Hip to be Square

I have a large basket that I use to store all yarn leftovers that I deem worth keeping. Things end up in the basket based on one or two criteria. The first criteria is the quantity left over. If there is enough yarn left after a project is completed to work into another project - into the basket it goes. The second criteria is simple - if I think the yarn is special in some way, I save the leftovers.

I noticed that the most common yarn in the leftovers basket were small balls of sock yarn. Most of the leftover balls aren't big enough to make one project - but if put them together I knew I'd be on to something. The only thing is that I wanted to keep it simple.

I figured a blanket of some type out of the scraps would be a reasonable idea. So I knit up some simple squares. The squares in the picture are all blocked to be 7 inches square. The nice thing is that they didn't take very much yarn at all and they were quick to knit.

The bottom two squares are from leftover Opal yarn and each square weighs about 12 grams. I've still got enough leftovers of those colors for another square each. The top left square is Koigu KPPPM and took 16 grams of yarn to complete. The center square is Socks That Rock medium weight and weighs in at a hefty 26 grams.

I'm just not sure I like the large squares. I originally thought about making squares in a much smaller size so the blanket would be similar to a postage square/charm quilt. If I ever do opt for that idea, I'll knit strips of garter ridge squares so that there is much less seaming.

Whatever I end up doing, sock yarn is will definitely make a light weight blanket. I'll wait until I get a blanket's worth of squares before I decide on how to put them together. I'm thinking that the heavier weight squares might need to be put into a separate blanket. Maybe I'll just do a small lap sized blanket with the large squares and then start a blanket based on my original idea.

Fiber Friday - Mmmm Cashmere!

This is the most extravagant yarn I have in my stash. I really like the color, Anya's Garden and it is one of the softest things I own. I love just picking it up and holding it every once and awhile. It is 2-ply Mongolian Cashmere from Jade Sapphire. The skein is 55 grams and approximately 400 yards and I have two!

The yarn is hand wash only, but I can't imagine knitting anything with it that would require much more cleaning than that. The softness and weigh of this cashmere seems to just lend itself to being knit up into a soft delicately handled item.

The problem is I have no idea what to knit. I bought this on impulse while I was on a trip for work. I haven't knit anything with it yet because I'm waiting for the right pattern. I really want to knit something I'll use.

In the end, I'll probably try and find a rectangular shawl pattern that I can knit with 800 yards. Maybe I'll just go through a stitch dictionary and pick a pattern. Any suggestions for a pattern or a specific stitch? I'm open to ideas!

Lizard Ridge Complete!

It is finally finished! I completed the edging this weekend. It feels so good to have this project complete. I think it is the largest most involved knitting project I've done (and completed) to date. I'm very happy with the final results.

When I started this project last year, I assumed that it would take a long time to finish. It did take awhile to finish, but I've had other projects languish on my needles for a much longer time period. So I am pleasantly surprised and satisfied with the working time for this project.

The seams turned out okay. It is the main skill I hope to improve on with later projects. This is the first project I've finished that required seaming and wasn't felted. You can see in the photo above a few places where the purple Cascade I used for the seaming shows.

I had also never knit a short row before this project. After 24 afghan squares made up of short rows, I am now confident I can knit short rows in other projects. Other than getting the hang of that, the pattern was really simple. In fact after a square or two, you don't really have to look at the pattern at all.

I deviated from the pattern only with the border portion. I decided that a crocheted edge wasn't going to work for me for a couple of reasons. One - I don't crochet and two - it is a knitted blanket and it seems like it should have a knitted edge. So I added a 3 stitch applied i-cord border around the outside edge. I was able to get that done in one day and it took a lot less yarn than I ever thought it would. I used a turquoise color Cascade 220. I still have over half of the skein left.

I love the idea of knitting blankets and afghans and I love Noro Kureyon. Although I must say, I do think this is the only blanket I'll knit out of Kureyon. I did wash all the squares before seaming and they did get a little softer, but it still doesn't seam like something you want to cozy up with next to bare skin.

I've decide not to line the backside of the blanket either. Somehow that just doesn't seem the right thing to do. So I've found a nice place to display the blanket. I can enjoy looking at it and if you have tougher skin than me, you'll always be welcome to wrap up with it.

