Jaberknitty

Modified Coronet for Mom!

2008-04-29T14:58:00.000-07:00

My mom bought me some lovely cascade 220 in a forest green colorway so tha ti could make her a hat. The first try was a total flop. The hat looked ok on me, but not so great on her. Turns out my head is quite a bit smaller than my mom's.

This time the hat worked out GREAT! I did a modified version of coronet from Knitty.com. I chose a wider cable around the brim, which meant the cable was as wide as the ears and puffier so it trapped more heat. The way teh band when around the hat really helped it stay down over the ears too.

Steve says he wants one like it but with out all those "girly" cables. I think it might work with a 2x2 rib in place of the cables.

I might sneak one like this in for me first though....

Hats Hats Hats

2008-03-20T16:28:00.001-07:00

I finished the hat I was making for my cousin Kyle. I think it turned out pretty well, but there are a few things I would change.

1. wrap the short rows

2. kitchner the hat closed at the end

3. try to get better guage so that I have 5 slices instead of 4 ( I think this would make a smoother, less pointy top)

4. use a bulky yarn to begin with , four balls of worsted weight got a little tangly at times

I am however very happy with how this turned out. I would definitely make this again. It was a wonderfully fast knit. Broken up into all the sections I always felt like I accomplished a lot , even if I only knit for 10 minutes.

I finished a very warm hat for myself. It is double layered in worsted weight yarn, and I checked it out this morning. It is very warm. It was also fairly unnecessary, but I wore it anyway. It matches the scarf I made a while ago out of the same yarn.

Tychus Hat

2008-03-02T13:26:00.000-08:00

Started a Tychus hat for my cousin. He wanted green and blue, so after going to multiple yarn stores that seemed to be sold out of boy appropriate blue and green I chose these yarns from my stash. Knitpicks wool of the andes in blue bonnet and green something from my grandmother's stash.

I love the way it looks, but if I ever make this pattern again I will definitely wrap the stitches to avoid the holes made by the short rows. On the plus side this is a super fast knit with the yarn held doubled on size nine needles.

A Very Warm Hat

2008-03-02T13:21:00.000-08:00

I recently started a very warm hat from Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitting Around. You basically knit two hats that are attached to each other so you have a reversible double layer hat. I'm making this in the same yarn I used for my bias rib scarf, so I'll have a matching set.

The yarn is dramatically pooling and making spiral stripes on the first hat, I've decided I like it. I'll experiment with the other hat though, taking yarn from both ends of the ball to try and prevent pooling.

Finished Shawl

2008-03-02T13:14:00.000-08:00

I finally finished the first project I ever started in lace weight yarn. It's also the first shawl I ever started. Because of this I wanted it to be an easy project. The only problem is I made it too easy. Here's the pattern:

Size 3 needles
increase one stitch by k1fb at the start of each row

It was so boring that I decided to stop knitting after two balls of yarn instead of the three I had originally planned. This actually worked out pretty well though, because the shawl was already 60 inches wide when off the needles.

My favorite part of the project was the garter stitch cast off. I love the way the bound off edge is still stretchy. I love the way it looks and I even loved knitting it. I found the K2 K2tog, K3 rhythm very soothing.

Another bonus to stopping after two balls is I now have enough yarn left over to make a scarf!
The yarn is super yummy and soft alpaca and silk from knitpicks.

Art's Blanket

2008-02-08T15:03:00.000-08:00

I started a blanket to keep my brother warm in Kazakhstan. My goal is to finish it before he leaves!

The two day hat

2008-02-08T14:52:00.000-08:00

My good friend Asa called me the other day and let me know he was leaving on a trip around the world in two days. I've always wanted to knit something for Asa and decided that this would be the perfect time. So I went to the knitting store and bought the bulkiest architecture man friendly yarn, Katie nordic in black, white and grey. It was absolutely wonderful to work with. Like knitting with a cloud, if it was warm and made of wool. I can already tell that this hat will pill like CRAZY, but it will still be warm and I'm happy to say it was finished in time. Have an awesome trip Asa! I'll miss you but look forward to hearing all your amazing stories.

