The chest is here, the chest is here!

This lovely cedar chest just arrived yesterday. I've discovered that since taking up this knitting thing, I'm running out of storage space for clothes. Knits take up more room, and they cannot be hung in many cases. The plan is to replace all of my bedroom furniture in a year or so, but in the meantime I do need more storage. Also, having a cedar chest helps keep out moths waiting to dine on my woolens. This beauty comes from Harmony Cedar. It is their Shaker style model, in cherry. I don't have enough knits to fill it yet, but I'm working on it!

Ruched shell cast-on

I recently cast on for the ruched shell from Interweave Knits Winter 2007. The yarn is Elsebeth Lavold silky tweed. I bought the yarn at Knitting By The Sea in Carmel on a recent trip. I'm using the same yarn, but different colors for the body and the trim. I decided to also do the bottom in the trim color, and I made it five rows instead of three before turning the hem. I'm surprised very few knitters on ravelry are knitting this pattern. I think it's a very elegant sweater with nice detailing. Maybe everyone else thinks it's too simple a style.

I will probably do less gathering below the waistband on the front, but keep the ruching at the bustline.

I like this yarn so much that I bought some green skeins on closeout sale from FuzzyMabel.

Pretty in Pink

I've finished Alisa from Pursuit of Fiber just in time for summer. I love the lace panels on this sweater -- that's what convinced me to buy the pattern. The yarn is Berroco Nostalgia (a cotton/acrylic/nylon blend). I'm hoping the nylon will help keep its shape.
Customizations: I used waist shaping instead of the a-line shaping. I started the v-neck a little bit lower. I used crochet edging on the neckline also, and I made a shaped slightly scooped neckline for the back because it is a summer sweater and I did not want the back of my neck covered. Finally, I made the side lace panels mirror images of each other.

Alisa - Almost Finished Object

I'm close to being done with Alisa. Woo hoo! I think I should start the new acronym of AFO for almost-finished-object. This is the point where I knit faster and try to avoid stoopid mistakes because I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It's come along nicely without much drama.

Sharp and Pink

I knitted this knife holder to hold a pink knife that was given as a gift. This also is a breast cancer awareness knife, where some percentage of the profits goes towards breast cancer research. The recipient said that she would only want a knife if it was Hello Kitty pink (it's a long story). Well, the knife is pink, and the holder is pink, and it has a Hello Kitty button that I purchased on ebay. The back has the BCA ribbon knitted into it. I found the ribbon pattern as part of a pink ribbon sock pattern on Lisa Lloyd designs.

Conversations about a bag

Some time ago, I did a posting about this great used tote bag I got at the local American Cancer Society shop. I use it as a knitting bag. Just recently, it was sitting on a table between myself and my other half (a.k.a. The Audio Dude). The conversation went more or less like this:

Audio Dude: "I didn't know you have a Kate Spade bag."
Me: "I don't have a Kate Spade bag".
Audio Dude: "Yes you do, this bag is a Kate Spade bag."
Me: "Uh, no it isn't. Why do you think it's a Kate Spade bag?"
Audio Dude: "Er, because it says so right here?" (pointing to a spot on the bag on the side facing him)
Me: (gleefully, after turning the bag around and looking at the embossed lettering) "OMG -- I bought a Kate Spade bag for 10 bucks!"

Sometimes, little things like that make me happy.

Knitting by the sea and new castings on

Last weekend, we took a trip to Carmel-By-the-Sea, one of my favorite places on earth. I did a little knitting, and cast on for the kilt skirt from Knit 2 Together. Here, I'm doing a little knitting on the Carmel beach.

I've knitted about half of the bottom ruffle since then. The yarn is Gerifil spaghetti, which is very springy so the skirt should hold its shape pretty well.

Since I recently finished two garments, I figure I have to cast on for two new ones, so I'm also knitting Alisa, from Pursuit of Fiber. The yarn is Berroco, a cotton blend.