The Compulsive Knitter

Knitting is so ... wintry, don't you think?

2007-06-26T11:41:00.000-04:00

I know -- lots of people knit right through the summer, but for me knitting is a cool weather occupation (although, frankly, that could have described a lot of our weather through June, here). So I'm doing opera, and painting and collaging and what have you until the colder weather returns! See you then!

Second Morpheus Scarf

2007-03-19T23:17:00.000-04:00

I haven't been posting, but I have been knitting! I finished my second Morpheus scarf yesterday -- made from the handpainted sock yarn I bought on eBay, it's very light and beautiful. I'm really pleased with it ...

Not much knitting this week ...

2007-02-27T19:42:00.000-04:00

I've been sick for a few days and haven't got much knitting done. I'm still in progress on a Morpheus scarf for the opera fundraiser, my second shrug, my ribbon jacket and a sweater for one of my Knit Wit friends.

Another shrug in progress

2007-02-21T11:07:00.000-04:00

I'm working on another shrug -- this one has a front instead of just being two arms and a back. I love my first shrug, but I wanted one that was solid brown. Also on my needles at the moment is a ribbon yarn jacket (original pictured to the left) and another Morpheus scarf.

Meet Messalina

2007-02-18T12:28:00.000-04:00

Messalina came up to remind me that I haven't posted her photo yet. So here is Messalina, Bhima's sister (just so she doesn't feel left out ...)

2007-02-18T12:17:00.000-04:00

Here's Bhima, one of my four cats, helping me knit. He and his sister Messalina have claimed my poncho as their own -- they nest in it when I'm not wearing it.

And here's Edmund, Emma's brother. He's also a great help when I'm winding balls of yarn -- a number of my knitting needles have been personalized by him with teeny tiny fang marks, too.

Shawl finished!

2007-02-17T15:19:00.000-04:00

I finished my Nubbles-Iceland shawl this afternoon. It's very soft and I really love the colours. David says it looks like Italian food, and I must agree -- it looks like a pasta dish or maybe a pizza ... I didn't follow the pattern exactly -- but it's pretty close to the effect I think.

Shawl in progress

2007-02-17T01:03:00.000-04:00

I'm working on a version of the Nubbles-Iceland Shawl from Crystal Palace Yarns' free patterns. I loved the effect and subtle colours of the original, and have tried to create a similar effect with yarns available to me. I'm using Patons Pooch in Shearling and Auburn (front row) instead of the CPY Nubbles and I'm using Sandesgarn Alfa in a deep orange and a pale green -- I also threw in a skein of their dark brown for a deeper bass note, and to coordinate with my wardrobe ... I've only got 12 rows to go -- I knit most of it this evening.

Wool from Uruguay

2007-02-16T13:51:00.000-04:00

I just received my order from Southwool's eBay store -- two skeins of bulky merino handpainted, handspun wool. This is beautiful stuff, and it arrived pretty quickly all the way from South America! I just spent a pleasant half an hour winding it into balls, and it feels wonderful.

Camisole finished

2007-02-15T13:56:00.000-04:00

I finished my camisole this afternoon, and it fits! Miracle of miracles. I only had to frog it a little as I was working the pattern out, but I'm really pleased with it.

More new yarn

2007-02-13T13:22:00.000-04:00

This is woolen sock yarn from francispatricksales on eBay which just arrived today-- no, I'm not going to knit socks (perish the thought!) but these two skeins will make a couple of lovely shawls, I think .... In person, the blue/green is every bit as lovely as its photo, and the purple/red one is unbelievably beautiful ...

Handmaiden Sea Silk yarn

2007-02-09T13:09:00.000-04:00

Oh, this is a lovely yarn! I bought it yesterday from my LYS, Have a Yarn in Mahone Bay. It's Sea Silk by Handmaiden Yarn -- 70% silk and 30% sea cell -- made from seaweed! Yes, it does have a slight odour of the sea -- nothing unpleasant though. Not sure what the colour is called -- maybe Berry. It's very pretty, whatever it's called! I'm going to knit a lacy shawl from it ...

