They Grow Up So Quickly

I'm ashamed to say it's been about two months since I've posted any pictures of my little girl. My how time flies when you're defending your knitting from a kitten. I can hardly believe how grown up Macy looks now.

I found a batch of pictures I took in mid-July and found these. Here she's enjoying one of her favorite pasttimes: pissing off Murphy.She's really good at it.
As far as knitting goes, I've started a new project. It's Cloud, a cardigan from Rowan's Calmer Collection. I've been wanting to make this sweater for almost a year, since I stumbled accross superstarra's on her blog. I just love that lace panel on the bottom and the nice fit that the ribbing gives it. I really like Kim's designs and eventually I'd like to make Loll and maybe Air too.

Ah yes the ribbing. Miles and miles of 2x2 ribbing. This picture was taken about a week ago and I'm now about 3/4 through the back. After my Apricot Jacket and a couple of Noro Striped Scarves I wasn't really that bothered by the prospect of miles of ribbing. I wasn't, but Cloud is starting wear on me, just a little. I'm hoping that once I get the back done (the biggest piece) it'll all seem downhill from there.

And as you can see from the photo, I'm back to my old friend Cotton Fleece. Calmer's just not fitting into the yarn budget right now, and I was just curious to see if the Cotton Fleece would work. I didn't even swatch really, I just checked the stitch count in Apricot, which is made in the same yarn with the same 2x2 ribbing around the waist and realized it was going to work. Unless I've missed something!

And the Winner Is....

My Eyelet Cardigan is finally done!

It's taken way too long. I started it back in the middle of June a few weeks after we got our kitten Macy, and I guess I underestimated the effect she would have on my knitting. I've had to work around her quite a bit, waiting until she's asleep or distracted to get a few rows in here and there. She's pretty much convinced that everything, and for that matter everyone in our house is here for her entertainment. My knitting in particular seems to fascinate her though: the yarn, the needles, the sweater that (to her) looks like a tangle of yarn just waiting to be attacked. It's been quite a battle, and she's a worthy adversary, but I have emerged triumphant.

Here are the specs on the sweater:

Yarn: 4 skeins Blue Skies Alpaca Dyed Cotton in periwinkle

100% cotton

150 yds/skein

Needles: size 7

Pattern: Eyelet Cardigan from Blue Skies Alpaca

This was a pretty fun knit, kitten wrangling aside. I'm really pleased with the fit. The only changes I made were to the ribbing. After reading the comments of others who've made it, I decided I liked the idea of the ribbing matching up with the eyelet/cable pattern. I adjusted the ribbing accordingly. (Thanks Ravelry!)

I think if I make this again, I'll skip doing the cuffs on the sleeves. They're just a little too heavy for this weight yarn, especially for a summery cotton sweater. The yarn feels nice and soft, but it's loosely plied, so I'm a little concerned about how it'll hold up. We'll see.

Oh and here's another little distraction I had acouple of weeks ago. I decided at the last minute to knit a little hat for a friend's baby shower. After looking at a few sample baby hats in my LYS and checking out some hats on Ravelry, I cast on and kind of made it up as I went. I used Tahki Cotton Classic in blueberry and bright teal, size 6 needles. It's a little puckered looking at the top where I did the decreases, but overall I think it turned out okay. It just took a couple of days. I had never used Cotton Classic before and I really like it. The color selection is amazing, and you've got to love a machine washable yarn.

Mourning Again

We had another loss in our household last week. My kitty Mallory hadn't been her usual self for a few days - her appetite fell off pretty rapidly, she was dehydrated, and less active than normal. When the diagnosis finally came - cancer - our vet suggested a couple of treatment options but neither one sounded very promising for a cat of her age. Mallory was twenty, possibly twenty-one years old. I knew she'd been feeling pretty crappy already, and it just didn't seem right trying to keep her going just to maybe get a few more weeks with her.

Mallory came to us as an older kitty. A friend told me about this cat who had been left to fend for herself for a few months while her owner (a mutual acquaintance) went to Key West for the winter. I think he had asked his neighbors to put a bag of food out on the porch for her once in a while, but I think that was the extent of the care she was to have. My friend and I decided to go check on her one night, box of cat food in hand. It was a cold night in November and it just took a couple shakes of the food for her to come running to us. She was so skinny and had lost a lot of her fur. It was supposed to be in the teens that night so we decided we couldn't leave her there.

