http://www.ringaroundtherosies.prettyposies.com/archives/images/southbttn.jpg
Southern Knit Bloggers
Join | List | Previous | Next | Random
Powered by RingSurf
tennessee tricoter

tennessee tricoter

this blog is designed for me to share my knitting experiences with you.

Friday, March 09, 2007

un week-end de solitude (sauf pour les enfants...)

et qu'est-ce que je fais? I take online quizzes for a while, mais bien sur!

What kind of knitting needles are you?





You are bamboo.Warm, cozy, and thoughtful, you take your time and enjoy how things feel, smell, and taste. You love the craft and beauty of traditional things, and you value the comfort and experience of knitting as much as the results. But while you are reveling in your warm cozies, don't get stuck. Warm is wonderful, but so is the whole wide world!
Take this quiz!








Quizilla |
Join

| Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code


Seriously, I don't know what to do with myself as a single mom for the weekend... Hopefully I can keep things together and remain supportive so B can have a nice trip. No need to cramp his style although I am somewhat lost here.

So, I have blocked my Jawbreaker Cardigan (IK Winter 2006) and I am on the Mad Hunt for some coordinating-but-not-garishly-clashing ribbon to trim out the front bands and the neckline. I hit up the local walmarts looking for some, but I think I'll actually have to go to a fabric store tomorrow. SO, I plan on getting up early to partake in a friendly breakfast with the babies and probably V. Hopefully we'll hit the multicultural bakery and sip some coffees (and hopefully not spill YoBaby everywhere and not have the "loud" kids) before I trek through all the mall traffic to look for notions. Did I mention that I also need The Perfect Button? Yeah, well, I do.

I promise to post pictures, but I wanted to wait until I have done all the necessary finishing before I get all showoffy. Don't count your chickens, you know...

I am hopeful that I will have a little time for the kimono shawl this weekend, but I can see that it will be busier than I had intended. I had a pang of panic earlier and decided to go ahead and make some plans for Saturday since I always have lots of things going on, and I would simply hate to have nothing to do all weekend. Besides, the kids do better if we stay a little bit busy. I haven't quite convinced myself that an evening of grading tonight is the best plan, but if I can plow through my work I can have a much more enjoyable weekend. Why is it that I can constantly tell myself it's OK to have a huge stack of work to do? Work ethic is altered considerably when you know it's your last semester!

I also have a blue cabley sweater, some socks, and a FI sweater for the baby girl that I need to consider in the next few weeks. I am contemplating getting rid of at least one of these projects as I need to not have so much going on.

Who am I kidding? This is just the life of a knitter. :) Bon week-end!

posted by lacey @ 5:39 PM  0 comments

Sunday, February 11, 2007

ca fait longtemps qu'on ne s'est pas vus!

Well, it has really been a long, long time. So, after a lovely destash purchase, I was encouraged to revisit my posting. I procured some laceweight yarn from handpaintedyarn.com, and I just CO yesterday for the kimono shawl from Folk Shawls. I'm pretty excited to have a lighter weight wrap in a more traditional pattern to add to the wardrobe. I opted for the rectangular pattern after much consideration, and I hope I don't regret not having a triangular shawl... Depending on my experience with this one, I may choose to do another. But right now, it feels like I will be working on this for The Rest of My Life. (sigh)














And here is the yarn laid out on the table -- I thought you would be better able to read the color in the first photo. Still nothing cool to see yet, I guess, but I'm excited.


Here is the picture of a beautiful daughter bedecked in handknits. Yes, that is the BIGGEST hat in the world. After a weekend of leisurely working on that in my spare time, and anticipation of wearing it to work this week, I realized that I haven't met anyone with a head that large. So, sadly, I will be ripping it out and seeking another lone skein project for some Kureyon. Ideas?

Those are the Mrs. Beeton wristwarmers from knitty, and I love them. They fit so nicely under a sleeve and they're unobtrusively frilly.




So, on to a little more text. Since December, I have been occasionally working on a FI sweater for the girl. Unfortunately, I am so discouraged with it that I will not have it finished for this season. If I could ever discipline myself to just get things done, I could have a good deal less guilt from seeing partially finished projects lying around. Perhaps that should be a Lent commitment? Not cast on for a new project until all old ones are finished? I could be on to something here...

I have been a machine lately, though. I have made several hats, a scarf (for the Red Scarf Project), and a shawl for a friend. It's been a lot of knitting, and I am looking forward to finally finishing it all. And starting more.

This week marks Liam's first birthday. I can't believe he is almost one, but it's here. He's been such a wonderful addition to our family. I'll post a pic of him, soon.