Camisole in progress

2007-02-06T14:35:00.000-04:00

I'm halfway through working out a camisole pattern for myself. It's based on an online pattern, but I'm playing with it. I made it too short, so I'm working a contrasting band I can add to the bottom of it ... Unfortunately I only bought one skein of the yarn (Patons Decor in the colour Tapestry), so I can't get much further, but as soon as I can get to Halifax (Thursday) I will get enough to finish this ...

Bell Sleeve Shrug Finished!

2007-02-03T16:08:00.001-04:00

I really burned through the last of the shrug today, and I'm wearing it right now. It's so cosy and warm, and I think it looks great. I'm going to wear it to the opera tonight ...

(Note on photo -- okay, it's just my left arm, and the shrug hasn't been pressed yet, but I love it!)

Shrug almost done!

2007-02-02T23:18:00.000-04:00

My bell sleeve shrug is almost done -- just 15 more rows to knit and I can finish it up. I'm really looking forward to wearing this one -- hope I like it as much as I think I will!

Yesterday I finished the little lilac scarf I started Wednesday night. It's really pretty. It's a gift for my voice student, Yara, who loves purple.

Waiting ... knitting ...

2007-01-31T21:27:00.000-04:00

Well, it has been a very busy week, but I've managed to get some knitting done, anyway. I've been hard at work on my shrug -- I'm on the home stretch, now, and expect to have it done for the weekend. I had to spend a lot of time this morning waiting around, first for an xray and then for the bone doctor, and I very happily knitted away. Knitting is truly an amazing way of passing the time ...

I picked up some Paton's Pooch in Purple Sunset and some Matrix, and am doing a second Scribble Lace Scarf -- almost finished it tonight, and it's very, very pretty!

And I received some more of the yarn I bought via eBay. This is from mystical creations yarns, wool and silk handdyed, in the colour they call "Camelot", and it's even more beautiful in person than in this photo. It glows! I have no idea what to make of it, but I'm glad I have it ...

This is how people build huge yarn stashes, isn't it?

Not much knitting lately

2007-01-28T17:35:00.000-04:00

I've been quite ill the last few days, and haven't got much knitting done. It's a busy week ahead of me, with the Opera Workshop and all, so I'm going to miss my knitting groups next week, too. Here's to more time to knit!

Daphna hates my yarn ...

2007-01-24T23:20:00.000-04:00

I was at Knit and Twit today, and Daphna told me that she hates the colour of the yarn I'm using for my shrug. Here it is, the rather unfortunately named "Surf and Turf". I really like it -- I've been buying lots of brown and pale blue things lately, and this really appealed to me. Is it that hideous? Really?

I'm making a shrug

2007-01-22T22:05:00.000-04:00

I've been working on my first shrug for two days now. It's a lot of stockinette stitch, so it's very good practice for me, but it's a little tedious if I do too much of it. The pattern is from Beat Knit Patterns (photo at left) and I think I'm really going to love wearing it, if I ever finish it! (I'm knitting it in TLC Essentials in the colourway Surf and Turf on size 10 needles) I'm keeping measurements so I can make it up in a bulkier, more funky yarn in the future. Love the bell sleeves ...

Sampler Scarf

2007-01-20T10:54:00.000-04:00

I've been working on this one, on and off, for the last week. I learned to purl last Wednesday (hooray!) and wanted to practice a few stitches, so I got some plain worsted weight yarn and started to make up a scarf. The stitches I used were: mistake rib, moss, rib, broken rib, stockinette and, of course, garter. It's not perfect, but I learned a lot from it.

Morpheus Scarf

2007-01-18T23:59:00.000-04:00

I started knitting this one yesterday at the Knit and Twit, and finished it this evening. It's based on a gorgeous pattern from Morehouse Farms, and is quite the cleverest thing I've ever seen. It's all a trick, you see!

