The Start of an Obsession

I learned how to knit when I was 9 years old - in 4th grade. My teacher required the whole class to learn how to knit. Everyone had to knit one hat and after that it was up to you if you wanted to keep knitting or not. Every day after lunch there was a corner of the class room where everyone would sit while she read to us and this was also a time to knit. I was hooked from the beginning. I started with something that was supposed to be square but I remember that it kept getting wider and wider as I was bringing the yarn to the back and making the first stitch of every row into two stitches. Once I knew how to make the stitches I moved on to my hat. I don't remember what color it was or if I even still have it somewhere but I loved knitting. I do remember that I hadn't yet learned how to purl so the hat was worked in the round entirely in stockinette stitch. This made the brim curl up along the bottom of the hat. I learned the hard way to make sure all your stitches face the same direction otherwise you get a big twist in the fabric. Instead of having me rip it back out she helped make the twist an element of the hat instead.  I believe that it was in 4th grade that I also made my first socks from a pattern that she helped me with - it's one that I still have.  I remember that they were huge floppy socks, probably made out of worsted weight acrylic but they were socks and I was so excited when they were done! I think that they are still in my parents house somewhere, but not sure where.

In 5th grade I had a different teacher but I still remember stopping by my old 4th grade classroom after school to ask for knitting help, or just to show what I was working on.

In 6th grade I was lucky enough to have the same teacher I had in 4th grade. This was the year that I moved on to the ultimate knitting project a sweater. She helped me measure myself, measure how many stitches per inch I was knitting and do all the calculations to make a custom sweater. (There is a picture of this sweater on the top of this post: http://blog.crystal-crafts.net/2012/02/12/sweater/) I'm so glad to have had such an awesome teacher who taught more than just the required curriculum.

Recently I was able to find and contact my teacher through e-mail. I was pretty excited, and I couldn't believe that after 15 years she still had pictures from some of my first projects that she sent to me. (I hope she doesn't mind that I am about to post them here).

My first socks:

Working on my first sweater:

Ashton Shawlette

So, my new goal for this blog is going to be to post at least once a week now that we are settled into our apartment. I will try to stick with posting every Sunday, but more if I can. This is a project that I finished before we left Pullman and I just haven't had time to show you. The pattern is called Ashton Shawlette and the yarn is Malabrigo lace. I love making these lace shawls and am in fact working on a new one right now. The problem is that I don't ever wear them. I guess I need to start if I'm going to keep making them. Anyway, here are some pictures:

Before blocking:

While blocking:

After blocking:

I know I have said this over and over again, but I just love blocking lace knitting. It completely changes how it looks and makes all that work of knitting it completely worth it. :)

Cannon Beach

We've been having fun exploring Oregon lately and decided to head to the beach yesterday. I thought it would be a good chance to get some pictures of the shrug that I made while back in Anchorage. I don't have any in-progress pictures since it was made in airports and while on vacation. I just kind of forgot to take any pictures of it. I originally got this yarn to make a shell-type top but got the wrong weight of yarn. I didn't want to end up with a super heavy tank top which would kind of defeat the purpose of a tank top. So, I found this pattern instead. It will be good to throw over my shoulders if I am wearing a tank top and get chilly. The pattern is Lacy Summer Shawl by Lion Brand but I used Knit Picks worsted weight comfy yarn which is 75% cotton and 25% acrylic.

It was so hot yesterday that I only put the shrug on for the time that it took my husband to snap a few photos, then it came right back off.

 

We did some walking around and searched out a yarn shop. I was so into the yarn that I didn't even know my picture was being taken.

To end the day we stopped by the Tillamook cheese factory. We tasted cheese then got some ice cream. That makes for a happy Crystal! Mmmmm

 

Finally Finished

I was asked to make a baby set a long time ago. Then Christmas happened and I was so busy knitting presents that this project got put on the back burner. This is the first baby set that I have made that is entirely knit. The others that I have made have been crocheted. The reason for this is only that crochet is so much faster than knitting. In the end though, I love the look of the knit fabric so much more. First, I made the blanket. It is a super easy pattern, you just knit 1 row then K3, P3 across the next row for the entire length of the blanket with a few rows of plain knitting for the first and last few rows of the blanket. Then I put a white i-cord border around the outside.

 

Then the cardigan. This was knit in 3 pieces: the main section and the two sleeves. Once it was knit, the sides rolled in so much that I decided to pin it out and lightly steam it just to make it lay a little flatter.

Then, sewed together all the seams and attached 4 white buttons down the front.

The hat started with a simple ribbing in white, then I switched to blue and knit around until it was about 5 inches. I decreased and gathered up the top.

I thought the booties would be the easiest and fastest part, but I was wrong. I thought I had the right gauge, but the bootie came out big enough for a small child, too big for a baby. So I started over with smaller needles. The one on the left was knit 1st and the one on the right was second.

 

In the end, there is a baby set with two normal sized booties.