FO's and UFO's

 The OddBalls are a tangled yarn with new balls showing up and projects in various stages. 

 The group project/Downton Hat update ; 3  finished and 3 or 4 about to be finished making a total of 6 completed hats! I saw them last night and all are on the last leg and looking SO good!   Keep working gals.  I sure hope we can all get together for a toast and photo op of us all in our very cool hats!

 This shawl I finished  in the pinks and magenta's  is from Ravelry - a pattern called Peruvian Central - yes it was easy.  Garter stitch and purl - can't get much easier than that!  This yarn is Madeline Tosh Merino Light in Oxyblood and Vintage Sari.    So luxurious to knit with and even better when blocked out. 

I hope eventually to get everyones Ravelry name so we can be friends on Ravelry.  If you look for me there I am Timelessdog! This is where its happening with advice, free patterns and so many yarn ideas - maybe we need a class or a short 10 minutes on how to use the site to your benefit!  I use it constantly to see what others have made with a particular yarn and how it looks knitted up!

 Your overworked leader Vicki aka: Ripley has this pattern waiting for the group to begin.   Its called Multnomah.  Super simple shawl, again a free pattern download on Ravelry - hint its http://www.ravelry.com
search  Multnomah - The shops yarns that would work nice for this might include Pagewood Farm's Denali sock yarn.   I happened to use KnitPicks Chroma (color impressionist) fingering yarn for mine, but Poems Sock yarn from the shop would yeild a similar look in a amazing colorways too.

Several Multnomah shawls are in progress, you can use scraps on this too for stripes or whatever your heart desires.  Take a  look at how the hundreds of others have knit this up to get ideas over on Ravelry!

 Part of the fun of finished a project is taking a photo of it to share.  WE NEED PHOTOS ladies!   Even if its just the start of something, we are here to encourage you to get from UFO which of course is Unfinished Object to a FO a Finished Object.   Phew, I am exhausted with all this encouragement.

Don't feel bad  if you frog something to the curb either, because its just what happens sometimes, and a good yarn to tell.  I just  frogged some very cool siberian slippers I started. I fell in love with the patten and they looked so incredibly amazing at first, only to hate them at the last.  They have left in the trash!   Seriously, not every project is a winner!   Don't expect it, just enjoy the journey.

Do you remember the Summer Waves Cardi!   I knit two of these this year, love it and Oh hey  - the pattern is on Ravelry!
Three cardi's  have been finished by OddBalls and 3 more are on the needles by others in our group.  Lets plan a photo op!

Besides my push to get you on Ravelry I want to mention Craftsy.com.   The workshops they offer are really amazing.  I am currently taking the toe up sock workshop and next post I will share with you some of the fun.

Last but not least ~ The Odd Balls split  into a Friday Morning group 10AM to Noon and has kept our original Tues evening gathering from 5PM to 7PM.  The OddBalls have grown!  The tables are overflowing with projects and yarn, new people and foundering people, seasoned knitters and new knitters, young and old - My format for sharing our knitting experience will probably be changing to more general news, yarn and pattern updates and education of your craft.   Till next time ~

A Yarn and A Skein

 Several finished objects showed up Tues evening, and gotta say this great shawl of blues is pretty amazing.  You really have to see it to catch all the subtle little pattern effects that Wasie has knitted.

 A little cool tool called a Fleegle Beader was also in use last night which allows you to put a bead into your knitting as you go along rather than try and string beads onto your yarn before you knit.  This is another wondrous shawl in the works.

 Jennifer is letting Ripley aka: Vicki take her scarf for a test spin, we fear she might not let loose of it!   This is a scarf she knitted with some of the lovely aplaca yarn the shop has using a simple pattern repeated over and over to give this detailed look of cables.

 Again here is that wonderful scarf and you can see Margaret now might run away with it!

 I am almost done with my Multnomeh
Shawl.   A few more rows till I bind off, super easy, with just garter stitch and a few yarn overs.  This should be a class project!   It would be pretty in solid yarns as well as tweeds or various looks.  This pattern on Ravelry for free download, and if you want a copy you can also email me!

I was gifted a few skeins of yarn over the weekend, and coming from a friend in MN came two balls of this NORO yarn called Silk Garden Sock Yarn.  328 yards to the skein and calls for a size 3 needle, but I could tell it was gong to be to fat for a size 3 and socks, so I tried a size 2 needle and the cuff would fit an elephant!   Frogged the idea of knitting socks with it.  Now what,,,Here they sit and not enough to do a project without one more skein of each color!   WHAAAAAAAAA.....Know your yarn and don't take the word of the label, try a swatch and guage.    This yarn  is made in Japan and has many different types of yarns in the most magnificent colors, but this one for socks - that dog aint' gonna hunt.

Frustration ~ End of the Month!

 I just can't say enough about what August has done to our self esteem!  Our needles are breaking, our yarn tangling and our brains melting.   OK not that bad but at least Margret's lovely knitting is coming along splendid!

