Secret Agent a.k.a....

Dirty Unicorn

Pattern:  Emissary
Yarn:  Republic of Wool/Twist Fingering

This is my first purchase of Republic of Wool and I love it.  The yarn is hand dyed in small batches and not easy to get hold of on the East Coast.  It's soft and the colors are beautiful.  I chose "Dirty Unicorn" for the best grandaughter in the whole wide world (BGITWWW).   She loves all things unicorn "even dirty ones."

After reading through the pattern I cast on for the size 10.  I chose the twisted rib for the sleeve and body hems.  I wish now I had knit the neckline in twisted rib.  I slipped the first stitch on every row purl-wise with yarn in front.

Pretty little selvedge.

   

Pretty Dirty Unicorn!

Knitting went smoothly up to the sleeve join.  It was when I had to pick up two silly stitches that I knit into trouble; the ends did not meet well. After three attempts I put the project away for weeks. The fourth time around all went well on one sleeve.

Please excuse the shadows. I was outside trimming Mock Orange shrubs.
I cannot wait to give BGITWWW's cropped cardi a soak!

The second sleeve join has been horrendous!  I have stretched the fabric at he join so much that I and have to go way way back to firm up via the purl side.  I only have 11 rows to knit and this will get done but am too frustrated presently so I started another project.  I do plan to finish this before the end of this month.

The swatch was spot on for this in a size 10 from the pattern but it is quite roomy in the back and the sleeves so I knit it an inch longer in length.  The positive side is that there is growing room and I'm confident the yarn will withstand the test of time!

...Happy Trails....

A Text from Daughter-Who-Doesn't-Knit

"I'd love a nice big scarf."  

I replied "You can help look for a pattern!"  Later she texted several photos of wide scarfs. I replied "pick one."  Whoosh, she sent a picture of a long purple wrap with a caption "Free Knitting Patterns, Cowls."

I was relieved to find the pattern, thrilled it required bulky weight yarn, and surprised it was only stockinette!  OOPS!!!  It was not until later that I learned this pattern actually uses worsted weight yarn.  At the time, I looked at many patterns and confused this with another!! I was rushing to get this taken care of while getting ready for work.  No waste on haste though!

Previous to my error in yarn weight:  I had just ordered her 4 skeins of House of A La Mode (Into the Woods and Dew) from Happy Knits but it was the wrong weight for this.  I started looking for bulky cashmere/merino yarn and sent her some links.

I got another text from Daughter-who-doesn't-knit:

"My fav is still the one you bought initially."  

I knew exactly what she was referring to and the yarn search was over! She was referring to House of A La Mode's Od'e to Anthro.  It was my very first purchase several months ago in bulky and dk weight. I bought this colorway thinking my daughters would love it and they do!

I'm happy that Daughter-who-doesn't knit remembered it.  She gets the bulky weight!  Daughter-who-knits will get her bundle of Od'e to Anthro in the dk weight on the 4th of July!

I only had 4 skeins in the bulky so Daughter-who-doesn't-knit ordered the last 7 skeins from Happy Knits. They arrived quickly and I noticed right away they were from various batches so I will take some time to arrange the skeins for the best color pattern.

10 Skeins of Bangin Bulky

...Happy Trails.... 

Happy Knits

 A House of A La Mode 

I spent hours without power the other night but time flew surfing the web for "house paint a la mode."  My research took a wonderful turn and far away from house paint.  I was feeling like a RipVanWinklette; asleep in the knitting world for 20 years without the benefit of moonshine.

I found beautiful hand painted yarn;  House of A La Mode on Andrea Mowry's blog.  I learned Happy Knits sells it.

Timing is everything!! I emailed Happy Knits and learned a delivery of House of A La Mode was arriving at their shop that very same day and on their website early evening.  I'm on the East coast so the time difference worked out beautifully for me.

Later at work while riding in an elevator I seized the moment to see if the yarn was LIVE.  It was!  I placed my first order of Stunning Single Ply DK in colorways Od'e to Anthro and Star Light, Star Bright.   The yarn arrived quickly, wrapped up in vivid colored tissue with little gifts and a personal note on the receipt.  WOW!!!!  Oh, and the yarn is very stunning indeed!

Od'e to Anthro

Star Light, Star Bright

I placed a second order but this time I chose Bangin Bulky in Od'e to Anthro and Star Light, Star Bright. Again, the order arrived quickly in bright colored tissue with a gift and note on the invoice.  I love Happy Knit's customer service and I get a kick out of those little notes on the receipts!

I LOVE BANGIN BULKY!

Bangin Bulky in Od'e to Anthro

Bangin Bulky in Light,  Star Bright

I'm awake now, Rip!  Daughter-who-knits and Daughter-who-doesn't-knit favor Od'e to Anthro and I.LOVE.THEM.ALL!

...Happy Trails....

