square 16

Square 16: Double Scroll, knit with Navy & That's Blue. I'm not really sure I like this square, but after the silly mistakes in the last few (which I just left in - what better way to announce this is handmade? That's my story & I'm sticking to it.)


So, this square brings the total to 16 (yes, that is 16 down and 47 to go...):

It is more colorful than I was imagining, and I'm not sure that's a good thing. But I'll worry about that later. It's not as though I think I'll run out of yarn anytime soon.

But, finishing square 16 also means that I have completed two sections of the afghan (knit/purl combinations & mosaic patterns).

Section 1: Knit & Purl Combinations:

Section 2: Mosaic Patterns

squares, squares, squares

My Lord, it's cold out. I just checked my local weather and the actual temperature is 17F and "it feels like 4F." Let's not discuss the wind howling outside. On to more pleasant things...knitting!

I have three new squares to present in my LTKA:

The details:

Square 13 - Greek Cross in Peacock & Aran

Square 14 - Chevron in Aran, Burgundy, Royal Purple, & That's Blue


Square 15 - Stepped Fret in Violet (Knitpicks' Wool of the Andes) and That's Purple

P&S yarns is closing Sunday

Do i go? I don't think I need any more wool for the LTKA, but somehow I feel a pull toward playing hooky tomorrow and heading into NYC. Argh.

Falling behind

I am off-track on my LTKA. I was hoping to finish a square every day or two, but these mosaic squares are taking much longer than I anticipated. The reason? I'm not sure. Maybe I'm just moving more slowly? Perhaps the cold weather is taking a toll on my hands? Could be either or them, or a combination. But, I also noticed something that is a cross between annoying and annoying - most of these squares are done in garter stitch with slipped stitches to create the pattern. Ok, so I get the whole "feel the nubby texture" idea (the whole point of this afghan is to explore new styles/patterns/techniques/textures etc) but all of them? That adds at least two repeats of each pattern to the square. Methinks I may do the final mosaic squares in stockinette, just to see what it's like...

The suddenly freezing cold weather has been good for something

Details

• Square Name & Number: Square 12 - Harlequin
• Yarn Colors: Aran & That's Blue

At this rate, I might actually finish this blanket in 2007!

LTKA square 11

The details:

Square Name: Miniature Mosaic
Yarn: Aran & Burgundy

knitting family news

Taking a break from the knitting news, I am very excited to announce a new family member...

Meet Isabelle, born yesterday afternoon (being held by her very happy dad):


Since mom isn't pictured, a photo from the wedding last year:

"Learn to Knit Afghan" progress to date

I have completed the first section of the Learn to Knit afghan [book], knit & purl combinations, and have done two squares from the mosaic section. The author suggests that you use four colors - 2 dark & 2 light - but I went a little yarn crazy happy in a yarn store, so I had more than 4 colors and not really enough of any of them (28 oz each of the light and 12 oz each of the dark) to use only four colors. I know myself well enough that if I went back to the LYS "to buy more of the colors I had already chosen" I would have come away with WAY TOO much yarn (yes, I am a yarn addict, how did you guess?).

The solution? A jewel-toned afghan with using most of the Patons Classic Merino I purchased. The colors (always subject to addition - I am now back in CT with access to my knitpicks yarn) are:

• Aran (cream/off-white)
• Burgundy
• Bottle Green
• Navy
• That's Blue
• That's Purple
• Royal Purple
• Peacock

The pictures:

I. First section (knit-purl combinations)

Back row (or top?): Garter & Rib (7) in bottle green, Striped Stockinette (2) in aran & bottle green; Middle row: Basketweave (3) in burgundy, Diagonal rib (5) in aran, Rose fabric (8) in burgundy & nvay; Bottom row: Twisted & Crossed rib (6) in that's purple, Lattice with seed stitch in that's blue, Striped garter in aran & navy.

II. Mosaic patterns
Left: Horizontal chain (9) in peacock & navy
Right: Diagonal chain (10) in aran & royal purple
Both squares are much richer in color but the flash washed them out.

The state of knitting affairs

My progress to date (1/15/07) on my blanket:


Actually, the fourth strip is complete, I apparently didn't photograph it in it's entirety.

The details:

• 100% wool - Cascade 220, Wool of the Andes, Fishermen's Wool, Classic Merino, Sol, Kureyon, Silk Garden
• Patterns taken from several stitch books
• Approximate finished dimensions: 100"*100"
• Borders/Edging: Each strip will have a single crochet border in black, and then the strips will be sewn together and the entire blanket will be bordered in black wool

2007 Stashalong Goals

This is the stash (or at least the skeins I photographed):



Why yes, it is a lot of yarn...I recently created a spreadsheet to keep track of my gluttony spoils, and I have 340 skeins of wool which translates roughly to a little over 60,000 yards of wool. This is not counting the acrylic, wool-acrylic belnds, carry along yarns etc.

So, onto the stashalong goals:

1. Option 1: I will NOT BUY yarn for the next 3 months unlesss I need something to complete a project currently in progress (see #2)
2. Option 3: Finishing UFOs - I have several UFOs to complete. I can't officially select this option as I have only two UFOs I want to complete during this challenge. Unfortunately for my wrists they are both blankets:


• Queen Sized Afghan for my bed - I have 4 strips of 10 complete, each strip comprised of 9 or 10 squares of knitting, each with a different pattern. My goal is to have this completed by July, becasue that will be one year since I began it. In reality, however, I'll take it any time before it gets cold again next fall/winter.
• Learn to Knit Afghan from Barbara Walker's Learn to Knit Afghan Book - I have completed 10 of the 63 sqaures and am currently working at the pace of one square every two or three days. (Pictures will follow soon, when I upload them from my camera.

A new year, a new blog

Blogger wouldn' let me move my blog from the "old" blogger to the new one. So, I did something [that for me] more terrifying than dropping a needle mid-lace pattern, I hit the delete button. Then, I hit the "yes, i am sure" button, and the old ergknits is gone forever. Welcome one and all to the all new Emily Knits site.

A little boring bit about me: I am a graduate student, studying epidemiology. Yes, I am one of those do-gooders (as my TA recently referred to me) that wants to save the world one sick person at a time. I also try to save the world one knitted object at a time. My "charitable knitting" tally for 2006 is:

• Red Scarf Project: 2 scarves
• Dulaan Project: 46 items
• Afghans for Afghans: 3 items
• Soaring Eagles Project: 7 items
• Snuggles Project (through Hugs for Homeless Animals): 7 items
• Warm Up America: 6 items
• My Sister's Place: 1 item (it was a twin-sized blanket, though)
• Caps to the Capital: 16 items

As much as I enjoy knitting for others, I have recently come around to the notion of knitting for myself as well. This is largely what my knitting in 2007 will be about.