Manic Monday: Progress?

I don't know if you can call it progress when I had 20 projects on the needles and still have 20 projects on the needles. In my last Manic Monday post I had 4 projects I was dying to start and 4 projects that had to get done before Stitches. I finished 2 of the 4, a reknit of my Giant Kelp in Cabled 8 and Drunken Path in So Soft Sock, and started 1, Canyon River in Super Twist in time. But after Stitches I really, really wanted to cast-on like crazy. So I started and finished 2 projects, the Lucy Hat and my Downton Abbey MKAL gauntlets.  I also cast on Celestarium, which including Canyon River which I've made a little more progress on keeps me at my running 20.  To date if I finish any 2 things I'm now working on I'll have reached my underachiever goal of 6.5 in 2013, okay 2.5 things -- but really?  What constitues half done?  A sock?  I think I have one of those.  I'm shooting for our annual participation in The Golden Fleece anniversary in Santa Cruz to have at least one Canyon River sock done.  Handwerks will be there with yarn and I'll be there with patterns.  If you missed us at Stitches, Santa Cruz is just down 17 and near the beach, stop by and say hello on Saturday, April 20.

And while I've made progress on the knitting (really I got stuff done!), I have not stopped the stash enhancement.  During the birthday week I made a trip to the new location for Green Planet Yarn to get supplies for this beautiful apron by Pam Powers, basically 7 sks of Spud n Chloe, for the flowers I'm using leftovers (does that count as stash reduction?)

Somehow or another other skeins seemed to have found their way into my basket.  Here's a mini parade of stash acquisitions from various stores, local and online:

Finally, I didn't buy much from Stitches West, but I did manage to get these slated to be a handwoven scarf on my soon to be obtained Cricket Loom (belated bday present from the dh, just haven't gotten around to purchasing):

Cast On Cast Off

Ah the joys of knitting with no deadlines.  There are several projects that I've been dying to start but with all the prep for Stitches and 20 wips already on the needles I had to show some restraint.  Immediately after Stitches I cast on a bunch of things and so I have a mini parade of FOs for you on this FiberArts Friday.  First, I cranked these out on my Quiknit circular sock machine:

The yarn, Handwerks So Soft Sock, was leftover from my Drunken Path and since I used the same yarn for the demo (different colorway) the machine was already set up for it.  Plus I wanted to try out the ribber on this machine so these were the perfect trial, and I got socklets for my efforts!

Here I am with my Lucy hat.  I bought the yarn in January and impatiently waited to cast on.  It goes fast and is so satisfying.  I finished it at my knit group and wore it after while I ran errands. Yarn is Madelinetosh Vintage in Black Velvet and Baltic for the band. Pattern from Knitscene Winter 2012.
 

Finally, long after the final episode of the 3rd season of Downton Abbey had aired I started my MKAL gauntlets.  See my last post for pooling issues.  I just finished the right and immediately started the left.  Once I finish these I have one more project I want to cast on.  I'll still have my running 20, which really is a rotating 5, one of which is this:

I cast on Celestarium!

Happy FiberArts Friday and FO Friday!  How many WiPs do you have?  Leave a comment and enjoy cruising the blogosphere.

To Pool or Not to Pool

I'm a little behind.  I'll talk more about my other WiPs (a running 20) another time.  Today I want to show you this:

This is how my Downton Abbey MKAL started out.  I didn't like the way the colors were pooling and the gauge was off anyways.  So I frogged down to the provisional caston and switched to smaller needles.  Here's how the colors stacked up after one repeat of the pattern:

And after two:

I like this much better than the swirl.  Some knitters participating in the KAL didn't like how you couldn't see the lace pattern, but I like how the lace pattern breaks up the colors into stiped blocks. 

That's it for me, it's WiP Wednesday so be sure to check out what other fiber artists are up to at Tami's Amis!

Color at Stitches West

While I'm working at the Handwerks booth I'm knitting up this sock. 

Canyon River was originally designed from a bargello stitch in 2 colors of yarn we no longer have.  I wanted to reknit it in a yarn we have for sale in the booth, and decided to use a single multi-colored yarn.  The stitch is a slip stitch and just a little textured.  The yarn is Super Twist in Haypress Meadow and mostly purple with a bit of yellow, orange and green.  It's completely different from the original pattern design, right?  But it works!  It follows principals outlined in a book called The Knitter's Guide to Hand-Dyed and Variegated Yarn: Techniques and Projects for Handpainted and Multicolored Yarn by Lorna Miser, and guess what?  We have the book for sale in our booth and Lorna will be there to sign it!  It's a great book from a very knowledgable knitter.  Who but the founder of Lorna's Laces would know what works with hand-dyed yarns best?  I was so surprised that a two color (striping stitch) could be so interesting in hand-dyed yarn.  It makes you look at stitch patterns in a different way.  I used to avoid textured stitches for variegated yarn, but I won't anymore.  Come by booth #1336 at Stitches West from 12-2 both Friday and Saturday.  Talk to Lorna in person, get your books signed and check out the yarn!

 Happy Fiber Arts Friday and I hope you have a colorful weekend!

Stitches West Countdown Cont

Less than a week to go for Stitches West and I have a few FOs!
First up is a version of my Giant Kelp Scarf, originally designed in a Handwerks Club Yarn exclusive, I've reworked it in Cabled 8.  It turned out great in this springy merino.
Next is a Drunken Path scarf in Handwerks So Soft Sock combined with Cascade's Kid Seta Noir.  It's knit up on 9's and goes fast!  You actually only need half a skein of the Handwerks.

Both of these and many other samples will be displayed at Stitches West in the Handwerks booth #1336
along with these cozy samples so you can see how the colors work up -- there'll be 25 different colorways on display available in 5 yarn bases, So Soft a cashmere blend, Silky Sock a silk blend, Cabled 8 a sport weight superwash merino, Lace  a laceweight superwash merino  and Super Twist a fingering superwash merino.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday and FO Friday.  Leave a comment and I hope to see you at Stitches West.