Project Spectrum

Lolly Knitting Around has a great "create-along" planned called Project Spectrum. See her great write-up at http://www.lollygirl.com/blog/index.php?op=ViewArticle&articleId=414&blogId=1. Here's an excerpt:

"It is really about expressing yourself creatively - making something beautiful, and creating something unique with your hands. It is also about thinking outside of the box - perhaps taking up a new hobby, or a long neglected one, or finally dabbling in design.

Here's the plan:
March - Red and Pink
April - Orange and Yellow
May - Green
June - Blue
July - Violet / Purple
August - Neutrals / Black & White

...and perhaps the most important part: this is a no-pressure project. The months are each assigned a color group, but you do not have to work on a project in that color group every month. If you have a project already going, please do not feel that you have to set it aside only to participate. You can work on more than one project (of different colors) at a time - that is what I will be doing!"

I'm in! Ideas are flowing. I'm leaning toward some sewing ideas. I thought I would make lots of clothes for my kids and now my "baby" is 5 - I better get on that. Maybe this will be the springboard I need to get some cute outfits created (while they are still young enough to want to wear them!).

Puff Completed

It's done!

Here's what my daughter saw on her seat at the table this morning!

It's a bit big, so I need to check my gauge and research negative ease, but she can wear it and it looks so cute. The tassel is a winner!

Particulars: I used size 7 dpns and I think the hat and its sizing could have excelled with a size 6 or 5 (neither of which I had handy!). Also, very little more than a full skein was used, so maybe getting closer to the right size could have kept me within one skein. The cool crimp in the tassel comes from using yarn on the very inside of a center-pull ball of yarn. Very Raggedy Ann!

Pink Peppermint Puff

My first post! Here's what I am working on at the moment:
















A swatch sample of some lovely yarn! I found it at Holly Spring Home Spun - with a hat for my daughter in mind. It's Filatura Di Crosa Baby for Tahki Stacy Charles "Zarella" color 32. I have no idea what part of that name is the yarn brand or name, but that's why I wanted to blog - to keep track of projects and their particulars. I think it looks like a big pink peppermint puff!

















Here she is pointing to the hat topper she'd like.

I am making a hat for her from Ann Bud's The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns. I love how this book gives you all the combinations to make anything once you have a yarn and needle size in mind. As a newer knitter I find it so frustrating to find the perfect pattern, but not the right yarn. Or a great yarn, but no pattern, or you can't get the gauge you need. I checked this book out of the library until I couldn't renew it anymore - that's how I know when it is time to buy the book!

So a swatch was knit this morning (and I finally understand why you swatch in the round if that's how the item will be made - my knits being way looser than my purls - is that true for everyone or just European throwers or beginners or?) for me to figure out what instructions to use.

I was lucky to get together with friends for a monthly un-retreat and I brought this project. You can see today's progress in the book picture. My goal : to complete this hat as soon as possible to keep her head warm and to be able to show it to the Holly Spring Home Spun ladies this Wednesday when we go for a field trip.