Nuclear Knits: Where knitting is the bomb!

Oceanwinds fiber club fiber ..... What it looked like spun up. Project Details: I hand spun this yarn (Diego Rivera from Oceanwinds Knit). It was 2 ply 300 yards sport weight. I used size 8 needles to knit this up. I used Susan Undulating Waves Scarf pattern ... it was free on my pattern of the day calender. The pattern calls for beads - I did it without. I'm sure that when I make it next I'll use beads. This was started on September 25th and finished October 31st. Of course I wasn't focusing on knitting it (it was my house knit project). I'm now just trying to decide if I should block it or let it be more natural.

While on work travel this last week I finished up the sock #1 for the Seedy Rib Sock pattern. I love Trekking yarn and this is their hand paint version. The colors are loud - but a soft fun sock.

Lace scarf in progress. Loving it! I hope I get lots of knitting done on travel this week!

Well here is the skinny. Taking my gauge of 5 sts/inch (when I should have 5.75 sts/inch) and doing some math - I came up with knitting the size super small for the Sicily sweater. Knitting the small sweater means that the final dimensions should be spot on with the medium size that I was going to do before. THANK GOODNESS! I really wanted to use this yarn. I'm now 2.3 repeates into the cable that goes under your breasts. I believe I'll end up doing around 11 of them. This is slow going - the cable pattern isn't easily memorized.

Friday is suppose to be spinning day. Well I can say that no real spinning has been done this week. NONE. Anne helped me fix my wheel last week. I got the mitten book I wanted to read up on the gauge of yarn I wanted to spin with the latest roving of the month. The new mitten book looks AMAZING. I have found 6 things I need to do. Mittens I'd really like to make. Anne has told me that the latest roving needs a bit of prep work before spinning and how now scared the holy living crap out of me. I'm worried I wont be able to get the gauge I need for these mittens. Should I start? Should I try it? YIKES! Nervous!!!!

I got my package from the Socktoberfest . Oh my what a lovely surprise. The bag and little goodies came from Ashley and Two Sister's Knitting Nook . The bag with be my new project bag. Pink sparkly skulls - is there anything more perfect. What a great event and wonderful people ... I hope my secret partner likes hers!

I just got this new pattern: Sicily . I have a bunch of dk yarn (from when Sunflower went out of business). I'm thinking about doing a gauge swatch today or tomorrow. I'll need to figure out needle size and get a feel for how it knits up and if I'll like it. I can't wait to start a new sweater project. Question I just posted to Ravelry: Okay - here is my question. I got my yarn out, super excited to start this project, and I’m having a very hard time getting gauge. I’m using Rowan Yorkshire Tweed DK. I’ve gone all the way down to a size 4 needle (which is INSANELY tight) and I’m still only getting 5 sts per inch. Can anyone help me? I bet if I go to a size 2 or 3 I might get close. But, at that point the sweater wont even move. It will be like concrete. Thoughts?

I just got this book: The Enchanted Sole in the mail. I've been waiting for it and even paid extra to get it here fast. I'm fully in love. Amazing patterns - and they appear to be easy enough to read. I have 6 picked out to make ... I'll have to pick one and get cracking.

I'd say very unexciting - but that would be an over statement. These socks seem to be the slowest knitted socks on the planet. I keep picking up other work in the middle of them. I figure if I post the slow progress - maybe (just maybe) it will force me to get my butt in gear and actually finish them up. This is still the Seed Stitch pattern (from the SOTM kit) and Trekking hand painted yarn. And ... still sock #1. Ouch - right - hopefully I'll finish these soon.

This is for socktoberfest - a mini sock exchange put on by Knitters Brewing Company . I have my partner's name and address. I'll be putting my little package together and making sure that my person (who is in the mid-west) get her present before October 31st. Project Details: Knit on size 0 needles. The pattern is free from Knitters Brewing Company. I used two different left over sock bits to knit this up. Took about 1 hour and was very fun.