So my friend and I became "cat thieves" that night. After some time in quarantine at the vet Mallory came to live with us. (The fur loss was because of a flea allergy and it grew back nicely once they were dealt with.) Mallory easily made the transition from outdoor cat to indoor cat and eventually got used to living in a household with other cats and large dogs. Almost immediately she seemed to realize she'd found a good thing. She had the sweetest personality and from the very first night wanted to snuggle next to me under the covers with her head on my pillow. She actually seemed grateful to be with us. I think she really appreciated the warm beds, the regular meals, and yes, even the occasional trip to the vet.

Mallory was about thirteen when we took her in and I was grateful for every year we had with her. I had never really considered taking in an older cat before, but she really needed us. For anyone out there who's considering adopting a cat (or a dog) please don't rule out a mature one. You could be missing out on some real gems.

Progress

Progress on the knitting front, with the Eyelet Cardigan. As usual the picture's a little out of date. I've done the armhole decreases and just have a few more inches on the back. And progress on the Kitten Integration Project. This is our dog McLeod. He's a good boy, but not exactly kitty friendly. He's always viewed cats as something to be chased or pushed around. With Macy I think he's met his match.

Oh he tried to act aloof.....

but she would not be ignored.
She was a little tentative the first time she met him, but now she's just determined to play with him. She's shown bravado beyond reason. He's used to having kitties run away from him. He's not used to them running back and jumping on his head.

He has no idea what he's in for.

Blue Skies Ahead

I've started another sweater, another cardigan (big surprise I'm sure!) It' the Eyelet Cardigan, a Blue Sky Alpaca pattern, and I'm actually using the yarn it calls for, Blue Sky Alpaca Dyed Cotton. The shade I picked is periwinkle, one of my favorite colors.

I've adjusted the ribbing so it will transition more neatly into the pattern stitch, an idea I got from alltangledup's version I found on Ravelry. Ooops, I just realised that I've photographed the ribbing from the wrong side. Oh well, I've gotten a lot done since this photo and I'm going to try to get more pics taken later today so I'll post those soon.

Macy (or the "little monster" as we've started calling her) is growing like a weed. She had another check up at the vet last week and gained a full pound in the first three weeks we had her - up from her original pound and a quarter. Ironically the only other pet in our household who I can trust to just hang out with her without having to supervise every second is my big dog Max. I had predicted that he would be the easy one. Max is a big sweetie and he loves cats. He's always seemed to enjoy hanging out with the kitties in our family. When he was younger and a little more mischievous he liked to put his mouth around their heads or their necks ever so gently, just to hear that irritated meow when they complained.

Fortunately Max has the patience of a saint, and doesn't mind having his foot gnawed on.

The other two cats we have, Mallory (the black kitty) and Murphy (the tortie) barely get along with each other. I took this picture of the two of them because of how unusual it is to see them together like this. Neither one of them has the slightest interest in getting to know the kitten.

McLeod, our younger German Shepherd is coming along. His first instinct with cats and other small critters is to chase. He's a bit of a bully with the other kitties, but he's never hurt them. I've been working with him a lot, first to teach him that Macy is part of our "pack" and not some little creature that happened to wander into the house. Second, I'm trying to get him used to having his tail, foot, or whatever being used as a cat toy, 'cause that's already a given. Third, I need to teach him that even if she attacks me or his daddy (DH) that's still not enough reason to do any damage to her. He's been amazingly good so far. She's been pretty merciless playing with his tail, but he could care less as long as the dog treats keep on coming!

Lace Hem Cardigan

I finally finished my sweater! I actually finished it two weeks ago, but blogging and knitting time have been in short supply lately. It's very difficult to concentrate on typing when you've got a kitten attacking you or just climbing up you legs. More about her later.

First up, sweater pictures! This is the 106-3 Jacket with 3/4 Sleeves and Textured Hem in Muskat by Drops Design, but I'm just going to call it my Lace Hem Cardigan.