Ball Band

2008-01-24T16:29:00.001-08:00

My first ever ball band dish rag and I LOVE it! I can't really describe it, but I'm fascinated by the pattern. It's so cute. Like little fluffy cottony bricks. Steve says it would make a nice pillow case, he might have something there...

Teddy Bear Blanket

2008-01-24T16:20:00.001-08:00

I began this blanket about two years ago. It was one of my first ever knitting projects. It started out great, but then I started to learn about knitting and discovered such things as stitch definition and wool. Somehow amidst all the wonderful new things to learn and try the 50 x 50 inch blanket got shoved in the back of the closet. I recently promised to make my brother a blanket and decided that before I even cast on for my brother's blanket (tough stuff since I already have the yarn) I would finish this two year old blanket. Amazingly, that is just what I did.

Now I fully admit that this blanket already looks like it is 20 years old and has not had an easy life, but I still love it. It is soft, cuddly, squoshy, warm, and best of all an amazing cat magnet.

Two years in the making and worth the wait! As an added bonus I don't even blink when the cats knead the blanket cuz it already looks like it's been attacked by a cat!

The Greatest Socks Ever!

2008-01-14T07:43:00.000-08:00

I got my sockapalooza sock exchange socks and they're fantastic. They arrived on the first day of school this semester. This was a day when I really needed a pick-me-up so it was perfect. The socks fit wonderfully, which is something I have rarely experienced with size 5.5 feet. They're also a wonderful mix of blues and purples, my favorites! Plus the pattern is mesmerizing, I love the little scales. Whenever I see these socks on my feet or in my drawer (I can't wear them everyday) I get a big smile on my face. Thanks so much sockpal!

Finished Projects

2008-01-12T10:02:00.000-08:00

Yay! I actually finished some projects.

First off, I finished my mother-in-law's Christmas present in time for Christmas. I really enjoyed knitting this wrap. It was wonderful to knit something that I knew would be really appreciated and I also really enjoyed the pattern from Vogue knitting on the go: shawls. It was a wonderfully fluid pattern that was rhythmic and relaxing. Plus the yarn was soft and shiny, which made it fun to work with. I'm really happy with how this turned out and hope Lou enjoys using it as much as I enjoyed making it.

Unoriginal Hat
I made this hat for fun and for charity. It's just a little too small for me, which means it should be good for a child somewhere. This hat was started because I really wanted to just finish something. I ended up liking it a lot more than I thought. The fabric is really dense, which I think will make it nice and warm, and I really like the way the colors turned out. I'm also pleasantly surprised at how well the cables showed up. If I had more yarn I would make one for me!

I made this hat for my mom to match her awesome down jacket. Unfortunately it makes her head look a little too much like an egg. Fortunately, I have more of the yarn and the hat makes a wonderful swatch. I really like the way the yarn pooled in a big spiral up the seed stitch brim. The hat fits me quite nicely, but since I already have quite a few hats and plans to knit more, this will also become a child's charity hat (yes I have a very small head). If there is enough yarn left after my mom's hat I'm going to line the seed stitch brim to make the hat extra warm. My plan is to knit a couple more charity hats with leftover yarn and then send them all in at the same time.

Also, I can now be found on Ravelry! So I'll be putting more information on the projects up there.

Steve and I are also starting a non-knitting blog, so if you're interested in hearing about our cross country ski adventure and our prospective move to Michigan give us a visit at http://www.steveandaimee.blogspot.com!

New Projects

2007-10-24T10:20:00.000-07:00

This is the start of a top down raglan cardigan with cables. I couldn't find a pattern I wanted so I'm using the general recipe in Barbara Walker's Knitting from the Top. I'm trying to semi-recreate a sweater that I love from the Gap.

Chevron Scarf from Last Minute Knit Gifts using Nature's Palette. I think I like the original with two hand dyed yarns better, but this is pretty nice too .

