scarf. Last but not least, I expect the next “Rockin’ Sock Club” kit any day now, and want to have a “working spot” open so I can justify casting on immediately upon receiving the yarn.

So, this week I plundered my Ravelry Queue for a pair of small projects.

The first is a Greta headband (I’m substituting Sanibel for the called-for yarn, which runs $40 a skein, ouch). I cast on and finished the first of three pattern repeats. I need to visit Jo-Ann’s and get the necessary O-ring ASAP — should be done shortly, but for that.

The second is a wee mouse, Wensleydale, using some leftover Tosh Light. I finished the nose and head increases during Amazing Race this week. Here is the designer’s photo of the mouse — I’ll pick up some safety eyes while at Jo-Ann’s, I think.

FO Friday: Tute Catkin

October 5, 2012October 4, 2012remilyknits 2 Comments

I finished my Catkin a couple weeks ago! I’ve been wearing it a LOT because it is so lovely.

Project: Tute Catkin

Pattern: Catkin

Designer: Carina Spencer

Available: $7 on Ravelry

Yarn: Tosh Light in French Grey and Byzantine

Buttons: LaMode Style 24794 1/2” antique silver (purchased at Jo-Ann’s)

This is a pattern designed for Tosh Light, and I found two colors of Tosh Light I loved … is “French Grey” a brownish grey, or a greyish brown? Either way, it really allows the Byzantine to shine. Working with a single-ply yarn is always a bit more challenging that working with a nice round plied yarn, but sometimes the results are just so lovely, I don’t mind a bit.

The striped neck section was a bit boring to work, and keeping track of the increases was a pain. I stalled out a bit there. I stalled out again in the textured middle section, until I figured out the pattern and didn’t have to watch the chart as closely. The slipped-stitch lollipop section was fun, fun, fun — no stalling out there at all, even though the rows were at their longest.