Enough for tonight. It's nice to post after such a long time away.

a la prochaine.

posted by lacey @ 7:26 PM  0 comments

Sunday, November 05, 2006

dream a little dream


This is the first sweater I have designed on my own. Sure, I borrowed some basic ideas, but I am the designer of this garment. It's a heavy sweater for the boy, and it's using the same old Rowan Chunky Print I've been knitting for a while. We'll effectively have matchypoo sweaters for the pictures that will just add to the stack of blackmail material or just material to show to the future girlfriends/wife. It is a mother's rite and obligation. Of course, mine is more ornate and girly while his just reflects the arty man-style that he has.

Now to come up with a solution for the rest of this yarn... I think I have 2 temper left and 1 native... hmm... suggestions?

On to the dreaming (and possibly drooling) about yarn and the hopefulness and possibility that it gives us all. I have decided that is why I was so obsessed with taking a photo of my new yarn -- it's an image of hopefulness, of a goal possible to attain. (sigh) AHYC had their annual birthday sale this past Friday, and, as expected, I stocked up. Of course, now I realize I SHOULD have gotten more and I will next year when it's the sale again.


This is some ggh Savanna that I got for a UT scarf for my mom. The picture is a little washed out, but I'll do another when it's finished. It's pretty pumpkin-y, so she'll enjoy it with her fall clothes anyway since orange is one of her favorite colors. I'll have to say that I bought it as a joke, but I am enjoying the results. The yarn is a single ply, and it feels nice despite being a blend. The color is just so earthy and delicious. I do SO love a mistake rib pattern, and it's just fun enough to keep me happy through endless hours of tv. Of course, I say this as if I have endless hours to do anything at once. If I had endless hours, this yarn might have already been knit up into something amazing!


Now, this, my dear readers, is something about which to dream. I find myself lost in possibility when I imagine how this yarn will look all knitted and put into its place. Then comes the twisted part. I cannot WAIT to steek (read: cut) the sweater I will make out of this. The idea of the anti-craft is so compelling that I cannot even explain. To imagine that I could do this is the most amazing part. Just a few months ago, I was watching an instructional dvd that the baby girl so affectionately titled "your knitting movie, mommy?" and now I'm planning my first Fair Isle sweater. It will be for that very girl who suggested once per day that I start that dvd, and she has watched me knit my way to this point. I can't imagine a more deserving recipient for a pink sweater with lots of design and detail. She will love it, provided I get moving and get it ready before Christmas!



I only depicted two of the twelve hanks of Classic Elite Renaissance that I bought to make the Central Park Hoodie (from KnitScene Fall 06) from. This should be an awesome sweater to wear everywhere. I hope it takes the place of my gray hooded sweatshirt that I have had since 10th grade!

Next to that, there is a hank of Misti Alpaca Chunky. It's a beautiful and soft yarn. I am thinking of making my aunt a scarf or some sort of neck warmer for Christmas from this.

The Regia sock yarn is for the dearest husband who only really wants finely knitted, black garments. He is so patient and never expects me to make anything at all for him. Because of this, I want more than anything to make him something stellar. Sure, it will be difficult to SEE the cable design I am planning for the armwarmers this yarn will become, but ... he'll actually wear them. They should be thin, but warm, and stretchy enough to look nice. I am hopeful.


I bought three hanks of Reynold's Rapture to make a gift. I wish I had gotten more. It's a 50% silk/50% wool blend. The color is perfect for the aunt who will probably receive that alpaca gift. I would love to use something like this for my mom, but I won't. Possibly for my sister-in-law who is soon to have a baby? I'm not sure what she'd like most from the handknit realm, though. I'm accepting applications for possibilities here! This is a soft, beautiful yarn. I do love it.

I also got some dpns for those armwarmers and for the SOCKS I'm going to begin as soon as the football scarf is done. And some place markers.

That marks the end of my purchases. As you can see, I should have gotten more. Yarn is full of hope, full of the feeling that I get from a full pantry. Something about not having any food is scary, just like the feeling of not having any yarn. When there is a full pantry, complete with dried beans, flour, corn starch, canned vegetables, rice, and cake mixes, I feel like I could feed my family in an emergency, a celebration, or no matter what happens. We will be nourished. And with the yarn, it's the same idea. It makes me feel like I am at home. And, so, for today, I am at home, where I can dream of creation and possibility and things to come. It will be a process in which to drown my numerous stresses and problems so that I can come out on the other end of the project with beauty and luxury.

Tricotez bien et a la prochaine. Bisous.

l.

posted by lacey @ 8:53 PM  2 comments

Sunday, October 29, 2006

a very happy star wars halloween to you


Thanks to bleuarts.blogspot.com, my Halloween was awesome.

Don't let this cool expression fool you, my dear readers, for this hat has the stealthy ammenity of a coiled heat trap placed over each ear. Seriously, this is the warmest hat I have ever worn, and I do fully intend to wear this if we ever get a snow day. It is also the perfect hat to wear to a concert. It provides a fashionable alternative to earplugs while blocking eardrum-damaging sound levels. In fact, I had to occasionally remove the hat to hear what people were saying to me at the Halloween party. But what fun! So, rock on, ski on, party on.



