Nothing to Report

We just spent almost the entire day with a yarn rep (buying Skacel yarns and needles, Louet yarns, and other patterns and goodies, and looking over some amazing new stuff). I didn't have much knitting time this morning, and I haven't made much progress in the past 24 hours.

I didn't wanna break my posting streak, so here's a "sorry......nothing to report" entry. Yes, sometimes I'm a naughty boy.

More tomorrow........I'm approaching the end of the solid green part and about to head into the chest patternwork (well, in about 2-3 inches from entering it). WAHOO!

Better Late Than Never

Keeping my string of postings alive, here's a progress check on the lovely "Trondheim" that I've attempted to tackle.


I feel like the progress is slim, but when you look at it being just three days of knitting progress, I suppose I should be happy (particularly when you look at it from the perspective of a 53" sweater). I've passed the colorwork part at the bottom and headed into the body. Typically the body of Dale garments is smooth stockinette, but not this one. There's a textured pattern using purl stitches that mimicks a slalom ski course, making the knitting much more interesting than just round and round in knit stitches. Here's a feeble attempt at capturing the texture


the dark green yarn doesn't really lend itself to flash photography and capturing the details. I'll try to get a daylight shot on Thursday (tomorrow) in an effort to show off the great texture.

Two related notes....we watched more curling this morning, and both Matt and I think we understand many of the rules of the game. Scary...no? And on the "I don't have enough yarn" front...all is well! I found another 14 balls at a great shop in Tacoma, WA---HOORAY for their fab customer service! The 14 skeins are in transit and I have way more than enough to complete my sweater (and probably a couple accessories!).

I'm off to go teach the last session of a sock knitting class....more pix tomorrow, I promise!

Tuesday Progress Check

See, it takes a good project and keeping faithful to it to make me post daily. If for no other reason to prove that I am getting SOMEWHERE and making SOME progress.

I'm still absolutely loving this project. I fell asleep (again-two nights running) with it on my belly, sitting on the couch last night. So not much to share, as Monday at the shop was a busy day of ordering and doing things and I had almost no knitting time. All progress shown here


was done either yesterday just before eating lupper (a meal around 4:30 p.m., so it's part lunch, part supper) or last night at home (after we got home around 10:30 p.m.). Many thanks to Carol for being my hand model in that pic and for straightening out the fabric for me.

And to keep me legal, here's another shot of the backside of the work


which I'm still pleased with.

Off to go knit some more...and watch more curling (amazing what you'll watch when you're motivated to work on an Olympic Knitting project). I'm learning alot about how to place a 40 pound stone (tho I still feel the sport is a little too much like housekeeping, with all that sweeping).

Be well, and knit like mad! I am.

And He's Off.........(like you didn't know that already)

Well, a decision was made last night, and no one should be surprised by what's on my needles, as of about 4 p.m. EST yesterday.


The requisite supplies were set aside* and progress commenced. You'll note the tall Diet Mountain Dew on the far right of that picture. That's going to be a constant companion for me with this project, as I'm making a garment that's 53+" around with a targeted completion date in under two weeks. (is membership still open for "Team What The #(*@& Was I Thinking?!?").

So, you ask....how's progress coming....I cast on for the sweater just before going out to dinner last night with Matt and Marcia at Logan's Roadhouse (one of the only places up here in the Great White North that serves pre-sweetened ice tea). While we waited for our table, I managed to knock out a few rounds of ribbing (at my size, that's 280 stitches....). The ribbing was completed around 10 a.m. this morning (yes, I fell asleep on the couch with the sweater perched on my belly), I did the 42 increase stitches, and worked around on the 322 that are used for the body in preparation for setting the pattern for the colorwork band at the bottom of the design.

By the way, someone asked for a better shot of the full garment, in my colourway. There's one in the back of the pattern packet. See


She's attractive, but she's no tall, blonde Swede/Norge/Finn.....grrrrrrrr.

So, a little more knitting this morning and here's the latest show of my progress


Not bad, and HORRIBLY addictive. I can see how Wendy knits one of these in no time flat. I'm about to send some of the yarn off for analysis to see if they spin addictive drugs in with the wool.

