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December 3, 2006

Leafy Project


Leafy Project
Originally uploaded by Sophy T. O'Donnell.

I started this project before Thanksgiving with the intention of making enough Autumn Leaves and Christmas Themed cell phone charms (or ornaments) to send out with Christmas cards this year. Then of course, I was really sick the week before and week of Thanksgiving, so I didn't get more than a handful of charms done.

I really like to knit leaves. Is that weird? With this, I kinda limited myself to five different leaf patterns: simple (the blue in the top middle), holly, ivy, maple, and rose. Shown here are really just the "prototypes", the leaves I knitted before I decided to standardize on the patterns. The final patterns for the leaves have such constraints as "no more than 20 rows" and "no more than 6 eyelet rows". I wanted the leaves to be the same size, at least approzimately the same size...

Soon to come, pictures of the different leaves and the finished charms!

Posted by sophy t. o'donnell on December 3, 2006 9:25 AM | | Comments (0)

Time enough...

I decided that my big Christmas knitting project would be a gift for my husband. But, before I even began his gift, I thought it would be great to finally knit those Christmas stockings I said I would make for us, ooh sometime last year...

Et voila! Adam's stocking is complete. At least, version 1 of his stocking. I will probably make another one, somewhat bigger and more decorative. Especially, one that will fit his stocking stuffers...


Adam's Stocking
Originally uploaded by Sophy T. O'Donnell.

Yarn: Lamb's Pride, Worsted
Colors: M-80 Blue Blood Red, M-11 White Frost
Needles: US 7 (4.5mm) dpns

I just followed a basic sock pattern. Then, I picked up stitches along half of the top to make the name-tab. I didn't want to attempt intarsia in-the-round and wanted to model the stocking after my favorite pair of boots.


Sophy's Favorite Boots
Originally uploaded by Sophy T. O'Donnell.

I was really surprised by how easy and fun it was to knit this sock. Leads me to many more ideas for sock-type projects. (I've already decided I will knit myself a pair of boot-socks in this shape. It will be super quick too!)

One day, I'll even make a Christmas stocking for myself. For now, back to Adam's present... while I have time enough to knit it.


Jarrett Progress


Jarrett Stash
Originally uploaded by Sophy T. O'Donnell.

Posted by sophy t. o'donnell on December 3, 2006 10:23 AM | | Comments (1)

December 4, 2006

Molly's dress...


Molly 04
Originally uploaded by Sophy T. O'Donnell.
Just thought I'd blog about some of the projects I finished, though it's been a while...

This is Molly and Molly's dress. Look's like she'll need to grow into it a bit, yeah?

Yarn: Auracania Nature Cotton
Needles: US 6 (4.0mm)
Pattern: Original

After the new year, I will gather my notes for this pattern and post it (because you asked, Melissa). My notes are pretty much just scratches on sheets of paper or post-its... haha

Posted by sophy t. o'donnell on December 4, 2006 9:55 AM | | Comments (0)

Cho's scarf...


Cho's Scarf
Originally uploaded by Sophy T. O'Donnell.
While shopping for birthday gifts for a mutual friend, I dragged everyone into Noe Knit. I simply could not pass up the opportunity to go into a yarn shop, no matter that I really had no intentions to buy something. I just wanted to browse and touch the fibers...

While there, Cho decided he wanted me to knit him a scarf. A very particular scarf, a manly scarf, with a specific texture and pattern. He picked out four skeins of Noro's Kureyon yarn as he told me that his scarf had to begin with a point and end with a point and have a raised diamond-lattice pattern along the length of it. To make sure I understood his vision, he later drew out the design for me. haha

Yarn: Noro Kureyon
Needles: US 7 (4.5mm)
Pattern: Original

Well, when Adam took this picture, Cho was more interested in posing for the camera then giving me a detailed picture of the scarf. Typical ;D The scarf is textured with twisted stitches in a diamond-lattice pattern. It does begin and end with a point. I don't quite remember how I did the increases at the beginning, else I would have posted the pattern by now. Hopefully, sometime this week I'll have the scarf in front of me to take more pictures and get the pattern down...

It actually took me a ridiculous amount of time to finish this scarf. But I finally did--in time for the San Francisco winter. (I have a couple of other scarves that I started at least two years ago and haven't finished... argh!)

Posted by sophy t. o'donnell on December 4, 2006 10:14 AM | | Comments (0)

December 10, 2006

More distractions...


Baby Bonnet, soaking
Originally uploaded by Sophy T. O'Donnell.
When I should be focused on finishing my husband's sweater, I keep getting distracted by small side projects. This baby bonnet here is just one of them...

