Well, knitting is full of order, I’m full of law (or so I pretend at work, anyway)… and I happen to love Law and Order in all of its varieties.

So – for anyone cruising by – would you be interested in joining a blog for L&O fans who also knit? (or knitters who are also L&O fans)? A Law and Order KAL/AAL (art-a-long), as it were.

If so, please advise.

Regards,

Kristina

At the LYS near my work today a gentleman asked me if I was planning to knit up some pumpkins!

In fact, I was (inordinately?) excited because there was Super10 for sale (or so I thought until I got to the cash). In fact, it was something called “Super3” (which for some reason I’d never heard of – aran weight mercerised cotton) and which apparently has been discontinued. Can’t figure out why – unless it was too heavy to make decent sweaters. So, I’ll be making a bag instead (the “Scarlett Carpetbag” from Big Girl Knits, with the following accent colours (in Super 10 (DK) so we’ll see how THAT works out…)

Yeah, also acquired yesterday (at full price). Like I *needed* more super10. Oh well, it’s made in Greece and so (indirectly) was I… or that’s my excuse for this week anyway.

Now all I need to do is line my denim bag… which I have been putting off. Wish I liked sewing… I have finishing anxiety with anything involving more than seaming yarn (which actually I don’t enjoy either… but I seem to view as a necessary evil). Please wish me luck!

Oh – and I also bought “No Sheep for You” yesterday. Big mistake. I now want to make EVERYTHING in the book (minus one thing which I would probably still make for someone else…)…I need a second job at which I can knit! (just to pay for the habit…)

Here is the freeform log cabin at its new home:

… and, latest WIP – a log cabin style scarf (patterned on 1/2 of the Moderne pattern in the Mason-Dixon Knitting book). I bought these funky glass beads from Mary Maxim and am knitting them in on the borders. You can’t tell from the photos, but the beads are coloured in pink, gold, blue and purple. n Yarn is curly locks by Fleece Artist.

… and still to come: SOCK MANIA (having never knitted socks, really, aside from two pairs of slipper socks on large needles. Have bought 3 skeins of Fleece Artist (another current mania): 2 in sea cell/wool and one in merino.

Finally this is done! (although it didn’t take all that long… only a year and a half to use up the afghan kit ).

Specs:
– measurement is 43″ x 53″ approx.
– yarn: Fleece Artist afghan kit plus other bits and bobs…quantity 1 kg approx.
– needles: 10 mm for knitting and 12 mm for binding off
– wrinkles: at first I forgot to bind off with larger needles. This led to a big pucker in the middle which made me sad. However, hopefully blocking will have done with that
– destination: draped over my couch
– time spent: 10 days approx.

detail 1

detail 2


detail 3

A mosaic project – sadly, forgot to take photos of the finished version (which I finished up at the friend’s house it was intended for). However, like the colour very much (almost couldn’t part with it) so thought I’d post here:

Well, here I am at the end of Feb. It has been a good stashbusting month (see below).

I’m now working on the following projects:

(a) Freeform Log Cabin

Another stashbuster intended to help me make use of a Fleece Artist afghan kit plus some other Fleece Artist yarn I got on sale (the afghan kit has been sitting around a bit too long – I made another one previously with a pillow:


Lovely pattern but I HATE yarnovers.

I’m interested to see how the log cabin works out. Am using 10mm needles with 12 mm needles for the bindoffs.

(b) Denim Messenger Bag

This is based on a pattern I found in “Greetings from the Knit Cafe”. Knitting all done. Just have to line with more denim and fix the strap (which I’m putting off because I am looking for plastic needlepoint canvas to put in the bottom). This was hard going as the yarn (Blue Jeans Cable) gave off dye and fibres which made me itch. The pattern had called for Rowan’s denim but I found this stuff on sale at less than half the price. Sometimes you get what you pay for… but the finished bag looks good, I think.

I also just bought a bunch of yarn (drat payday!) for two more projects: entrelac knee socks (I *must* be a masochist. So far have avoided the yarn craze but couldn’t resist this pattern in the latest INterweave Knits) and a pair of boxer shorts (using elasticated yarn).

Well, I couldn’t leave well enough alone despite the wise and well-appreciated feedback from some…!). This is the final version (with border added – two rows of half-double crochet in teal).

Front

Back



Specs

– final size: 60″ x 60″ across
– yarn used: Paton’s Decor (85% acrylic, 15% wool) – 20 x 100g balls with a little bit to spare
– needles: 5″ addi turbo and 5 mm crochet hook
– started on: 21 January 2007
– finished on: 16 February 2007
– other projects completed during that time: two fuzzy winter hats, fuzzy winter scarf, felted recycled bulletin board
– other projects started/worked on during that time: Tilting at Windmills wall hanging, felted recycles sweaters, mosaic rocking chair, log cabin purse
– old episodes of Law and Order watched while completing: 115 approx 😉
– pattern by: Woolly Thoughts (Pat Ashforth) with an extra “square” and log cabin border added

I loved knitting this (although I must confess the “extra” square was starting to get a bit tedious. I would recommend it to anyway. I will be doing this pattern again (probably with only 3 colours next time around)

And… I am so happy to finally use the Paton’s yarn up… which was the albatross in my yarn collection. Funnily enough, I located the receipt for the yarn the other day – it was purchased in 1995 (at a cost of $2.99 per skein). I had thrown it aside in disgust after attempting a (lovely but frustating) sweater pattern by Kaffe Fassett. This is the third (and only successful) attempt at a pattern using it.

In the interval, it has languished, unloved and reviled, in the spare spaces/sparerooms/musty storage lockers of at least 8 apartments! (I had around that time developed a real snobbery about synthetics and the corresponding financial ability to spend more money on “luxury” yarns). So – I feel a real sense of accomplishment in finally giving the yarn a beautiful “home”.

Now off to whip up a sweater or three… . Actually, next project will be a messenger bag made out of denim cotton (which I located on sale on Friday – wrong gauge for the project – but hey, it’s a bag!).

Being a masochist, I decided to do two borders on this blanket – one log-cabin style, and one mitered. To be quite honest, I’m getting tired of this project but must finish it and the yarn I started with.

Anyway, I think it’s looking pretty good…

Well, still hacking away at the border for the Curve blanket. Am finally starting to get tired of it! but still have quite a bit to do as I decided on two log cabin rounds then a mitered border. SIGH.

In the meantime, I got a new computer (having dropped my former one on the floor – AGH!!!). Perhaps the “drop” was intentional as I LOVE my new home computer (17″ widescreen MacBook Pro). Here are some wonky photos I took with the computer:

Just trying to figure out the border scheme now. Will likely knit a sweater and then do it 😉

I love love love this pattern! (from woollythoughts.com – Curve of Pursuit)

front:

back:

yarn: Paton’s Decor, 2000g approx (acrylic/wool)
needles: 5 mm addi turbo
size: 48″x48″
number of stitches: lost count at 91,745. Kidding. Tried to calculate but am very bad at math.