FOs and UFOs and Alien Child Body Snatchers

The R2 Paper shrug is now done. I finally learned how to do a seam that is not really visible. So the shrug is now done. Yeah!! Unfortunately, I still have a small amount of the yarn left as I was going to do an edging that just wound up being way too tight, so I dropped the idea and ripped it out altogether! Pictures come later.

The cardi is coming along… I now have about 2 inches of ruffle, another 2-3 more and I will be ready to change needles and start the decreases.

And, I finished the machine knitting for the sweater. I found out after the front was done that DS put a different keyplate into the carriage, and so the front and back are slightly different gauges. No worries though, a few more rows on the back’s bottom will bring them into line. The shoulders are already put together, although the seam rests a little down the back like some of the better sweaters do. It creates an interesting dropped back neckline. So a few rows of stockinette on the bottom back and then I can seam the front and back together and decide on how to crochet the sleeves. I plan to do a picot edge on the neckline and some kind of shell stitch on the sleeves and hem. It will be really pretty, as the fabric has quite a bit of drape to it right now.

Note to self, color code the key plates, so that this problem is really obvious next time.
Further note to self, string body-snatched eldest child up for messing with Mama’s toys. Bury body of alien body snatcher in Really Good Hiding Place. Send Robot Replacement to first day of kindergarten.

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Finally I have bound off the R2 Paper Shrug. Honestly this yarn just goes on forever. One could easily make a tank top with 3-4 skeins of R2 Paper in stockinette. This evening I plan to seam it and then pick up around the edge to knit a nice edge that will roll. Then it will be done and I can wear it to work over tank tops etc.

The cardi for the baby is underway and I am thinking that I may write up the pattern for submission to some of the pattern places….Maybe Knitty or other spots…

This weekend I also finished the back of the ribbon sweater on the knitting machine and started the front as well. It is going really quickly which is nice given the sheer volume of yarn in my house at the moment.

And just on a lark I also began a crocheted poncho with Lion Jiffy in bright blue. I am not sure that I will continue it though as it looks rather cheap to me. I had originally gotten this yarn to make something for my son, and I may yet frog it and do something on the knitting machine with it. Maybe I will get Brynn to help with it and then he can tell people that he knit it on Mama’s knitting machine.

I am really wanting to get some of the yarn used up as well as the fabric and fiber. The sewing room is just full to bursting and there is still stuff all over the floor. Only by using it up can I make space for more. I just wish that I had more time with less disruption to do some of the work….but the baby is at the right age to leave on the floor….I am amazed at how content she is to just roll around while I do things. Now if only I could get the 5-year-old to roll around on the floor, I would be set!

Hello!!

Here is my new blog…..I am feeling the need to connect with other knitters in addition to the folks that I run into at shows or from the knitting group.

Current projects:

a rectangular shrug out of R2 Paper in a dutch blue color….this yarn is amazing because it just seems to go on forever! I am on the second skein, and ready for the darn thing to be done….so of course I started a new project:

a cardi for baby Rowan in BabySoft Melon. I wanted to knit it loosely on the knitting machine up to just under the armpit, but it did NOT go well. I am still trying to figure out the machine a bit, but that is the way it goes. So instead I cast on a large number of stitches on size 13 or 15 needles. I plan to knit on them for a bit, to under the armpit and then decrease K2Tog all the way around to create a ruffle and then make the bodice proper. I am hoping that it goes quickly because I have an awful lot of yarn that I am working on. I also have some of this yarn in Lavender and have been toying with the idea of knitting some longies for Rowan with it. It would be pretty with the melon and all it would take would be a bit of trim etc on the cardi to coordinate them.

Just this morning, while on a conference call, I started another sweater on the knitting machine….in a minty green acrylic tape yarn that I brought home from Ireland 2-3 years ago. It will be plain stockinette with crocheted trim on the hem, sleeves and neckline. Just a basic silhouette to get trying the knitting machine on.

Ciao for now.