Yarn Along -9 February 2017

A day late because we ran out of internet for the month.  Boy that was a long 2 days -ha ha.  We really need to find a better internet service provider.  I have discovered we can’t use any of the companies that have DSL over the phone lines.  Apparently, Bell hasn’t updated out phone lines and they can’t do it over the old lines.

Remember the ski-doo?  Well, Colin is finding it much too cold (even with a hat) so I whipped him up a balaclava (Elizabeth Zimmerman of course).

I made the ‘body’ of the hat a little longer.  He’s enjoying it today even just out in the yard because it’s -30 C with the windchill.

We are loving reading The Hobbit!

I forgot to tell you about a surprise present Colin got for us for Christmas.  He was really ticked because Home Hardware didn’t get any in until a few weeks ago.

 BUT it doesn’t come with the special sugar and that sugar was on back-order until TODAY!  Luckily the candy floss machine works with regular sugar (coloured and flavoured of course).

YUM!

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Yarn Along -26 February 2015

Really late Yarn Along this week.  For some reason the computer wasn’t reading my card reader (with chip from camera) and thought it was a disc.  Needless to say I didn’t have any pictures.  Not sure why, but it’s working today so here we go…

Realized I needed to get working on a baby sweater so here it is.  I finally settled on a Baby Surprise Jacket.  We don’t know what the baby is going to be, so it had to be fairly unisex.  The lighting in the house is really bad this time of year so you can’t see all the purple.  I think it’s pretty enough for a girl too.  Just need to find buttons and then it’s ready to ship to BC.

Working a bit on Ella’s socks too.  I know what you are thinking, ‘Paula’s using double-pointed needles for socks???’.  Yep, for some reason the circulars were really awkward so I changed.  Luckily I have enough needles to work both socks at the same time since I’m using just one ball and want them even.

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Yarn Along -4 February 2015

Yesterday was crazy/busy so I missed yarn along.  Didn’t help that I didn’t even have the pictures waiting on the computer, I still had to download them.  I’m busy today getting ready for Ella’s party this weekend, but it’s ‘coffee break’ time so here I am  🙂

Finished up the baby sweater.  Still need to wrap and drop it off.  I was going to make a bonnet but ran out of yarn.

And of course, I don’t have enough projects on the go so…

I decided to make myself a new scarf.  I have wanted to do this pattern for years.  I love my yarn from Knit Picks, it’s so beautiful and soft.

Not too much pleasure reading going on.  Trying to get Colin’s farm book-keeping finished for 2014 so it can all go to the accountant.  AND if I didn’t have enough to do, Ella has decided she hates Oak Meadow and wants to do more work book type schooling.  I think all the writing/printing in OM just overwhelmed her too much.  So now I have to figure out where to go from here.  I love Sonlight and A Beka and a few other work book type curricula, but WOW are they pricey.

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Yarn Along -19 November 2014

 

A road trip is always good for the knitting.  I had Ella’s sweater finished almost to the underarm, then I realized I had made a catastrophic mistake at the start and had to rip it all out again.  Start over and making better progress this time.

I also made good progress on the TARDIS socks.  I had to stop working on them to check the leg length.  They look a little odd but that’s because I’m using rib on the ‘body’ of the leg to make them stay up easier (since they are acrylic).

I finally bit the bullet and finished the sweater.  Elizabeth Zimmerman was right, it’s not that hard and really not that scary.  I wish sewing it by hand or by crochet was a good firm edge because I could see the machine causing puckering if you’re not careful.

There it is cut open!  I wish I could get an accurate picture of the colour, it’s actually quite pretty (for a moss green).  The sewing machine picture it the closest so far.

And there’s the finished button bands.  Now to sew the ends and find some buttons.

It’s not yarn related, but I finally finished Ella’s tablet case.

Ella really wanted a case that would hold the tablet up for when she watches movies.

I just need to find some Velcro to help keep it closed.

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Yarn Along -7 May 2014

 

No finished project this week, but I did start something new (big surprise).  Decided I better start some Christmas knitting, though I don’t know what I’m going to do for most of the family.   I don’t know if they like/appreciate the things I make, so I don’t know whether I should bother.  My sister on the other hand has actually requested knitted things.

I have no idea why this is so blurry.  I literally took half a dozen pictures this morning and THIS is the best one.  At least the colour is fairly close, though it is darker in person.  It’s a really nice mossy green.  Berroco Vintage in DK.  It’s just as nice as the regular Vintage.  The pattern is from a book that we picked up at the Purple Purl.  It’s called the Gnarled Oak Cardigan so the colour is perfect.  You may have noticed that I’m knitting in the round?  That’s because I hate to purl (at least this much) and I’m going to attempt steeking.  The immortal Elizabeth Zimmerman says it’s the only way to make a sweater and she’s not mislead me yet!

