My Secret of knitting

I've been working on Secret of Bad Nauheim for awhile now. The body pattern was released in four parts, which need to be repeated 3 to 3 1/2 times to acheive desired stole length. I'm doing 3 repeats since I'm a shorty.

I'm actually almost finished with the final repeat, but since I have a photo of 2 repeats to show, I'm skippin' the whole dry-blocking scenario until I have the first edging repeat done.


A lovely close-up:Since Moni's designs have turned me into a KAL Stepford wife, I'm gearing up for the Slow Bee Mystery (Slow Bee Mystery 2 still open for sign ups, in case you feel compelled to conform).

Here's my swatch, blocked on unbleached muslin for your hardly-contrasted viewing pleasure:

Swatch created from these goodies:

Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud in Horizon (color discontinued, so sorry) with size 8/0 seed beads from Fusion Beads in light Azure AB.

A Mystic(al) Finish

I really find it tough to create blog posts while I am also posting progress information on Ravelry. I feel this needs to change. I plan to post at least twice per week all through the month of May. If any of you find I'm not holding up to my pledge, e-mail me (carollpaul AT verizon DOT net [remove the spaces and replace the caps with the symbols]) and give me a hard time. I need to make this a habit. I enjoy writing a bit and I love having an album of my knitting.

So, I'm going to catch you up on my Mystic Light KAL progress.

Clue 2

Clue 3

Clue 4

Finished (Clue 5) and blocking

These photos turned out terrible. I had to use a flash and it is being blocked on a purple sheet. The colors are way off. Way. off.

I had to stop knitting at row 158 since I knew I did not have enough yarn to complete the whole pattern. It blocked out large enough (50" X 32"). I think I might make this one again in a solid color. The pattern is fun to knit and actually moves very quickly. Anna is doing a series of "Mystics" and I can hardly wait to find out the next "element."

I had a Harlot-y time

I've done oodles of knitting since my last post, but I have to skip right to last night. I went to see Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (the Yarn Harlot) in Ann Arbor. So incredible! I met some really nice knitting folks and saw some breathtaking projects (both finished and in-progress).

Stephanie was so funny. The comraderie in the room was like nothing I've experienced before. I have participated in groups that gather to knit and/or spin, but she has this ability to make folks feel "together."

If she comes anywhere near you, run, don't walk, to the event. Bring knitting and food and a camera. That's really all you need (well, the food and camera are optional).

I only took one photo myself since I was mesmerized by most everything (Stephanie speaking, others' works of art, friendly knitters, etc.).

Here's the photo I like the most:

That's me holding the current infamous travelling sock and Stephanie holding my finished Mother Earth Stole (formerly "Spring Shawl Surprise"). I had planned on having her hold my in-progess Secret of Bad Nauheim, but once she had the Mother Earth in hand, that was it...photo time (there was a super long line behind me and I didn't want to shorten others' time with her). I also have a very short video clip on my camera, since the very kind woman (who is not Rams) who was taking photos accidentally hit the video button while taking the picture. I would post it as a video link from YouTube, but it's boring and very short (lots of shots of the floor).

I plan on doing this again for the next book tour. She's funny and charming and worth every minute of driving and waiting one might have to endure.

Plus, she hugged me because I'm a doula. Should I wash the sweater vest I was wearing? Frame it? Send it on its own tour? I still can't bring myself to take the nametag off of it with my Ravelry ID (KnittinDoula) since that is how she recognized me as a doula. I'm an official groupie now, aren't I?

Lace knitting? I have no idea what you're talking about.

So, another Knit-Along has started. Did I join the first week? Oh, yeah. Did I swatch for it? Yeah.

Did I already finish the first clue? Yep.

Did I bother to finish up any other lace projects? Well, yes:


and no:

Spring Shawl Surprise Clue 11 (only one more to go until it's done!)