Yarn: 4 skeins TLC Cotton Plus Solid in Spruce

51% cotton, 49% acrylic

machine wash and dry

178 yds/skein

Needles: Size 7

Pattern: 106-3 Jacket with 3/4 Sleeves and Textured Hem

by Drops Design

available for free

Mods: Left off the bobbles, shortened the overall length a bit

This sweater is knit in one piece from the bottom up until the armholes. The lace was easy and kept things interesting. There's a bit of waist shaping for a flattering fit. Pattern was well written and I liked the results well enough to knit it again.

You may have noticed a lack of buttons in the pictures. I struck out at the first place I checked and haven't had a chance to look further. I had in mind some shell buttons with a hint of green in them, but we'll see.

And now for the reason it's taken me so long to post again. I can't believe it's been almost three weeks since this little furry bundle of distraction entered our lives. She looks so innocent, doesn't she? Heh, heh, heh.

I'd forgotten how much work a kitten can be. When we get home from work she wants to play, and eat, and play some more. And she can be pretty ferocious about it. I have so many scratches on my arms and legs I'm starting to feel like a pin cushion.

Just look at those stripes! I'm in love with those stripes! They were barely noticeable when she first arrived, but over time they've become more pronounced. Can you tell I've never had a tabby before?

What Have We Done?

This was most unexpected. We had a rough year last year, losing our oldest dog and the cat we'd had the longest. My DH and I decided that since we still had two dogs and two cats that our household was plenty full enough and that our remaining pets deserved all the love and attention we could give them. We figured we'd wait until down the road when our youngest dog and cat might need new companions, since they're not exactly buddies.

Then along came this little gray fur ball.

Two days ago one of DH's co-workers found her on the way to work. She was in the highway, and by that I mean huddled on the yellow line. DH's c-w being the animal lover she is couldn't just leave her there, so she stopped and picked her up and continued on to work with her. She was looked after throughout the day, but the end of the working day approached and no one was interested in taking her home (alas, DH's c-w is more of a dog person.) DH began to realize that if he didn't step up and consult his DW (moi) that possibly the cutest kitten ever was going to wind up in the pound.

To make a long story short, she's here napping in my lap as I'm writing this. Admittedly I've had several "what the heck are we thinking?" moments. In the past I've tried to time a new pets arrival with a few days off from work to help integrate them into the pack. I'd forgotten how much care and time it takes to introduce a tiny kitten into a household that includes two large German Shepherd Dogs. We just need to make sure they understand that she's a cat (not a squirrel or bunny that's invaded the house) and that she is part of our pack. And then hope she doesn't get stepped on.

We had her checked out at the vet, and other than having fleas, she's in remarkably good shape. She weighs 20 oz. and our vet estimates her to be about five weeks old. We named her Macy. (Yeah I know, another "m" name.)

Big Furry Slug

that's how my DH likes to refer to our cat Murphy...

and usually I object to this description.... but sometimes I've gotta admit....

It's not that she's fat, exactly - she's... um....sturdy. She's a Manx so she's got that compact build, with long powerful hind legs. What she lacks in grace she makes up for in strength. She's an efficient jumper and hunter. She's extremely affectionate, when she's in the mood for it, but hates being picked up.

I think Murphy and I have gotten closer over the last few months since I lost my cat Madison. Murphy used to sleep on the bed with us occasionally when it was cold out. Lately though it's been every night, and she seems to make a point of sleeping right up against me. I like to think she knows that I need her a little more now. Maybe she needs me more now too. Murph grew up around Madison and she was her closest companion.

I've been continuing to make progress on the lace edge cardi. Here's a somewhat updated photo, though I have actually done a lot more since this was taken.

I'm still hoping to finish this soon as other patterns and projects have been calling to me.

A Little Spring Knitting

I'm not blogging a lot lately but I have been knitting. Since my last post I've gotten a bit done on my latest entrelac bag...and I've started a new cardigan that I'm hoping to be able to wear this spring. I figured that even if I don't finish it until the weather's too warm outside, I'll still get some use out of it at work where the AC can be a little much.
It's the "Drops jacket with 3/4 sleeves and textured hem," a free pattern available at the Drops site. The yarn I'm using is the humble (translation: cheap!) TLC Cotton Plus in Spruce. I've been meaning to give this yarn a try and so far I'm liking it. I'm actually a lot further along than this so I'll try to post some more current pictures soon.

