Rhonda's Knitting - Knitting News Cast

Hat Recipent

2009-10-28T21:54:00.000-07:00

Had birthday brunch with my brother, his girlfriend, and my mom on Sunday. I gave Brian one of the hats I knitted. It looks great on him!

And I love this picture that Amber took of us.

Hats, Hats, Hats

2009-10-26T07:20:00.000-07:00

One of my friends asked me to knit them a beanie style hat a month or so ago.

And that got me started on a hat kntting streak. So over the last month and half, I've been knitting hats. Most of the them have been the Pro Bono hat pattern by Angelina Fagan.

I really like this pattern because it is an easy K2P2 one using chunky yarn. I also used worsted weight yarn for several of the hats and just increased the cast on to 88 stitches. I may make a few more but I either need to decrease the needle size and/or the number of cast on stitches. They are a perfect size for my head but I've had several women with not so much hair as I try them on and they fit but could be a bit more snug.

I also knitted a Robin's Egg Blue Hat by Rachel Iufer using Malabrigo Chunky Yarn.

Finally, I knitted The Amanda's Hat(pdf) by Gina House.

I like the stitch pattern so much and I had just enough yarn so I made a cowl too.

One For You And One For Me

2009-08-25T07:48:00.000-07:00

As promised, here are the current WIPs. I cast on both of these about 2 weeks ago, although I had to rip out the wrap and start again this past weekend because it was too small. I knew I needed to do it but I made my knitting group tell me too so that I didn't feel so bad!

Name: One Row Handspun Scarf by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
Yarn: Malabrigo Yarn Merino Worsted in Cognac (#158)
Needle Size: US 7 / 4.5 mm

Instead of 26 stitches, I cast on 30. The stitch pattern is easy to remember and makes this knit a great project to take to knit night and other places where I'm easily distracted.

The zigzag of the darker color through the scarf makes it more interesting, I think.

This will be a gift for Xmas. Although, I love the feel of this yarn and may have a hard time letting it go.

This next one is for me!

Name: Every Way Wrap by by Okmin Park in Interweave Knits, Fall 2009
Yarn: Cascade Yarns 220 Wool in Blue (#7816)
Needle:

The cable chart was printed incorrectly. Here is the correct one. (You can also see a picture of the completed wrap from the magazine on this page. It is the picture on the right.)

I think this one is going to take a while to knit. I just started the 3rd pattern repeat out of 18 and I may need to go longer since I'm tall. Hopefully, I won't run out of yarn.

Sunset

2009-08-17T12:59:00.001-07:00

Okay, I know I'm going a bit crazy with the posts today. But here is the incredible sunset we had last night:

Awesome!

Actual Knitting Content

2009-08-17T12:32:00.001-07:00

The summer has been busy, busy, busy. Between Storm games (go LJ!), geocaching, and hanging out with friends, I haven't gotten much knitting done. The only time I was knitting was once a week at knit night and I didn't make it every week.

However, last week I did get a couple of projects finished and started a couple more (I'll post about those soon...promise).

Here's the FOs:
Daisy from Going Straight - A New Generation of Knitted Hats (don't worry...this going straight as in knitting with straight needles!)
Yarn: Louisa Harding Nautical Cotton = 2.5 skeins

I knitted an extra pattern repeat because my gauge was smaller and I have a pretty big head because of all the curls.

Slinky Ribs by Wendy Bernard from Custom Knits
Yarn: Custom Blend of Bamboo and Cotton from Yarnia
Needles: US 1

The original pattern had a deeper scooped neckline and also some buttons. I wanted to be able to wear mine without having to have a camisole or t-shirt on underneath.

Up next: Xmas gift scarf and a wrap for me (plus lots more Xmas knitting)

Saddened

2009-08-17T10:22:00.000-07:00

Three things literal saved my life last year during the deepest days of despair after the break up of my marriage: my pets (who was going to take care of them if I left the car running in the garage), AA (which gave me a host of friends and a sponsor who held me up when I couldn't make it on my own) and Susan Eliliot (who's website I found the week I found out that my ex was having an online affair and was leaving me because of it).

Susan's husband died today and even though I don't even know her personally, I feel so much for her because of her loss of the man who finally was the "one".

Rest In Peace, Michael.

