Jeni the Designer

Anyone want to buy an Owl Cowl Pattern:

Thanks for stopping by.

Fall must be for finishing, I have been on a rampage. In the last few weeks I have finished:

My mothers Minimalist Cardigan

28Thirty
All Seasons Vest
and
Mirage (still need finished pictures)

I have to admit Mirage may be favorite project ever. I love how it fits, I love wearing it. I can be obsess about my finished projects especially when I wear them, I find all the tiny flaws. This one I have yet to do this. I just love how great it fits and looks.

I was so into the finishing I started rummaging through my WIP to find things close to being done that I could finish. Sadly I don't have much else that doesn't need a whole lot of work before it will be done. I do have the Koslva that is very close and I am sort of working on that.

With all the finishing, that means one thing, startitis is in full swing. I started the Serenity sweater, and have two sleeves down and the body started. Here we come yoking!

Finishing is fun!! I wish I had more I could do that were closer to being done.

I think my next thing will be small projects I can finish quickly. Hats, cowls and such!!

!

We made it home, begrudgingly, but home. The only good reason I was excited to go home was we stopped at IKEA. I had never been in an IKEA before, I had sent Mark previously to get me a yarntainer so he tried to warn me on how much more could really fit in our packed car. I did ok, I had to show restraint but the main reason for going was another yarntainer, more like a booktainer this time. And various other fun things.


Vacation was awesome I love that place. I realized when I got home I did not have any pictures of Mark and I together. Knitting was done, I stared a project right when we left and was obsessed. That pesky sweater for my mothers birthday did not see any action until the drive home. Many Barn raising squares were made (great drive time knitting). I also started the summer Year of Lace project. But of the duffle full of yarn I brought along, many projects saw little to no time, oh well I do have one finished project now blocking from the trip.

Puppies also learned to swim, this dog loves water... Helps when you have a friend!!

The Happy Place...

I am off to the Happy Place for 2 whole weeks!!! I am beyond excited. So excited I am not sure I even have any current knitting content with pictures to blog about. Crazy I know. Odd how I rarely post, then post to announce I will be gone. You may have never known.



I have a whole duffle bag full of projects. And this unlike most vacations includes a whole crapton of knitting!!

Things are getting done over here, I promise. Including at the house (sorry no pics, but if the kitchen was clean it would be ready for pics), dog, yard, yarning, and so on.


The lace addiction has been set aside by sweater guilt, or more sweater multiplying which causes sweater guilt, so you see I must work on a current sweater in hopes of finishing so I can then start a new one. Yes a complicated process but we try and keep the guilt down over here.

First I have been working on Rusted Root for quite a while and just this week progress has been very quick. I just cast off the body and am ready to do my sleeves.

Some lace was going on, and I have a few others I want to start since my Estes loot was a big share of lace weight. I have started the Spanish Armada and it is coming along great. I am loving the lace in the round. I think this might turn out to be a kitchen curtain, have to use that lace somewhere right?


The little fella is growing too, getting so dang big, and cute.

Finished...

Laminaria Version 2, I know I only have one but I knit this twice due to crap dye lots and what not. But I love the outcome. Will I ever wear it, I am not so sure. More pictures here.

The hardest part for me about finishing this is that I have no lace project to go to now, nothing I have been looking at compares to this knit for me. I am a picky lace knitter, I love to knit lace for the sheer challenge of it. I don't really care if I ever wear it or not, but I want it to be fun and I have to really love the pattern. I think I am slowly becoming obsessed with the Herbert Nieblings stuff, it is amazing. Also hard to find patterns and what not for. Just look at this!

I am muddling through some stuff until I can find the next perfect lace knit for me. Suggestions?

First a slight change in the blog location......


I hope the quarterly post does not turn into the semi-annual post. Things have been going on around her, knitting, gardening, puppying and so on. Oh even some dyeing, with wonderful help. Ok I was really helping her.

See that pretty green yard in the back.... I am ready for the garden to just be, water only. All this other stuff is taking away from knitting time.



Progress is being made on many fronts, like Michelle I seem to be all into blankets, fun portable and easy! The Barn Raising and my Modern Log cabin are getting most of the attention lately, mindless I tell you.












And there is the puppy!! He is getting big but still looks like a puppy to me.

It's the Quarterly Post... tada

Like all the others in these parts, I am starting things left and right, right and left and some. I should follow the lead of Michelle and work on my wip list, darn ravelry does not let us hide from how many are really in that category. I did some finishing too though. I finished Mabel, but of course do not have a picture. I love it. I came ever so close to finishing Oblique, but there seems to be a yarn shortage, I swear I had enough for this project, I should have had enough. It has yet to be determined if I have used up all of the yarn I was using for this project, or if there is more hiding in the midst of the move. Folks I only have about 8 inches on the back and a button band to do.

In the frustration of lack of yarn to finish Oblique, I started 28Thirty, and was zipping along, then the new Knitty came out, and I fell in love with a beautiful shawl I didn't start right away like you would think, I held back I have some shop knitting to do, to get done and I am so close. Then I caved and started the Laminaria from knitty, love it. It is coming along ever so nicely.

