FishyKissKnits

Frogged Cactus Dog Socks

Cute - isn't it - but it doesn't fit.  The pattern is inspired by Cayote and Cactus Top, found in the book "Slip-Stitch Knitting" by Roxana Bartlett.  I did some reworking so that the graph would work in the number of stitches I needed.  So now I have knit them twice and ripped them back again.  The thing is that a mosaic pattern with long floats significantly affects the size of the sock.  DUH. .... and how long have you been knitting?!!!?

Anyway, I reknit this sock last night from the heel up, and increased the stitches, and the needle size.  They are now offically going to be called  "SW Cactus Dog SLOUCH socks".  Who knows how they will fit.  I'll just have to wait and see once the heel is inserted.

New photo will follow of the reknit sock.

And Another

ATC - great fun

Bel introduced me to the creative art of Artist Trading Cards while I was visiting last week.  Here is my first attempt.  Great fun.  Really gets the creative juices flowing.

Update on Frost Flowers & Leaves Shawl

Well, I'm finally at the finishing stages for the Frost Flowers Shawl.  It's taken so long because I've been working on so many other projects, and actually finished 3 other shawls since starting this one.
Part of the hold-up has been my dislike of the finishing edge on the original pattern.  I've been searching and searching, and finally found an old vintage pattern which has 2 leaves in a repeat pattern..... kind of reflects the 'spine' pattern in the shawl, and I decided that this would be perfect.  The only problem is that this pattern takes quite a bit of yarn, so I've decided that because I'm already incorporating 4 colours of Handmaiden Seasilk, and there is so much left over, I will use that in the edging as well, rather than using a single colour as I originally planned.  I love the look of this edge.  I've finished 1/4 of the edge, and about to change colours.  More later....

ALL DONE, NOT BLOCKED

Finished shawl, prior to blocking.  The colour isn't quite accurate, but close.
contents © Esther Budd, 2007. All rights reserved.

Shawl Updates

Bel's shawl is off the needles and to me it looks like a butterfly.  Of course it will straighten out after blocking, but I'm tempted to let the edges with whatever fringe I choose ripple - it seems to want to do that anyway.  The colours look fabulous.  This picture was taken with my new camera in very low light, but I just had to try it. 












These 2 images are to show the progress in my Frost Flowers and Leaves Shawl, which of course has been put aside to work on the Bellflower shawl.  I think that the transitions here work from colour to colour.... and there is one more colour to add - more of a solid soft pink.

contents © Esther Budd, 2007. All rights reserved.

Emily's Birthday Shawl

Emily finally received her Birthday Koigu shawl yesterday.  She looked amazing in it, and as a coincidence was wearing a skirt that totally went with it.  Here are some other close-up shots - one of the fringe detail, the other of the lace stitch.

contents © Esther Budd, 2007. All rights reserved.

Final Colour

Down to the final colour.  Can't wait to finish.  I love the cast-off - the whole thing opens up like a butterfly.  The final emergence is the blocking.  Once the yarn hits the water you can almost hear the sigh as it relaxes.  So close.

And I wonder where Bel gets her love of rainbows.  Hmmmm.

Those colours seem strangely familiar!

I was looking at Ma's post about my shawl and it occured to me that the colours seemed strangely familiar. Two years ago I made this blanket (on baby T) made with 5 colours of a yarn I can't remember the name of right now.  How do you like them rainbows?! Seems that my palette hasn't changed an awful lot (I picked the colours for the shawl Ma is knitting for me from her stash).  And by the way Ma, I LOVE THE SHAWL!!!

Ah Yes, Details....details

As requested .... the details of my shawl for Bel.  My design.  Koigu in 6 colours.  Three Lace patterns.  The centre 'backbone' of the shawl is a lace pattern used in  the summer 2003 cover pattern of Interweave Knits, with just one repeat.  No name was given for this lace.  Most of the body of the shawl is from Barbara Walker's 'A Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns', and is called Dayflower.  I have never seen this lace before, but I renamed it Bellflower lace because that is what it reminds me of.  The 'fill-in' lace is also from the same book, and is called Stripe with Twisted Bars (this is also used in the Frost Flowers and Leaves Shawl which I'm working on).  It's a simple 2 row pattern and creates lovely openwork.

Bellflower Lace Shawl for Bel

Hi Bel - thought you might like to see the progress on the shawl I'm knitting for you.  Here you can see 4 colourways, although there are a couple of rows of the 5th colour.  The pattern is a floral design in the shape of bellflowers - so cool.  Stan calls it the 'sunset shawl'.   Sixth colour yet to come.  I love working on this.

xoxoxo - Ma

contents © Esther Budd, 2007. All rights reserved.

Frost Flowers and Leaves

Now here is a project to cut any knitter down to size.  Frost Flowers and Leaves from Meg Swansons' A Gathering of Lace, which is a wonderful book.  After 2 false starts, I am finally almost finished the second chart of this gorgeous shawl.  It is fabulous.  I just love the look of this lace.  And I am so hooked on lace now that I think I have to start a 'dummy' project just for the nights when I cannot concentrate enough to work on the frost flowers. 

