Tag Archives: knitting

Chinese Auction and Lace Hem Top

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We went to covered dish get-together this weekend and were to take a White Elephant gift.  As it turned out the White Elephant gift was really a Chinese Auction.  There are various versions of a Chinese Auction.  For this version those who participated drew a number from a hat.  When that number was called, the person chose and unwrapped a gift.  If they didn’t like it, they could swap with someone else.  Obviously the first few people didn’t have much of a chance of swapping for a “better” gift.  

The gift we took was destined for our yard sale.  

Mr. Aitch was third to select a gift.  It was a crystal candy dish with a lid and resembled a Hershey Kiss.  I suggested he swap that for a canvas bag filled with gardening tools.  Pretty and useful.  Too pretty and too useful as it turned out.  That gift was THE gift and exchanged hands many, many more times.  After the last gift was unwrapped and swapped,  the first person got an opportunity to swap since she didn’t have a choice at the beginning.  BTW she was the one that opened the canvas bag with the gardening tools in the first place.  And that’s what she ended up with after all.   

What did Mr. Aitch get?   

The gift we took.  It’s going back to the yard sale box.  

On the knitting side of the weekend I got about half way done on the back of the Lace Hem Top.  I’m hoping I can make great progress on this today and perhaps even finish the back!  Mr. Aitch doesn’t understand the concept of a “sweater” for the summer.  I tried to explain that it isn’t a sweater, it’s a knitted garment.  Not all knits are sweaters.  Whatever.  

Lace Hem Topping 7/11/2010

Cascade Ultra Pima in Heathered Pansy.  

This has a lace border and I’ve not really done much with lace.  In fact the only “lace” I’ve done is/are the eyelet sweaters.  I wet the sweaters when I was finished with them and blocked.  I used acrylic yarn.   

How do I block this cotton?  Steam block?  Wet block?  

Sell or donate? Pattern decision

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I really need to and want to declutter.  I kind of got of track the past week or so but am determined to start back up again by going through one drawer or cabinet a day.

I want to reap some monetary benefit from all this stuff and have a yard/garage sale with but that takes a lot of time (and help).  Do you find it better to donate or hold a sale?

My goal is to finish part of the basement for a proper craft room where I can organize all the many materials I use and to also have a place for my kids and grandkids to be crafty.

I decided to knit different sweater/shell/tank out of the Cascade Ultra Pima. 

Lace hem Topping from Creative Knitting July 2008 issue

It’s from Creative Knitting magazine July 2008 issue and it’s featured on the cover.  The yarn is supposed to be a worsted weight (same problem I have with the Eileen shell from No Sheep for You) but since this isn’t supposed to be knitted as tight as the Eileen, I decided I can use a knitting gauge/stitch converter and still make it fit.  What a FABULOUS tool this converter is!  As it turns out this converted to the exact stitch count for a larger size so I can knit this without having to blindly convert the shaping !

Yarn, patterns, decisions

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After much thinking about the yarn I bought for the Eileen shell, I decided to find another pattern designed for this particular weight.  I spent a lot of time last night perusing the internets for a pattern I could use that was: 

  1. Free
  2. Something I already had in my vast collection of magazines
  3. An adaptation of 2-3 patterns
  4. Inspiration

Cascade Ultra Pima Heathered Pansy

I have a few patterns that might work with the four skeins of the Cascade Ultra Pima  purchased so I brought the pattern books/magazines with me today so I can maybe, just maybe decide over lunch which will be the perfect one for this yummy yarn.  The Eileen shell will have to wait for my Knit Picks order to arrive.  If I am super industrious, I could have this one finished before the order arrives! 

Of course I still have to do some decluttering in between knitting. 

Oh, and I almost forgot that today is my sister’s birthday.  Happy Birthday, Jude!

Yarn isn’t working

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I spent $$$ at my LYS on Friday on this gorgeous Cascade Ultra Pima in Heathered Pansy (3705) to knit the Eileen Shell featured in No Sheep for You.  It’s a substitute for the Louret Sales Euroflax Geneva (which is no longer available and would have been way above my price range).

The pattern calls for a worsted weight and I was advised by the salesperson that I could substitute the Cascade Ultra Pima for the Euroflax.  Gauge is 20 st x 24 rows on Size 2 (2.75mm) needles.  I’ve swatched this starting on Size 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and finally got the correct gauge on a size 7 needle.  This is supposed to be a very tight knit but it’s not happening.  The DK weight just isn’t a proper substitute.  I should have known but I just wasn’t thinking.  In the meantime I ordered some Comfy Worsted in Peony from Knit Picks just in case I need to change the yarn.

Questions abound.  Well, maybe only three questions…

  1. Do I use the size 7 needles since that is what gauge was?
  2. Do I figure out what size to knit using a smaller needle so I get the intended denseness?
  3. Do I go with the above mentioned yarn from Knit Picks and save the Cascade Ultra Pima for something else?

I’m not good at substituting.  But then I don’t think this was completely my fault.  The advice I received from the salesperson wasn’t exactly right IMHO.

Please help!

Periwinkle, Sky Blue, Aqua, Lime

 

In addition to the Heathered Pansy color I also bought  (from l to r) Periwinkle (3726), Sky Blue (3727), Aqua (3732), and Lime (3739).  Not sure what I’m going to knit with these but I loved the colors and the feel of the yarn.  With so much swatching I’ve done over then weekend I do not think will not get tired of this buttery softness.