riizu.blogspot.com

First I have to say how AMAZING all the comments have been. We are up to 137 entries. Keep 'em coming! You can enter up until November 30th. You were asking about my FO of the day? lol here ya go!

Alpaca/Bamboo Cowl (ravlink)
Recipient: It's a secret! Shh! (though I don't think she reads this blog)
Pattern: Zig Zag Cowl by Mandy Powers (free)
Occasion: Birthday December 1st
Finished: Nov 16/08
Notes: I started the Gemma Beret pattern first, but got so frustrated with how the pattern was written, and with how it was turning out, that I gave up and started this cowl instead.

I do have a minor complaint with the pattern though. When it tells you to cast on, it really should tell you to do a provisional cast on. I know there are people out there who hate prov. cast ons, but isn’t picking up stitches for a picot hem EVEN WORSE? Anyway, it was a really quick knit, and I love how it turned out.

ETA: I took a few more pics last night! See it in action :)

I finished another Christmas item recently, and finally got around to uploading the pics to ravelry. Don't forget to check out my comment contest for the month of November! You can comment on ANY POST in November for entries ^_^

I started a pair of socks earlier in the week, but realized too late that I didn't have enough yarn to finish them. I did that thing that knitters do where they pretend that there's no problem and just keep on knitting. *sigh* I have come to my senses, ripped it out, and started again with a toe-up pattern. I also had the sense to divide the ball in half, so I would be sure to use the right amount. I'll probably get a nice pair of shorty socks. I'm much happier with the progress I'm getting now anyway.

1. Gift Item: Picot Mittens (ravlink) — Rollover
Recipient: Anik (Fiancé's SIL)
Pattern: Picot Edged Mittens by Carolyn (free pattern)
Occasion: Christmas
Deadline: Dec 25/08
Finished: Oct 26/08
Notes: These were actually finished in October, but I finally got the buttons in the mail (which I purchased from pinksupply's shop on Etsy), and sewed them on. Yay!

2 days until the contest!

PSA: If you are family do not read this post!!!

I finished my very first pair of gloves with fingers. I knit a picot edged pair of gloves for my mother in law to-be, and I'm very excited about them. The yarn is a mix of merino wool and silk, and they're really warm and soft. I'm sure she'll love them. Christmas knitting has been plugging along. I've made it really far down my list, and think that I can get a few more done yet before Christmas.

I already have knits done for my parents, my brother and his fiancée, my niece Emma, and my future father-in-law. I'm working on a secret project for my fiancé and have so far been able to keep it a secret from him, and would love to make a pair of mittens for his brother and his brother's wife. A pair of mittens for me wouldn't hurt either.

As of last night, I finished my goals for October.

October Wrap Up:

1. Gift Item: Llama Striped Hat for my brother, Joel (ravlink)
Pattern: Turn A Square Hat by Jared Flood (free pattern)
Progress: I finished this hat in record time. I think I started it on the last day of September, and it was done by the following evening. COMPLETED Oct 1



2. Gift Item: Baby Jacket for my new niece, Emma (ravlink)
Pattern: Buttons Hat and Jacket from Naturally Yarns
Progress: The jacket went surprisingly quickly, and the hat too. I had to wait a few weeks for the buttons to arrive, but once they did, they were adorable! COMPLETED Oct 13






3. Gift Item: Simple Hat for my FFIL, Gerry (ravlink)
Pattern: Jacques Cousteau Hat by Typy (free pattern)
Progress: Another really quick-knit. The yarn is from knit picks, and it's a big, warm hat. I know he'll love it. COMPLETED Oct 12




4. Gift Item: Embroidered Gloves for my FFMIL, Diane (ravlink)
Pattern: Cashmere Picot Edged Gloves by Insaknitty (direct PDF download link)
Progress: These took longer than the others. The picot edging on the first glove took forever but once I figured out the picot, I was much happier. after the edging, they went quickly enough. doing the fingers were a lot of fun, since I'd never done them before, and I learned some embroidery!



5. Gift Item: Striped Hat for my Fiancé, Chris (ravlink)
Pattern: Fibonacci Pea Cap by Lisa Bennett (free pattern)
Progress: Chris keeps complaining about being cold, and I've never knit him anything before. So, I went and bought a skein of some lovely alpaca, used up some scrap yarn, and made him a warm hat. This hat is very loosely based on the pattern above, but I didn't really follow it at all. This item wasn't on my original list. COMPLETED Oct 24

It's done, but I haven't been able to get him out of the apartment, so I haven't been able to get a finished photo.


