Finish AND Frog

With the arrival of cooler weather, I decided I needed some more fingerless gloves. My office just might be too chilly for comfortable typing this winter. [That sounded like a good excuse -- I don't know what it is about fingerless gloves, but I do love them.] I saw Turtlegirl's Knucks, so decided to give them a try -- in the recommended Rowan Felted Tweed (it's very unusual for me to use the suggested yarn in any pattern, but I decided to treat myself). I do like the way they came out. I used the pattern as written, except for the cuff which is a k1tbl, p1 ribbing two inches long (a little longer than called for).

I also learned that what I was using as my standard long tail cast on (and have used for 40+ years) is really the twisted german cast on. I really should watch more online knitting videos to find out what else I've assumed incorrectly.

But for every good finish, there's a frog or two -- at least in my experience. This was to be a cute baby sweater. And the pattern is cute. Two problems though....... 1) When I joined the second ball of yarn for the sleeves I realized it was a different dye lot (these are leftovers from a previous project). Yikes -- super noticeable. 2) This looks way too small for a sweater-wearing baby.....do tiny babies wear rather bulky sweaters? I doubt it. So rip, rip, rip. Another project bites the dust.

In the spirit of charity knitting, I did cast on another baby sweater.

Rainy Weather Causes Frogs

And not just of the green, bug-eyed variety.

Tropical Storm Danny is passing by, bringing lots of rain. Lots and lots of rain. And I just frogged four WIPs. I really don't know if they were as bad as I thought.....or if I'm being too picky. But once I get the feeling that something isn't right -- it's better not to prolong the agony.

The yellow was first a crocheted baby blanket, then a knitted baby sweater -- both intended for charity. It was the patterns I didn't like --so that yarn will be repurposed into a cuter baby sweater.

The pink has tried to be three different sweaters. None of them appealed. The yarn is a cotton blend, so it'll go back into the stash till next spring/summer. Meanwhile, I'll continue my hunt for a good DK-weight spring/summer sweater.

The black is the second try at a shawl. The first was too light, this one too heavy. More yarn is on the way..........hopefully that'll be just right. Meanwhile, the heavier (DK-weight) black will become a vest.

And the ivory tried to be a shawl that's been in my queue for a long time......except I didn't like the way it was knitting up. I've realized I like my shawls with more solid knitting to show off the lace parts. This one was too open. So this will find a new pattern.

Now there's only one thing left in my knitting basket....a long-marinating shawl. Maybe it's time to get that back on track?

Ishbel

Hello......my name is bmom and I'm an excel-aholic. It's sad....but I just love using excel for all sorts of things. You mean you don't track all your health plan deductibles? Or water/fuel oil usage (with charts)? How about knitting projects?

I'd seen many beautiful Ishbel shawls on Ravelry -- so jumped right onto the bandwagon. I had two skeins of Foxfire Fibers Fox Sox Bamboo yarn -- each 2.2 ounces, approximately 490 yards total -- that I got at the MA Sheep & Wool Festival earlier this summer. I wanted to maximize the size of my shawl -- or put another way, minimize the amount of yarn I had leftover. Obviously, a spreadsheet was needed. I had a row-by-row count of stitches, percent complete, etc, etc. It was working out really well......but when I got to the final bind-off row and clearly saw I wouldn't have enough yarn, I realized there were two fatal flaws in my technique. 1. I didn't weigh the two skeins of yarn before I started and "assumed" that the two skeins were exactly the same (note that both skeins must've been overweight -- total shawl weight is 4.7 ounces). 2. I didn't account for the fact that the bind-off row uses more yarn than the pattern rows.

Woops. So I had to tink (un-knit) that last pattern row and end the shawl a row early. Even so, I had just 30 inches of yarn left. But that's perfect. Enough for a small mending job if necessary. But not so much that I have to wonder what I could possibly do with it.

I did discover that on this shawl, with the needle used and weight of yarn, the actual stitch uses 50 percent more yarn than the circumference of the needle itself (on average). I need to do a similar calculation for other yarn weights/needle combinations to see if that ratio holds true in general.

I love this shawl too -- especially the curved wings (doesn't it look like Cape Cod?). That should help it stay on my shoulders....once it cools off enough to wear.

Now I just need more uses for pivot tables......