I found this pattern a few months back, from Hello Yarn and just fell in love with it. I wanted to make a small gift for two sweet little girls. This one, with its rabbitish ears, is for the older sister who is four years old. Another version, with kittenish ears is for her baby sister.

I made two major modifications to the pattern though, for each version. Most noticeable are the ears -- I wanted the ears to have more dimension and shape to them so I played with increases and decreases and twisted stiches to come up with these ears here (and the kitten ears you'll see in a bit...)

The second modification I made was to cast-on regularly and distribute the stitches onto four dpns. I was having problems with the figure-8 cast-on so decided not to begin with one. Instead, I later grafted the top stitches together.

Posted by sophy t. o'donnell on December 10, 2006 6:18 PM | | Comments (0)

More distractions... part ii

So here is the second baby bonnet I made. The best thing about these bonnets? They are super quick knits. This smaller one took about 2-3 hours. I'm not a very fast knitter, since I knit English-style... It's comfortable for me, but gosh sometimes I wish it was more efficient! I casted on just as LOTR: Fellowship of the Rings began. By the time the orcs carried off Pippin and Merry, I had the body, both ears and half of one i-cord completed. I decided to finish the last i-cord in the morning.

The other bonnet took maybe twice as long. I knitted that one first and spent more time on it to figure out the ears... I will probably knit many more... just think, I could make bear ears on the next one! haha

Notice the ears -- I love them! I thought I would post the pattern for these ears and the rabbitish version, in case anyone is interested =D

Kittenish Ears

You will need at least 3 dpns to knit these in-the-round.

Pick up 8 sts on one dpn, and then 8 sts directly behind the first set on a second dpn. The first dpn should be on the front-facing side.

Knit 2 rnds, even.
Next rnd: k2tog, k to last 2 sts on first dpn, ssk; k all stitches on second dpn.
Repeat the last rnd until you have 2 sts remaining on the first dpn at the end of the rnd.
K the first st on the first dpn. Redistribute the stitches so that you have 5 stitches on each dpn, in the following manner:
dpn A: second st of first dpn, first 4 sts of second dpn.
dpn B: last 4 sts of second dpn, first st of first dpn.
Next rnd: k2tog, k to last 2 sts, ssk
Repeat this rnd until you have 2 sts left. Thread the yarn through the two stitches. Weave in the end.

Voila! Kittenish ears! =D

Why do I like this so much? It gives the illusion of the sides of the ears curling in just a bit, and I think that makes it looks more realistic... ^_^ Don't you agree? Now, the rabbitish ears variation:

Rabbitish Ears

Pick up 8 sts on one dpn, and then 8 sts directly behind the first set on a second dpn. The first dpn should be on the front-facing side.

Rnd 1: k all sts
Rnd 2: *k1, M1, k to last stitch on dpn, M1, k1; repeat from * on second dpn.
Repeat Rnd 1 and 2 once more. (12 sts on each dpn)
K even for three rows.
Rnd 1: k2tog, k to last 2 sts on first dpn, ssk; k all stitches on second dpn.
Rnd 2: k all sts
Repeat Rnd 1 and 2 until there are 2 sts remaining on the first dpn, ending with Rnd 2.
K the first st on the first dpn. Redistribute the stitches so that you have 7 stitches on each dpn, in the following manner:
dpn A: second st of first dpn, first 6 sts of second dpn.
dpn B: last 6 sts of second dpn, first st of first dpn.
Rnd 1: k2tog, k to last 2 sts, ssk
Rnd 2: k all sts
Repeat these rnds until you have 2 sts left, ending with Rnd 1. Thread the yarn through the two stitches. Weave in the end.

Voila! Floppy, rabbitish ears!

Posted by sophy t. o'donnell on December 10, 2006 6:42 PM | | Comments (0)

December 11, 2006

I should have done this two weeks ago...

What's this? If you knit, you probably know where this is going... yup. A gauge swatch for Adam's sweater. So, now I am back at zero progress - actually not true. I have two patches completed. (woohoo!) Now I need to finish my swatch, wash and measure... cause, darnnit! -- I want it to fit!

Now, why did I not do one before hand??? The age-old excuse... I've used Rowan Summer Tweed many times before and just wanted to start on Jarret right away without wasting time and yarn to swatch... am I that lazy? well, I vow never to be again now that I've started drawing out designs for future knits!

Posted by sophy t. o'donnell on December 11, 2006 4:08 PM | | Comments (1)

December 12, 2006

Familiar faces...