And now it is warm out and I am not sure I want to work on 28thrity and all of it's woollyness, so I am contemplating 2 other new items. Of course I could should work on some of the springier wip's, but well that is silly. I may start the summer-set-collared-cardigan with some Classic Elite Summer Set, or I may start soft-linen-feather-and-fan-cardigan which I just bought some new Soft Linen for in a smoky blue I love. Decisions, decisions.

Oh, Oh!! I also finished the Logan River Wrap, wanna see!

And I did start the Jeanie stole for a class, but am not loving the knit, love the look not the knit. So it sits, lonely.

I had this great idea about a month ago, or a great idea for me, it worked. Until I ran out of yarn. I was getting frustrated with how many things I want to make, how many things are almost finished on needles, how knitting on so many things in short stints didn't get me progress. So for one week I focused on 2 projects, Oblique and Logan River Wrap. At the end of the first week I had finished all but the back of Oblique (in fairness both sleeves were done before the week started, but still), and some of the back had been started. Also at the end of that week Logan River was done!! It was a success.

The next week I had to force myself to work on Jeanie and I wasn't into it. I kept working on Oblique too, knowing I would run out of yarn and hoping against hope if I just searched the rest would show up and it didn't. So I stopped abruptly on that project. At this point I do not think I can put laminaria down, so I declare it project 1 for the next week. Project 2, to be good; and work on a so very close in progress item (like the Boat Neck sweater )or start something new!!! To be good or bad... hmmm. I suppose we shall see how much I can shove in my knitting bag for knit night and decide later.

The new addition

Look what has entered the Learnable household!

Meet, Mater, as in Ta-Mater!!

He has taken my heart already. Super good pup, that really means he had no accidents so far today.

There had been knitting going on, actually a decent amount. A new scarf:

There was demolition at the house, the kitchen was gutted and now all the right things that go in a kitchen are in the kitchen but the final product is not complete just yet. Finishing is a bitch, it takes so long!!

Oh you want more Puppy, pics....

Ohh look the new kitchen floor snuck in that one.

I have a good excuse for not posting, not that I am a regular poster by any means. Yet I feel guilty for it, I shouldn't. Anywho. So the good excuse is we bought a house!!! We close and start moving tomorrow. Christmas is going to be a crazy time, ripping out cabinets painting and unpacking, oh wait did I say I was on call as well for work. Sounds like fun huh?

I have finished some things, like a Charlotte's Web Shawl and a Cobblestone for Mark. Another Hemlock for Mark's parents for Christmas too. But per usual I am short on pictures. I have been knitting, even feeling a bit guilty about how many items are on the needles I can't just buy more needles forever can I?

Hopefully the next post is full of a terracotta colored kitchen, a blue bedroom and who knows what else.

Happy Holidays!!!

Finished!

I have a few things that have been finished up lately, for a while actually but didn't have pictures or forgot or whatever. So I present you Tangled Yoke, love this sweater, want to block it again though to even it up in front. Fits great, fun knit!!

I also finished up a big project, a lace shawl that I love the colors love the patterns, turned out wonderful. Bee Fields was fun.

For the last one, I started this last winter and knit up a few of these just never got around to finishing mine up, all it needs is a light felting now and it will be done!

Now don't think I haven't cast on for just as many as I have finished. I cast on for Oblique as well as Cobblestone. Cobblestone has been fast, the sleeves are done now it is time to do the body and then let the yoking begin. Of course I don't have pictures of either of this.

There are a couple things I have started thought that do have pictures, the Haruha Scarf is whipping up nicely in Red Rocks Fiber Arts Seacell. I started the Jay Walker scarf, then ripped it out, I need to make it wider break up the colors a bit more or something like that.

I am off for a week on the road, the best kind of road trip, where I am not expected to do any of the driving, and can knit all day!! I am trying to limit myself to the below projects:

Cobblestone
Hemlock Ring 2
Oblique
Cashmere Stolish
Honeycomb

I snuck a couple more in that I wasn't planning to take, ahh well. Have a wonderful Turkey day!!

I do not know what it is that keeps me from blogging. I think about it often, I write blog entries in my head, but getting the pictures taken and the words typed out is not always as easy. Half the time by the time I do get around to it the pictures are way out of date and so on. It is sort of like losing weight or working out for me, I always have an excuse to put it off.

But today you get a blog post with out of date pictures, aren't you excited.

I have decided I must always have one sweater on the needles that I love to knit, I am motivated to knit. At that point I thought, well why am I knitting anything that I don't love to knit, but we all have those projects for others, projects we love the outcome of but maybe not the knit. I love the Roam pattern, it is beautiful. I thought I had the best yarn for it, then it wasn't enough so I had to switch to another yarn I have had for a while. I started and it was looking very Rainbow bright, I trudged forward and it got better not so Rainboweske but I still didn't love it. Then I realized I am never going to use this yarn on anything else, I should do the seed stitch where the Rainbow is not so bad. They I screwed up the pattern increases and had to rip back, and there it sits. It even has a crappy blurry picture, how fitting. I do think I will go forward with this mainly because I can not think of anything else to do with this really nice Mountain Colors Mountain Goat yarn. I bet I do love it in the end.

