Bee Keeper: part 2

*** Part 1 can be found here ***

This is going to be more technical. And short. :)

Pattern: Bee Keeper Quilt
Yarn: 10 colors, 27 skeins total (30 purchased)
Lorna’s Laces: Patina, MonkeyShines, The Bean, and Magnificent Mile (all Shepard Worsted)
Madeline Tosh Vintage: Ginger
Madeline Tosh dk: Dusk
Malabrigo: Butter, Rich Chocolate, and Applewood (all worsted)
Araucania Coliumo Solid: Color 24
Needles and Hooks: US 8 (knitting), 0 (crochet: seaming), and J (edge)

Modifcations: Hexagons were knit flat and in strips. Each hexagon was separated by a row of purl stitches. Each strip had 15 hexagons. 14 total strips were made (but only 13 were used). All hexagons started at 14 stitches and increased up to 28 except for those done in Araucania. Those were increased only to 26 stitches. Seaming was a basic single crochet seam (vs. ties at the corners). Entire blanket was done on bigger needles and with thicker yarns.

Total strip count: 13 strips out of 14
Total hexagon count: 195 (used. Including the 14th strip it was 210)
Total weight: 3 lbs
Total knitting time starting at the last restart: 7 weeks.
Total starts: 3 times
Final size: 60x65

BeeKeeper blanket- Part 1

*** Part 2 can be found here ***

This is going to be a huge post. Huge. In the end, I decided to split it into 2 posts. This first one will be the process, including details on modifications. The second will be more of a regular "stats" type post. The bulk of the info will be here, today. Tomorrow will be more focused on the tools (the yarn (again), the needles, total time, etc.), more of a summary. Less process rambling and more specifics for basic questions.

I have so much to say about this blanket that I'm not sure where to start honestly. I started it back in Sept. 2011.

My original colors including a gorgeous blue. It was the first one I had on hand. The actual colors at this point were only 6.

That would soon become 10 total colors (with no blue). They were:
Lorna's Laces: Patina, MonkeyShines, The Bean, and Magnificent Mile (all Shepard Worsted)
Madeline Tosh Vintage: Ginger
Madeline Tosh dk: Dusk
Malabrigo: Butter, Rich Chocolate, and Applewood (all worsted)
Araucania Coliumo Solid: Color 24

This was a lot of yarn. A LOT. I don't think I realized just how much it was until I got knitting. This was restarted three times. The first was done as written with a modified stitch count. I started with 14 and worked my way up to 28 (each side). I had opted not to stuff them since the change in yarn weight would make the blanket thick enough.

After a skein or so of doing it that way I knew there had to be a better way. And there was. Sort of.

I started to connect them into one strip with a purl round between each hexagon. This required some surgery though.

I needed to undo an end on each hexagon already finished, work a purl round on which ever one had the longest tail, and then kitchener them together. This took a lot of time. A lot of time. It worked though and soon enough I had a nice long strip of hexagons.

Seaming everything together seemed like it would be world's easier (and less time consuming). There was a problem though. It took a ton of yarn and was heavy. Each strip, on it's own, weighed half a lb. I was planning on a 14 strip blanket. 7 lbs seemed a bit excessive. I kept at it though and worked until I was near the end of my yarn. By this point I was almost 30 skeins in. Moving and life worked a way into my knitting plans and the blanket was set aside until recently. Laying in bed one night the thought hit me that was an even smarter way of doing this. It would result in a lighter weight blanket and if I was lucky, I wouldn't have to buy more yarn (which was nice because certain colors were proving hard to get).

Near the end of November, I started reknitting thins thing for the 3rd time. I kept the same idea (strips with purling between hexagons) but made it a single layer. I reknit all the strips I already had and got 2 strips out of every one.

It meant more blocking and an edge due to curling. In no time at all though, I had my 14 strips.

I steam blocked everything and accordian folded them into piles.

I used almost all my yarn. I wasn't done yet. I still needed the edge and seaming. Anyone who has handled knits (whether fabric or otherwise) knows it stretches. Sewing knit fabric is a pain and I knew that wasn't going to work for seaming. I didn't want to tie corners (like the pattern originally said). It needed stability and durability. I opted for a simple crochet seam. I think it ended up being one of my favorite parts of the overall blanket.

There were some bad times with seaming. The more strips I added, the easier it was to overstretch and introduce puckers. The night of my last one, I laid it out to steam block a batch of seams and noticed some major puckering. With only 2 days left to work on this (it was a birthday present) I was upset. I had to undo 4 strips. I managed to get them back on in record time only to realize, the final strip was NOT going to work. While I intended to make it 14 strips wide the end result is only 13. The final strip was too much. It was stretching the fabric and no matter how hard I worked at it, the puckering was too much. The edge would never have worked.

There was no pattern when it came to what strip went where. The strips were done with a random number generator and done in sets of 2 (so only 7 pairs of of unique placement). I picked based on what looked nice next to each other.

Are the seams perfect? No. As you can see between the strain of being heavy and the increases, there are spots that appear more open than others. That's ok though. I tried to avoid it only to realize it wasn't happening.

