the knitting buzz

Oops!...I Did It Again

Feeling very deadline rich these days and .....

Yes, I did!....added another knitting project (a project of love, of course) to my very full knitting plate.  And did I mention I am moving in less than a week and there is still a lot to pack....oofdah.

My daughter, Katie's birthday is June 13th and she must have some beautiful Malabrigo Socks....which is why I just had to start a new project.  Its just socks right?

So, I have selected the color Indecita (which reminds me of Monet's Water Lilies) and one of my favorite sock patterns Heather

 

I guess its time to get back to packing.....argh.....and all I really want to do is knit.....blush

 

 

 

 

 

Memories paint my creative lace knitting journey

My memory of a trip I took in my high school days to France's Loire Valley and their many famous gardens inspired my current knitting design and project. No matter where I visit, I always like to take in the notable gardens.  But those in the Loire Valley have got something special. Maze like hedges and crisp clean lines evoke the senses and had me yearning to see more and more.  I know it may sound corny...... I guess its the beginning of the big reveal of my inner geek.  blush.

 

This is a snap shot of a garden in Villandry.

And here is an unblocked version of my shawl design .....unblocked, of course!  I love knitting lace and I love when it takes me down memory lane.

I hope you like it!

Seashore inspired

I have been searching for a couple of weeks the perfect yarn for my next shawl inspired by the beautiful fishing nets left on the beach. I can't wait to wind it and work up another swatch. Until now the swatching was taking over any "free" time.

But alas ...... my search is over, I found it.....

 

This is my first time working with fearless fibers laceweight merino but after working up my gauge swatch I am smitten <3.......this is a serious love affair!

on your mark, get set.......

PACK!

That's right, moving day is looming and the packing is going slightly slower than I had hoped.  I'm not sure if I dislike packing or unpacking more.  At the moment (since I'm in the throws of packing), I guess I would say packing. 

But WAIT..... I think I am looking at this all wrong.  I do like the fact that I am now forced to re-evaluate the accumulation of yarn, clothing and general stuff.  I was able to giveaway at least an entire large plastic tote of yarn.....not easily I might add, why do we want to hang onto each and every strand..... perhaps this is my own brand of some kind of sickness. But I'm guessing I am not entirely alone.

As for unpacking.... its the perfect way to get re-organized to be more productive and efficient. I am looking forward to this part. Of course, the packing must come first..... blush

Another chapter of life interrupted.

 

I

 

What's in the design

Inspiration is an amazing thing......

the smallest thing or the biggest thing that can lead to that one catalyst that launches our creative "juices". It can be in our face or come out of no where like a whisper. Inspirations can be visual like a picture, a film, an experience, a sighting, a color, it can be something we see on a walk. It can come from a passing comment, lyrics of a song, an article, a story, a poem, a word. I can be motivated by any or all of our senses. 

Inspiration that results in us to create an article of beauty is an amazing and simply beautiful thing.

Many of my own inspirations come from both famous to very simple gardens and from anything related to life at seashore , the water, the sand, the boats, the endless sky.

 
 

The pictures above serve as inspiration for  the latest of my lace knitted shawl/wrap designs. 

I nearly finished with knitting the shawl that was inspired by the French Garden, I can't wait to share pictures with you. 

As for the shawl and scarf that was inspired by the fishing net..... I've tested the design and have worked up the scarf and still searching for a yarn that compliments the the shawl.  News at 11......

Stay tuned. 

 

Knitting Socks

I love to knit socks. I love to design socks. I love to wear socks. I LOVE hand knit socks.

There are many ways to knit socks. I use dpn's and a heel flap, always. I like that the heels are reinforced and will give my socks a longer life. Long live the knitted socks. I love picking up stitches for the gusset and admire the engineering involved in sock shaping and the turning of the heel. I love that after turning the heel that I know I am halfway done (with the first sock, of course)

I love that in a very short time after learning to knit socks that I was able to do it without a book or pattern.... that I was able to pick up my needles and some yarn and GO.