The first time I saw the book, Holiday Knits, I remember thinking, without reading their bios, that the authors (from their pictures on the back flap) looked vauely familiar. Well, for one reason or other, I have yet to purchase it... But today, I was thinking of the one Christmas stocking patterns from the book (was it the old fashioned stocking that had the snowflake?) and tried to peak inside to find it... What do you know, I read the back flap and discovered that the authors are none other than the owners of my favorite yarn shop in San Francisco, Imagiknit. I should get an autographed copy...

Posted by sophy t. o'donnell on December 12, 2006 4:36 PM | | Comments (0)

December 18, 2006

A short update on knits and things


just a peek
Originally uploaded by Sophy T. O'Donnell.
Let's see... a week to Christmas, and I've restarted Adam's sweater. Going slow, but going. Even though I haven't finished it yet, I'm already full of ideas for another sweater... In fact, I want to knit couple sweaters for us. Wouldn't that be cuuute???

I'm also knitting Adam's bigger Christmas stocking. I will probably take his name off the first stocking and reknit the tab with my name. In all honesty, I should have finished this stocking within a day, but I've been trying to make more progress on his sweater...

This weekend, Adam helped me re-dye my hair -- from the mucky green/yellow remnants of midnight blue to this outrageously bright magenta-red. (I wanted it to be a deeper shade for the holiday season. It's still rad, though.) ^_^

Posted by sophy t. o'donnell on December 18, 2006 10:58 AM | | Comments (0)

December 30, 2006

Swift and Winder


Swift and Winder
Originally uploaded by Sophy T. O'Donnell.
There was a time when I used to wind up all my yarn by hand... no winder and definitely no swift (I didn't even know what it was called!) Then, last year, my sister gave me a yarn winder. I thought it couldn't get any easier than this...

It used to take 45min to an hour, at least, to wind up each hank of yarn by hand... With the winder, I was able to get neat little balls of yarn in under 30minutes, unless of course it tangled. Now, it takes under a minute with the swift and winder working together! YAY!

Posted by sophy t. o'donnell on December 30, 2006 10:53 AM | | Comments (0)

January 16, 2007

WIPs aplenty, new and old


Picot, blocking
Originally uploaded by Sophy T. O'Donnell.
There's something about knitting endless rows of stockinette stitch that's just mind-numbingly dull... This is probably one of the reasons why I have so many projects going at any one time.

I finished the back of Adam's sweater, Jarret. I'm going to rest from that while I finish a couple of other projects. One project, shown blocking, is Picot from Rowan's Denim People. The front panel is almost complete, but even the lovely color variations couldn't keep me knitting it to the end. That's not true, really, I just wanted to start something else ;D

Something else? The Spiral Shell Capelet from Wrap Style. This is actually pretty mindless knitting, with a lace-ish pattern that is easy to remember. But, the result is so much more satisfying than plain stockinette. Also, I love the grey-blue Silky Tweed yarn from Elsebeth Lavold. So much fun to knit!

After I finish Picot and the Spiral Shell, I'll return to Adam's sweater. Promise!

Posted by sophy t. o'donnell on January 16, 2007 10:10 AM | | Comments (0)

January 17, 2007

Spiral shell capelet


Spiral shell capelet
Originally uploaded by Sophy T. O'Donnell.
A somewhat blurry phonecam shot of progress on the capelet. Such an easy pattern! I can't wait to finish and wear it to work! I love this yarn, grey tweed with blue (and some tan-ish) flecks. I've had this yarn for almost a year now. Kept starting projects (sweater vest, skirt, scarf, etc), only to rip them out. It looks like this capelet is a keeper, though. ^_^

I've also started drawing up some designs for a sweater for myself (cardigan with colorwork and, yes, elbow patches) and fingerless gloves/wristwarmers for a friend.

Times like this, I wish I were a much faster knitter.

Posted by sophy t. o'donnell on January 17, 2007 12:36 PM | | Comments (0)

January 22, 2007

Spiral Shell Capelet, finis!

My first FO of 2007. Isn't it pretty??? Details:

Pattern: Deborah Newton's Spiral Shell, Wrap Style
Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Silky Tweed
Needles: US6/4mm, and US5/3.75mm
Start/End Dates: 12-21 Jan 2007

I made a few modifications, which you can see in this shot. I did two rounds of decreases, rather than just the one instructed in the pattern. I had two reasons for doing this. First, Silky Tweed is very soft and elastic. I knew that the top would be too big for me if I completed as described in the pattern. Second, I liked how a second decrease round left one purl stitch between each spiral; this purl stitch followed nicely into the ribbing.

