Knit Diary

This is Wildfiber Kujaku Purse. I just finished sewing in the lining. It was inspired by a crocheted purse I saw at Wildfiber in Santa Monica a couple weeks ago. I tried to make a Knit version of the purse I saw, but made something totally different instead.

Pattern: my own
Needles: US8 bamboo
Yarn: 2 skeins of Noro Kujaku in color #18

This is a picture of the lining; I used a crazy butterfly print I already had. I made a little cell phone compartment for it and knit a rosette for the zipper pull.

I'll leave you with a blurry shot of my nephew in his Weasley sweater.

Happy New Year!

Posted by Sandy at 04:25 PM | Permalink

This is the Weasley sweater I knit for baby j, my nephew. It was part of my Hand Knit Holiday Gift Along.
Yarn: Encore Plymouth Worsted, 75% Acrylic 25% Wool (Mama J doesn't do hand washing so this yarn was perfect. I'm not sure if it was the wool content in the yarn, but it blocked really nicely too.)
Needles: US 7 bamboo
Pattern: Blue Blog Alison pattern
Letter j pattern from Lismeta

Friday night, I went to Disneyland and rode on my favorite ride, which has been all done up for the Holidays.

This is a shot from Latin America:

Look at the goodies I got for Christmas! All ready for next year's holiday knit along!

The book on the right is Knit One, Kill Two by Maggie Sefton. Murder and Knitting...I can see it.

I love a murder mystery. Also love books in a series. I'll let you know if this is any good.

Merry Christmas!

Posted by Sandy at 05:07 PM | Permalink

I finished this hat, one of the items in my Hand knit Holidays Knit Along.

Pattern: May from Rowan Big Wool
Yarn: 1 ball of Big Wool
Needles: US 17
Took only a couple of hours to knit. Yeah!

Here's my progress on my Weasley sweater for by nephew, baby j. This is my first attempt at Intarsia. I have my letter j pattern from lismeta and helpful tips from Blue Blog Alison!.

Here it is 1 1/2 hours later.

And the back:

I think this sweater is a good one to start for beginning intarsia knitters. I'm liking how it's turning out! Yeah!

Posted by Sandy at 09:43 AM | Permalink

I lurked along with SavannahChik's Rowan River Knit Along. Here's my finished River. I like her.

You can also wear her as a scarf:

Specs for River are as follows:
Yarn: 2 balls Misti Baby Alpaca Lace in Aubergine (#9311), which I purchased online from Little Knits
Needles: US#10 bamboo
Notes: I held the yarn doubled throughout to give it some weight. This yarn is beautiful. So soft and plush. I didn't stray from the Rowan pattern at all except for the yarn.

River is a birthday gift for my best friend. I'm having lunch with her today; I hope she likes it.

Here's a picture of the back of my Mia Shrug:

Also some goodies I got from Wildfiber while I was in Santa Monica:

I got a cool canvas bag and some Noro Kajuku in Color #18 and some Koigu PPM in colors from top to bottom 802, 416,823,135,522. I've been wanting to knit a Charlotte Shawl for the longest time. I think that's what I'll cast on for once all the holiday knitting's done.

Posted by Sandy at 10:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Ummm...it was my company's Holiday Party this Friday night at the Casa del Mar Hotel in Santa Monia. I always hate going to these things, usually by myself, have to put on my happy face...
The bright side of it all is that we get to stay overnight at the hotel. This is a pic of the terrace right outside my room.

Here are the doors leading back to my room.

A view of the sunset

A view of the Santa Monica Pier.

Ok, I'm a loser so all I want to do is finish the dinner/mingling part of the night and work on my knitting. I know...looosuh...

Here is the Mia Shrug. I completed the shrug using 14 balls of Elann's Peruvian Baby Silk in Aubergine, knit doubled on US7 bamboo. You can get the free pattern from Yarn is My Metier. I made some modifications: I only did 3 inches of ribbed cuff, knitted the lace pattern straight until piece measures 7 inches, then did some increasing, then straight until I got it to cover shoulder to shoulder, then the decreases back to the other cuff. Here's a pic of it unseamed.

and here's me in the shrug.

Sorry for the awful shot; this is the bathroom of my hotel room. Yeah, they provide rubber ducks for the guests' baths!

I'll try and get some help and get a better picture of it.

Posted by Sandy at 11:37 AM | Permalink

These are 25 mm knitting needles that I found at Loop. It's a cute store with lots of inspiration. Here's the store front.

According to the lady at Loop, you can knit up strips of cloth on these needles. Like they had displayed in their window. I wrote down the manufacturer of this needle, but I'm still unpacking all my stuff and can't find my notes!

I purchased 2 skeins of HipKnit's 100% cashmere hand dyed sock yarn in Bruised, red plastic needles from a company called Swallow from Australia, and a big wood button. I think I'm going to make a shawl/scarf with this yarn.

Posted by Sandy at 11:20 AM | Permalink

Harry Potter fever in London! This is the Odeon movie theather on Leicester Square, where they are playing Goblet of Fire.

This is a picture from on top of the Stone Gallery in the dome at St. Paul's Cathedral. You reach this Gallery by climbing 378 steps.

That's my sister wearing the Gryffindor scarf I knit for her last year. She prefers to remain anonymous.

This is a view from the Stone Gallery. That's the Tate Modern across the river and the Millennium foot bridge.

If you have the guts, you can climb another 156 steps on winding metal stairway up to the top to the Golden Gallery. Note there are no pictures with views from here.

This is a pic of the circular stairway inside the Cathedral.

This famous stairway is used in many films, including the Prisoner of Azkaban -- it was the stairs right outside Professor Trelawny's classroom (remember when the crystal ball falls and rolls down the stairs). It was also in the Goblet of Fire and the Madness of King George. You can get a glimpse of the stairs only if you go on the guided tour.

Posted by Sandy at 11:28 AM | Permalink

This is George, my Mother Bear Project bear. I finished knitting this on vacation in London, appropriately enough, on World AIDS day, December 1. I knit this for the Knit Unto Others KAL and the Hand Knit Gift Along. I missed the official Nov 30 deadline for the Knit Unto Others along by one day. I mailed it to Mother Bear Project yesterday. I hope he arrives safely. It was fun to knit. Thanks to the organizers of this knit along!

I really like him. Here he is without his scarf and face.

The box of chocolates in the back are Bendick's Mingles, mint chocolate treats. ( Bendicks is the official chocolatier for the Queen by the way.) This is one of the Yummy English goodies I indulged in. London was so fun! I'll share more later...

Posted by Sandy at 12:24 PM | Permalink