I love designing socks, purely to escape the boredom of the stockinette or ribbed sock. There is nothing worse than the beloved request for a plain pair of charcoal gray dress socks. For some reason, these requests seem to take FOREVER to finish.....the ultimate never ending project. That's why I like to kick it up a notch by adding textures, lace and even on a rare occasion, some color work. In my designs, I try to keep the repeats to a limited number of stitches and rows (most of the time, but not always, blush) to allow me the freedom of a written pattern and to keep it on the go.

I love fingering weight yarn. I love its versatility and for the most part its easy care.  Perfect for making socks. Perfect for scarves. Perfect for lace shawls, wraps and scarves. Perfect for making your favorite lightweight cardi. Perfect for children's garments. 

I admire the many techniques and approaches to knitting socks and innovative constructions, but I love my dpn's and heel flap and that's that.

 

 

 

Gift Knitting

Birthday Socks  report...... I got the last two finished with time to spare AND I decided to give all three... even though one had "holes" (yarnovers).  She loved them, loved them all.  And didn't seem to even remember that she had seen me working on them previously. 

Knitting Lesson.....sadly but, I will remember that not everyone hangs on and remembers every yarn within reach or knitted WIP sighting.

 

 

 

Life Lessons thru Knitting

Knitting Life Lessons...... Life interrupted...... and Don't turn your back on Yarn Lovers.

My sweet Xander, oh my sweet Xander.... he loves to watch me knit or rather grab at my projects while I'm knitting.  Usually I can distract or outwit him..... but not today.  Turned my back for a second or two..... and yes, it happened...... another Knitting Life Lesson. 

GUARD YOUR YARN or look for the humor  or admire the love and passion of another yarn enthusiast.

More deadlines and life's interruptions

Do you ever feel like your "plate" is full and then.... the next thing you know there is another "course"?  

That's kind of how I'm feeling. I'm moving June 1st, knitting project deadlines, design/publisher deadlines and oh by the way, a full time job.

I am moving to a larger place (this is a good thing....more room for, dare I say, yarn...blush).  I know I have a decent sized stash and purchased three plastic totes from Target to store it and to get it ready for moving day.

Three?  Really?

Now... 8 totes later the yarn is finally all together.... sadly and this doesn't include needles, notions, patterns and books (OMG.... I forgot about the bookcases of knitting books.....getting more stressed out here).

Deadline Socks..... YIKES!!!!

Why do we do this????? Promise or commit to knitting our beautiful socks for an event or an occassion that seems like plenty of time and yet it turns into some panicked late night knitting.

I planned in March on making three pairs of socks for my very best friend for her birthday in May. Yes, I know its May! Her birthday is this Wednesday and I two half knit socks to go.  I am fairly certain it shouldn't be a problem. 

 

  

HOWEVER, the first pair I made I used my Heather Sock pattern in a gorgeous yarn from Prism.

She got a glimpse of them and commented on how pretty the yarn is but she doesn't like

 socks with "holes" in them. YIKES!

    
So in fact I will complete three pairs of socks just like I promised myself BUT one is with "holes" or yarnovers. With that said, do I give her 3 pairs including the ones with "holes"  or do I only give her 2 pairs????

 

Lace Shawls and Wraps

My Kalokairi Lace Shawl was inspired by the set of the movie "Momma Mia" starring Meryl Streep. The serenity of the azure waters surrounding the Greek Isle named in the movie was the namesake for this lace design.Kalokairi was knit with Malabrigo Sock yarn giving it a nice weight and sheen.I am thinking about knitting Kalokairi again in a lace weight like Zephyr by Jagger spun or Winter Lace by Mountain Colors,adding 2 repeats and taking the the needle size down to a US #4.......in my spare time of course.....its good to dream....

Knitting leads to design

Like many, my passion is knitting! 

I am addicted to knitting socks and knitting lace shawls & decorative scarves. I am admittedly a  process knitter that has resolved to be a project knitter.....yes, that's right..... I am focusing my efforts in on  finishing more projects....blush.

Dabbling in some knitwear design had inspired or rather sparked my own desire to  complete and share my work.....many thanks to Ravelry to providing this outlet and inspiration.  My designs can be found and are available on Ravelry (knittingbuzz).

I have several projects on the needles that I can't wait to share and better yet, hope to share some pics in my next post.