Awwwwwwww

Charity Shawl

2007-10-19T17:02:00.000-07:00

My first ever finished shawls ans well as my first ever finished charity knitting project. This was definitely the largest (in terms of stitches) knitting project I have ever completed. At times I never thought it would be finished but I truly enjoyed working on it. I also love the finished product. The shawls is soft and light, but also warm. It will be donated to Anna Marie's Alliance. I hope the recipient will love owning this shawl as much as I loved making it.

Italy!

2007-10-19T16:29:00.000-07:00

Our trip to Italy was AMAZING! We had a great time sight seeing and hanging out together. Turns out Steve is pretty fun to be with.

We landed is Pisa and spent half a day there exploring the leaning tower, local Duomo and the museum.

We then traveled by train to Cinque Terre and spent three days hiking between the towns, eating tasty seafood and going to the beach (Images of beach not included due to nudeness of some beach goers)

Next stop was Montalcino. A lovely Tuscan hill town with the best pasta Steve and I have ever had. We also had fun visiting the local museum and hiking around the vineyards.

Our final stop was Rome, where we visited the Vatican museums, St. Peters Basilica, the Colosseum and the Roman Forum.

All in all one of the best trips I've ever taken. My only regret is that we could only afford 10 days instead of 30!

Traveling Wrap

2007-09-17T12:35:00.000-07:00

I wanted a good traveling project for my trip to Italy with Steve. I decided on a simple wrap because it is light weight, portable, and since I'm making it up there's no pattern to carry. The pattern is very loosely based upon the Contessa shawl kit sold at Morehouse Merino. I like the kit better, but I think mine is turning out pretty nice too. It is all stockinette stitch so it curls a bit. My swatch flattened out pretty well though, and I think a little bit of curl is pretty. Plus it really shows of the soft blues, purples and greens of the yarn. I'm hoping to finish this on the trip. Hey I can dream.

Little Bit

2007-09-09T17:48:00.000-07:00

I knit this sweater in one day! Talk about instant gratification. I really enjoyed knitting it. I usually like to knit things at a tighter guage, so it was very exciting to go crazy with big needles and worsted weight yarn. I actually like the pattern so much I would like to try it later with smaller needles and possibly grafted seams at the underarms. It is just perfect to wear over a tank top so I feel cute and summery but not too under-dressed. I really like the yarn too. Its knitpicks Shine Worsted. The color is great and it's super soft. It does seem a little sheddy though.

Oregon

2007-09-06T09:37:00.000-07:00

Steve and I recently got back from a great trip to Oregon. We met up with some of my classmates for some climbing and hiking in Smith Rock State Park. The park was beautiful, full of steep cliffs and a cool river ( I know we tried it out!).

Here's our campsite by moonlight

This is the crooked river running through the park

This is Steve on his first outside leak belay. Scary!

Here's a picture of me climbing the same route. It's just from a different angle that makes the climb look harder than it actually is. Good job camera angle! No one needs to know that Steve is actually a much better climber...

This is the AWESOME car my grandma Phoebe gave Steve and I. It took us all the way out to Oregon in style. The stereo and air conditioning were awesome! Thanks Grandma.

Steve and I split up from the rest of the group and spent a night at Crater Lake on the way home. If you haven't been there I really suggest it. The lake sits in a huge crater that was formed when a mountain collapsed after a volcanic eruption. We went on a short hike up to the top of a small peak and then spent the night in the giant 200 site campground. That night there was a HUGE thunder storm that literally shook the ground. It was a little creepy but alaso awe inspiring and amazing.

And here's some knitting. This is a cotton washcloth for Steve. I took it on the camping trip with me and knit some of it by headlamp. That actually worked surprisingly well. I'll have to remember the headlamp for future use if I have tricky yarn.

I also knit a swatch for the project I want to take with me on our Italy trip. After working on the wrap for my mother in law, I want one for myself. A laceweight project is also perfect for our trip since We're trying to travel with just day packs.

Finally, one last picture because I think it's so funny. My cats don't really like each other than much, but the other day I saw Echo (white one) cuddle up to Ruby. The funny thing about it was that Ruby was under the rug. So it looks like Echo is cuddling up with a lump!