6. Gift Item: Mittens for FFSIL, Anik (ravlink)
Pattern: Picot Edged Mittens by Carolyn (free pattern)
Progress: These were fun to make, and a really easy pattern. Instead of seaming the cuff, I'm attaching buttons that I bought on Etsy. I'll post photos when it's done. This wasn't on my original list either. COMPLETED Oct 24

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Knitting Meme! Here is a list of knitting techniques. Bold the ones you have tried, italicize the ones you want to try and leave the rest in plain text.

Afghan I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Mobius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Domino knitting
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Baby items
Knitting with your own hand-spun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book
Participate in an exchange
Scarf
Teaching a child/teenager to knit
American/English knitting
Knitting to make money
Buttonholes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dying with plant colors
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on one or two circulars
Knitting with someone else's hand-spun yarn
Knitting with dpns
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dying yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Knitting two socks on two circulars simultaneously
Felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener stitch
Knitted flowers
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with self patterning/self striping/variegated yarn
Stuffed toys
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Free-form knitting
Short rows Cuffs/fingerless mits/arm-warmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an on-line knitting magazine
Rug Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories
Knitting in public

I am 22 days and 8 posts away from my blogoversary (and a contest too!). So, watch for November when I'm going to host a month-long contest and I'll be giving away yarn! Wonderful Mirasol yarn! And maybe you'll get candy too, if you're really good :)

Lots going on in my world these days. In knitting news, I'm working on my very first pair of gloves with fingers. I'm knitting a picot edged pair of gloves for my mother in law to-be, and I'm very excited about them. The yarn is a mix of merino wool and silk, and they're really warm and soft. I'm sure she'll love them. Christmas knitting has been plugging along. I've made it really far down my list, and think that I can get a few more done yet before christmas.



I already have knits done for my parents, my brother and his fiancée, my niece Emma, and my future father-in-law. I'm working on a secret project for my fiancé and have so far been able to keep it a secret from him, and would love to make a pair of mittens for his brother and his brother's wife. A pair of mittens for me wouldn't hurt either.


I did pick up some Mirasol Miski so that I could make myself a hat. It's going to be so cushy and warm. I'm so excited about it.



There's also wedding news! We are in the process of booking the Crowne Plaza for our wedding reception next year. We need to work out a kink or two regarding a DJ, but are pretty optimistic about the whole thing. I've also commissioned myv eil from amandaarcher on etsy. I'm just so happy about how well things are moving along on all fronts.

Hope everything is well in your worlds,
~ Elizabeth

And for some fun, even though it's Saturday

And…



1. Follow the yellow brick road.
2. Knitting is something I always take with me on vacation.
3. To achieve your goals, you must leave your comfort zone.
4. My stubborness is something I'd like you to know about me.
5. I have a sense of accomplishment.
6. Egg floats.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to hanging out with Vero, tomorrow my plans include seeing a band with Fran and Pete and Sunday, I want to do brunch!

Plugging away at the Christmas knitting, I finished a hat for my fiancés dad today. I knit the larger size.




Gerry Cousteau Hat (rav link)
Pattern: Jacques Cousteau Hat by Typy
Source: http://pirouette.vuodatus.net
Recipient: FFIL
Occasion: Christmas 2008
Started: October 10, 2008
Completed: October 12, 2008

Yarn: Just under 2 skeins of Knit Picks Swish Worsted in Lava Heather
Needles: US 2.5 / 3mm

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My October gifting Progress:

• Turn a Square Hat for my brother — FINISHED
  
• Baby Cardigan and hat for my niece — WIP
  
• Jacques Cousteau Hat for my fiancé's dad — FINISHED
  
• Picot Edged Gloves for my fiancé's mom — Have the yarn, need to start

In other news, I won a contest over at the knitallyear blog! Yay! I feel so special that I won ^_^ Apparently, I won 10 balls of yarn from Webs, and an autographed cartoon from Franklin Habit at The Panopticon blog! Yay!!!

My second FO this week was a pair of fingerless gloves for myself. This way I can knit while I'm waiting for the bus without getting (too) cold. I love the thumb on the pattern, and the yarn I used is really nice too.