The pattern called for fingering or lace weight wool, but I used a light worsted weight yarn, TLC Essentials, in the colourway "Harvest". It was 15" by 20" as knit, but when the piece is finished, it measures about 70" long! It's being blocked tonight, and I'll photograph it tomorrow. I'm really very pleased, and look forward to making another one.

When I got the yarn home I was amused to see that it has almost exactly the same colours as the Fleece Artist Dreadlocks from which I made my poncho, (red, purple, orange) only these colours are all very vibrant, where the FA colours are more muted.

Chenille lace scarf

2007-01-18T23:54:00.000-04:00

I started this scarf yesterday, and finished it this morning. It's based on the pattern Scribble Lace Scarf from Crystal Palace Yarns. It was my first time using circular needles and all went well.

I made it with a bulky chenille as the heavy yarn and the light chenille Ocean Depths as the lacey yarn. I knit it on #10 needles, which were too small, really. I tried to make very loose stitches, but it would have been better on larger gauge needles. That said, I really like the general effect, and will do it again, this time making it wider.

Poncho

2007-01-16T18:38:00.000-04:00

I finished my poncho today -- I sewed the pieces together and added the fringe, and I am wearing it as I type! It's very warm and I really like it. Got lots of compliments on it today, too, which was nice!

We also had our first meeting of the Lunenburg Knit Wits this afternoon. In attendance were Eva Ernst, Ruth Ernst and Esther Ernst, me and several cats who wandered in and out, looking for diversion.

We knit, baked and played part of a game of Monopoly. I'll get photos next week.

Busy weekend

2007-01-14T00:51:00.000-04:00

I had a very busy weekend, with not a lot of knitting. I'm almost done my poncho, though, and I've finished a few more little bags, including this one, for myself. I added a triangular flap and a button so I can close it.

Emma Purse #3

2007-01-11T01:55:00.000-04:00

I finished the first rectangle for my poncho last night, but was still watching the marvellous BBC version of Trollope's The way we live now, so wanted to do a little project that I could finish in an hour or so. Hence, Emma Purse #3.

I used a mix of purple and burgundy eyelash for the Fluffy Top, Red Heart's Light and Lofty in Glow Multi for the Heavier Contrast and, for the Main Body, a mix of purple aran weight yarn with some of the lovely variegated Dreadlocks yarn that I'm making the poncho out of. I made the strap from a mix of the Light and Lofty and the purple aran weight yarn. I really like these colours!

Poncho in Progress

2007-01-10T17:37:00.000-04:00

I made a trip to Have a Yarn in Mahone Bay yesterday, to buy some yarn for a poncho I want to make for myself. I was seduced by this beautiful home-spun, hand-dyed yarn by Fleece Artist, here in Nova Scotia. The yarn is called Dreadlocks, and has a really cool little loop spun into it, as well as being beautifully dyed. (Check out Fleece Artist's website). I bought two skeins and started in.

The second photo shows how far I've got on the first skein. For this simple pattern I need to knit two rectangles, each measuring 32" by 24". I'm about halfway through the first rectangle now. It's knit up on #17 needles.

The Emma Purse

2007-01-09T17:18:00.000-04:00

I made these little purses up out of odds and ends of yarn I had kicking around the place. I've named it "Emma" after one of my cats -- the most girly cat I have. That's her, on the left. I made the red one first (as a gift for a friend of mine) and the blue one next (because I couldn't stop!)

Here are some general instructions:

This is a great little project for using up odds and ends. If you're not comfortable mixing colours, stick to a fairly monochromatic scheme.

SIZE: about 5 inches wide by 4 or 5 inches deep.

