Eye Candy

Have you seen the latest issue of Knitscene? I'm in love with it, there are so many great projects. Particularly high on my hit list are these two numbers:

And then I love these(minus the stripes):

I'm also really intrigued by this: I'm never quite sure what I think of ribbon yarn- it seems to knit up in a bulky, vaguely unflattering way, but maybe this knit will break the ribbon yarn curse. Hmm. Longer sleeves, of course. Also, in my daily tour de blogs, I somehow came across this great knitwear designer. I love her ethereal knits- all that big gauge but fine yarn airiness. Just lovely.

FO: Raglan Pullover

I should have finished the sweater ages ago, but then I got a Wii..... and then a week later, a Wii fit..... and suddenly there was a lot of Wii but not so much knitting going on. But I got there in the end. Pattern: Opulent Raglan, from Knitscene Fall 2008. Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool, 4 skeins Size: 34" Needles: 4 mm circulars Mods: I eliminated the ruffle on the sleeves and instead opted for a 1" of ribbing around the cuffs and the hem. Notes: I wasn't getting gauge, so I made the 34" bust (one side up from my usual size). Even with this, the sleeves were too tight, and I had to rip them back and eliminate the decreases. They are still snug, but not uncomfortably so. I should note that in the photos, the sleeve cuffs look like they are rolling, but they don't normally. I was wearing this all day, and since it hits right at my elbows, they got folded up all day. I really loved this pattern. Top-down raglans are awesome, I love the simple style of this sweater, with the delicious cable details. It's the kind of sweater I would buy. A moment to vent, if you would be so kind... There are so many patterns in the Fall 2008 Knitscene that I love, but so few of them have patterns written for smaller sizes, and it's really disheartening to try to recalculate for 6" or more difference in the bust. I know that more fuller figured gals have often been disappointed by not having patterns with large enough pattern sizing, so I really wish there was some standardization on this. I think it would be perfectly resonable for knitting magazines to provide patterns in established size ranges, geared towards their readers. There. Rant over! I originally wanted to do an outdoor shot for this sweater, but it's been too chilly. The bookstore was an excellent solution, but I did get a little distracted:This book makes me want to up my crochet skills, stat!

Feelin' the Love... and the Silky Wool

nessarenee and nudista have tagged us in the 6 Quirky Things meme! The rules: 1) Link to the person who tagged me 2) Mention the rules 3) Tell six quirky yet boring, unspectacular details about myself 4) Tag 6 other bloggers by linking to them 5) Go to each person’s blog and leave a comment that lets them know they’ve been tagged My quirks: 1. Breakfast is my favourite meal, and I like to eat it more than once a day. I have toast for real breakfast every day, and when I'm at work, I eat cereal every day for lunch. I make omlettes and homefries and bacon on the weekend. yum! 2. I am so directionally challenged, it borders on a handicap. I am the kind of person that needs GPS on the cell phone, just so they can get from point A to point B. On foot. In their hometown. Yeesh. 3.I like to knit while reading hardcovers, because then I can sit crosslegged on the sofa, with my knee holding the book open. 4. I'm on a huge baking bread from scratch kick. I never thought there would be such a huge difference in the quality of the bread, but it's true! And the homebaked bread seems to keep me full a lot longer than store bought bread. I think I've offically become someone who bakes their own bread: 5. I despise shoe shopping. Really. I have hobbit feet, short ones at that. finding small and wide shoes is often a challenge, and I never get home from shoe shopping feeling good about myself. 6. I really like embroidery, and am half-decent at it, but I hardly ever do it. But then again, there are a million crafty things I would do, if only I had enough hours in the day. Sigh. I'm going to cheat a bit and not tag others, although I would love to know quirky things about all of you! If you would shared a quirky thing about you in the comments section, I'd be pretty happy about that. :) And angelknits has given Teamknit the I Love Your Blog Award!!The rules are: 1- Post the award on your blog. 2- Add a link to the person who gave you the award 3- Nominate at least 4 other bloggers and add their links I nominate(in random order): Canary Sanctuary Phoeknits blue garter Pie Knits 4- Leave a comment at the recipients’ blogs so they can pass it on. What an honour! I'm feeling loved today, I tells ya. Currently, I'm working on the Opulent Raglan from the Fall 2008 Knitscene: I've already done some slight mods. I added an inch of k1, p1 ribbing to the hem, and I plan on doing the same on the sleeve cuffs rather than the ruffle. I have nothing against ruffles, but I wanted something a bit more streamlined. I'm using Elsebeth Lavold's Silky Wool, which I got from Phoeknits. I haven't knitted with this yarn before, and I have to say that I am a big fan now. I love the slightly nubbly texture, the subtle shade variations from the way silk and wool take dye differently... so pretty! Someone suggested that kitten portraits be a regular Monday feature... I can't say I'll do it every Monday, but they are so freaking cute I've got to share at least one more shot: And yes, they are napping on my Lady Eleanor.

Ravelympics Project: Gathered Pullover

I went on a minibreak to Mont Tremblant in Quebec the same day as the Ravelympics started. If you want to get a lot of knitting done, I suggest sequestering yourself in the Canadian wilderness with no cell service, television, internet, or computers. It does wonders for your knitting. I cast on that morning before I went to work (with my backpack for the cottage packed beside me!): And knit a bit in the mind-numbingly awful traffic out of the city after work (I swear I'm fully stopped on the highway, I'm not actually endangering anyone): And somewhere between this thisthisand this I came back home with this: That's the Gathered Pullover, right after the cabled motif and just when it sections off for the neckline. I also got started on a sleeve:This happy green sweater is going to be done in no time. I have to say, it's been a real eye-opening experience about my own knitting process. Give me a deadline, and suddenly I'm not only capable of project fidelity, but also racing through. Typically, when it's time for finishing or sleeves, I start to pick up another project and leave the first to languish quietly for a while.But I'm shockingly dedicated, even when the new Knitscene is tempting me with so many great projects. And with all the lovely yarn showing up in my mailbox lately, I have to admit that I spend a lot of time thinking about which project will be next. Great yarn, and great projects for that great yarn? I'm in absolute heaven. Phoe was responsible for sending the Silky Wool my way, and I purchased the Handmaiden Seasilk off of Ebay- I couldn't resist that colourway. By the way- when cottaging, this product was awesome:great sunscreen, great coverage... loved it. And cheap, too!