Night Time Ain't Always the Right Time

My mom used to were camisoles outside all the time. Us kids just used to laugh and were actually kind of glad we knew her little secret. Mom could make a shell and cardigan/blazer combo out of anything. She just needed the right stuff. The lingerie drawer was never off limits. I wanted to wait until I could coordinate this with some sort of flair chocolate brown skirt, maybe raw silk. Alas, I can not sew that well, so why keep you waiting. I can't tell if this knit up quickly or if I just really wanted the top badly. Knit one and let me know what you think. The tank underneath is chocolate brown. The picture doesn't show it clearly so you have to used your imagination (sorry).

I don't know if I'll ever wear this to sleep. This is my second lace garment. You may notice the mistakes you may not. Basically, I couldn't figure out how to pick up the yarn overs when I needed to back out a few rows. I figured it out later. I learned that lace knitting is not blind knitting. You have to pay attention to what you're going for and where you've been. This doesn't mean knitting lace is hard.


Yarn Used: Hempathy. 34% Hemp, 41% cotton, 25% Modal. I'd intended on using cotton. But I'd always wanted to do a project in Hemp. With this yarn I got the best of both worlds. I kept thinking that if we lived off the land, this is what our clothes would feel like. It's not too rough, and not too soft, and hemp is supposed to soften each time you wash it.

Needles Used: Size 4 Addy turbos, Yeah!
Modifications: None

I didn't knit the largest size this time. So, I think I might have enough yarn to crochet this bikini I've been promising someone.

I Got Next

You all remember this phrase. You'd hear it while waiting your turn in line for a video game or pin ball machine or something. Kids would place their coin on the machine and walk away for a time then return and proclaim "I got next!" You new this meant that you'd have to wait longer to play than you originally thought when you walked up to this seemingly deserted machine. You couldn't really argue with this other kid who popped out of nowhere because you didn't know how long he'd been waiting or even if he'd been waiting at all. Those coins had to belong to someone.

Well, "I got next" is what this lace nightie hollered out to me as soon as coachella and the flower petal shawl jumped off my needles. Doesn't it know that I promised to crochet a special gift for someone? Doesn't it know that little man needs a Tomten sweater for the fall. This will be my last summer tank, I swear. Good thing it's been growing quickly. I started it yesterday and got this far...

...and today I'm this far.

This progress is in part thanks to Amtrak for canceling my 5:55 ride on the Capital Corridor at 8:00 pm. Normally sitting and waiting being faced with uncertainty should irritate the common woman, but this yarn fetish (I'm using this yarn called Hempathy, a blend of hemp, cotton, and silk?) makes me uncommon. My mother tells me that the only other person she's ever seen knit or crochet as much as I do is her great grandmother. Ah ha, so this is a genetic affliction. I have to go, the lace nightie is calling me.

2 FO's!

This right here is a lace shawl.


Yarn Used: Knit Picks Shadow 100% Merino
Kneedles Used: Size 6 Circular Susan Bates Quicksilver.
Modifications: The yarn. The pattern calls for DK weight, since I used lace weight it's about half the size it should be. This is cool wit me.

I don't care how easy it was, the pattern said it was lace, so I finally knitted lace! Oh wow, I'm a knitter. I'll wear this in the Fall and Winter while knitting on the couch. My kids fight over "blankies." Even if I'm using it, they claim they're cold so that they can get under it with me. This would be fine, if they didn't want to pin my arms down while snuggling up.

And, one sizzling hot Coechellllllllla. Did ya'll catch my Italian accent?

Back fat included. It's still hot. Heyyyyy!

Yarn used: Fine weight recycled very snaggy single strand 100% rayon.
Main Kneedles Used: Size 4 Addy Turbos ( I finally recognized their worth).
Modifications: A couple. I had to do a stretchy bind-off so that it would glide over them hips. I picked up about 150-160 stitches around the armholes to eliminate gapping at the neck and to hold in some of that back fat.

I'm satisfied with both projects.

Yucky Days

Teddy Bear and I have been fighting some virus since last weekend. You all probably know how it goes. The care taker gets it last, the mutated version of the virus. Note to self: get an extra car seat cover to stash away for moments such as these or else find one's self hosing it off in the driveway.

Now that I've finished grossing you all out. I've made some progress on the shawl, but haven't taken Coechella any further. The real reason is because even though I started out with nice pretty yarn cakes, I still managed to tangle it, or it tangled itself. Whatever happened, it's not getting an inch longer until I start the untangling process. I'm only pulling from the outside of the ball from now on.

Flower Petal Progress

Now that I'm somewhat comfortable with lace (although I don't think it can get any easier than the flower petal shawl), I'm thinking about my next tank. And really enjoying this knit for Me thing I must say. This Lace Nightie caught my eye. I'll start practicing for it soon, but this won't be my next project.

I'm going to hook up this tunic that I can't find a picture link to right now. You'll have to see what this one looks like the old fashioned way by waiting for the finished product. And oh yes, I need to get my hand on some chocolate brown size 3 mercerized cottons. These stores around here don't seem to have it. Any suggestions are welcome.

I'm also considering frogging this Laundry cardigan I have. It's like this, I love the yarn, but I never really liked the way it fit because of the way the closure pulled. I haven't worn it in 3 years. Perfect for frogging! But, it's a lace weight, so I don't know what the right project will be for it yet. The picture doesn't show how shiny the yarn is, but it's rayon like the Banana Republic vest.