Another modification was a longer ribbing at the top using a smaller sized needle. Nothing major: just six rows of ribbing then bind-off. In fact, there are 27 repeats of the pattern for my soon-to-be age in 2007. And, I wanted seven rib rows (seven is my lucky number!) ;D

So what next?

"Picot" has become my traveling project, meaning that I'll take it with me to knit during my commute--if I should feel like knitting. While, at home, I will knit fingerless gloves for a friend.

I have enough Silky Tweed for a short pair of fingerless gloves for myself, to accompany the capelet--though, I don't think I have the patience for accomplishing the spiral pattern. It will be simple and small.

And, of course, I will get back to Adam's sweater. I have a feeling that "Jarret" will be a 2007 Christmas gift ;D

Posted by sophy t. o'donnell on January 22, 2007 10:16 AM | | Comments (0)

January 24, 2007

Totally tubular

Last night, I realized the fingerless gloves I'd casted on for Kim a few days ago were way too big. Yes, her hands are bigger than mine, but I don't think they're twice the circumference. Then, I wasn't happy with the inelasticity of the edge... I remembered reading through Eunny's Endpaper Mitts pattern and a page that she referenced for the Tubular Cast On. So I thought I'd try it out.

Very nice edge. Perfect for these fingerless gloves and the three others I've written up. Perfect for a sweater pattern I want to design. Just PERFECT. I'll probably use it for all my future projects. haha

Posted by sophy t. o'donnell on January 24, 2007 1:43 PM | | Comments (0)

January 25, 2007

Moving along

The fingerless gloves are knitting up quickly. They also take less yarn than I expected! Well, here's a shot of the right-side glove as of last night before I went to bed. (Check it out for more details.)

This morning, I was able to knit on my ride to work (Caltrain was moving slowly to avoid the train ahead of us which was having some problems). The right-side glove is actually now finished except for tubular bind-off and ribbing on the thumb gusset.

The only peeve I have about it is that the cabled panel is not centered when the glove is worn. Doh! But it's still cute! And I *heart* the cast-on edge! I hope you still like it, Kim. ^_^

Posted by sophy t. o'donnell on January 25, 2007 11:50 AM | | Comments (0)

January 29, 2007

Revisiting an old project


Rambling leaves
Originally uploaded by Sophy T. O'Donnell.
Last night I finished Kim's cabled braid fingerless gloves. Yay! Honestly, they were quick knits and should have taken only about 3-4 hours each glove. But I took my time with them.

Afterwards, I unearthed a couple of projects that I began two years ago and have yet to finish. I probably lost interest in them because they were repeat knits for myself:

The first project is Birch, a shawl from Rowan 34. This would be the third Birch shawl I've knit when I complete it. The first was a half-sized shawl for a baby cousin. I knitted it in a baby pink Anny Blatt mohair yarn. The second was a gift for my mother two years ago, knit in a deep red soft wool. This third, knit in faun-colored Douceur et Soie, is mine. Originally it was to be for my mother; But, I wanted to give her something more vibrant in color.

Why haven't I finished it? Halfway through, I regretted not using a smaller needle size. It's knit with US8 (5mm), and I wish I'd used US6 (4mm). One day I'll just pick it up and finish it. For now, it'll stay on the shelf.

The second project is the Lace Leaf Scarf from Vogue Knitting Spring-Summer 2005. I fell in love with this pattern immediately (just as I did with Birch) because of the leaves. The first of this scarf I made in a Malabrigo lace-weight merino yarn, white. I gifted it to a sister-in-law as a Christmas gift after she joined the family. I was really happy with it because it was extremely long and was the first time I'd ever grafted two parts together. I didn't think I did a very good job of grafting, but it wasn't too noticeable (at least I didn't think so, and I'm my worst critic). Well the gift went un-acknowledged and we never grew close enough for me to want to broach the subject...

Soon after, I wanted my own lace leaf scarf. I bought some lovely Rowan Yorkshire Tweed 4-ply and began right away. Two-and-a-half skeins later, I realized I did not want to knit a second half and graft them together... So I shelved the scarf until I could figure out what to do with it...

This weekend, I decided I would finally finish this scarf. I knitted up the third skein, and attached the fourth. It's already about 5ft long... I will knit it straight through to the length I want and then bind-off. Since the cast-on edge is a lace cast-on, I wonder if I can bind-off to match?

