Can't Keep Up

I've been a knitting machine these last few weeks but I haven't had time to blog about everything, so I'm a bit behind. I'm going to try to post more this week in the hopes I can capture most everything I've started and completed in the last few weeks. So here it goes...

This is the "Haze" baby hat I knit for this Holiday Boutique some friends and I did a couple of weekends ago.


Haze Baby Hat

I bought a cheap hat from Target, sized 0-6 months to use as a sizing guide. I don't know what the yarn is as it was just a spare ball I had lying around. I used size 7 circular and then double point needles. And I knit the entire thing in stockinette stitch. I wanted something I could easily knit while watching TV.

And this scarf is similar to the "Flame" scarf I knit, but with green "Peacock" like yarn.


Peacock Scarf

I thought I had already posted about this scarf, since I knit it before the "Flame' scarf, but I can't find the post. Anyhow, I sold it at the same Holiday Boutique as the "haze" hat above and a friends Mom would like me to knit her one so "Peacock 2" will be on the needles soon.

~ Christina

Flame Scarf

Yes this is a new project rather then one of the many WIPs lingering on my list. I'm easily distracted. Try not to rub it in OK? :)


Flame Scarf (Pre-Blocking)

I only used one ball of yarn, but I lost the label so I can't even tell you what yarn it was. Anyhow, its knit on size 13 needles using my standard knit three rows then do a row of knits with yarnovers then on the fifth row drop the yarnover so that the stitch is extra long. Pretty basic. And since I made it a bit wider it's a bit short (8" wide by 36" long). But I thought it was a pretty holiday color and it came out OK. Now I just need to block it. Any suggestions on how I would block this type of novelty yarn with out the "hairy" part getting yucky?

~ Christina

Dying Wool

This weekend I convinced my DH Ian that it would be fun to try our hand at dying some wool. I saw an episode on Knitty Gritty about it and it inspired me. I went to The Knitting Room and got some natural yarn to dye (Cascade 220, Cascade Pastaza & Manos Del Uraguay). Then I went to the Rug & Yarn Hut to buy some books and dye. Karen at the Rug & Yarn Hut was really helpful in explaining the process.

So we started with natural, undyed wool, which I tied with scrap cotton yarn to prevent more tangling then necessary.


Top Row: Cascade 220 in Color 8010, Cascade 220 in Color 8021
Bottom Row: Cascade Pastaza in Color 001 & Manos Del Uruguay


We decided to only dye a few skeins, so that we could take our time and play a bit with different techniques. So Ian chose to work with a half-skein of Cascade 220 in color 8010 (white) and I worked with a half-skein of Cascade 220 in color 8021 (tan) and a skein of Cascade Pastaza in color 001 (white).

I'm planning to knit Ian a Christmas stocking (definitely not in time for this Christmas) and so he wanted me to make it out of yarn we dyed. So Ian used a tied-dyed technique of wrapping plastic bag strips at random all over the yarn and then dropping the yarn into a pot with different amounts of red dye. He would then remove the yarn at intervals and add more bag strips.


Red & Green Cascade 220

I used a similar technique, but with green dye, the Cascade 220 in a tan color and using a glass dish (w/lid) in the microwave. I also did a few more dips then Ian did, and added AND removed strips between each stint in the Microwave. We'll need to do several more skeins to have enough for a stocking, but at least we have the process down.

For the Cascade Pastaza I wanted to create a yarn with my favorite colors - Orange, Red & Yellow. It is fall after all!


Autumn Colored Cascade Pastaza

I started by wrapping strips around the yarn strands (rather then around all of the yarn mushed together in a ball) in an orderly fashion. That is right next to each other. I dunked my yarn in a pot on the stove with yellow dye in it first. Then I took the yarn out of the dye and removed some of the bag strips, exposing some undyed yarn, and added some bag strips over the yellow-dyed yarn. I added some red dye to the yellow dye, making a light orange color, and dunked my yarn in again. I repeated this process, each time adding more red dye and removing and adding bag strips. It was a really fun, but time consuming process.

I was worried the wool might felt in the dying process (especially with all of the lifting in and out of boiling water) but it wasn't a problem. I tried to keep that temperature even and set the yarn in hot water for 30 minutes before placing it in the dye pot, so I think that helped.

After the yarn dried I would it into balls. I can't wait to knit with it!


Green Cascade 220 Wound


Red Cascade 220 Wound


Autumn Pastaza Wound

~ Christina

Flower Power

I've been on a bit of flower kick lately. Since I don't have much time to knit (or blog for that matter...sorry!) I've been keen on quick, easy projects that give me some completion satisfaction.

The first flower is a variation of the felted flower pattern by KnitWhits.


KnitWhits Flower

Her kits come with lovely Alpaca yarn, but since I'm allergic to Alpaca I used Cascade 220. I think I may have goofed and attached the leaves backwards. And I'm pretty sure I'm going to felt this some more as it's too large for what I want to use it for. But the pattern was really great and easy to follow. I plan on making several more in different colors.

This rose is a variation of a pattern Nicky Epstein wrote for Vogue Knitting.


Rose by Nicky Epstein

I think somehow the pattern was edited to leave out some important details, because it was pretty vague and I didn't get it. So I kinda made it up as I went along. I think it worked out ok though. The leaves are from Nicky Epstein's Knitting Over the Edge book. The first photo is the flower before felting and with only one leaf. I can't decide if I like it better felted. What do you think?

The Dahlia is from a pattern called "Little Gem" in Classic Woman by Rowan.


Dahlia from Classic Woman by Rowan

I really like it, but not everyone gets that it's a flower. The pattern shows some beads in the center, so I may add some to make it more unique.

This funky flower looks like poop to me.


Crimson Flower (AKA Poop)

It's a combination of the rose (see center) with some petals added on. I don't think it was a success. I'm going to try and improve on it by adding some beads...but it may end up in the trash.

There are other flower variations in Nicky Epstein's Knitting Over the Edge book that I might try to modify and make more flowers with. I'm having fun with this for now...

~ Christina