 Candice who has been away on Holiday returns only to have Ripley rip out rows to get her lost stitch reclaimed.  Woe is her.  Ripley has tossed out her Zoe Cardi to the curve and frogged it for now, whats up with knitting projects lately!

EmegencyYarnPeggy has been fighting with her Downton hat and I fear its met up with Ripleys Zoe Cardi over on some street corner or frog pond.  Maybe it was to much sugar at snack night last week!

 Woe is Me continues as I run out of yarn toward the end of my Multnomah Shawl, so I ordered another skein - but not all was lost as Wasie ordered a couple too, and then I ordered another color.  This went on for at least 40 minutes choosing colors and product to get free shipping!

 Wasie also treated us to this show and tell of an amazing collaboration of work from ladies at her church, she picked up some border fabric to finish this up.  It has big WOW factor!

 Ms Ripley showed us the Russian Knot - very interesting and at times it worked, guess being Russian has nothing to do with that but very clever and should be really helpful when we run into the need to join yarn without a knot...here is a link on YouTube  RussianKnot   hope this link works, if not or knot, then just google it and you will see how easy it is.   Jennifer also demonstrated a knot but as August would have it, her knots broke and she has joined the land of Woe Is Me.

 This is just a photo of a lovely hat to entice.   The work is called Enterlac In The Round - Wasie can help us to learn this, I think its amazing and I want to learn it, course it could be flat and not round, a scarf or a dish cloth...just saying......  Again google for more on Enterlac.

 Not Knitting - What I have been working on while my brain melts with Woe Is Me and yarn issues.   Not finished, just fused, waiting my machine to return from service.

Here is the latest fox I am working on.  I usually work from photos and  the fox part is finished and now I am auditioning fabric for leaves in the woods.

Since I have run out of yarn, I must keep my hands busy or start another knitting project!!!!!

Hats?

 Tuesday night there were two more Downton hats finished.  This one is mine with the detachable hair clip for decoration, and the other we didn't capture on camera as it escaped into the land of the large.  Not sure if it will get a redo or not.  The other hats are coming along nicely.  



It was also snack night - good grief, so much food, and cake and ice cream, cookies, and crunchie things - All of a sudden the evening was over!  Anyway, some new sock were started, a new shawl, and various other WIP's. 

Ms Vicki got her yarn for her Zoe Cardi pattern - I love this, its so pretty and similar to the Summer Waves Cardi I did this summer.  Her colors are a soft cream toffee tweed with a touch of silk in it, the Yarn is a Berroco brand at HNT.  This is how the pattern looks, and I think Vicki's version will have some added length to the sleeve. 

Keep working on those projects!

The Fun Of It All

 We are getting down on Downton Abby hats!  These are just wonderful and thank you so much Ms Vicki for all your hard work and hours of knitting guages.  I think it paid off because there is no doubt we all love this hat!  I love how it fits, can you tell by my big smile, I am about to steal it from you!

 Jennifer also seems very tickled with your hat!  BUT will she be knitting one for herself - the burning question, what colors will she use.

 Rebecca offered us a great deal on this fantastic Thaki yarn in tweeds.  The hat only takes 2 50 gm balls (one color for each ball) and you can see that some of the color combinations are going to be truly handsome.  We are knitting size Toddler using this larger yarn and bigger needles.

 I started this tam last week and got it finished - just had to show it off.  I LOVE it, its so electric and amazing.  It really went quick which was a surprise to me.   Mini Mochi yarn, one ball in black and one ball in Neptune.

 This is the rim side - pattern is on ravelry and my handle is timelessdog if you want to check out my stash and projects.

 Peggy is sampling the tam, I love how the pattern shows up on the edge.

 Wasie - Happy, happy, happy!

Just so you know, I am still working on socks!

OK this must be my blue period because last month I finished a blue summer cardi and now I have a pair of 56 row socks done in the Pagewood farms yarn at the shop - it changed colors on me!!!!!Not happy.  Nothing on this skein said it was graduating and now they look like they came from two different skeins!   Oh the joys of knitting.  Anyway just finished these up 2 weeks ago...fit like a dream. size one needles.

The shop has self patterning sock yarn by Berroco and this is really pretty for socks and also if you want to work on a hat like a little slouchy.  I have not blocked these yet, they are just as is.







Mini Mochi yarn again, been sitting on this yarn for a few months and finally got Silk Roads Journey pattern knitted - it has a little ruffly thing going on for the cuff. 
I will never wear winter socks that are not hand knit again! 

Hat KAL (Knit A Long) This Tues 8/13/13

OK ladies and gents, its time to get ready for this great group KAL that Vicki has found for us.  She has finished hers using the worsted yarn and the toddler size which she says fits perfect.   If you are on Ravelry.com you can find the pattern there for free download called Downton.    If you prefer you can go to Knitosfacto and she has a pdf download for you there.  http://knitsofacto.blogspot.com/2011/10/downton-hat.html.