Project Info
Pattern: Lizard Ridge by Laura Aylor from Knitty.com
Yarn: Noro Kureyon - 24 different colors (I do have leftovers from each skein)
Cascade 220 for seaming and edging
Needles: addi TURBO -US# 8 (5.0mm)
Finished Dimensions: 42" wide / 63" long
Pattern Modifications: I didn't add a crocheted border, instead I used a 3 stitch applied i-cord edging; I used US #9 needles for the edging
Start Date: November 11, 2006
Finish Date: June 17, 2007

Fiber Friday - Noro Sakura

Sorry for the post delay, but hopefully you will like this week's selection. It is Noro Sakura. Each skein is 36% rayon, 28% polyester, 18% nylon, 11% silk, and 7% lambs wool. The skein weighs 40 grams and is about 133 meters. This is called color #2.

You may remember that I made a dream swatch with a pink color of Sakura. This blue is going to become Monica's Sakura -Cherry Blossom Shawl. You can see it on the sidebar of her blog. I just need to sit down and get it started at some point. She knit a triangular shawl, but I may adjust the pattern to be a rectangle.


This yarn reminds me of the hair wraps we used to do in high school and college. We'd take small sections of hair and use embroidery floss to wrap the hair all the way down. The wraps looked most like the sections of yarn that have solid colors back to back. I do like the yarn and look forward to starting the shawl.

I'm also hoping to work on the Lizard Ridge border this weekend. But I've put myself in a holding pattern. I've been toying with using something other than a crochet border. I've thought about a few rows of stockinette stitch boarder all around that will roll a little and resemble i-cord. The other option I'm considering is actually doing an applied i-cord border around the outside edges.

The only thing that has stopped me so far is I have no idea how much yardage the i-cord would take and I only have one skein of the cascade in the color I'm considering. I guess I could just try it and see. I could weight the skein and then do some of the border and evaluate. Seems like a lot to avoid learning a little crochet!

Thanks to all that have said they like my new banner - did you notice that it changes? Hit refresh and see!

Fiber Friday is Delayed

Fiber Friday will appear here later today. Some silly blogger (me) forgot to bring the memory stick with all the yarn photos to the office today. I'll get the post up as soon as I get home.

Sorry for the delay!

Weekend Work

It sounds like a lot of people ventured out with their knitting for Knit in Public Day; I did not. While I did venture out for some grocery shopping, I didn't venture out of the house with my knitting at all this weekend. I sat in my knitting chair most of the weekend working on various projects and watching television.

I did make progress on a couple of different projects, but don't have anything completed yet to share with you. I made the most progress on my Lizard Ridge afghan. All the squares are blocked so I laid them all out and spent time on trying to make sure I had an arrangement that I would like. Once I had all the squares arranged, I tried to make sure that all the ridges were properly lined up so I could begin the seaming.

I'm finished with seaming up all the squares. It would have gone a little faster, except I discovered that the pattern on a few of the squares I sewed together did not line up correctly. So, I spent some time taking out a few seams and redoing the work. So now I'm on to the crochet border.

This step will require a little reading on my part and some practice. I've decided to use some Cascade 200 I had in my stash for the border. It is a nice bright turquoise blue color that actually is in several of the squares. I think it will work well and won't require a purchase.

Sherman, my faithful partner in seeking out a cool comfortable spot for a hot summer afternoon did not waver. He remained close by all weekend. What a good boy.

Fiber Friday - A Rockin' Blanket

This is Socks That Rock heavyweight in the Knitty Rocks color. It is 100% super wash merino and the skein weighs in at 7 ounces and is about 350 yards. This is in reserve for a small lap sized blanket.

I've wanted to make a small blanket with sock yarn for a long time and watching Carrie finish hers was the last straw. I have to have my own Rockin' Blanket. I'm going to knit a log cabin style blanket with three different colors of STR heavyweight.

The blanket colors will be Knitty Rocks, the other two colors will lemon grass and thistle. The lemon grass color is a variegated yellow and green; it is similar in color to the yellowish green in the Knitty Rocks. Thistle also has the same yellowish green color and a blue/purple color.