NEEDLES: US # 13

YARN: Main body: Bernat Boa knit with an aran weight yarn (blue purse: Peacock Boa and purple aran weight wool. Red purse: Phoenix Boa and pale red Manos del Uraguay).
Heavier contrast: Bulky weight yarn (blue purse: dark blue bulky wool. Red purse: Red Heart Light and Lofty in Glow Multi)
Fluffy top: Eyelash yarn, doubled (blue purse: dark gold and purple, knit together. Red Purse: dark gold eyelash knit with nubbly novelty yarn).

Remember to start at the top and knit down and up again! (The red one, the one I made first, I forgot to do this, and ended up having to knit two identical squares. That worked, too)

CO 16 stitches with the doubled eyelash.
knit until it's about an inch or an inch and a half in length.
Change to Heavier Contrast yarn -- knit an inch and a half to two inches.
Change to Main Body yarns -- knit at least 5 inches (enough for half of body of one side, and half of body the other side.
Change to Heavier Contrast yarn -- knit same number of rows as other side.
Change to Fluffy Top -- knit same number of rows as other side.
Cast off loosely.

Make strap: I just finger crocheted a length of yarn -- I used the plain heavier contrast yarn for the red purse, and the dark blue contrast yarn mixed with Peacock Boa yarn for the blue purse, which looks great. It's got to be long enough to go along the bottom and sides of the purse and make a long enough strap. Tie ends together.

Open out your purse, right side down. Place the tied-together ends of the crocheted strap in middle of fabric -- that is, at the bottom of purse. Fold purse fabric in half around it. Sew up sides of purse (leaving hole for strap at bottom. Then sew the strap onto sides of purse. That's it!

Oh, I made some funky tassels for the red purse -- I just cut identical lengths of all the yarns that went into the purse, mixed them up, tied them at the centre, folded them over, and tied them about an inch from the top. Then I sewed them on the purse.

New yarn ordered ...

2007-01-07T10:01:00.000-04:00

I ordered two lots of yarn via eBay yesterday -- both Ice brand from Turkey. I'm curious as to the quality of this yarn -- haven't been able to find any formal reviews of it online -- because the price is very reasonable. I'm also curious to see how long it takes to ship from Turkey to Canada!

I ordered 8 skeins each of a brown/blue chenille and a brown gold/copper novelty yarn -- including shipping, the total bill for 16 skeins was about $45 dollars, or about $2.80 Canadian each skein ...

I want to make a shrug out of the chenille and an evening stole out of the novelty yarn.

Esther Scarf

2007-01-05T22:15:00.000-04:00

A young friend of mine has a birthday today, and I made this little scarf for her. I call it "Esther" in her honour. It's a very basic scarf, but perked up with a few rows of contrasting eyelash at the ends instead of a fringe, for a fantasy fur-trimmed effect. If I was making it again, I'd double the eyelash yarn at the ends for a fluffier effect.

SIZE One size

YARN:

Light and Lofty by Red Heart; colour: Tahoe; 1 skein
Funny by Sandnes Gam (eyelash yarn); colour orangey gold

NEEDLES: US #15 straight needles

*****

Start with the two yarns together.

CO 11 sts
Rows 1 - 8 -- knit with both yarns together

Rows 9 - ? -- remove Funny yarn, knit with L&L only until the scarf is almost as long as you want it.

add the Funny yarn and
k the final 8 rows with both yarns together
BO and weave in any ends

Scarf for me!

2007-01-04T11:17:00.000-04:00

I finished this one last night and, as predicted, I have to keep it. My photo isn't good enough to show how soft and sensual it looks. It's the baby alpaca and Touch Me chenille scarf -- one skein of warm red baby alpaca and two of dark wine Touch Me knitted together on size 15 needles. I cast on 13 stitches, and just kept knitting until the chenille was all gone. It's extraordinarily soft and touchable, and I can't wait to wear it!

More yarn ...