I don't think it should be a problem. ;D

Posted by sophy t. o'donnell on January 29, 2007 1:22 PM | | Comments (0)

February 1, 2007

Current projects, upcoming projects...


Swatch for Picot
Originally uploaded by Sophy T. O'Donnell.
This time around, the lace leaf scarf is knitting up quickly. My goal is a se7en feet long scarf. ^_^ I'm just about finished with the 4th skein now and will end it with a 5th skein.

Remember Picot? Don't worry, I haven't forgotten it. In fact, I think I will finish it this weekend. I need to count rows for increases and decreases, so it hasn't been my traveling project. As you can probably tell, I carry the scarf with me, daily. The 16-row lace pattern is easy to memorize and doesn't require row counting. Great for commutes.

I actually want to finish the Picot top so that I can repurpose the circular needles for some fair isles swatches... and maybe, practice some steeks.

Another project I've completely fallen for is a Bikini Top from Rebecca #33. I don't think the picture is available online, so I'll post some when I start the project. It looks very simple and feminine, and well... pretty. haha I plan to knit it using one skein of SWTC's Bamboo in Dark Plum and US6 (4mm) needles.

Soo many other projects swimming around...

Posted by sophy t. o'donnell on February 1, 2007 4:26 PM | | Comments (0)

February 4, 2007

My first submission piece?


In the works...
Originally uploaded by Sophy T. O'Donnell.
This weekend has been productive for me, but in a way I didn't expect. I wanted to sit and finish my lace-leaf scarf, before finishing off picot, as I had intended. But, I didn't really like any of the cast-offs for lace that I'd read about... Even Elizabeth Zimmerman's sewn bind-off doesn't exactly mirror the cast-on edge.

Fresh from having learned the tubular cast-off, I thought it would be no sweat to reverse engineer a sewn lace cast-off. Well, it really only took about 15-20 minutes and most of that was spent analyzing the cast-on edge. The drawing up and writing of the tutorial took some more time ;D

Since no one really reads my blog (at least, I don't think any knitters do--just my friends whom I harass to have in their RSS feeds!), I thought it would get more recognition if I submitted it as an article to a magazine. Well, it's all written up and ready to be mailed.

Here, you see how some of my original drawings looked haha (I'm not an artist... and horrible at Photoshop.) The final drawings are somewhat improved from this. The pink swatch was my first test swatch. It's in simple stockinette so that both edges are easily compared. The second swatch is a simple lace scarf that I wrote up and used the sewn lace cast-off, which is the edge you see. The tutorial is very short, so I thought having an accompanying pattern would be a nice touch.

So here goes... My first magazine submission. I hope it meets with approval.

Now I can finish my scarf properly, and continue on to other projects.

Posted by sophy t. o'donnell on February 4, 2007 10:14 AM | | Comments (0)

February 6, 2007

On that article...


Lotus Blossom Dress
Originally uploaded by Sophy T. O'Donnell.
Well... I finally got around to mailing the draft of my article. Is it natural to have second thoughts?

Honestly, after I sealed the envelope last night and put it in my bag so I wouldn't forget to mail it, I started thinking that maybe I just hadn't done enough research and a simpler technique was already in existence... Maybe Elizabeth Zimmerman's sewn bind-off is exactly what I wanted... or why didn't I just use a lace bind off??? (Turns out I had missed the conclusion to the "Lace Primer" in Interweave Knit's Summer 2006 issue. I only had eyes for the "Lotus Blossum Tank" in that issue.)

Not only that... I reread a copy of my article and there are some serious typos... "She says she's a tech writer, yeah?"

Torture. Pure torture.

Posted by sophy t. o'donnell on February 6, 2007 2:45 PM | | Comments (0)

February 7, 2007

When the lights came back on...

I remembered I hadn't taken a picture of my finished lace scarf. Not quite the scarf, but here's a picture of the cast-on and cast-off edges (and some pretty orchids).

I love this scarf. ^_^

What's next? First, I will finish Picot. Then, I have some ideas for a fair isles cardigan. I want to start knitting up swatches to test some color combinations and fibers... Do I want to use 4-ply tweed and kid-silk haze? Or, do I want to use DK weight cottons???

And, I want to finish Adam's sweater!

Posted by sophy t. o'donnell on February 7, 2007 1:59 PM | | Comments (0)

March 12, 2007

it's been a while...


Joy-ful progress
Originally uploaded by Sophy T. O'Donnell.
And well, I have plenty of updates. ;D

Picot, from Denim People: Almost finished. I need to sew the two panels together and finish off the collar.