The colors will probably make the thing look like an electric kool-aid acid explosion. But I'm drawn to the colors, so we'll see how it turns out. At worst, it is only a blanket and can always keep a kitty or puppy comfy around here.

I have two skeins of each color and I'll just keep knitting until I run out of yarn. I'm hoping to start this soon, probably after I finish Wicked. I have been working on Wicked. I have to finish a bit more on the body and then knit the sleeves.

A Teapot Cover

A couple weeks ago I wrote a post about my lack of focus and showed a random little project I had just started. The project is going to be my first knitted cozy.

I actually collected teapots for a very short time when I had my first home. I had a couple odd shelves in that kitchen that needed something, so I begin picking up teapots from yard sales and flea markets. As a result, I now have a small box of teapots in the attic. I decided I might as well get one out of the box and knit a cozy.

I've always wanted to knit the felted tea cozy from the little book entitled Vogue Knitting on the Go: Felting. It is a book I bought when I first started knitting and fell in love with felted items. The cozy is on the cover.

I never thought I could actually knit it before because of the short row shaping. Now I have knit several things that had short rows and wrapping and turning - so all is good. I grabbed a couple skeins of Kureyon and started my cozy.

I'm not sure yet which teapot this cozy will cover. I'm sure I've got a teapot that will work. But I've also thought of modifying the pattern a little so it would work for the orange teapot in the photo. My idea would be to go ahead and seam up the cozy then pick up and knit rounds along the bottom to lengthen the whole thing.

I'm almost done knitting the pattern as written. I just need to decide what to do and get a little more finished so I can felt the thing, sew on some buttons, and add another finished object to my list.

Stepping Stones

Last year when my family came for a visit, my mom brought some materials to make stained glass stepping stones for the my garden. The stones were a huge hit. When I went to visit her this spring, she had cut glass for several more stones. We wrapped and packages all the cut pieces of glass and shipped it to my house so I could add cement and turn the pieces into more stepping stones.

I've got two sizes of hard plastic molds to make the stones. One mold is a 16" round mold and the other is smaller and shaped like a brick. So I can make one stone of each size at a time.

So far, I've gotten two stones of each size finished. I think I have about 10-12 more round stones to finish and 3-4 brick sized stones.

It's going to take a while to get them all made, but I'll share them as I get them finished. There will be a lot of these stepping stones in my yard. It is a good thing that our yard is large.

Since I made the stones pictured here, I've decided that I like the grey cement better than the white. The cement itself is white and the grey color comes from adding a colorant. The white stones seem a little more artificial or something to me.

I make these stones outside because the cement can be a bit messy. Sherman loves to help us when we are working outside. He will stay with us all day when the weather is cool. But as the weather heats up, Sherman struggles to stay cool outside. He is not built for hot weather. Here are a couple pictures of Sherman trying to beat the heat with a cool drink of water.

Blocking Time

I'd like to thank everyone that left a comment with suggestions on creating a blocking board.

Based on the suggestions, I went looking for either cork board squares or some of those exercise mats that fit together like puzzle pieces.

I only went to one store, Wal-Mart, so I didn't do much comparison shopping I was really into getting something quick that would work.

I found the cork squares in the office section. Each piece of cork was a 12 inch square. Each package had 4 pieces and was just under $6.

I looked in the sport-camping section and didn't see any of those little modular mats that I thought looked pretty neat. I liked the idea of being able to move the pieces around to custom shape the board layout for each project. But, they didn't have any of those.

I did see several yoga mats and thought about one of those for a second, but those were all over ten dollars. I really didn't want to spend a lot of money, so I ended up buying a camping mat. It is a blue blue foam material that is about a 1/2 thick and about 20" wide and 74" long.

You could easily cut it into smaller pieces, but this one sits nicely on my kitchen island. The nice thing is that it was just under $6 and I can roll it up and stick it in the laundry room. I thought it might hold up a little longer than the cork. The cork wasn't as thick as the foam.



I stuck masking tape on the mat in the shape and size I wanted the lizard ridge squares to be and started blocking. The pattern suggesting steam blocking, but I decided to use a little wool wash and soak. I'm able to block five squares at a time and I should have them all blocked in a another day. Then I'll have to decide on a layout. I hope to get some of that done this weekend. Then it's onto seaming.

