Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Almost there

I am almost there! I intend to knit 46 repeats, and this morning I finished the 44th! There are no new pictures yet, but maybe on Friday...

Then, on to blocking. My yarn is superwash merino. What kind of blocking do you suggest?

Take care!

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Branching Out #2

I finally got around to finishing my second Branching Out. It took me two months to complete! It's really hard to get any knitting done with an 8 month old who wants my undivided attention, so I only got to chip away at it a few rows at a time. This one seemed to take so much longer because of the fingerling weight yarn... I felt like I wasn't making much progress and I was knitting very slowly to avoid losing stitches because the yarn was very slippery.

This is a picture of the scarf being blocked; wrong side up. I wish I had a blocking board or some blocking wires so the edges will turn out straight.

I still haven't gotten sick of this pattern. I'm already working on Branching Out #3, this one for my mom. It's made of the same yarn I used to make her hat. I thought it would be nice for her to have a matching scarf.


http://smariek.blogspot.com/
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Finished!

I finished my Branching Out on Sunday, now I need to block it. I'll post pictures once that's done but in the meantime if any KALers have tips for blocking BO in Kidsilk Haze I'd really appreciate it. :)

Monday, November 28, 2005

New to Lace

I just joined this KAL.....I am new to lace.....so I bought the exact yarn that the pattern called for. Wish me luck!


Friday, November 25, 2005

Finished!

Hey y'all, I finished my Tahki New Tweed Branching Out a few days ago. Click on the photo for my blog post about it.




It's been really motivating to read everyone's progress! Thanks for sharing your Branching Outs with the rest of us.

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Finished!

I don't know why, there was a period when I just had real troubles with the repeats. There were more than a few moments of frogging.

When I switched from the bamboos to the Denises, it helped. And a few days of rest helped, too.

I used the Silky Wool and ended up with 24 repeats. I probably could have gotten one more repeat, but I didn't want to run out before the garter edge.

I thought you all might enjoy a shot of it blocking on my professional blocking board lawnchair and beach towel.

 
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Thursday, November 17, 2005

Finally Finished!!

It seems as though I have been working on this scarf forever, but finally and gloriously, this morning I finished it! Last night I was working on it and messed up slightly, so I had to rip it back a couple of rows. I was able to get it fixed easily enough, but was angry at it so I put it away until this morning.

I did it a little differently than what the pattern called for. Rather than knitting from start to finish and ending up with the length I wanted, I knit two seperate pieces and grafted them together, so both ends of the scarf look the same, which actually worked quite well, I think. I'm trying to decide whether or not I'm going to kill the arcylic so that the ends are not as wavey, but I'm not sure yet ... nor am I sure exactly how to "kill" acrylic yarn. I used Red Heart Soft yarn on 4.5 mm needles. It's a Christmas gift for my Grandmother. I'm so very glad it's finished.

Started new Branching Out

Hey everyone! I joined this KAL a couple of months ago and I was knitting a BO with some egyptian cotton. Well, I stopped that one and have since started a new one that I like a whole lot better. I'm using some hand dyed yarn (from my first dyeing experience)and it's 100% Peruvian wool from KnitPicks (it's "color your own" 440 yds). Please come to my site and look at the pics!!

http://www.lizknits1485.blogspot.com

Liz

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Ripping, ripping and more ripping.

I joined this KAL yesterday. Eagerly and enthusiastically I casted on and intended to get at least two pattern repeats completed. I wanted to post a picture and everything. You see, I have "branched out" before when I knitted a mini lace shawl. I figured this would be no problem for me. It's only 10 rows to work with. Pbth, easy like Sunday Morning! Well, I am not sure if it is that I have lost my knack for knitting, or that my attention span has been reduced to the size of a pea due to a constantly crying 4-month-old.

For whatever reason, I started and ripped out this puppy 3 times already. The first two times, I screwed up on the 4th or 5th row. Not too much lost.