March Madness

This year "March Madness" has extra meaning for me. Usually it just means it's tournament time for college basketball. (And my UNC Tarheels just won the ACC Tournament yesterday to clinch the #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, thank you very much!!) But what you might care about is the March Madness Sale at The Yarn and Fiber Company, where they have a different line of yarn on sale every day this month! And they have free shipping! They switch their sale items every day at noon so check it out! I've been pretty good so far, but if they get to the Brown Sheep Company, all bets are off.

All of my fussing over my entrelac bag pattern last week kind of got me into the mood to do another bag. It's been months since I made a bag or felted anything, and well, I've been looking for an excuse to order some new Noro Kureyon. I'd thought about designing something new, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to test my pattern again, just to make sure it didn't have some stupid mistake in it that's going to make some poor knitter out there hate me for wasting hours of her (or his) time! Paranoid Much?That's Noro Kureyon in color #40 and Lamb's Pride in Clematis so far. I'll just figure out the other colors as I go.

While this is going to be a fun knit, I'm really itching to start on a Springier project. I've got a couple of cardigans in mind, just need to get a hold of some cotton or cotton blend yarn.

My First Pattern!

I finally finished writing (and tweaking) my first pattern for one of my bags! It's knit in the round with Lamb's Pride and Noro Kureyon. These yarns do not felt at quite the same rate, but I've found that as long as you alternate the rows of Lamb's Pride with the rows of Kureyon, the smaller Lamb's Pride squares fit neatly within the larger Kureyon ones.

I tried to write this clearly enough for anyone, whether experienced with entrelac or not, but just in case there is a good tutorial here which should be helpful. The first couple of times I read an entrelac pattern I couldn't figure out how to do it. I found that I just needed to pick up the needles and do what the pattern said and it all started to make sense. I welcome any questions or comments!

Peacock Entrelac Bag

Finished Size: 12" high, 9" diameter, 28" circumference

Materials:

Noro Kureyon (NK): 3 skeins in color #147
Lamb’s Pride Worsted: 1 skein each
Blue Heirloom - A
Kiwi – B
Jaded Dreams – C
Blue Flannel – D
(You should use whatever colors please you! The second time I made this bag I used Noro Kureyon in color #102 and only three shades of Lamb’s Pride with it.)

Size 11 circular needles
Size 10 circular needles
Size 10 double point needles
Large Tapestry Needle
Approximately ½ yard fabric for lining, if desired.

ssk – slip both st knit-wise, knit these 2 together
sssk – slip all st knit-wise, knit these 3 together

Cast on 96 st with A on size 11 needles. Place marker, join, and switch to size 10 circ needles
Row 1-2: purl
Row 3-8: *k2 with A, p2 with NK, repeat from *.
Row 9-10: k with A
Row 11-13: *k4, yo, k2t, k2, repeat from * all the way around. Yo’s are where the holes
for the handles will be later.
Row 14: knit

Begin base triangles (still working w/A), working one triangle at a time as follows:
*Row 1: k2, turn work
Row 2 and all wrong side rows: purl back to end of triangle being worked (number of purl stitches should equal number of knit stitches in each previous row.)
Row 3: k3
Row 5: k4
Row 7: k5
Row 9: k6
Row 11: k7
Row 13: k8
Do not turn. First triangle is complete so repeat from* until 12 triangles are formed. Each triangle should have 8 st at its base so everything should come out nice and even.

Now for the fun part!
First Row of Squares** is worked with NK. Turn work to wrong side.
*Pick up purl-wise 8 st down along first triangle, spacing st as evenly as possible. (This will feel very awkward, especially the first st, but go with it. The first square on each tier is always the hardest.)
Slip last picked up st to left needle, p2t, turn. Work square as follows:

Row 1 and all odd (right side) rows: k8, turn
Row 2: p7, p2t
Row 4: p7, p3t
Row 6: p7, p2t
Row 8: p7, p3t
Row10: p7, p2t

(Note: Each time you p2t or p3t you are purling one stitch of the current color you are knitting with one or two stitches of the last row of base triangles worked, effectively joining them on one side.)
Do not turn. First square is complete so repeat from* until 12 squares are formed. First row of squares complete.

