Ishbel: First Finished project of 2010

I finished Ishbel last week and I love it! It's a beautiful shawl pattern that I would knit again.

Pattern: Ishbel by Ysolda

Yarn: Malabrigo Sock

Colorway: Stonechat

More pictures can be found on  my flickr site or ravelry site.

Ishbel

I've cast on my Ishbel by Ysolda. It's beautiful and I love it. Practically everyone else in my knitting group was knitting one or had knit one and I so longed to have one as well. So I ran out and bought some fabulous yarn.

It's sock yarn from Malabrigo in stonecraft.

There are more pictures of my project on my Ravelry page and flickr site.

Foliage redux

The holiday season of hats continues. Of course, it took a slight detour the first time I knit the Foliage Hat for my sister (on the wrong sized needle). But now it's finished and I'm quite pleased with it. And if I do say so, it looks quite cute on me. Maybe Lindsay won't get the hat after all.....

Project: Foliage Hat from Knitty

Yarn: Dream in Color Classy in Some Summer Sky

#$%@*!!!!

Always listen to your inner knitter.

That is the moral of today’s lesson.

Why you ask? Good question.


I had been so pleased with myself and the Foliage Hat I was working on for my sister’s Christmas Present. I finally had some time to work on it this weekend and I was happily knitting away. I was enjoying the project as it was just coming together so beautifully, much better than the first time I knit the project about 2 years ago. I was thinking that I’ve really progressed as a knitter since this time around was so easy.


Boy was I freakin’ wrong.


As our plane began the descent from our flight back to Seattle, the little nagging knitter voice inside me was getting a little louder: this hat looks small. Really small for my sister. Then when I was just 7 rows from finishing, I really listened to my inner knitter: these needles also look a little small.


But the plane was landing so I just shoved the knitting and my inner knitter aside and went home.


Then, after the bags were unpacked and laundry churning away in the machine, did I dare open the knitting. I pulled out the project. And I pulled out my needle guide. Then I realized my mistake: the size 5 needles were actually size 3!!!


How could this happen I yelled (among other things I also yelled)? The empty size 5 needle package was also in the knitting bag. So where are these needles I wondered aloud? The hubby called this the Great Needle Thanksgiving Mystery.


I called it Really &%*#*%^ Annoying.


Now it’s all about the ripping out and starting over. Only this time, I’ve got the right needles. I’m sure of it. I just bought news ones instead of searching for my missing ones. Nothing like a little retail therapy to ease the knitting nerves.

luv.

I am in love with my new yarn. I bought a skein of Malibrigo sock yarn in Stonechat. It will soon be cast on to be become my Ishbel.

That's what all the cool kids at Purly Girls are knitting. I'm loving their Ishbels so now it's time to get my lace knit on.

Fingers crossed. You know my history with the lace knitting. We're not BFF's. More like frien-enemys to say the least.

Adventures in Lace Knitting: Part Four - Sucking it up & ripping it out

Thanks to everyone for your support during these, um, challenging lace knitting times. All of your suggestions were quite encouraging, helpful and funny - giving me some much needed laughs!

But I've made my decsion - thanks to some consultation with some Purly Girls tonight - I'm ripping out the whole darn thing. You can't really see my YO in the lace so they sugessted I move up a few sizes in needles. Hopefully that will help. And getting all the stitches right. That should help too.

Stand by for the next portion of this journey.