Fiddlesticks

Here is a mini update on my fiddlehead mittens.

Well, I'm working on size 2 needles and I'm getting 27 sts to 4." The circumference is at 9.25." Unfortunately, I feel like I should leave it alone and just continue on knitting. Usually with fair isle, I was always tight, especially when I carried my yarn over and didn't give it enough room for ease. My fair isle stocking was to practice my fair isle, in addition to this project before I pick up my snow flake test project mittens again. A few rows ago, I started to either knit tighter or not give as much ease when I carry my yarn over and I may continue with my tighter knitting and see how it goes, but we'll see.

I tried to knit with the size 1 at first, but that was a bit too much, especially with the icord cast on, so I switched to the 2's.

I do think that the colors are pretty, but they almost blend too well together, where the colors don't pop out as much as I would have exactly liked, but when I was picking out the color for these mittens, I didn't want to go for the wow WOW factor, but something that didn't stand out too much. My goal was to be able to wear them with multiple things and not just certain things. I feel that I could have probably gone with a brighter purple or something. Next time I guess. They aren't done yet and maybe my eyes are just too tired to concentrate on the colors, but maybe it'll look better/stand out later.

Now I just have to get motivated to start studying.

Merry Christmas

I figured I should update about my knitting progress and my stash since it is nearing the end of the year and once school starts again, I won't have much time to post for awhile. I suppose, I should start off with my Christmas stocking. I finished knitting it, but I have decided to block it and line it. I have yet to do both of those things however, unfortunately. I have been knitting and watching lots of movies with my cat and neglecting my school work. Due to the fact that Pipie, my cat sleeps next to me or on my lap while I knit, I say that she helps me knit. Well, Pipie, has done a beautiful job with my Christmas stocking.

Yarn: Valley Yarns Berkshire Bulky
(1.5) 23 Eggplant
(1.5) 24 Light Blue
Needles: US 10
Pattern: Falling Snow Stocking by Jennifer Hoel

I ended up bringing it to Christmas at grandma's because I started the stocking at thanksgiving and decided to show everyone. Nearly everyone laughed at how big it is and it is quite big, but if you read all of the comments on ravelry and even in the pattern instructions itself, the stocking is large. If I put the stocking on my leg, just for kicks and giggles, the thing will go up to my knee, that is how big it is. I must say though that it certainly beats Mr Morter's Christmas stocking just outside of his office. He's my Spinal II teacher and his stocking was like 3 feet long - that is just tacky.

I was quite suprised that my brother's girlfriend gave me a gift certificate to The Sow's Ear in Verona, WI. It was very nice, especially to a real yarn shop. There is nothing more pleasing than feeling the fiber of a sheep, alpaca, or whatnot flow through your fingertips as you knit. Now that I am here, I'm never going back to that plastic crap again, or at least I will try my best not to. Every time I handle the crocheted blanket in my stash bin, I can just feel the ickyness of the plastic fiber, which is why I have decided not to make it into a full blanket and just finish up the yarn and give it to my cat. The Lionbrand Homespun just feels so nasty, which is why it's so hard to pick up and finish, despite my lack of time to work on anything. Anyways, moving on from my plastic rant, now it's time to share what I picked out.

Yarn:
(1) Cascade Yarns 220 Paints (Denim's Storm)
(1) Ella Rae Classic Solid and Marls (117 Purple)
(1) Isager Strik Alpaca 2 (23)
Pattern: Fiddlehead Mittens by Adrian Bizilia
Size: Small - 7.5" to 8" hand circ.
Needles: US 2 dpn

The pattern says to use US 3 needles and I did, but “surprisingly” my gauge was way too big. I ended up getting 24 sts to 4” and I need 28 sts to 4.” The actual circumference that I knitted was 10.25,” which is way too big. Now I am trying to knit this with a size 2 needle and it’s turning out to be a challenge.

I am two rows from where you would normally change to CC2 and I noticed that I was supposed to read the chart from right to left, but I haven’t. I suppose it won’t make any difference once the mittens are finished, just so I keep everything consistent. Whoops.

Santa ended up giving me yarn and "Bella's Mittens" pattern.

Yarn: (2) Cascade 109 LE (8685) - now a discontinued yarn
Pattern: Bella's Mittens by Marielle Henault
Needles:

Yarn: (2) Plymouth Yarn Co. Happy Feet (24)
Pattern: Firestarter by Yarnissima
Needle:

I was thinking about it and I decided to forgo making the wedding gift because of the time involved and lack-there-of on my part with having the time to make the projects, so now I have 4.5 balls of the Berkshire Bulky the purple color and I am not sure what to do with it. I thought about making the Shalom Cardigan, but it's for a 32" bust and I'm a 34". From what I read on ravelry, it is kind of small. Still debating it, or I may just make some thrummed mittens out of the lot, which I know will turn out. I may not even have enough yarn for the Shalom if I decided to make it and that would be a disappointment to put all that work into such a project and not have it turn out correctly. I will just have to get some roaving for my project. I saw some in a corner room at the Sow's Ear, but I have heard that they also have some at a new yarn shop in Mt. Horeb, and I wanted to go there sometime during break too. I also have roughly over half of the light blue Berkshire Bulky leftover as well that I'm really not sure what to do with it. It may have to stay in my stash to be used at another time.

I hope I'm not forgetting anything, if so, I'll post about it later. Enjoy.