But there was progress on another front:


The Dem Fischer sin Fru KAL has finished, but I'm still plodding along. There's another shawl KAL designed by Moni (link to her Ravelry page) that I'll be starting shortly since my yarn arrived today:


Moni also has the Slow-Bee Mystery KAL that will start this summer. Am I knitting that, too? Heh. Do I need to answer?

Hey, what's this doing here? It's not lace...it's...a clog.

I guess I must be needing to work with thicker yarn and bigger needles for some reason. Go figure.

Catching up

I've been able to catch up on two KALs: SOTSii and Spring Shawl Surprise.

Secret of the Stole ii has released its last pattern section. I'm happy that I was able to finish

Hint 7 and Hint 8.

Hint 7 done

Hint 8 done

Spring Shawl Surprise is getting very close to its end. I knit like crazy this week and finished Clue 9 and Clue 10.

Clue 9 finished

Clue 10 finished

I haven't done any work on Dem Fischer sin Fru and only minimal progress on the Tailored Cardigan.

Cardigan and again and again

I've done a bit o' work on the cardi since that little swatch last month. I wish I could capture the color of the yarn (Knit Picks Telemark in Cilantro Heather). It's a lovely earthy green with other colors heathered into it.

It's so relaxing to work on this compared to knitting lace from charts. Just knitting and purling and staying aware of the increases and decreases for the waist shaping.

Here's the progress so far:

1. 2.

3. 4.

5. 6.

#6 is the start to the left and right fronts. I've made it up past the first buttonhole since that last photo was taken, but haven't documented it. Ah, well. Soon, soon.

Long time, no see

Well, my good intention of posting at least once a week flew right out the window. It happens. I guess I could aim for once a month? I've been busy. Knitting and other.

I've made some heavy progress on many projects.

Here's what I've done since my last post on Secret of the Stole ii:

Hint 4

Hint 5

Hint 6

Here's what's been completed on Spring Shawl Surprise:

Clue 6

Clue 8

Notice how I completely skipped over Clue 7? I forgot to take pics when I finished it. :(

And here is some slow progress on Dem Fischer sin Fru:

Clue 1

Clue 2

Clue 3

Also in the mix is my Sock Knitters Pentathlon. This Knit-a-long kicked off March 1st; the pattern was released at Midnight EST and I was able to download it and cast on right away. I was not, however anywhere near close to winning the gold (or the silver, or the bronze) as the first finisher was done with BOTH socks in under 9 hours! I did finish in a good time for my own records...March 5th at 2 PM. I included the time it took to weave in the ends (not because I'm that persnickety, but because I didn't look at the clock until I had tried both socks on).

I used Knit Picks Gloss in "Pumpkin" on 2.25mm double pointed needles (2 sets so I could knit both socks at the same time).

I promised in my last post a photo of some acquired stash. For your viewing pleasure:

This is my half of an order from Astrid's Dutch Obsessions that I split with a friend.

Next time I'll post some progress photos of the Tailored Cardigan from Garn Studio/Drops Designs.

Knitland o'plenty

I put off starting Clue 5 so I could pin out and photograph Clue 4. Oh, sweet stretchy lace goodness, how I adore thee!


Then I went on to knit Clue 5, which I actually finished Tuesday (Feb. 5) so I could begin on Clue 6 right away. Clue 6 is still not started,

because I had to knit Clue 3 of SotSii

and finish these:

Today we shipped off the clogs to their home in Denmark and I remembered several hours later that I had done nothing to the soles to prevent their slippery-ness. Grr. I've asked younger son to let his friend know of the "danger".

I've also (barely) begun working on some other projects.
There's the Cobblestone pullover for older son that I've swatched for:

And also this cardigan for me:

Gee, why haven't I posted in a week?

I had started (and finished Clue 1) of Dem Fischer sin Fru, but I didn't like how large it was. I ripped it out and will be starting again on smaller needles. I don't mind undoing my knitting if I am enjoying the project. It just means I get to enjoy it twice!

Tomorrow there will be stash addition photos (unless you've already cruised it on Ravelry).