savoring these summer days

walks at Winnemac Park, where reclamation of the natural prairie is underway:

 

splashes in the backyard:

 

crafting -- a sweet knit baby doll for Erik's friend's first birthday:

pattern: knit baby doll pattern set, by Amy Gaines

yarn: knit picks comfy worsted, in honeydew, peony, ivory, and creme brulee

needles: US 4 Brittany straights
my Ravelry project page

notes:

This knit baby doll was fun and fairly quick to knit! I followed the directions (aside from making the body a couple rows longer) and knit it flat. I saw some versions knit in the round on Ravelry, but I think the seams give it a little more structure. The finishing work was a little fiddly, but it really wasn't too bad. Embroidering the face was the hardest part. I'd definitely make this pattern again -- I found it much less painful than many other knit toy patterns. Perhaps because I wasn't monkeying around with DPNs?

The yarn was leftover from some crochet projects, including yet another diagonal box-stitch baby afghan that I recently finished!

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summer eats:

crockpot North Carolina pulled pork

smitten kitchen's zucchini bread (recommended by Tinks and Frogs Rue)

easiest fridge dill pickles (also from smitten kitchen)

spicy squash refrigerator pickles

spring break!

It's officially spring break, and I'm breathing a big sigh of relief! The past few weeks have been a mixture of hectic and wonderful. My knitting circle had its annual retreat last weekend, and much fun was had by all. Only one narrow escape: I nearly drove my Jeep right into a downed tree on a winding country road as I came over the crest of a hill. Thank you, trusty brakes...
I finished up this little guy, whom I've named Lars in honor of his blue and yellow attire:And got a good start on his friend, who still needs a face and ears:

Pattern: Mother Bear Project Teddy Bear, by Amy Berman
Source: Knitting for Peace
Needles: Clover US 6 bamboo 24" circs and DPNs
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool Merino & Cascade 220
old gold, new denim, natural marl, denim marl

The girls at knitting night on Wed. surprised me with these gorgeous flowers as a thank-you for organizing the retreat:
I have some big plans for spring break -- finishing up my blue cabled blanket, sewing buttons on my cabled cardi, finishing up teddy bears #2 and 3, and trying out the afterthought heel technique on a sock. Girls gone wild, I tell you!

We've also been apt. hunting, which is its own form of hell, in my book. Afterward it's a great source of conversation topics (like the eternally hilarious combination shower/sink I once saw in an apt. near Lake Mendota in Madison), but not nearly as delightful while you're in the midst of it.

granny square madness continues

My Noro granny square is still in progress. While watching the Olympics last week I added 6 more skeins of Noro Cash Island (from Little Knits -- thanks for the tip, blog readers!), as well as a whole skein of brown Fishermen's Wool. That's another 1100 yards of yarn, my friends, and it's still not quite big enough. Time to buy more Fishermen's Wool! Thank goodness it's affordable.
I'm also knitting a sample Mother Bear Project teddy bear for my knitting circle's upcoming retreat. This little guy doesn't look like too much yet, but he'll be cute once he gets his ears, face, scarf, and a bit more stuffing. Really very easy to knit, but the seaming's a bit intense.

We're doing this pattern as a KAL, as well as those super cute French Press Felted Slippers that have been spreading like wildfire in the knitting community.

Clearly I didn't go for the gold with my Rosamund cardigan, but it is coming along nicely, and it was wise not to overdo it on my wrists.

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a frighteningly apt comic over at xkcd:

Olympic progress

Hmmm... the forecast does not look good for finishing up my Rosamund cardigan during the Olympics:I'm a little further than this now -- a few more rows before I divide for the sleeves. Rowanspun Aran knit up at this tight gauge, all bunched up on the circular needle, does not do wonders for my poor wrists. Oh well, I've been squeezing in some other projects that aren't as wrist-intensive.

Spring must be on the horizon, as bunnies have been spotted:

This one seems drawn to Classics. I think I like the rearview best:

Pattern: Catnip Bunny, by Selina Kyle

Yarn: Patons Classic Wool Merino in heather grey and winter white
Needles: Clover US 5 bamboo straights
on ravelry

Notes:
This pattern features really neat construction! With the double knitting technique you knit a little “pouch” that forms the body -- no DPNS and no seaming. I added a pom-pom instead of a felt tail. I hadn't made a pom-pom since I was 9! I finally broke out my Lion Brand pom-pom maker, and it's very slick and a little less fussy than the handmade cardboard cutouts from back in the day.

Ishbel and the dragon

Ishbel the first is done and dusted! I'm in love with this pattern. Seriously. I've already finished knitting a second one that just needs blocking. On a related note, a case of the flu has seen me camped out on the sofa with hot tea, my knitting, and the remote control for the past week. How's that for a great spring break and start to the new quarter?