2007-01-03T23:23:00.000-04:00

So Daphna and I ended up making two visits to Have a Yarn today, : one before lunch and again after lunch ... I bought some Manos de Uraguay yarn to combine with some Bling Bling I have, my first circular needle, another skein of Touch Me chenille and three skeins of Funny by Sandnes Gam in purple, for a birthday present for another friend. I'm going to knit this evening wrap for her out of it (the pattern is Eve, from knitty.com), and my friends at the Knit and Twit helped me with my increases and decreases this afternoon. You can see the free pattern here.

Scarf for Nick

2007-01-03T10:29:00.000-04:00

This is a scarf (yes, another scarf!) for my brother-in-law Nick. It's made from Red Heart's Light and Lofty in the colour Wine, knitted on size 15 needles in good ol' garter stitch. I cast on 12 stitches and knit until the skein was almost gone -- it's about 7 feet long, not counting the fringe.

Scarf for Jennie

2007-01-03T10:27:00.000-04:00

This is my second completed project. It's a scarf for my friend, Jennie. It's knit from Red Heart Light and Lofty acrylic yarn in the colourway Painted Desert on size 17 needles.

My first project

2007-01-03T10:22:00.000-04:00

I found my USB cable! This is a black and white scarf for David. It was knit with Alfa yarn (85% wool, 15% mohair) on size 10 needles in garter stitch. I wanted a contrast, and David picked white (black and white being Newcastle's colours), and Anne Morison suggested adding a fringe. I decided to do opposing fringes, so added the white block, and put a white fringe on the black end and a black fringe on the white end. I totally messed up the bind off, but I'm otherwise pretty pleased with it.

Best laid plans.

2007-01-02T23:14:00.000-04:00

I didn't get to Mahone Bay today, so it was a day without buying new yarn. Daphna and I are heading out there tomorrow, before going to the Knit and Twit group on Corkum's Island in the afternoon. I hope one of the ladies there will teach me to yarn over. Garter stitch is starting to lose its infinite charm.

I did manage some work on my alpaca/Touch Me scarf, which I'm liking more and more. I'd post photos, but I can't find the darned USB cable for my camera ...

Hey, I just remembered that I did buy some new yarn -- online at eBay. It's Ocean Depths, a really pretty chenille and I bought two balls of it.

Most sexy yarn ever ...

2007-01-01T23:22:00.000-04:00

This is my current nominee for the sexiest yarn ever created. It's beyond sensual, it's positively lubricious, possibly illegal. It's Touch Me (also known as Touch Me Due) by Muench, and it's a sybaritic chenille with a shady past ... After agonies of hesitation at the store, I daringly bought one 50 gm skein in Maroon, seduced by its softness and depth of colour -- it's really astonishingly expensive, but lust won out, and I had to have it. I hurried it home and am furtively combining it with a skein of baby alpaca. I expect to have the scarf finished later this week, and I think I have to keep this one for me. By the way, the photo can't possibly convey the depth of colour, the softness, the siren call of this yarn.

This is the yarn I'm coveting at the moment ...

2007-01-01T23:08:00.000-04:00

It's Segue, a ribbon yarn by Trendsetter, and it's glorious. They have a skein of it for sale at Have a Yarn in nearby Mahone Bay, NS in the Blush colour, and I covet it. I think I may drift over there with my friend Daphna tomorrow and buy that sucker. It's funny; it's not a colour I'd wear myself, but it's so damned pretty that I just want to play with it for a while.

Have a Yarn is a dangerous store for the compulsive knitter. I suppose everyone knows a store like that -- one that is so full of gorgeous things that one cannot leave without purchasing some little token.

My name is Nina, and I'm a knitter ...

2007-01-01T22:54:00.000-04:00

You see, it's all the fault of Ellen Vesterdal and Daphna Levit. Ellen finished knitting a scarf in front of me and gave it to me for Christmas and Daphna took me to my first fancy yarn shop and taught me how to knit.

Blame them.

Daphna taught me how to knit on Thursday December 21, and I have now finished three scarves, and I'm partway through two others.

I need help.