Mirasol Valentino (rav link)
Pattern: Valentino by Emily Elizabeth
Source: EmilyElizabethKnits
Recipient: Myself
Occasion: Cold fingers
Started: October 2, 2008
Completed: October 10, 2008

Yarn: Just 1 skeins of Filtes King Kiss (which was splitty, but created a nice fabric) in 510 Charcoal and Mirasol Yarn Hacho (which I LOVE!) in a red-orange variegation
Needles: US 3 / 3.25mm

At first I absolutely hated this yarn. I wasn’t very fond of the colour-way, it wasn’t all that great to work with, and none of the first three sock patterns I tried wanted to work.

It might have helped, if I had worked with the yarn, instead of against it. This yarn is not stretchy, and so it is very unforgiving. The fourth sock attempt, I chose a pattern that specifically mentions that it is stretchy, and this finished product is absolutely lovely. These socks are pretty, comfortable, and actually really nice. I’ve completely turned around on how I feel about this yarn. I actually love how it feels on my feet, and the colours are really quite nice. I now feel bad about how much I thought I didn't like it at first, and am sad I'm giving these socks away. Now I want a pair for me!

The (Not So) Hellish Socks (rav link)
Pattern: Go With the Flow Socks by Evelyn A. Clark (edesigns on ravelry)
Source: (book) Favorite Socks : 25 Timeless Designs from Interweave by Ann Budd and Anne Merrow
Recipient: My Mom
Occasion: Christmas 2008
Started: September 9, 2008
Completed: September 29, 2008

Yarn: Just under 2 skeins of Schoeller + Stahl Fortissima Socka in Brown variegated
Needles: US 1 / 2.25mm

Victorian Lace wrap (rav link)
Pattern: Victorian Ruby by Jane Sowerby
Source: Victorian Lace Today (book)
Recipient: Bridesmaid
Occasion: My wedding next year (September 2009)
Started: July 22, 2008
Completed: Setpember 9, 2008

Yarn: 1 skein of Knit Picks Gloss Lace in 24179 Mermaid
Needles: US 7 / 4.5mm and a crochet hook for finishing (not done yet)
Notions: I'm very happy I decided to block it, I really hope it opens up quite a bit. I'm still toying with the idea of doing a crochet chain edge, but it may look fine after I unpin it.

I gave up on the Saigon scarf (rav link). Not because there was anything wrong with the pattern per se, but I do feel that the photo was a little misleading. The scarf was photographed on a child (how did I miss that?) and so it looked about twice as wide as it actually worked out to be. I guess if I had read the dimensions, I would have realized that right away, but I didn't. So, I frogged it, and started over with a new pattern from a knitting lace book I purchased.

The pattern is called Victorian Ruby (rav link) and can be found in Victorian Lace Today. It's a fantastic book, and I'm really enjoying kitting this piece. I'm almost finished the first section!



I finally finished off a piece that's been hanging around for about a month. I knit this neckwarmer on a wim for my friend Rin when I was home visiting last month, and was waiting on buttons. I ended up ordering them from Prisma on Etsy. The buttons are awesome, and I'm mailing out the scarf next week.




There's more sad news on the socks. This is the second pattern I've tried with this yarn, and I've had to frog them again. It's just so disappointing. The yarn has absolutely NO give, and so if I'm off even slightly, I can't get them over my foot. I am so frustrated. This yarn did not want to be Jaywalker *sigh* I'll finish the lace piece above, then I might try a different pattern. Ugh.



In happier news, keep watching for my blogoversary contest coming up! I've been getting a lot more comments lately, and they've been brightening my day. Thank you.

I finished the triangle/swatch part of the Miss Saigon (ravelry link) last night. I’m confident that it will look great once blocked, but right now it looks a little small. It’s going great though. The yarn is soft and lovely (a nice break from the acrylic wrap I’m working on otherwise), and I think I may have decided who I’m going to give it to.

This is the first of lace bridesmaid gifts I'm knitting for next fall. I ordered the knit picks lace sampler a few months ago, with them in mind. I don't think they will all be scarves. I'm just going to let the yarn tell me what they want to be.



It's also been awhile since I photographed Muir (ravelry link). My last update was a while ago, in knitting time, and I have almost twice as much knit up as before. Miss Saigon is a wonderful break from the acrylic (even if it's nice acrylic), but now I'm feeling guilty that I'm neglecting Muir lol.



There is also cause for a bit of celebration. The company I was working with on a trial-basis, has decided to offer me a full time job. Not only does this solve most of my work-related problems, but it's also right down the street from Knit Knackers (hooray!). So, I treated myself to some yarn. It's nothing overly special; I picked up some sock yarn for myself and for a Christmas present for my mom, and some yarn from the sale bin for myself. But boy did it feel great to be able to buy yarn again!