Tosh Posh Mitts

MadelineTosh Sock Yarn: Mandala
Pattern:  Align Mitts by Courtney Spainhower



There was yarn left from my Posh Tosh Beanie so I decided to knit a pair of hand warmers to go with.  This is a well written pattern that is easily memorized.  I used my short US 3 circulars so it was a fast knit for me (although my trigger finger got locked up once in a while).

The Align Mitts and Basic Beanie make a very special gift set!

...Happy Trails....

InCowlKnito

Pattern:  Purl SoHo's Braided Cable Cowl
Yarn: Purl Soho's Merino Script in Super Pink
Needle Size: US 11

BGITWWW modeled the unfinished cowl incognito in my vintage Bollé shades. Hence the cornball name InCowlNeato.

With only 11 rows and seaming left I DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH YARN to finish this.  One skein has a 6" tail while the other skein has about 4 yards -- still not enough to double and finish.  If both skeins ended with the longer tail I might have had a chance...

I used the provisional cast on for this project.  I have not decided if I will use a 3 needle bind off or the kitchner Stitch (which I have never done before).  

Super Pink is shockingly neon.  

Daughter-who-doesn't-knit loves the color and the softness of the yarn.  When she saw this wip it was half done.  I noticed a cable knitted in the wrong direction so I frogged to row 4 (yes, row 4) that very same night.  

I knit a few rows every day and ticked off each row as I completed them.  Using highlighters I highlighted "cables front" in pink and "cables back" in yellow.  No more cables in the wrong direction! 

The yarn is soft but it has fuzzies and matts so I keep it on tissue paper when I knit or lay it out to check for errors. I can't wait to see how the seaming goes.

                                          ...Happy Trails..... 

Swans Island Côte-Nord Cap and Fingerless Mitts

Cursed Co-worker or Cursed Girlfriend Gift?

Yarn: Swan's Island Natural Colors
Cap Pattern:  Côte-Nord Cap by Amy Christoffers
Free Fingerless Gloves Pattern:  Maize (with modifications)


I knit this gift-set for a co-worker to give to his girlfriend for Christmas. I took no money for the yarn or the time it took to knit; that was my gift to him.  Good Karma, right?

Sadly, I learned she accepted her lovely cap and no gap at the thumb gusset mitts knit in lovely 100% organic wool and then DUMPED him!  I have heard of the sweater curse and I wonder if that curse split and formed a new unforgivable and yet to be identified curse.

Perhaps my co-worker is cursed and not my lovely gift set.  I know this:  I would not want her karma.

Notes:  The Swan's Island Company yarn used for is 100% organic merino.  It knit up with a soft hand and the color “Glacier” is a lovely shade of blue!!! The fabric is light but very warm.  It took less than one skein for the hat.

I had just enough yarn left to knit a simple pair of hand-warmers to go with.  I used a free pattern, Maize but made a few modifications as I knit.

The stitches in the hat and gloves relaxed during a short soak and the cap looked flawless and the mitts near-flawless after they dried.

...Happy Trails....

I See More Red

Daughter-who-doesn't-knit likes cables.   I sent her the link to this pattern and her reply was "I love it."   

Debbie Bliss Cabled Scarf

Debbie Bliss Magazine Fall/Winter 2012 

9.75 x 94.5" and 1 lb. 6 oz. 

 
Modelled by BGITWWW ...Best Granddaughter In The Whole Wide/wild World..  

"Ah Nan, it's really warm but it's getting heavy.  

Nan, Nan nee...it's getting really heavy.  

4 skeins into the pattern.  9 to go.

I was half way through my 13th skein when I measured out 94.5" without stretching the fabric.  The scarf was soaked, rinsed, and squeezed.  My hands kept coming up with short red fuzz! The fabric stretched to an unmanageable length so I rolled it up into a high thread count cotton sheet. The sheet had the length I needed and it sucked up water quickly.  

The next day I unrolled it from the sheet, placed it on top of a thick lining on the floor. Several hours later I was relieved to see some bounce back to the fabric but the cables looked flat. I pinned to pattern measurements. It finally dried and the cables plumped up a little. 

I put it out in the cold to soak up fresh air scent.  I was in the process of removing U pins (160) and tweaking the scarf straight when Q, King of the Spice Ferns came over to play.  

This pattern is so pretty and easy to remember.



...Happy Trails...

WIP IT

Work In Progress

Each of these WIP tops have their own one particular issue that holds me back from finishing them. 

Rowan's Smooch. 

Saucy plunging neckline.

  The decreases in the v neckline do not match perfectly on either side.  




Nora Gaughan's Cabaret. 
Cool Deco.

I need to reseam 4" under arms so sleeve and body meet neatly. 


Erika Knight's Kelly. 
Queen of Cardi-Gras.

The shoulder stair-step decreases need short row wraps to close in holes. 


"When a problem comes along, you must whip it.
It's not too late".




...Happy Trails...

Hermione-two

This is my 2nd Hermione Hearts Ron Hat.  This time I used Ella Rae Bamboo Silk I received as a gift from the BGITWWW.   (Pattern by Christy Aylesworth on Ravelry) 

...Happy Trails...