If that's not enough VeryPink.com has a YouTube tutorial on it, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRIIYlKDr7w but I think Vicki will have just what you need for instructions...its just knit and pearl after all! 

The shop has chosen 3 different yarns specially priced for this project, but you can choose what you want as long as its one of the right weighted yarns for the project.

Print your pattern, come early, shop for your yarn and needles if you don't already have the correct needles on hand and Vicki will get you started in a jiffy.  I can hardly wait!  We will be sure to have a group photo with all of us in our new Downton hats!

Keep in mind this is two tones with the body of the hat one color and the brim a second color. - consider plumbs, red and grey, black and grey, tweeds.  Check with Vicki regarding yarns, needles and guage if you have questions.

Making Up For Lost Time

 Lots to share with everyone.  Your leader has been busy coming up with the sweetest projects to keep you all learning and adding to your idea books.  

From Purl Bee  http://www.purlbee.com/the-purl-bee/2009/8/21/whits-knits-log-cabin-washcloths.html   is the pattern and information that was passed out for these little wash cloths using a log cabin pattern.   Vicki and HNT came up with the great Pima Cotton Cleo to use for this.  Each person

 got one ball, knitted a square and then passed their color on to the next person!  How clever is that!  Top is just garter stitch with a little sweet edging and then using some of the patterns from the Heritage Afghan blocks she got a bit more creative and came up with a really vintage amazing wash cloth.  Now peoples, while we all think of these for our sinks and dishes, you have not lived till you try these for face cloths!  Really, these are amazing.

 EMR Peggy (we have two Peggy's!) is working on a larger project here but also she is working on her log cabin blocks.  It was just less than a year ago she was a beginner and now she is helping others!  Way to go!

 Rebecca has gotten in some interesting things for the shop - I bet you have never seen knitting needles this size before!!!!!  These are circular, I want to say they are size 32, gulp, and they are geared up to go with  particular yarns and patterns for fall knitting.  Next week this should be finished and I can't wait to see the color changes happening here.   Also new into the shop are some square needles - tips round of course, but the body is square and geared to give relief to hand fatigue from knitting to much - to much knitting - ????

 OK - Show and Tell, did I happen to mention Wasie and her bag of deliciousness!   Last week she brought some shawls to drool over and I asked if she would indulge us once again and bring them so I could get some photos to share.  So many reasons to see these things, not only for their beauty of workmanship but the different yarns and how they play out when knitted.  Its so intimidating to buy yarn that just calls to you and then have no clue what to use it for that will work well for what you choose.

 These two pair of socks the top one and this striped one are one skein of yarn that is called self striping.  There is self striping yarn and self patterning yarn, so be aware read your labels  when you buy yarn because they are also beautiful in other projects besides socks!

 Pretty pretty pretty, nice tonal yarn.

 This is an interesting pair of socks, and if some of you have knitted last falls reading mitts called Susies Reading Mitts, you might remember they had a little turned under edge.  These socks have the same thing which gives them this odd look as they lay flat but when worn they are amazing.   Every pattern and person who writes a pattern can offer up some of the most interesting little variations you can use anytime.

 Love these little guys. 

 More lovely patterns using the hand painted yarns.

 Most these patterns can be found on Ravelry and if you want to check out Wasie's section her handle is Wasieknitstoo  

Some of the patterns are free, some are a pittance and come as a download.  Ravelry offers you the opportunity to check out a pattern and see all the projects everyone else is doing or finished and get ideas for yarns and color work.  Its more like having a tool than posting your work, but those who post are the ones offering all the great info that is so important to learning.

 Ahhh, lovely cable socks!

 On to the Shawls.  If you like these I suggest you hop on over to ravelry and see Wasiknitstoo as her knitting info is there, needle sizes, yarns used, now much used, how long it took to complete etc. 

 Love the texture in this shawl. 

 This is worth mentioning on this shawl. The body that is striped is actually two skeins of variegated yarn that is alternated very 2 rows which gives it that lush softness and blending look.   I am pretty sure that is right.   More info to tuck away for the future!

 WOWzer, I love this skein of yarn - its a German label and self striping - one skein!  pattern on Ravelry.

 Again here are two skeins of yarn used for this shawl, one is for the body which is a graduating color and the edge is a contrasting color.

 One of Wasie's favorites as she says the way it fits and drapes makes it just that much more wonderful, if it can get any better!

 Edging from Andrea's Shawl (the name of a pattern on Ravelry), If you wanted to see if you could knit this shawl, you might consider trying a swatch of just the edge pattern, because by the time you get to the body its easy cursing - knit from the lace edge and then stitches  picked up for the body.

I know it was a lot to take in after such a dry spell, but that's how I roll.   Maybe next week I will post a couple pair of my socks I finished and a tam I am trying my hand at.

As I understand it, your leader Ripley aka Vicki has a hat pattern for you next week!   Hold onto your seats, I might be able to send out a pattern so you will come prepared to jump in - Downton Abby  Knit Hat!   Knit and Purl stitches!!!