Wrap

2007-08-22T16:18:00.001-07:00

My wonderful mother-in-law is in need of a pretty wrap for her nights on the town. She is an expert crocheter, but wanted something knit, and I was only too happy to oblige. This is a very cute pattern from Vogue Knitting on the Go: Shawls. The yarn is Knitpicks bare merino/ silk fingering weight. So far I'm very very happy with this project. The yarn is soft, shiny and wonderful to work with. The pattern is easy to memorize and just repetitive enough to get a good rhythm going. The one problem with this project is that it's making me wish I had a wrap. Now where would I ever get one of those...

TWO YEARS!!!

2007-08-22T16:13:00.000-07:00

Steve and I have now been married for two years! I'm rather proud of us. We survived my hardest year of PT school. I'm so lucky to have someone who takes such good care of me and loves me so much! He is also very understanding of my recent knitting obsession. He even got me a swift as an anniversary present! (having him help me wind 400 yards of fingering weight yearn might have helped convince him)

Already been used! I love you swift, but I love Steve even more.

Sock pal Socks

2007-08-22T15:56:00.001-07:00

My sockpal said she likes bright colors....

So I'm not too happy with the way these turned out, which is why I sent lots of other bright happy presents with them to distract my sock pal. I knit these toe up, to make sure I had enough yarn. I think I really need to work on my increases. The toes turned out all puffy and the yarn wasn't as soft as I would have liked.

My sockpal Tikabelle received her socks and wrote a lovely blog entry about them. I'm so glad she seemed to like them (I was worried). I hope she enjoys the socks and they keep her feet warm!

All in all I'm glad I participated in the sockapalooza 4 sock exchange. There were some rough patches in the middle, but seeing my socks on my sockpal's feet made it all worth while!

First EVER finished socks!

2007-08-22T15:49:00.000-07:00

So I actually finished these socks quite a while ago. I had some lovely pictures, but due to communication problems, the pictures are no more. Imagine Steve wearing one sock and Aimee wearing the other. Big foot and small foot. Trust me they were awesome! Even if they weren't, you'll never know...

So I quite enjoyed knitting these. They fit Steve quite well and he wears them around the house all the time (but for some reason never out of the house, maybe it's the bright green stripes). My only complaint is that I would have liked different yarn. The yarn I used, which is now discontinued, wasn't very soft and the colors just weren't quite right. However I'm very happy I made something that is functional and keeps my sweeties feet warm!

This is not a hat for me

2007-05-09T18:54:00.000-07:00

This is a hat I made for my friend at school. Fortunately he has a larger head than I do. I tested this hat on my husband's giant (cute) head and it was a little too small, so it should be perfect for my friend. I told my friend I would make him a hat in August and finished it just in time for our first 80+ day of summer. Oh well, it won't go bad before winter. I held two strands of yarn together to make the hat. I really like the way it makes a random color pattern.

Pattern: Last Minute Knit Gifts
Yarn: Wool of the Andes from Knit Picks
Needles: US 8 for rib US 9 for rest

I dream of swifts...

2007-04-24T18:08:00.000-07:00

Wha-Bam!! Over 800 yards of lace weight yarn wound by hand. (one of three skeins) This lovely yarn if from handpaintedyarn.com and is very lovely. I have to admit I was looking for something more monochromatic when I ordered it. However the online pictures made it look even more uni-blue than my photos do. It is actually a mix of blue, green and aqua. I plan to make an circular shawl from it if my garter stitch monster ever gets finished.
Here is a cat for scale.
Here is a cat for cuteness.
In case you don't know what a swift is, or would like to buy me one, you can find one here.

Project of Doom!

2007-04-24T18:07:00.000-07:00

I recently purchased the Knitters Almanac and became infatuated with the pi shawl. However, I've never even used lace weight yarn. So I got the great idea that I would use the little bit I had in my closed to do a practice project. So I cast on for a bottom up garter stitch shawl on size 3 needles. It didn't seem so bad at the start, but now I can see that this shawl is going to take forever, be boring, and not really teach me anything. I've also seen a similar one on size nine needles that looks fine. Unfortunately, I really like it. The colors are beautiful, it has a nice drape, and I think it will be warm and light when finished. So I will slog on! But I might start the pi shawl too....