The day of the person's birthday, I was still working on it. I was weaving in ends and reblocking 10 minutes before leaving to gift it. The edge was the fastest part (and this is a genuinely crappy picture).

I went with the shape of the blanket and kept it simple. It was just enough to keep everything from curling and added that final detail that made it look finished.

It's big. Perfectly size. End weight was 3 lbs. To say it was well received would be an understatement. It was a labor of love. Would I make it again? Not on your life. Am I glad I did? So very much. Now that's it done my knitting basket and my time seem empty. I didn't realize how big of a project it was until I was done and it wasn't in my possession. I have other things to work on knitting wise (Color Affection!) and shop wise but this took up a lot of mental space and a lot of physical space. And I'm damn proud of the entire process.

Busy with finishing

And I am so excited to share all the details and final pictures.

HoHoHo!!!

As Christmas draws nearer (only a month away!), gifts are going to be on the mind of many. From now until Christmas you can get 15% of anything in the shop with the code HOHOHO. Use it on yourself or for a friend!

Head on over now!

Catching my breath

Whew! The last month has been a bit hectic for me and my spinning wheel.

Last month, I noticed a sign at the grocery store for a Christmas Festival the weekend before Thanksgiving. I decided to give the person a call and see what it was about. What better way to get mine and the store name out there. I got myself a booth and said I'd bring some handspun yarn. I had exactly one month to get totally prepared.

I spun some aran weight 3 ply. I broke the skeins down into minis and bundled them in sets of 3 (later named Petit 3).

Merino top bought at the same time as the fiber for the Ill-Received Blanket. Going from the top clockwise:
Lavender
Lavender and Multi-Purple combo: 2 plies multi, 1 ply lavender
Lavender and Multi-Purple combo: 2 plies lavender, 1 ply multi
Multi-Purple (though I think Alpaca Direct now calls it Amethyst)

I was able to break down the skeins into 13 bundles. A bit more than that but I kept a bit aside for swatches. I wanted to see what the difference would be in the combos and they came in handy for the people browsing.

Since that didn't use all the fiber from those two colors I also had:

A sport weight single in the multi purple:

2 lace weight lavenders:

And a worsted multi:

That was just the beginning. I still had a yellow and daffodil ball to get through.

Worsted Daffodil:

And sport weight yellow:

And another beaded yarn (this one dyed with coffee):

There were times it didn't feel like enough. I wanted more. I wanted more variety. I also wanted sleep and a bit of sanity. :) I took some knits and a couple crochet hats (more on all those in the next post since I made quite a few things) and in the end made a name for myself. Did I do as well as I had hoped? No, not really. It was my first festival/booth and I had a lot to learn. Did I do better than I expected? Absolutely. I made some sales, some friends, and had a blast.

I'm not sure I'll do another one before Christmas. I found this one on a fluke. I'm not 100% sure I won't either. I still have a good amount of things left (yarn is up on Etsy right now). It's something I'm pondering right now. For now, I'm just sitting here and working at a pace that doesn't feel break neck. I'm not spinning! I have a couple knitting projects going (mainly a Color Affection) and am hoping to finish one of them in time for Christmas.

Halloween 2012

Aliens
Vikings
Mermaids and turkeys

This may be the last year I can get away with a costume like this. Which is a shame really because man is it fun!

This year we have a lamb.

The love that I have of this is so beyond what I thought it would be. Everything about it makes my heart happy.

There are some mods, of course. I only held the yarn single (the pattern holds it double) and I did it on smaller needles (like 4 sizes smaller). The hat is done flat and seamed up the sides. Since it was late at night when I did this (and the intended was asleep) and my gauge was much different I sort of guessed on the total length. It fit but was a tad short for my liking so I whipped up a band extension and seamed it on. It's perfect. It covers all the way down her neck and ears and only needs folded a bit in the front. Win win. I did change the brim to garter vs ribbing.

I added a tail as well. I held the MC double and crocheted a few chains and then pulled some of the CC through. I unraveled all the strands to give it that wooley and wild look.

I added some straps to the top as well.  The pattern is just a basic vest. My mods made for a snugger fit though so seaming it the way the pattern calls for wouldn't have left much room for her head. The straps are 6 stitches wide and just garter stitch. The fit is fantastic and she loves it. The body, with my mods, would make for a truly lovely party dress in a smaller (and lighter weight) yarn.

Stats:
Pattern: Child's Lamb Costume (linked up above)
Yarn: Lion Brand Hometown USA in Little Rock Granite and Cream
Needles: US 15
Mods: 6 stitch garter stitch straps, extra length in body, garter stitch brim on hat w/ brim extender, tail, yarn held single, smaller needles

Recent yarns

3 ply dk weight 9wpi

Beaded with "copper metallic mix". 9wpi and 140yds.

FO: Cropped lacey sweater

As I browsed Ravelry one day, passing the time, my oldest snuck up behind me and asked if I would make her something. We browsed kid related patterns and she picked a handful of sweaters. Her only requirement was they had to be Pink! That's an easy enough thing to pull off so I kept my eye out for the perfect yarn.