Decline To Sign 71

2009-07-16T16:00:00.000-07:00

Join the Impact volunteers have just made a video to remind voters just how much is at stake for Washington families if Referendum 71 qualifies for the ballot.

WARNING: Read any petition before your sign!

There are reports of people collecting signatures for Referendum 71, but telling people the petition is pro-gay rights. People are signing the petition thinking they are supporting LGBT people. Read any petition before your sign! Do not sign anything that says "Preserve Marriage, Protect Children" at the top.

Henna Tatoo

2009-06-27T18:42:00.001-07:00

Went to the Capital Hill Pride Festival today. While I was there I got this henna tatoo around my ankle. I'm thinking of getting something similar in a regular one.

Low Tide

2009-06-24T21:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the lowest tide of the year. So I took a break at lunch and walked across the street to check out the beach. I saw several starfish, which I got pictures of, and one really big crab which was too fast to get a picture of.

Amazing huh?

Tacoma Finish

2009-05-31T09:09:00.000-07:00

My little brother's band:

Tacoma Finish, a Alternative/Rock/Jam Band in Seattle, WA.

Check it out!

I Won't Back Down

2009-05-26T10:57:00.000-07:00

It is another day of hate as Prop 8 in California, the ban on gay marriage, stands.

But we won't back down. One day it will be equality for everyone and then no one can tell us our marriages and love are illegitimate.

Stand with us.

MJ's Baby Blanket

2009-05-21T12:13:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure to work on baby blanket with my Renton knitting group over the last 4 or 5 months for MJ, one of our members due in June.

We came up with the idea of knitting different squares in several different shades of green and purple. Angi who owns A Swell Yarn Shop was kind enough to put her expert yarn dyeing skills to use and supplied us with some wonderful yarn.

The yarn was then distributed to members secretly and each made one or more squares using different stitch patterns.

Here are pictures of my squares:

And here are the squares before we seamed them together. It was quite the puzzle to put together!

But Bella kept us entertained and we got it all seamed in one afternoon.

Here is MJ with her blanket at the baby shower we had for her:

Didn't it turn out beautiful?!?

You can read Shawna's write up on MJ's blanket and see more pictures.

For The Renton Gals

2009-04-30T07:54:00.000-07:00

Happy? ;)

Eagles

2009-03-26T07:43:00.001-07:00

On my morning walk I saw a couple of eagles.

Rainbow Invasion

2009-03-17T09:09:00.000-07:00

It is raining on and off today. Right now it is partly clear. Earlier there was rainbow by Blake Island. And as I watched it, it got closer and closer.

Here it is halfway between Blake Island and my street.

Here it is nearly across the street.

I think there must be a whale with a pot of gold on his back swimming in the sound!

Modified Susie Hoodie Parts

2009-03-01T09:17:00.000-08:00

Last summer I started knitting the Susie Hoodie from Big Girl Knits. I knitted up swatches until I got gauge and then started knitting on the body. I got a good portion of it knitted to the waist when I realized that the gauge was off. So I put it aside because I wasn't ready to frog it. And I had Christmas knitting to start.

I've picked it back up in the last couple of weeks but have decide that I'm only hand knitting the fun part (the cable braid) and then I'm going to use my knitting machine to do the rest. So it isn't really going to be the Susie Hoodie at all but an inspiration of it, especially since I decided to have a collar rather than the hoodie.

Here is what I've knitted so far:

These are the cuffs and I plan on putting them on the machine and knitting the rest of the sleeve with it.

Here is one of the button bands (although it won't have buttons):

I'm going to knit the back and the two fronts on the machine and then attach the bands after I knit a bottom garter stitch band and top garter stitch collar. I will get to practice the seaming technique I learned in Jean Wong's finishing class a couple of weeks ago at Madrona. This is very timely and has given me the courage to try a project that will require a bit of seaming.

Yesterday I spent some time working out the calculations for the number of rows and stitches I need to use on the machine. I used a favorite cardigan of mine that fits the way I'd like this one to fit for the sizing and Ann Budd's Knitter's Handy Book of Sweater Patterns to get all the numbers.

I hope to knit the back tonight. I need 96 stitches across and the machine has 100. So I'm glad I'm using a worsted weight yarn (Cascade 220 Superwash) or else I'd have had to bought an extension.