The third time I ripped I had knitted the 10 rows for a complete pattern and thought I was well on my way to completing my 2 pattern repeats I had hoped for. Wrong I was, I somehow ended up with 31 stitches on my tenth row instead of 25.

Having no clue what I did wrong I frogged the whole thing again.

Cry cry.

Tuesday, November 15, 2005

Branching Out Update


Progress so far! I'm just short of ten repeats and am pleased with the results - the pattern is really well defined.

I'm finding that I have to knit much more slowly with the KSH than I do normally but it's worth it. If I use KSH again (and I probably will because it's just so gorgeous!) then I think I would give bamboo needles a try instead of the metal ones I'm currently using.

OK - this baby has to be done by 4 December in time for my Mum's birthday. Here's hoping I can get it done in time.

Saturday, November 12, 2005

Branching Out Progress with pics, finally!

Hello! Here's a progress update on the BO Scarf:
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It's the Silky Wool yarn that was recommended on the pattern, and size 8 Addis. The darker picture was taken with flash,the lighter ones without. Right now the scarf measures just over 12" or so. Picture credits: My daddy took these on his snazzy camera. Thanks Daddy!

Wednesday, November 09, 2005

First KAL post!


Hiyah everyone! I hope everyone's making good progress on their Branching Outs! Here's a picture of mine in progress. During the last repeat I nearly gave myself a heartattack and thought I picked up an extra stitch. I'm using Paton's Lacette from Michael's I really liked it when I saw it at the store, but I'm thinking fuzzy yarn probably wasn't the best choice for this project. Anyway, see you all later! Hopefully the next time I post it'll be a bit longer!
Happy Knitting! ~Carolyn

Monday, November 07, 2005

Hi, Howdy and Hello!

Hello from beautiful and not-at-all-autumnlike Texas - (It's Nov 7 and it's supposed to be mid 80s and humid today - how I long for some cool weather!).

I've gotten about 4 repeats done on the BO this time around (I've started and frogged this baby 3 times before.) But I seem to be having more success this time.... I don't know what the difference is, I've been using the same yarn (Silky Wool) and the recommended needle size, and I have good gauge... It's just the pattern-reading that seems to be getting to me... I've only done a few really pattern-critical items - mostly I've just made scarves and very easy hats (knitted flat & then mattress-stitched).

This pattern has been a learning process for me. It's looking pretty okay though, these days.. I'll post a picture once I get a friend with a digicam to shoot one for me (he was all like.... "you want me to take pictures of your knitting? WHY ON EARTH?" Feh. Some people just don't get it. Feh again.)

All in all, though, I'm pleased with my progress this go around - I have about 12" of progress to show. (MY previous attempts have been catalogued on my blog, if anyone's curious.

All you other ladies seem to be rocking and rolling on your scarves!! The variegated one is just lovely - I'm kind of curious to try this scarf as a skinny scarf with sock yarn - maybe as a double-panel. (I love doing really challenging things... Can you tell?

Happy knitting!
-Regina

Thursday, November 03, 2005

New KAL-er!

Hi folks... this is my first time joining a KAL, and what better one to join than Branching Out?

I'm doing my Branching Out with knitpicks Gossamer in the Caribean colorway on size 7 needles. I love this pattern, but admit that it is taking somewhat of a backseat to my current holiday gift knitting.

And here it is thus far...



I can't wait to see more of everyone elses' projects!

Finished my first Branching Out!

Wow, I'ver never finished a knitting project this fast! I started my Branching Out on Saturday and bound off yesterday. Here you can see it modeled by the lovely Lily:



50g of Lana Grossa's New Kid sufficed for 27 pattern repeats. I blocked the scarf overnight, but it still has a tendency to fold in the middle. Does that happen to anyone else?

Looking at all the different versions in this KAL, I'm sure I'll make another one soon. Once you understand the pattern, it's so much fun to knit!

strickmasche.blogspot.com