Frogging Friday

It's pouring out right now.....perfect frog weather. So it must be Frogging Friday. I started an Ishbel shawl with high hopes and soft yarn with just enough yardage (I even calculated it out on an excel spreadsheet). The stockinette portion was to be in the variegated yarn, lace portion in the solid. Things were moving right along (even though my purl-side yarn-overs were a little wonky). Finished the stockinette portion and moved onto the lace. That's when I realized the two colors just didn't work together. The variegated had clear, bright tones, the solid was muddier. Each fine by themselves....just not together. So into the frog pond it went. Still love the pattern, so I dug out some different yarn....if at first you don't succeed, etc, etc.

Finishing Friday

My charity projects have been in the back seat/on the back burner this year. But I finally finished another's man's hat. This is my own pattern, knit in Shepherd Colour 4 Me superwash, doubled. With that yarn weight and size 10.5 needles, it should've been superfast - but it wasn't. Doubling the yarn seems to slow things down -- probably because one needs to pay attention to make sure both loops are caught. And magic looping something small is kind of a pain too. Or maybe it was the k1/p1 ribbing. Who knows? They're just excuses in any event.

I used a tubular cast on -- which is great for ribbing -- nice and stretchy. It does cover the ears -- that picture just looked extra dorky.

April Showers

Today was windy and very rainy...our new whirlygig was tossed all around (and why do I love lawn and yard ornaments?).

But instead of may flowers, these April showers brought out the frogs. Yes, it was another Frog It Friday. The Hey Teach cardigan -- more than half way done -- is now just three balls of yarn. I didn't like the ribbing or the way the lace pattern was so disjointed at the side seams. So I need to find another sweater pattern for that yarn......queue the theme for Mission Impossible.

Another Finishing Friday

Here's another finished object -- brought to you by Finish or Frog Friday.

It's Evelyn Clark's Swallowtail shawl (extra close up so you can see the teeny-tiny beads). Mine is more scarf size -- about 30 inches wide by 15 inches long. The yarn is some mystery laceweight (very soft) from the $1 bin at the Hub Mills Factory Store. I beaded the lilies of the valley instead of doing the nupps using some very, very small beads from Beadles.

Yet another FO that I need to find a place to wear.

Frog it Friday the 13th

We have yet another Frog It Friday.....but this one is a little different. This week's frogee was an actual finished object. I'd even used it a few times. But it just wasn't working for me.


My BYOB shopping bag was really cute, but between the pattern and the cotton-ease yarn, proved just too stretchy for any practical use. It seemed that anything heavier than a bag of potato chips caused the bag to sag and drag -- so I stopped using it. Since there was no sense in keeping it as was......I ripped it all out.....and now have all these small balls of cotton-ease.....about 200 grams total.I need to research some new projects more suitable for the yarn.

Frog It Friday - Continued

I was hoping to have a finished object today.....but there were a few problems with the final steps....so that will have to wait till next time.

Instead, I frogged two projects -- both of which will be be reincarnated in slightly different forms.

First, we have the Mystic Earth scarf (only about an inch or two into it). I love the pattern, but not in this yarn and not with such a wide border/edging (out of proportion for my taste). So it's back to the stash for this lace weight.






Then we had a zig-zag cowl. It was my own design with my own kool-aid dyed yarn. It was finished. Ends sewn in. Blocked. But it was too big and saggy (slouchy) -- and I knew I wouldn't wear it as was. So I'm going to re-do it -- narrower and shorter. And I'll even fix the mistake I noticed when it was all done. I don't have a before picture, just the after.


Next week I'd better finish something......I'm running out of WIPs to frog.

Frog It Friday -- What Was I Thinking?

I starting going through my work baskets and WIPs and immediately found two candidates for frogging. Neither were very far along (a few inches) nor were they accompanied by a pattern -- so I don't even remember what they were supposed to be. So rip-rip-rip - into the frog pond for both. I didn't even waste time with a before picture.

I'm not too crazy about either yarn (Homespun and Paton's Divine) -- that's probably why neither project got off the ground. The next challenge will be finding a suitable project for the remnants. Why does a cat bed come to mind?

For more info on Finish or Frog Fridays -- see Major Knitter's blog.

Finish or Frog Friday

I was reading Karen's blog and heard about a fantastic idea originated by Jennifer at Major Knitter.


Like so many knitter/sewers (or is it sewists?) I start a lot of projects. Unfortunately, more (way more?) than I finish. So many languish in baskets - or worse, even piles - around the house. Since the finish fairy is unlikely to visit anytime soon....it's Finish or Frog Friday to the rescue.

The rules are very simple. On Friday, one needs to look at a UFO (unfinished object) and decide to either finish it or frog it -- then do it. It's a binary decision.

I'll be blogging about my successes on Fridays and posting in the newly-formed Ravelry forum of the same name. See Major Knitter's blog for badges, buttons, and rules.