Signs Of Spring

2009-02-27T07:33:00.000-08:00

I know that it snowed yesterday but the signs of Spring have already started to appear. The other night a friend exclaimed about it being Spring when she saw some Crocus that was starting to bloom.

And that made me realized that I don't know the flowers here that indicate that Spring is coming. I have a great love for Texas wildflowers and when the Texas Toad Flax would start to bloom in early February, I knew another wonderful season of flowers and Spring were about to begin. I was blessed to have lived among a sea of wildflowers when I lived in Texas and I would often spend hours at the Lady Johnson Wildflower Center looking at and taking pictures the many varieties of flowers there.

Last year I bought a book on Washington wildflowers but I was disappointed to find that many of them don't bloom until late May through August. And of course, they don't bloom here in the middle of Seattle.

I also love other types of flowers like tulips and daffodils. It was my great folly to try to grow them in Texas every year. They might make it a week or two before the heat and lack of water killed them. But I kept trying every year thinking I could keep them alive by paying more attention to the amount of water I gave them. But the Texas sun can be brutal for a fragile flower not accustom to draught.

When I moved to Seattle in late 2007 I planted tulip and daffodil bulbs in my back yard and got to enjoy them the following Spring. And for much longer then a week!

Anyway, there a people who think that Texas wildflowers are weeds. And maybe that is so if you consider non-native flowers and grasses not as weeds. But I think "weeds" are beautiful too. So I'm noticing the "weeds" that are flowering here.

Right now the clover is flowering. Clover is a plant I remember from my youth in New Jersey and Chicago. I loved looking for four leaf ones and was always so excited when I found one. I knew it would bring me good luck. And here in the great Pacific Northwest there is clover. I tried to take a picture with my cell phone. But it didn't turn out. I need to start carrying my regular camera with me on my walks with Pachebel.

But I did get a picture of this flower. I'm not sure what plant it is from.

And here is another picture I took of flowers that were planted by the bus stop at the park down the street:

They may be daffodils but I'm not sure. I think these small flowers that look like daffodils have another name. Looks like I have a great adventure ahead of me learning about the native and non-native flowers that thrive here!

And I think I'm going to buy a bunch of tulips and daffodils for a vase here at home.

February Snow

2009-02-26T07:45:00.000-08:00

Took an invigorating walk with Pachebel and got these pictures of the snow this morning.

ETA: Look while I was taking pictures of Pachebel, some one was taking pictures of us!

The Mountains Are Out

2009-02-21T08:31:00.001-08:00

Ferry And Mountains

2009-02-21T07:57:00.001-08:00

Saturday Morning Sunshine

2009-02-21T07:56:00.000-08:00

Join The Class

2009-02-20T23:29:00.000-08:00

Phone camera vs. Camera

2009-02-19T07:43:00.000-08:00

This first photo is from my camera phone, a motorola q. The next is from my canon camera.

Not much different, huh?

Both were taken at a park just down the street from the condo I moved into back in December. I take Pachebel walking there every morning. The mountains weren't out when we were there, but here is a shot (with my regular camera) of the veiw of them from my home office window. The sun isn't quite out yet so you can't see them that well (click on the photo for a larger view). Maybe I'll get out at lunch and take some better photos. It is supposed to be a "balmy" 55 degrees today.

I feel very blessed to live here. And lucky too!

Pachebel

2009-02-18T10:15:00.000-08:00

I'm testing sending posts to my blog from my phone. Here's my dog Pachebel. Isn't she cute?

Madrona

2009-02-16T07:37:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I had the privilege of taking a Finishing Class with Jean Wong at the Madrona Fiber Arts Retreat in Tacoma. If you ever get to take a class with Jean, I highly recommend it.

The class was pretty labour intensive. We had to knit 11 swatches, small swatches mind you, but 11 swatches nonetheless, before the class. Then in class we learned how to do an invisible cast-off on 1 by 1 ribbing and 2 by 2 ribbing for cardigans and pullovers. We also learned the Japanese method of short rows which I've been wanting to learn because it creates a fabric that doesn't have holes. At the end of the class we learned how to mattress stitch our 2 by 2 swatches together and our 1 by 1 swatches together so that the pattern continues without losing a stitch. Very impressive.

Jean has a Professional Finishing Techniques dvd that I purchased so that I can remember everything she taught us. I think I'm going to need it because we covered a lot of techniques in the class.