Bikini Top, from Rebecca 33: Knitting has been finished for over a month, now. (Really, this was a one or two day project.) Blocked, but needs to be sewed together.

(What is it about seaming that just makes me want to put the project down?)

Joy, from Rowan 41: Slowly, but surely, it's coming together. I would have finished it this weekend but had to rip half of it apart because my decreases were all wrong. Now, I'm back on track and loving it immensely.

I cannot wait to get back to knitting, though. So many things I want to knit... Tulip, from Rowan 41. Endpaper Mitts, by Eunny Jang. Greek Pullover, from Interweave Fall 2005...

Other than that, I've been thinking of some small sewing projects. Altering a long skirt into a two piece set: short skirt and sleeveless top perhaps? Modifying some jeans into jean-skirts?

Plenty to keep me busy.

Posted by sophy t. o'donnell on March 12, 2007 11:20 AM | | Comments (0)

March 18, 2007

A needed distraction...


Stripey baby shoes
Originally uploaded by Sophy T. O'Donnell.
I've always wanted to knit baby booties, shoes, socks, sweaters, hats... anything... they just look so adorably small and fun and especially, quick.

Well, I'm back to knitting Adam's sweater and, boy, it didn't take long for me to get tired of the stockinette stitch. I just wanted to knit something quick before I became entrenched in Adam's "Jarret" sweater and Amy's "bmp" socks.

So here it is: one baby shoe. Nope, not a pair of shoes. Just one. They began as the "Bee Shoes" in this book. I didn't have yellow or black yarn, and none of Rowan's Cotton Glace that the pattern listed. Instead, I thought I'd attack the mountain of Kidsilk Haze and Douceur et Soie yarn that I have in my stash. Well, instead, this is Anny Blatt's Fine Kid in a pink color and doubled Douceur et Soie's fawn color.

I added a crocheted picot edge of single crochet and double crochet sts to give it a pretty girlier look. Cute, don't you think??? These are just a test non-pair though. The seams are pretty sloppy and well, there are strands all over the place inside haha

Now back to other works...

Posted by sophy t. o'donnell on March 18, 2007 4:13 PM | | Comments (1)

March 31, 2007

Now I have to make one...

I just saw Eunny's Indigo Ripples Skirt. What perfect timing--I have 8 skeins of RowanDenim (probably in Nashville, as well) and was wondering what I could make with it for the summer... Now I can't wait to start!

I'm writing this as I sit in my in-law's kitchen watching baseball on tv. For this visit to Philly, I limited myself to Adam's sweater and the Noro granny squares. I hope to finish "Jarret" while I'm here (until Tuesday) and the squares are a reprieve from the monotony of stockinette stitches.

Just wanted to write a quick update ;D

Posted by sophy t. o'donnell on March 31, 2007 12:25 PM | | Comments (1)

April 18, 2007

I have been knitting, I swear...


Thinking Mitt...
Originally uploaded by Sophy T. O'Donnell.
Okay. I completed one Endpaper Mitt about a week ago. Here's a partial picture of it... I've been working on the second side all week. Really, it progressed much more quickly than the first, but I've been knitting almost exclusively during my morning and afternoon commutes. The thing is, I really cannot do colourwork and chat at the same time haha

But, hopefully, I will finish the second side tonight. Really, all I need is about two hours to devote to it, uninterrupted. (What I really mean is that I cannot watch sappy romantic dramas while I knit! I could have finished the second side over the weekend if I hadn't decided to watch a tear-jerking Korean Drama!!!) Then, I can finally wear them. San Francisco nights have been cold lately.

A quick update on other projects:

Jarret is on hold until I finish these mitts. But, the mitts will be done before the weekend -- which leaves Jarret for a Sunday afternoon all girls crafting salon. YAY! What do I have left of Jarret? 1.5 sleeves and the finishing: button/buttonhole bands and collar.

bmp Socks are a no-go. Gosh. 92 sts on size 0 needles? I need to knit something chunky for a few weeks. I think my fingers are cramping up alot lately.

Noro Silk Garden Lite Granny Square Super-Mini-Afghan? Still working on them. haha I think this will be a baby play matt.

Posted by sophy t. o'donnell on April 18, 2007 1:43 PM | | Comments (0)

May 2, 2007

When I'm not knitting...

...I'm thinking about knitting.

Maybe it's the curse of the sleeves, but there hasn't been much knitting lately. Well, anyway, the truth is, I refuse to work on any other projects until I finish these two sweaters: Adam's Jarret and my Lace Leaf Pullover. We will probably need them during San Francisco's summer.

