Trish Knits.com

Author: Trish

  • Knitting Weekend and Catching Up

    Knitting Weekend and Catching Up

    Scarf Progress
    Scarf Progress
    I never quite know how to show a scarf in progress on my blog. For the most part, they’re long and unwieldy, and since I do most of my photos indoors at night, it’s not like I can take them out and hang them from the fence post to shoot them outdoors. So today, I’m enlisting my pal Hedda, my trusty hat model, so you can see the pattern in my scarf. Problem is, doing it this way doesn’t really show how LONG the scarf is, which is of what I am most pleased at the moment. It’s about 4 feet long at this point, which means, dear people, that I am nearly DONE, or at least about four-fifths done, and yes, I’m thinking of other knitterly things.

    At least one person has asked me if this scarf is of my own design. Well, yes, and… no. It’s a simple thing, really, in a basic seed stitch with a plaited cable in the center. So, nothing earth-shatteringly new there. But, someday soon I will write it all down for the curious and post in these pages. Perhaps when the thing is finished.

    I’ve been away from the blog for a long while. No good reason, really… but I will say that this summer I have been in a kind of a slump. It was just the scarf and me, all summer long, day in and day out… and I thought certainly it would be too boring to hear of this same project over and over, so, instead I’ve been quiet. While knitting this scarf I have been pondering my next one, which is a commitment I’ve made to do a Special Olympics scarf. In the meantime I’ve developed a strong love-hate relationship with knitting scarves at all, so I’m starting to lose hope a bit that the next project will ever get off the ground. What is it with scarves, anyway, and why does something that seems so simple take forever to do?

    A couple of other things to catch up on:

    A few weeks back I bought some new yarn that I had never heard of before:

    mink and cashmere yarn
    mink and cashmere yarn

    This is the Mink and Cashmere Yarn from the Great Northern Yarns company. The fiber content is 70% mink (sheared) and 30% cashmere. It sounded on the surface, like it should feel like the most amazingly luxurious yarn ever made. Well, let’s say that I was somewhat under-impressed for what I was thinking it should feel like. Don’t get me wrong, it’s certainly soft, but I’ve had my hands on a mink coat or two in my lifetime and well? I guess I was expecting it to feel like that. And it doesn’t. Not really… but it did sort of remind me of this silk that I have, at least in the feel of it. I haven’t knit with it yet so I don’t know what it’s like to knit with. But I’m thinking maybe someday DH will get a scarf out of this to go with his dress coat. He can’t stand the feel of wool (“itchy”) so I think this will fill the bill for him, someday.

    I have something else to share:

    Jackie's Tam
    Jackie's Tam

    This is my friend Jackie, from knit group. She is a relatively new knitter, and she made THAT hat, from the book, Colorwork Creations: 30+ Patterns to Knit Gorgeous Hats, Mittens and Gloves. I’m very proud of Jackie. She came to us I think less than a year ago, learning to knit her first scarf, and now, she is fearless. She saw this book somewhere and I liked it and got one and loaned it to her, and off she went. Her very first hat looked as if it would fit a giant. If that had happened to me, I might have thrown the book across the room and stomped away in disgust, but not Jackie. She was undaunted, and tried again. I think, but I’m not certain, that this was her third attempt. And it was a huge success! Not only does the hat look great, but it looks great on her, a wonderful match to her coloring and hair. She says this hat is a gift for someone, but personally? I hope she gifts it to herself. I think Jackie deserves such a lovely thing.

    As for me, it’s back to the scarf. I must keep knitting, must keep knitting, must keep knitting… ciao for now.

  • When Something Small Does Something Good

    When Something Small Does Something Good

    I am a selfish knitter. I admit it. Rarely do I knit for others, but that’s because I know myself. You see, I knit, a LOT. What I don’t do? Finish. Anything. In all of 2010, I finished one scarf. A scarf that I started in 2009. This year? Nada. Zilch. Nothing completed. That’s bad, right? Yeah, it kinda is.

    So I’ve learned, learned not to make promises when it comes to my knitting. And yet, here I am, about to tell you about yet another promise I’ve made. Guess what? I’m knitting for a charity drive at work. And guess what it is? A scarf:

    Beginnings of cable and seed stitch scarf
    Beginnings of cable and seed stitch scarf

    You see, my office has a longstanding tradition of charitable giving to one of the senior citizen homes in Washington, DC. Among other activities, every year, we host a Christmas luncheon for them, and everyone receives a gift of some sort–maybe playing cards, toiletries, etc. This year, it was decided that a handmade gift should be included in each gift.

