BeanMama Knits

Fascinating bind-off -- particularly for toe-up socks, so I'm told. I can't wait to try it! Had to share - have stuff to post, but no time. Moving day is less than a month away!

BEFORE and AFTER I finished this shawl in April. Since then it's just been wadded up carelessly in my knitting basket waiting to be dyed and blocked. And because I didn't think it was terribly pretty, I wasn't in a hurry. But I was blinded -- BLINDED -- by the color I wasn't in love with. When I started the shawl, I wanted a simple lace project and I wanted to use yarn in my stash. I had 3 skeins of Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud in Iris Heather sitting around and it was dreamily soft and I thought the subtle color would do, and I cast on. I quickly became aware that I was not loving the color. But I kept going because I figured I could always dye it and because I really wanted to use up the yarn (I still have 1 skein left.) When it was finished, I wove in the ends and shoved it in said basket. But last week I bought two pretty purple tops and was suddenly motivated to use the purple dye I had bought for the purpose of dying this shawl and DO it so that I might wear the shawl...

I confess, I am not a good finisher. Well, that's vague. Let's say... I get impatient with finishing as I get near the end and often am not as slow and careful as I could be. I am trying very hard to take it slow with Shaker 'cause I am really hoping for a wearable sweater. So far, she is fitting better than I expected. The shoulders fit exactly right. The sleeve length is perfect. I sewed in the sleeves (which was nerve-wracking,) tonight, sewed in all the ends I could that were near seams, and have steamed the length of the body before I prepare to seam up the sides and down the sleeves. I have, however, pinned the pigeonfeathers out of it, so it's try-on-able. My only concern is that the underarm will hit me too low -- which I thought I did the calculations to avoid, but if it was a problem with the way the original pattern fits my unique measurements then I will not blame myself. I do think that I didn't stretch the button band enough before I sewed it on, and i...

Just a quick update: Shaker is ALMOST done. The sleeve caps are re-knit (turns out I only had to eliminate 2 rows, which I did. But I could have fudged it. Grf. Oh well, I can always claim to be a perfectionist. I'm not one, but I can claim to be one now!) and the shoulder seams are sewn (which I ended up doing twice because I didn't like the way it came out the first time. I'd never done back-stitch on knitting before.) (Are my excessively long parentheticals bugging you yet?) I knit the button band about 4 times. I kept ripping it out. Turns out the first way I did it was the most pleasing and so I did it that way again. (rolleyes). Now the left button band is knit and mattress-stitched on and the 2nd button band with the buttonholes is about 2/3 of the way finished now. Then it's do the neck band and sew the sleeves in and sew on the buttons. I'm planning to wear it when I go to Portland 6/19. I think I will make it! I even am going to make it with the original ...

I am still plugging away on my Shaker from Rowan 25. I've knit the back and one sleeve complete. The other sleeve is knit up to the beginning of the armhole shaping. The left front is knit up to the neckline shaping and the right front is almost to that point as well. Then, I need to figure out how to re-do the shoulder shaping or the armscythe is going to be too big and I will not like the cardigan. I think the width is actually okay, as I don't want it to have to stretch at all to fit me. I am going to have to master the math. I can do this. I can. I think. Eep. Meanwhile, I also have a few other wips to talk about. Shawl with Melon Pattern from Victorian Lace Today : This is finished. I have a few ends to weave in yet, but otherwise it is waiting to be dyed. I have knit 3 swatches and I ordered "purple" and "burgundy" jacquard dyes from KnitPicks. I got a large pot from the thrift store that I can use for dying and now I just need to dye my test swatch...

First, the good!! Recognize that amazing gal in the middle? We went to the Maker Faire on Saturday. We went last year and LOVED it and we had always planned to attend this year as well. Come to find out that the Yarn Harlot was appearing there in the morning! It seems to have been a last-minute addition because the Harlot did not mention that she was attending in her blog until a few scant days before the event. And traffic getting into the event was AWFUL. Since she spoke at 11AM and the event opened at 10AM, her talk was pretty poorly attended, IMO, for a Harlot Event. We planned to get there in plenty of time and I ended up missing 1/2 of her talk. But what I heard was great!! She came back to the craft area to knit with people and talk, so I got her to sign my book. And I got to ask her a question that resulted in her giving a detailed explanation of how she knits, which was fascinating. Someone got behind her with a camera, so I'll be checking YouTube for that footage. The...

First of all... here she is!! I'm so very proud of her. My first Alice Starmore . My first adult size sweater, really. (I did make Klaralund and I guess that counts, but it had no shaping and was on size 8 needles. This has lots of shaping and was on size 3 needles.) It took me almost (but NOT quite,) a year. Mostly because I kept putting her aside. I had gauge issues: I got stitch gauge perfectly but my row gauge was way too big. So I subtracted as many rows as I could in the body and hoped for the best. Turns out, it was okay! It fits me really well and I love it! I've even worn it once already! Introducing... Elizabeth I Pattern: Elizabeth I from the book Tudor Roses by Alice Starmore Yarn: 100% merino, recycled from a Banana Republic ribbed pullover. I have enough left to make a matching cap and some gloves. Needles: size 3 Modifications: I just left out some rows in the lower body to make up for my row gauge being off. Once I was at the point where Elizabeth need...