Pattern: Wonder Wave by Drops
Yarn: Red Heart Shimmer in Hot Pink
Size: 3/4

The yarn was perfect. The metallic thread makes it "fancy" and the pink is definitely Pink! I originally only bought one skein and almost got away with just that. I ran out with 5 rows left so the yardage is nice.

It IS a Drops pattern though so things were wrong. The first is the sizing. The intended kid an average 7 yr old girl. I made the 3/4t size though. They claim the smallest size has a 22" chest. Since I happen to have a 3 yr old in the home I measured her as well. The sizing is LARGE. I made no modifications and this fits my 7yr old beautifully. The pictures are unblocked even so there is plenty of growing room should you pick a yarn that needs it. The second issue is in the arm directions. As written, at least for the size I made, the arm patterns do not match up to the body pattern. I bound off for the arms in a different spot (just eyeballed it) after noticing that. It's not a difficult change but it is noticeable after a couple rows if you don't make the change.

FO of the feet

I recently had an anniversary. I overheard the Mr. talking one day and he mentioned slippers. Naturally, I hopped on Ravelry and found these. They are perfect. Enough so, that they could convince me to wear slippers. As an anti-slipper person that says a lot! They go fast, a couple hours max for the PAIR. Perfect gift item.

Pattern: Non-felted slippers
Yarn: Lion Brand Hometown USA in cream. I used less than one skein per slipper.
Needles: 10 (sized up to accomodate a larger foot)
Mods: Once knit, I picked up cuff stitches (on 8's) and knit a few rounds of garter. As written the cuff comes low on the foot. Since they aren't a blog style that was just proving to be awkward feeling.

Stay tuned for some exciting news!

Knitting for cold weather- FO

Here in my part of the US temps are dropping and mornings are quite cold. Trees are changing, fans are being turned off, windows only sometimes opened at night. The days are warm but fall is coming so naturally my thoughts turned towards hats and scarves and gloves etc.

I don't make myself things. Occasionally something will pop up that I love but it usually gets gifted. This time around though I was determined to make myself something. Something I would use when it got cold. Something that would use up a single skein of Manos Silk that was bought with me in mind.

Enter Karisma. It was the perfect pattern: not a ton of yarn needed, more than one color needed (so my single skein could still be used), pretty, warm. I could go on.

Cascade 220 (purple) and Manos Silk in Steel (blue)

They knit up fast. Really, really fast. And they use next to no yarn. That picture right there? That's AFTER I was done. I have enough left over to make a hat should I so desire. And I do.

It's not quite cold enough to wear them yet. As evidenced by the grass you can see here.

 

I love to see the inside of projects like this. The inside out one isn't blocked yet. I weaved in ends and ran out the door for pictures. The manos is a dream to knit with. I've been a fan of it since the first project I used some but this was a whole new level of lovely. It's soft, it withstands frogging (this skein has already been used once before in cabled mitts but frogged shortly after finishing), it doesn't shed, it's soft. I think I said that already. The color is clean and consistent. I'd buy more if there was any near me. My only mods to the pattern was the cuff. As written the cuff is almost 5 inches long. I opted for 2 inches. Part of that was because I wanted to make sure I had enough of the manos to make it all the way through and part of it was because who needs a 5 inch cuff!? I may go back and add another inch to them (vs a hat) but that can wait until winter is here and I know how much arm pokes out from my coat. I did end up tacking down the floats around the thumb just to avoid snagging it on my fingers. It's a bit tight at the top and bottom of the thumb now but that will ease up with wear.

 

To say I'm pleased with them would be an understatment. I wasn't sure of the contrasting fingers when I saw the pattern but am so glad I stuck with them. This one marked a few firsts for me: silk, gloves, and made for myself. I definitely want a few more weeks of warmth but I wouldn't mind a cold snap cold enough to require some hand coverings.

A couple FO's

Things have been a little busy here lately. Some big changes, beyond the store, have been happening. Knitting has been going on but in small amounts. Despite that, I've recently finished 3 things and have a 4th in progree.

First up: 198 yds of Heaven. I used some Ruble Red Prairie Silks (the same one that Abalone was...it's been frogged). It was fast and easy and lovely. Mine came out a bit smaller than the pattern states but we all know why that is. Gauge.

Next up: a random cowl. Done in some leftover Lion Brand Amazing (LOVE this yarn). There is no pattern. I cast on a TON of stitches in the dark one night, joined while trying not to twist stitches (but did) and knit til I ran out of yarn. Nice and simple and huge. The slight twist in it is nice. It rolls despite a garter edge (not a thick one mind you) but I like that. It adds to it. Blocked it came out to longer than 40 inches. It reaches a bit past my knees. You can't tell in these pics but then again, it's not blocked in them. :)

The final one: a headwrap. This is intended for someone who covers their hair. The lace pattern, candle light, reminded me of the person so I cast on before even running the idea by her. :) It's also in Prairie Silks but I don't recall the color. I used an entire skein (88yds), frogged back a bit to shorten it, edged it in another PS color, and added ties. I love it. It's about 6 inches wide and length is adjustable due to ties. The edge and ties are crochet with the edge having a picot on each point of the pattern.