We’re heading to Scarborough again this weekend, so I’m sure there will be lots of knitting to share next week -just not on the sweater since it’s for my sister for Christmas.  She’s not like Colin, I can’t knit her stuff in front of her -ha ha!

I just realized I DO have a finished project to share!  I finally got a picture of Grandma (Mom) wearing her Polperro Gansey.  Yes, I know it’s awfully big and baggy and square, but that’s the way Grandma likes to wear her sweater coat.  I believe in knitting the way people want -and that includes baggy or acrylic.  Why spend all that time and money knitting if they won’t wear it?

Just don’t tell her that it’s half wool (merino) or suddenly it will get itchy  🙂

 

 

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Snow!

Well, we certainly got our first big snow of 2014!  I’m not sure how much we got last night (including freezing rain).  Must be about 8 inches, maybe more.

It’s hard to get a picture to show you all how much snow is piling up around here.

Colin has spent the entire day shoveling roofs.

This is the shortest roof Colin has to clear.

I forgot to share Colin’s finished sweater.  It fits him great.  The sleeves are a little long, but I can just tack up the cuff part and they are perfect.  Now I have to sew in all the ends.

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Yarn Along -18 December 2013

A day late for Yarn Along, but this time it isn’t my fault  🙂  For the last  2 days I have been fighting with Photobucket about uploading my pictures.  There really wasn’t much point of a knitting post without pictures??

Remember the knit a sweater in a month challenge in November?  Well I did it, if you account for the days I spent working on the fun test knit.  Have I ever mentioned how much I love Elizabeth Zimmerman patterns?  I’ll sew in the ends once I’m sure it fits and is liked:

 

I also whipped up a ‘Weeping Angel‘ for my BIL.  Dr. Who fans will recognize her from one of the creepiest episodes.

She didn’t turn out quite like the pattern because I forgot the British use different terms for their crochet.  But she’s ‘cute’ anyway.

Remember the Snow Family I made for Grandma last year?

When I saw the pattern for this Snow Lady I couldn’t resist.  I love her Danish tie-shawl too!  The little snowmen are for some others.

I saw this post the other day about making an angel decoration for everyone you lose.  I like that idea, but didn’t have the right colour of roving to make one like in the article.  So I searched around Ravelry and made this angel:

She’s missing her halo, but hopefully my friend Teresa will have some beads just the right size.

 

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Yarn Along -4 December 2013

Lots to share this week for yarn along.

The test knit shawlette is finally done!  It wasn’t hard to knit, but for some reason I kept having a brain cramp when working the 3rd chart.  It’s called Lacy Maple Leaf and this colourway reminds me of autumn up here in the Ottawa Valley.

This item is coming along nicely.  I’m to the boring part, round and round in knitting.  No more fun.  I’m trying not to panic about the number of balls left.  I did the math, must trust the math  🙂

And I loved the Scandinavian shawl so much that I started one for myself.  It’s hard to wear sweaters around here because I’m always washing dishes or eggs or something and sleeves get in the way.  A tie-shawl makes as much sense today as it did for the fisherman’s wives.  You might recognize the yarn, Mom gave it to me last year for Christmas.  It was made into a February Lady’s sweater, but I didn’t like it.  It seemed too thick even though it’s the right size.

Our Advent reading has started.  These are the books we’ve enjoyed so far:

Berenstain Bears: Get Ready for Christmas

Berenstain Bears: Joy of Giving

The Gift of the Christmas Cookie

Shall I Knit You a Hat?

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Yarn Along -6 November 2013

I have a feeling there isn’t going to be an official Yarn Along this week, but that’s because Ginny has had her adorable ‘little’ baby.  No wonder people thought my adorable 7lb 11oz Ella was a premie (she was, by 11 minutes).

So here’s my projects, just in case anyone was wondering:

Has anyone heard of the Write a Novel in a Month November challenge?  Well apparently there is a Knit a Sweater in a Month challenge too.  I was thinking of joining that challenge until I saw the math required.  So I might be doing this challenge in an unofficial manner.  And so long as you AREN’T COLIN, please follow the link and get the details.  The top pile of knitting is a test knit I’m doing for Mary Gildersleeve and I’m not sure if I’m allowed to show it yet.  So I’m just letting you see the colour.  I’ve had a bit of an issue with the third chart (my fault completely) so I’m took a bit of a sabbatical from it last week.

Right now I’m reading my Knitting Workshop book by Elizabeth Zimmerman.  I’m using a pattern from it, but it’s so much fun to read it always sucks me in to sit and read too.

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Yarn Along -16 January 2013

I’ve got a case startitis, I can’t seem to stop starting new projects.  I’ve got a new dress for Olivia on my needles.  I’m working on a sleeve of my February Lady Sweater and I’ve cast on for some new Ice Harbor Compass mittens for me.

I also ordered some new sock year, it’s called Heart and also from Knit Picks.  It was on sale so since I was ordering the Chroma for my mittens…

Just light reading this week, my new Piecework magazine arrived.

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