Froggy went a courtin' *revised*

Somehow yesterday I hit post instead of save draft, and I posted my entry filled with errors. Here is the revised version with the 3rd frogged project listed.

I've frogged three WIP knits, all garments. Hmmm.

1. Top down Raglan - started 2/6/10
Permanent hibernation - 10/17/10
Frogged - 7/17/11

2. Emmaline - started 4/17/10

Completed 5/1/11
Frogged - 7/17/11

3. Buttercup - started 5/3/11
Frogged - 7/17/11

1. The top down raglan was me trying to make a sweater for myself, and thinking I am the size of a hippo. That sweater would have looked like a clown prop in size if I had finished it. I was only to the 3rd buttonhole from the top down, so there wasn't a lot to frog.

2. I finished Emmaline in May and tried it on. It appeared in the Knitty Summer 2010 issue in bulky weight cotton yarn. A little big in the bust, and too tight in the bind off, and this yarn (Lion Brand Nature's Choice Organic Cotton  is just not suited for summer or for this pattern. Plus, this yarn sheds everywhere. I read on some Ravelry boards that the fiber length in this cheap organic cotton is really short, and they skip the step in the manufacturing process where all that fluff  gets separated out to make really nice organic yarn. Hmm.

When I first decided to make this pattern I also bought the Cotlin yarn from Knitpicks in Planetarium to make a dk version of this, but thought I'd make it according to pattern in bulky first. Not sure if that was a smart move or not! Seems I've wasted over a year on this, mainly with the project sitting in a box whispering to me about possible problems from the shelf. So I'm frogging this, but I think I learned a good amount from it.

I need to make the bottom of the sleeve cuff a little wider, probably an inch, and do more increases
around the stomach to make the top flare out for more room at the waist/hip area.

Also, make one size for the top to underbust, and a larger size for the stomach  I think I made a L for the whole thing, and added increases 3 times to the stomach/natural waist area for me. I wore the top for about 10 minutes and in that time the bust area expanded enough to be roomy on Dolly Parton!

Next time I should make a Medium in the dk weight?I'd like to make it again in the hempathy I bought for Buttercup, or the Cotlin from Knitpicks. Decisions, decisions.

3. I thought Buttercup would be a good pattern for me since it's similar to Emmaline in style, and have a forgiving flare out at the bottom. I have read about some fit problems with the neckline, and I worry that not having a defined bust section will mean I just look a bit tent-y. In any case, this will not be revisited until I remake Emmaline, and first I have to find the modifed DK version of the pattern that some wonderful Raveler created.

I'm a bit frustrated with all this frogging. It's not my style. But do I want my style to be boxes of unfinished projects and bound energy sitting taking up space? No. Onward!

Busy Sunday

Oops. I think I went a bit overboard. I meant to roast some chicken breasts and veggies, but I ended up with 2 roasting pans full of veggies. See what happens when you're busy watching Superbowl commercials?

Roasting Vegetables - 375 degrees, potatoes, sweet potatoes, sweet tomatoes, red pepper, carrots, parsnips, onion, salt, black pepper, basil, rosemary, thyme, garlic powder (didn't have any real garlic). I had intended to roast chicken breasts, but I wasn't really sure how to cook them roasted since they're boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I think I'll end up subbing the parmesan salmon recipe I use a lot.

I've been knitting a lot lately - working on a lace scarf that's slowly growing, starting a new lace scarf, and finally, starting on my first sweater. It's the Top-Down Raglan Cardigan by Laura Chau. Two of my knitting group friends made this sweater last fall and I've been gathering my nerve to start. I only have 12 rows so far, but I'm still figuring out how the pattern is written. I am using Caron Simply Soft in Charcoal Gray Heather. I bought 7 skeins, and I know that's overkill but I don't want to run out, and you can always find a use for Simply Soft.

Speaking of Simply Soft, for the Ravelympics I'm going to use that yarn in Orchid to make the Little Sister's Dress for my friend's daughter. Her 1st birthday is in June and I want to make sure I have something ready. This dress has been on my list since I first learned to knit and I think it's something I can manage to knit during the Olympics. I know for most knitters this wouldn't be a challenge, but I am very slow!

I've been reading a lot too, the Uglies series. I'm on book #2 Pretties. It's a fast read.

I also post weekly updates on my big cross stitch project, Soul of the Rose, on the 2010 Weekly SAL blog. Go over and check it out!

Third time's a charm

I've ripped it out. Again. I realized when I was looking at the lifeline, that part of it had pulled ut. As I was threading it back through, I noticed a very weird line of stitces 3 up from the bottom. So, ripped out. Third time's a charm right? I've decided I can't work on this with visual distractions. Tomorrow I'm going to cast on again and listed to audio books and see if I can at least do that while I'm kniting this infernal sweater.