And here's the lovely couple. Of course, Luke and Leia don't know that they are brother and sister in the first movie, so it worked out just fine!

Happy Halloween!

bisous,

lacey

posted by lacey @ 7:17 PM  2 comments

ca fait bien longtemps!

Well, here I am FINALLY posting the promised pictures. Knitted love from me to you. Enjoy.

Here is the famous Blackberry sweater from Knitty.com. I used the recommended Rowan Chunky Print in Temper. It was a super fast knit -- I was done in just a little over three days! I know some people don't like the bulk created by this type of sweater, and I'll have to admit that I wouldn't want this ALL the time, but it's lovely. I hope to retire jackets soon. Sweaters all the way.




Yes, I know I look stunned in this pic. I had no idea that my face was going to be in this photo!


This was also my first attempt at bobbles. I'm in love.


Well, it surely has been a long time since I promised I would post pictures of some finished objects. The thing is, I had begun a long, detailed post, and then blogger decided to have issues, and I lost the post. Here we are, though, making up for lost time with a post chock full o' photos and knitted love from me to you.

posted by lacey @ 6:57 PM  0 comments

Monday, October 23, 2006

knitting nerd

OK, so I'm a knitting NERD. This past weekend, while being home with sick kids and sick husband (I feel ok so far...) I was able to finish blackberry. I used the recommended yarn, Rowan Chunky Print in Temper. I used regular stockinette instead of the reverse stockinette, and I added about 1" to the ribbing all the way around the sweater. It took almost 6 full balls of this yarn to make it work.

And, here's the nerdy part... I finished casting off right before bed last night. BUT I'M WEARING THE SWEATER TODAY. Yes, that's right, I have the loose ends I haven't gotten around to weaving in tied up so they don't hang out of the sweater. One of the sleeve seams' leftover yarn is hanging out when I don't push it back in up the sleeve... But I have a study hall and I am planning on finishing the sweater up during that. Of course, it could use some blocking, but that will have to happen when I know we're going to have four or so days of very warm weather. Besides, I know that it will take a few days to dry properly. Or maybe I'll get sick of wearing it and blocking will be a nice forced break from it. We'll see.

But we're done. :) Pictures later.

posted by lacey @ 5:15 AM  0 comments

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

moving quickly along

I have finished the umbilical cord baby hat for the boy. He'll get to wear it this year, but, although I tried my best to knit it more chunky, this will be the last year. He looks adorable in it, though! I'll try to get some pics on here soon!

I also cast on for my halloween surprise. Too bad I had to go in on the acrylic for this... Oh well. It's a costume item. It's not too big of a loss.

I am also contemplating the possibility of knitting blackberry from knitty.com. The only concern I have is that it will add so much bulk to me that I may feel heavy wearing it. On the other hand, it should be so warm that it may replace a coat. I have the suggested yarn, and since I can't knit the boy's sweater out of it, I may as well use it for something for myself.

The blue cabled sweater is again going very slowly. I am having to do a lot of math and wait on a lot of questions to be answered as it is a test pattern. It's so cool, but I'm beginning to wonder if I'll even have it to wear this winter. There's always next year, I guess.

Maybe I need to slow the knitting down, but there's always something to deal with. It seems like the more stressed out I get, the more I find time to knit. I shouldn't have this kind of time. And I don't. But I have to deal somehow. Of course, it's not like I am dealing that well with things, but I am pretty sure it's better than when I don't knit. In fact, I'm definitely sure. It is at least reminding me to stay quiet about some things before I say too much and can't take it back.

Knit while the day is still young.

l.

posted by lacey @ 7:20 AM  0 comments

Saturday, October 14, 2006

stash! oh, and i'm FAMOUS

So my yarn stash has seriously increased! I got some yarn budget for my birthday, and I just now got around to spending it. Turns out, our friends at Rowan have decided to discontinue Yorkshire Tweed Aran and DK as well as Chunky Print. I got a bag (10 balls) of Chunky Print in Temper, some Chunky Print in Native, some Yorkshire Tweed Aran in Maze, some Yorkshire Tweed DK in Slosh, one ball of Yorkshire Tweed DK in Revel, Lamb's Pride Bulky in Brown and Heather (not official names), and some Misti Alpaca in black and white.

I already made almost one whole scarf for B (Chunky Print -- Native) and an entire scarf for myself out of the alpaca. It's so soft and beautiful.

I've swatched up some Chunky Print for a vintage pattern for the baby boy. It's kinda a coat with a cap that matches and toggle buttons, etc.

I also got a sock pattern and a glove/mitten pattern. Looks like I may be pretty set.

I'll post pics as I am able. I'm a knitting fool this weekend!

Also, I'm FAMOUS! I'm on the Angel Hair website modeling my kimono sweater... Look here. I'm pretty pleased!

Bon week-end!

posted by lacey @ 7:38 PM  0 comments