Once I ripped out I needed something I wanted to knit on, so I grabbed more yarn in the stash wondering, just wondering if it would work for the Knitting Nature Honeycomb sweater. And guess what? It works beautifully, I am loving this knit and how it looks and how it even seems to grow quickly on size 1's. This is Classic Elite's classic silk which I seem to be addicted too. See the picture even turns out better when I like the projects.

I have also started a 2nd Hemlock blanket for a Christmas present, it is moving along nicely the second one is not near as fun though. I am on an Afghan fix, I am also making the Prairie blanket like Michelle made and Stacey is also working on. It is a fast knit, and since it is a Christmas surprise I can only work on it part of every week so I think the little break each week helps out. I have almost 2 of the strips down and I would love to make it larger as Michelle did.

I also started a new project out of some super soft super beautiful yarn that Mary Kay of Red Rocks Fiber Works this is some amazing Cashmere she dyed up for me. So soft, I wonder if I can felt it by just touching it. I do sort of recall that cashmere I don't think will felt, of course I am not really going to test that theory out. I put some stitch patterns together for this, little bigger than a scarf but not quite stole material either. It is very soft though.

I have some other odds and ends I am working on, little by little my niece's Starsky, the Vintage velvet I started last winter. Also another scarf out of some Rio de la Platta yarn I fell in love with. This one I am having a harder time finding a patter I like, not too boring but also it is hard to see a lot of pattern in this yarn. Well for a girl who likes to look at pictures in blogs I sure have been wordy today. Happy November!

Untangling the Tangled

Tangled Yoke is getting there, I tangled, didn't like it, untangled and then re-tangled. Painful yes, but I do like the 2nd go round results much better. I am now working on the top collary thing. So very close!!

My other obsession of late has been the Hemlock blanket, it is finished and I haven't even blogged about it yet. Granted I do not blog on a very regular basis, so that may have some part of it.

Such a fast fun knit. I am thinking Christmas presents!! the one here was for my Dad's birthday!

I am itching to start Roam which I love. But I am not sure I have enough of any yarn to start the project. I wanted to copy The Knitty Professor but like her I don't have enough Plain and Fancy to make the sweater all in the same color, which I tend to like to do. I had a color I was so excited to use for this. So now what to do next? Or shall I search for some yarn for Roam? Hmmmm.

Vacation knitting.

Ok on to what I knit on my vacation.....

I started Starsky Jr. for my niece, 2 sleeves and tad more were completed on this, it has not been touched since, don't tell my niece.

I spent the majority of my time on the Bee Fields Shawl, I would get up and enjoy the early morning quiet time by working lace on the deck, so relaxing. I got through the next section and have one more to do. I love how this is coming together, I so wish I could quit my job and knit full time. I have so much I want to do now and just can't find enough time for each one.

The green Boat Neck did not see the light of Canada, but was thought of fondly. Only sleeves to go!

My goal was to finish Tangled Yoke, now that goal was revised pretty early on to lets finish up the bottom half of Tangled Yoke right before you start the sleeves. This I did. And since then I have finished the sleeves and am YOKING!!! A few more inches and I can Tangle. Exciting. I am excited to finish this up, even if I do think the sleeves will be a bit tight and give me the sausage arm look.

All in all a great vacation and quite a bit of knitting was done. I even taught or shall we say refreshed Mark's Mom on how to knit. She knit years ago and it came back quickly.

Bliss.

I went on one of the best vacations ever!!! See, quiet, tranquil, beautiful!!! Even came with a warm CU welcome. See that huge deck off the cabin, that is where I knit to my hearts content!!

With that view of the water... So pretty.

It really was wonderful, beautiful sunsets, tons of knitting and relaxing, no internet, no cell phones complete vacation from work, family and what not.

Occasionally there was some non-knitting to keep the boy happy. The knitting that happened will be in a post to come.

bzzzz

I have been buzzing along on the Bee Fields Shawl, or I should say I was. Until the Ik Fall came out then it I went back to yoking happiness. I spent the bulk of the time at Camp Wannaknitknit working on the Bee Fields shawl, all weekend I said if I can just get to the next section, that took longer than I took, but I kept going and going. I am now half way done with the next section. I am loving this and have lofty goals of taking it with me on vacation and finishing it!!!

When the IK showed up last week I had to start the Tangled Yoke, had too I say. I was about to venture on a whirl wind tour of a few states what better way to pass the time than knit. I knit on hardly anything else all last weekend. I love how this cardigan is constructed, I really really am thinking I must knit all sweaters either in the round or by the yoking method. I love it. Could be that efficient side of me (maybe slightly too efficient sometimes, which is not always good).

I leave later this week for vacation, I am so excited to not work for a week!!! And of course the knitting to do list is growing exponentially. Come on I can take 3 sweaters and a lace project and think I will finish them all right? Granted one of them is for a child, one of the sweaters only needs sleeves, the lace project is already half done and the 3rd sweater is moving along. I hope to make progress on all of them.

I did finish the front and back of the boat neck sweater and I am excited to finish it, but this damn tangled yoke is getting in the way!!!