Oh, I've been playing around with my blog template just a little. So if you drop by and something doesn't look right let me know - I'll try and fix it.

Fiber Friday - More Koigu Please

This is more souvenir yarn from my trip home to Indianapolis. It is Koigu KPPPM in color number P111. And just because I always post the yarn specs, each 50 gram skein is 100% merino wool and approximately 175 yards. I think those details might be more interesting of helpful if the yarn is unfamiliar.

I bought this yarn because of the bright colors. I'm always drawn to fun colors like these. I got enough of this color to knit some type of scarf/shawl type thing. I wear a lot of black and neutral colors so I thought this would add a nice punch of color to my wardrobe.

I really have enjoyed wearing the shawls and scarfs I've already completed, so another one seems like a good idea. They can be complicated or as easy as you like. Plus gauge and fit won't totally wreck a project. I just need to wind up a ball and try a few stitch patterns to see what kind of gauge I get. That will let me estimate how large of a project I can make.

In the meantime, I've been knitting a bit on Wicked and some of the other projects I've got going while watching TV in the evening. But really, I'm just biding my time until I decide what project to cast on for next.

Chevron Scarf

I had a nice relaxing holiday weekend; and now I have a finished object to share. I have finally finished my Chevron Scarf and it has only been about two months since I started knitting the darn thing.I am so glad to have this off the needles. I think this is the longest I have ever worked on one scarf. It felt really good to bind this sucker off and get it finished.

The model in the picture that accompanied the original pattern has the scarf wrapped around her head holding back her hair and draped around her neck. I tried it out that way but it looked goofy on me. Maybe I'm missing the cool hair do. I know I need to work on my own modeling - but this is about as good as it gets without a tripod. I think my scarf is a little wider than the original pattern specs. It is a little too wide for a head wrap so if I make another one for me - I might try to make the next one a little more narrow.

The photo above really shows off the edge that the yarn was carried up during the knitting. Not bad at all. Hopefully I can avoid snagging it when I wear the scarf - but at least I didn't have to weave in a bunch of yarn ends. The photo below is a shot of the front and back of the scarf side by side. The back really isn't that special and I usually don't like the reverse side all that much., but for some reason I really like the back of this scarf.


I'm hoping to knit another Chevron Scarf; I even have some Koigu in my stashed all picked out. I think I'll just wait a little bit before casting on another two month scarf project.

Project Info
Pattern: Chevron Scarf from Last Minute Knitted Gifts
Yarn: Socks That Rock (medium weight); colors: Watermelon Tourmaline and Farmhouse; each skein 5.5 oz/380 yards 40 grams and approximately 133 meters
leftovers: Watermelon Tourmaline - 1.05 oz / 28g; Farmhouse - 1.20 oz / 34 g
Needles: addi TURBO -US# 5 (3.75mm)
Finished Dimensions: 6 inches wide/ 87 inches long
Pattern Modifications: 2 stitch garter stitch boarder added to each edge
Start Date: March 22, 2007
Finish Date: May 17, 2007

Fiber Friday - Rio De La Plata

This is Rio De La Plata it is 100% wool and the color is a red brick and emerald green. I own five skeins of this and each skein is 140yard. It is from Uruguay and isn't too terribly soft; but it is nice. I don't think it is nearly as soft as Malabrigo.

I bought this yarn with an intent to felt. I was thinking it would make a nice felted bowl or maybe I could knit some type of textured panel that I could hang on the wall. But this yarn has been in my stash so long, I'm not sure what to do with it anymore. So, for now I've stuck it back in a plastic bin in the closet to await some inspiration.

Now, On To Blocking!

I can't believe it! I've knit a total of twenty four of these little squares. The square in the photo above is Kureyon color # 163. The color appears fairly accurate on my monitor but there seems to be a depth to the color that is missing. I think this is one of my favorite squares. The colors remind me of deep ocean waters and algae.

When I started this project, I had in mind that I would knit an extra row across so that the finished blanket would be a little bit wider. But you know, with all my moaning about no finished objects, I've decided it is time to move onto the next step.

