FO's and WIPS

Here is Eebie's Silky Merino shell. I love the way she added extra to the bottom border. She did it after the fact, for more length, but we think it is a great improvement to the basic top pattern. Way to go! Also she is working a "St. John's Wort" sweater in lavender, from Interweave, on "antique" yarn. I am thinking it will be awesome. I just love the big collar. Great work.









Later, we had a visit from my dear friend, Elisabet. She is making a fishies baby blanket, and it is ready for the sewing up. We tried out some different ways to attach the fishies. It won't be long til it's done. Berroco Comfort yarn, and it is very very soft & beautiful. Wish that new grandbaby would hurry up! The baby is about the size of a peanut right now.

Just Knitting Along...

Not so much new lately, except for a very busy first Monday open at the Yarn Cottage. I worked on my two current projects, and of course started another. Here is the current status of the Lace & Cable top, which I have just picked up again after a (one month) haitus, and the half done February Baby Sweater in Swedish yarns Bomull Sport. I am doing the February Baby (from EZ's Knitter's Almanac) because of the popularity of the "February Lady" sweater, which we have hanging up at the shop in Cascade Greenland. It sure is a fun pattern to make, and pretty easy (see buttonholes problem below! LOL). I should be able to get the other sleeve done today & get into the body section, which is a breeze. Oh, I forgot the buttonholes (oops!) gonna put in a grosgrain band with snaps, I think. Good save, Rhonda! You gotta see the Great Adirondack rayon ribbon scarf she is making up. As for the lace & cable top (a download from Vogue Knitting) in purple, it is kinda strange....you work across the top from sleeve to sleeve (the cables run horizontally, and that opening is the neck, about halfway to the other side & getting back into one piece), then sew the underarms, then work down from there. I am doing it in a nice cotton/acrylic blend dk I have had in my stash for a long time. The other one I started isn't so interesting yet, but it's an eggplant colored "Hey Teach" sweater, which is lacey & has short sleeves. I think it should take 4 balls of Cotton Fleece, which is really nice to work with.

More about the Baby Surprise

Even though I am finished knitting it, I've been having my coffee and reading this morning on the phenomenon that is the Baby Surprise. I find it incredible Ravely.com has over 8000 people worldwide who've knitted it and posted photos, plus there is an extensive WIKI page, with loads of technical information, not only for knitting, it, but for knitting it BETTER. Then I got sidelined by this: http://www.homeofthesampler.com/howtos/craftypod.html

I had seen some buttons like this, and filed it away under "someday I will try to do this". Now I won't have to get my head dented in from banging it against the wall...now I will have instructions! It seems like a good use for the gobs of embroidery thread and perle cotton I have from other (temporarily dropped) crafts! I might even have those little cabone rings, too.

Speaking of the Ravelry phenomenon patterns, I think I am going to knit another one: the "Hey Teach" sweater (originially from Knitty), which is lacey and short sleeved....two of my favorite features in a sweater. Do you think eggplant cotton fleece is a good choice? I am still uncertain what color to make, but I think the cotton fleece will be awesome. A friend named Erin I met in Nashville at the Haus of Yarn (!!) was making one and I can't get it out of my head. Also, if you are a ravelry member, you must see knit4smiles, one of the other fabulous knitters I met at Knit Nite. She was making a "Wild Thing", but without a pattern. Truly wonderful and adorable (and scary!) too. It is finished and posted on her projects page.

Big Day! #2

...and....and..Nancy wore her new Ironstone yarns Sky sweater (yarn bought from yours truly at the YarnHaus!), another CareHouse blanket arrived, and best of all, just in time for Knit Nite, our sofas are here. Now we really mean it when we say, "Come Unwind With Us!".

Big Day! #1

It was a huge day at the Cottage. I finished the Baby Surprise Jacket in KnitCol, Ann brought by her new Arcadia top in Pink, Christina started a pink baby sweater in Mandarin Petit, we got a bunch more bankets for Baldwin County Care House, Angela has an orange one in progress, and we double-dog dared her to go get us some dinner with her winter hat & green short-row scarf on (she did!), and....and....and.... (see next message!)

Bonnie's Socks & My Newest Baby Sweater

Well, the Baby Surprise is getting so close to done, I thought I'd start up the February Baby Sweater pattern from Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitter's Almanac. It's working up so nice in the sport weight cotton I am using, Gjestal Bomull Sport (say that 3 times fast!). A lovely inexpensive high quality (Norwegian?) cotton).

Below are the socks Bonnie just made of Cascade Fixation (new colors just came in FYI). (Bonnie's are NOT matching, of course!). Good job. I told her about the Sock Symposium we are planning....learn lots of different sock techniques during a few hours on a Saturday. Two dates are planned one in July and one in August. Check the Yarn Cottage website for details, but give us a couple of days to get the newsletter ready for July.

Baby Surprise Edging

This is how the sweater looks tonight. I plan on making little loops while binding off in I-cord. That way, I can avoid the whole "buttonhole" issue. I think it will be cute with 3 loops. FYI, if you want to see what an I-Cord bind off is all about, check out this You tube video. The pattern does not include an edging, and the sweater looks great without it, but I thought it might be a nice modification. What do you think?

