On and off my needles

I have finally gotten around to getting my Carabe sweater blocked. And since I've also finished the Cinched Rib Cowl, I've got it blocking, too. And, I found some buttons today, finally, that should work with the sweater. Once it's all dry, I'll get the buttons onto it, and then I can wear it. And yes, I'll take a picture of me in it. The cowl is for Rebecca, and I'm not too sure how getting a picture of her in it will work, but I'll try.
In the meantime, I was supposed to be starting a pair of socks with the fun yarn that came in the mail at the beginning of the year, however, I sort of got side tracked.








You see, really, it's all Judy's fault. She was talking about having finished not one, but two projects, and how she was looking at different patterns, one was a hat pattern and the other, a sweater. Of course she gave the links for them, and of course, I followed the links.  I always follow the knitting links that Judy finds, and have made a couple of sweaters after following those links. And there are more of the projects found on those links on my favourites list. Anyway, one of them was this fabulous sweater that has really cool cables, and is perfect for a yarn that I've had hanging around for at least a year. It's a Cascade Eco+. I had originally been planning on doing a sweater out of the magazine I received for Christmas, but this new one just couldn't be resisted. The pattern is called Traveller's End. So, the day after casting off the cowl, I purchased the pattern, wound the yarn, and started this sweater. I have yet to figure out how the front cables work. There must be some stitch picking up involved, because all I'm doing right now is the back, and the raglan sleeve shaping. I do read through patterns before beginning them, just to get a brief idea what techniques are involved, but I usually just knit as I come to the instructions. This is a bulky Aran weight yarn, so it should go pretty fast. So, As soon as I finish this post, and link up to Judy's On the Needles, I'm going to go and knit some more.

On my needles.....

It's been a while since I did a knitting report, mostly because I've been working on stuff that can't be shown. But I've also been working on my Carabe sweater, in between other things. I'm halfway done the second sleeve, so it's getting closer. This is going to be such a comfy and warm sweater. I'm looking forward to getting it done. I knitted it a bit bigger than the last few sweaters I've done, so I should be able to layer this one over thicker sweat shirts and stuff. It's going to need some heavy blocking, though. That front button band pulls up a lot, more than what shows in this picture. I gave it a good tug down, and then snapped the picture before it could snap back up again.
In other news around here... all of my customer quilts needed before Christmas were finished on the 15th, and the last one is getting picked up on Monday. So, for the past 5 or 6 days, I've been able to get some backings done for my own projects, as well as some other gifts, also not able to be shown.
I have one of my own quilt tops that needs to be quilted up that is going to be given as a gift for Christmas, so that's part of what I'll be doing today. I think I'm also going to play with some piecing on my Plus sign quilt. We are done all our shopping, except for last minute groceries. The baking remains to be done, probably on Tuesday. Once all of that, and the Christmas day fun and festivities are done, I'm going to sit down and do a summary of all that I got accomplished this past year, and do some planning for what I'd like to do next year. In the meantime, I'm going to take it easy, and play, and enjoy family and celebrating our Saviour's incarnation.
I'm linking up to Judy's On the Needles.

On my Needles......

I haven't done a knitting post for a while, although I have been doing a lot of knitting. It just seems that every time I thought of taking a picture of my sweater, it was at a stage where I couldn't take a picture. This is my Carabe sweater. It is so very close to being done. I've enjoyed doing this one, and I've learned a couple of new techniques while doing it, too. A new method of button holes, and a new method for casting off stitches. I liked both new methods. I'm also liking the way this one is fitting. It's a little looser than the last few sweaters I've done, which will make it a bit more versatile. However, I won't be doing any knitting on it over the next couple of days, though. The guild is hosting a sew-in mini retreat. We'll meet at 9 am until 9 pm both Friday and Saturday, and sew until we drop. At which point we can go home to our own beds to sleep. I have plans...... big plans, for what I want to get done. Whether I get there right at 9 am........ not likely. It'll probably be closer to 10. I've made myself a list of what I want to take. Now, all I have to do is round it all up and get it ready to go into the car in the morning. Depending on how I feel when I get home tomorrow night, I might post a progress report. In the meantime, I'm linking up to Judy's On the Needles.

On my Needles. Nov. 7, 2014

I'm knitting along with Judy and a few other ladies, making the Carabe Sweater. This is an fairly easy knit, and going quite quickly. I'm two rows away from splitting off the sleeves. I've never done sleeves the way that are done in this sweater. I really like this method. There just might be more of these sweaters in my future. A nice textured coloured yarn, and leave off the stripes would be lovely. I'm linking up to Judy's On the Needles, and then I'm going back to more knitting.

Stash and Stitching report, week 44, 2014

I'm still working away at my hand stitching of the Patchwork of the Crosses, and loving every stitch of it.This is the one from last week, all finished now.

 While talking on Face Time with Gail one day last week, I pulled out the box of fabrics I've set aside for this project, and picked these for the next four. I have one more of the pink ones to sew in, to get the center of it finished. This added to my stash used numbers, which were pretty good this week.









Used this week:                                              4.7 yards
Used this year:                                                103.6 yards
Added this week:                                               0 yards
Added this year:                                              118 yards
Net added:                                                       14.4 yards

It's been a gorgeous afternoon here today, much too nice to just simply sit inside and do stitching, although I have done some of that this morning...... yes, I said this morning. I think I like that extra hour we got last night. I did some stitching this morning, and also had a lovely Skype visit with Avery. I've been watching Judy, over at Patchwork Times talking about a sweater that she is starting. She's issued an invitation to knit along. I've hemmed and hawed about it, thinking I don't really have time to start something new. But, I have this yarn sitting here, that hasn't got a project assigned to it, and I've been looking for one for it, but so far, nothing has jumped out and said I'm it....... until now. It's the grey yarn sitting on top of the pink yarn. And I think that was the problem...... the grey yarn wanted something else to go with it. It didn't want to be grey all by itself. So I went out this afternoon, since it was, as I said earlier, much too gorgeous to stay indoors, and I headed out to a yarn shop nearby to see what I could get to keep the grey yarn company, and came home with this pink.... it's a bit pinkier than what shows in this picture, but not by much. I'm calling it a big girl pink, as opposed to a baby pink. Anyway, the pattern that Judy is using is Carabe, and it's the one that was waving its hands saying "me, me...... do me", and who am I to argue. The grey is the main colour, with the pink being the stripes. So, after I finish writing this, and doing the link ups to Kathy's Sunday Stitching and Judy's Stash report, I'm going to purchase the pattern, get it printed, and then cast on a new sweater....... so exciting!!