Photo taken moments before Ruby attempted to eat shawl.

Shedir

2007-04-24T17:42:00.000-07:00

Pattern: Shedir
Yarn: Knit Picks merino style in dusk (1.25 balls)
Needles: Knit Picks US 3

I think that this is definitely the most beautiful thing I have ever knit! I love the way the tiny little cables weave in and out of each other, and the crown shaping is brilliant! I only knit four cable repeats instead of five and it is still pretty big. It is definitely too big for me, but I think it will fit my dad. If he wants it, I think it will make a lovely birthday present. As long as he promises not to machine wash it! Not only is this the most beautiful thing I've ever knit, it is also the most complicated. If I didn't have 100 other things already on my "to knit" list I would knit myself one of these babies right now!

Hat, you rock! And I think I rock just a little bit because I made you!

Warm Fuzzy Tummy

2007-04-02T15:55:00.000-07:00

My new most favorite vest ever! EVER! I loved knitting this and working with the wonderfully soft beautifully colored misti alpaca yarn. I loved it so much I didn't want to finish. It took me a full week to weave in the ends and admit that I was officially done. I'm glad I finished though, because I wore it around this weekend and had a wonderfully warm and fuzzy tummy! Now that I'm finally finished though I'm excited about getting a new project on the needles (or maybe an old one off the needles...).

Pattern: Knitty Leftovers Vest
Yarn: Misti Alpaca Baby Chunky
Needles: Denise Interchangeable US 10
Fun: Lots

You can never have too many scarves

2007-03-04T18:35:00.000-08:00

I am actually knitting, just not doing a very good job of posting. What you see here is a bias rib knit scarf made from patons classic wool is rosewood. I'm very happy with the way it turned out. I wanted a stitch pattern that showed off the color changes, I felt that anything garter stitch would be out. I like how the rib knit makes it look like stocking knit fabric without the rolling and the bias makes everything all slanty. Plus it was nice to have an easy brainless project to knit during midterms!

For a late birthday gift I told my brother I would knit him anything he wanted. He, unexpectedly, chose these. The pattern is from Last Minute Knit Gifts, and the yarn is knitpicks wool of the andes. They were really fun and fast to knit, makes me think I might need a pair too! Art seemed to really like them and wore them around the house the whole time I was visiting (yay!) I don't know about his habit of wearing one at a time though...

Also finished my first sock ever! But I promised myself I would finish the other one before I post. Just a little motivation to get it done before next winter!

I heart my hat!

2007-01-22T21:25:00.000-08:00

So, after a terrible sweater monster debacle I'm back on my knitting feet and producing finished objects worthy of being seen. (The sweater monster is currently in a trash bag, locked in a closet to prevent it from influincing future knitting)
This is a double knit hat I made for my mom. She wanted a really warm hat and I think this will fit the bill. It's two layers of wool of the andes bulky. It didn't turn out quite like I would have liked. The inside stitches (that I purled) are a little looser than the outside ones. I'm still pretty proud of it though. It was a fun new technique to learn.

This is a dish towel I knit for my wonderful Grandma Phoebe. It is made with 100% cotton knit picks crayon. It's super soft! I want a blanket made out if it, I just don't want to make it myself.

Finally, the coolest hat I have EVER made! I liked it around as a boring blue hat, but I LOVE it as an embeleshed hat! This was my first time trying to embroider and it worked out much better than I thought it would. It wasn't as hard as I was expecting. I'm looking forward to using this technique again.

New Knitting

2006-11-18T11:18:00.000-08:00

I have lots of fun new knits to share!

First off, Feather and fan shrug for brother in law's wedding. It was really supposed to be a stole, but I ran out of time. I was seaming in the pew before the wedding started. I really like how it turned out, but I think I would prefer a stole. Maybe after a little break I'll hop back on that horse.