The square to the left was the last to be finished! It is in Kureyon color # 183.

Now I've got to block twenty four of these squares. I know I don't have a place to lay them all out at once. So I'll have to do it in stages. I want to make sure that they all end up the same size. I think that will make the seaming go a little bit easier.

I'm trying to figure out the best way to make a little grid that will be reusable so I can block them all the same. Maybe I can find something cheap in the Wal-Mart craft section.

I've still got to get some yarn for seaming and the border. I'm thinking that I'll use cascade 220 like the pattern call for - but I've still got to pick a color. I'll pick a color once I get all the squares blocked and laid out.

It's not finished - but I'm still giving myself a little hooray for getting this far.

Fiber Friday - Apricot Blush

This is another new sock yarn that is waiting patiently in the stash for me to try. It is from Black Bunny Fibers and is 70% merino/30% silk and the color is apricot blush. The skein weighs 100 grams and is approximately 440 yards.

This skein points back to the sock yarn collector thing I was talking about last week's Fiber Friday post. I've been kind of fixated on obtaining sock yarn that is somehow unique or new for me. This skein meets the criteria in two ways - the yarn has silk content and is from an independent dyer I've never tried before.

I'm really looking forward to trying this yarn out. It is so soft. I haven't decided on a pattern yet. But of course it will end up as socks at some point in the future. I just can't say when. I've decided something else too. You've heard of a ghostwriter? Well, if I ever win the lottery I might just have to hire a ghostknitter to help keep up with my sock yarn stash!

Focus, I Need Focus

For some reason, I can't seem to get a knitting project finished. I have several projects started and almost all of them are things that I would like to have finished. I don't really have any projects that I've completely given up hope on finishing.

Several of the projects that I have started are laying out by my chair in the living room. I would label these as active projects because I have done some knitting on them recently. A couple of them are even close to completion. My chevron scarf, for example, should be done any day now. If only I would sit down and finish it.

I also have 2-3 projects that haven't seen fresh air or the light of day in at least a year. These projects all have been started, but have been bagged up and stuck in a closet. I want them finished too. I still like the idea of having the finished object the project represents, but for some reason I put them aside.

Instead of working on any of these projects , I end up hunting through my stash and pulling out some miscellaneous skein of yarn and start something completely different (see above photo; I'll post more on this little project later). Or worse yet, I spend time searching for a new project that I want to knit that usually requires a yarn purchase.

I do like the whole process of knitting. I guess I just need to accept the fact that I'm not a knitting machine and finished objects are only part of the goal. Are you able to stay focused on one project at a time? What is your secret?

Two Down; Two To Go

I'm getting closer to having all my Lizard Ridge squares complete. Then it will be on to blocking out all the squares and seeming them together. I'm looking forward to seeing this blanket finished.

The square on the left is out of color number 153 and the square on the right is color number 40. I previously used color 40 to make a felted bag for my mother in law. I love all the blues and one of the remaining squares will be out of a mostly blue color. The last square is still undecided. I have a total of two squares left to make but three skeins of Kureyon from which to choose. I'm not yet sure who'll make the cut yet.

I do love all the bright vivid colors of the random Kureyon skeins I've used, but I still feel a little bit bad because I have absolutely no intention of ever using this blanket. Don't get me wrong, it isn't because I think it will be too special to use or anything like that. I'm not the type to have towels hanging in the bathroom that aren't meant to be used. If I have it, you can use it.

I think this will be more decorative because the feel of the yarn. I picked the yarn knowing this in advance. But now I think as I'm getting close to having it finished, I realize I'm not going to be curling up with this blanket and it is a little sad.

On another note, I want to thank everyone for posting a random fact in the comment section of the previous post. You guys make for some interesting reading!

Seven Random Facts

I've been tagged by Sue to post seven random facts about myself. I'm going to play along and post, but don't worry I'm not going to tag anyone back. I was never any good at tag chasing games when I was little either. If you want to play along - leave a random fact about you or anything you think is interesting in the comments. for this post.

Here are seven facts about me:

1. I've never been to Las Vegas. I don't think I'd like gambling very much, but I'd like to go just to see everything once. Catch a show and see all the lights.