Pattern: Ishbel, by Ysolda Teague, size small
Yarn: The Plucky Knitter MCN fingering, "Nicholas & Alexandra" (Plucky Favorites), 1.1 skeins
Needles: US 6 Clover bamboo 29" circs
Dimensions: 57" wingspan, 18" depth

Notes:
Wonderfully easy pattern to follow that makes perfect sense. I'm a loose knitter, so I used more yarn than recommended and ended up with a significantly larger scarf/shawl. Many thanks to raveler browncurls for sending me a little bit of yarn for me to finish binding off!

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I did a little stashbusting to whip up this little sock puppet for a certain little guy's first birthday:

draco, draconis (m.): dragon

Pattern: Elliott the Dragon, by Jil Eaton (Interweave Holiday 2007)

Yarn: Knit Picks Swish Worsted in "Dublin" & "Dark Navy," under 1 skein each

small amounts of Patons Classic Wool in "Red" and "Paprika"
Needles: US 6 bamboo straights

Notes:
The end result is pretty darn cute -- how can you go wrong with a fire-breathing dragon? The pattern itself, though, leaves a bit to be desired. I shortened the length of the body to about 7" and omitted 1 whole repeat of the crest. I added 5 or so extra garter stitch rows at the beginning of the head to make it bigger, and added 10 or 12 to the mouth. It still looks odd -- he's all gums, if you know what I mean. Next time I would join the head to knit the face in the round to eliminate the awkward seam that goes up his face. On the plus side, crest assembly was quite easy.

The flames are a little silly. Draco looks more like he just ate Raggedy Ann. See what I mean?
Or maybe he's gobbling up a big plate of spaghetti? No matter, it was a fun and quick little project.

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Did you see that craft goddess Alicia Paulson (of Posie Gets Cozy fame) has designed a new line of fabric, "Oregon April"? You can find it here. Portland's totally calling my name. It might be able to give Madison or Boulder a run for the money.

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The latest installment in our "cat yoga" series:

feeling sheepish

Apparently sheep are on my brain these days. Here's the new and improved sheep!

Pattern: Sheep in Sheep's Clothing, by Frankie Brown (Rav download)
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool Merino, Winter White and Denim Marl
Elann Peruvian Baby Cashmere, Deepest Black, for embroidery
Needles: Clover US 4 bamboo circs

Notes
I used a worsted weight yarn and larger needles for a slightly larger sheep. The pattern is knit flat and seamed. It's one of the easiest and least fiddly toy patterns I've knit, so don't let the seaming deter you. The only challenge was the head! The first head looked like this. I had trouble with the directions at first. Frankie was nice enough to email me and straighten me out. Do a running stitch around the outside of the circle that forms the head, then put a little stuffing in, and then cinch it closed (like a yo-yo, I think). I used carded wool as stuffing.

Mr. Sheep also looks pretty cute bereft of his sheep's clothing:
All that blue wool he's standing on is the start of a Cable Throw (rav link, as the Lion Brand website is truly a pain). I'm making 6 panels rather than 4, with 9 repeats rather than 7, for a slightly larger size. The panels make it easy to knit on the go. The yarn is Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Superchunky, and it's very nice and squooshy to knit.

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A recent read, continuing the sheep theme:

Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Story, by Leonie Swann

This murder mystery told from a flock of sheep's POV is charming, unusual, and delightful. At times the naivete is a bit too twee and overdone, but overall it's a gem. Of course, it helps that I love sheep. :-)

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Knit 1 had this cute sheep notions bag that I just couldn't resist:

It's a bit dangerous to have a yarn store so close to my Trader Joe's!

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The textured shawl is nearing completion. This project is a prime example of why you shouldn't just grab whatever yarn captures your fancy and the latest pattern in your queue without thinking things through... More on that soon.

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Kylie in her new Kitty Canyon. Yep, she just barely fits!

dispatch from the north pole

Brrrr... when I left the house this morning, it was -17F. By the time I arrived on campus, it had reached a balmy -11. I dug out all my warm winter gear from when I lived in MN and WI -- the Sorel boots from high school, the shearling mittens that I wore to shovel my parents' driveway, and my enormous Gore-Tex Eddie Bauer down parka from 1997.
While it certainly is chilly, I feel lucky to have a warm home and proper winter gear. Plus it has made relaxing in front of a fire even nicer.

PSA: If you live in a part of the country that doesn't usually experience low temps and have frigid weather in your forecast, read this. Frozen pipes really suck! Run your taps at a trickle, open up the cabinet doors under your sinks, etc. My upstairs neighbor's pipes burst a couple days ago, and my bathroom has the rustic appearance to prove it.

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Frankie Brown's sheep in sheep's clothing pattern is just too cute. Alas, my first attempt turned out less than cute. I christened him "Robosheep."

