Angelarae Knits

Luscious

Seriously, you gotta try this....

Pattern: Lace Ribbon Scarf

Yarn: Claudia Hand Paint (Begonia)

Needles: Size 2 Boye

Eye Candy And No Candy

I'll start this post will a little eye candy.  This is Claudia Hand Painted Yarn, color 'Begonia.' I ordered it from the Loopy Ewe with the Lace Ribbon Scarf in mind.  Isn't it the most gorgeous colorway?  What's that you say? Need a closer look?  Here....

Of course, the pictures can't really convey how soft and squishy this yarn is, so use your imagination.  I was very pleased with the very personal service I got from Sheri at Loopy.  You can see her hand written note in the first pic.   Fast shipment, too -  got my yarn in 3 days.   She included some color cards for Regia and two handy needle inventory cards. Very nice:)

Here is some Jaggerspun Zephyr I bought to knit the Auburn Camp Shirt. 

It's hard to imagine a nicer laceweight yarn than Jaggerspun Zephyr.  The wool/silk blend gives it such a nice sheen.  I am using it to knit the Orkney Pi, which I have not forgotten about, by the way. 

Now, re: the Auburn Camp.  I have reservations about knitting this yet, as I am trying to get healthier and loose a few pounds.  If you are my size and thinking about knitting a nice piece for yourself and you buy the yarn and sit down to get started, reality hits like a ton of bricks when you cast on all. those. stitches.  And, the longer you knit, as the piece progresses, it hits you full force.  This is huge.  Am I really this big? Case in point: Drawstring Chemise...

Love the yarn.  Like the top.  Hate that it is as huge as it is and is supposed to fit me.  Now I stop and think.  Do I really want to do this?  Do I really want to knit a top I will hopefully not be wearing for very long?  DH says, 'It's cotton...when it gets to be to big, shrink it.  You aren't wasting your time.' I'm not so sure, but I have decided to press on.  For those of you wondering if my gauge is right, it is.  It isn't the pattern, it's me.  I really am a size 48 in the bust. I guess I imagined myself looking smaller than I really am. Pooh. Reality sucks.

A New Year Of Knitting and Griping

Hello again!  So glad to be back to blogging...finally.  I have visited some of your blogs over the last few weeks, but really took a break from it all over the holidays because I figured I deserved it and, also, I have the attention span of a gnat and, what with the holidays and all, I can't possibly 'do it all', much less try to.  And I am all about doing less here lately, as a way of making a small contribution toward 'taking care of myself', a totally new and unfamiliar concept to me.  To me, 'taking care of myself' simply meant that I would buy myself that bag of Lindor Truffles (dark chocolate) and hide them in my underwear drawer so that I could have them all to myself.  Apparently, taking care of oneself is slightly more involved than that.  The things you really like to eat must be forsaken and replaced by lots of veggies, whole grains, and water....lots and lots of water.  Which is okay.  I have no problem with the water and veggie thing.  I grew up always having a garden, and so I love eating vegetables. But, I hate to give up my sweet tea.  Us southern girls really love us some sweet tea.  I have gone so far as to switch to half-n-half tea (half sweet and half unsweet) to cut down on the sugar intake, (they hate me at drive through's) but I have never given it up altogether.  Let me tell ya'll...that unsweet stuff just doesn't do it for me. 
Anyhoo, I have been knitting.  I have two works in progress to share.
The first is a vest I am working on for my husband's birthday.  He turned 49 last week and the vest is something he asked for some time back.  Here it is so far.

I have finished the left panel and this is the back.  The yarn is Wool-Ease Worsted in color 'Mushroom.'  I plan on adding some leather covered  buttons.  The pattern for this lovely thing is at Lionbrand.com.  It's called the 'Unisex Vest.'

I have to show you the picture instead of linking to the pattern because things aren't working very well chez Lionbrand right now.  Sorry.

It was the only men's vest pattern I could find that wasn't a pull over. Go figure.  First, I knit the Medium size, then I used worsted when the pattern calls for sport weight Wool-Ease.  (Couldn't find it at Michael's or A.C. Moore, so used worsted instead)  Also, I went up a needle size, using size 5 and size 7 instead of using size 4 and 5.  It should just fit.  So far, so good, anyway. 

This is the other project.  It is a Baby Surprise Jacket from this book.

(Sorry for the inclusion of Zoe's butt in this picture...she wouldn't move, but isn't the psychedelic quilt cool?  Thank you, Target.)

The book was a birthday gift from my Mom.  She ordered it from Knit Picks.  They have fast, reliable service:)

Here's the BSJ, in progress...

I am knitting this with Paton's Classic Wool in a denim and cream.  I like these colors and you can't beat the price, really.  It was on sale for 30% off at A.C. Moore, which made it $3.00 and some change, per skein.   

Yarn Yummy

Here is some beautiful Jitterbug sock yarn in the 'Tapis' colorway.  Colinette makes this yarn and it is squishy and lovely to squeeze!  A little short on yardage, though.  Only a smidge over 300 yards per hank, so, in order to knit for my dad's size 11 feet, I'll need to make the cuff, toes, and heels in an alternate color.  I chose a black Baby Ull by Dale of Norway.  I think that will make the one hank I have stretch to knit both socks.  There is some navy, black, and various shades of red in this gorgeous stuff.  It knits up a sturdy fabric, too.   

And Tomorrow, There's Shopping

I always forget, for some reason, that Thanksgiving holiday includes shopping....lots and lots of shopping.   So tomorrow, I'll probably head out to one or two key places, but nothing like an all day excursion.  I don't think I can deal with the traffic, fighting for parking spaces and the just plain crazy people...they all come out at Christmas time.  I found some forgotten stash yarn under my bed.  Maybe I will go stash diving instead.  I need to start another pair of socks, don't you think?

