finally FLAK

Years ago...Feb. 2006 (I think) I joined a KAL (Knit ALong) to knit this cable sweater. I bought the yarn. I knit the swatch. I had Anita The Fiber Artist measure me at an odd Tuesday knit night. I started the sweater.

And then I would let it hibernate. Every year I'd knit a bit more, but it did more hibernating.

Well It is finished. Except for blocking.

It is a cranberry color no matter what the picture looks like, it is a dark red. I'll see if I can get someone to take a better picture of me in it at Odd Tuesday tonight.

Viki

Waiting for toast

This is Mom's dog Sasha (on the left) and my Bailey waiting for Mom to drop a bit of toast for them.

They have already split their own piece and are quite greedy.

Very intent.

I did pick up the FLAK sweater last night and knit over an inch.  For some reason the cabling seems easier this go round.  Hopefully I will finish this soon.  

Question:  Has anyone knit with those square double pointed needles?

Viki

Relm Tam & Circle vest

I've been busy.

Knitting.

Dave was delighted to pose for a picture wearing 

The Relm Tam.  Pattern is in Knit 1 and was created by Jared Flood of Brooklyn Tweed fame.

My version is not cashmere.

It is woolease. It is large.

 I was very relaxed

 and my gauge shows it.  I am usually 

a very tight knitter.  The cables are 

beautiful and 

I liked the way they continued 

through the 

decreases.  Which is the whole reason I knit this tam.

I needed someone tall to give this to and my friend Beth, 

who is both as tall as an Amazon and  as beautiful as one too, 

is now the proud owner.

She seems to love it.

Dave is thankful as he thought he might have to retire and 

grow dreds to wear the tam.

Next up is the Circle Vest

 for Mom.

  It turned out great!  I really liked knitting this. It isn't perfect.  I had to 

concentrate at first to M1 the right way for a purl or a knit stitch.  I don't

know if it was an attention problem or a TV problem.

Mom loves the colors and is thrilled that I knit something else for her.

If you know me you know that I have a hard time making more

than one of some thing.  Socks are easier now but I rarely knit

the same yarn or pattern twice.

BUT if I ever make another Circle Vest, I think I'll use bits and bobs of

my handspun yarn.

No Anita the FLAK isn't finished. I swear I will pick it up tonight.

Really.

I didn't say I'd knit on it, but I will pick it up.  I really love that FLAK,

I just can't seem to get the momentum going to finish.

Meanwhile it stares at me making me feel guilty.

There are all these other sweaters I've been drooling over 

AND 

I even have the yarn for some of them.

It is so hard not to swatch for a gansey or a top down simple sweater.

Then there is all that Kauni yarn.

The urge to start something new is 

nearly overwhelming.

Viki

Baby it's cold outside

Okay, so today it is hovering around 34 degrees and we have snow on the ground. Just enough to cause them to delay opening school for 2 hours.

This weekend it was really cold for Kentucky. On Sunday when I woke up the temp was 9 degrees. So I stayed inside nice and warm and finished and blocked my Komi mittens.
(Mostly Mittens pattern number 8 on size 1 needles) They are beautiful and warm.

I also blocked my Ice Queen. The yarn is a merino mohair from Crystal Palace. The pattern is from the Winter issue of Knitty. I used a size 9 needle and all but 10 inches of the yarn. Whew that was close. I did not use beads. When I started this, and it was one of those have to start it now or I will just die moments, I didn't have beads to match this variegated yarn. Still it turned out beautiful. My DD2 was kind enough to put it on for the photographs.

Although she did complain and didn't want her face to show.

I have a noro hat in the works, it is the computer desk knitting, and socks of course.
Have to finish those for DD1's Birthday. What I really need to do is knit on the FLAK.
I want to know how the Yarn Harlot can knit a cabled sweater as fast as she does.
My friend Anita would tell me it is because "She works on it!"
I better go work on it because other things are calling my name...like that Kauni yarn sitting
over there in the bag.
Next post there may be art in the pictures. I am working on Valentines for a few ATC swaps.

Viki

Start-itis

I have a problem.
I don't want to finish things I have started.

These mittens are easy to work on in dribs and drabs of time.

This French Market bag is taking FOREVER.
Then there is the sweater I've been knitting for about 2 years. The FLAK sweater.
It is beautiful. The sleeves are done. It should be smooth sailing. Except for my stress levels.

What I really want to do is start New things. Ravelry is my downfall. You join these groups and you see what other people are doing and it is all so exciting. What a place to be enabled.

This is what I want to start next.

http://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter07/PATTicequeen.html

It is beautiful.

Light as a feather.

It makes me want to justify starting it.

I've been saying things like: "I could make this for my sister-in-law. It would look wonderful on her in an off white with little icy beads."

Lets face it, I'd never finish it in time to give it to her for Christmas.

Of course that didn't stop me from looking for the yarn in my stash. I have a ball of kidsilk haze hidden in the depths of my stash. I bought it LAST December after I finished the scarf for the Ballet auction.

So even my stash is working against me starting this...I'll thank it later I'm sure.

So I'll go knit on one of the other MANY projects I have started. I'll knit as I listen to the wind blowing the siding off the eves. (grrr, roofers messed it up) and the trash cans blowing around the back yard. I'll sip some tea and maybe even put a shawl around my shoulders.

Viki

If it were to actually snow today, we'd have blizzard conditions

FLAK

This is my FLAK sweater. You can't see the sleeves, but they are done. I haven't bound them off just in case I want the sleeves to be longer.
I need to attack this sweater. Afterall there are Christmas parties about a month away. IT would be nice to wear it to at least one of them.

I have to take more pictures of Lots of stuff, socks, yarn, more yarn to upload to Ravelry.
It is a nice site and I can see spending tons of time on there.
Question: If you spend tons of time on Ravelry, when do you knit?

Viki