EveryThingEarin

MY CHEATING HEART I may cheat (at least with my knitting) but I don't lie (not that I need to go into heavy detail). I went ahead and finished one of the rib and cable mitts. They turned out more like gauntlets. I seem to have made gauge at least for the stitches but not for the row count. I like them though - I like them a lot. I was unsure I would have enough yarn and was loath to hunt down another skein (bought in Los Altos) for just a few yards. I still don't know if I'll have enough for the green trim for the second one (and won't know till the bitter end). I may have to use a trick taught to me by Sharon on how to felt the ends together so I can utilize all the bits and pieces leftover from making the first pair. The yarn is Classic Elite/Waterlily. 100% extra fine merino. Very smooth and springy to work with. The only problems I experienced were when I frogged and had to pick up stitches. The yarn poofs up into many small, single minded individual threads which have to be arm wrestled back into a single strand. I started out on size 3's and switched after about an inch (where the regular cable pattern started) to size 2's). It seemed to work out well. Having knit these up before things went very, very fast. They were done over a long evening with just a bit more the next morning.
The second photo is more true to the actual colors. I have picked up my somewhat cowl and cast on all the cowl stitches and am now knitting around and around and around. I had 26 too many and somehow dropped two too many when I went back causing me to stuff in two around the back so I could keep the ribbing straight. I'm not sure that this will work. I also ended up with a rather loose pickup because 26/28 stitches are a lot to drop. I will see how it all flows and then decided whether to go back and redo it. I've already decided to undo the bottom and re cast-off using an elastic cast-off method. I sent an email to Grumperina yesterday asking if she knew a good way to get a looser cast-off and the elastic cast-off was one of her suggestions. Thank you Grumperina!
EYE CANDY FRIDAY

Note to self: Do not go surfing to Sundara's website unless you are sure you can resist buying yarn. Sundara, the creator of ECF, periodically puts out small batches of exquisitely dyed yarn of the very highest quality. I (and I admit I knew that she was putting out new yarn) surfed over and fell in love (several times). Could you resist this (Rose over Salmon)? I also bought my first silk lace yarn and I think I know what I'm going to do with it.
The late afternoon sky looking north.

One of my plum trees against the sky.

posted by Earin Marybird @ 12:13 PM