And in the finishing what I started department, here are photos of my completed Ubernatural:





I can't say that this was my favorite ever project, but at least I have been wearing it. And I get lots of compliments on the buttons.

Ok, here are pictures.

As I mentioned above, I'm using a very interesting pink wool boucle from Habu Textiles and as the contrasting color, a yarn called Mohair Tam, also from Habu (available for less, I discovered after the fact, at Knit Pixie - http://www.knitpixie.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=311 . I only purchased one ounce (supposedly 77 yards!) but I am making good progress with that amount and might not even need more (which is a good thing because it's expensive).



Here is a progress shot of the sweater:



The picture makes the yarn look more peach and less pink than it really is. It is pink! The yarn is so much fun to knit with. I love it.

Will post more when it's done. Can't wait to see others' progress.

So, I got a little bit sidetracked from finishing up my uncompleted projects. This is because I made an unscheduled visit to Seaport Yarn on Friday and could not stop myself from purchasing two skeins of Noro Big Kureyon. It is so beautiful! Here are the results of my impulse purchase:


http://www.jodisax.com/crafty/DSCF0016.JPG

http://www.jodisax.com/crafty/melantern.JPG

Top view of the hat:

http://www.jodisax.com/crafty/lanterntop.JPG

You really can't see the flowers well in the pic, but they are my favorite part. The best knit flower pattern I've found to date (pattern below):

http://www.jodisax.com/crafty/lantern%20side.JPG

I knit the scarf using the free multidirectional scarf pattern by Karen Baumer:  http://douma.net/Karen/knitting/Accessory-Scarves/Multidirectional_Diagonal_Scarf.htm

Next, I knit up a hat that I designed on the fly, which looks to me like a Chinese lantern because of the shape it took interspersing the random wool boucle yarn I had lying around with a double strand of the big Kureyon. I embelished it with knit pansies made from the Big Kureyon (single strand) : cast on 16 LOOSELY, [knit, knit in back loop, knit again] in each stitch, cast off purlwise, then form into flowers and attach. Sew stamen in center of flowers with contrasting color, beads, or whatever you would like.

Very, very warm and I really like how these turned out. The pictures don't do the Big Kureyon justice. It is GORGEOUS.

To make hat (pattern is not very exact because you can modify # of rows to fit your head):

Cast on 40 stitches of two strands Noro Big Kureyon onto size 15 circ or double points

purl one row
continue in the Big Kureyon (BK) in garter stitch for about 6 more rounds
switch to wool boucle and purl for about 4 rounds
switch back to BK and continue in garter stitch, commencing with purl row, for about 6 rounds
switch back to wool boucle and purl about 4 more rounds
switch back to BK/garter stitch, purl one round
[CHECK HAT TO SEE IF IT FITS BEFORE BEGINNING DECREASE; you can knit more or take out a few rows as needed - my head is big!]
continuing in BK, begin decrease rows, k2, k2 together for round --> 30 stitches
purl next row in BK
decrease row - K1, K2 tog --> 20stitches
purl next row
decrease row - k2 together around --> 10 stitches
purl one row
break yarn leaving tail, put remaining stitches on yarn tail and pull together, tie and weave in ends.


I used 2 skeins of Noro Big Kureyon for both hat and scarf, and about 30 yards of wool boucle for hat.


Have fun!

I don't know how to crochet, but I wanted to make a crocheted hat...so I made up this pattern from a simple knitted cloche pattern crossed with a pattern I got for some knotted lacework from a stitch book I have...et voila! A fauxchet hat.

You can't really tell from the pic, but the whole thing is that same open stitch work.

This went really fast...I knit it in one sitting!

Here is a picture of my poor Ubernatural, awaiting its new buttons and for me to finish one sleeve and, in general, fix it up a bit (block it??). I know it's hard to see the details, but I'm posting just to prove I actually did knit this since I'm the one who initiated the KAL.



I ripped out the waist-band and am knitting it over on size 13s. I am also going to rip the one sleeve a bit and knit the other one not as long as the pattern, because when I tried it on they looked better shorter (though of course I discovered this only after knitting the one already).

I am also awaiting an auction to end on my covetted buttons in a smaller size.

In the interim I've become obsessed with figuring out how to knit this crochet-like hat out of my leftover yarn...developing.. .

Wow this is complicated! Are y'all following? lol.

I call this a "little bit of everything" hat because its components are all from different places.The hat is from my basic hat pattern that I base most of my hats on...I posted that pattern somewhere in the SNB forum under sparkle hat. The hat is knit with this really random yarn my Mom gave me. It is wool, with all sorts of stuff woven into it, including suede, string, and more wool. It made a very interesting chunky hat, that I knit up on my very favorite needles, the bamboo double point size 15s.

I wanted to adorn the hat a bit, so I tried out the flower pattern from the new Knit.1 mag. Very cute! I also added some leaves from Nicky Epstein's Knitting on the Edge - http://tinyurl.com/6xatc -  a great book. You can't really see the leaf details, but they came out super.






Pardon my haggard appearance...It was a snow day!

Here is my Spark Hat (complete with Paillettes!) that I knit out of some random synthetic fuzzy stuff. I really love this hat, but it's too large for me, so I wear it like a cloche. It looks really cute but falls off! I think I might run a ribbon through it to make it fit better.

I really liked knitting with the paillettes! It was confusing at first, but worked out well once I got the hang...plus I learned a lot from working this pattern.



Here are a few more hats that I've knit this winter. I love making hats especially on my size 15 double points with yummy, chunky yarn. Fun!

Here is my Roll your Own. I am so pleased with this! I haven't sewn anything in about 10 million years, and I was never very good at it to begin with. In fact, I hate sewing and was cursing throughout the process of making this...But I love it and I'm so, so happy I made it.

My favorite part is the little pocket I made from the extra fabric to hold tapestry needles, safety pins, stitch holders and other small stuff.

Sorry for the obnoxiously huge photos (if they don't auto-resize) -  I'm being really lazy and didn't resize.

Ok gals...I've got my yarn and my buttons and I'm ready to go! (Just need to go get some new needles). Maybe someone will join me so it will be a knitalong not a knitalone? Veronique?

Maybe I will inspire someone by showing off the superswell vintage mother of pearl buttons I bought off of ebay, 12 for $7. They are SO PRETTY in person - exactly like the ones in the picture of the sweater, except slightly grey. The dark side is the back.



 I'm hoping someone will jump in as I progress!

As soon as I finish the scarf I'm making with the left-over yarn from my Tempting, I'm going to start an Ubernatural. Would anybody like to join me? Here is the pic:



The pattern is on Magknits and here is the link: http://www.magknits.com/chilly04/patterns/uber.htm

I just love this sweater. It is designed by Stefanie Japel, the same person who designed the Paris Loop. I think her "anarchy" attitude about knitting is great.

I have ordered chunky 100% Peruvian wool from Elann.com for this - it is on sale for $2.25 a skein. You do need 11, but even with shipping the total came out to just over $30. I ordered the dark heather grey.I  am also getting some buttons from eBay to match the pattern.

I'm a little bit nervous about taking on this project, because I haven't been knitting for too long...But for me, the best way to learn new knitting skills,  I've found, is by jumping in and figuring it out myself, so I'm taking the plunge. My yarn should arrive next week.

Anybody want to start with me?