Knitting Camp 2009

I arrived home from Knitting camp last Sunday. Knitting camp was fun, it was colder than normal July weather on Thursday and Friday but the sun was shining Saturday and Sunday and it warmed right up by the time we left. There was a family of robins in one of the pavilions where we ate. We got to watch mama robin bring the babies worms while we were having lunch on Sunday. There were 3 babies in the nest but by the time I got my camera and came back to take pictures, only one little head was showing. The fashion show was great as usual, I go home with many more projects spinning around in my head. It is amazing how a sweater that may look so-so in the magazine looks great when it is knit up and in person. After seeing a Shawl That Jazz in person, I may have the perfect yarn in my stash to make one.

I ended up working on a Lavalette shawl and a Spring Things Shawl. I started a sweater but my gauge was off so I have abandoned that for now and have found 2 more possibilities for the yarn instead. I have about 25 more rows on the Lavalette but don't think it will be done for the recipient's birthday this week. I have a Calorimetry already made for her so she may just get that now. I will be giving the Flower Basket in the last post to a co-worker on Tuesday, her birthday was Friday but she won't be in till Tuesday.

At camp, I bought a kit for a cowl and some mitts and some Mini Moche that will become a shawl. I also bought 2 pair of earrings that a camp goer made. I also bought a knitting bag, fabric covered graph pad, little notion bag and a needle case from another vendor. I bought two other sizes of her bags when she was at camp 2 years ago (well I bought one at camp and had her make me a larger one). She didn't come last year so I was very happy to see her back as I love the colors of her bags.

My lunch knitting is still a scarf for the red scarf project, I have about a third of it done. It is mindless enough to work on during our shortened lunch hours for the summer.

Flower Basket Scarf sized

This is the Flower Basket scarf version in some KFI Cashmerino for a co-worker. It was a fun, quick knit. Ulmus is now done and blocking.

I still haven't finalized my camp knitting. My room is being re-done (painted and maybe the floors redone) while I am away and I have had to clean out my room. Was a long job, found yarn I had forgotten I had bought. I really don't need to buy any ever again and I will still not knit it all up. It has got me planning many projects in my head. I also now can't find some needles and other stuff.

Anonymous had asked if I thought of making a "Shawl that Jazz". I had seen the pattern but haven't purchased it yet. I am also now liking the Milkweed Shawl and the Aestlight Shawl after finding them on Ravelry. There are just too many shawls that I want to knit, especially as I don't really wear them. I am thinking though that the shoulder shawls are a good fit as I would wear them to work over a turtleneck in the winter or over a tee in the summer as it is cool at work.

My camp knitting is now a Lavalette shawl for a co-worker as I have the yarn picked out and just need to wind it. I may start a Summer's End sweater for me in some Cascade 220 that I dug out of the stash this morning thinking to use it with another yarn for something else. I didn't like them together and it is enough for one of these sweaters. This may be it for me. The weather report so far has Thursday as being nice, Friday as hot, then the weekend is uncertain. Lavalette is light enough to work in the heat. I will have to finalize my decisions by Wednesday so I can get it all packed and ready to go.

Old Shale Shawl

This is the Old Shale Shawl that was in Spin-Off magazine. I used some Frog Tree Alpaca from the stash.

I have finished the Flower Basket shawl/scarf today and it is now blocking. I used a heavier weight yarn and size 10 needles. I did 6 repeats of the pattern for the scarf though it only called for 4. I think I would have run out of yarn if I tried to do a 7th. It measures about sixty inches across so it came out more small shawl sized which will work for my friend.

I hope to finish my Ulmus by next Sunday so I can block it and bring it to Knitting camp for the fashion show they have every year. I am on the border and now I have to pay more attention to the pattern as it has changed from the main pattern which had become repeative and I could figure out by looking at it.

I still haven't figured out what I am bringing to camp. I am off tomorrow and will really have to sit down and figure out some options. I may bring one small shoulder shawl by Knitspot which will be for another co-worker. I want to bring a non lace project to work on when I really don't want to be tied to a chart. I had a vest planned but now don't really want to make it. I may start a top down sweater which will be mindless enough that I can knit it while chatting. The projects will change depending on the weather forecast for when I am there. If it is hot and humid, there will be no sweater project. I may have to start something child sized instead. My second Ulmus may be an option. So, I may bring: Knitspot shawl, Ulmus number 2, adult sweater or child sweater project. Those 3 should be enough for 4 days.