Pattern: Feather and fan three repeats
Yarn: Knit Picks main line wool and cotton in dusky lavender
Needles: US 11

Next up is a hat I made for my wonderful friend Rebecca. I absolutely love the color and hope she does too. The entire time I was making this all I could think about was how great a ribbed turtle neck in this yarn would look (on me specifically). I loved the pattern, but had a little trouble with the grafting (it was my first try).

Pattern: Coronet from Knitty
Yarn: Brown Sheep Bulky in Chianti
Needles: US 10.5

Baby hats for my cousins baby! First ever baby project. Boy are these things small! I made one a little bigger so hopefully at least one will fit. I tried grafting again, and this time I actually got it to work!

Yarn: Knit Picks Swish superwash
Needles: US 7

Last but hopefully not least, a scarf for my friend Marissa. I wanted to make her a pretty scarf to wear in sunny San Diego. It's not as soft and drapey as I would have liked but hopefully it will soften up in time. I guess this just means I will have to make Marissa another scarf sometime!

Pattern: Vogue Stitchionary 1 #172 alternating diagonals
Yarn: Sugar n Cream in Jeans
Needles: US 7

????

2006-09-09T10:32:00.000-07:00

Most questionable cucumber/tomato pairing in history.

I finished my first foray into faire isle and loved it! All the hat needs is to be washed, blocked and worn with pride. Now the question is, what next? I really want to try this vertical stripes/cabling thing I saw on a vest. I think I'll try it in hat form first though.

My first ever swatch for my first ever sock. (sorry it's blurry) I've been putting off this project because the socks are for my husbands big feet. However, he's been walking by me recently mumbling about cold feet, so the time has come. If I ever finish these socks for me will be a breeze.

Finally, my most dreaded project. A bottom up raglan sweater. Now don't get me wrong, I like the pattern. A nice easy relaxed sweater for my first raglan attempt with cute slits on the side. What I really don't like is the yarn. I just don't think I can handle thin thick yarn. I love knitting and watching the neat little rows of v's line up into neat little columns. I just don't get that organizational high with this yarn.
Look! No neat rows or columns! I've learned my lesson. Thin thick yarn may work for other people, but I think I'll stick to nice even circumference for the time being. It doesn't help than my mom bought me wonderful misti alpaca yarn that I am forbidden to use before this sweater is done...

Wearing my sweater with pride!

2006-08-17T20:38:00.000-07:00

Finally I finished my wrap sweater! It streched a little during the blocking process but I still love it! Maybe next time I wash it I'll try to block it smaller. All in all, first set in sleve attempt...SUCCESS! My first sweater for me and I've already worn it three times!

Two hats that I just knit up. No pattern, just started knitting. So these are sort of the first designs of my own. Though I don't think you can call them designs since I didn't put any planning into the process. I still really like them though. Cable with the bow is for me. Wavy hat matches a certain scarf for a certain sister-in-law.

Mystery project and first faire isle attempt. me likey!

My brother wearing a hat I made for him. Good luck in Kazakhstan bro!

Finished object afterglow

2006-08-02T13:48:00.000-07:00

I've been very busy recently. I've finished THREE scarves in the last week. Here are the first two.
#1
pattern: dropped stitch bias scarf
yarn: knit picks andean silk in sangria
needles: US 6

#2
pattern: Men's cashmere scarf from last minute knit gifts
yarn: misti alpaca 100% baby alpaca 1 skein
needles: US 11

I really like the LMKG book. Lovely pictures and real ordinary people for models. Someday I'm going to make the hourglass sweater. And maybe a rabbit, they're awfully cute. Plus I've already planned out a cabled version of the gift bag. If only I could knit as fast as I could think of things to knit!

#3
pattern: madison scarf
yarn: knit picks andean silk navy
needles: US 10.5

My first ever attempt at something lacy. I really liked making it. I think I would like to make a real lace project with lace weight yarn, but can't decide what to make. the only think I can think of that I might actually use would be a scarf. I'm a little scarfed out right now though. Shawls are lovely, but I have to be honest with myself. I would never wear one. I hardly ever wear anything other than jeans and I'm not artsy or fashionable enough to pull off a shawl with those.