I've done my own version of a Charlotte's web type shawl using the same type of shaping but with a totally different lace and 6 colours of Koigu.  It turned out beautifully, and now I think I'll use another lace yet again, and do another one.  This time I think I'll use one of my stash lace yarns from Hand Maiden or Fleece Artist, but I'm not sure yet.

Anyway, here is a picture of the Frost Flowers in progress, and another of my completed Koigu shawl.

contents © Esther Budd, 2007. All rights reserved.

Mmm...crafty goodness.

Yum. I have so much tasty reading material that I have recently bought or subscribed to. I can't wait to soak it all up. To start, I bought Kaleidoscope: Projects and Ideas to Spark Your Creativity by Suzanne Simanaitis and ReadyMade: How to Make [Almost] Everything: a Do-It-Yourself Primer by Shoshana Berger and Grace Hawthorne. These books are so much fun to look through. I subscribed to Craft - a really polished and innovative magazine, and croq - a fun crafty zine. I am planning on getting artitude zine, too (by the authour of Kaleidoscope).

I have discovered that it is a real challenge for me to really feel pleasure, and on a similar note, to ask for help or accept help. I'm not sure why I am like this but it is fitting right in with the whole "I'm not good enough/not deserving enough" thing.

I have been seeing a life coach for the last few weeks. It's a great experience for me. She is really challenging me to do things I haven't done before, and many things about myself are becoming very clear. The biggest accomplishment so far is that I have painted FOUR times since I started seeing her (doesn't sound like much? Well, compared to zero in the last year, that's pretty good!). I am painting a la Painting From the Source or Point Zero. I have also been regularly drawing and journalling (check it out, eh, Mandy?!) I am also *this* much closer to getting a portrait done for my Dad (this is something he's been asking for since the girls were born).

The other strange thing about myself is that I am afraid of success. I have a memory from grade 6 that could help explain this.  I put a lot of hard work into a report and got a mark of A+. My best friend at the time said, (insert super-snarky tone here:) "Oh, of COURSE she got an A+". I think I went to the bathroom and cried. What would happen if I succeeded? I would feel great. I would be BIG. But ... I am not supposed to be big. I am not supposed to share my successes. That would be bragging, and then my friends would hate me and I would die. Hm.

Ok, I was going to try to explain that away so that if it made you uncomfortable, you would know that I am ok. And I am. But I don't need to explain it since I am just letting myself ramble online. These are the inner workings of Bel's brain. Woohahaha!

Instant Gratification Sweater

My Ribbon Twist sweater ("Beth" from the Ribbon Twist Collection by Kim Hargreaves) is done. It was such a quick knit. Gotta love it, even if the 12 mm needles are killer on my wrists! (and I am heading right into another 12 mm needle project that I can't say anything about!!!) I love the look of the sweater, but I am constantly pulling it up at the shoulders since it feels like it's falling off. If I were to make it again, I would probably use a thinner yarn for sewing it up, as it feels rather bulky around the armpits and shoulders. I suppose I could redo it, but that seems like such a p.i.t.a. I am also realizing that as much as I am attracted to bulky wools, especially very loosely spun wools, they are the ones that PILL like CRAZY!! All that being said, I do love the sweater, love the colour, love the style. Sorry about all the complaining!

A very overdue thank you to Mom for the sweater since she bought me the yarn about 2 years ago, I think! It feels good to use up stash yarn!

Must Knit Stash

Among the yarns that I have purchased in the last 6 months, are the above from Hand Maiden and Fleece Artist.  I'm drawn to soft, and colourful, in case you didn't know.  I have only 1 or two skeins of each, so my imagination will have to get to work if I'm to use them.  I have already knit a mobius shoulder wrap for Belinda, a (won't say what because she doesn't have it yet) for Emily, and am usually not drawn to smaller projects, so any ideas would be appreciated.

Socks are always a great 'I don't know what to do next' project.  They get me over the hump, so to speak.  After knitting a couple of pair, I usually know what's next on the project agenda.  These skeins from Blue Moon are fabulous.  Colour thing again.  And VERY SOFT.

Mmmmmmmmm.  More sock yarn.  From Schaefer, called Anne as I'm sure you know.

Blue Heron's Rayon Metallic.  This is also very soft, but I'll save it for a special project.  The glitter is a bit much for me at the moment, probably because of the wedding outfit that I made last year.  Enough glitter for a lifetime.

I spelled this wrong.  It's Misti Alpaca, and I bought it over the internet at Make One Yarn Studio.  A terrific place - if you are ever in Calgary, Alberta, you have to go.  So many gorgeous yarns.  Such friendly people.  If you cannot get there, they are great over the phone, or the internet.  I thought I'd do something cabled - must have been inspired by the cover of Vogue Knitting.  But it's the wrong time of year, so it will have to wait until the late summer.

Last is a single skein of Lorna's Lace's, Lion & Lamb.  I used the balance for a bag, and this is left over.  Too late to return it - the story of my life.  So it sits in it's glory surrounded by these other yarns.  I guess it's happy.  I hope so.