2. I tutored algebra in high school.

3. The monkeys in The Wizard of Oz use to scare me when I was little.

4. I planted tomato plants in my front yard this year. It's good we don't live in a subdivision or I'd be paying daily fines for doing something like that. It isn't something I'd normally do - we don't have a car up on blocks out there or anything. It just seemed like the best place for them. They are mixed in with some perennial flowers though.

5. My husband and I like to fantasize what we'd do if we won the lottery. It's best to be prepared!

6. I have bachelor degrees are in Economics and East Asian Studies. I don't use any of that knowledge for my job.

7. My father-in-law is a lawyer and was able to get the right to officiate our wedding. It was special to have someone close to us perform the ceremony.

Okay, now it's your turn. Leave me a comment with a random fact.

Fiber Friday - Hello Yarn

This lovely skein of yarn is hand-dyed sock from Hello Yarn. It is 100% superwash merino wool. The skein weighs in at 4 oz and is 395 yards. The color is called sour. This is my first skein of Hello Yarn and I'm really looking forward to giving it a try.

It really does feel like wonderful yarn, but I've had a heck of a time trying to get any of the stuff to try out. As soon as the online store for Hello Yarn is updated; it is emptied almost as quickly. I'm eager to try her fat sock yarn too.

This acquisition was spurred on by Znitter. I am by no means blaming anyone for my purchasing new yarns, but she always seems to post some fabulous sock yarn that I've never tried.

I was able to convince myself that one little skein of sock yarn couldn't hurt anyone. So - hello sock yarn. (ha)

As I was putting this yarn in the rest of my sock yarn stash, I started to think that I am quickly becoming a sock yarn collector and maybe not the sock knitter I'd like to be.

I guess there is nothing wrong with collecting. I have several collections of things around the house. Although I always prefer to have collections that can be used. The good thing is that I do intend to use the yarn. That is a mitigating circumstance - right?

But for now, I'll back off buying and try to do more knitting. Don't worry though - I have enough stashed sock yarn I haven't yet shared to keep my Fiber Fridays alive for awhile.

I like how the photos for this Friday's post came out. Sometimes when I look at the photos, the individual strands in the skein almost stand out in 3D in certain areas of the pictures. I'll have to figure out what created that effect and see if I can repeat it in more photos.

I realized yesterday that I have now taken a week long hiatus from updating my blog. It was actually not my intention to do so, but it was a nice break. I am now going to resume more regularly scheduled blogging.

Fiber Friday - Diakeito Diamusee

Something besides sock yarn! This yarn is another souvenir from my recent trip. This yarn is Diakeito Diamusee Fine. The yarn is from Japan and is 100% wool. Each skein is 40g / 239 yards. The color is listed as # 120 and is supposed to be self striping. I have four skeins to play with.

When I originally bought the yarn I thought I would be using it to make a scarf; but since I've gotten the yarn home, I've come across another idea. Now I am considering using two skeins to make the Forest Canopy Shoulder Shawl by Susan Lawrence. It is a pretty little shoulder shawl that is supposed to be an easy pattern to follow. It's actually the stitch pattern that I like.

But I kind of think I might not really use a triangular shawl very much. I think I'd prefer a rectangular shawl in use. I have several shawls and they are all rectangles. I've never had a triangle shaped shawl. When I actually think it through, I can't see what I'd want one either.

Who needs something pointing down to their behind? Trust me, you'd see mine without directional signs. If the point is actually long enough, I think I'd end up sitting on it most of the time. I think something rectangular in nature would be much more compatible with my nature.

Maybe I'm thinking about this all wrong. Maybe triangle shawls are really meant just to be pretty decorative item and not to be curled up with. Or maybe the intended wearer is just more elegant than me and doesn't curl up in a fluffy chair. Maybe it is for the actual knitting process that these shawls are created. Do you have a triangle shaped shawl? Do you wear the triangle shaw?

Now, in response to the comments on my dream swatch - I will be taking a picture of me wearing it and post it to the blog. I'll have to get out my tripod and set it up to take the picture. I've also been knitting on my chevron scarf during the week. Hopefully I'll have something to post soon.