For a while I’ve had Rodekool in my queue — it’s so interesting-looking, plus I’ve always wanted to try a pattern using brioche stitch.  I visited a new-to-me LYS last week on a field trip with my knitting group, and I picked up the ball of Mini Mochi I needed to make this pattern.

Lately when I go yarn shopping, I troll through my queue ahead of time, and choose a project in each weight of yarn that I’m likely to buy. That way if I see some yarn I love while at the LYS, I know how much to get.  It prevents some “oh pretty” purchases, and means I do eventually get yarn for at least some of the patterns I’ve queued. On this trip, I also picked up Mirasol Nuna for a Greenery Beret — yum!  I did not find the right lace-weight for My Heaven, alas.

I cast on for my very own Rodekool on Wednesday, and the first few rows took every single ounce of my concentration.  I have not be so challenged by a pattern in a long time!  I think perhaps my first go at brioche need not have been combined with lace … but I did master the pattern, and by the third or fourth time through the lace brioche pattern repeat, I understood the underlying logic of the stitches and was motoring right along.  I’m enjoying the knit, and the developing scarflet is gorgeous.

Project: Yggrasil in Blue

Pattern: Yggdrasil Afghan

Designer: Lisa Jacobs

Available: FREE! at Interweave Knits

Yarn: Knit Picks  City Tweed HW in Dungarees

You might remember this blanket from my “Finish it or Frog it!” post back in January. I’d already made some progress then, because it was my “neglected project KAL” target for January.  I won’t say it was “easy” to finish, not exactly, but I did eventually get into the rhythm of the border cables.  I do not think I will ever do this pattern again, and although I admire the finished full-size Yggdrasil Afghans out there, I have reason to doubt the sanity of those who accomplish such a gargantuan knitting feat.

The pattern itself is well-written and clear. Plenty of good charts.  I think this might have been my first knitted-on border, back in the day.  I also have a niggling feeling I may have grabbed the wrong size needle when I re-booted this project … the “old” border (right edge, upper right corner) looks a wee bit tighter than the rest.  However, this is invisible when I’m using it, so I am doing my best to let the slight difference go. I am definitely not going back and fixing it, ooooh no.

I continue to love, love, love City Tweed.  What a wonderful soft yarn with gorgeous colors, and it shows cabling so nicely! And it’s so warm and cozy!

This year, Mrs. K asked for volunteers again, but with the added requirement that we find some way to make our class a community service project as well.  I hemmed and hawed quite a bit — I think we can all agree that first projects from beginning knitters are not always something to inflict on the needy — but then one of my friends suggested a perfect solution: make little blankets for the cat cages at the local MSPCA.  Kitties don’t care about dropped stitches, uneven edges, or holes.  I know from experience how quickly they go through linens and blankets — they always need more.  So off we went, mad knitters one and all: some used needles, some used looms.  The kids made six little blankets, and also collected donations (toys, supplies, money, etc.) for the MPSCA.

Last week, we brought the kitty blankets and all the donations to the MSPCA, and took a tour.  We were joined by another of the groups, who sold the art they made and donated the funds to the MSPCA.  We got to see all the farm animals first. They said they had been flooded by horses this year, primarily because of the economic depression. Horses cost a lot to keep fed, housed, and healthy. It’s sad, but at least Nevins can give them a second chance.

The chickens were not impressed, but the geese really seemed interested in us. They followed us as we walked past their enclosure, and honked loudly as we left.

Our guide did a good job balancing the realities and sobering statistics of shelter life, with allowing the kids to simply enjoy being around animals. Inside the bunny room, she handed out greens so the kids could feed the bunnies. She also let them hang with the loose kitties in two different cat hang-out rooms. The light was better in the bunny room, so please admire these lovely creatures… I love the hairdo on the second one!

I was very proud of our group of kids — they learned something new, and used their skills to help others. It was a pleasure to teach them how to knit!

The other knitting event in my life this week was hexipuffs: I have succumbed to the madness.  I have joined a mini-skein swap, and chopped up a skein of Butternut Merino/Tencel from Mind’s Eye Yarn.

I also dug through my box of sock-yarn-leftovers for all my “premium” bits, and I’ve made four puffs already. I am using puff-making as a reward for chugging through on the design project. Which is not to say that the design project is a problem (not at all — in fact it’s quick). Rather, I’m not usually a monogamous knitter, so I have to find ways to motivate myself to stay on task. Mostly.

Project: Shoreward Socks

Pattern: Shoreward Socks

Designer: Sivia Harding

Available: sometime after September 2012 

Yarn: Socks that Rock Mediumweight in Drop Dead Gorgeous

The pattern doesn’t photograph easily — you’ll have to trust me when I say how pretty the twisted stitches and curved recurves are.  The construction is fairly traditional toe-up style, with a nice heel flap. I love how she makes sure the leg pattern lines up, no matter where you started the gusset etc. The waffle-ish pattern on the instep and leg front make these socks a little heavy/bulky, but also super warm and squishy.  It’s a trade-off I’m willing to make.

Best of all (from my point of view) is the yarn — the colorway is, as advertised, Drop Dead Gorgeous.  I mean, look at this stuff!

The first time I saw it, I thought ZOMBIE!