What knits have been on my brain lately? Leg Warmers. Specifically, leg warmers in the Gryffindor scarlett and gold colors. Yup. My sister mentioned to me that she and her friends will be going to the midnight release of the last book and that they intended to dress up in the Hogwart's colors. She's knitting either a Ravenclaw tie or beret. I liked the idea. Personally, I thought I'd get more wear out of leg warmers, so that's what I'm making. (Though, I'm pretty sure they don't wear leg warmers in the books.)

I really like Blue Sky Alpacas' leg warmers and will probably model my own after them. What do you think?

I picked up a few skeins of Dale of Norway's Hauk in colors #2427 Goldenrod and #4137 Barn Red. (Teflon-coated wool is probably a good idea for leg warmers!) I will probably have enough left for small fingerless gloves and a beanie. haha

Posted by sophy t. o'donnell on May 2, 2007 9:40 AM | | Comments (0)

May 9, 2007

So much knitting to do...

And here I am, stuck on sleeves. Still. haha

I'm not really upset, though. I'm making progress: finished one sleeve, each, for Adam's Jarrett and my Lace-Leaf pullover. I have also casted-on for Jarrett's second sleeve, but haven't touched it for a couple days. (I've been getting home too late and too sore from the gym.)

I don't know if I mentioned this before, but I was inspired to knit Jarret after reading about Brooklyn Tweed's experience. He mentioned that the sleeves, as written, were not very flattering--pretty boxy. (They really are, too.) He substituted the sleeve pattern with Almost Felted's Top-down sleeves, which applies short-rows and are knitted in-the-round. It doesn't look difficult at all--but, I didn't want to do the calculations. (Who's the engineer, here?)

Instead, I followed the pattern to the armholes (adjusting for added length, because Adam has long arms) and added extra decrease rows to the cap. Toping it off with alternate rows of dec 1 at each end and dec 2 at each end. (I hope it doesn't turn out looking like puffed sleeves! haha) After comparison with the armholes on the sweater's body, it really looks like a perfect fit. Let's hope this remains true after blocking.

Okay. I think i'll stop here before this becomes a longer pictureless post listing everything I wish I was knitting this moment but refuse to start until I finish (at least) Adam's sweater.

Posted by sophy t. o'donnell on May 9, 2007 3:25 PM | | Comments (0)

May 14, 2007

Works-in-progress

This has been sitting on my table for a while now, just waiting for the last sleeve to be worked. But, the truth is, it's going to be some time yet before I pick it up again. I don't know why I decided to just block these two parts before working the last sleeve. I'm glad I did though. I don't really have materials/facilities (hah!) for blocking such heavy wool! They ended up sitting on an old suitcase until they dried (which took about 3 days) and now, I need to wash my blocking towels!

I always imagined that I would knit this pullover in a green-colored cotton yarn. But, I wouldn't trade this for anything. The Naturelle New Zealand wool that Angela gave to me is awesome. The leaf detail shows up very nicely. The yarn softened up amazingly after a thorough soaking. I mean, I was seriously afraid this would be too small and short. But, now, it looks the perfect length.

The grafting seam eased up a lot after blocking, but, I think it's still too visible. I will probably redo it once I finish the sleeves and put everything together. (I'm afraid I'm dangerously close to having just enough yarn for the last sleeve and seaming.)

The button came from an old corduroy coat. Don't you think it looks perfect? haha

Posted by sophy t. o'donnell on May 14, 2007 10:44 AM | | Comments (0)

Rowan Denim...

You might recall from my yarn stash last month... I finally took them down from the shelf and started knitting my own Indigo Ripples Skirt from IK Spring 2007.

I have wanted to make this skirt since seeing Eunny's version. Already, I've made my own modifications. I don't normally wear skirts or pants at my natural waistline, so I went with the medium measurements and re-figured all the increases to wear lower on my waist, flare sooner over my hips and fit slimmer along my thighs. For the slimmer fit, Iam knitting the main body in US 5 (3.75mm) needles. Also, to add more flare to the I plan on knitting most of the lace part in US 6 (4mm). I will probably incorporate the mirrored decrease stitches as Eunny described for her modifications.

You'll notice from this (washed-out) picture that I have also decided not to do the reverse stockinette rows to separate the waistband from the main body. Instead, I wanted a sleek line for the waistband. I'll probably use a ribbon tie (instead of knitting an i-cord).