Fall is here and I didn't have any new hats. I figured I should get my butt in gear and finish this one up. Project Details: Started October 13 - finished October 18 (easy as pie to knit up). The hardest part was figuring out the gauge. I started on size 8 needles - but the hat was just too big. I went to a 5 stitches for inch gauge on size 7 needles and prefer the fit. I also removed all of the extra knit rounds during the decrease so that the hat is less deep (or tall). I prefer shorter hats. The yarn was dreamy and the pattern was great to read. The pattern, from Impulse of Delight , gives both written instructions and a chart. The yarn is from Liberty's Yarn and is very very soft. As you can see the decreases and knit stitches make a nice shape to the top of the hat. I'm sure this will be a regular in my wardrobe.

I dropped down a needle size (now on size 7) and have a slightly smaller gauge - but I like how this is coming along. I'm probably half way finished with this hat.

My poor wheel is having issues. I can't tell what is going on other than maybe it has been miss-aligned and is now fraying the cord. I talked with Anne about it and she says I can use any type of twine or cord when I replace it. I think I'll have her help me out a bit on Saturday to re-align and string it. Regardless - the poor wheel hasn't been spinning anything this week.

Dreamy. Just dreamy. Singles. Oceanwind Knits Waterlilies (August's club I believe). Merino-secell roving 100% superwash. Fantastic to spin and well ... a dream. I'm so inspired and impressed that I feel like I need more more more. Lori really out did herself. I'm thinking I might make a hat with this. 234 yards of DK weight double ply.

I'm going to cast on this hat (from Impulse of Delight). I'll use the Retro yarn that just showed up from Liberty's Yarn . Hopefully I can get the gauge right tonight and get my toasty ears on later on in the week.

Not the best photo - but it shows you the shape of the top. Ignore the PJ bottoms. Bend's thoughts on the Gretel Tee. Project Details: Patons Australia Fireside 8 Ply (6 skeins out of the 9 used). Size 6 needles. I made this a size smaller than I normally wear. It fits much better than I thought (even thought it is a bit small in the sleeves). I started it on August 30th and finished on September 10th (I guess that would make this a very very fast knit).

My September Oceanwind Knits roving package arrived this weekend (while I was gone to the races - at least I wasn't able to sit around and be sad that I haven't finished up the remaining 2 oz of blue from last month). I have not decided what I want to do with it or even how I'll spin it - but the colors sure are lovely.

I'll post all the details once this is blocked and officially finished. I'm happy with how it came out -but amazed at how long the top took!

Liberty's Yarn was having a 30% off sale. I know - who needs more yarn ... My hand is firmly raised!

Here is the first 2 oz of the Oceanwind Knits . This is the pink,yellow,orange half. The next 2 oz are blues and greens. I'll spin it up and ply it with this pink. I'm hoping to finish spinning the rest of this before the next package comes. Fingers crossed. I think when I'm done - depending on yardage - I'll make a lovely hat out of this. This is some of the most fantastic yarn I've ever spun. Fast, easy and like cotton candy!

I'm still working through this tee. I'm in math hell right now - I have to keep track of the cable in the middle, the cable in the raglan sleeves and if I'm on a decrease row or not. I'll be happy when this part is done. My goal is to finish up this top at the race track this weekend. Possible?

This weekend is the Taos Wool Festival. It is a small festival - but packed with great booths and lovely people (I even met some Santa Fe knitters, a knitter/spinner/weaver who lives 1 block from me, and some new ABQ friends). Here is Mike and Ritch helping me out at the festival. They stood outside of the tents with a large backpack and carried my loot as I walked around. It was very nice to have such good help! They had all kinds of live stock - mini sheep, alpacas, shearing demos. It was neat to see them all there! My purchases. I didn't go crazy. I got a pound of wonderful mint chocolate chip merino, I got some angora, a few skeins of yarn, a mixed bag of bright roving, and some other fibers .... way too much fun!