I'm going away for a week to visit my parents, so I won't be blogging until I get back. Maybe there will be knitting news when I return… and maybe there will be photos of the aforementioned yarn. You will have to wait. In the mean time, you will have to be satisfied with my hastily taken WIP photos.

And in the nature of spontaneity, I decided to de-stash and do some birthday knitting. Hope I can get it done by Saturday.

The Muir stole I am working on for my sister-in-law is moving, but very very slowly. I've only been able to work on it while on the bus, since I've been so annoyingly busy that I can't see straight. How did I miss the fact that knitting a lace chart on a bus is next to impossible? Argh. And the people on the bus are so very uncooperative with the whole thing. I mean, why can't I get you to hold my chart while I knit? That's not a problem is it? Some people! lol

Since Muir isn't really in a proper state for photos, I will find other excuses for photos. Here we go!

For some reason, I'm extremely excited about my new curtains. I know it's nothing really special, but I've never had them in my own home before (since I moved out of my parents' house, anyway). So, I must share the awesome. Please excuse the mess ^_^;



I just love them!

In other news, I'm participating in a swap, and since my recipient is in Canada, I decided to bake them something, instead of sending them 'Canadian' food. Mmm chocolate chocolate chip cookies. I hope she likes them!



And since you guys are OH SO INTERESTED! lol For dinner, I made this awesome Malaysian Curry. It's so great, and so fast. Yum!



I promise knitting photos in my next post!

I started some slippers for my dad (Christmas knitting in July) at the end of June. I finished the first one on Sunday night. They're pretty good, I think. It's hard to know if they'll fit, though his feet are only half an inch longer than mine so I can guess based on how they fit me that they should be alright. The yarn I bought is enough to do five slippers. I've decided to do three for him (so he has a spare) and a pair for myself, but probably in a different pattern. I don't know if I can bring myself to knit five of the same pattern without going insane.

Anyway, here's the first slipper.



And completed slippers!

Toe Warmers — Footlets for Dad (pattern) (ravelry) by Patons
Source: Yarn Lover's Room (knitting-crochet.com)
Recipient: My Dad
Occasion: Christmas
Finished: July 7, 2008
Yarn: 0.5 skein of Lang Yarns Jawoll Cotton Aktion
Needles: US 2 or 2.75 mm circulars





This also marks the beginning of my Q3 Challenge knitting. It feels great to get such a good start on it. The rules were to knit an unfinished gift, start and finish a new gift, and knit something for yourself. This is probably the easiest of the three parts, and I'm probably making it more of challenge than it needs to be, but I really don't want to have any leftover yarn lol.

Now for my sock. I am trying to decide whether to keep knitting or to Frog. Go take my poll!

You know, it's very hard to blog about your knitting when your only project is a secret. We moved last weekend, and so Arbor has been sitting all lonesome and sort of frogged. I feel a little bad that I haven't touched it since I ripped it back. I've been working solidly on a Christmas project that is coming along very nicely. Maybe if I push myself I can finish this mystery project and actually move a bit on Arbor!

I'm sorry for the lack of knitting photos, so instead, I give you the view from my new apartment. You can just see the Gatineau Hills in the distance.

The Knitasaur is hosting a contest, in search of the perfect measurements of people's arms and hands! So, go enter in your measurements and say you found it through me!

In knitting news, Arbor has no changes since the other day, I'm moving and having panic attacks about moving my stash, and managed to make some progress on my blanket! (mom and dad, don't touch that link!)

Love and tea,
riizu

I'm not posting about it here, because I don't want the giftee to see what I'm making them. If you're not mom and dad, see my progress update (with pictures!) here.

~ Liz

[Edited April 29, 2008: Added Pattern and download)
[Edited May 9, 2008: Pattern is being updated for the right-hand side… apparently my instructions of "reverse for right glove" are a bit too ambiguous for some. Stay tuned!)

I knit some cabled arm-warmers for my friend Anna. These were long overdue, and I'm very happy to have them done. We're going to consider them an early birthday present, even though her birthday is in November. The pattern is pretty much my own, and the cable pattern is borrowed from a book even if it is a really simple one. I intentionally off-set the cables and I think they look pretty cool.

Cabled Fingerless Armwarmers (personal pattern) (ravelry) by Elizabeth Martin
Source: Harmony Guide: Cables and Arans
Recipient: Anna
Occasion: Belated birthday
Completed: April 16, 2008

Yarn: 1.25 skeins of Knit Picks Essential in Grass
Needles: US 2

Download Pattern: