WIP Wednesday

 

Beaded Lacey Wristlets

I made a pair of these years ago and couldn't find the ribbon yarn anymore.  Last week our lys got in katia Acuario and I thought I'd try it.  

So far it's working well.  The test will come when they're done.

(I finished and mailed off the seekret knitting so now back to my sock knitting, hehehe)

 

WIP Wednesday

This week I worked on the Advent Calendar Scarf

Monday night was the local Knitting Guild meeting.  Our program for the evening was on Fair Isle and Stranded Knitting.   We had a small project to try stranded knitting.  I finished mine the next day.  Cute little cup cozy.

WIP Wednesday

A few things I've been working on this week...

Advent Calendar Scarf

finished Day 3 and spacer... started day 4

Laura Nelkin Mystery kal

clue 3 started... still have 12 more repeats of clue 3

And something completely different

a needlepoint piece... Terracotta Celtic Knot

WIP Wednesday

A New Project...

 

it's a mystery

Yes, it is Wednesday. And yes, the Wednesday Knit Group met (minus one... SuKnitWitty who is currently on gramma duty). And no, there was no sweater knitting done by two of us.  One of us did work on their sweater and it wasn't me. 

Once again I was side-tracked with startitis. To be fair, I did finish the Knotty Braid Mitts and Knotty Braid Hat (pictures will be posted on Friday).

I have made two of the Undulating Wave Scarf by Laura Nelkin and I have her Entomology Scarf on the needles. How could I resist when she announced a "mystery" kal?!

It's a mystery, it involves beads, and approx. 400 yds of fingering weight yarn (I'm using Schaefer Heather in color Grandpa's Overalls), and did I mention it's a mystery?

I finished stringing 528 beads (half of the total amount) and started my mystery kal.

I promise, I will work on my sweater on Friday.  For sure... at least a few rows... maybe...

Finished Objects

The ribbon won!

I started an i-cord but just wasn't happy with it. It might have looked better if I had some dark blue yarn for an i-cord. It was lost as the same color.

I don't have much ribbon stash and didn't think the white ribbon would look as good.

SuKnitWitty to the rescue!
She had just the right color ribbon. Perfect!

More info on the beaded bag can be found here.



The Yellow Baby Set (trust me, it is a pale yellow)


I started the yellow baby sweater on New Year's Day. It worked up quickly so I had to start a pair of socks!

Of course it wouldn't be complete without a hat...
which I finished the hat last night.

I think the new to be granddaughter will be warm in her sweater set.




Nathair Mitts (rav) designed by Dianna Morgan.


I started these in July and put them aside to work on baby stuff and Christmas stuff.

I love the cables! The Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk yarn is luscious! So soft!

I think SuKnitWitty likes her birthday present, don't you?

Beaded Blue Bag

Almost done with the Beaded Blue Bag. (I turned it since it is worked from the top down)

You can barely make out the eyelet round at the top. It starts with stockinette stitch so the the top is meant to curl.

I used 136 size 6/0 seed beads I previously purchased from BeadWrangler for a beaded sock project. That project never happened because I could not get the yarn through the bead by the crochet method. I have threaded beads before and knitted and it works for me!

Details:
Yarn - Bernat Satin Sport, 100% acrylic, 221 yds
Needles - US 5/3/75mm dpns
Pattern - Beaded Bag designed by Gwynn Erickson. I bought the 2010 Knitting Calendar and was glancing through the patterns and found this one (June 14 & 15). It is also available on Ravelry.

It didn't take long to thread 136 beads (compared to the 1200+ I've done before) and it knits up quickly.

I haven't decided if I'll thread a ribbon through the eyelet or make an i-cord. What do you think?

WIP Wednesday

Another beaded project...

It's hard to tell just what it is...

Here's a closeup...

It looks like a hat but it's not.

Eventually it will be a beaded bag (hopefully)
Details posted tomorrow.

Mindless tasks

Today's blog is brought to you by the letter "B"

"B" for beads...

I managed to knit 6 repeats of an 18 row pattern repeat on the second Undulating Waves Scarf before running out of beads.

Anytime you want a mindless task, just string some beads!

You don't have to think about anything (yeah, right, my mind can't think about nothing) But it is a good task for letting your mind wander... relieving stress... talking on the phone...

BUT, it does take up time.



Yes, I started another Undulating Waves Scarf. This time I strung enough beads to do 6 full repeats before having to break the yarn and string more beads. (I don't want to admit to being ocd but yes, I did count how many beads are strung. And yes, I tried very hard to match up where I cut the yarn and started again) I know I can do another 6 full repeats before having to string the last 462 beads.

So this afternoon I spent an hour stringing more beads...


And after I strung the beads, I wound all that bead laden yarn into a paper bowl...
(looks like spaghetti, doesn't it?)

Keeping the beaded yarn in a bowl helps with containing the yarn in one place, keeps it from tangling, and overall makes it easier when knitting and sliding beads (not in use) down the yarn.


So, I had a stress free afternoon. I didn't get to ponder over the worlds problems... my mind was too busy jumping from subject to subject like what to fix for dinner and how soon can I cast on for the Entomology Wrap. (Yesterday I got the yarn and beads from EarthFaire.)

Goodies...

Hurray for Mail today!! (okay so it was actually yesterday's mail but we get our mail late in the day and I couldn't post 'til now)

HAPPY 4th ANNIVERSARY SIMPLY SOCK YARN COMPANY!!

I've been stalking watching for the 4th anniversary yarn for Simply Sock Yarn Company (SSYC) to come out. So when I saw this year's anniversary yarn was being dyed by Schaefer Yarn in the Heather yarn base, I had to order two!! One for a scarf and another for socks! The colors are gorgeous! The yarn has beautiful sheen and the silkiness is a dream to knit.

I am working on another Undulating Waves Scarf using Schaefer Heather in Nancy Ward (greens/browns) and when I saw the Anniversary Yarn, I knew it would make a beautiful scarf (with beads).

So I went to EarthFaire for beads. I found the perfect pink beads to go with this yarn. (my picture does not do justice to the wonderful bright pink in the yarn and the pink beads, trust me, they are perfect together!)

BUT... while at EarthFaire... I looked at their "Specials" page...
They have a wonderful Gloves and Scarf kit on sale!! You know how much I luv fingerless gloves and well, this one has a scarf to match!! The kit comes with enough yarn and beads to make either the gloves or the scarf. You have to buy another skein of yarn to do both (and more beads which I forgot to buy). So yes, I couldn't just order the pink beads, I also ordered the kit and an extra skein of yarn.
It is gorgeous too! I am so happy with both yarns. I can't wait to start knitting with them BUT I have a couple of projects on the needles I need to finish first.

(about the extra beads for the scarf/gloves: I thought I had some white pearl beads in 6mm but it seems the ones I have are 8mm. darn the bad luck! I'll have to order some more beads! 'snicker, snicker')

Beaded socks frogged

I finally received the other beads I ordered and was anxious to cast on for the Sockdown! January Beaded Mystery Sock. I had wound my Knit Picks Gloss a couple of weeks ago so I was ready.

Did I mention that I ran into the same problem with these 8mm beads as the first beads previously ordered?! My smallest crochet hook (size 14) would not go through the hole! So I dumped a handfull of beads onto the paper plate and proceeded to try each one in hopes of finding a bead with a hole large enough to use. I found some, yeah!

Yesterday I cast on, did the cuff, and worked to the point where a bead was added. I had to wrestle with the yarn, working it through the bead hole with a teeny, tiny crochet hook. The yarn split!! So, I wrestled with it some more and finally got it on. It only took me an hour to get eight beads (one round) on the yarn using a crochet hook. (I find it much easier to just string the beads on the yarn). So after all that work, my wrist hurt, my shoulders were up around my ears, and I was very frustrated.

New idea... I got out some Shibui yarn and 6mm beads and cast on again. Same problem with the crochet hook going through the bead hole! So I dumped beads onto the paper plate and found some that would work.


After working to the same spot as the Knit Pick pair, I decided my wrists did not need this abuse. Besides, this yarn split also while trying to wrestle it through the bead hole.

So I frogged the both of them and started a plain pair of socks!

Sunday is the 1st of February and I can start a pair of socks for Sockdown! February. Less stress.

Seaman's Hat finished and beads

I did manage to finish the Seaman's Hat this past weekend. (it only took two days! woohoo!) And it fits. So it will work nicely for our trip to the cold north.


In other news...
I did get my beads (size 8/0) for the Sockdown! Jan Mystery sock. Bad news, none of my crochet hooks would go through the hole. I tried the smallest hook I have which is a 14. I tried some out of all four packs of beads. None of them worked. : (

Just to check, I got out a couple of size 6/0 beads and tried them. They worked! But, I don't have enough of those beads. : (

So, I started the mate to the Anniversary sock. Maybe I'll get it finished tonight and can take them on my trip! : )

ps - I did order more beads (from a different place). I ordered one pack 8/0 and two packs of 6/0. I am determined to try and knit a pair of socks with beads!! (Besides, there is a pair of fingerless gloves I want to make that needs 6/0 beads).