So, for tonight, I'm going to pull out a cross stitch to work on whie I have a Torchwood marathon. Yay!

Knitting is supposed to be fun!

and I seem to have lost sight of that. Lately all of my projects seem to be quite difficult and I can't work on them when talking to someone else, watching tv, or when I'm the least bit tired because I will muck it up. I keep taking on new projects that involve one or two new or difficult things in them, or lots of fiddliness or something.

I've been trying to make progress on the twenny dolla sweater that I started over a month ago now, and I've made ome progress. I switched to Addi turbo lace needles, I've restarted and cast on 120 stitches as the pattern says, and put in a lifeline at row 9 when I put in my markers. I'm now at row 16, but something has gone wrong once again. I have too mny stitches in one section, and an odd number of stitches in another. The increases ar done in even numbers so I should never have an odd number of stitches at the end of a row.

I need to pull out my work to the lifeline and start again. For the third time. At least this time I don't have to cast on again!

I've read that you can relax your addis but dunking them in hot wate briefly and straightening them out under cool water. I'm going to try this when I pull the needles out and see if my magic loop technique gets any better.

I started what I thought was going to be an easy, work on when I'm tired project - fingerless gloves. After changing yarns three times I settled in bit. It's simple, knit in the round, with make one increases at the thumb. I've had to restart once sine I'm using DK weight on size 9 double points and the large came out baggy, bt now I'm doing the medium and it seems fine. Here's a pic of the one I ripped out.

Addis!!

I bought my first set of Addi circular needles - size 9 Addi lace turbos!

I am having a real issue with them as I try to knit magic loop while working on my lace sweater. Or maybe I'm having trouble with the magic loop part, seeing as I've never done that technique before.

My friend Amber sent me an article on magic loop from Knitting Daily that was helpful. I just can't seem to get the hang of how to hold on to the stupid thing.

Did I mention that I ripped out the first go at the sweater last week? Yep. didn't use that lovely lifeline that I love so much. And of course, it turns out Knitting Daily has a post about that too! I feel her pain. Somehow while merrily knitting along on this sweater and throwing in make ones before AND after every marker every other row, I got a little too excited and add some more stitches. For good measure. Because who doesn't want more stitches? My bust naturally starts above my armpits, why do you ask?

I decided to do a stitch count after getting row 18, just to make sure I was on the right track. I started out with 144 stitches (I'll get to that in a minute) and after 8 rows of straight knitting, increase as above until you get to x stitches in between certain markers, blah, blah, blah.

Well, if I'm adding the same number of stitches all around, I should have the same number of stitches between the markers. Nope! I somehow ended up with LOTS of stitches in one spot and the normal amount everywhere else. Hopefully the second time around I will pay more attention.

Knitting updates

I thought it was time for some knitting updates so here we go. I usually end up burying my thoughts on proejcts on various Ravelry pages, but this time I'm putting those comments in both places, since people seem to check here and not in the notes section.

***Disclaimer***
If pigs start flying and the people these things are intended for actually visit my blog, tough.

Berry Baby Hat
Started March 18, Finished April 6, 2009 for Tom and Emily's babe (maybe).
Not doing the weird knot thing at the top but just having a straight up stem. Finished except for binding off the stem and weaving in ends and blocking. Yay! This worked up pretty fast, so I might make some more. Though really - what colors are for boys? I had made this for a boy originally but a friend said that if it was for her that she wouldn’t have put her baby boy in a hot pink raspberry hat. Eh. Do I give it to them anyway? It's really cute, and they're not ones to only dress their boy in blue, but raspberry? It's progressive, right?

Baby Comfy Kimono Sweater
Started July 13, 2008 (before a baby was in sight) for Tom and Emily's babe.
I need to make one more front panel, then stitch it all together. The baby shower is on April 26, three weeks away. I need to mail the sweater and hat to a friend in order to get the gifts there in time since I will not be able to go to the shower.

Baby Blanket
Started Feb 3, 2009 for Ayondela's babe.
I've been working on this for two months now and it measures 23-24 inches. It needs to be 30-36 inches before I can start decreasing. If I fudge it a little. Am I ever going to finish this thing? I'm supposed to have it done by the baby shower May 9. Granted, I've also made a cowl and berry hat from start to finish, and worked on the baby sweater, but still - this project was supposed to be fast and easy. Why oh why didn't I use larger needles???

Oh, and there's one other project that I have in mind as a gift this year. I don't know if there's enough time to make it, if I have the skill to make it, or if I will lose my mind. I've already bought the yarn for this project and found an insanely complicated lace pattern. I don't think I'll even be able to touch it until May. Maybe I should reconsider...

Snoozing in the wings...
Babette blanket and Irish hiking scarf. These two fill in the gaps when I don't have other pressing projects, though I've had pressing projects since November. Oops!