Wednesday, October 22, 2008

What's On My Knitting Needles

Remember this book I got from my library? It's not due till Nov. 10, so I decided to start one of the projects in there -- the North Star Scarf. Since there's no way I'm going to be able to afford the qiviut yarn the patterns are written for in the near future, I checked through my yarn stash for something that I remembered my friend Don gave me a few years ago. Amazingly enough, I found the perfect substitute in the first bin I checked.
This yarn is called "Kinair" produced by Filatura de Crosa in Biella, Italy. The fiber content is 24% Nylon and 76% Super Fine Goat Hair. It doesn't specify what type of goat, but I'd like to think that perhaps it's from a nice little mohair-producing Angora goat like the one shown at the right. I wish you could feel how incredibly soft this scarf is--it's like petting a kitten or what I imagine the fur of a Pomeranian puppy would feel like. The really cool thing is that Don gave me a whole box of this yarn, so I have 9 more skeins still left to work with.


Here's a baby afghan I'm making for a woman I met at the Potholes and Prairie Birding Festival last June in North Dakota. It's for her first grandchild. They already know it's going to be a girl and she's due to arrive sometime around Christmas. It's about half-done and my goal is to complete it by Thanksgiving. I really like this pattern and someday, I hope to enlarge it for an adult-sized afghan.


Another work in progress is this "Snow Forest Lace Stole." It's been slow going -- there are 273 stitches in each row and 326 rows for the main body of the stole (almost 89,000 stitches!) Once the main part's knitted, there will be a lace edging added all around. I think I figured that this stole will consist of about 100,000 stitches upon completion!
I will get back to this project once the baby blanket's finished and my plan is to get it done and posted on my blog for the December "knitting for a worthy cause" auction.

On Monday, I started the last neck warmer from the hand-dyed 100% Alpaca yarn I bought a couple months ago. I can't remember for sure, but I think I've completed 8 or 9 of these in a variety of colors.
All of the neckwarmers are going to be available in my November "knitting for a worthy cause" auction. As soon as I get this one completed (probably in a week), I'll post them all for your bidding pleasure.

With cooler weather and shorter days now, my evening knitting time has increased and since I won't be watching much TV for the next couple weeks (getting tired of those political ads!), I should be able to get lots of knitting done.

15 comments:

Lynne at Hasty Brook said...

I'm so tired of those adds and the political phone calls I could spit.

Your projects are so cool! I am determined to find a class when I get home from this big weekend. I really want to learn. Do you remember a girl named Virginia from the Sax-Zim trip? She worked for an environmental non-profit and was a big knitter? She was at the SoDak Sparrow workshop! She's still a rabid knitter and she knew of the class at the shop near here.

I'll be sure to post a picture of my beautiful new wool hat in Cape May!!!

Debbie said...

Wonderful projects, Ruthie. I espeically love that stole, although it would take me about 10 years to complete...very lovely.

I only have time for one hand craft and these days it is cross-stitch, but I do miss knitting and crochet.

Lisa at Greenbow said...

Beautiful work Ruthie. I really like the yarn for your first pictured project. It looks so delicate.

KGMom said...

I love the patterns--that North Star is gorgeous. And then I saw the white blanket--that's a great looking pattern.
You put me to shame--my knitting sits in its bag, untouched. OK--you've inspire me. . .I will get back to it.

NCmountainwoman said...

What lovely pieces..every single one of them. I especially love the baby blanket.

Meggie said...

My my, Ruthie! Those knitting fingers of yours have been mighty busy. The baby afghan is beautiful! Can't wait to start bidding on the neck warmers.

RuthieJ said...

Hi Lynne,
I don't remember Virginia--I even went back and looked at your pic from the sparrow workshop and none of the faces jogged my memory.

I hope you have an awesome time at Cape May!

Hi Debbie,
I have so many projects going on at once, but knitting gets the majority of my time. I need to be better about finishing up old projects before starting new ones though!

Thanks Lisa. Kitty always like to play with the yarn, but I have to shoo her away from that delicate white yarn because it breaks too easily.

Thanks Donna. That blanket pattern is pretty simple and it's on size 11 needles, so it goes pretty fast. It could easily be made wider by adding a few pattern repeats.

Thanks Carolyn. It's nice to have an afghan to work on because it keeps me warm too on our evenings that have gotten chilly now.

Thanks Meggie. I've got a good selection of colors for the neck warmers. I hope there's one that you'll like!

Jayne said...

You are just so very talented Ruthie!

Anonymous said...

A fire in the fireplace and knitting on your lap, a dog on one side and a kitty on the other, what more can you ask for. The patterns are all so lovely, and there's plenty of time in the evenings now to knit to your heart's content.

MOM

RuthieJ said...

Thank you Jayne--at least I have a creative obsession!

That's the plan Mom.....and more than enough yarn to make it through the entire winter!!

Julie said...

I look at those and can't imagine doing anything similar! You are so incredibly talented and creative! Love the baby blanket.

Cindie Ulreich said...

I absolutely adore the color of the hand-dyed alpaca yarn!

And I'd love to see a neck warmer in the trendy color of the season (ask your mom...) MUSTARD! It would go nicely with a hat someone recently won in an auction.

Like the shameless hinting??? Tee-hee!

Heidi said...

I see that first ball of yarn and i have the urge to pounce on it just like a cat :) It looks so soft!

Beautiful pattern too. I suppose next week when we turn back our clocks, you'll have even more time for knitting.

Debbie said...

Ruthie, I had to post again and tell you that I ordered this from our library. What a wonderful book and so interesting. There is no way I have time for one of these projects during this season of my life, but I'm putting this book on my "someday" list as I just love these wonderful patterns. Thanks for the review.

RuthieJ said...

Hi Julie,
You know, I say the same thing about you when I see all that fantastic cross stitching you do!

Hi Cindie,
Watch your mailbox--I just happened to have a little bit of the hat yarn left over.....

Hi Red,
My kitty loves all the yarns I use. She'll walk over and start kneading a ball of yarn I'm knitting from and then eventually just lay down on top of it!

Good for you Debbie! I've got a few more books on my list to order from the library and I'll post an update on them too.