Overall, I love the shine of this denim, how easily it knits up, and the definition of the stitches (even in boring stockinette). I can't wait to wear it and see how the denim fades... I don't want to put this project down--OH NO! I need to finish Adam's sleeves!!! Seriously, I only have half a sleeve to go. But, I just wanted to start something more colorful. haha

Posted by sophy t. o'donnell on May 14, 2007 12:03 PM | | Comments (0)

Meet my Caltrain knitting buddy:

Hilary (or Xilary, as I like to spell it!), has FINALLY put together her own knitting blog! YAY! ...As though we didn't have enough to talk (im, sms) about all day long.

In the few months we've known each other, I think we've inspired/motivated/encouraged each other to try many new projects and techniques. At least, personally, that is how I feel! Knitting is so much more enjoyable when you have someone to talk about projects, colors, fibers, and blogging. Especially someone as equally obsessed with the craft! (Don't deny it!)

Well, Xilary's latest post just reminded me that I have some baby knitting to think about, and soon! My Uncle's wife is expecting a baby girl in August, and I just found out yesterday!

What to make? Elizabeth Zimmerman's February Cardigan? Hat? Booties? Everything???

Posted by sophy t. o'donnell on May 14, 2007 2:21 PM | | Comments (0)

May 15, 2007

31 Rounds Later...

Okay. I love Rowan Denim. I love this pattern. I think I will love this skirt, so I've really tried to knit it as much as possible to finish it as soon as possible. haha (Not the easiest mission!)

But, I read on a KAL that this skirt took less than a week to complete. So, I've made that my goal.

However, with some of the mods I'm making (oh, just for length--I decided to knit up the increases as written), I'm beginning to suspect I will need at least another skein. So, I think I will use what I have up to the ruffled part of the skirt and buy another skein (which will probably be in a different dye lot) to finish it.

I'm excited!

(and, yes, as for the title of this post... I've had zombies on my mind since watching 28 Weeks Later . hehe)

Posted by sophy t. o'donnell on May 15, 2007 10:00 AM | | Comments (0)

May 16, 2007

48 Rounds Later...

(Ahem, counting from the cast-on edge, of course.)

Look at that! I think it's about 7, almost 8, inches from the waist. I have 3 more increase rounds to complete and will probably make the stockinette part of the skirt about 15 inches long (about 3 inches more than the pattern). I'd originally thought about increasing the length of the lace panel as well, but I don't think that will be necessary. (My legs aren't that long!)

One note about knitting with the denim... My bamboo needles have a slight blue tint to them, now. So do my fingers, but that washes off. haha

Posted by sophy t. o'donnell on May 16, 2007 9:44 AM | | Comments (1)

May 17, 2007

Another future project idea...


Cascade 220, #4192
Originally uploaded by Sophy T. O'Donnell.
So, I've always wanted to knit a minisweater similar to this (Diana's) version of Stephanie Japel's. I've started and stopped minisweaters so many times in so many varieties of yarns... (Banana silk, worsted weight tweeds... cottons...)

But, this is such a simple pattern: seamless, top-down... It requires so little yarn... (Less than 500 yds of worsted weight.) Why can't I finish just one? Well, I've begun to think that instead of modifying Glampyre's pattern to get Diana's version, maybe, I just need to start from scratch...

The thing is, I don't really want a minisweater--I want more of a waistcoat that flares from the empire waistline above my hips. I want a ribbon tie (or may i will do buttons). I want a different collar...

Yet, I want a simple construction, one piece, top down... I think this is why I've always depended too much on the minisweater design. But, it's getting to the point where I'm modifying everything (numbers, increases, shaping, edges) so much that I can't really even say it began with the pattern, anymore... In fact, it's an entirely different design. (Don't you think there's a big difference between a design and a pattern, anyway?)

So, no. When I knit this, I will not call it a modified minisweater. It will be an original long-sleeved, shawl-collared, spencer/pelisse. (I'm getting ready for my upcoming Regency Ball-gown sewing project...)

Darn. I probably need more than 2 skeins of this pretty pink yarn...

Posted by sophy t. o'donnell on May 17, 2007 11:45 AM | | Comments (0)

May 18, 2007

More yarn in the stash!


Hauk, #2427 and 4137
Originally uploaded by Sophy T. O'Donnell.
This actually arrived a few weeks ago: yarn for my Gryffindor Legwarmers. The project itself was inspired by my sister, who's been in a craze about making accessories in th Ravenclaw colors. She just finished a beret recently. (It only took her a few hours!) Hopefully, mine, when I start them, won't take me very long.

Posted by sophy t. o'donnell on May 18, 2007 2:36 PM | | Comments (0)