First up: Parseval in the Clover

I finished the knitting on a sweater-for-me project, and although it was blocking and lacked three buttons, I gave myself permission to swatch for my long-planned Parseval.  Except, I wanted to swatch in the round, because the garment is worked mostly in the round … and when I decided how much to cast on, I realized that it was almost enough for a sleeve … so in a way, I’m not swatching.  I cast on for a sleeve willy-nilly with just a guess at the correct needle and garment size. I will wash & block the sleeve when it reaches 6 inches or so, but this is unsteady ground for me.  I have learned, however, that flat swatches aren’t necessarily accurate when planning in-the-round garments, so there it is.  I love the yarn (Gloss DK), and the pattern isn’t too terrible (4×1 rib, mostly).  I really want the finished sweater, and all the knitting becomes interesting towards the end, so I should be good to go.

Next up: Ashton Shawlette

I love this KAL choice — it’s the Feb project in the Beginning Lace Knitters group. There’s nothing super-special about the pattern, but it is well balanced and extremely well written.  The designer has written a lovely tutorial that new lace knitters should find exceptionally helpful, and she’s providing it for free.  I’ve already used it to help a new-to-lace knitter get started.  For my own Ashton, I’m pleased to say it seems like my unloved ball of Sweet Pea (from the 2010 Socks that Rock sock club) has finally found its true calling as a simple lace shawlette.

Third, I also cast on the “not a sock” pattern from the first shipment of the 2012 Socks that Rock sock club.  This year, the good folks at Blue Moon Fiber Arts are providing two patterns (as they have for the last two years), but one of the two patterns is not a sock!  Due to spoilage issues, I can’t say any more about the pattern or color, except that I am IN LOVE with both. Of course I had to cast on.

Or, as he will now officially titled:

C-ATCH Hawkhaven Sweet William O’Mine

Project: C-ATCH William

Pattern: Scottish Terrier

Designer: Joanna Osborne and Sally Muir

Available: in Knit Your Own Dog (currently $10.17 on Amazon!)

Yarn: Knit Picks Palette in …. mmmm… a heathered black, a ruddy brown, and a true red (my labels have come off)

William is a present for my friend Julie, who is a fellow dog-agility competitor.  The real-life William was up for a big title last weekend: he needed one more qualifying run (“Q”) in Jackpot to earn his C-ATCH.  This title represents 40 Q’s in seven different classes, all at Level 5 of difficulty.  It’s a big deal for us agility heads!  I decided on the spur of the moment to channel some castonitis into making a cute little dog for her.  I knit for about 10 hours on Friday and Saturday, and finished!  I showed a few people, but decided not to tell her until after the Jackpot run … it was a tricky run, a non-traditional Jackpot with complex rules for gathering points.  Julie planned a conservative path, getting exactly the 44 points needed to Q.  Everyone cheered and cheered!

This is my second “Knit Your Own Dog” project — I made a Border Collie a while ago. I found the pattern to be similar in many ways, but tailored to the breed.  He really looks like a proper little Scottie!  The legs are knit flat, then joining via some cast-on stitches to make a left and right body.  The neck and tail are worked from held body stitches.  The head does use those crazy PULT short-rows that have stymied more than a few knitters!  I’m especially proud of the tail — Julie said it was very close to correct to breed standard!  She also said the wild beard on the knit-Scottie was perfect because William’s beard is always looks like he’s been partying it up.

Congrats Julie and William!

… I thought you might like to know there is a current (and VERY active) KAL going on right now in the “Dozen Shawls in 20Dozen” group on Ravelry.  Kudzu was chosen as their February Advanced Shawl, and some people are already well into the knitting (I think some have even finished!).

*********************************************************

In other news, a clever knitter who made my Steek This Coffee Cozy! has released an alternate pattern for the colorwork section:

The Psyched-Out Pineapple chart is available on Ravelry, and you can read more about WickedSharp Designs at the blog of the same name.  Also available from WickedSharp?  A Cylon Basestar — that’s just too cool:

Project: Happy Green Fylleryd

Pattern: Fylleryd

Designer: Mia Rinde

Available: FREE! on Ravelry

Yarn: Dream in Color Smooshy in Happy Forest

I knit this fingering-weight shawlette as part of the January KAL in the Beginner Lace Knitters group on Ravelry. I keep tabs on each month’s KAL, and when I can — I join in! This is my first “nupps” project (I’m not counting my WIP Aeolian, because I haven’t gotten to the nupps yet), so I was extra excited to try something new.  I’m pleased with how the nupps came out — and they weren’t that hard (people make things sound so difficult sometimes!).

I’m also extra excited, because this is some of the yarn I liberated in my January frogging festival.  I am SO MUCH more happy with this new project — I will definitely be wearing my Happy Green Fylleryd, lots.  Because I only had one skein, I had to be conservative … I did two repeats of the leaf chart, then three repeats of the blueberry chart.  Judicious math and careful thought revealed I would not have enough for the edge, so I went back a few rows and made it TWO repeats of the blueberry chart, then the edge, then I added a crochet-lace cast-off (similar to how I finished the bottom edge of Red Seas).

As an aside, three cheers for my willing & adorable model!  The shawl looks huge on a six year old .

I made my nupps the old-fashioned way: k1, yo, k1, yo, k1, yo, k1 into one st on the right side, then purl all seven together on the returning wrong-side row.  I made a special effort to make the loops LOOSE because that seems to be key … it definitely worked for me.