Spring has sprung in NH!

May 3, 2013

Spring has definitely arrived in New Hampshire.  Flowers and shurbs are full of blossoms and the trees are starting to show tiny leaves.  They actually mowed the grass in our development yesterday!  The school year is starting to plow ahead to the end.  It always gets crazy this time of year with spring concerts, awards, testing, presentations - it gets wild.  All anyone wants to do is sit in the sun and soak up the warmth.

Off the needles:

I finished my Rocky Coast Cardigan by Hannah Fettig. 
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/pjmcmullen/rocky-coast-cardigan

I love it.  It blocked out a lot better than I anticipated and I have worn it three times this week already!  The yarn is Orchid by Harrisville Designs.  It is not the best choice for the project, but it was on sale when I visited the shop in Harrisville and I love the Indigo colorway.

Also finihsed in April is my Hitchhiker scarf.  http://www.ravelry.com/projects/pjmcmullen/hitchhiker
This is a pattern by Martina Behm.  The yarn is Dream in Color in the Starry base.  I purchased the yarn from Maria of the Subway Knitting podcast in a destash.  Loved the yarn and the project.

On the needles:

Out of the UFO pile I have resurrected my Vodka Lemonade project. http://www.ravelry.com/projects/pjmcmullen/vodka-lemonade  I am making this out of a cotton/silk blend by Misti Alpaca in a tangerine colorway.  Working with cotton is not great for the hands so I may only work on this a little at a time.

The main project that I am focusing on is the Sand and Sea Shawlette by Alana Dakos. This is from the Coastal Knits collection and the yarn I am using is Manos de Uraguay and it is beautiful.  Can't wait to finish this, but love working with the yarn.  http://www.ravelry.com/projects/pjmcmullen/sand-and-sea-shawlette

I have two pairs of socks on the needles.  One is the Don't Cage Me In socks that were in hibernation. These are for me so I've not been in any hurry, though they are really pretty. http://www.ravelry.com/projects/pjmcmullen/dont-cage-me-in-socks

The other is the Pirouette socks by Cookie A - part of the 2013 sock club packet for April.  http://www.ravelry.com/projects/pjmcmullen/pirouette-socks  I'm not loving the Pirouette pattern.  There are a number of problems in the writing of the pattern and may end up frogging them and starting something else for my darling husband.

Looking ahead:

This is Madtosh May so I did purchase some yarn at my lys, Twill, last week.  I picked up four skeins of Vintage in the magenta colorway to make the short-sleeve sweater with Ajour by Heather Granger  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/short-sleeve-sweater-with-ajour-pattern  Twill only had 4 skeins of any one color so I ordered a fifth skein from the Loopy Ewe.  It arrived yesterday so time to cast on!

I'm also anxious to cast on a pair of self-striping socks, plain vanilla, with an after-thought heel.  I need a project that is small that doesn't require looking at a chart.  Right now my shawl fills that bill, but it will soon be off the needles.

Also ahead is the New Hampshire Sheep and Wool Festival on May 10-12.  I am planning to attend on Sunday, the 12th! 

Grease is the Word

April 3, 2013

   My life is consumed with work this week.  As director of the school's musical, I have many hats to wear to get the show up and running for opening night tomorrow.  From ticket sales, publicity interviews, props, costumes, extra touch-up rehearsals, and general chaos control.  Show opens tomorrow night and runs through the weekend.  After that, I will get some time back, but of course miss the process.

On the Needles:

   In knitting I have been concentrating on two projects.  First is my Rocky Coast Cardigan by Hannah Fettig.  I've finished the body of the sweater and picked up for the ribbing along the neck and fronts.  I ended up with less stitches at the neck edge but I think this will help cinch up the neck.  Several knitters have complained that this garment tends to slide off the shoulders so this may ease that problem.

   My second project is the Hitchhiker scarf.  I am almost finished with this.  I am going to continue until I run out of yarn as I want to use as much up of this as I can.  I am knitting this in the Dream In Color Starry which has threads of sterling silver.  Don't want to waste one bit of it!

Looking Ahead:

   Anxiously awaiting the next Cookie A sock club shipments.  The yarn ships on April 6th and the patterns will be us soon on Ravelry.  If there is a masculine pattern included, then I will knit a pair of socks for my DH as he has requested another pair of handmade socks.  If not, then I will do a simple cable pattern for him in either a blue or gray.  I have some self-striping yarn that I would like to cast on, too, maybe a vanilla sock with an after-thought heel.

   Time to also pull out my Vodka Lemonade cardigan.  I put this in hibernation for the winter since it is a spring knit.  As soon as I finish the Rocky Coast, I will pull this out and get it off the needles.  I am using Misti Alpaca cotton and silk blend in a tangerine color.  I know last year's hot color. 

  

March 25, 2013

What's on the needles?
I have been concentrating on two projects lately.  First is the Rocky Coast Cardigan.  http://www.ravelry.com/projects/pjmcmullen/rocky-coast-cardigan
This is a Hannah Fettig pattern from Coastal Knits.  I am knitting this in Orchid by Harrisville Designs in the Indigo colorway.  I am using my Chiaogoo interchangeables, U.S. #10.  This is going so much faster than I thought it would.  Of course, the fact that I've grown accustomed to such a smaller needle size - these seem huge.  The cable pattern is very simple and easy to memorize.  I have about 4 more inches to go on the body before starting the ribbing. 

The second wip is my Hitchhiker scarf.  http://www.ravelry.com/projects/pjmcmullen/hitchhiker
This is a paid pattern by Martina Behm.  I am knitting this in Dream in Color Starry in the Into the Mystic colorway on my size 3 Knit Picks bamboo fixed circular needle.  I just finished the 25th point of the 42 needed to complete.  Each row gets slightly longer and consequently takes longer.  My goal was to complete this for the March Pop Culture KAL in the Knitting in Circles podcast group.  Not sure I will make it since this week is crazy at work and Sunday is the end of March. 

What podcasts am I enjoying this week?
Yarniacs, Commuter Knitter, Watcha Swatchin'?, Knit Girlls, Knit Knit Cafe, SHK (Single-Handed Knitter)