Second Row of Squares is worked with B. Turn work to right side.
*Pick up knit-wise 8 st along first square, spacing st as evenly as possible. (Again, this will feel awkward on the first square.)
Slip last picked up st to left needle, ssk, turn. Work square as follows:

Row 1 and all odd (wrong side) rows: p8, turn
Rows 2 and 4: k7, ssk
Row 6: k7, sssk
Rows 8, 10, and 12: k7, ssk

(Note: Each time you ssk or sssk you are joining one stitch of the current color you are knitting with one or two stitches of the last row of squares worked, effectively joining them on one side.)
Do not turn. First square is complete so repeat from* until 12 squares are formed. Second row of squares complete.

Third Row of Squares is worked with NK. Turn work to wrong side.
*Pick up purlwise 8 st along first square, spacing st evenly.
Slip last picked up st to left needle, p2t, turn. Work square as follows:

Row 1 and all odd (right side) rows: k8, turn
Rows 2 and 4: p7, p2t
Row 6: p7, p3t
Rows 8, 10, and 12: p7, p2t
Do not turn. First square is complete so repeat from* until 12 squares are formed. Third row of squares complete.

Fourth Row of Squares worked same as second row of squares, but with C.

Fifth Row of Squares worked same as third.

Sixth Row of Squares worked same as second, but with D.

Seventh Row of Squares worked same as third.

Eighth Row of Squares worked same as second, but with A.

Begin Decreasing Rows. Continue alternating yarns. Color order isn’t crucial, but NK must be worked every other row of squares. Switch to double point needles when necessary.

Ninth Row of Squares worked like the third, except as follows:
Only pick up 7 st and instead of working 12 rows only work 10. In order to decrease the number of rows you just need to work in an extra p3t, so instead of one on row 6, do one on row 4 and another on row 8.

Tenth Row of Squares worked like the second, except as follows:
Pick up 6 st and only work 8 rows. To decrease the number of rows you just need to work in an extra sssk, so do one on row 2 and on row 6.

Eleventh Row of Squares worked like the third, except as follows:
Pick up 5 st and only work 6 rows. Work in extra p3t: one on row 2 and another on row
6.

Twelfth Row of Squares worked like the second, except as follows:
Pick up 4 st and only work 4 rows. Work in extra sssk: one on row 2 and another on row
4.

Thirteenth Row of Squares worked like the third, except as follows:
Pick up 3 st and slip the last picked up st to left needle, p3t, turn.
Row 1: k3, turn
Row 2: p2, p3t
Cut yarn leaving a tail of about 2 feet. Thread yarn on large needle and pick up all remaining st on needles. Pull together tightly and loop through a few times to secure. Stand back and admire the pretty star design you’ve just made!

Handles. Knit two lengths of I-cord at least 3ft long each.

Felting. Thread a cotton cord through the holes for the handles to keep them from closing up during felting. Wash bag and i-cord in a zippered pillow case in warm water. It will probably take 2-3 times through the wash, but check periodically. The Noro Kureyon will take longer to felt and its squares will stay larger, but because the yarns were alternated, they still “fit” together nicely.

Finishing. Block bag on a canister covered with a towel or on some other similar shaped item. I usually do a little tugging here and there to make sure the squares are really square. If you plan on lining (which I recommend) this is a good time to cut out your fabric for it. Cut out a circle and a rectangle to form a cylinder to fit your bag (don’t forget to cut enough for seam allowances.) When bag is dry, thread i-cord through the holes for the handle. If holes are too snug, carefully snip them open with sharp scissors. Sew in lining under the holes.

**They are really rectangles at this point but will transform into squares after felting.

Just in Time For Spring

I finished my mittens a couple of days ago, but it's been too warm to wear them. The day I finished them it was in the seventies here! That's ok. I'm resigned to the idea that I may not get much if any use out of them the rest of this winter. It was nice just to have a project that I could finish in a matter of days (instead of months!)

Yarn: Manos del Uruguay in Autumn - 1 skein (with a lot to spare!)

Needles: Size 7 bamboo DPs

Pattern: Tweedy Mittens by Melissa Hills

Not Pink

After spending so long on the Apricot Jacket I wanted a project I could finish quickly. Still in the mood for something wintry though... ah yes, mittens!

I've been wanting to do something with this Manos del Uruguay for the longest time. This "Autumn" colorway is not in my usual teal/blue/purple groove but I was really attracted to it when I saw it in my LYS. Nice warm colors - perfect for mittens!