Broke, Busted & Disgusted

Back from my trip, and find out NOBODY even touched the Baby Surprise sweater. Another good reason to be disgusted to be back is the photos of the view out my Dad's apartment window. Also, naturally, I am broke, and also unpleasantly surprised to be back to regular life & got a few extra lbs around the middle. Now, there will be a big diet starting shortly, and maybe things will smooth out soon. Also, the sweater's got to get done. Maybe tomorrow. Then I can work on my new Lupine Lace socks in Malabrigo Sock Yarn(got those started on the trip after shopping at the Haus of Yarn in Nashville, and back to the Lace & Cable top, which (I thought) was off track, but after frogging a few rows, realized it is actually ok.....there are 53 stitches on each side, but somehow I thought it was supposed to be 51....until I looked at the pattern. On the Baby Surprise sweater, I'm thinking about doing an I-Cord bind off (maybe in a sold color??), which I see is quite popular in the NEARLY 9000 of them people have posted on ravelry.

Kay brought her FINISHED BERROCO COMFORT SHAWL by the store today and modelled for us, while vowing to work on something a little more interesting to knit next time. Or, at the very least, it could start at the wide part and narrow down to a point, right Kay?

Why 2 Cameras?

Why did I bring two cameras on the trip? I am already 1200 miles from home, 5th day gone, been to the yarn convention, and staying at my sister's in Slippery Rock PA. No pictures yet, except one really wacky one that got deleted right away! Could be, I will get it together and snap one or two in NY. Maybe, maybe not.... (and yes, I miss Alabama, a little). Love to everyone, see you soon. Will see Karl on Wednesday. I just KNOW that Baby Surprise sweater is almost done. I have some big plans for some new Yarn Cottage classes.

My Baby Girl, Picot at the Beach

This is what I did tonight with my friends, Patti, Deb, Susan and Nancy, at www.paintpartystudios.com

Try it sometime.....we all painted our own pets. Renee is the artist there and she is awesome and helps you out, and it is a blast. It was my third time there, I guess 3 times is a charm.

Baby Surprise Sure Looks Weird!

The sweater looks weirder and weirder as I go along. We love how the yarn is doing the work. Love it! Rhonda and Nona have promised to finish it before I get back (not really...I just TOLD them to!! LOL). I think it might take only 3 balls, not the five I estimated based on the pattern. I'm about halfway through the 2nd ball of yarn.

Nancy To Complete 1st Care House Blanket

Looks like Nancy is well on her way to finishing the first Baldwin Country Care House Blanket. Way to go, Nancy. Get with Rhonda at the shop if you want to make one too.....she is providing NEW yarn and patterns for anyone who wants to make them.

HOT PINK FELT

This Hot Pink Felted Purse came out great, and only takes ONE handle. So, now Charleen is thinking about another one for the other handle she got off a thrift store purse. This is the one-ball pattern from our website free patterns page.

New Knitter Today!

Here's our newest young knitter, Ava, with her first couple of rows! The beginning of something great, since she seems to be a natural!

Cute Surprise

Since I gave away the only Elizabeth Zimmerman Baby Surprise sweater I ever knitted, I've wanted to make another. Here it is, started up and oh, so fun and quick to make...using Knit Col, a self striping light worsted from Adriafil, and available...you know where. This should be a size 1. It has a kind of socky look to the way it knits up, don't you think? This is garterstitch, so I think the stockinette would be a whole 'nother good lookin.

on the road Thursday

Gone on the road Thursday to Columbus TNNA show, and then on to NY....I'll be back when my money runs out! could be soon with the current gas prices! If I see something cool, I will post on the road.

Could be Gladys Who Knitted This!

OK, I guess I am counting on my fabulous memory too much. I could swear that Gladys brought this in to show us her beautiful work on this "Angel Wings" baby blanket pattern, and she had a hat to match, too...all for her church's new parents/grandparents. Now, since I didn't write it down, I am not too sure WHAT her name was! Maybe it is good enough that I posted a picture of her beautiful work! Nice yarn, too! (of course, it is from the Yarn Cottage of Fairhope, naturally!).

Lynn Not A Newbie

OK! Lynn's not a newbie, anymore...here is her first FO:

On to her next project, a prayer shawl. Speaking of prayer shawls, did you know the shop is giving away top-name brand-new yarn for charity blankets? We want you to use the good stuff. Come see Rhonda.

www.theyarncottagefairhope.com

Good Back & Pits Too

The back of Nona's sweater is just wonderful, especially after a couple of froggings here and there. Even the pits are fantastic! Now we will all have to make one. Rhonda's red one is already into the lace section (we will have to get her to model it soon), but mine is only in my mind (it is either blue or white, can't make it out at the end of that long line of projects waiting their turn(s)). This is the "February Lady" sweater from www.ravelry.com, and Nona is using 8 balls of Greenland from Cascade.

Olivia Models New Shrug

Here is Olivia, modelling our newest Shrug, made with Malabrigo Chunky. It looks great on her! So easy & quick, with only 2 balls needed for the ladies small size, which this one is. We can modify the pattern for you to make any size you want. We used a Silver Floral & Ebony Stickpin instead of the dreaded buttonhole. There is a cool edging planned for later. Oh, and the pattern is from www.ravelry.com, it's the Reversible Winter Capelet, but we changed the edges to seed stitch. It is knitted raglan-style from the top down and is so easy and took about 2 evenings on size 11s.

Purple Lace & Cable Top

Lace and Cable Top in Lavender
Originally uploaded by bikesun2001

No longer blue, I have restarted the top with a better quantity of yarn. Also, this yarn is more like the gauge called for in the pattern, so I don't have to modify the pattern....less stitches, too. Too bad for the beautiful shrug (from the cover of the latest Vogue Knitting) I had planned to make in lavender.

Also worked today on a pretty cool Anthropologie-inspired shrug in a brown-grey shade of Malabrigo Chunky. Used up a whole ball of it & gonna finish up tomorrow maybe. I'll wear it with a shawl pin closure.