What's the best part of this process for me? I'm glad you asked!
I haven't done any colorwork knitting in five years (I had to stop and think about what was the last two-color project....it was a Lopi sweater I did for a shop as a model, out of Lamb's Pride Bulky, in early 2001). I'm so terribly pleased with the tension on my floats (well, except for that first row that pooches out). It's even, the stitches are even, and I'm bang-on guage right now. HOORAY!

I'm off to go knit some more.....on BOTH projects (but my Trondheim first!)


*I may be 2-4 skeins short of my main color, unless a shop out East comes through for me. I chose a colourway that uses 7382 (Deep Teal) as a main color and we only had 11 on the shelf and I need 16. I found one across town and 3 or 4 out East (maybe...she's checking her inventory today). I called all over the place yesterday looking for the yarn and it's been discontinued for nearly two years now. Another shop e-mailed me back and said she's about 99% sure she still has some, but if anyone else out there knows of a source for some Heilo 7382 around, I'm interested (and no, Bea Ellis and Kirtland's Yarn Barn are both out of it).

Always Traveling on GST (Gay Standard Time)

I'd have to ask my Mom to confirm this, but I'd imagine I was late for my own delivery/birthday. I typically run behind for everything, and the Knitting Olympics is no exception. I didn't think I was going to participate, as I was content being a bystander. Bwahaha.

I e-mailed Steph on Friday afternoon/evening to say that I had waited until 2 p.m. EST to cast on and wanted to be included in the festivities, if that was possible. I even worked the humor thing, stating that I was the knitting equivalent of Michelle Kwan, as I wanted to play along but I hadn't done any of the preliminary work. (not as funny today, as she's had to withdraw from competition due to her injuries). Since she's in Tacoma (poor thing), I'm still waiting to hear from her about being included. LynnH has talked about forming "Team Michigan", which would be nice and convenient. I could join Team Wales because of the yarn I'm using (and I could do nothing but Colinette projects....). We'll see.

As for projects, we just received the two new books for Spring '06 for Colinette yarns. One is for their new yarn Lasso and it's called Muse. The other is all Giotto and is Femme Fatale


I cast on for this


and she's quite pretty


It calls for their cotton/viscose tape (Giotto) and my colourway is a newer one, Ischia

This is going to be a fast project, as I had this much done in just over 24 hours


and here's a close-up of the fabric....


Since this one is going so quickly, I'm already on to thoughts of my next project....and since a customer came into the shop on Saturday wearing her completed Obersdorf and we are knitting during the winter Olympics, I felt compelled to go home last night and dig into the massive stash of patterns Matt and I have accumulated over the past six or seven years, with a specific goal in mind. Two stacks into the search, I was successful....here she is, in all her glory


Yup, I'm going old school on you here....that's the 1997 Norwegian Team Ski Sweater, Trondheim. I've lusted for this one for at least six years. And with good reason--it's beautiful! The colourway I want to make is in this group shot
back row, far left, on the big blonde man with the stunning blue eyes. (Yes, I'm after the sweater....even if I do have a history of Scandic men....well, I digress). I've checked our stock levels of Heilo and I'm short on the main color (my size needs 18 balls and we have 11 on hand), but I have the others. I may just get started and make it work, even if I find a different dye lot elsewhere).

Other options for me include even more old school choices


I'm a big-time Penny Straker fan, going way back to the early 1980s. The first adult garment I ever made/finished was a Potomska for my dad, out of Tahki Donegal Tweed (and yes, he still has it and wears it, maybe twice a year when it's cold enough where he lives). This would definitely qualify for "Team What The F*@& Was I Thinking"....no? I have four different shades of Jo Sharp Classic DK that I'm mulling over right now.....I'll make this eventually, but this two-week span would give me great motivation to finally be project monogamous for a change.

Or maybe this option would be good


It's still old school in the part that it's an Aran and we could surely use it as a shop model.

I'd love to hear your choices, in my comments below. In the mean time, I'm either going to swatch for something new or finish the left front of Yelena. Or both!