I haven't made a pair of mittens since I was a kid (12 maybe?) which was a looong time ago. I had actually forgotten I even made them until my mom reminded me about them a few months ago. A horrible pink acrylic, if I remember correctly. (I'd love to see them again just to see what kind of work I did on them.) Anyway I figured it was about time to make another pair, if for no other reason than to see if I can improve on those pink ones!

Apricot Jacket Complete!

The 26th! Where has my February gone? I feel like I lost a couple weeks in there somewhere because the beginning of the month brought a visit from the flu fairy, first to my husband, and then a few days later to me. We were over the worst of it after a week or so, but we both still have some residual coughing going on at night. I'm just thrilled to be feeling normal again, at least for most of my day.

While I haven't been blogging much I have been knitting. The big news is I finally finished the Apricot Jacket I've been working on (for entirely too long.) I've been having a difficult time photographing it though. It seems like every time I've had the opportunity to take pictures lately it's been overcast. I try to get some better pics soon.

The color is pretty off in the first two pics. It's really much closer to the color in the the photo of the pieces being blocked.

I'm really pleased with how this sweater turned out. It was a lot of work and the pattern was pretty much a nightmare as many knitters out there had forewarned but it was worth it. In fact I have to mention that I'm very grateful for all the tips and advice that was available on the Internet. Blogs that were especially helpful: The Lint Knitter with lots of info and I love how she rates and reviews her projects and D-Made Knitting Gallery for her chart correction that I'm sure saved me hours of frustration. I knit the larger size because of gauge issues with the Cotton Fleece, an idea I got from Night Owl Knits.

Pattern: Apricot Jacket from Rebecca #27
Yarn: Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in New Age Teal - 5 skeins*
Needles: Size 6
Modifications: Shortened sleeves and overall length

*If I'd been a little more careful and hadn't minded weaving in more ends, I could have done this sweater with 4 skeins.

This was my first time working with Cotton Fleece and I have to give it a big thumbs up. It was a little splitty, but really that would be my only complaint. At 215 yds and around $8.00 a skein it's a good buy and it comes in dozens of colors. It drapes nicely and I think the wool content (20%) will keep it from getting baggy. I can't wait to see how it wears over time!

Home Stretch

Thanks to all who left such nice comments about my Peacock Bag! I've been enjoying it all the more with the lining in it. It's nice to be able to throw a knitting project in it and not have the knitting needles poking out of it!

FYI jennyslash, the fabric isn't a Liberty print (although thanks for the compliment - you must think my fabric stash is of a higher caliber than it is!) It is a Westminster/Rowan Fabric designed by Carla Miller, called (not suprisingly) Peacock Feathers. I found it at Thimble Pleasures in Carrboro.

Just a quick update on the Apricot sweater. After putting it on hold for a several weeks for Christmas knitting, it was a little hard to get back into it. I was in the middle of the first sleeve and it seemed to take me forever to finish it. Between the stupid mistakes I was making and trying to figure out just how long I wanted it to be, I was really having trouble staying motivated. When I was almost through with it I just got a bunch of safety pins and pinned the edges together so I could try it on. I really helped to see how much of the length was going to be drawn up when it was stretched around my arm. It also just looked good! Just seeing that little piece of the sweater on me really made me want to finish it. It just took a couple of days for me to get the second sleeve about half way done. Here's what it looks like.
I'm hoping I can start blocking at least some of the pieces this weekend. Can't wait for this baby to be done!

Proud as a ....

I've been getting quite a bit of use out of my green/blue/teal entrelac tote bag. It's been my go-to bag for carrying my knitting projects around. I've been meaning to line it for the longest time though, and I finally got around to shopping for some fabric for it last week. What do you think? The colors are perfect and I really liked the whimsy of the peacock feathers. As I was working on it I realized I finally had a new name for this bag, something a little catchier that "Entrelac Bag #2." It's now the Peacock Entrelac Bag. It's hard to photograph the lining well, but I'm very happy with the results.
My cat Murphy is pretty happy with it too. This isn't the first time she's noticed how much it smells like her kitty pi bed.

I decided not to put a plastic canvas circle in the bottom of this bag as I did in my Sorbet Entrelac Bag. I found that I kind of liked the slouchy, unstructured nature of this bag when I was using it unlined, so maybe it's just as well that I waited to "finish" it.