Meret Beret

Here's another Meret Beret. This one is for a co-worker for her birthday. I have cast on a scarf sized Flower Basket shawl/scarf by Fiber Trends for her next. My computer is acting up so I can't update anything on Ravelry. It does this every now and then and then it will start working again. If it still doesn't work tomorrow, I will delete all the cookies and stuff on the computer even though then other stuff starts to act up. I got this computer in 2005 and even though I am still on dial-up it should still work. Oh, well it gets me off the computer and back to reading and knitting quickly every day. I am hooked on the Charlaine Harris Sookie Stackhouse books and want to finish them all before I start watching the first season of True Blood DVD that I bought.

Ulmus is still my lunch knitting though and I hope to keep that up till at least the weekend. My Selbu Modern beret is waiting a little while, the small needles cramp up my hands.

I'm One!

Kayla is now 1. She was born the first week in June according to the rescue I took her home from. This picture was taken in the middle of May. I still call them the kittens but they are both one now. Neither one is as large as the 17 year old male is though Kayla is tubby and Juliet is long and lean.

As for knitting, I finished a Meret beret today and it is blocking. I still haven't blocked the shawl that has been done for a few weeks. Maybe Friday as I have the afternoon off to take my mother to an appointment. I have started a Selbu Modern hat today in pink and blue.

Yesterday was our last Spinning guild meeting till October. I bought a gorgeous purple angora/wool yarn from Woolybuns. I also won a prize in the scotch auction they have every meeting. I don't think I have personally won in over a year though I did have a friend who had to leave and left me with her tickets and she won. My prize was a Knitspot pattern and a gorgeous merino/tencel yarn from The Painted Sheep.

Not much knitting this weekend as I bought a new cell phone yesterday and have spent both days talking with tech and getting it set up. Along with a bunch of texting before and after I brought it home. It is as set up as it is going to get for a while as my hands now hurt from holding it and playing with it all day.

FO - Daisy Cardigan

This is called the Daisy Cardigan but I forgot all about embroidering some flowers on it. I was so happy is done and now mailed off. I have lots more kids stuff planned but in different yarns and colors besides white and pink. The cardigan was also supposed to have picot edges but they just didn't look right so I just went with some easy rolled edges. I also just put on crochet ties instead of knitting them into the bind off. I like this sweatr and will make in in another color sometime with the embroidery added.

Still plugging away on Ulmus and the Meret beret. This weekend I will block the Old Shale shawl. I do have Spinning guild on Saturday so that will take part of my day. Not sure how long I will stay as I have some more stuff to do at home.

Loopy Groupie

I ordered from Loopy Ewe last week and must have hit the magic number because I got the Loopy Groupie package. A calender, skein of sock yarn, sock pattern, tote bag and a little bag of hershey's kisses. Along with that was the skein of yarn that I bought (for another Ulmus) and a Knitspot pattern.

I finished the baby sweater and it has been mailed off, pictures soon. Today the mail brought a large Pampers box of yarn, needles, buttons, books and a knitting bag from my friend. It was the rest of her MIL's knitting items. It is all to be donated (along with the rest of the her white yarn) to a senior home near me. I have a bunch of yarn that is also going along.

I finished a shawl and need to block it. I have since started a beret for a friend for her birthday in July (I think). She has mentioned when I would wear my berets that she would like one. She would also like a shawl and I had some red put away for a scarf for her so instead she will get a Forest Canopy shawl (for Xmas) as I have just enough to make one and I will probably start it at camp. I knit almost all of mine at camp a few years ago.

Beyond that, Ulmus is still my work knitting and will continue till it gets too big or I finish the beret whichever comes first. Then I will start another childs sweater for the friend above as I have some more yarn to use up and the baby items are fun to make. I am planning to start a vest for me but I have Amy at Spunky Eclectic dyeing up the contrast yarn for me and that should arrive before the 4th of July.