Bread of Life

Not that I'm not knitting, of course I am and was while these beauties were rising and baking. Spaghetti is a staple around here and it's usually on Monday nights.

What's better served with that other than salad and homemade bread! It's seasoned with Italian Seasoning, onion and garlic powders and I put a little bowl of olive oil with Parmesan and course black pepper on the table for dipping. Quite yummy!

On the knitting front: Forest Canopy Shawl is almost finished and I bought some Skacel laceweight the other day for Ann Hansons Honey Bee Stole. Since I have no socks currently in the works I plan on starting Cookie A's Twisted Flower Socks. I have the same yarn and color she chose. Just so I have some 'non-thinking' socks to carry on the go I plan on casting on for a simple stockinette sock with the self patterning Austermann Step that I have from frogging the Jaywalkers. There's always a plan!

It's not so bad....

I got inspired again to knit on my Icelandic Shawl. But as I was knitting away I noticed the patterning just wasn't right. Misaligned. So because I'm the knitter that I am I canned the whole thing! Last week at our local knit/spin meeting my knitter friends called me 'OCD'. My Ravelry name is "Knitegrity" (integrity knitting with no boo boos that I can help). I guess I just proved it! Anyone else that way or do you just get on with your knitting and leave the mistake as a sign of it's 'character'? I have done that but not often. Now I've got all that Jaggerspun Maine Line yarn all skeined up again waiting to be something else.

Since I'm on a frogging spree I also had a jaywalker sock meet it's demise. The pattern looks neat but it has no 'give'. Besides I was inspired today by Marguerite at Stitches of Violet with her basic k7p1 socks so I cast on with a size 0. I am using Austerman Stepp in earthtone colors. I'll post a picture when I get a little up the leg.

I feel pretty good after all that yarn winding! At least I have one less project on needles and I can concentrate on what I do have going, 2 sweaters, a shawl, and socks. Setting out in my view though with yarn and patterns in a pile are a few more things that I won't bother mentioning! YET!

Forest Canopy Shawl is knitting fast...

'Happy Feet' yarn by Plymouth is knitting up very nice. No pooling or striping at all. The pictures do it no justice but trust me it's very different from the Knitpicks 'Memories' yarn I knit the Leaf Lace Shawl with. All that is not to say that pooling or striping are a bad thing, just makes for a different look. I love my Leaf Lace Shawl with its pools of blue!

Knit-N-Style Vest

I love this part of it. The yarn though is another story. Karabella Soft Tweed. Karabella is usually a fabulous yarn as is their Aurora 8 that I will be using on the Pearl Buck Swing Jacket (from Interweave Knits). This Soft Tweed blocked into a totally different fabric. The vest that I thought might be on the small side is actually too large and not because me messing up the blocking. Another problem with the yarn is what I call, slubbing! It's like an unspun plied with a tightly spun strand. Even when knitting with it the yarn would bunch and I'd have to continuously smooth it out. The huge problem with that was the piecing. I couldn't use the yarn because when pulling it through it would do the same thing then break. I tried numerous times. Then I started piecing it with DMC floss! Yep, actually did one side seam with that then I said forget this it's too big anyway I'll sew it on the machine. Is that a complete no, no in knitting? It worked just fine with a few machine adjustments. I put a plate over the feed dogs so it wouldn't tear at the yarn then I had to pull the seam through by hand. I had the stitch length on the widest setting (basting) and the foot I left up. Make sense? It worked!
Here's the model photo from Knit N Style so you can see how the front panels fold into the collar and below how they meet in the back at a 'V' and then you add a tassel.

New Yarn Shop .......... Been there!

'Happy Feet' by Plymouth Yarn, a generous 192 yards of merino fingering weight at $6, Wow! It's going to be the Forest Canopy Shawl found here . That was my purchase today on my first visit to our new local yarn shop, "Knitter's Knook". A very nice place! Becky, the owner is also knitting this shawl from the same yarn (different color) so I am assured it will turn out wonderful! I've even casted on already and done 16 rows!
I know I've become to predictable in my colors. I should have gotten some blues. I think we just get into a habit of gravitating to certain colors. Blue will be next. I promise myself!
My vest from 'Knit N Style' magazine is blocking. Notice the color? And even the color of the quilt it's blocking on? Geez! So, next post will be the finished vest and a pic of the back of it, the best part!!