So, off with his head!
I've already knit up another head, so all that's left is a bit of embroidery.

rara avis

A bluebird of happiness was spotted alighting upon the pothos plant in my study this morning:
Then again on a spider plant in the dining room:

What is this rare and elusive creature? I fear the Audubon guide will be of no use in this instance.

Pattern: Bluebird, by Marnie Ann Joyce (Curlypurly)
Yarn: Cascade 220, light blue and gold
Elann Peruvian Baby Cashmere, black, for the eyes
Needles: US 6 Clover bamboo DPNs

Notes:
As with most knitted toys, this was a bit fiddly to knit, and the finishing instructions were rather mysterious. It helped to check out the photos from Marnie's blog as well as look on Ravelry. Both Grace and Kim knit very cute birds last spring! I wish I had read Grace's notes on the increases beforehand.

I ended up attaching the tail horizontally with a bit of a curve to it. The beak was enormous when knit as per the directions, so I cast on again with just 4 stitches. It's still awfully long. I went down to size 6 DPNs to get a firmer fabric.

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Winter garland update:
7 hats and 3 mittens down -- 5 hats and 9 mittens to go! While I do have a glorious array of blues, neutrals, and reds, I have absolutely no green worsted weight wool in my stash. I guess this won't be entirely a stashbusting project, after all.

sheep and things

This little sheep was knit up during my knitting group's retreat to a cozy inn in Michigan last weekend! We did a sheep KAL, which was fun and inspiring, since the pattern is awfully fiddly and I'm not sure I would have persevered otherwise. Lots of short rows and confusing counting. He still needs one more trip through the washer to close up a hole (where I forgot to trim my yarn end) and reshaping and stuffing. The weekend was filled with knitting, movies, marvelous food, and plenty of wine. :-)

Pattern: Kipling, by Kim at Yarn Abuse
Size: Newborn

Yarn: Knit Picks Swish Superwash, Navy, 2 balls
Needles: Knit Picks Harmony US 5 16" circs

Notes (edited to add more info)
Modifications: I modified the pattern in a number of ways, and I'm very happy with the results. My goal was to make the sweater easier and more fun to knit. I knit it in the round from the bottom up. Rather than bulky hems on both the waistband and sleeves, I did 2x2 ribbing. Next time I would go down a needle size for the ribbing. I eliminated the complicated short rows on the sleeve caps. I just picked up 42 stitches evenly around the armhole, starting at the underarm. I placed a marker, then knit in the round, decreasing 1 stitch at each end every 6th row -- following the directions, "Work in stockinette, decreasing every 1 stitch on each side every 6^th row. (K2, K2tog, K to the last 4 stitches, K2tog tbl, K2)". Except I forgot about the "tbl" part, and it still looks fine.

I love the big 1970s-style ribbed collar. A great little knit! The yarn is soft and nice to work with. It stretches a good deal, which is fine for a baby sweater. One ball had LOTS of knots; however, I figure you get what you pay for. It's inexpensive, soft, and machine washable -- perfect for this project. This is my first time using the Harmony needles, and they're fabulous -- nice flexible cord, pointy (but not too pointy) tips, just enough bend.

There's also an Organic Guernsey (by F. Pea) in the works. Once again, I'm using Knit Picks Swish Superwash, in Dublin this time. A great color for this time of year!

A bonus shot of Kylie's enormous tummy! When we adopted her, she was a VERY LARGE girl (with a very petite frame). She has slimmed down quite a bit, but is still not exactly svelte.
Still waiting for official results on my last prelim exam, but my adviser unofficially gave me good news already. Huzzah, huzzah!

more winter highlights

Brr... it's a balmy 1 degree above zero here.

- cozy winter knitting

Pattern: Knitted Kitty, free at Angry T-Rex Roars
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool Merino, grey mix and winter white (oddments)
Needles: US 3 for a nice, thick knit so that the stuffing won't leak out
Stuffing: machine-washable fiberfill

Notes: A cute, quick pattern that's fun to knit. I didn't embroider any details on the faces, since it didn't occur to me until after I had stuffed them! It would be much easier to do the embroidery prior to seaming and stuffing.

Kylie Cat giving the kitties the once-over

- a wonderful Hot Cocoa Swap package from Anne
Not only did she knit me a very cute Kate (who is getting along quite well with Capricha)...
she also sent me some beautiful Petunia sock yarn hand-dyed by Bea at Yarn Pig (etsy):
delicious Fair Trade organic cocoa, lots of yummy fancy chocolates, point protectors...and even "hot chocolate" stitch markers!
Many thanks, Anne! You spoiled me marvelously.

- j'aime l'hiver scarves
I'm smitten with this scarf made by Lulette. I was tipped off to this web shop by Emily at (Inside A Black Apple). All the scarves are knit right here in the midwest. Too cute!