Ang

Shawl Start

Remember the Jaggerspun Zephyr I bought some months ago in a beautiful aqua color?  Gorgeous stuff.  Well, I started the fir cone shaw with it, but ran into problems with the pattern and decided to rip it. 

Then, I started a shawl from Knit N' Style.  I put it down for a while, stored in plastic mind you.  And when I picked it up again, pulled it from the plastic, it had been stained somehow.  There was a decidedly faded patch right in the middle of the piece.  It was faded from the lovely blue to a pale cream color.  Ruined.  So, I cut that project off the ball and tossed it in the garbage.  I had, maybe, 35 % of the shawl done.   Oh! And, the pattern is missing as well. Doomed, I think.

So, I've been searching here and there for another pattern.  I came across this:

Isn't it gorgeous?

I cast on yesterday and ripped twice before I finished the setup rows for this shawl which is knit from the neck down.   In the interest of blogging as things are rather than how I would like them to be, I'll be posting some updates with this project, even if I decide to rip it and try again later.  I could pretend to be all efficient and well disciplined when choosing my projects, but you know better, don't you!

Cleaning House

Well, people, the proverbial pigs have flown.  I've cleaned out my stash, which, of necessity, includes unfinished projects.  (In other words, I cleaned our bedroom).   I don't know what your house is like, but in mine, everything that is important to me ends up in our bedroom.  It's the only place in the house not frequented by my children (and their friends).  So, that's where *most* of my yarn and various other knitting sundries were.  I won't describe the scene to you, pre-organization.  I wouldn't want to take up your entire day.  Let's just say that many hours were spent stacking books, warshing clothes I had forgotten that I owned, and stuffing black garbage bags with what can only be described as trash. 
In all this muss, I did find almost every missing knitting needle I had, including 6 dpns in various sizes, 4 cable needles, 2 balls of sock yarn I'd forgotten about (Meilenweit Boot Stretch, no less), two tape measures, my 'Knitting Without Tears" book that had been missing (I found it under my dresser and for those of you in California, a dresser is the same thing as a chest-of-drawers), a sh*! load of dishcloth cotton, half a bag of Harry and David Truffles (score!), and a long-lost toothbrush. 
Anyhoo, having all my projects in front of me, I decided to hone them down a bit.  Basically, anything that had been started and sitting more than 6 months is now ripped and forgotten.  And I don't feel the least bit guilty.  My only works in progress are now in my sidebar.  I think there are a total of four.  I feel much better.  I can manage four.  Also, if you'll notice, I have included 'Short Attention Span' pattern links in my sidebar.  Let's face it.  I'm ADD. I know it, you know it.  If you have any suggestions to add to these, by all means, email me or leave in comments.  I love a quick knit.  Anything that isn't exactly quick, but seems to go quickly because it keeps my interest, can be included here, as well. 
It's Memorial Day weekend, so I hope you guys have a great one!
I plan on knitting and spending it with my family.

*Note: I changed my Percent Bar graphic at Snipperoo, but it is refusing to publish the updated version.  Working on this.  Sorry for the perceived inaccuracy, but I really *did* make the corrections before this post.  *

Hodge Podge

hodge podge - (n) a motley assortment of things

There are a few things I would like to address in this post.  First, congrats to Angela.  She correctly guessed (from that small amount of knitting, no less) that I am knitting the Cable Down Raglan by Stefanie Japel on pg. 42 of the Spring issue of Interweave Knits.  The yarn is Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece, a cotton/wool blend.  It's a nice yarn to knit cables with.  I'll post progress soon. 

Next, I wanted to relieve all of you who thought this might end up in the UFO pile.  As you can see, it's finished.  This will be the second pair of Mother's Day Socks I have knit for my Mom, meaning, I knit her a pair last year.  Shhhh. It's a secret.  Now, I need to madly finish the other sock so that I can give her a pair.  That would be nice wouldn't it? 

I also wanted to show you this.

It is Ann Budd's Chevron Lace baby sock, part of the Better Than Booties free download at Interweave Knits.  Hers were knit using Lorna's Laces Sherpherd Sock yarn.  I used Cascade Fixation (color#5130), so I had to modify the pattern 'a little'.   I'll post it once I get it written out well enough to follow.   I think they look very nice.   Fixation is one of my favorite yarns to knit with. So soft and cushy.  The heel and toe are short row.  This is a closeup of the heel with the holes I don't like.  (kinda the middle of the pic...not the chevron holes)

So, I fixed them.

There.

Not Exactly What I Was Hoping For...

See what I mean?   Sigh....

Ann is the yarn melding queen...me, not so much.   Can you see the somewhat stripe-y affect in this photo?  What about now?

Honestly, when I'm wearing these, they seem fine.  Think I'll knit-up another left handed mitt sometime soon.  For now, I'm going to finish the Newsboy Cap I started for Katie and work on Mom's Socks.  I ripped the plain ribbing and started over in a feather and fan pattern.  Looks pretty good in this yarn, too.   (I call them clown socks, they look like it to me)

For now, here's something pretty to look at...mugwort? at least, I think it is...

Delicato and Melody

Thanks to all of you for your comments, re: color changes in the 'Melody' yarn for the pattern I am currently knitting, Delicato.  I looked for a ball from the 9 left,  one of similar composition as the first.  Found one that is at least close and will see how it comes out.  So far, so good, but beginning to look like the gold isn't creeping in as soon in the pattern as for the other.  May have to use Ann's advice (she really is a master at this) and begin to fudge with parts of another ball.  I think, as long as it's fairly close, I'll be satisfied.  We shall see.  They are lovely, though, aren't they?

Ang