I'm almost done with my first ever seamed sweater. I've put one inset arm in and it looks ok...I'm almost tempted to remove the entire sleeve and redo all the seams. Almost. Maybe if I can get the other arm to look better I'll redo the first. Maybe blocking will fix it! Maybe it's my first sweater for myself and I'll love it no matter what it looks like!

zoom zoom!

2006-07-28T11:01:00.000-07:00

Not a whole lot of knitting recently. My dad and brother were out here, and we went to the moto gp races at Laguna Seca. It was so hot (over 100 and over 140 on the track) that I turned bright red and got dizzy a couple of times, but still managed to have fun. Anyone who get on one of those bikes in those leathers looks hot, but when they go 100mph they look down right sexy!

Race winner Nicky Hayden

Blue Lump

2006-07-16T09:28:00.000-07:00

The goal is for this:

To turn into this:

This is the other project I have going right now. Hopefully this one will end up fitting me. So far I have the back and two fronts done. I had one of the sleves almost finished before I measured it and realized that the pattern was not written for climbers. Apparently I have larger forearms than the pattern thinks a small person should have. So, I ripped out the sleeve and started over. I'm still really excited about the project and if I can get the sleeve cap to fit into the sleeve I think it will look great. I'm a little nervous having never attempted a set in sleeve before, but also excited to be tackling what I considered a big challenge.

Current Knitting

2006-07-08T11:12:00.000-07:00

Right now I'm doing a lot of scarves becase they are good practice and make great gifts. Because my grad school (especially the kind you have to pay for) doesn't really help the ol' pocket book, everyone gets knitted gifts this year. Anyone have any suggestions for gifts for guys? (little easy ones) When I asked my dad what he wanted he said, "a sweater, like those Dale of Norway ones" He gets coal this year.

Pattern: none - bias scarf w/ dropped stitches
Yarn: knitpicks andean silk
Needles: us 6
I'm very happy with how this is turning out. I finished most of it in the airport waiting for a delayed flight. It's very satisfying to knit because I feel like I've really accomplished something when I get to drop a stitch.

Pattern: Madison Scarf
Yarn: knitpicks andean silk
Needles: US 10.5
This is my first experince with anything resembling lace knitting. Next step is a short decorative lace scarf in tiny yarn. I haven't used anything smaller than a size six needle, so it might take a while to get up my courage.

ps - feline concensus is that this yarn is tasty

In the beginning

2006-07-04T11:34:00.000-07:00

After much debate, I have finally decided to start a blog. Why you ask? Here's why;

Knitting has been one of the most important factors (besides my husband) in keeping my sanity during my recent career change
I love reading other people's knitting blogs and thought I might add my own thoughts to the mix
Why not?

So how does one start a blog? An introduction seems to be in order. Hi! I'm Aimee. I live in Berkeley and have recently overthrown all career plans and decided to become a physical therapist. I have two cats and one husband. I started teaching myself to knit around December of last year. Since I have the summer off (except for my awesome job at Marmot Mountain works) I have decided to become, minimally, an advanced intermediate knitter by the time school starts!

Now on to the knitting! Here's what I've accomplished so far;

little felted bag
My first ever hat turned out hat shaped and close to the right size. I couldn't be happier!
My second hat. Husband said it was too small. I think this is due more to husband's head size than hat's size.

My first cable experience. It was suprisingly much easier than I expected. I now have the strange urge to add cables to everything.
Scarves and first ever blocking experience. I have to admit, I was quite terrified when I first put all that wooly goodness into a sinkful of water.
Right twist scarf, my pride and joy. Finished, blocked and in brilliant purple!

Knitty wavy scarf. For sister-in-law. Navy blue.
My absolute greatest accomplishment thus far. A sweater! A real full sized, arms and everything sweater. It fits my mom perfectly (ignore the fact that I was trying to make it for me) . My mom even said she would wear it out in public! Oh happy day! I am now intermediate knitter!