    And it is no secret that I am a knitter.

    I’ve been personally asked to make something, and to tell all my friends. So, I’m doing both. There are not many rules… they’re collecting things that are “keep warm” type items, that don’t have to conform to a size. Scarves, small shawls, hand warmers, lap robes. That sort of thing. And they have to be made from a machine washable yarn. Someone in my knit group yesterday asked if she could make a lap blanket out of fabric, as she’s recently gotten back into quilting again. I certainly wasn’t going to say no to that! So, wow. I’m doing it. I’m making a scarf.

    Now, since the last scarf I made clearly took about a year, and this time I don’t have that kind of time, I have to stay focused. I have to stay dedicated. I have to get it done, this dang scarf, so I can say I got it done. I decided to make it with seed stitch and an easy cable, so there’s just enough interest on every row to keep me going. So far, it’s working, but it’s only been 10 days.

    Wish me luck, will you? I’m SO really bad at knitting for Good. Even when that good thing is a small thing, it’s usually such a big deal. I can finish this one thing this year, can’t I? Or. make that two things. I’m also signed up to do a Special Olympics Scarf. Oh, boy, am I in trouble.

  • Long Time, Not Much Knitting

    Long Time, Not Much Knitting

    I’ve been away from this blog for so long, I was starting to wonder if I’d ever come back. But, alas, here I am. I have so much blogging to catch up on! I never did write about the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival this year, or my Knit group’s first ever spinning day. Both events were wonderful! And I will write about them. But I’ve been missing some energy lately, so for now, all I have is this:

    Shawl Progress
    Shawl Progress

    It’s my Pi Are Square shawl, designed originally by Elizabeth Zimmermann. I just started the largest lace section, which is a garter stitch version of the Flame Chevron stitch. I don’t know yet whether it will look good in garter stitch, but I’m hoping so! I made a commitment early on to make the whole shawl using garter stitch lace patterns, sort of as a tribute to the Great Elizabeth, who inspires my knitting so much.

    The only problem I see so far is that this is the largest section with tons of stitches per row, so it’ll be slow going. And you know what that means for me, usually, when it comes to knitting! I have a really poor track record with finishing stuff. But, I’m hoping that this time will be different. I really, really want this shawl! So, I will soldier on. I’ll be counting on all you knitters to cheer me on.

    Thanks in advance! In the meantime, I’ll leave you with a closeup of my shawl:

    Closeup of my shawl in progress
    Closeup of my shawl in progress
  • Rockin’ the Dishcloth

    Rockin’ the Dishcloth

    Start of my little dishcloth
    Start of my little dishcloth
    I gotta make a dishcloth. I love these little babies in concept, really I do. I have tons of dishcloth cotton that would speak to my love of such things. But really? I don’t like them. Well, it’s not the dishcloth’s fault. It’s the yarn. I hate the yarn. I really do. it feels awful to knit and makes my arms and shoulders hurt. So why do I do it? Who wouldn’t love those COLORS? That’s why.

    The pattern I’m using is a version of the famous Ballband Cloth, the Reversible Ballband Dishcloth (Ravelry link), by Elizabeth Warner of Gorlitsa Knits. It’s sorta reversible, as reversible patterns go, in that it has slipped stitches on both sides of the cloth. It’s sort of interesting. Next time, when I have a little more done, I’ll snap a photo of the back so you can see.

    For now, though, I’m busy knitting. I’m trying to get this baby done by May 14. Wish me luck! Maryland Sheep and Wool is this weekend, so I kinda doubt that lots of actual knitting will get done that weekend. So, we’ll see… Wish me luck!

  • Springtime at My House

    Springtime at My House

    Everything’s blooming at my house. Achoo! That means I’m sneezing a lot, but some things are worth it. We’ve been in this house 18 years, and we’re not exactly avid gardeners here, but luckily, the previous owners left their mark on us! I just had to snap a few photos today before blooming time is over:

    After the blooming season we’ll hack down the pink azaleas so they can re-grow and we can shape them. For now, they just give our home that fabulous, Addams family touch!

    For now, I’ll go back to sneezing, and enjoying the beauty… while it lasts.

  • Huh?

    Huh?

    I give you, on this day of sweetness in excess, the ultimate in Easter oxymorons:

    Sugar-Free Peeps
    Sugar-Free Peeps

    Really?

    Happy Easter!